Wednesday, September 16, 2015

15th September,2015 Daily global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine



News Headlines...

·         Biryani Festival/Cooking Competitions to promote Basmati Exports
·         Pakistan exports get more boost
·         Rice export to Iran: Reap fears Pakistan may not take advantage
·         Group aims to reduce rice imports
·         Mentoring to Take Charge
·         Vietnam needs new policy for rice production
·         CSIR-Crops Research Institute releases 12 crop varieties
·         U.S. and China to sign rice protocol agreement
·         Royal Rejuvenates The Rice Industry With A Commitment To Authenticity
·         Aquino: Gov’t to import more rice as severe El NiƱo looms
·         Final protocols struck for U.S. rice exports to China
·         Paddy price dips by 60%, Karnal farmers worried
·         Limited Rice Trade Resumes as Govt Weighs New Export Policy
·         Preserving “Heirloom” Collections – Microbial, That Is
·         Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report

News detail...

BIRYANI FESTIVAL/COOKING COMPETITIONS TO PROMOTE BASMATI EXPORTS


Sep 15, 2015 | thaver
The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has urged S.M. Muneer chief executive officer (CEO)Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to arrange Biryani Festivals and cooking competitions at our embassies and consulates abroad to promote export of white and parboiled Pakistani basmati rice.President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said our basmati rice and super basmati rice and also our rice of other varieties namely 1121, 386 and C9 are considered as fine rice and liked by overseas Pakistanis and rice lovers in Europe, Middle East and Far East and since our exporters are a little behind in publicizing the TDAP needs to play its role and beat the drum. The festivals and competitions could serve as exhibitions and the superiority of our rice varieties could be highlighted. Our super basmati rice is aromatic and elongates on cooking, it is very tasty and meant for banquets and is very much liked in Iran, Gulf and the affluent.

He appreciated that the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) is holding cricket matches to promote goodwill amongst members but it would be far better if REAP could join hands with TDAP and arrange biryani festivals in different provinces and also in foreign countries.Thaver also suggested the holding of cooking competitions on electronic media at home and abroad for cooking various dishes of rice like pulao, biryani, fried rice as in Chinese sweet dishes like Zardah, Kheer (porridges), firni, bread (chappati).

http://www.unisame.org/biryani-festivalcooking-competitions-to-promote-basmati-exports/
Pakistan exports get more boost
Mm. Aftab
Filed on September 14, 2015 | Last updated on September 14, 2015 at 07.43 am
FDI inflows were $75 million, compared to $18 million in the two comparable months.
Pakistan has formed a new strategic policy to make a big push in exports particularly to the booming regions like Middle East, Africa, South East Asia and China.The new target to boost exports to an all time high of $35 billion a year means that within three years the amount has to go up by nearly $10 billion, which will require considerable effort by the industry, businesses and services.
The three-year plan called "Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF) - 2015-18 has been okayed by the Cabinet Committee on Production and Exports. Low-cost finance, reduction in procedures, cheaper cargo and freight services, regular supply of electricity and gas and greater cooperation between the government and trade organisations are some of the incentives, which are required to achieve the results.The STPF was planned by Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan on the back of worrisome performance of the export sector.Exports during the June 30-ended fiscal year 2015 totalled $24.2 billion, against the official target of $27 billion.Fiscal year 2015 was the third consecutive year of declining exports.
Compared to fiscal year 2014, exports in fiscal year 2015 were down 3.5 per cent. The exports were $25.1 billion in fiscal year 2014. The actual exports in fiscal year 2015 were only $25.1 billion against the government's target of $29.9 billion."All steps will be taken to enhance export to the $35 billion level by 2018 by expanding production of all currently exported items and those with a future potential in the changing global market," said Finance Minister Ishaq Dar who chaired the Cabinet Committee on Production and Exports."The government is cognisant of Pakistan's declining trend in exports. In view of this, we will take all possible steps to reverse the trend," Dar said."While formulating the new strategy for higher exports, we have taken into account the potential of the industry and the economy, as well as the hurdles in growth, which restrained the output. These hurdles include the continued shortage of electricity and gas, rising cost of doing business, appreciation of the rupee against the dollar and other currencies, as well as the growing foreign competition, particularly to our textiles," Khurrum Dastgir said.
The STFP has outlined the potential markets, which will be targeted to enhance exports. The focus for export of high-quality, "Basmati" rice will be the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran. Pakistan will make a push for export of its fruits, including oranges, mangoes, vegetables, potatoes, onions and halal meat products to the Middle East, the UAE and Iran.South East Asia will be the target for export of horticulture products. India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Africa are identified for export of cement. Pakistan will offer a freight subsidy for export of cement to Africa. Items marked for export to China are rice, cotton yarn, fabrics and ready-to-wear garments. Wheat, rice, meat and cement are identified for export to Afghanistan. In order to expand trade, border marketing support, development, expansion of banking facilities, improvement of the rail-link and infra-structure development will be undertaken.
Products destined for the Iran market will include provision of warehousing support, product branding, "halal" certification.The STFP provides Rs20 billion for research and development to expand and upgrade Pakistani exports and to achieve the targets set by this plan.The government has also decided to undertake immediate steps for expanding farm products, further improving the quality and range of products, especially fruits and vegetables, commodity pricing and to examine the input cost, which will have to be restrained in order to ensure expansion of exports and enable the country to counter foreign competition. The government will have a deeper look at other hurdles being faced by exporters.
These issues relate to R&D, technology problems, moving out of the current concentration of traditional products, improvement of resources and financing of the potentially exportable products, upgradation of all products including those needed to match with the new and developing demands of the consumers in foreign markets where incomes, living standards and lifestyles are changing and rising, Commerce Minister Dasgir said.The government's Committee on Ease of Doing Business, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the central bank, Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Textiles will work jointly to achieve these objectives. Pakistani fashion industry is constantly increasing its exports and arranging fashion show in the UAE, Qatar and other foreign markets. One has to look at the latest foreign trade statistics in order to understand the importance of export volumes and values in the context of the entire external balances. Some improvement is visible in this sector according to the latest SBP statistics.
SBP says the current account deficit has narrowed down by 80 per cent to $150 million in July - the first month of fiscal year 2016.Both exports and imports drop down in July. Exports were down to $1.76 billion from $1.91 billion in the same month last year. Imports declined to $3.5 billion from $4 billion in the two comparable months.FDI inflows were $75 million, compared to $18 million in the two comparable months.For the whole of fiscal year 2015, the overall current account deficit was $2.3 billion - 27 per cent lower than the deficit in FY-14.Fiscal year 2015 also saw the overall imports totalling $41.13 billion as compared to $41.66 billion in fiscal year 2014.
The foreign exchange reserves on September 3 were $18.497 billion, of which SBP held $13.458 billion, enough to cover imports for three months. The forex reserves held by commercial banks were $5.050 billion. Analysts and businesses are also questioning the current rupee-dollar parity. They claim that devaluing the rupee to a "realistic level" can reduce the current export slowdown.The open market rate of dollar was Rs104.45/104.65 and Rs103.80/104 in the inter-bank market over the weekend. Institute for Policy Reforms, a research group said: "The rupee remains significantly overvalued which has impaired the competitiveness of our exports." Several businessmen said the rupee is overvalued up to five percent against the dollar, and lowering it will help exports to rise. But the government has taken no decision on such claims.

IMF's continued disbursement out of the $6.2 billion EFF facility, Pakistan's planned issuance of eurobonds, and ongoing lower prices of imported oil and commodities are expected to continue support the external balances," says SBP.This picture of the external balances indicates that an all out efforts should go on to raise exports. And, now the STFP provides that road map.Views expressed by the author are his own and do not reflect the newspaper's policy.
Khaleej Times

Rice export to Iran: Reap fears Pakistan may not take advantage


The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan has feared that Pakistan may not take advantage of opening of rice export to Iran from October 2015 because of energy crisis and lack of the Research and Development which has turned Pakistan regionally uncompetitive. In a speech at press conference on Saturday REAP Chairman Rafique Suleman also called for devising a comprehensive mechanism and appropriate currency transfer arrangements by the State Bank of Pakistan to take full benefit of reopening of rice trade with Iran. “Iran is the one of the largest rice importer of the world, which imports around 11 percent of the world rice worth $2.5 billion.

 He said that the demand for rice in Iran has doubled during 2012-13 and in the last five years, import of rice grew more than 35 percent. Hence, there exists a huge opportunity for the exporters of Pakistani rice. Pakistan, once, was the largest exporter of rice to Iran, before imposition of sanctions on Iran, which it has lost to India and now almost 90 percent of rice is coming to Iran from India though import from Pakistan is more economical,” he said. He also said, “Pakistan rice export has been stagnant for the past many years, both in quantitative and value terms and is hovering around 4 million tonnes in quantity and $2 billion in worth because of devastating energy crisis and inconsistent and discouraging export policies of the government. India has entered the global rice market with a huge surplus and a 20-percent devaluation of its rupee, giving it almost unbeatable comparative advantage against Pakistani exporters. The State Bank of Pakistan also honoured sanctions against Iran, resulting in drastic drop in basmati exports to it. But the exporters still maintained their share and were able to achieve the mark.”

Giving the latest data of rice export, he said, “Pakistan’s rice exports posted a sharp decline of 27 percent during the first month of this fiscal year mainly due to declining price trend in the world market. The country exported rice amounting to $91 million in July 2015, compared to $125 million in July 2014, depicting a decline of 27.24 percent. Major drop has been witnessed in the export of Basmati Rice, which registered a 30 percent decline to $34 million exports during the period while non-Basmati exports stood at $57 million in July 2015, down by 25 percent. The government will have to announce freight subsidy of at least $200 per ton on rice export to make it globally competitive, the chairman proposed.” He urged the government to refund mark-up amount of 2013-14 and 2014-15 loans of rice exporters, besides withdrawing withholding tax of this period, suggesting a slash in this tax to 0.25 per cent for fiscal year 2015-16 and suggested to extend export refinance period to 360 days from 80 days to facilitate the rice exporters.

Source: Business Recorder

Group aims to reduce rice imports


Monika Singh
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Grace Road Group president Daniel Kim, right, with Agriculture Minister Inia Seruiratu at the construction site of the rice milling factory in Navua. The group aims to make Fiji self-sufficient in rice production. Picture: SUPPLIED

A CHURCH-based organisation has plans to help Government reduce its rice imports and make Fiji self-sufficient in rice production with the revival of rice farming.Grace Road Group started operations in Fiji last year with an initial investment of more than $10million.South Korean investor Daniel Kim, who is also the president of the group, says Fiji has the potential to grow more rice and become self-sufficient by the year 2020.Mr Kim said Government had the same plans but lacked the machinery to be able to achieve its goals.
"But we have brought the machines with us and we have the expertise and the manpower to achieve this goal." Our headquarters is in Navua and we are planning to build the biggest rice milling factory in Fiji there," he said.He said they planned to finish building the rice milling factory by January or February next year.Mr Kim said the group had a 100-acre farm in Navua and a 200-acre farm in Nausori where they had planted rice while they still waited on another 1000-acre land in Nausori/Tailevu to be cleared by Government.He said they had plans to start rice revival projects on Vanua Levu and they had already moved their machinery to help them with the development.
Mr Kim said they planned to produce 44,000 tonnes of rice because that was roughly the amount of rice that was imported by Fiji. To do that, the group needed 13000 acres of land. Some of the challenges that the company faced was regarding land issues but Mr Kim said the Government had been very supportive in the process."We are doing organic farming and our rice farms are also organic because we do not want to use chemicals and other harmful substance," he said.Mr Kim said the group also had six restaurants in the country and it used products that were planted on their farm in Navua."We supply the rice to our own restaurant and we plan to supply organic rice to other resorts and restaurants once the other farms are ready," he said.

According to Mr Kim, they had a program for the landowners and the response from the mataqali had been very positive.He said they had training programs for members of the church, who would then train the landowners so that they could pass the knowledge to their own landowning unit members and villagers.Mr Kim said they also had plans to start potato farming and help reduce the import bill for potatoes.

http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=321850

Mentoring to Take Charge


Tue, 09/15/2015 - 02:36 admin
-WAAPP Boss Wants Young Liberian Scientists Play Lead-Role in Agric Sector
By: William Q. Harmon & Alvin Worzi
The Coordinator of the Liberia office of the West Africa Agriculture Productivity Program (WAAPP), Mr. Cyrus Sargbe, has called for young Liberian scientists, who have returned from studies abroad and are working in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, to be properly mentored to take charge of the sector in the next few years.
Mr. Sargbe said young Liberian scientists, who are working as apprentices under Ministry of Agriculture’s (MOA) implementing partners, AfricaRice, must play leading a role in the field during the learning period, because when the mentors leave, they will have to rise to the occasion.The MOA through its implementing partners, Africa Rice Center (Africa Rice) and The Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) with support from WAAPP, are leading the country’s rice development program. The program is intended to improve the rice production in the country and reduce its dependency on the importation of the commodity.“When we come on the field, we want to see the Liberians carrying out the demonstration exercises in order to convince us that when you are gone they will be able to take charge of the sector.

 I really want to see them at the forefront of the various exercises, because when this is done, we will know how far we have gone in this project,” the WAAPP Coordinator said.He made these remarks during a tour of AfriaRice’s rice demonstration site at CARI’s headquarters in Suakoko, Bong County over the weekend. The tour was led by WAAP in collaboration with a representative of the World Bank, a major financier of the project.Agriculture, notably food sufficiency is one of two priority sectors of the World Bank’s regional strategies because, according to the bank, the sector provides the source of livelihoods for almost two-thirds of the population in Africa. The bank believes that its intervention would bring about high poverty reduction on the majority of the population.The Country Representative of AfricaRice, Dr. Inousa Akintayo, took the two officials and their teams on a sight-seeing expedition to many of interventions in the county, including the lowland rice varietal development and testing segregating population for yield, demonstration of improved upland rice varieties treatment sponsored by WAAPP and the AfricaRice Center-Liberia Station at CARI.

The first phase of the WAAPP project in the country is about to elapse and Mr. Sargbe told the experts from AfricaRice to make more use of the young people so that they can drink from the organization’s fountain of knowledge.The WAAPP boss was impressed by a splendid presentation made by a local scientist at the Rice Demonstration Plot. The presenter, Joseph Ndebe, spoke about the 20 varieties of improved rice that are being processed to be distributed to farmers across the country.World Bank Senior Agricultural Specialist, Abimbola Adubi, also stressed that the level of capacity at CARI is very low and as such there is a need for more scientists at the institution. He said Liberia, as a country, needs more scientists that will work in the research department in order to improve the sector.

Liberia currently has about four PhD holders at the nation’s premier research institute, CARI, and Mr. Adubi noted that the situation is pathetic, though he acknowledged that the country has been through a lot of crisis.“To have three or four PhDs in a research institution is not enough, the least should be twenty. This is because this is a technical area that requires a lot of knowledgeable people,” Mr. Adubi said, calling on AfricaRice to ensure that all is done for the country to reach that benchmark.Dr. Akintayo also lauded the students for the swift pace at which they are learning on the field. The AfricaRice boss, who has worked in Liberia’s rice sector for the last thirty years, firstly with ADA and then AfricaRice, said the country is actually improving in the sector.
WAAPP boss Cyrus Sargbe speaks to Liberian agriculture scientists
Vietnam needs new policy for rice production
VietNamNet Bridge - To enhance the competitiveness of Vietnam’s rice production and value, and bring more profits to farmers, Vietnam needs new breakthrough policies.


Since the late 1980s, Vietnam's rice industry has developed strongly. This helped Vietnam not only ensure food security in the country but also become one of the top three rice exporters in the world.However, the expansion in scale of Vietnam’s rice sector instead of being greeted cheerfully has become a concern despite the increase of rice output because farmers' income has not improved, accompanied with a risk of degraded soils and pollution.
The over-emphasis on increasing rice production has led to the low quality of Vietnam's export rice. As a result, the export markets are concentrated in the lower segments, are less diverse, and are focused on the Chinese market. When the export markets are in trouble, the pressure of lowering prices is placed on the domestic market, causing losses to the components in the production chain in the country, especially for farmers.VietNamNet talks with economic and agricultural experts to find a solution.

New policy needed
In 2016, Vietnam marks 30 years of renovation. This breakthrough economic policy, which helped Vietnam made a complete makeover of both economic and social reforms, originated from agricultural renovation policies to "untie" agriculture and farmers.After a long journey, the rice sector has created "miracles", taking Vietnam from an importer of rice into a leading rice exporting country. Vietnam no longer has to worry about food security, but focuses on rice production as a key commodity for export.However, this achievement has not brought added value to the sector, and has not created many positive changes in income for farmers. Vietnam's farmers have the lowest average income in the country, and in Southeast Asia their average income is only higher than that of Cambodian farmers.
Among many reasons for that situation, the most notable is that in the last 30 years, Vietnam has focused only on strategies to increase rice output, instead of improving rice quality, creating a rice brand with higher added value.The current policy is still in this direction: increasing production and encouraging exports. This will continue to cause over-production, low quality of rice and many negative implications for the sustainable development of agriculture and the livelihoods of farmers. In this case, overproduction of rice is not good.Prof. Vo Tong Xuan, a well-known rice expert, Rector of the University of South Can Tho, said that Vietnamese farmers, "under the cheers of the state”, just plant rice to achieve high productivity and pay little attention to quality.
The emphasis on increasing rice production is also reflected in the density of rice planting. In 1990, farmers in the Mekong Delta planted 1.6 crops/year, and as of 2010, this figure rose to 2.1 crops/year. Notably, this process causes weaker soil, and farmers use more fertilizers and plant protection chemicals. The grain quality has deteriorated over time.
Vietnam’s rice exports to countries, 2010-2013 (% of export value

The world rice market is increasingly competitive
According to UN Comtrade, in 2010 Vietnam mainly exported rice to the Philippines (about 29% of the total export value), in 2012-2013; Vietnam largely exported to China (24.53% and 30.88% of the total export value of the corresponding year), compared to only 1.71% in 2010.In the world rice market, the segment for low grade rice has tended toward oversupply. According to FAO’s forecast, rice production will have strong growth in the coming years due to the increase in rice acreage, number of rice crops, and improvement of productivity. Global demand for rice will increase to 2030, then will reduce.Vietnam’s rice importers like Indonesia and the Philippines have had a rice self-sufficiency strategy.
Indonesia, the largest rice importer in the world in 2011, with 3.1 million tons, reduced rice imports sharply in 2013 with 650,000 tons.Meanwhile, countries like India, Cambodia and Myanmar are seeing strong growth in rice exports. India has had the most powerful breakthrough in rice export, with export volume increasing by nearly 2-fold, from 4,637 thousand tons in 2010/11 to 10,901 tons in the 2013/14 crop, to become the second largest rice exporter in the world. Cambodia increased the export volume from 750,000 tons in 2009/10 to 1 million tons in the 2013/14 crop to the markets of Europe, Malaysia, Thailand and China. Myanmar also nearly doubled the export volume from 700,000 tons to 1.3 million tons in this period.
In this context, if Vietnam keeps focusing on an increase in rice production and does not pay attention to the quality of rice, the entire rice value chain of Vietnam will suffer heavy losses, and the farmers will suffer the worst losses.Following this trend, in the future, the position of the countries on the rice export market depends on the ability to supply high-quality and specific rice to different customer groups. Output is no longer a problem, but rather the quality and value of exports.The rice exporters in the world are all aware of that. Thailand, India, and even an emerging rice exporter like Cambodia have their own "weapons" – their own rice brands. At the Food Fair held in Bangkok in 2013, Thailand had more than a dozen rice brands; Cambodia also had eight brands while Vietnam had nothing.
To be continued…
Nguyen Quang Thai - Nguyen Khac Giang
(Vietnam Institute for Economic Policy Research - VEPR)

 

 

CSIR-Crops Research Institute releases 12 crop varieties

The Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has released twelve new crop varieties onto the market.Four cowpea, seven maize varieties and a new rice variety capable to withstand hash weather conditions were released on Friday.The varieties are made up of different types of hybrids that are adapted to the major agro-ecologies especially in these times of climate change challenges.Authorities at the research institute explain that the new varieties are in line with current national issues-climate change and malnutrition.
The intensity of the climate change effects for instance have become severe threatening food security in Ghana because the rains have escaped most farmers in recent months.It is therefore prudent to develop early and extra early maturing varieties or drought tolerant varieties.The four new cowpea varieties are drought and pest resistance. They have shorter maturity period compared to the existing ones on the market.It was named “Agyinkwa” meaning saviour because farmers were excited by the outcome during the experimental period. Local materials were used in the production so they can well adapt to the local environment.Three of the seven maize varieties released – Crops Afriyie (named after Dr. S. Twumasi Afriyie), Crops Obotantim (meaning rock) and Crops Nkabom (meaning unity) – are drought tolerant.Maturity period is 80 to 85 days better than the existing drought tolerant maize varieties with intermediate maturity of 110 days.
Director of the Crop Research Institute, Dr. Stella Ama Ennin, says these varieties are critical to achieve moderate yields in the midst of the climate change.Malnutrition is one of the major issues Ghana has had to deal because it is a major contributor to child mortality.They observe that there are limited availability of Vitamin A, Zinc and Iron.According to Dr. Ennin, the researchers put these qualities in these new varieties to help address both infant and maternal nutritional needs.
Four of the seven maize varieties (Crop Nkunim meaning Unity, Crops Aho?dzin meaning Strength, Crop Aho?f? meaning Beauty and Crops Dzifoo meaning Eat Plenty) for instance are rich in pro-Vitamin A nutrients-good for children and nursing mothers.This will in addition address the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 of reducing child mortality and improving maternal health respectively.Ghana, in recent times has been battling with huge import bills especially yellow maize and rice.The country, for instance, has had to raise 500 million US dollars to import rice every year; situation researchers believe needs putting a stop to.
Dr. Stella Ama Ennin explains that researchers have a duty to ensure that these import bills reduce.

“So if you look at our efforts towards developing Yellow maize and rice, this is towards reducing the huge import bills that have saddled the nation,” she said.Hence the development of the new Hybrid rice (ARIZE 6444 GOLD) and yellow maize (Crop Nkabom and Nkumin).The Director has therefore implored government to pass the Plant Breeders Bill to address these challenges.The bill will also ensure private participation to fund and promote new varieties to reach end users, because currently the institute rely mainly on foreign donor support to undertake new research due to unavailability of funds from government.The crops have had to undergo stringent observation, analysis and recommendation for two consecutive occasions to assess the crops.The varieties proposed for release fall under 4 major projects, namely Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa, HarvestPlus and WIENCO.Bill and Melinda Gates foundation also funded part of the projects.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/CSIR-Crops-Research-Institute-releases-12-crop-varieties-382067

U.S. and China to sign rice protocol agreement

By US Rice Producers Association September 15, 2015 | 8:20 am EDT
September 15, 2015 | 8:20 am EDT
Officials from the United States and the Peoples' Republic of China will sign a phytosanitary protocol during the week of September 21st when Chinese President Xi Jinping leads a delegation on an official visit to Washington, D.C. Culminating an effort that reaches back more than 15 years, the US Rice Producers Association (USRPA) has been pushing to open the Chinese market to U.S. rice.In those intervening ten years, China has switched from being a rice exporter to (in recent years) importing two million tons or more of long grain rice. Vietnam has been the origin of most of the Chinese imports, due to a combination of price, proximity, and quality. The U.S. has not been permitted to ship to China because rice was not included in the original negotiations that resulted in the sale of millions of tons of soybeans and cotton and other grains. That now changes with the new phytosanitary protocol.
USRPA applied for funding from USDA/FAS under their Emerging Markets Program to travel to China to determine if there would be demand for U.S. long grain milled rice should it ever be permitted. Over the years, consumer preferences were recorded and analyzed, and the conclusion was obvious — rice milled in the United States would be considered a preferred product deserving of a premium price in the opinion of the growing consumer class in China. In recent years, medium grain rice from both the South and California has been included in these consumer surveys, and the result is the same: "When can we buy it?"
A number of importers and distributors in China have been identified, and it is likely that the newly-permitted trade will get off to a fast start. It is not clear how large the trade could become once the logistics and the commercial terms are perfected, but China could represent a significant boost to the U.S. rice market, which recently has been slammed by the loss of markets and low-priced subsidized foreign competition."This has been a long and exhaustive process and sometimes that's the nature of international market development, while I must compliment the USRPA staff and its board members including past Chairmen, B.J. Campbell of Missouri and Ray Stoesser of Texas, who along with officials of the Foreign Agricultural Service and Animal Plant Health Inspection Service of the USDA, have not hesitated in pursuing this effort that is so important to our rice farming and milling industry," says Dwight Roberts, President & CEO of the organization.  "Our analysis of the China market goes back to 1998 when at the time no one thought China would ever be a significant importer," added Roberts. 
Recently elected Chairman, Tommy Turner from El Campo, Texas who has plans to travel next month to China is excited about the outlook saying, "our focus has already turned towards working with the identified Chinese buyers and importers while continuing to conduct additional promotional surveys of Chinese consumers," while adding, "this is great news for our farmers and is a shot in the arm for the market that is so sorely needed."The US Rice Producers Association, representing rice producers in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas, is the only national rice producers' organization comprised by producers, elected by producers and representing producers in all six rice-producing states.
http://www.agprofessional.com/news/us-and-china-sign-rice-protocol-agreement

Royal Rejuvenates The Rice Industry With A Commitment To Authenticity

Multinational Rice Brand Is Dedicated To Farm-To-Fork Philosophy

PR Newswire
CYPRESS, Calif., Sept. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal, the #1 selling Basmati rice brand in America under the LT Foods Americas umbrella, brings global taste and tradition to a pantry staple. Under its Royal flagship, LT Foods Americas has led the Basmati rice industry for 25 years due to exceptional flavor and a commitment to sourcing ingredients from the country of origin. As a family-owned business of three generations of rice-growers, LT Foods Americas has extensive culinary roots and is devoted to comprehensive traceability.
Basmati rice can only be considered authentic if it comes from the foothills of the Himalayas, which is where Royal Basmati rice is cultivated by India's most expert farmers. This region provides the ideal harmony of climate, fertile soil and pure spring water that yields extraordinary grains. Royal's Basmati rice is gluten-free, Non-GMO Project Verified and is aged for a minimum of 12 months to intensify the delicately sweet flavor. Additionally, Royal's long-grain rice has a low glycemic index, meaning that Basmati rice digests slower than other types of rice. The brand's high caliber Basmati rice offers a fluffy, non-sticky rice that has a distinct nutty flavor and a floral fragrance.
"Our seed-to-table commitment and celebration of culinary traditions differentiates Royal and sets us apart," said Abhinav Arora, President of LT Foods Americas. "Consumers are becoming more conscious of where their food originates and at Royal we are thrilled to deliver authentic and delicious flavors from around the world."
Royal has developed strong relationships with farming communities and has established cultivation awareness programs that aim to educate farmers on sustainable, natural farming practices. The brand's roster also includes Arborio rice from the Italian region of Piedmont, Thai Hom Mali Jasmine rice from the mountain highlands of Thailand, Quinoa from Peru and many other authentic products. Royal Basmati rice is available at retailers nationally in a wide range of pack sizes. For more information on LT Foods Americas, please visit www.ltfoodsamericas.com and for more information about the Royal brand, please visit www.authenticroyal.com.
About LT Foods Americas

LT Foods Americas, located in Cypress, California, was established in 1992 and for more than 25 years, has been a leading expert in Basmati rice. LT Foods Americas has evolved from a distributor of rice to a full-fledged, authentic "farm-to-fork" enterprise with comprehensive traceability responsibility.
 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/royal-rejuvenates-the-rice-industry-with-a-commitment-to-authenticity-300142854.html
SOURCE LT Foods Americas

Vietnam: Rice exports continue to decline

9/15/2015
Thai News Service
Vietnam exported over 3.8 million tonnes of rice, raking in 1.6 billion USD in the period from January 1 to August 31, showing considerable drops in both volume and value over the same period last year.
In the same period of 2014, the country shipped more than 4.2 million tonnes of rice and grossed over 1.8 billion USD, according to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA).
Vietnam is the only one among the five biggest rice exporters in the world to record a decrease in the period.
On September 9, the Philippines' National Food Authority (NFA) invited Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia to join a tender to supply 750,000 tonnes of rice, in addition to the planned import of 1.8 million tonnes of rice this year due to El Nino impacts.
This can be a good opportunity for Vietnam to boost rice exports in the remaining months of this year.
The prices of rice in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's largest granary, have dropped slightly from last month.
As of September 11, Mekong Delta provinces and cities have harvested summer-autumn rice on nearly 1.3 million hectares of land with a total output of 7.34 tonnes of brown rice. The localities have also planted summer-winter rice on 640,000 hectares out of the planned 886,000 ha.-VNA
www.world-grain.com/

Aquino: Gov’t to import more rice as severe El NiƱo looms

by Genalyn Kabiling
September 15, 2015 (updated)
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ILOILO CITY — Additional rice importation and cloud seeding operations are part of the government efforts in preparation of a severe El NiƱo phenomenon later this year.President Aquino has unveiled the government roadmap to mitigate the impact of the dry spell on the country’s food and water supply during a recent visit to Iloilo City.The El NiƱo dry weather, the President said, has started to affect several provinces and is expected to intensify from December to February 2016.“Nakikipag-negotiations na rin ang NFA para mag-angkat tayo ng dagdag na bigas para nga masiguradong maski tamaan ‘yung ating sariling ani, meron tayong bigas pagdating ng kasagsagan nitong El NiƱo [The National Food Authority is conducting negotiations to import additional rice to ensure we will have sufficient rice in the event our harvests are severely hit by the El NiƱo weather],” Aquino said in a media interview last Tuesday in Iloilo City.
“Iyong talagang maaapektuhan nang husto ‘yung taniman ng Disyembre dahil ‘yan nga ‘yung talagang patindi nang patindi na ‘yung El NiƱo na inaasahan ayon sa PAGASA [The harvest this December will be the strongest hit because thats the time when El NiƱo is expected to worsen, according to PAGASA],” Aquino added.Aquino did not specify the amount of rice stocks that will be purchased abroad. The NFA however earlier said the county may import an additional 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice to beef up the country’s stocks in preparation of the El NiƱo season.
Apart from rice importation, Aquino said the government will continue to carry out cloud seeding operations to boost rainfall on farmlands and reservoirs.“Habang tag-ulan pinararami natin ‘yung ulan na bumabagsak sa atin, sana pumunta doon sa ating mga dams, mga dikes, sana makapasok rin doon sa tinatawag na aquifer na para may pagkukunan tayo pagdating ‘nung kasagsagan ng El NiƱo [While it is still rainy weather, we are trying to augment the rainfall to fall on our dams, dikes and aquifers so we will have supply during the El NiƱo],” he said.At present, Aquino said the water level in Angat Dam has reached 186 meters above sea level, compared to the normal range of 180 this period. But due to El NiƱo impact this December, he said authorities no longer expect Angat Dam’s water level to reach the normal level of 210 meters.
(File photo by Mark Balmores)
http://www.mb.com.ph/aquino-govt-to-import-more-rice-as-severe-el-nino-looms/#i3PFD1xZqzRMXB1B.99

Final protocols struck for U.S. rice exports to China

Deal to be signed September 23 in D.C.
Aug 26, 2015 David Bennett | Delta Farm Press
  • Years-long negotiations to get U.S. rice to China close.
  • Major market for U.S. rice to finally open.
The long courtship of the U.S. rice industry and China is finally set to bear fruit, according to a report from the U.S. Rice Producers Association (USRPA).The USDA and several agencies under its umbrella have yet to comment on the report.After years of back-and-forth negotiations – largely based on phytosanitary protocols – Chinese officials have agreed to a set of standards paving the way for U.S. rice imports, the RPA says. The protocol is expected to be signed September 23 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Washington, D.C.“This is a done deal,” says Greg Yielding, executive director of the Arkansas Rice Growers Association, which is part of the USRPA. Yielding recently returned from  China after meeting with rice industry counterparts and conducting rice-tasting surveys.Shortly before Yielding headed to China, he spoke with Delta Farm Press about the long road to a rice trade deal. Among his comments:
I think the last story we did was in late 2012 and the Chinese had put a draft proposal in to APHIS. What’s happened in the intervening time?
“When you left off, the Chinese had sent in the protocol and APHIS was looking at it. Basically, since then, we’ve been back and forth with this. We should have already been selling rice in China.“The Chinese wanted traps in processing facilities for quarantined pests that they don’t want getting to their rice in their own country. They wanted fumigation – just normal things, really. They want the U.S. rice to be placed in permeable packaging. They want to ensure no pests get into their rice crop.
“Rice is the most important crop and food source for them. So, they want to be extra careful. That’s understandable.“All countries have protocols for commodities that are imported. Those vary, but everyone has different concerns. That’s certainly true for China just like it is for the United States.“So we went through a period where some of our folks didn’t want to test for Khapra beetle since it isn’t in the United States. ‘We don’t have it, so why do we have to test for it? Why should we put traps out for it when it isn’t here?’
“Well, the answer to that is China wants to make damned sure we don’t have it, and we don’t get it in coming years without them getting a heads up.”
On the willingness of U.S. mills to provide the Chinese what they want…
“It’s worth noting that from the get-go we’ve had mills in every rice-producing state willing to do exactly what the Chinese were asking for. They want the Chinese business and many already have strict procedures in place because U.S. food companies require them to.
“You know, we’d send something on the protocols over to China and then, after a while, they’d respond. It would then take a long period for us to respond back. Truth is, this is on us not the Chinese. The Chinese haven’t been a problem in this process.”
Sep 15 2015 1:03AM

Paddy price dips by 60%, Karnal farmers worried

Tribune News Service
Karnal, September 14

Farmers who planted paddy variety-1509 across the state are a worried lot as the price has taken a sharp hit due to a fall in prices of the crop this year by 50 to 60 per cent, compared to last year.
The variety is being sold at Rs1,200-1,300 per quintal, while it was sold for Rs 2,800-3,400 per quintal last year. Similarly, farmers, who have cultivated other paddy varieties including hybrid-3325, 834, 222, are also in deep trouble as they too are not getting a proper price of their produce.Farmers and commission agents have demanded that the government fix a price of these varieties and to start government auctioning at the earliest.
They alleged that with a game plan several rice millers have been purchasing these varieties at a less price resulting in huge losses to farmers.Surinder, a farmer who came from Dadupur, with the produce of 1509 variety, said he received only Rs1,281 per quintal of his produce, while he got Rs3,400 per quintal last year. This is just a monopoly of the rice millers and it should be stopped. The government should start the auctioning with immediate effect and fix a price for it.Malak Singh from Jalmana said his produce of 1509 variety was sold for a mere Rs1,250 per quintal. He received Rs 2,700-3,000 per quintal last year.Rajinder Kumar, a commission agent at the Karnal grain market, said it was a strategy of the rice sellers and the government should keep a check on such buying
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/paddy-price-dips-by-60-karnal-farmers-worried/133030.html

Limited Rice Trade Resumes as Govt Weighs New Export Policy

By
A man carries a sack of rice from a boat on the banks of the Rangoon River, Rangoon, November, 2013. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters)
RANGOON — While limited rice exports resumed on Tuesday after a 45-day halt, the government announced overland rice exports would remain suspended as it considered a new trade policy on the back of recent severe flooding.Flooding across the country over the last two months inundated more than 1.3 million acres of paddy fields and, in early August, the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) called on its members to halt rice exports until mid-September.But while rice exports via sea routes resumed on Tuesday, Myint Cho, Director of Trade Promotion in the Ministry of Commerce, said the government would not yet resume overland exports as it mulled a new export policy.“Even during these past 45 days, some exporters, on a case-by-case basis, were granted special permission to trade by sea,” Myint Cho said.
He added that the government was focused on ensuring local consumption needs were met and ongoing concerns had convinced officials to consider adjusting Burma’s rice export policy.“As of now, an exporter may have to save at least 2 percent of his rice volume as surplus,” he said.Following a meeting between MRF members and officials from the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday, the federation said the government would soon issue new export licenses, but no date was specified.Ye Min Aung, general secretary of the MRF, told The Irrawaddy the federation was waiting to see details of the new export policy. He said the ministry would have to weigh local consumption, prices and export volumes in determining a new approach.“If the government has plans for a surplus of rice, we will have to check how to store it, who will handle it and what the volume will be,” he said.
Chan Tha Oo, a rice exporter based in Muse, Shan State, said that the new export policy would be of national importance and that exporters would just have to wait and see how it played out.“Rice policy must look out for all farmers, traders, and consumers. We therefore shouldn’t rush to implement a new policy,” he said. “Rice exports across border check points have been stopped now, only local consumption is allowed here.”Of the approximately 15 million tons of rice produced in Burma in the 2014-15 fiscal year, about 1.5 million tons, or 10 percent, were exported, according to the MRF.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/limited-rice-trade-resumes-as-govt-weighs-new-export-policy.html

Preserving “Heirloom” Collections – Microbial, That Is

Posted by Jan Suszkiw, Agricultural Research Service, on September 15, 2015 at 3:00 PM
Plant molecular pathologist Yulin Jia samples a field in Columbia for rice blast disease. (Photo by Fernando Correa).
This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.
As a plant pathologist with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Rice Research Unit in Beaumont, Texas, Toni Marchetti oversaw a new program in 1972 to develop new cultivars that better resisted costly diseases like rice blast.  Marchetti retired from ARS in 2001, leaving behind not only a legacy of excellence in rice breeding and plant pathology, but also a prized collection of 1,000 rice blast specimens he isolated from Texas, Arkansas, and other rice-growing states.
The Beaumont unit was closed in 2012, and the collection was relocated to ARS’s Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center in Stuttgart, Arkansas.There, ARS research plant pathologist Yulin Jia has managed Marchetti’s legacy collection while conducting his own research on rice blast genomics.  This is no easy feat considering the fungus that causes rice blast, Magnaporthe oryzae, has a tendency to mutate when cultured in the lab, resulting in new races with a different genetic makeup.
To get around the problem, Jia devised a new procedure for storing rice blast spores on filter paper strips at extremely cold temperature—minus 20 degrees Celsius. Using the new approach, he expanded the collection to 1,800 total rice blast specimens, allowing him to compare genetic changes in specimens Marchetti obtained as far back as the 1950s to specimens that he collected.Despite this success, a gnawing worry remained. “My nightmare has always been that my freezer with fungi will lose power,” says Jia. “If this were to happen, then all of these genetic resources would be lost.”So last summer, Jia contacted the ARS National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) in Fort Collins, Colorado, about establishing a backup collection there using duplicate specimens from Stuttgart. The Center agreed, and Jia prepared the spores for 629 duplicates of Marchetti’s specimens for back-up storage—and more submissions are planned.
Jia and research leader Anna McClung’s desire to preserve the rice blast collection underscores a broader issue facing research institutions the world over: the potential loss of valuable germplasm to personnel departures, budgetary constraints, natural disasters, contamination, or other unforeseen events.“The relevance of this pathogen collection for rice blast is that it may offer opportunities to determine if the pathogen changes over time—for example, in response to climate change—or to do other sorts of population genetics studies,” says McClung.Preserving this collection is critical for having potential solutions to developing new rice varieties that are resistant to this costly disease.A diseased rice leaf infected with rice blast fungus under greenhouse conditions at Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center, Stuttgart, Arkansas. (Photo by Peggy Grebb)
- See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2015/09/15/preserving-heirloom-collections-microbial-that-is/#sthash.WcN33flN.dpuf


Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report

A comprehensive daily commodity market report for Arkansas agricultural commodities with cash markets, futures and insightful analysis and commentary from Arkansas Farm Bureau commodity analysts.
Noteworthy benchmark price levels of interest to farmers and ranchers, as well as long-term commodity market trends which are developing. Daily fundamental market influences and technical factors are noted and discussed.
Soybeans

High
Low
Cash Bids
918
871
New Crop
914
822


Riceland Foods


Cash Bids
Stuttgart: - - -
Pendleton: - - -
New Crop
Stuttgart: - - -
Pendleton: - - -


Futures:




High
Low
Last
Change





Nov '15
894.50
883.00
889.00
+4.75
Jan '16
897.25
886.50
892.25
+4.75
Mar '16
898.75
888.25
893.50
+4.50
May '16
900.00
889.50
894.75
+5.50
Jul '16
904.00
893.25
898.75
+6.00
Aug '16
899.25
892.50
897.50
+5.75
Sep '16


886.75
+5.50
Nov '16
886.50
874.50
882.25
+6.00
Jan '17
891.00
880.75
888.25
+6.00

Soybean Comment

Soybeans managed a higher close today, despite yesterday's improvement in the percentage of the crop rated excellent. Prices were supported as today's NOPA report again beat trade expectations. The trend of strong domestic demand continues to hold as the market continues to see strong crush demand. With prices lower, the market continues to watch exports for this year as we wait to see if sales can catch up this year.


Wheat

High
Low
Cash Bids
--
--
New Crop
510
485


Futures:




High
Low
Last
Change





Dec '15
503.25
492.25
494.75
-6.50
Mar '16
512.00
500.50
502.50
-7.50
May '16
517.00
505.75
507.75
-7.25
Jul '16
521.00
509.75
511.75
-7.00
Sep '16
525.00
519.00
520.50
-6.75
Dec '16
543.00
532.00
533.00
-7.50
Mar '17


543.00
-7.25
May '17


541.00
-7.00
Jul '17


532.00
-7.00

Wheat Comment

Wheat prices failed to hold support today as we once again saw prices slip back below $5. Weak overall fundamental continue to prevent meaningful gains to be held in wheat. Prices are likely to remain depressed as U.S. exports remain scarce.


Grain Sorghum

High
Low
Cash Bids
414
375
New Crop
414
378



Corn

High
Low
Cash Bids
384
349
New Crop
405
356


Futures:




High
Low
Last
Change





Dec '15
395.00
388.75
390.50
-3.00
Mar '16
406.25
400.00
401.75
-3.00
May '16
413.00
407.00
409.00
-2.75
Jul '16
417.75
412.00
413.50
-2.50
Sep '16
409.25
404.50
405.25
-3.25
Dec '16
415.00
410.25
411.00
-3.25
Mar '17
425.00
421.75
421.25
-3.00
May '17
431.00
427.50
427.00
-3.00
Jul '17
435.25
432.00
430.75
-3.00

Corn Comment

Corn prices closed lower today. After 6-sessions of gains prices finally gave into good crop ratings and slow demand. While the overall balabpnce sheet remains supportive, there remains a lot of uncertainty in the corn market which has prices locked in a sideways pattern.


Cotton
Futures:




High
Low
Last
Change





Oct '15
63.45
62.45
62.82
-0.69
Dec '15
62.87
62.33
62.52
-0.03
Mar '16
62.64
62.22
62.39
0.06

Cotton Comment

Cotton futures traded in a narrow range before closing lower. The monthly supply/demand reports didn't provide great news for prices. The estimates pegged U.S. production at 13.428 million bales, up 3% from the August estimate but down 18% from 2014. Average yield is projected at 789 pounds per acre, down from the previous report, but abandonment is expected to only 4.56%, down from the previous estimate of 11.35%. Ending stocks were raised to 3.2 million bales. December continues to be confined in the two-cent trading range between 62 cents and 64 cents.


Rice

High
Low
Long Grain Cash Bids
- - -
- - -
Long Grain New Crop
- - -
- - -


Futures:




High
Low
Last
Change





Nov '15
1299.0
1281.0
1297.0
-2.5
Jan '16
1326.0
1310.0
1325.0
-2.5
Mar '16
1339.0
1339.0
1346.0
-3.0
May '16


1363.0
-1.5
Jul '16


1374.0
+0.5
Sep '16


1288.5
0.0
Nov '16


1288.5
0.0

Rice Comment

Rice futures continued to move higher as the sharp up-trend remains intact. The U.S. long-grain crop was pegged at 131.5 million hundredweight, down from 149 million just last month due to reduced harvested acres and yield estimates. The long grain export forecast was cut by 10 million cwt, but the net result was still a carryout estimate that is down 15% from last month. November failed at $13. Trendline support is currently near $12.30.


Cattle
Futures:

Live Cattle:




High
Low
Last
Change





Oct '15
142.250
140.250
140.325
-1.150
Dec '15
143.825
141.800
141.975
-1.200
Feb '16
144.025
142.125
142.150
-1.225
Apr '16
142.875
141.100
141.225
-0.925
Jun '16
134.775
133.000
133.050
-1.100
Aug '16
133.550
131.800
131.800
-1.275
Oct '16
136.525
134.900
134.900
-0.875
Dec '16
137.500
136.100
136.300
-0.650
Feb '17


136.450
-0.550

Feeders:




High
Low
Last
Change





Sep '15
200.775
197.550
198.400
-1.750
Oct '15
195.750
191.750
192.500
-2.300
Nov '15
193.900
190.000
190.550
-2.325
Jan '16
188.225
184.725
185.175
-2.300
Mar '16
186.650
183.150
183.500
-2.575
Apr '16
187.000
183.750
183.975
-2.475
May '16
186.750
183.175
183.875
-2.400
Aug '16
186.650
184.150
184.250
-3.025

Cattle Comment

Cattle prices were down again today. Prices remain under pressure from weak demand and lower boxed beef prices. Overall cattle will remain on the defensive as demand concerns are likely to continue in the face of the stronger dollar.


Hogs
Futures:




High
Low
Last
Change





Oct '15
69.775
66.775
69.575
+2.750
Dec '15
64.475
62.150
63.875
+1.625
Feb '16
68.450
66.350
68.250
+1.875
Apr '16
72.150
70.675
72.000
+1.775
May '16
77.050
76.450
77.000
+1.350
Jun '16
80.500
79.650
80.375
+0.700
Jul '16
80.125
79.550
79.900
+0.575
Aug '16
79.950
79.175
79.625
+0.450
Oct '16
67.975
67.675
67.900
+0.300
http://www.arfb.com/ag-markets-statistics/report/





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