Rs1,329 crore
still pending with rice millers
Patna: The state government on Wednesday admitted in the legislative council that Rs1,329 crore had been pending with the rice millers since 2011. Replying to a question of K K Singh of the BJP, food and consumer protection department minister Madan Sahni said FIRs were lodged against 1,197 mill owners and 207 of them were arrested, 817 surrendered and properties of 28 defaulters had been attached. The defaulters took paddy from the State Food Corporation but failed to return it after milling, he said."We are in the process to recovering the arrears from 105 rice millers," Sahni said and added that arrest warrants had been issued against 330 millers.
Replying to a question of Rajnish Kumar of BJP, the minister
said ration cards were issued to 2.5 crore families as against the BPL
population of 8.57 crore people covered under the Food Security Act launched in
2014. He said the government sought applications from those left out of the
beneficiaries' list. "Total 102 crore people have submitted their
applications and 96 lakh were found genuine. They were given cards," the
minister said, adding that additional counters would be opened at block level
to include those who were left out.
Leader of opposition in the council Sushil Kumar Modi sought to
know how many ration cards were printed and distributed during the last one
year. Modi also sought the number of food coupons distributed among the
beneficiaries. But the minister kept insisting on the point that the government
had distributed 2.50 crore cards, including 25 lakh to Antyodaya families.
Latest Comment
Why the Govt is making delay in
collection.
Replying to a question of Mangal Pandey of BJP, revenue and land
reforms minister Madan Mohan Jha admitted that the state government had failed
to continue 'chakbandi' (land consolidation) programme in 1992. As a result,
all the related employees were accommodated in some other government
departments. Only 6% employees remained in the same department, the minister
said.
The chakbandi programme was revived in March, 2004 on the Patna
high court directive. Aerial photography is being done and it will continue for
another five years to complete the survey work. After that, chakbandi programme
would be implemented in all the districts.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Rs1329-crore-still-pending-with-rice-millers/articleshow/51431538.cms
Thailand to sell stockpiled
rice in second auction of the year
Source: Reuters - Wed, 16 Mar 2016 09:36 GMT
Author: Reuters
BANGKOK,
March 16 (Reuters) - Thailand will sell 641,000 tonnes of rice from government
stockpiles this month in its second auction from the inventories this year, the
commerce ministry said on Wednesday.Thailand, the world's second-biggest rice
exporter after India, has stocks of about 12 million tonnes that it is
struggling to offload following the end of a rice-buying scheme under the
previous government.Bidding for 418,000 tonnes of rice fit for human
consumption will take place on March 30 and bidding for 223,000 tonnes unfit
for human consumption will occur on March 31, Duangporn Rodphaya, chief of the
foreign trade department at the commerce ministry, told reporters.
"The
government will open bidding for rice in government stocks as it sees that the
market needs rice including rice for industrial use," said Duangporn.
"This is a good time to offload rice from government stockpiles."Thailand
has about 12 million tonnes of rice in state warehouses around half of which is
no longer fit for human consumption, according to the commerce ministry. The
stockpiling scheme, which bought rice at above-market prices, distorted global
prices and caused Thailand to lose its crown as the world's number one exporter
of the grain.The government began selling rice deemed not fit for human
consumption for industrial use, including animal feed, last year.Thai 5 percent
broken grade rice was at $365 to $371 a tonne on Wednesday, unchanged from the
previous day.
On Feb.
16, the government said it sold 152,377 tonnes of rice from state stockpiles in
its first auction of the year, lower than its 204,000 tonnes target.The
commerce ministry has said it plans to offload around 5 million tonnes of rice
from state warehouses this year.(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing by
Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
http://news.trust.org/item/20160316093914-8l7b4
VN rice exports jump as more of last year's
orders filled
Viet Nam News
HCM CITY - Rice exports have surged in the first two months
as many of last year's contracts are being executed this year, according to the
Vietnam Food Association.
The country exported more than 856,219 tonnes for US$347.8 million, a year-on-year increase of 101.89 per cent and 81.73 per cent, and Huynh Minh Hue, VFA general secretary, indicated there had been too many orders to handle last year, including some large government contracts with Indonesia and the Philippines.
At a regular meeting of the association last week, he said exports of common white rice accounted for 32.68 per cent of exports, up almost five times from the same period last year, and exports of glutinous rice also surged due to high demand from China.Exports of fragrant rice continued to grow steadily thanks to increased exports to China and Africa, he said.
VFA anticipates exports to reach 1.3 million tonnes in the first quarter, 56 per cent up from the same period last year.Hue said the number of contracts to be executed remains high at around 1.4 million tonnes.But with inventories at export firms 81,140 tonnes lower than at the same time last year - at one million tonnes - they have to buy rice, he said.
Prices are currently high in the domestic market despite this being the peak harvest season and the association announcing no plans to stockpile the grain.
High demand from exporters coupled with a forecast of falling output in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta due to drought and saltwater intrusion has pushed up the prices.The Ministry of Agriculture and rural Development reported that by March 5 around 139,000ha of the winter-spring rice crop in nine provinces had been damaged by drought and saltwater, with the loss estimated at one million tonnes.
In previous years the VFA proposed purchasing one million tonne of rice for temporary storage at the beginning of March to support domestic prices, but this time farmers can earn reasonable profits at current prices.According to rice traders in the Mekong Delta, a kilogramme of IR 50404 paddy in the field costs VND4,600-4,650, VND300 higher than a year earlier, and high-grade paddies are priced much higher.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/new/2016/03/16/aec/images/30281727-01_big.jpg
Bali farmers insure rice fields in defense
against El Nino
By Stella Paul
A tractor drives past at a rice drying yard at
an export rice plant in the central Chainat province in Thailand, December 16,
2015.
Reuters/Jorge Silva
NUSA
DUA, Indonesia (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Tourist taxi driver Nur-ul Aslam
watches in hopeful silence as drops of rain begin to cloud his windscreen.Last
year at this time he was farming rice on his two-hectare farm 40 kilometers
northeast of Bali’s airport. But a long spell of dry weather, which has lasted
since last July, dried up irrigation channels in his village of Tegal Mengkeb.To
survive, the 33-year-old walked away from his farm last December and began
driving a taxi in Nusa Dua, a tourist hub with dozens of luxury resorts. He
dreams of returning home.
"We
need regular good showers, but there is mostly drizzle. Unless the subaks
(water channels) are full again, I can’t plant any crop,” he said.Aslam may
have found a way to stay on the farm next year, however. He recently signed up
for new government-backed crop insurance, one of 100 farmers to do so in Bali,
where rice is grown on about 80,000 hectares of land.The Bali insurance
program, launched last October, promises to pay farmers up to six million
rupiah ($480) for a crop failure caused by disasters such as drought, flooding
or pest attacks.The premium is 180,000 rupiah ($13) per hectare, but the state
has agreed to pay 80 percent of the cost. That means a farmer like Aslam only
has to come up with 36,000 rupiah, or about $2, per hectare.The program is part
of a larger Indonesian crop insurance scheme introduced in 2012-2013 with
financial support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
In the
first season of the program, 470 hectares of rice fields were insured in East
Java and Sumatra. This year, the government has moved to include Bali and a few
other provinces, though delays in the expansion have limited the number of
farmers signed up."Our previous target this year was 11,000 hectares of
rice fields (insured), but only 4,000 hectares can be insured due to limited
time," said Ida Bagus Wisnuardhana, head of the Bali provincial
Agriculture and Foodstuffs Affairs office.Currently, the scheme targets only
small-scale farmers growing rice, but the federal government hopes to bring in
all 27 million farmers in Indonesia’s 33 provinces by 2019, according to a
paper published by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment.
EL NINO AND DROUGHT
In
Indonesia, the dry season runs from May to August. But Badan Meteorologi,
Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BKMG) - the local official weather mapping
organization – says the island of Bali has seen “extreme” weather since the end
of August.The agency attributes the unusually hot weather to the El Nino
phenomenon.In November, the temperature in the area around Denpasar, Bali’s
provincial capital, rose as high as 37 degrees Celsius above the average daily
temperature of 31.4 degrees Celsius, said Nyoman Gede Wiryajaya of BKMG.Bali's
provincial agricultural department says nearly a thousand hectares of farmland
are suffering some degree of drought, which threatens the coming harvest. With
crops drying, local media have already reported food shortages in several
villages.
Buleleng,
a north Bali district which has recorded crop failure on 160 hectares, has been
declared under "severe drought".With no rice available, "we have
been living off dried cassava for several weeks," said Palembang Kaka, a
small-scale farmer from Buleleng who now works as a porter in Pasar Badung,
Denpasar’s largest community market.Although globally El Nino is expected to
start weakening soon, meteorological service officials in Bali are advising
farmers to brace for more dry weather.Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, of the National Disaster
Management Agency, predicted that "rainfall will be extremely low until
the end of this year"
.For
Aslam, the prediction could mean another missed crop and another season at the
wheel – unless his new insurance policy works."We will see how the insurance
(money) is paid. I hope it is enough to recover my losses,” he said.(Reporting
by Stella Paul; editing by Laurie Goering :; Please credit the Thomson Reuters
Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian
news, climate change, women's rights, trafficking and property rights.
Visit news.trust.org/climat
PH milled rice stock drops due to El Niño
By: Ronnel W. Domingo
@inquirerdotnet
Philippine
Daily Inquirer
01:51 AM March 16th, 2016
The
Philippines’ stock of milled rice decreased further to 2.94 million tons as of
Feb. 1 as crop damage due to El Niño ballooned during the phenomenon’s peak
months.The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said in an update that the
country’s stockpile went down from 3.2 million tons a month ago.According to
the PSA, the national inventory—which shrank by 7 percent or 260,000 tons over
the January level—was good for 87 days’ consumption or six days less than the
previous month’s stock.Even the, data from the PSA show that the National Food
Authority’s stock increased further by 11 percent or 100,000 tons to reach one
million tons.The NFA’s reserve was 86 percent imported, about the same as the
ratio a month earlier.As of Feb. 1, the NFA’s stock was good for 29 days’
consumption, still well above the agency’s mandated minimum volume of 15 days’
supply.Stocks held in commercial warehouses dipped further by 3 percent or
30,000 tons to 940,000 tons, equivalent to 28 days of nationwide consumption.
Household
stocks lost 25 percent or 330,000 tons to settle at one million tons, which can
last for 30 days.In late January, the NFA Council said it “may not need to
import (milled) rice” for the first quarter this year, citing data the Food
Security Committee that show “sufficient rice supply until the end of June.”“Total
rice importation contracted for this year is conservative at 500,000 (tons)
through a government-to-government procurement with Vietnam and Thailand,” the
NFA Council said in a statement.“It was contracted last year, with arrivals
scheduled this year, to get the lowest possible price,” the council said.
Mali forecasts 2016/17 rice output of 2.7 mln
T, up nearly 11 pct
Wed Mar 16, 2016 11:21am GMT
BAMAKO, March 16
(Reuters) - Mali, West Africa's second-biggest rice producer behind Nigeria,
forecasts output of 2.712 million tonnes of unprocessed paddy rice in the
2016/17 season, up nearly 11 percent from last season, a government document
showed on Wednesday.The landlocked nation produced 2.451 million tonnes of rice
last year, falling short of an initial target of 2.6 million tonnes because of
the late arrival of seasonal rains.A government planning document for the new
season seen by Reuters showed that Mali plans to invest about 51 billion CFA
francs ($86.23 million) to boost production. More than 37 billion CFA francs
will go towards purchasing fertiliser.
Improvements in irrigation are also planned.The
cost will be divided between the state, which will finance 35 percent of the
project via subsidies, with the rest to be paid for by producers.If the target
is reached, Mali should produce a rice surplus of 484,617 tonnes."The sale
of this rice surplus could generate gross revenue of around 145.385 billion CFA
francs in favour of the producers," the document said.Mali's rice season
includes a production phase from May/June to September/October followed by a
marketing phase from October/November to the end of March. ($1 = 591.4300 CFA
francs) (Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo; Writing by Joe Bavier;
Rice Prices
as on : 16-03-2016 08:10:37 PM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Gadarpur(Utr)
|
4343.00
|
198.08
|
86311.00
|
2099
|
2125
|
-4.07
|
|
Hardoi(UP)
|
244.00
|
-7.22
|
1869.00
|
2150
|
2120
|
-1.38
|
|
Agra(UP)
|
172.00
|
4.24
|
4528.00
|
2040
|
2070
|
4.08
|
|
Sitapur(UP)
|
135.00
|
-0.74
|
5877.00
|
2160
|
2150
|
2.86
|
|
Pilibhit(UP)
|
120.00
|
20
|
17428.00
|
2190
|
2185
|
-6.41
|
|
Basti(UP)
|
110.00
|
-2.65
|
4018.50
|
2075
|
2065
|
5.87
|
|
Kalipur(WB)
|
97.00
|
2.11
|
3962.00
|
2050
|
2050
|
NC
|
|
Bindki(UP)
|
90.00
|
87.5
|
2121.00
|
2265
|
2250
|
9.42
|
|
Dhing(ASM)
|
85.00
|
7.59
|
2612.20
|
1800
|
1800
|
-16.28
|
|
Aligarh(UP)
|
75.00
|
-6.25
|
2370.00
|
2100
|
2120
|
9.09
|
|
Barasat(WB)
|
65.00
|
NC
|
1930.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
2.22
|
|
Mainpuri(UP)
|
64.00
|
33.33
|
908.00
|
2020
|
2020
|
4.94
|
|
Jorhat(ASM)
|
55.00
|
22.22
|
1125.00
|
2700
|
2700
|
-
|
|
Beldanga(WB)
|
52.00
|
-7.14
|
1309.50
|
2275
|
2275
|
-10.78
|
|
Shahjahanpur(UP)
|
47.00
|
-27.47
|
39946.10
|
2220
|
2210
|
8.29
|
|
Haathras(UP)
|
45.00
|
28.57
|
360.00
|
2145
|
2170
|
10.00
|
|
Kasimbazar(WB)
|
44.00
|
NC
|
1320.50
|
2320
|
2320
|
-9.02
|
|
Gazipur(UP)
|
40.00
|
14.29
|
1257.00
|
1940
|
1940
|
-4.90
|
|
Gauripur(ASM)
|
34.50
|
-5.48
|
2232.50
|
4500
|
4500
|
-
|
|
Lanka(ASM)
|
30.00
|
-25
|
1990.00
|
1750
|
1750
|
-
|
|
Gondal(UP)
|
29.00
|
-86.76
|
10821.10
|
2065
|
2065
|
2.74
|
|
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
|
28.40
|
123.62
|
1089.90
|
1900
|
1900
|
-
|
|
Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah)
|
25.00
|
-16.67
|
1200.00
|
3100
|
3100
|
-
|
|
Diamond Harbour(South 24-pgs)(WB)
|
24.00
|
NC
|
447.00
|
1850
|
1850
|
-17.78
|
|
Ramkrishanpur(Howrah)(WB)
|
22.30
|
-4.29
|
860.10
|
2300
|
2300
|
-11.54
|
|
Yusufpur(UP)
|
18.00
|
-28
|
510.00
|
1890
|
1900
|
-0.53
|
|
Naugarh(UP)
|
17.00
|
17.24
|
520.00
|
2065
|
2050
|
9.26
|
|
Wansi(UP)
|
17.00
|
-
|
44.00
|
2065
|
-
|
9.84
|
|
Firozabad(UP)
|
16.00
|
6.67
|
453.00
|
2080
|
2110
|
6.67
|
|
Jeypore(Ori)
|
15.50
|
933.33
|
39.40
|
3250
|
3250
|
-12.16
|
|
Raiganj(WB)
|
14.00
|
16.67
|
655.00
|
2850
|
2860
|
16.33
|
|
Champadanga(WB)
|
14.00
|
40
|
612.00
|
2350
|
2350
|
-11.32
|
|
Mirzapur(UP)
|
12.50
|
8.7
|
1113.00
|
1945
|
1935
|
0.78
|
|
Saharanpur(UP)
|
12.00
|
-85
|
3818.00
|
6870
|
2120
|
227.14
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
10.00
|
-47.37
|
862.80
|
2400
|
2400
|
-
|
|
Bampada(Ori)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
150.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
NC
|
|
Barikpur(Ori)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
100.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
4.17
|
|
Etah(UP)
|
10.00
|
-16.67
|
71.00
|
1850
|
1880
|
-9.31
|
|
Kaliaganj(WB)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
456.00
|
2550
|
2550
|
6.25
|
|
Sheoraphuly(WB)
|
9.50
|
5.56
|
326.00
|
2675
|
2650
|
-0.93
|
|
Nilagiri(Ori)
|
9.00
|
12.5
|
320.00
|
2300
|
2200
|
NC
|
|
Kasganj(UP)
|
9.00
|
-35.71
|
492.00
|
1960
|
1910
|
-3.92
|
|
Chengannur(Ker)
|
8.00
|
14.29
|
404.50
|
2300
|
2600
|
-17.86
|
|
Chandoli(UP)
|
8.00
|
-
|
31.00
|
1870
|
-
|
0.81
|
|
Buland Shahr(UP)
|
8.00
|
14.29
|
314.00
|
2020
|
2040
|
-0.74
|
|
Khairagarh(UP)
|
7.00
|
-12.5
|
274.50
|
2130
|
2120
|
3.90
|
|
Karanjia(Ori)
|
5.00
|
11.11
|
201.30
|
2600
|
2600
|
4.00
|
|
Muradabad(UP)
|
5.00
|
25
|
384.50
|
2280
|
2275
|
12.59
|
|
Jeypore(Kotpad)(Ori)
|
3.50
|
-12.5
|
167.70
|
3250
|
4200
|
NC
|
|
Darjeeling(WB)
|
3.50
|
94.44
|
65.40
|
2800
|
1800
|
3.70
|
|
Imphal(Man)
|
3.40
|
-2.86
|
148.00
|
2900
|
2900
|
NC
|
|
Islampur(WB)
|
3.20
|
NC
|
211.80
|
2150
|
2150
|
-
|
|
Alibagh(Mah)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
87.00
|
4000
|
4000
|
150.00
|
|
Gulavati(UP)
|
3.00
|
20
|
28.00
|
2080
|
2080
|
1.96
|
|
Khatauli(UP)
|
3.00
|
50
|
19.00
|
2165
|
2160
|
8.25
|
|
Orai(UP)
|
2.50
|
-66.67
|
22.50
|
2100
|
2050
|
-
|
|
Balarampur(WB)
|
2.30
|
-11.54
|
43.60
|
2140
|
2140
|
-10.08
|
|
Bonai(Bonai)(Ori)
|
2.00
|
NC
|
77.10
|
2000
|
2000
|
-9.09
|
|
Lamlong Bazaar(Man)
|
1.60
|
60
|
47.80
|
2800
|
2800
|
-3.45
|
|
Shillong(Meh)
|
1.20
|
100
|
40.90
|
3500
|
3500
|
NC
|
|
Kalimpong(WB)
|
1.20
|
50
|
24.50
|
2400
|
2350
|
-11.11
|
|
Thoubal(Man)
|
1.10
|
-8.33
|
65.90
|
2800
|
2800
|
180.00
|
Govt launches Aman rice procurement
drive
Under the drive, around 45,422 tonnes, out of
the targeted 45,702 tonnes, was procured from Dhaka division, 61,000 tonnes out
of 63,065 tonnes from Rangpur division, 58,000 tonnes out of 61,052 tonnes from
Rajshahi division, 18,000 tonnes out of 19,382 from Khulna, 8,000 tonnes out of
8,701 from Chittagong, 900 tonnes out of 1127 from Sylhet and 900 tonnes out of
971 was procured from Barisal division. Under the programme, the government's
target was to procure at least 0.2 million tonnes of Aman offering a price of
Tk 31 per kilogram.
APEDA RICE COMMODITY NEWS
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International Benchmark Price
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The New Normal:
Cuba Travel Restrictions Lifted
By Deborah Willenborg
WASHINGTON, DC -- Ahead of President Barack
Obama's trip to Cuba next week, the Administration yesterday significantly
expanded the ability for U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba and reduced financial
and trade barriers which will improve the commercial environment between the
two countries.These actions, announced jointly by the Departments of the
Treasury and Commerce, removed the last meaningful restrictions on travel and
will allow U.S. citizens greater access to Cuba; opened up Cuban access to the
international banking system; permitted Cuban citizens to open U.S. bank
accounts and use them to send remittances back home; and relaxed licensing
rules for authorized cargo shipments from the U.S. to Cuba.
"This latest move by the President is
definitely another step in the right direction toward normal commercial
relations with Cuba," said Texas rice farmer Daniel Berglund. "We understand Congress still has to act
to totally lift the embargo but anything we can do to strengthen economic ties
gets us closer to opening up that market to U.S. rice."
Proximity to the market coupled with shipping
capacity is a big advantage for the U.S. rice industry when it comes to trade
with Cuba. It is estimated that the U.S.
could regain 20-30 percent of the Cuban rice business within two years, or an
estimated 90,000 to 135,000 MT of new demand for U.S. rice based on current
estimates of Cuba's annual import demand.
"American rice farmers would love to get
more of their product on Cubans' plates," said Joe Mencer, an Arkansas
producer and vice chairman of the USA Rice Farmers. "Per-capita rice
consumption in Cuba is significantly higher than that in the United
States. We know they like American rice
and with our abundant crop and ability to transport it, we're ready to
ship."
USA Rice continues to take a leadership role in
pressing U.S. regulatory changes and necessary congressional action to open the
Cuban market to U.S. rice. "We need
a regulatory and legal environment that lets our exporters ship, and Cuba needs
the resources necessary to trade with the United States," said USA Rice
President & CEO Betsy Ward.
"Yesterday's actions bring us closer to that spot, and we will
continue to work until the job is finished."
By Peter Wamboga-Mugirya
New rice varieties that will enable growing of
the crop with less pesticides, less fertilizers and less water have showed
yields of 20-30 times more than traditional ones under trials on farmers'
fields.
Farmers in eastern and northern Uganda received
Green Super Rice (GSR) seed for the research trials.
Jackson Atwii, a retired rice agronomist at
Kibimba Rice Irrigation Scheme in Bugiri district, and other farmers in Olweny
Rice Irrigation Scheme in Lira District, confirmed the excellent field
performance.
"This project began in 2012, with a target
of an expected yield-advantage of 20 per cent. During 2015, country-specific
objectives in Uganda included testing and release of new GSR varieties in
different stress conditions in atleast four locations (Doho in Butaleja
District, Agoro in Amuru District, Olweny in Lira District and Oyam
District," said Dr Jimmy Lamo, who heads rice research at National Crops
Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI).
Bigger grains
Semmy Opio and her husband, Dr. Patrick Opio, a
medical practitioner in Lira Municipality, received four kilos of GSR seed last
year, and harvested 10 bags (1,000 kgs) of the 1189 rice variety alone.
The couple and several other farmers have
bulked harvested seed from the 2015 planting. "My wife used to grow rice
on subsistence basis to harvest a little for food, but when Mr Atwii interested
us in growing GSR varieties for seed, we agreed and it has been a pleasant
surprise," said Dr Opio.
They grow seed rice on 2.5 acres in Olweny Rice
Irrigation Scheme, where they planted three GSR seed varieties: Namulonge
muchele (NamChe)-3, TXD306 and 1189.
Semmy says the four kilos of NamChe-3 seed
alone yielded 10 sacks at harvest equaling to a tonne. "Namche-3 grains
are bigger than TXD306 and 1189 varieties, and we believe we would grow it two
to three times a year," she says.
Farmer-leader, Atwii says a number of farmers
whom he guides on growing, weeding, and post-harvest management, have
registered substantial success.
"We have learnt that to make any meaningful
sense from this project, yields must be high. And that's what every body
sees," he says.
Howard Ogwang, is another farmer in Itek-kile
Outgrowers' Community in Lira District, guided by Mzee Atwii.
He received two kilos of a different rice seed
variety: 1191, planted it in nursery beds, transferred into fields and
harvested 130 kgs of seed alone.
In neighbouring Oyam District, the lead farmer
Paul Peter Okullu, the managing director, Adagni Company Ltd, received 75 kgs
of NamChe-1 and 3 seed from NaCRRI in 2014.
He distributed it through a
technology-dissemination arrangement, to 50 seed farmers.
"They collectively harvested five tonnes
of NamChe-1 and 3 seed varieties that year. In 2015, we expanded to seven
acres, from which we harvested 12 tonnes," he adds.
"Seed production is more lucrative than
grain or food growing/trading. In 2015's first season, we gave back five tonnes
of seed to NaCRRI."
In Doho Scheme, farmers and farmer groups were
trained about GSR seed and provided with one to 10 kilogrammes of seed.
The scheme was the first to get the training
and seed distribution. It was planned that there would be field seed exchange
among farmers, in addition to linking them to NaCRRI's partners from which
farmers and farmer groups would buy seed.
Wonderful performance
Those with the best field performance and with
best-inspected seed would be encouraged to exchange seed with other farmers.
During the last quarter of the 2015 planting
and harvest seasons (August-September-October), Doho outgrower farmers received
GSR seed rice varieties: Okile, Wita-9, Komboka, Agaro and Nerica. There were
good results from their findings.
A model rice farmer in Butaleja District
located near Doho Scheme, Robert Sagula, refers to the Wita-9 purple variety as
the most outstanding. It is currently the most widely-adopted by farmers, for
its versatile performance.
He describes it as a wonderful performer in
marginal soils even where fertility and water factors are low.
"It's a highly sought-after variety by
farmers, because it also registers the highest yield or productivity per unit
area. We have recorded 2,150 kg of milled rice from an acre planted--very high
compared to traditional varieties," says Sagula.
He has grown it next to the road, as a public
display to teach farmers and attract a market for its positive attributes.
"We also prefer it for its short height as
birds cannot notice it easily, in addition for its long grain and being an
early-maturing variety in 145 days after planting," he explains.
Sagula reveals that Okile variety ranks second
to Wita-9 in popularity in Butaleja, because of its high yields and good grain
quality-attributes. It is close to Kaiso, a popular traditional variety, as far
as the Butaleja farmers are concerned.
About the project
The GSR project is based at the National Crops
Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) in Namulonge.
It is being coordinated by the International
Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in collaboration with AfricaRice, Chinese
Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and Agricultural Research Systems in
Africa and Asia.
The main goal is to develop and deploy new sets
of rice cultivars that give high yields under less input environments (that is,
water, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and pesticides) in an environment-friendly manner.
It is supported by a grant from the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation
NaCRRI's Dr. Jimmy Lamo, who heads Uganda's
rice research, says in addition to Uganda, other participating countries in the
GSR project, are China through CAAS, Tanzania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Ethiopia,
Burundi and The Philippines.
Scientists help Vietnam’s rice
farmers adapt to climate change, amid major drought
Asia Editor
PHNOM PENH, 16 March 2016
In line with its work in other Asian
countries, the Philippines-based International Rice Research
Institute has been breeding high quality “climate-smart rice varieties”
that mature quickly, can tolerate salt, and are designed specifically for
Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, Reiner Wassmann, the project leader, told IRIN.
The delta region, one of the worst-hit by the
drought, accounted for half the country’s rice production and 90 percent
of its exports last year.
IRRI
Nguyen Thi Lang of the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute
displays rice seedlings engineered to withstand drought, floods and saltwater
Scientists say that this year’s emergency is only a taste of
what’s to come, as climate change leads to more frequent and intense droughts
and rising sea levels. That’s bad news for rice farmers, as well as Vietnam’s
economy and its 90 million people.
Rice is a staple at dinner tables throughout the country and an
important export. Only India and Thailand exported more rice than Vietnam last
year, according to the IRRI.
Wassmann’s team have also developed water management
techniques to allow farmers to reduce the risk of losing their crops, which can
be destroyed if they are inundated with salt water right before and right after
flowering. In addition, to mitigate the risk from drought, IRRI developed
a cycle of draining and re-flooding paddies, which can save water use by as
much as 25 percent while cutting the cost to farmers of pumping water for
irrigation.
IRRI
A rice researcher tests a technique of draining and flooding
paddies
Wassmann said he hopes to secure funding to continue working in
the delta and recommended that authorities "fast-track the development and
delivery of short duration, good quality rice with enhanced salt
tolerance".
Such strains and strategies will become more important as Vietnam
plans to increase rice production just as the effects of climate change become
more severe.
Vietnam doubled rice production over the past two decades after
being a net importer. In 2014, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development announced a national strategy to further increase production.
Research conducted in Vietnam also feeds into a larger IRRI
programme aimed at adapting rice farming to various aspects of climate change
in different countries. For example, IRRI has developed drought-tolerant
varieties of rice being farmed in India, Nepal, the Philippines and
Bangladesh.
Similar work is aimed at protecting against flooding: one variety
of rice is infused with a “scuba” gene to allow it to be submerged for two
weeks. It is being grown in flood-prone areas of countries like Myanmar, Laos
and Indonesia. Scientists are also transferring the gene into varieties of rice
in Africa.
https://www.irinnews.org/news/2016/03/16/scientists-help-vietnam%E2%80%99s-rice-farmers-adapt-climate-change-amid-major-drought
03/16/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
Rice
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Rice Comment
Rice futures
charted a bullish key reversal in today’s trade. The market held support at
recent contract lows: $10.20 for May and $10.50 for July, before turning around
and closing higher. Export sales last week were 145,800 metric tons, with Japan
and Venezuela the top buyers, which is a marketing year high. However, the
current WASDE report lowered US exports by another 2 million cwt, bringing the
estimate to an even 100 million cwt. That left carry out up 2 million cwt at
43.9 million cwt. Global rice supplies for 15/16 were raised 1.8 million tons
due to increased production.
Honduras Approves Rice from Paraguay
by Lee Brinckley | Mar 14, 2016
ARLINGTON, VA -- Last month, Honduras approved the phytosanitary
protocol to allow milled rice imports from Paraguay. They are the first
country in the northern tier of Central America to permit Paraguayan milled
rice. Over the past five years, Paraguay has nearly doubled their rice
production to 780,000 MT and their exports have nearly tripled during that same
timeframe. Last year, Paraguay exported about 400,000 MT of rice, with
the overwhelming majority destined for Brazil. More than 90 percent of
Paraguay's exports typically have gone to South America but as they have
increased production, they are looking for additional markets. Paraguay
is currently in discussions with El Salvador and Mexico to open up those
markets as well.
Paraguay is known for having a good quality crop, similar to
Uruguayan, at competitive pricing. Colombia's tender for an additional
200,000 MT (see USA Rice Daily, February
9, 2016) has been allocated and while sources indicate the lion's
share will be coming from Uruguay, Paraguay did capture some of this
business."U.S. rice has a very strong food safety image, favorable
logistics for the Western Hemisphere, and a solid preference by customers that
have consumed U.S. rice for years, but as more players come onto the export
market scene, it's extremely important that U.S. rice protect that high quality
image and those markets," said Carl Brothers, chairman of the USA Rice
International Trade Policy Committee.
https://usarice.com/blogs
The Hindu: "El Nino declining slowly and steadily: Australian
Met"
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North-West India is bracing to receive the next western
disturbance and another bout of heavy rain, snow, thunderstorms and hail from
Thursday onwards.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH
15:
The 2015-16 El Nino, one of the most intense ever, is continuing
to decline slowly and steadily, according to the latest update by the
Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
The tropical Pacific Ocean has cooled further over the past
fortnight. International climate models indicate that cooling in the tropical
Pacific will continue, with a likely return to ‘neutral’ levels by mid-2016.
Summer status
For the rest of the year and into the summer, they favour the likelihood of the ‘neutral’ status persisting, slightly ahead of La Nina. This is the exact reverse of El Nino, and is considered good for the Indian monsoon.
For the rest of the year and into the summer, they favour the likelihood of the ‘neutral’ status persisting, slightly ahead of La Nina. This is the exact reverse of El Nino, and is considered good for the Indian monsoon.
During a La Nina, the equatorial and eastern basin of the
Pacific cools below the critical threshold; the western stretches of the vast
ocean (closer to Asia) becomes comparably warmer.
Warmth brings convection (cloud-building), storms and precipitation
to this region, and when coinciding with the Indian monsoon, it brings good
rains into the subcontinent as well.
But there is no clear signal as to when a La Nina, if at all,
would become established in the Pacific, the Australian Met said.
It warned that accuracy of forecasts made at this time of year
is lower than those at other times, and therefore some caution should be
exercised.
Rain, snow to return
Back home, North-West India is bracing to receive the next western disturbance and another bout of heavy rain, snow, thunderstorms and hail from Thursday onwards.
Back home, North-West India is bracing to receive the next western disturbance and another bout of heavy rain, snow, thunderstorms and hail from Thursday onwards.
The prevailing western disturbance, which has already triggered
some disturbed weather over the region, is in the process of signing off.
The incoming system has reached the eastern parts of Iran and
adjoining Afghanistan on Tuesday, an India Met Department update said.
It would now have to traverse through Afghanistan and Pakistan
before it reaches North-West India by Wednesday night.
It will set off heavy rain and snow over Jammu and Kashmir on
Thursday and Friday.
Thunderstorms accompanied by squall/hail are likely over Jammu
division, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab.
Thunderstorms in east
Meanwhile, a remnant cyclonic circulation from the previous western disturbance and parked over East Rajasthan has thrown down a trough towards South to Rayalaseema.
Meanwhile, a remnant cyclonic circulation from the previous western disturbance and parked over East Rajasthan has thrown down a trough towards South to Rayalaseema.
It cuts through West Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Marathwada, and
North Interior Karnataka, likely triggering thunderstorms along the way.
Preparing to exit from the country, this western disturbance is
also influencing weather in the North-Eastern States where thunderstorms have
been forecast on Wednesday and Thursday.
Areas likely to get affected are Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland,
Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, the India Met Department said.
(This article was published on March 15, 2016)
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http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/el-nino-declining-slowly-and-steadily-australian-met/article8357281.ece
This Spring, Embrace
Vegetables, but Don't Overpower Them
- By meera sodha, associated
press
- 2
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- Email
Spring is nature's fashion week. After winter's
endless parade of root vegetables, it feels as though nature has pressed the
big green button, refreshing the new season's offerings. Being showcased right
now is a new look for your fridge, in a variety of greens.
At my local Sunday market in London, on display
are big leafy bunches of spinach, pointed sweetheart cabbages, fennel with
thrusting green tops and spring's favorite darling, the slender asparagus.
Even in the village where I grew up, the fields
have gone from empty to busy overnight. Workers lob about with big wooden
crates of cut leeks, lettuces and a renewed sense of purpose. It is catching:
All I want to cook and eat is green, something fresh, light and colorful.
A favorite green supper of mine is this
beautiful spring pilau. Buttery rice packed with spiced fennel, onions and
garlic cooked slowly until soft and finished with a last-minute addition of
still-crisp asparagus and fava beans or peas. A handful of fresh mint and a
squeeze of lemon juice is stirred in just before serving to lift and unify all
the flavors.
It's a gentle dish. The key to spring cooking
is never to overpower the flavor of the new vegetables. They've spent a long
time getting to the point where they're ready. So don't hijack them with
bigger, bolder flavors or spices. A little cumin, green chili and garam masala
are all they need to help them sing.
This dish can be eaten by itself, though adding
a little yoghurt and mango pickle won't hurt. But for something a bit more
special, some spring lamb cutlets, flash fried with salt, cumin and chili would
make wonderful sidekicks.
———
SPRING VEGETABLE PILAU WITH FENNEL AND
ASPARAGUS
Use whichever spring vegetables you have
available. Green beans and spring cabbage or leeks make for a wonderful pilau,
too.
Start to finish: 35 minutes
Servings: 6
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
3 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 green finger chilies, very thinly sliced
2 medium bulbs fennel, trimmed and thinly
sliced
Popeye Pulao and spiced
aromatic spinach rice by Indian cook Mallika Basu
Try this delicious Indian recipe for an easy,
midweek meal idea
- Mallika
Basu
- 20
hours ago
- 0
comments
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Pulao is moreish, fluffy aromatic rice spiked
with subtle whole spices. This version with chopped spinach is versatile enough
to add interest as part of an extravagant feast or a meal-in-one served with
not much more than a dollop of yoghurt and spoon of pickle.
I came up with this recipe as a sneaky way to
feed my kids spinach, alongside retro cartoons, and hence its apt christening
and the optional use of a green chilli. My quick tip is to use cubes of frozen
chopped or leafy spinach, bags of which are always in my freezer in abundance.
If you prefer fresh spinach, by all means go ahead and use it but don’t hold
the washing and chopping against me.
Ingredients
Serves 2
• 1 cup uncooked Basmati rice
• 3 cubes/75gm frozen spinach
(125gm fresh spinach)
• 1 small green chilli
• 1 fat clove garlic
• Whole spices: 1 star anise,
1 bay leaf, 1 inch stick cinnamon, 1 black cardamom
• 1 tbsp oil
• Warm water
• 1 tsp salt
• Mint leaves to garnish
(optional)
2016 cookbooks
Method
First place the rice in a sieve and wash it
thoroughly under a cold tap until the water runs clear. Next, peel and finely
mince the garlic and the chilli. If you’re using fresh spinach, remove the hard
stalks and chop it finely now.
Now, bring the oil to heat on high in a medium
sized saucepan. When it starts sizzling around a wooden spoon, gently drop in
the whole spices. As they sizzle up, stir in the garlic and the chilli and
immediately after, the frozen spinach or the chopped spinach.
Stir the spinach until it softens. Then mix in
the washed rice with the salt. As the rice turns translucent, add just less
than two cups of warm water, say one and seven/eighths of a cup (not trying to
be difficult, promise!). Stir through once, and bring back to a rapid boil.
When the rice starts bubbling, lower the heat
to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. When the time is up, move the pan
over to a cold hob without taking the lid off. Leave the rice to keep cooking
in the steam trapped in the pan for another 10 minutes. If you touch it now, it
will break, as there is still a fair bit of moisture in the pan.
Finally, tip it into a serving dish, or your
bowls, and fluff up with a fork before eating.
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Is DSW (NYSE:DSW)
Worth Your Time After Placed Johnson Rice’s Downgrade?
In a note released on Wednesday, 16 March,
expert analysts at Johnson Rice’s research division downgraded DSW (NYSE:DSW)’s
stock rating from Buy to Accumulate.Out of 14 analysts covering DSW Inc
(NYSE:DSW), 6 rate it “Buy”, 2 “Sell”, while 12 “Hold”. This means 30% are
positive. $39 is the highest target while $19 is the lowest. The $26.93 average
target is -3.47% below today’s ($26.82) stock price.
DSW Inc was the topic in 28 analyst reports
since August 4, 2015 according to StockzIntelligence Inc. M Partners maintained
the stock on November 25 with “Neutral” rating. eutsche Bank initiated it with
“Hold” rating and $27 target price in an October 30 report. Telsey Advisory
Group maintained the shares of DSW in a report on November 25 with “Market
Perform” rating. Finally, Buckingham Research maintained the stock with “Buy”
rating in a November 4 report.The stock decreased 5.36% or $1.52 during the
last trading session, hitting $26.82. About 3.54 million shares traded hands or
107.02% up from the average. DSW Inc. (NYSE:DSW) has declined 14.51% since
August 10, 2015 and is downtrending. It has underperformed by 10.32% the
S&P500.
http://www.riversidegazette.com/is-dsw-nysedsw-worth-your-time-after-placed-johnson-rices-downgrade/
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