Rice exporters aim to ship 0.7m tons to Iran
Plan to open offices in Iranian cities of
Tehran and Mashhad
Published: May 17, 2016
KARACHI: Members
of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) have decided to open their
offices in Tehran and Mashhad in a bid to increase exports to 600,000 to
700,000 tons to Iran – the top Basmati rice importer in the world.With the help
of the Ministry of Commerce, the REAP members will invite Iranian rice
importers to Pakistan for business-to-business meetings to increase rice trade
between the two neighbours, according to a press release.
The
decision has been taken after a REAP delegation visited Iran and met rice
importers with the assistance of Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Tehran. The
meetings have proved successful and rice exporters expect to get new orders.
However,
in a seminar organised recently by REAP at the Federation of Pakistan Chambers
of Commerce and Industry, leading bankers pointed out that the State Bank of
Pakistan had yet to remove all hurdles in the way of establishing banking links
with Iran.Since the efforts to open offices in Iran have the backing of the
Pakistan government and the Ministry of Commerce, exporters say they are
hopeful of getting new business from Iran.
Pakistan,
which used to be the top rice exporter to Iran, has seen a significant decline
in its share in the last two years because of the tightening of international
sanctions on Tehran. Iran annually imports more than $2 billion worth of rice.
Pakistan’s share is negligible as it exported 2,234 tons in fiscal year 2015,
fetching just $1.32 million.Exporters say India has replaced Pakistan in
Iranian rice markets because of better government-to-government arrangements
for trade payments.
Published
in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2016
http://tribune.com.pk/story/1104535/higher-exports-rice-exporters-aim-to-ship-0-7m-tons-to-iran/
Holder commits to re-examining VAT on imported machinery, spares- during Parliament debate on rice motion
A clash in Parliament on Thursday over the state of the rice industry saw Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder committing to a review of the imposition of VAT on imported machinery and spares.
He made the statement while debating a motion in the name of People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) MP Irfaan Ali regarding the state of the rice industry. While rejecting many of the claims in the motion, Holder said: “It is true that VAT is now being charged on imported machinery, equipment and spares unlike the earlier years but this can be re-looked at and [I] will ensure this is done so that recommendations, if considered feasible, can be made to the Ministry of Finance.”
The motion had to be adjourned because of the opening of GuyExpo and debate on it …to continue reading this article, please subscribe. Already a subscriber ? Sign In.
http://www.stabroeknews.com/2016/news/stories/05/17/holder-commits-re-examining-vat-imported-machinery-spares/
Cows, rice and soil are key to farming emissions cuts
Published on 17/05/2016, 10:03am
More
action is needed to cut the carbon footprint of food production in line with a
2C global warming limit
Dairy
cattle: Sustainable intensification can cut climate impact (Flickr/AgriLife
Today)
Our food system is not ready to meet the 2C
global warming limit agreed by governments.
According
to research out
this week, agriculture alone should be reducing non-CO2
emissions one gigatonne a year by 2030 in order to meet the newly
signed Paris Agreement.Further analysis shows that that current agronomic
and policy interventions compatible with food production would achieve only 21
to 40% of the needed mitigation to meet agriculture’s share of the target
agreed in Paris.
Agriculture
contributes between 10-12% of global emissions, and has too much mitigation
potential to be ignored. 119 countries have pledged to include reducing agricultural
emissions in their action plans, submitted ahead of the Paris conference
earlier this year. The will is there – but do countries have a way?
There are many promising solutions in the
pipeline that will not only reduce emissions, but also ensure enough food is grown
to feed a hungry world. But they require major investment to bring them to
scale globally. Here are just some of the possibilities.
Sustainable intensification of livestock
Livestock accounts for up to half of emissions in agriculture. Notably, cows
produce methane from digesting grass.This can be reduced with new breeds
of cattle that produce less methane, and recently developed food
additives that reduce dairy cow emissions by
30% without affecting milk yields.Improving livestock feed and
feeding practices, allows livestock production to be intensified on a smaller
area. Effective manure management, and the cultivation of grasses that
accumulate carbon in soils can reduce emissions by at least 10%.
Preliminary data from the LivestockPlus
project (a project conducted in Colombia and Costa Rica by the CGIAR Research
Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security) suggests that
cultivating grasses such as Brachiaria,
which supresses the biological process that turns fertilizer into nitrous
oxide, can reduce the emissions of this greenhouse gas to more than 60% in
urine patches, which are considered “emission hotspots”.
Reducing emissions in rice farming
Flooded rice systems emit significant amounts
of methane. Figures vary, but recent work suggests that flooded
rice contributes about 10% of emissions from the agriculture sector
globally.
Alternate
wetting and drying (AWD) is a management practice in irrigated lowland rice
that saves water and reduces greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining yields.
It entails farmers monitoring water levels above and below the soil surface and
only irrigating when they fall below certain point.Recent studies conducted in
Uruguay and Colombia show this cuts emissions 55-65% compared to
continuous flooding.Combining AWD with genetically modified crops to use
nitrogen more efficiently, management of organic inputs and rice variety
selection can further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is referred to as
AWD+.
Since farmers save money on irrigation costs,
AWD+ is becoming the standard conventional practice in some places. The
International Rice Research Institute has mapped where in the Philippines and Vietnam this mitigation
practice is most suitable, and maps for other countries are in process.
Carbon sequestration
While
this study focuses on non-CO2 emissions from agriculture, we know
there is much that can be done to also sequester carbon. The question now under
intense research is how much.In its 4th Assessment Report, the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that 90% of agriculture’s
climate change mitigation potential lies in capturing carbon in soils (carbon
sequestration).An initiative proposed by the French government at the Paris
climate conference aims to increase soil carbon by 0.4% a year, which
is estimated to be enough to offset atmospheric carbon emissions.
Because of the high levels of uncertainty and
the ease which sequestration gains can be reversed (by ploughing the land or
deforestation, for example), it is important to stay focused on reducing
emissions from agriculture as well.
Unlocking financial incentives
Farmers, and other actors throughout the food
chain, need to be incentivised to reduce emissions.
Subsidies
and innovative ways of valuing emissions, such as green bonds or auctions of the future value of greenhouse
gas reductions, could play an important role.Incentives for governments and the
private sector to meet sustainability
standards that include mitigation could also make a big difference.
Without
proper financing, farmers simply won’t be able to adopt locally appropriate
mitigation tools. Support from the Green Climate Fund to help the agriculture
sector monitor, report and verify emissions reductions is going to be critical.If
we are to meet the 2C climate target, we must seize the opportunity that
mitigation in agriculture presents. Developing a globally recognised target for
emission reductions in the sector is the first step to guide countries towards
a more sustainable future for our food systems, and our planet as a whole.
Ana Maria Loboguerrero Rodriguez is a research
program leader at the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and
Food Security (CCAFS)
PhilRice Text Center gains popularity among rice stakeholders
Posted
on May - 16 - 2016
The PhilRice Text Center (PTC) posted a 47.3%
increase in client registration nationwide for the first quarter of 2016.Data
shows that from 18,924 registered clients in March 2015, it jumped to 27,883 as
of March 31, 2016.PTC is a digital platform that provides daily consultation
services to rice farmers through call and short messaging services (SMS). It
also caters to students, extension workers, researchers, and other stakeholders
who are inclined to the rice industry.
The PTC
management considers this a milestone which went far from just less than a
hundred registered clients in 2004 when it started its operations. PTC was
initially launched as the Farmers’ Text Center (FTC) by the Open Academy for
Philippine Agriculture (OPAPA).In 2015, PTC also received an average of 240 SMS
per day. Other services it renders are monthly rice tips, weather advisories,
promotions, and announcements.
“By
responding to the farmers’ queries, we give them informed decisions in their
farming practices. We regularly receive positive feedback and it overwhelms
us,” said Fredierick Saludez, agriculturist and PTC’s main agent.Saludez
reported that top queries are on seed quality and varietal information, pest
management, seed availability, and nutrient management.“Salamat
po sa mga tips, maganda po ani ko ngayon (Thank you for the rice
tips, I got bountiful harvest),” said Sanny Huelva, farmer-client from Masbate.By
sending keywords, for instance Rc222, farmers can instantly receive
characteristics of rice varieties such as yield, maturity period, reaction to
pests, and eating quality.Top 10 provinces with most “texters” come from Nueva
Ecija, Tarlac, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Pangasinan and Isabela. Rounding off the
list are the provinces of Agusan Del Norte, Oriental Mindoro, Northern Samar,
and Leyte.
PTC was established due to the popularity and
economical cost of text messaging in the Philippines in early 2000. Another
rationale for its establishment is to complement the existing agricultural
extension services and link farmers to experts and inform them of the new rice
production technologies.“The rise in the number of texters implies that our
clients perceive the platform useful for their purpose. We highly encourage our
partners in the agricultural sector to continue promoting the PTC to make rice
information more accessible to farmers especially those who have little or no
access to these information,” said Myriam G. Layaoen, head of the PhilRice’s
Development Communication Division.
Meanwhile, the PTC team is looking at tapping
national telecommunication companies to introduce upgrade in systems and
facilities to further improve the delivery of PTC services.
“We are now exploring the possibility of
partnering with TelCos to provide us with technical advice on system upgrades
and eventually help us reach their client base through mass text messaging,”
Layaoen added.
To register, just type
REG<space>NAME<space>LOCATION<space>OCCUPATION (e.g. REG JUAN
DELA CRUZ LEYTE FARMER) and send to 0920 911 1398
- See more at:
http://www.philrice.gov.ph/philrice-text-center-gains-popularity-among-rice-stakeholders/#sthash.tJlmlPqU.dpuf
Rice sector predicts a worrying trend
Tue, 17 May 2016
Although
data for first four months of this year have shown a slight rise in rice
exports, millers and exporters continue to raise concerns on the back of
April’s rapid decline. The most recent data on rice exports released by the
Ministry of Agriculture stated that 39,550 tonnes of rice was exported in April
of this year, more than 30 per cent less than the same time last year. In
comparison, March exports only decreased by 14.5 per cent year-on-year. Despite
the total number of exports for the first quarter of this year showing an
increase of 0.3 per cent, Kann Kunthy, CEO of Battambang rice miller Brico,
said that April signified the beginning of a trend.
“The
decrease in rice exports is the result of no [preventative] action being taken
from the Cambodian Rice Federation or the government” he said, adding that
millers had already sent a slew of recommendations that could alleviate the
sector. Kunthy added that without solutions to address the high electricity and
transportation costs, Cambodian rice exports will continue to decrease. “We
have already done our duty so the only thing we can do is hope for a solution
from the government,” he said. “At this point we cannot decrease our rice price
any lower to make it competitive with declining regional prices.”
The solution to better health and rice self-sufficiency
May 16, 2016 (updated)
Earlier
this year, I wrote a rather extensive piece on why the Philippines
has not attained rice self-sufficiency despite having the International
Rice Research Institute and PhilRice headquartered in our
shores. As I dug deeper into our rice situation, I
found out that our problems not only involve rice production per
se, but also the very survival of our indigenous rice
varieties.See, the Philippines is one of the few countries in the
world endowed with more than 3,000 indigenous types of rice. Most of
these varieties have DNA strains that date back three thousand years
before Christ. Rice varieties that have not been
cross-bred and whose DNA remain intact are known as
“heirloom” or “traditional” rices (yes, “rices” is the plural form of
“rice”). These strains have been passed-on from one
generation to another along with a plethora of planting traditions, methods and
superstitions. Unfortunately, many of these rices are no longer
planted today. The few that are still
planted, however, are being cultivated
sparsely on lands as small as one hectare, just enough just to feed
the farmer’s family. This is where the problem lies.
Experts
fear that if we do not create a demand for these indigenous rices, farmers will
simply stop planting them. This could spell the
permanent extinction of these heirloom varieties. How
unfortunate that will be for future generations.In my personal
capacity, I have organized a project to promote the
consumption of both heirloom and unpolished rices precisely
to provide our small farmers with a steady flow of demand.
While laying the groundwork for this project, I
crossed paths with PhilRice’ Director, Hazel V.
Antonio, who, coincidentally, is also spearheading a
nationwide project to promote the consumption of unpolished rice.
Evidently, we are two entities in pursuit of the same goal. We have since began
cooperating.
PhilRice
has provided me with research materials, access to cooperatives
and technical assistance while I help them disseminate
information about their programs while promoting traditional
rices in our chain of restaurants. I am a believer that
things don’t fall into place unless they are meant to be. It seems
fate is working to push this noble cause forward.
BROWN4good
In a future piece, I will tell you
more about my project. For now, let me talk about Antonio’s
endeavor cleverly named “BROWN4good.” The project
is being done under the auspices of PhilRice, an agency under
the purview of the Department of Agriculture. At the heart of the program is
the twin purpose of educating the public on the health
benefits of brown rice while bringing us closer to self-sufficiency
in rice production. BROWN4good uses social media to forward its cause.
For those unaware, “brown rice” is a term
generically used for all rices with its layer of bran
retained. Brown rice is neither refined nor
polished and can come in the color black, red, pink or
purple.The mechanics of “BROWN4good is simple.
Beginning next month, the public can upload pictures of their meals
with brown rice as an accompaniment on facebook, instagram or
twitter. Uploaded pictures should have the hashtag,
“#BROWN4good”, with as many friends tagged as possible.
For every hashtag, the Department of
Agriculture will provide a brown rice meal to a malnourished child.
Antonio affirms that this is the easiest way for us to help fight hunger while
doing what has become second nature to most – posting their meals
on social media.
Health Benefits of Brown Rice
To consume polished white rice is almost like
consuming pure carbohydrates. To consume brown rice benefits the
body in a multitude of ways.As mentioned earlier, brown rice is the whole
grain of rice with only the hull or husk removed. It retains its
bran (the outer crust of the grain) where a profusion of
antioxidants, fiber, proteins, vitamins and minerals reside.
Those wanting to lose weight will be
happy to know that consuming brown rice can hasten the weight loss
process. For one, brown rice makes you feel full
quicker thereby causing you to eat less.
It is
also rich in Manganese and fiber, the former working to
synthesize fats while the latter helps bowels work at its
optimum. Fiber is a wonder mineral in that
it attaches itself to toxins and cancer causing substances in the colon.
It then flushes them out with regularity. Eating brown rice takes off the
bloat from your body.Brown rice is also rich in Selenium, a
mineral that reduces the risk of arthritis and heart
disease by blocking the build-up of arterial plaque.
Unpolished
rice also helps stabilize blood sugar levels. In
fact, just half a cup a day could reduce the risk
of acquiring diabetes by 60%. Hence, It is an excellent food choice
for those who already have diabetes and need to manage
their sugar levels.Strawberries, blueberries and grapes are among the
“superfoods” bursting with antioxidants. These
antioxidants are extremely beneficial for the body as they quell cellular
damage – a common pathway for cancer and a buffet of other
diseases. Brown rice is counted in this category.
Closer to Rice Self-Sufficiency
In a previous piece, I explained why the
Philippines has failed to become self-sufficient in rice
despite government’s earnest efforts. For those who missed
it, the reasons are four fold. Primary is that the
Philippines only has 4.5 million hectares of rice fields as compared to
7.5 million and 11 million hectares for Thailand and Vietnam, respectively.
Exacerbating the situation is having more mouths to feed what with our
102 million population. The absence of great water systems like the Mekong
river running across our lands is another reason. Ours is an archipelago
with smaller water systems. The fourth reason is the failure of the national irrigation
authority to aptly irrigate our farmlands. To date, NIA has
only irrigated 68 percent of our rice farms despite large appropriations
in the national budget.
All things told, we were 89 percent self-
sufficient in rice as of 2015.
The beauty about consuming brown rice is that
it has a 10 percent higher milling recovery rate as compared to white
rice. This translates to 1.2 million metric tons of additional rice
production a year, enough to bridge the production gap.
Granted, it is impossible for the nation to
completely abandon white rice and in favor of brown. Still, studies
show that if Filipinos eat brown rice for just three square meals in one
month, our rice importation will shrink by 50,000 metric tons per
year. This translates to savings of P812 million.
It benefits the farmers
The
average rice farmer today earns just 105,000 pesos a year. Typically,
they sell their produce to traders as fresh paddy rice at 14 pesos a
kilo. After refining, millers sell them to wholesalers for 38 pesos
a kilo. By the time it reaches the market shelves, it is sold
for 40 pesos. The rice farmer, the person who puts the most
effort in the process, earns the least in the supply
chain. The lion’s share of profits go to the millers, most of
whom are composed of large corporations.
Opting
for brown rice over white allows us to skip the milling process
entirely. Hence, the farmers can sell their produce directly to
wholesalers, to restaurants or even directly to consumers thereby
keeping the lion’s share of profits for themselves. Even
better is that since most brown rice are considered artisanal, they can
command higher prices. Again, the windfall goes directly to farmers
pockets.An increased consumption of brown rice translates to a multiplier
effect on the take-home incomes of our farmers.
The
benefits of consuming brown rice far outweighs the premium we pay of it and the
effort on our part to adjust our eating habits. Every cup consumed
benefits yourself, the farmers, the hungry and the country. It is a
compelling proposition.
***
Andrew
is an economist, political analyst and businessman. He is a 20-year veteran in
the hospitality and tourism industry. For comments and reactions, e-mail
andrew_rs6@yahoo.com. More of his business updates are available via his
Facebook page (Andrew J. Masigan). Follow Andrew on Twitter @aj_masigan
How El Niño may help Thailand to get rid of its huge rice stockpile
Thailand’s
rice subsidy scheme was the previous government main populist policy, but
within two years of highly subsidised prices it has turned into a political and
economic disaster, leaving Thailand with a massive unsold inventory of rice and
warehouses filled to the brim
By
Olivier Languepin -May 14, 2016
According to Business
Insider, the recent heat wave and subsequent drought in Asia may help Thailand
to reduce its huge unsold rice inventory.In 2011, Thailand was the world's
largest exporter of rice, accounting for about 30% of the global market.But
then prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra introduced a controversial rice scheme
where the government would pay farmers almost 50% more than market prices.The
idea was that since almost 40% of Thailand's labor force worked in agriculture,
then it would make the average Thai wealthier while also creating a rice
shortage by taking supply off of the market.Thailand’s rice subsidy scheme was
the previous government main populist policy, but within two years of highly
subsidised prices it has turned into a political and economic disaster.
Unsurprisingly, Thailand's military leader, General Prayuth
Chan-Ocha, dismissed the program adding that alternative measures were needed
to boost agricultural development and support to farmers.
A two fold plan that never
unfolded
The rice subsidy policy,
known domestically as the rice-pledging scheme, was a two fold plan. First, the
price offered to Thai rice farmers was to be raised through direct government
purchase to levels about 50 per cent above the prevailing market price,
creating a strong electoral basis for the Pheu Thai ruling party of Yingluck
Shinawatra.Second, the international price was to be raised by reducing Thai
exports, as Thailand is normally the top rice exporter in the world.
But the second part of the
plan didn't work so well, and Thailand was left with a huge stockpile of unsold
rice rotting in packed warehouses, while India and Vietnam were expanding their
market shares betting on lower prices.Prices didn't rise as much as the Thai
government was anticipating, and then competitors — India and Vietnam — began
to flood the market and lower their prices.
That left Thailand with a
massive unsold inventory of rice and warehouses filled to the brim.Thailand's
warehouses could be holding as much as 18 million tons of rice, some of them
smuggled from neighbouring rice-producing countries, especially Cambodia, to
take advantage of the above-market prices being offered by the Thai government.But
there might finally be some relief in sight. The El Niño of 2015-16 has caused
drought conditions across much of China, India, and Southeast Asia.And while
farmers in Thailand and elsewhere in the region are being devastated by the
weather, the Thai government has an opportunity to unload a good portion of its
stockpile.
Here's Deutsche Bank
(emphasis added):
According to the US
Department of Agriculture (USDA), Thailand's rice inventory is set to drop by
almost 50% to 5.2mn MT in 2016 on the back of a projected decline in domestic
output to a five-year low of 15.8mn MT.
And the good news doesn't stop there. Deutsche Bank says
(emphasis added):
It is highly plausible, in
our view, that Thailand would take this El Niño episode as an opportunity to
clear its huge stockpile and regain market share as shipments of rival
exporters will likely be curbed by reduced domestic output
N. Korea pushes for timely rice planting to boost output
2016/05/16
14:09
SEOUL,
May 16 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is calling on its people to carry out timely
rice planting in an effort to boost the country's grain production.The move
comes as the country gears up for the spring planting season in the wake of the
rare congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) that ended last Monday. In
the key gathering, the first of its kind in 36 years, the North announced
various economic projects aimed at improving the economic conditions of the
impoverished country.In an editorial on Monday, the North's main newspaper, the
Rodong Sinmun, called for the people to concentrate all their effort on a
rice-transplanting campaign to gain a breakthrough in grain production. The
paper likened rice farming to a "battle" to increase the country's
grain production.
The
Northeast country of more than 20 million has suffered from frequent food
shortages as the output of rice, its main staple, has not met demand. A lack of
fertilizer, power shortages and poor infrastructure have been cited as causes
of the country's troubles.The newspaper said a great victory in the
agricultural frontline is a political struggle for the WPK.Despite the severe
drought last year, the daily claimed, the country successfully achieved rice
planting success and urged all sectors of North Korean society to help out with
farming.Then it proposed a term, "the Speed of Mallima," to prompt
North Koreans to work harder to attain the country's economic goals as well as
rice planting.The term Mallima, which was coined by the North, means a horse
that runs 10 times as fast as Chollima, an imaginary horse with wings that can
travel at least 400 kilometers a day.North Korea first launched the Chollima
Movement in the late 1950s as an economic campaign to rebuild its economy after
the 1950-53 Korean War.
India's monsoon delay not to affect crop sowing: weather office
NEW DELHI | By Mayank
Bhardwaj
Labourers plant saplings in a paddy field on
the outskirts of the eastern Indian city of Bhubaneswar in this July 19, 2014
file photo. India's weather office said on Monday the late arrival of the
monsoon will not delay crop sowing and that rains are expected to make rapid
progress after their arrival around June 7.
Laxman
Singh Rathore, chief of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), also told
Reuters he was sticking to the original forecast of above-average rainfall this
year after two straight years of drought that cut farm income.Monsoon rains,
the lifeblood for agriculture-dependent India, typically arrive on the southern
tip of Kerala state by around June 1 and cover the entire country by mid-July.On
Sunday the IMD said the monsoon would arrive by June 7."There's a
semblance of normality in the forecast that rains would arrive by June 7. In
effect, I don't see any impact on sowing or overall agricultural
productivity," Rathore said in an interview.Heavy rains have lashed
southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the past few days and showers are
expected to hit interior areas of Karnataka state in the next few days, he
said.
"Pre-monsoon
showers will set the stage for sowing and rains are expected to gather momentum
once monsoon arrives by June 7," Rathore said.Millions of farmers plant
rice, cane, corn, cotton and soybean crops in the rainy months of June and
July. Harvesting starts from October.Current weather patterns suggest that the
monsoon would make a rapid progress once rains arrive on the Kerala coast, said
K. K. Singh, chief of agricultural meteorology."At the moment there is
cause for concern at all. We are set to have plentiful rains this year,"
Singh said.The weather office last month said El Nino - a warming of the
eastern Pacific Ocean that can lead to dry spells in South Asia - is fading and
giving way to La Nina in which the same waters cool.
The
monsoon season delivers about 70 percent of India's annual rainfall. It is
critical for the country's 263 million farmers because nearly half of their
farmland lacks irrigation.Bountiful rains could keep a lid on inflation and
also encourage the Reserve Bank of India to cut interest rates after the
central bank in April eased its repo rate by 25 basis points to its lowest in
more than five years.
(Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj, editing by David
Evans)
http://in.reuters.com/article/us-india-monsoon-idINKCN0Y71CM
UC Riverside plant geneticist elected to National Academy of Sciences
The
National Academy of Science (NAS) has granted membership to University of
California, Riverside genetics professor, Julia Bailey-Serres, in recognition
of her research on the flood tolerance of rice plants. In 2011, Bailey-Serres,
alongside fellow researchers from UC Riverside, UC Davis and the International
Rice Research Institute in the Philippines, successfully identified a gene,
SUB1A, which allows certain varieties of rice to survive when completely
submerged in water. “My group’s role focused on discovering about how that
(SUB1A) and the related genes are regulated,” Bailey-Serres said. “We also
uncovered how the SUB1A gene works in the plant to enable survival of a long
time (two weeks or more) underwater: the mechanism of function. It turns out
that the gene allows the plant to more slowly consume its energy reserves and
protects it during the process of de-submergence, so that shoots can regrow.”
In
addition, rice crops submerged in water face less competition from weeds and
require less herbicide, which will reduce labor costs and environmental harm. Rice
is a vital staple food globally, second to corn, and a successful harvest can
often demarcate the line between survival and starvation in many impoverished
areas. A quarter of the world’s rice crop is cultivated in areas that are prone
to seasonal flooding. The identification and exploitation of this
characteristic will provide food security for some of the most vulnerable
communities. The International Rice Institute was quick to apply this research.
Between five and 10 million farmers in nations throughout South and Southeast
Asia are cultivating rice crops that express this gene.
“These
new rice cultivars perform very similarly — really indistinguishably — from the
same varieties with the SUB1A gene,” said Bailey-Serres.As for her future
endeavors, Bailey-Serres intends to continue investigating how plants deal with
too little oxygen as a result of flooding, something that has captured her
interest for most of her career. “We are working on the mechanism of function
of other genes important to flooding tolerance in rice,” Bailey-Serres said.
“One project is to understand how SUB1A and the other genes work together or
not. We are also very interested in the evolutionary conservation of the
pathways that are important for flooding tolerance across plant species.”
“The
call from NAS members woke me up, I went from surprised, to honored, to
delighted pretty quickly,” Bailey-Serres said when asked about her initial
feelings upon being elected. “UCR already had three women in the NAS and I am
very happy to be the fourth. I am looking forward to being involved in NAS
activities.”Established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, the NAS is a private,
nonprofit organization that is a part of the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering and Medicine. New members are elected annually by current members
based on their continuing achievements in original research. Bailey-Serres is
the seventh faculty member from UC Riverside to attain membership in the
organization
http://www.highlandernews.org/24244/uc-riverside-plant-geneticist-elected-national-academy-sciences-2/
Scientists invent a cooking hack to cut calories in rice by over half
Everyone loves rice.
You
can't eat a good curry or a chilli con carne without it.But unless you're one
of those lucky ectopmorphs who can fill up on rice at every meal without
blowing up like a balloon, then it's best to eat it sparingly.However US
scientists have come up with a cooking hack that could eliminate more than 50
per cent of the calories from your rice, according to Delish.The
research found that this new way of cooking it basically renders some of the
starch in the rice indigestible by the human body.All you have to do is add a
spoonful of coconut oil to your rice water and then leave it to simmer for
between 20 to 40 minutes (we
told you coconut oil was incredible stuff).
Then you
have to refrigerate the rice for 12 hours and it cuts the number of calories
you body takes in by up to 60 per cent, according to the research presented at
the 249th National Meeting & Exposition
of the American Chemical Society.
Why does
it work? Well, rice is made up of two kinds of starch - one that our body can
easily digest and another that is resistant, as we don't have the correct
enzymes to do so.The easily digested starch spikes our blood sugar which, if
we're not burning the energy, is quickly stored in fat cells.So the trick
scientists have created basically shifts the balance in favour of resistant
starches, to stop more being broken down and sending our blood sugar up.
This is where the miracle stuff coconut oil
comes in. Boiling a teaspoon of it along with the rice makes the starch
granules resistant to the digestive enzymes and refrigerating the rice helps this
process along.The best part is that when you reheat it, it won't alter the
calorie-cutting effect of the coconut oil.
Can you afford (non-white) rice?
May 16, 2016 12.00PM | Elias Wee
by Elias Wee
CONTROVERSY surrounds the humble bowl of rice.
On Friday, May 6, ST reported Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) chief Zee Yoong
Kang referring to a meta-analysis of cohort studies. Its conclusion: Eating
more white rice increases the risk of diabetes. His suggestion: Switch to
healthier – wholegrain – alternatives.According to The Whole Grains Council
(TWGC), wholegrain rice has three parts – endosperm, bran, and germ – intact.
(The inedible husk is removed.) Regular white rice only has the endosperm,
because its grains have gone through a polishing process that removes the bran
and germ. Fibre, protein, minerals, and vitamins are lost when this is done
too.
Making the switch – like flicking on a switch?
Some, including Men’s Health, disagree with Mr
Zee. But let’s say you are convinced. You want to replace white rice with
wholegrain alternatives. What is the price for making the switch? Can you
afford it?
Whether it’s at the hawker centre or at the
supermarket, you pay more for alternatives. Compared to white rice, brown rice
costs from 20 cents to $1 more at the hawker centre and 90 cents more per
kilogram for brown rice (house brand) at the supermarket. What about availability?
An ST article (May 10) said: “A check with hawker centres and food courts in
Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, and Toa Payoh found that only one or two stalls at each
food centre offer brown rice as an alternative to white rice.”
As for red rice, which is rarely offered at
hawker centres, it is $1.14 more per kilogram at the supermarket.
|
Type
of rice
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Brand
of rice
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Price
($) displayed
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Price
($) per kilogram
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White
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Fairprice Thai Fragrant White Rice
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$5.90 for 5kg
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$1.18/kg
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Brown
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Fairprice Thai Brown Unpolished Rice
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$5.20 for 2.5kg
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$2.08/kg
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Red
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Fairprice Thai Red Unpolished Rice
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$5.80 for 2.5kg
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$2.32/kg
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Showing 1 to 3 of 3 entries
PreviousNext
Well, presuming the prices
are, in part, indicative of their healthier status, do you know what are the
benefits of each type of rice? We break them down so you know what you’re
paying for:
.
1. White rice
Rice rabbit by Flickr user
Ray_LAC. CC BY 2.0.
Not all white rice are the
same. An infographic created by ST, referencing the Glycemic Index Research
Unit (GIRU) at Temasek Polytechnic, showed that short-grain rice have a higher
Glycemic Index (GI) than long-grain rice – this means more carbohydrates are
broken down to produce higher levels of sugar, creating greater spikes in blood
glucose levels. Such frequent spikes leads to an increased risk of diabetes.
According to epicurious, short
grain white rice is typically used for making sushi. Long grain white rice has
two aromatic options: basmati and jasmine (also known as Thai Hom Mali).
Typically, basmati rice is used in nasi biryani, while jasmine rice is most
common in Chinese rice dishes.
White rice has a plethora of
varieties. But check out parboiled rice (or converted rice). Rice, still
covered in the husk, is partially boiled; nutrients from the bran are absorbed
by the endosperm. The GI for parboiled rice is lower than white rice in general,
according to Harvard Medical School.
Examples:
• Budget Long Grain White Rice, 5kg, $5.30 (Fairprice) –
$1.06/kg
• Fairprice Thai Fragrant White Rice, 5kg, $5.90 (Fairprice)
– $1.18/kg
• Fairprice India Ponni Rice Parboiled, 5kg, $6.90
(Fairprice) – $1.38/kg
• Mulberry Basmati Rice, 5kg, $16.95 (Giant) – $3.39/kg
.
. 015/366 – Brown rice by Flickr user Arria
Belli. CC BY-SA 2.0.
This is
the most common wholegrain rice. Brown rice has a more chewy texture and
nuttier flavour. Supermarkets here also sell brown rice in the two aromatic
options: jasmine and basmati.
According
to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nutrient Database, brown
rice, when compared to white rice (both long-grained), has more protein,
minerals like iron, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins such as vitamin B-6, E, and
K. The GIRU shows that brown rice has a lower GI than white rice. A 2006 study
showed that brown rice helps to lower and regulate cholesterol levels too.
Despite
these benefits, why have rice grains been conventionally polished? The bran and
germ contains natural oils that go rancid more easily. Hence, it’s recommended
to store it in an airtight container.
Examples:
• Fairprice Thai Brown Unpolished Rice,
2.5kg, $5.20 (Fairprice) – $2.08/kg
• ecoBrown’s Unpolished Brown Rice,
5kg, $14.50 (Giant) – $2.90/kg
• Daawat Quick Cooking Basmati Brown
Rice, 1kg, $4.80 (Sheng Siong) – $4.80/kg
• Golden Phoenix Germinated* Brown
Jasmine Rice, 1kg, $6.05 (Giant) – $6.05/kg
*Refers to unpolished rice allowed to germinate
for a night or two, so that the grain “becomes more nutritious, easier to chew,
and tastier”. – UN FAO Rice Conference 2004..
3. Red rice
Red rice by Flickr user matyas
X. CC BY-SA 2.0.
Red rice is a wholegrain with
a nutty flavour and firm texture. But it has an antioxidant, called
anthocyanin, that gives its bran a red pigment. Antioxidants help to guard the
body’s cells from free radical-induced damage.
A United Nations (UN) Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) report said that red rice has two times more
iron and six times more zinc than brown rice. Like brown rice, it is also a
rich source of fibre relative to white rice.
According to Health Benefits
Times (HBT), red rice was originally grown in China and was used as Traditional
Chinese Medicine (TCM). Today, however, it is cultivated across Europe,
Southeast Asia and South America. HBT also said that the natural red colouring
“leaches out and dyes the rest of the dish” red or pink.
Examples:
• Fairprice Thai Red Unpolished Rice, 2.5kg, $5.80
(Fairprice) –$2.32/kg
• Paddy King Red Cargo Rice, 1kg, $3.80, (Giant) –$3.80/kg
• Golden Phoenix Germinated Red Cargo Rice, 1kg, $6.05
(Giant) –$6.05/kg
.
Black rice… by Flickr user storebukkebruse. CC
BY 2.0.
Ancient Chinese legend, according to Health
Magazine, says that only emperors were allowed to eat this forbidden rice. The
dark hue is a result of its rich antioxidant bran, said the magazine, but it
also has a “chewier and more intense [flavour]”.
Black rice is also a nutrient powerhouse. The
UN FAO report shows that black rice has three times more fibre than brown rice,
and more protein than white, brown or red rice.
Dietician Fiona Atkinson, who compiled a list
of GIs for common Asian foods, found in her list that black rice porridge had a
lower GI than regular, white rice porridge.
Examples:
• Happy
Family Black Glutinous Rice, 1kg, $5.50 (Sheng Siong) –$5.50/kg
• Golden
Phoenix Germinated Black Cargo Rice, 1kg, $6.30 (Giant) –$6.30/kg
• Simply
Natural Organic** Black Rice, 1kg, $8 (Cold Storage) –$8/kg
** Refers to rice that is cultivated based on a
system of farming “without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and
fertilizers”.
.O
5. Wild rice
Wild rice is less common. According to TWGC, it is “difficult to grow, with low yields per acre”. Originally, it grew in the lakes of Northeastern America and Canada, but now 70 per cent of wild rice is commercially farmed in California. It tends to be expensive too.
So why eat wild rice? The USDA database shows wild rice has twice the amount of protein as brown rice. It also has 50 per cent more magnesium, and about three times the amount of zinc. A University of Minnesota study said that it is high in antioxidant levels too.
Examples:
• Bob’s Red Mill Quick Cooking Wild Rice, 0.226kg, $10.85 (Cold Storage) –$48/kg
.Why is wholegrain rice so expensive?
Looking at the examples, you will notice that the price per unit weight of unpolished rice – whether brown, red, black, or wild – tends to be more than white rice. But why does wholegrain rice cost more than white rice? After all, white rice requires extra steps – more processing. An HPB article states two possible reasons:
• First, white rice experiences greater economies of scale, since the quantity of white rice consumed is greater than wholegrain rice.
• Second, wholegrain rice has a shorter shelf life than white rice; it’s more costly “to preserve the quality of brown rice during transportation and storage”.
Chicken and egg and rice?
An ST article published on Tuesday (May 10) said wholegrain rice made up five per cent of rice sales last year. Since white rice forms 95 per cent of rice sales, it enjoys greater economies of scale, which appears to be the reason why white rice is cheaper – partly, at least. And because it’s cheaper, more people are able to buy white rice – sounds like a chicken and egg situation?
Unless a lot more people – who are financially able – buy wholegrain rice, because they prefer it, only then will its price fall. So in the meantime, while the G has already started waging war on diabetes, it’s the poorer customers who lose out: Even if they want to make the switch to wholegrain rice, they’ll have to pay more for a product that has less processing – a price we cannot assume all are willing or able to pay. In food distribution exercises, for example, how often do you see packets of wholegrain rice distributed?
.How to get more people choosing wholegrain rice?
Try cooking wholegrain rice in vegetable stock or meat broth – this is one suggestion from Mr Ken Yuktasevi, 35, creative director at Grain Traders, a local cafe that serves brown rice and other wholegrain alternatives. He said that one should just treat whole grains like you would white rice, and, if necessary, “eat it with naughty stuff like curry first”.
What about the children? It’s notoriously difficult to convince them to eat healthy. So how can parents get their children to eat wholegrain rice? “Start by eating it and loving it yourself” is Mr Yuktasevi’s answer. The father of two believes that parents should set the example – eat healthy as the norm and don’t see it as an “event”. He added: “Eating healthy only works when it’s a habit, not a have-to.”
Well, it’s hard if it’s an expensive habit, no?
05/16/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
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Soybeans
Riceland Foods
Soybean Comment
Soybeans continue to consolidate as the market
has seen sharp gains over the last month. The soybean market faces a number
of challenges as the market is beginning to second guess the record demand
forecast by the USDA last week. The good news for producers is the market has
still yet to see the bottom fall out of prices. While this is expected at
some point soybeans, November soybeans remain about a quarter off of their
recent highs and continue to maintain the gains following last week’s bullish
USDA report.
Wheat
Wheat prices showed little life today as corn
and soybeans showed only marginal moves. The market continues to face a
bearish demand outlook as exports remain less than impressive and U.S. stocks
are forecast to top 1 billion bu. The market needs to see sales materialize
on the current weakening of the dollar.
Grain Sorghum
Corn
Corn Comment
Corn prices closed higher again today as
prices found support in stronger oil prices and continued firm export demand.
While new crop corn was unable to close much above support at $4, prices are
still near recent highs. Corn needs further demand support as weakening
soybean prices could lead to further declines. Upside potential remains
limited as a bearish supply outlook continues to weigh on prices.
Cotton
Cotton Comment
Cotton futures began the week mostly lower.
The monthly WASDE report showed the largest ending stocks in
eight years for the 16-17 crop year. That is based upon the March
prospective plantings of 9.6 million acres and expectations for relatively
favorable growing conditions resulting in average yields of 807 lbs. per acre
for a total crop of 14.8 million bales. However, global stocks are projected
to decline 6.2% as China releases low-cost, low-quality cotton from their
stockpile. China plans to auction 2 million metric tons of cotton this
summer. December closed below trendline support today and could head back
toward support just above 59 cents.
Rice
Rice Comment
Rice futures posted strong gains to open the
week on a positive note. Arkansas farmers have not planted 96% of intended
acres. The question remains, though, will they stop there? The five year
average for this date is 80%, so if conditions remain favorable, the crop
might get bigger. This large crop could limit the upside potential of the
market, however, dry conditions in other rice growing regions of the world
could provide support. July completed a 50% retracement today, which opens
upside potential to the 62% level of $12.46.
Cattle
Cattle Comment
Cattle prices closed higher today thanks to
continued strong beef prices. As we approach the summer grilling season the
prices continue to firm. Additionally, the continued wide spread between cash
and futures remains supportive of cattle prices.
Hogs
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USA Rice and Partners Make U.S.
Products Top of Mind in Ghana
ACCRA, GHANA - The three-year
Global Based Initiative (GBI) that USA Rice runs with partners USA Poultry and
Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) and the American Peanut Council (APC) has entered
its final year and kicked off 2016 activities with foodservice seminars here
and in the city of Kumasi and with high impact billboards in key shopping areas
of both cities.Three hundred and fifty artisanal caterers participated in the
seminar in Accra, and more than 300 took part in Kumasi's activities.
Additional outreach took place with culinary students at polytechnic schools in
both cities; the GBI supplied informational booklets to the schools for use
with their students and in developing curriculum.
Session participants were taken
through various presentations on U.S.-grown rice, U.S. poultry and American
peanut butter including short videos on the products that covered preparation
and other information. A group leader was also available to answer any
questions from the cooks, and there were many. A highlight of the event was the
taste testing. Attendees were given rice balls made from U.S. rice known
locally as "Omo Tuo", fried U.S. chicken pieces and American peanut
butter soup with chicken, all ingredients donated by the local importers.
Attendees were surveyed at the
conclusion of the seminar and reported overwhelmingly that they believe
U.S.-grown rice is the highest quality for commercial cooking. This good news
is offset by the fact that U.S. imports here have been declining, mostly
displaced by low cost, low quality rice, mainly from Viet Nam.
"Although we don't necessarily
see the situation for U.S. rice improving significantly in this market any time
soon, we do see value in educating these students - future chefs and caterers -
early in their professional careers should the market shift or should they find
themselves in a market more hospitable to U.S. rice," said Jim Guinn vice
president of international promotion for USA Rice. "We always leave behind
useful information and recipes using U.S. rice, poultry, and peanut butter, and
these materials are utilized in the culinary schools here, keeping our products
top of mind."
Guinn said the billboard campaign
is designed to enhance visibility for these products with consumers. Seven
billboards featuring dishes cooked with U.S. rice, poultry, and peanut butter
have been put up in high traffic areas near markets and will remain up for the
next five months.
APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1473
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New technology to better manage rice production in Asian nations
Swiss-based technology company Sarmap has launched a new digital data monitoring system to reduce vulnerability of smallholders engaged in rice production by setting up an easy accessible rice information system to better manage domestic rice production .The technology is already being used under RIICE (remote sensing-based information and insurance for crop in emerging economies) project. (Image source: 9bombs/Pixabay)
The
multiphase project will focus on major rice growing areas in selected Asian
countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines,
Thailand, and Vietnam in the first three years. In the following three years,
the activities will be up-scaled to the remaining major rice producing areas of
Asia. Objectives for the first phase are:
•
Provision of reliable rice production information in major rice growing areas.
•
Transfer of appropriate know-how and remote sensing technology to national
partners.
•
Development of a model aiming at improving production forecast by combining
remote sensing, in situ and climatic data.
•
Setting up sustainable crop insurance schemes by developing insurance solutions
covering production shortfalls.
•
Provision of crop insurance solutions for at least five million rice growing
farmers.
According
to the company, in the long run, rice yields should increase due to better
access to information about the actual growth status of observed rice crops and
the forecasted yields as well as about damages and forecasted losses of rice
crops, hence leading to a better land management by farmers. Additionally, crop
insurance take-up by smallholders facilitates their negotiation position in
applying for loans which eventually leads to increased investments in their
agricultural business.
The
basic idea behind the generation of rice acreage using SAR is the analysis of
changes in the acquired data over time. Measurement of temporal changes of SAR
response due to the rice plants phenological status - an increase in the SAR
backscatter corresponds to a growth in the rice plants - lead to the
identification of the areas subject to transplanting/emergence moment and the
rice growth. The rice acreage statistics are stored in map format showing the
rice extent and, in form of numerical tables, quantifying the dimension of the
area at the smallest administrative level - typically village unit - cultivated
by rice. These products are linked to district, region, province and country,
so that statistics on any of these administrative units can be produced.
A
public-private partnership consortium is implementing the project of which
Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) will be one of the consortium members. The
consortium is composed of sarmap providing the necessary remote sensing
technology; IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) is the public partner
and will provide a rice crop growth model and work with regional partners to
put the system up and running at national levels; AllianzRe Switzerland
supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
will develop insurance solutions based on the information provided by sarmap
and IRRI and pass those solutions on to interested national partners as crop
insurance schemes. Besides its financial contribution, SDC role (supported by
GIZ) is to institutionally and politically support the partners by facilitating
the relations to relevant ministries in targeted countries
http://fareasternagriculture.com/crops/agriculture/new-technology-to-better-manage-rice-production-in-asian-nations
Myanmar's rice export set to rise despite drought
Eleven Myanmar May 15, 2016 4:11 pm
YANGON - Myanmar expectS to export at least 1.5 million tonnes of rice this fiscal year, according the vice chairman of Myanmar Rice Federation.In April - the first month of the 2016-17 fiscal year, Myanmar earned US$13 million from rice exports. However, drought across the country due to El Niño is raising concerns.In the previous fiscal year when Myanmar suffered from floods that destroyed vast areas of rice plantation fields, 1.4 tonnes of whole and broken rice was exported. The volume was 400,000 tonnes below the level exported in the 2014-15 fiscal year. Ninety per cent of Myanmar’s rice is destined to China
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Myanmars-rice-export-set-to-rise-despite-drought-30286004.html
Myanmar’s agriculture minister to boost rice production
Monday, 16 May 2016 07:32
Reparing Myanmar’s dams and canals could more than double the supply of water to rice-growing areas and could increase rice exports, stated the country's deputy agriculture minister
Improving the supply of water in Myanmar is
expected to increase rice exports. (Image source: lefebvre-jonathan)
For two
decades, the dams and canals had been neglected and lowered the nation’s
production said the deputy minister. He said repair work will begin with
Thaphan Seik dam – one of the longest dams in Southeast Asia – in Sagaing
Region.“During the next 100 days, we will deepen dams that have silted up and
repair leaks in canals,” he said. “We will do everything we can with the budget
we have,” he said.Thaphan Seik has been chosen as the first as it delivered
water to most areas in Sagaing, Myanmar’s second-biggest rice bowl.“We will
deepen the dam so it can store more water and repair cracks in the canals. One
canal can deliver water to 500,000 acres, but because of cracks that capacity
has fallen to about 200,000 acres. Our repairs will enable the dam and the
canals to greatly increase the volume of water supplied to farmlands,” he said.
http://www.fareasternagriculture.com/crops/agriculture/myanmar-s-agriculture-minister-to-boost-rice-production
MYANMAR'S RICE EXPORT SET TO RISE DESPITE
DROUGHT
5/15/2016
THE NATION MULTIMEDIA (15-05-2016)
YANGON - Myanmar expectS to export at least 1.5
million tonnes of rice this fiscal year, according the vice chairman of Myanmar
Rice Federation.In April - the first month of the 2016-17 fiscal year, Myanmar
earned US$13 million from rice exports. However, drought across the country due
to El Niño is raising concerns.
In the previous fiscal year when Myanmar suffered
from floods that destroyed vast areas of rice plantation fields, 1.4 tonnes of
whole and broken rice was exported. The volume was 400,000 tonnes below the
level exported in the 2014-15 fiscal year.
Ninety per cent of Myanmar’s rice is destined
to China
Thailand
sells rice stockpile, Vietnam may lose buyers
|
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VietNamNet
Bridge - Soon after Thailand announced the plan to sell 11.4 million tons of
rice in stockpile over a two-month period, Vietnam’s exporters predicted they
would be hurt by the move.
If the
Thai government sells all of the 11.4 million tons, this will be the biggest
sale campaign in the history of the world’s biggest rice exporter. The amount
is even higher than the average volume of rice the country exports every year.Vietnamese
rice exporters have said the big sales would force prices in the world market
down and badly affect Vietnam’s exports.
They said some partners have suspended imports because of the Thai announcement.
Nguyen Thanh Long, director of Gao Viet Company, confirmed that the customers who were negotiating for the company’s rice have halted the negotiations.
The customers are those that want to buy white rice from Asian countries, including China, the Philippines and Africa.
|
Soon
after Thailand announced the plan to sell 11.4 million tons of rice in stockpile
over a two-month period, Vietnam’s exporters predicted they would be hurt by
the move.
|
An
analyst said that though Thai old rice in stockpiles is not competitive with
Vietnam’s rice which has higher quality, the big sales will still affect
Vietnam’s rice export.
In the past, Thailand sometimes sold rice from its stockpile, about 1-2 million tons, but the sale still had an impact on Vietnam. And now the impact will be much bigger with avvolume 5-6 times higher.Vietnam now sells white rice at avprice $5-10 per ton lower than Thai rice. However, Long said Thailand will lower the prices to attract buyers. And this would force down Vietnam’s rice price.
Luong Anh Tuan, director of Thinh Phat Food, also said that loyal markets had stopped negotiating to buy Vietnam’s rice. They are waiting to see the moves to be taken by Thailand before making a decision. “Meanwhile, other partners of Vietnam from China and Africa will haggle with Vietnamese exporters about the prices and try to force the prices down,” Tuan said.
An official from the Ministry of Industry and Trade also said that Thai stockpile rice is worse than Vietnam’s rice, but, for poor countries, low-price products would be the top choice.
Huynh The Nang, chair of the Vietnam Food Association, has reassured the public that there wasvno need to worry about Thai rice sale because the impact would not be significant.
According to Nang, Vietnam still has not fulfilled deliveries for all the contracts signed in the fourth quarter of 2015. Besides, rice exporters have signed many new contracts.
Vietnam exported 2 million tons in the first four months of the year, worth $916 million.
In the past, Thailand sometimes sold rice from its stockpile, about 1-2 million tons, but the sale still had an impact on Vietnam. And now the impact will be much bigger with avvolume 5-6 times higher.Vietnam now sells white rice at avprice $5-10 per ton lower than Thai rice. However, Long said Thailand will lower the prices to attract buyers. And this would force down Vietnam’s rice price.
Luong Anh Tuan, director of Thinh Phat Food, also said that loyal markets had stopped negotiating to buy Vietnam’s rice. They are waiting to see the moves to be taken by Thailand before making a decision. “Meanwhile, other partners of Vietnam from China and Africa will haggle with Vietnamese exporters about the prices and try to force the prices down,” Tuan said.
An official from the Ministry of Industry and Trade also said that Thai stockpile rice is worse than Vietnam’s rice, but, for poor countries, low-price products would be the top choice.
Huynh The Nang, chair of the Vietnam Food Association, has reassured the public that there wasvno need to worry about Thai rice sale because the impact would not be significant.
According to Nang, Vietnam still has not fulfilled deliveries for all the contracts signed in the fourth quarter of 2015. Besides, rice exporters have signed many new contracts.
Vietnam exported 2 million tons in the first four months of the year, worth $916 million.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/156272/thailand-sells-rice-stockpile--vietnam-may-lose-buyers.html
Egypt to buy 1 million tonnes local rice as reserve
Monday, 16 May 2016 13:14
ABU DHABI: Egypt's supply ministry said on
Monday that it would buy 1 million tonnes of local paddy rice in the next month
as a strategic reserve. The government's failure to stock up earlier this
season has left it at the mercy of traders, some of whom have been unwilling to
sell their rice to the state in an attempt to push prices up.The government
will start buying up the paddy rice next month when the harvest for the new
season begins which will make up a strategic reserve of one year, a ministry
statement said.The statement also said that around 20,000 tonnes of local rice
were purchased in the past two days at a price of 4.50 Egyptian pounds
($0.5068) a kilo to provide the grain for the subsidy programme.
Egypt
said on Friday it would import 80,000 tonnes of rice through direct contract
for arrival within one week to ten days.Traditionally a rice exporter, Egypt
produced 3.75 million tonnes of rice in the 2015 season and held over 700,000
tonnes from 2014 while annual consumption is around 3.3 million tonnes.The
country should have had enough local rice to cover the subsidy programme and
have enough surplus for export but a failure to stock up a grain reserve led to
shortages in the subsidised rice market as traders stockpiled their rice to
push prices upwards.
The
attempt to purchase rice from abroad through direct contract comes after the
state grain buyer GASC failed in three previous tenders to buy rice off the
global market complaining that prices were too high.
http://www.brecorder.com/markets/commodities/middle-east-a-africa/296199-egypt-to-buy-1-million-tonnes-local-rice-as-reserve.html
Egypt to import 80,000 tonnes of rice ahead of
Ramadan
Sat, 14/05/2016 - 15:59
Egypt's
government has directed state grains buyer GASC to import 80,000 tonnes of rice
"immediately" ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the
cabinet said in a statement on Friday.Egypt produced 3.75 million tonnes of
rice in the 2015 season and held over 700,000 tonnes from 2014. Annual rice
consumption is generally about 3.3 million tonnes.But the government's failure
to stock up earlier in the season has left it at the mercy of traders, some of
whom have been unwilling to sell to the state and are choosing to stockpile
instead.
The
stockpiling has pushed up the price the government pays for rice by about 50
percent in recent months.
GASC
will buy the 80,000 tonnes through direct contracts rather than tenders, GASC
Vice Chairman Mamdouh Abdel Fattah told Reuters on Friday, with the shipment
due to arrive within a week to 10 days.GASC has tried three times to hold rice
import tenders, but has had to cancel each one either because of low responses
or due to prices being deemed too high.
The
government has threatened to seek direct contracts to buy rice from abroad if
prices offered by traders at its tenders are not reduced but traders say Egypt
is insisting on unrealistic prices.
Egypt
banned rice exports on April 4 to preserve stocks for the local market and to
combat the rising prices.
The
government lifted a previous export ban on the crop in October due to an
expected surplus and imposed an export tariff of 2,000 Egyptian pounds ($225.2)
a tonne, but that decision expired on April 3.
The
government statement said Egypt had enough sugar stockpiled to last until the
end of the year and enough vegetable oil for the next three months. More
vegetable oil would be imported as needed, it said.However, Yehia Kaseb, head
of the food commodities department in Giza, said prices of some foodstuffs had
increased by 30 or 40 percent in the run up to Ramadan, highlighting the annual
battle the authorities have to control prices ahead of the Muslim holy month.
The
price of rice had doubled in some areas, said Kaseb, who is also a member of
the The Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce (FEDCOC).He explained that
halting rice exports had helped to lower prices, but supermarkets in Egypt were
stockpiling rice in order to raise the retail price at a time of high demand
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/egypt-import-80000-tonnes-rice-ahead-ramadan
New rice growing technology to boost production
By Dalton Nyabundi Updated Sun, May 15th 2016
Send by mail Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
Share on Google Plus Share on Linkedin Kenya National Irrigation Board (NIB)
has introduced a new rice growing technology to improve yields. Margaret Anyango
a rice farmer weeds her rice in her farm at West Kano in Kisumu county.PIC BY
COLLINS ODUOR An Indian firm - Agfri, has introduced Systems of Rice
Intensification (SRI) to offer expertise, seeds, fertilisers and mechanical
weeders aiming to save farmers at the Ahero and West Kano irrigation schemes in
Kisumu County where it is being rolled out, up to Sh8 million annually on water
cost; while doubling production from two tonnes per acre to four tonnes. NIB
Regional Manager Joel Tanui said SRI will also help farmers increase production
on paddy fields. -Dalton Nyabundi
Houston Exhibit Transforms Shattered Images of Beaumont Rice Mills Into Hallucinogenic Dreams
Monday, May 16, 2016 at 8 a.m.
|
Mill 1 (ST 960, detail) by Joan Steinman, from
"The Mill" exhibit at Gremillion &Co. Fine Art, Inc.
Courtesy of Gremillion &Co. Fine Art,
Inc.
|
- -
Artist
Joan Steinman has painted a love letter to her family by returning to her
Beaumont roots and reimagining the angles and geometry of the historic Beaumont
Rice Mills, a still viable grower, miller and distributor begun by her
great-grandfather in 1892.
“The Mill” is her tenth exhibit at Gremillion &Co.
Fine Art, Inc. and, while the artist has maintained the vibrant, saturated
colors of previous works – which often played with fabrics, florals, kitchen
vignettes and landscapes – these new paintings are decidedly more masculine.
She’s played with portal-centric works before,
in which the viewer gazes through a doorway only to see further doors inside
(more Edward Hopper than Droste effect), and she’s also touched on Cubist
fragmentation, but both techniques are amplified in these new works.
The descendants of her great-grandfather,
Joseph Eloi Broussard, would often gather at the mills during visits home, but
Steinman never considered the venue as a subject until about two years ago,
when she zeroed in on its wooden beams, old equipment and exteriors, capturing
the angles through photography. Back home in her studio, she broke the images
apart and reassembled them in a complex pick-up sticks jumble, sketching the
new scenes on her canvas and bringing the shattered paintings to life in a
hallucinogenic dream.
|
Mill 15 (ST 974) by Joan Steinman, from "The
Mill" exhibit at Gremillion &Co. Fine Art, Inc.
Courtesy of Gremillion &Co. Fine Art,
Inc.
|
Sun., Jun. 26, 7:00pm
The
centerpiece of the show is the oversize 60-inch by 72-inch Mill 15 (ST
974), with so much detail it takes a while to take it all in. It's hard to know
where to look, from the four-light warning indicator broadcasting imminent
danger, to the heavy weight of the ceiling pipes, to the processed bags of rice
against the wall. With its air of chaos and small doors near the bottom of the
frame, it’s easy to imagine a blue caterpillar smoking a hookah on a mushroom
but, just before it falls down a rabbit hole, the composition returns to
normalcy as a worker pushes a two-wheeler out the door to “real life” outside.
Mills 3 (ST
962) very strongly resembles a psychedelic take on the childhood game of Chutes
and Ladders, with its Miami-inspired colors of mint, purple, aqua, yellow and
pink tinting the ladders to nowhere and turning the pipes and beams into
slides.
In a
deviation from the formula, rounded edges make an appearance in Mill 4
(ST 963), in the form of a paddle wheel, fans and pulleys. The bay door is open
and the reflection of a tree outside appears on the floor, drawing the eye
toward two men leaving the mill – one wearing a plaid shirt and shorts and
holding a camera, and the other in jeans. They seem familiar, leaning towards
each other in discussion, as they pass ready-for-market bags of a day’s labor
as they make their exit.
There’s
a simpler work near the entrance, where a warped and fragmented doorway opens
to a blue staircase and, as the eye travels up, it rests on the lime-colored
glow of a window midway. It’s a nice way to begin and end the exhibit, and very
appealing.Don’t miss the looped time-lapse video of Steinman painting one of
the works, from her beginning sketch to the last stroke. She would turn the
camera on at the beginning of each workday, and it’s mesmerizing to watch; on
the second or third watching, the viewer begins to notice other aspects, such
as her changing plaid shirts and the fact that the film only slows down at the
end, as she stops to declare the painting finished, and adds her signature
“The Mill” continues through June 18 at
Gremillion &Co., Fine Art, Inc., 2501 Sunset, open Tuesdays through
Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 713-522-2701, gremillion.com. Free
http://www.houstonpress.com/arts/houston-exhibit-transforms-shattered-images-of-beaumont-rice-mills-into-hallucinogenic-dreams-8398559
Minister urges Guyana to move away from rice, sugar, bauxite
Monday, May 16, 2016
GEORGETOWN,
Guyana, (CMC) — The Guyana Government is warning that the local economy will
not grow “if we continue to do the same things we were doing 50 years ago”.
Finance
Minister Winston Jordan, speaking on the first anniversary of the coalition A
Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC)
Government, said that while the country would experience economic growth, there
was need for a rethink of the existing strategies, especially in the medium
term.“We are not going to grow by seven per cent if we continue to do the same
things we were doing 50 years ago. To achieve such growth, the country needs to
move from the “tripod” of rice, sugar and bauxite, which it depended on for the
last five decades, with gold added to this mix.“The country needs to focus on
adding value to its commodities by taking production to the tertiary level,
diversifying agriculture, and modernising productive methods,” Jordan argued.
He said that the economy was not as buoyant as it needs to be, in part because of the illicit drug trade and other illegal activities that create a parallel economy.“So the more that you go after that and the more it will miniaturise, that is the less free spending you will see… it’s going to take a time for the economy to get comfortable with that, but in the meanwhile, we will be putting other incentives to stimulate growth in the economy, but one good thing we can say, the economy will grow,” the finance minister said.
Jordan
said that earnings from bauxite would be affected by a sluggish global economy
and urged the country to make better use of its gold.“We necessarily can’t
control the ones that are being done by the multilateral agencies, but we can
entice them to do another stage of the gold, gold bars for example, might be
good, [as might] coins.”In his call to to enter new industries, however, Jordan
warned against getting too excited about petroleum exploitation.“We ought not
to get ourselves way ahead of that. We have existing areas that new industries
farmed out, particularly in the services sector. To get the services sector
going, people have to be trained and adapted to what the market wants,” he
noted.
Jordan
said when he took office as the minister of finance a year ago, he found out
things were not so great, and within weeks of being in office the Government
was faced with domestic and international issues.“Sugar was worse than it was
actually made out, and right away, we had to save jobs and save the industry by
trying to find over GUY$12 billion (One Guyana dollar =US$0.004 cents) just as
a quick cash transfer to the sugar industry,” Jordan recalled.
He said
the new David Granger Government had to divert much-needed resources to
“internationalise” Venezuela’s spurious claim on Guyana, and that money was
also needed to pay farmers for rice already shipped to Venezuela after that
country ended the rice-for-oil deal.
“We did
some incredible things. We were able to bring out the (2015) budget fairly
quickly and the last one, 2016, being one of the earliest in recent times. We
were able to make good on some of our promises in whole or in part. We did
quite a bit for pensioners, public sector workers benefitted somewhat, we were
able to restore collective bargaining”, he said.
“There are a number of challenges, of course,
and at the end of the day, one year after, I figure I have more gray hairs,” he
said
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Minister-urges-Guyana-to-move-away-from-rice--sugar--bauxite_61054
Nigeria begins rice exportation in two years –
CBN
- Kashim Bello
The
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said Nigerian farmers would start exporting rice
in the next 24 months.Acting Director, Corporate Communication of the apex
bank, Isaac Okoroafor, who made this disclosure in Lokoja, Kogi State over the
weekend, said out of the 6.1 million tonnes of rice needed to feed Nigerians,
Kebbi State farmers contributed over one million tonnes.Okoroafor who spoke
against the backdrop of bitter experiences by farmers said the Anchor Borrower
Programme was conceived to enhance their capacity.“From the N220 billion, we
are doing what is called the Anchor Borrower Programme. We have just completed
a pilot project in Kebbi
State on rice and other states like Ebonyi, Taraba and Benue are queuing up.He explained that the Anchor Borrower Programme is part of the micro/medium scale development fund of N220 billion, set aside by the apex bank. Under the programme, 60 per cent goes for women-led enterprises and two per cent for people with disability.He said the bank is targeting all the strata of the society. We have realised that when farmers borrow money on their own to plant tomatoes, rice, cassava, etc, when they harvest, there is nobody to take the produce from them.“When rice paddy growers produce, imported rice comes to spoil their effort. Importation has dealt a deadly blow on farmers,” he said.
He said the bank published 41 items ineligible
for foreign exchange through the bank’s financial window, hence they were now
organising the farmers into groups and linking them to millers.“At the onset,
each farmer is given one hectare of land, and supplied seedling, fertiliser and
other agro chemicals.“Out of the N220,000 loan for each farmer, only about
N70,000 is given as working capital. The rest is used to procure seedlings and
all the other needs.”He said they are availed seed that can yield six to seven
tonnes per hectare and they get tractors cooperative hence the unit cost is
lowered.He said they were also covered by insurance in case of any disaster
https://www.today.ng/news/national/122852/nigeria-rice-exportation-years-cbn
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