Today Rice News Headlines...
·
Field Report: Southwest
Louisiana
·
Drought and gobal
competition continue to challenge U.S. rice industry
·
Umahi pledges support for
rice farmers in Ebonyi
·
PM calls for expedited
action over rice losses
·
Thai govt to auction 1.2 mn
tons of rice
·
Chinese to Check Cambodian
Rice
·
Thai Commerce Ministry to
scramble for 20 billion baht damage pay over G-to-G rice scam
·
Trade deficit contracts by
9.1% in January 2016 as exports and imports fall
·
Sri Lanka exports fall for
11th straight month
·
05/06/2016 Farm Bureau
Market Report
·
USA Rice's Mosely Named
USACC Legislative Committee Chair
·
Rice Stewardship
Partnership Growing Exponentially
·
Rice Stewardship
Partnership Growing Exponentially
·
Continue Treading Carefully
With Amira Nature Foods Stock
·
Celebrate Vesak with
Buddha's rice puddingAPEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1467
·
Video claiming agreement at
WTO to stop rice distribution via PDS is wrong: Govt
·
Disaster-affected rice
farmers in Central Luzon reap first harvest for 2016 Nigeria: Firm Secures 5000
Hectares of Land for Rice Production in Adamawa
·
Rains Batter Rice Other
Crops; But Cotton May Be Bright Spot
·
Stop burning ‘dayami,’
PhilRice tells farmers
·
PhilRice engineers, studies
recognized
News Detail...
Field Report:
Southwest Louisiana
WELSH, LOUISIANA-- Rice crops in southwest Louisiana are thriving
due in large part to the unseasonably mild temperatures in February that
allowed early planting.
.
Many growers are now expecting to begin harvesting their crops in early July,
putting them a couple of weeks ahead of the traditional harvest schedule.
This
bodes well for the outlook of the ratoon crop--or second crop--that is
harvested in late autumn and provides a substantial economic boost to the area.
Paul Johnson, a rice farmer from Welsh, Louisiana and member of
the 2015-2017 Rice Leadership Development Program, reported this is somewhat of
a unique year for rice in southwest Louisiana. Johnson typically produces a
ratoon crop on 75% of his acreage, but he expects that this year he will be
able harvest a second-crop on every acre of rice due to the favorable weather
conditions.
"So
far, I'm very pleased with how things have been going with our rice this
year," said Johnson. "My main concern right now is of course with the
market. The news about the successful Iraq tender a few weeks ago was great for
everyone's morale around here. We're always looking forward to hearing more
news like that.
Drought and gobal competition continue to challenge U.S. rice industry
U.S. rice
growers will continue to face lower prices in the 2016/17 growing season as
stocks of more types of rice are elevated domestically, total planted acreage
will be close to record levels and quality continues to improve from other
global producers. The report, "Reaching Boiling Point - U.S. Rice
Producers are Feeling the Heat of Global Competition," focuses attention
on these factors and how they impact the different rice types in the growing
regions of California and the Midwest.
In
California, the challenge is to deal with the pressure of the severe drought
that has been ongoing since 2011, while also managing supply to longstanding,
profitable markets.
"We
know that right now expansion into new markets isn't really on the top of
everyone's mind," said James Williamson, analyst at Rabobank and author of
the report. "However, it is going to be critical for the long-term growth
and profitability of premium California medium-grain rice to look to expansion
markets even in times of tight supply."
The
report goes on to examine the situations surrounding medium- and long-grain
rice in the southern states:
Many
southern medium-grain producers planted more acreage in 2015/16, planning to
take advantage of supply gaps from California production. These gaps were limited,
leaving many with an unsellable surplus. Faced with lower demand and high
supply, Rabobank expects that southern medium grain growers will need to work
through their 2016/17 crop as well as their surplus stocks to bring prices to a
more profitable level.
Southern
long-grain acreage is expected to be up 30% from the 2015/16 crops year, with
significant conversion coming from soybean acreage. It is expected that with
this large crop, combined with nearly half of the prior year's production still
in storage, southern growers will be unable to compete on price alone. This
presents the opportunity for producers to concentrate on growing and
maintaining the quality of their product to gain premium prices in this space.
The
report concludes by noting that for export-driven countries such as the United
States, changes in production in a competing country or region can help or hurt
local industries. The best way, according to the report, to stay in front of
this is for producers and processors to do all they can to differentiate
themselves by segregating by quality.
http://www.agprofessional.com/news/drought-and-gobal-competition-continue-challenge-us-rice-industry
Umahi pledges support for rice farmers in Ebonyi
- Friday, May 6, 2016
- Guardian News
Umahi
Gov donates N1 bn revolving loan to
farmers
As part of efforts to make Ebonyi State the number one
rice-producing area in Nigeria, the state governor David Umahi, has ordered the
disbursement of N1 billion to rice farmers while unveiling several measures
that would fast-track the plan.Umahi, made the disclosure at a special
stakeholder’s forum on rice production in Abakaliki, the state capital on
Wednesday.He also ordered council chairmen, development centre coordinators,
management committee members and Liaison officers of the councils, to acquire
some hectares of land for rice production.
The governor however, clarified that
the money would not be given to them in cash, but as seedlings, fertilizers,
and pesticides among other facilities.He said, “It is not going to be free; it
is going to be loan and when you produce, we will take over the rice and pay
you the difference. It is a loan. We borrowed it from the Federal Government,
which they will deduct from our allocation every month.”
According to him, the state should
be able to recover the loan and “give it again, so it is going to be a
revolving loan.”Under the latest arrangement, council chairmen are to acquire
20 hectares of land each, coordinators 10 hectares, while management committee,
as well as Liaison officers, would acquire five hectares each.To ensure an
all-encompassing commitment, Umahi tasked political office holders that their
survival on their jobs would be predicated on their performance in the
task.Board members and heads of parastatals, according to the governor, should
also own one farm for agricultural production, adding that the state Executive
Council would manage the Ezillo Farms
PM calls for expedited action over rice losses
THE NATION May 6, 2016 1:00 am
PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed the Commerce
Ministry to expedite action in seeking Bt20 billion in damages caused by the
previous administration’s allegedly bogus government-to-government rice deals, the
government spokesman said.The Comptroller-General's Department recently
concluded that six former top officials of the Commerce Ministry, including
former commerce minister Boonsong
Teriyapirom and his deputy Phum Saraphol, were held responsible for Bt20
billion in losses to the state.
This
week, the Finance Ministry instructed the Commerce Ministry to obtain an
administrative order seeking compensation from Boonsong and the others deemed
responsible.The G2G rice deals were part of the Yingluck Shinawatra
government's rice-pledging scheme that was allegedly plagued with corruption
and was estimated to cost the state more than Bt500 billion.
Government
Spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkanerd said yesterday that the premier had
instructed the Commerce Ministry to deal with the matter carefully but that it
also had to complete the task within a legal time frame."The prime
minister would like to tell all bureaucrats that this was an expensive lesson.
They should bear in mind that they have to adhere to righteousness, integrity
and the law," the spokesman said. "Bureaucrats should not allow
themselves to become a tool of politicians."
The
four others named by the Comptroller-General's Department as responsible for
the Bt20 billion in damages were former ministerial secretary Weerawut
Wajanaphukka, former Department of Foreign Trade director-general Manas
Soiploy, the department's former rice-trade director Tikhumporn Natvaratat, and
the department's former secretary Akharaphong Chuaikliang.
The Supreme Court's Criminal
Division for Political Office Holders was told in an ongoing trial that four
G2G deals for 6.2 million tonnes of government rice were bogus, as the rice was
never exported.A group of farmers is seeking help from the prime minister to
expedite the payment of funds some local cooperatives owe them for the rice
purchased under the last government's rice-pledging scheme.
Sawat Chaisian, a representative of
farmers from the provinces of Kamphaeng Phet and Nakhon Sawan, said yesterday
that some 50 members of the group had handed the petition over at the complaint
office in Government House on Wednesday. They said the cooperatives still owed
83 farmers in the group some Bt16 million
Thai govt to auction 1.2 mn tons of rice
Govt to
auction 1.2 mn tons of rice
BANGKOK, 6
May 2016 (NNT) – The Ministry of Commerce is preparing to organize a new round
auction for 1.2 million tons of rice in the government’s warehouses. Rice
traders can submit their document for the auction on 17 May and tender bids on
19 May.
Director-General of the Department
of Foreign Trade Duangporn Rodphaya said the coming rice auction would be the
third time in this year. The amount of rice to be auctioned would be the
highest following rising demands in the market for broken-milled rice.
The official added that now was a
good time to sell rice from the government’s warehouses since second-season
rice had not yet been harvested and some of the rice in the warehouses had been
damaged. More damage was expected if the rice was not sold before the rainy
season, she said. The department allows those who
want to participate in the auction to check rice in the warehouses from 10 -16
May.
http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/thai-govt-to-auction-1-2-mn-tons-of-rice/140947/
Chinese to Check Cambodian Rice
Khmer Times/Sok Chan
Thursday,
05 May 2016
Officials
from China will arrive in Cambodia soon to audit and evaluate rice producing
companies and to check warehouses. Officials from China’s General
Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) will
soon arrive and carry out auditing and evaluation of registered rice producing
companies, rice processors and warehouses, a senior official from the General
Department of Agriculture said after a meeting with Cambodia Rice Federation
members yesterday. Hean Vanhan, the agriculture deputy director general of
the ministry, said the ministry had sent the first registration list of
producers and processors of Cambodia rice to be exported to China.
However, Chinese rice authorities will re-check and re-audit
those registered as producers and processors of Cambodian rice before starting
imports. “On behalf of the government, we always guide all Cambodian rice
producers and processors to clean themselves by sticking the phyto-sanitary
sign in all places in the warehouse and on rice milling machines,” Mr. Vanhan
said. “It is to make sure that the agriculture ministry awards export
contracts to China and we also want them to get business after the Chinese
auditing and evaluation.
” He said the exact date for the Chinese inspectors to come
to Cambodia has not yet been set, but his Chinese counterpart has suggested the
Cambodian side send them invitation letters to do the inspection by the middle
of this month.In December last year, China asked Cambodia to evaluate its rice
exporters to determine whether they adhered to hygiene laws in China, because
officials in the world’s second largest economy did not trust all of the 71
rice exporters registered with the Ministry of Commerce. They sent them the
final registration list of rice producers and processors by the end of December
last year and they will come to Cambodia to re-check and re-audit.“China is
strengthening hygiene and food safety standards so they have some conditions
for Cambodia to implement for Cambodian rice exporters,” Mr. Vanhan said.
“They asked the Cambodian government to re-check whether rice
exporters are fully complying with their standards.”Sok Puthyvuth, the
president of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), said he welcomes the Chinese
inspectors’ presence in Cambodia to ensure that Cambodia follows the standards
and conditions set by China and to show China that Cambodia has new processing
and producing companies to build trust with them to purchase rice.“Last year,
China ordered about 100,000 tons of milled rice from Cambodia and another
100,000 tons this year and we expect to get more orders for the following years
after auditing and evaluation,” Mr. Puthyvuth said.
While China is strengthening the phyto-sanitary conditions for
rice imported from Cambodia, the European Union recently expressed its concerns
about milled rice from Cambodia, saying it was not 100 percent fragrant rice
from Cambodia.The EU concerns were raised in the 9th EU-Cambodia Joint
Committee meeting held in Phnom Penh this week. The EU warned that mixed milled
rice from Cambodia to the EU would be an obstacle for Cambodian rice to be sold
on the EU market. The EU has called for more serious inspections of fragrant
rice exported to the EU market.The Cambodia Rice Federation president said that
for weeks the CRF has been working to solve this issue to ensure Cambodian rice
adheres to standards. The federation has enlisted international inspectors, the
CRF’s representatives and people from the government to make sure Cambodian
rice complies with standards to meet the purchaser demand.
Mr. Vanhan said the warning and announcement from the EU was
taken on board and that the private sector must show its willingness and
honesty to the customer to maintain the EU market.Song Saran, the CEO of Amru
Rice Cambodia, told Khmer Times that if the EU gets good cooperation on the
phyto-sanitary conditions from sellers, Cambodia can also ask for DNA testing
on its fragrant rice.“We are calling for the EU to re-check the milled rice
arriving and to scan or assign a third party to check the DNA to make sure that
Cambodian rice is 100 percent or mixed,” he said.“Generally, good quality rice
is from 80 to 85 percent in a minimum and if mixed it is about 55 percent. We
have to check if there is mixed rice,” Mr. Saran said.He added that the private
sector has already shown honesty, but there is one or two companies which do
not comply with the rules.“We could not guarantee that all members of the CRF
are honest, but we have laws, policies, codes of conduct and seriouslypunish or
withdraw export licenses from those who don’t comply,” Mr. Saran said
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/24664/chinese-to-check-cambodian-rice/
Thai Commerce Ministry to scramble for 20 billion baht damage pay over G-to-G rice scam
Commerce
Ministry to scramble for 20 billion baht damage pay over G-to-G rice scam
BANGKOK, 6
May 2016 (NNT) – The Ministry of Finance has called on the Ministry of Commerce
to have six politicians and government officials pay an estimated 20 billion
baht in damage compensation concerning a government-to-government rice scam.The Ministry of Commerce is currently examining legal details of
the issue and will notify those who might be legally obliged to pay for such
damage to the government, said government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd.He said
the government did not delay the case involving a previous government’s rice
subsidy program but was working on it.
http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/thai-commerce-ministry-to-scramble-for-20-billion-baht-damage-pay-over-g-to-g-rice-scam/140952/
Trade deficit contracts by 9.1% in January 2016 as exports and imports fall
Published inDevelopment - Provincial
Sri Lanka's trade deficit contracted by 9.1 percent to US$ 695
million in January 2016 from US$ 765 million a year earlier, according to the
Central Bank data released in its External Sector Performance Review Friday
(May 06).Earnings from exports continued to decline for the eleventh
consecutive month in January 2016 recording a 2.5 percent decline,
year-on-year, to US$ 894 million largely reflecting continuous decline recorded
in commodity prices in the international market.
Decline in export earnings of petroleum products, gems, diamonds and jewelry, tea, and spices mainly contributed for the drop.Expenditure on imports meanwhile, contracted by 5.5 percent, year-on-year, to US$ 1.589 billion in January 2016. Significant decline recoded in expenditure on fuel imports followed by rice imports and vehicle imports.Tourist arrivals continued to expand, recording a growth of 19.4 percent in February 2016. Earnings from tourism for the month of January increased 24.3 percent to US$ 322 million from US$ 259 a year ago.
Workers' remittances grew by 7.6 percent to US 563.4 million in January 2016 compared to US 523.5 million in January 2015.The government securities market continued to experience a net outflow in terms of foreign investments with a cumulative outflow of US$ 253.6 million during the first two months of 2016 compared to an outflow of US$ 12.8 million in the corresponding period of 2015.In January 2016, the BOP is estimated to have recorded a deficit of US$ 619.3 million, compared to the deficit of US$ 696.5 million in the corresponding period of 2015.Sri Lanka's gross official reserves as at end January 2016 amounted to US$ 6.3 billion, equivalent to 4.0 months of imports while total foreign assets amounted to US$ 8.4 billion, equivalent to 5.4 months of imports.During 2016 up to 05 May, the rupee depreciated by 1.1 percent against the US dollar
http://www.news.lk/news/business/item/13244-trade-deficit-contracts-by-9-1-in-january-2016-as-exports-and-imports-fall
Sri Lanka exports fall for 11th straight month
May 06, 2016 20:21 PM GMT+0530
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s trade deficit contracted in January
2016 by 9.1 percent from a year ago to 695 million US dollars with export
earnings falling for the eleventh straight month while imports fell faster than
exports.“The trade deficit narrowed on account of the higher decline in import
expenditure mainly due to the drop in fuel, vehicle and rice imports, compared
to the decline in earnings from exports during January 2016,” the central bank
said.Export earnings fell 2.5 per cent in January to 894 million US dollars
from the year before largely reflecting continuous declines recorded in
commodity prices in the international market, it said in a statement.
Continuing the declining trend in the last six months,
expenditure on imports contracted by 5.5 per cent, year-on-year, to 1,589
million US dollars in January 2016. The
continuous weakening of demand for Ceylon tea from the major buyers, mainly
Russia, Turkey and some Middle-Eastern countries, caused export earnings from
tea to decline by 12.4 per cent in January 2016, year-on-year. “Both the export volume and the
average price of tea were lower than previous year,” the central bank said. But export earnings from textiles and
garments, which contributed nearly 52 per cent to the total exports, improved
by 13.3 per cent year-on-year in January 2016, reversing the declining trend
prevailed in last quarter of 2015. Garment
exports to both traditional and non-traditional markets improved during the
month.
In line with the growth in export earnings from textiles and
garments, import expenditure on textile and textile articles increased by 25.4
per cent, in January 2016 owing to the 34.0 per cent increase recorded in
fabrics imports. Imports fell in
January 2016 mainly because of the significant decline in expenditure on fuel
imports followed by rice imports and vehicle imports for personal use and
investment purposes. Import
expenditure on fuel declined significantly by 39.6 per cent, year-on-year, to
175 million US dollars, due to the drop in average import prices of all
categories of fuel together with lower import volume of refined petroleum and
coal.
Reflecting the impact of increase in taxes for motor vehicles by
the budget for 2016 expenditure on importation of vehicles for personal use and
investment purposes which is categorised under consumer goods and investment
goods declined significantly by 12.6 per cent and 42.3 per cent, respectively,
in January 2016. Due to this tax
increase, importation of personal motor vehicles, such as motor cars and motor
cycles and road vehicles such as lorries, trishaws and buses which import
specially for investment purposes declined during the month.
(Colombo/May 06 2016)
(Colombo/May 06 2016)
http://www.economynext.com/Sri_Lanka_exports_fall_for_11th_straight_month-3-4917.html
05/06/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
Rice
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Rice Comment
Rice
futures ended the day on an up-turn. Weekly exports were disappointing at
45,500 metric tons. July completed a 38% retracement this week, with the next
upside objective at the 50% level of $11.93. The market will be watching crop
progress closely. If farmers plant what they reported to USDA in the survey,
the large crop will limit the upside potential. Currently, USDA says 72% of the
crop in the ground and 55% emerged. In Arkansas, the totals are 87% planted and
66% emerged, so Arkansas farmers made lots of progress in a week’s time. However, world production
is in question as dry conditions persist in Asia due to El Nino, and that is
providing support and possibly pricing opportunities for the time being.
USA Rice's Mosely Named
USACC Legislative Committee Chair
By Peter Bachmann
May 6, 2016
Mosely (left) takes the lead
WASHINGTON, DC -- This week, the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for
Cuba (USACC) selected USA Rice Vice President of Government Affairs Ben Mosely
as a co-chair of its Legislative Committee.
The Legislative Committee works to manage the Coalition's collective
federal lobbying efforts to remove financing and trade barriers currently in
place with Cuba.USA Rice is one of USACC's founding members and makes up one of
more than 100 organizations that share a similar goal of normalizing
agriculture trade with Cuba.
Devry Boughner Vorwerk, chair of the USACC, said, "Ben has
been a strong contributor to our legislative efforts and is a strategic and
innovative thinker on Hill strategy. We
are pleased that he is willing to step up and lead."
In reference to his new role, Mosely said, "USA Rice has been
working to end this embargo for decades so it makes sense for us to hold a
leadership role in the Coalition and help provide direction for our
momentum."Mosely concluded, "We plan to ramp up our advocacy efforts
on the Hill before Congress heads out of town for summer recess and look
forward to building on our existing successes over the last 18 months."To
learn more about the USACC and the issues they have focused on, visit their
website.
Riceland's Trevor Freemyer
Rice Stewardship
Partnership Growing Exponentially
By Peter Bachmann
MEMPHIS, TN -- This week, more than 30 people
associated with the implementation process of the National Rice Regional Conservation
Partnership Program (RCPP) project and working under the umbrella of the Rice
Stewardship Partnership convened here at the Ducks Unlimited (DU) headquarters.
Staff representing USA Rice, DU, and USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) spent a day and a half engaging
in more than 20 presentations encompassing NRCS training, technical
conservation education, and increasing the Stewardship Partnership program
coordination. Several of the Partnership's
key partners were also in attendance to provide insight on how the National
Rice RCPP project is working and how to best synchronize efforts to increase
the implementation of conservation across the rice landscape.
One of the partners in attendance was USA Rice
member, Trevor Freemyer, sustainability coordinator for Riceland Foods. Freemyer addressed the group saying,
"Riceland Foods is glad to be a part of this successful Rice Stewardship
Partnership effort and it's been exciting to listen to what all of the staff in
the field, working with rice farmers across the Mid-South and California have
to say."
He added, "It's also been enlightening to
hear from the NRCS staff here about the technical side of implementing all of
these rice-friendly conservation practices.
It's much more complex than I anticipated and definitely gives you a
greater appreciation for the work their staff does behind the scenes on a daily
basis."
USA Rice is continuing to work with DU, NRCS, and other partners to
develop sustainable conservation programs designed to address the unique needs
of rice farmers and increase the financial assistance provided for
implementation of those practices
|
Rice Stewardship
Partnership Growing Exponentially
Riceland's Trevor Freemyer
MEMPHIS, TN -- This week, more than 30 people associated with
the implementation process of the National Rice Regional Conservation
Partnership Program (RCPP) project and working under the umbrella of the Rice
Stewardship Partnership convened here at the Ducks Unlimited (DU)
headquarters.
Staff representing USA Rice, DU, and USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) spent a day and a half engaging in more
than 20 presentations encompassing NRCS training, technical conservation
education, and increasing the Stewardship Partnership program
coordination. Several of the Partnership's key partners were also in
attendance to provide insight on how the National Rice RCPP project is
working and how to best synchronize efforts to increase the implementation of
conservation across the rice landscape.
One of the partners in attendance was USA Rice member,
Trevor Freemyer, sustainability coordinator for Riceland Foods.
Freemyer addressed the group saying, "Riceland Foods is glad to be a
part of this successful Rice Stewardship Partnership effort and it's been
exciting to listen to what all of the staff in the field, working with rice
farmers across the Mid-South and California have to say."
He added, "It's also been enlightening to hear from
the NRCS staff here about the technical side of implementing all of these
rice-friendly conservation practices. It's much more complex than I
anticipated and definitely gives you a greater appreciation for the work
their staff does behind the scenes on a daily basis."
USA Rice is
continuing to work with DU, NRCS, and other partners to develop sustainable
conservation programs designed to address the unique needs of rice farmers
and increase the financial assistance provided for implementation of those practices
|
http://southwestfarmpress.com/grains/texas-rice-belt-flooded-heavy-rains
Continue Treading Carefully With Amira Nature Foods Stock
By Modest MoneyStock
MarketsMay 05, 2016 01:42AM ET
Back on February 25, 2016, this humble writer had written
a piece highlighting the potential investment pros and cons of Amira Nature
Foods. In that article, I took an overview of the company and came
to the conclusion that while it looked like a relative bargain based on its
trailing twelve months earnings, before committing capital to this investment,
one should conduct their own thorough due diligence before making any
investment as some red flags existed that needed to be answered before making a
commitment to ownership of this company.
When that article got released back in February, it got thrashed
by what I would dub the “fan boys” of Amira Nature Foods stock on various stock
message boards and forums. That in it of itself should raise eyebrows of any
prospective investor looking to commit their hard earned capital to this
particular stock: when people lash out at you for asking legitimate questions
about a business, that should make you wonder how much rationality is
surrounding the stock of that business.
On February 25, 2016, Amira’s stock traded at $12.50. Fast
forward a little over 2 months and the stock trades today at just under $7.00.
If you had decided to commit your hard earned money to Amira’s stock back when
this article was released, you would be staring at a 44% decline in your
investment.
This is not to gloat about being right or wrong. I didn’t
provide any predictions and projections of where I thought the stock was going
back in February and I won’t be predicting anything today. What I did advise
was that a potential investor should tread carefully as there were – and still
are – a plethora of issues surrounding the business that is Amira Nature Foods
that need to be answered to one’s satisfaction in a thorough and rigorous
fashion.
It is easy to get caught up in the excitement and potential of a
seemingly promising sounding growth stock opportunity at low valuations. It
gets even more dangerous when you actively start seeking out confirmation bias
online in various stock forums and messaging boards on a particular stock you
find so exciting.
A true investor conducts thorough due diligence on the company
they are looking to invest in. You absolutely need to know accounting and
possess financial and mathematical literacy. If there are accounting red flags
that pop up, you need to be able to understand if they are serious or not. You
need to be able to gauge whether management has integrity and an eye towards
shareholders. The right company should be able to withstand the skeptical
scrutiny that you put it through.
With all of that said, the primary reason Amira’s stock has
fallen so badly has to do with the fall in the commodity price of basmati rice.
Along with a decrease in international revenue, revenue has fallen by 17.3%.
One of the factors a potential investor has to be aware of when analyzing a
commodity-based company is the concept of peak earnings
and value traps. While Amira’s seemingly low P/E ratio of 4.8 might
seem enticing on a shallow glance, you need to be able to adjust this based on
where in the commodity cycle the company is and relative to a full commodity
cycle of average earnings.
What this humble author is attempting to get across to the
reader is this: when you are looking to commit your hard earned cash into a
potential business, you better understand that business inside and out or you
will get burned badly. A business like Amira Nature Foods requires a deep
knowledge of the basmati rice market, a working knowledge of accounting, and an
ability to gauge the extent of shareholder friendliness of management. There
are many questions you need to ask, and answer, before committing your capital.
Investor, know thyself.
Celebrate Vesak with
Buddha's rice pudding
05 May, 2016
With Vesak approaching, rice
pudding is on mind like every year when it is cooked in my household and eaten
the roof under the glaze of full moon - the night of Buddha Poornima.The story
of the rice pudding for Vesak is more than 2500 years old. It is held that
while in search of the truth of human life, Siddhartha Gautama with a group of
ascetics practiced extreme austerities to gain control over his mind and body.
However, his extreme physical emaciation and weakness could not make him
control his mind continuously.
In Focus
One day he fell down due to
weakness, and a shepherd girl passing by saw it and offered him a bowl of
simple rice pudding which Gautama gratefully accepted, ate and felt refreshed
sat in meditation to be enlightened and found the middle path is real path to
salvation with the rider of leading a life without desires.
This event of enlightenment
happened during the full moon in Taurus. This timing is important as Gautama
was born during the full moon in Taurus and attained Nirvana also during the
full moon in Taurus.The best Vesak rice pudding is made with sushi rice, but in
Indiabasmati rice can be a good substitute. Sprinkle some light dusting of
cinnamon on the pudding to add some flavor to it.
However, I am having Buddha Pudding
on Vesak night for the last few years, but have not able to get into deep
meditation after having it. The spiritual awakening of knowledge and wisdom
comes by striving for perception of the reality beyond ordinary vision of the
people who indulge in the ritual of cooking rice pudding and enjoying it.Awakening
signifies realization of true and inner reality of higher consciousness which
is achieved after many years of struggle and tough practice of meditation.
http://www.merinews.com/article/celebrate-vesak-with-buddhas-rice-pudding/15915965.shtml#sthash.8ls4CwV4.dpuf
APEDA
AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1467
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Video claiming agreement at WTO to stop rice distribution via PDS is wrong: Govt
May 6, 2016
Government has come down heavily over a factually wrong video
put on social media that shows that government has signed an agreement at WTO
Ministrial conference that will stop distribution of rice and other provision
via PDS. Department of Commerce, Government of India has come across a
video in Tamil, posted on the social networking site Facebook, where Thirumurugan
Gandhi has made factually incorrect statements regarding signing of an
Agreement to stop distribution of rice and other provisions through Public
Distribution System(PDS), discontinuation of agricultural subsidies and
allowing import of food items.“This is completely wrong. No such Agreement was
signed. There were no proposals for closure of ration shops, for
discontinuing subsidies to farmers or for allowing imports of food items.The
Statement about the Government stopping procurement of rice/food products and
subsidies to farmers is also completely wrong,” says the Government press
release.
The Ministerial Decision on the issue of public stockholding for
food security purposes adopted in the Nairobi Ministerial Conference reaffirms
earlier decisions on the issue adopted at the Bali Ministerial Conference and
subsequently by the General Council on 27 November 2014 which when read
together, mandate a permanent solution by the 11th Ministerial Conference of
the WTO. Even without the permanent solution, India can continue with its
public procurement programmes.
The Government of India is conducting Minimum Support Price
Scheme for distribution of Rice and other food items through the Public
Distribution System through FCI and the agencies of States. This system
will in no way be impacted by any of the Decisions taken at the WTO Ministerial
Conference. Similarly, there will be no impact of the Decisions on the
procurement from the farmers at the MSP, which the Government of India will
continue to announce as before. The decision does not, in any way, affect the
ability of FCI to procure and store foodstuffs in its godowns.
The statement about stoppage of subsidies to farmers lacks any
substance. No agreement was signed that would require the Indian
Government to stop giving electricity subsidy, fertiliser subsidy
etc. Protecting India’s agricultural sector is a priority with the
Government in trade negotiations.
At the Nairobi Ministerial Conference of the WTO, India also
sought and obtained another Ministerial decision on a Special Safeguard
Mechanism (SSM) for agricultural products for developing country Members.
The SSM is intended to help developing countries protect their
agriculture sector from the effects of, inter alia, a surge in imports of
agricultural products. India negotiated a Ministerial Decision which recognizes
that developing countries will have the right to have recourse to an SSM as
envisaged in the mandate of the Doha Round of trade negotiations. Negotiations
for an SSM are to be held in dedicated sessions and the WTO General Council has
been mandated to regularly review progress of these negotiations.
Agriculture is a priority with the Government of India and it is
also taking a number of steps to ensure the welfare of the farmers. The
Government is fully committed to ensure that the subsidies reach the intended
beneficiaries in the most efficient manners. Government is also ensuring
that the vagaries of nature and other calamities do not affect our farmers
through recently introduced Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna. There
are many other positive steps taken by the Government to protect the interests
and for the welfare of our farmers.
http://www.khabarindia.in/video-claiming-agreement-at-wto-to-stop-rice-distribution-via-pds-is-wrong-govt/
Disaster-affected rice farmers in Central Luzon reap first harvest for 2016
- May 05, 2016
CITY OF
SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, May 5 (PIA) -- Rice farmers in Central Luzon are seeing
a glimmer of hope after successive natural disasters swept their crop fields in
2015.
About
18, 900 of them who were able to re-plant their damaged farms with support from
the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in
partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) are now reaping their first
harvest for 2016.Typhoon Koppu (Lando) made landfall in Aurora Province in
October last year and was followed by Typhoon Melor (Nona) two months later.
In both
instances, the region was among the hardest hit in terms of damage to
agriculture, with total production losses estimated at over USD 175 million.Many
of the farmers who lost their newly harvested and ready-to-harvest rice to the
two typhoons already suffered from the impacts of dry spells and drought
earlier in 2015.
“This
first harvest represents the recovery of thousands of households spread across
36 municipalities in the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and
Aurora,” said FAO Representative in the Philippines José Luis Fernández who
joined beneficiary farmers in Candaba, Pampanga for a ceremonial harvest.
“With
the assistance they received, we hope that the incomes they lost as well as the
crisis they endured would not continue to destabilize their livelihoods and
undermine food and nutrition security for much longer,” he added.At the request
of DA, FAO mobilized its Typhoon Koppu Response in December 2015.Bags of
certified rice seeds and complete fertilizer were delivered to affected
rice-farming households to complement the farm inputs that the Government
provided.
The
timely assistance enabled them to catch the imminent planting season, which
ended in January. Missing that window could have resulted in six more months
without adequate income or falling into greater debt – a serious issue that
farmers face especially in times of crisis.“As small farmers, what we received
is a big thing for us even if it was just one bag of certified rice seeds and
fertilizer for each of us. It is a big help to not have to buy those seeds and
fertilizer so that we can start over,” said farmer Eugenia Liwag of Candaba,
Pampanga.
“The
income we will earn from this will be used to pay our debt from the last
cropping that was damaged by the typhoons. Some of the rice we harvested will
be for our family’s consumption. We will also save some of the seeds for the
next planting season,” she added.Farmer beneficiaries are expected to produce a
total of 99 200 metric tonnes of palay (paddy rice), which could
generate 59 500 metric tonnes of milled rice that can feed about 522 000 people
for one year.
Farmer
Ignacio Sagum explained that before typhoons Koppu and Melor, he harvested an
average of 80 bags of palay per hectare.“Now we were able
to harvest about 100 bags also because of what we have learned through FAO,” he
said.With significant savings from the Typhoon Koppu response, FAO is also
distributing assorted vegetable seeds such as bitter gourd, ampalaya, string
beans, squash, eggplant, okra and tomato to 7 400 farming households and urea
fertilizer to 13,490 households affected by Typhoon Melor.
FAO’s
Typhoon Koppu and Typhoon Melor response is supported by the United Nations
Central Emergency Response Fund, the Government of Belgium, through FAO’s
Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities, and through
re-programmed savings from the contributions of Ireland, New Zealand and Norway
to FAO’s earlier Typhoon Haiyan Emergency, Recovery and Rehabilitation
Programme.
“We
remain committed to supporting the Government in helping the most vulnerable
agricultural communities affected by disasters to rise from hardship and come
out even stronger,” Fernández added. (FAO
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/561462436695/disaster-affected-rice-farmers-in-central-luzon-reap-first-harvest-for-2016-
Nigeria: Firm Secures 5000 Hectares of Land for Rice Production in Adamawa
By Abbas Jimoh
A wholly
indigenous agribusiness firm, Haske and Williams, has acquired 5,000 hectares
of land in Demsa, Adamawa State to commence development of an integrated rice
production project.Speaking to newsmen in Abuja on the signing of the
development lease agreement for the paddy cultivation component of the project,
the President and Founder of the firm, Mr. Abdullahi Bashir Haske, said the
agreement was between the Batta Traditional Council of Demsa and Manomi support
services limited, a subsidiary of Haske and Williams limited.
He
described the execution of the development lease agreement as a critical
milestone for the development of the company's 5,000 Hectare Irrigated and Mechanized
Paddy Cultivation Estate, stressing that it is the first of its kind private
sector led initiative in north eastern Nigeria
http://allafrica.com/stories/201605050936.html
Rains Batter Rice Other Crops; But Cotton May Be Bright Spot
Recent rains have drenched Louisiana, and LSU AgCenter
experts and farmers say the outlook is not good for the state’s rice crop.
Corn and wheat also have taken a beating – but specialists believe the
Louisiana cotton crop may have weathered the storm.Double-digit rainfall was recorded in many areas of the state over the past couple of weeks, and totals exceeding 20 inches were seen in some places. Observers even reported as much as 24-27 inches in spots, according to LSU AgCenter faculty members.
In the case of rice, Dr. Johnny Saichuk, an LSU AgCenter rice specialist, said many Louisiana farmers’ crops were not affected by the high water, but for others the damage is done – both immediate and long-term.
"It’s not a pretty picture right now," Saichuk said, adding some rice-producing areas he was informed about recorded rainfall exceeding 20 inches in 10 days.
Rice farmers as far north as Avoyelles and Rapides parishes are among the worst hit because of backwater flooding that has kept their fields submerged for several days, Saichuk said. Acreage in the southwestern part of the state appeared to drain better, he said.
Heavy rains also have caused other problems for producers, Saichuk said. For example, aviation companies haven’t been able to get in the air to spray for rice water weevils and weeds. And fertilizer applications by airplane also have been delayed because of bad weather, he said.
"This is going to hurt us," Saichuk said.
Moist conditions often are the prelude for plant diseases, according to the LSU AgCenter expert, who said he’s already hearing reports of sheath blight in rice in Vermilion Parish.
In addition to those complications, rice fields that are being drained to help them recover from the flooding may then have to be partially flooded again by the farmers. That means pumping water back onto the fields, Saichuk said, point out that will cost farmers money.
Much of the rice is stunted, Saichuk said, because it was covered with too much water. He’s recommending against completely draining rice fields because the young plants lack freestanding capability, and water can help support the spindly stems.
The LSU AgCenter expert said some rice farmers will decide to replant, but yields from late planting can be reduced by as much as 50 percent.
Even more, farmers who planted fields with Clearfield rice varieties may have trouble finding replacement herbicide-resistant seed, he said. And if an application of Newpath herbicide – which is used with Clearfield to control the nuisance red rice – already been made, it could damage conventional rice.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 95 percent of the state’s rice acreage was planted as of May 16. Of that total, 7 percent of the acreage was classified as poor, up from 3 percent in the previous week, according to the USDA, and the acreage considered excellent dropped from 12 percent to 9 percent.
Like Saichuk, LSU AgCenter assistant professor Dr. David Lanclos, who works with research and educational programs on soybeans, corn, and grain sorghum in the state, said submerged crops and missed pesticide and fertilizer applications were among the most obvious problems.
Lanclos said that while all plant commodities are suffering from the heavy rainfall in Central and South Louisiana, soybeans seem to be suffering the most.
"Approximately 60 percent of the soybeans have been planted in the state," he said, "And large acreages of soybeans are planted in Central and South Louisiana on soils less tolerant to high rainfall."
Traditionally, the heavy clay soils found in those areas require more time to drain and dry following a major rain, Lanclos explained.
Lanclos said corn and wheat crops also were damaged by the wet conditions in Central Louisiana.
Specialists said the wheat harvest, which was looking promising, was stopped by the rain. Now, the rainfall, moving water and wind caused wheat to lodge in some areas of the field, which will make it difficult to harvest, and the quality of the grain is likely to be reduced – thus making the season less successful than had been expected just a couple of weeks ago.
LSU AgCenter experts say corn damage is expected to be less serious in the state, because a large portion of the state’s acreage is planted north of the heavily flooded areas. But experts still say some corn in the flooded areas may suffer because of the loss of nitrogen from the soil brought on by the flooding.
"There is going to be a lot of replanting – especially in the low areas of the field," Lanclos said.
In one bright spot, although the recent rains hampered many of the state’s crops, the state’s cotton crop has faired the weather well, according to LSU AgCenter cotton specialist Dr. Sandy Stewart.
Stewart, who works out of the LSU AgCenter’s Dean Lee Research Station near Alexandria, said he still holds an optimistic outlook for this year’s cotton crop.
"Statewide, the crop looks better than I thought it would," Stewart said. "There will have to be some replanting – but not as much as we originally thought it would be."
The youngest cotton in the state was planted just before the rains came, but there also are some cotton fields with plants that are at the four-leaf to-five-leaf stages, Stewart said.
"These larger plants likely will resume normal growth once the fields drain and the sunshine returns," he said, adding, however, "Some of the fields where the cotton was just planted and the plants had not emerged will most probably have to be replanted."
Cotton generally can tolerate 24-36 hours of submerged, waterlogged conditions, Stewart said. But decay can occur if cotton is submerged in standing water for longer periods.
"The bottom line is that older and larger cotton plants are more likely to tolerate this problem and recover normally," Stewart said. "There is little a producer can do to improve crop health until some drying occurs. Once that happens, we’ll know more about where the crop is in terms of growth and development."
Cotton planting season in Louisiana is from mid-April to mid-May. As of May 13, about 90 percent of the state’s cotton crop had been planted, Stewart said.
"We have a drying forecast right now," he said. "If this forecast stays, the fields will dry and producers will be able to get back in them to work."
Those seem to be the issues for farmers, according to the experts, who explain farmers probably need anywhere from a week to 10 days of good weather before they can resume planting or replanting their fields.
Parishes receiving the heaviest rain include Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Evangeline, Iberville, Jeff Davis, Lafayette, Natchitoches, Point Coupee, Rapides, St. Landry and St. Martin.
Northern parishes also received rain but escaped the losses caused by heavy rainfall.
On the other hand, even moderate rainfall can make it more difficult to take heavy planting equipment into the fields to finish planting or to replant areas that need it, the experts say.
As an example of the types of problems farmers face, LSU AgCenter county agent Eddie Eskew said losses in Jefferson Davis Parish, where rainfall totals reportedly ranged from 11 inches to 22 inches, may not be huge – but that’s still a problem.
"Believe it or not, our losses are not that severe – although any loss in agriculture is not good," Eskew said, explaining that farming profitably generally requires getting the maximum back from what you put into it.
http://www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/crops/corn/rains-batter-rice-other-crops-but-cotton-may-be-bright-spot
Stop burning ‘dayami,’ PhilRice tells farmers
SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ, Nueva
Ecija—The Philipine Rice Research Institute has cautioned Filipino farmers to
refrain from burning “dayami” (rice straw), saying this could reduce nutrients
in soil and make farmlands less productive.Evelyn Javier, supervising science
research specialist of the PhilRice’s agronomy, soil and physiology division,
said rice straw-burning, which is practiced during the harvest season, causes
air pollutants such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and
sulphur dioxide.
When done frequently, she said
this could reduce the soil’s nitrogen content and phosphorus content by 25
percent. It also cuts potassium content in soil by 20 percent and sulphur by 5
percent to 60 percent.Javier said this practice also damages food resources of
beneficial insects in the rice field.
The institute said Republic Act
9003, also known as the Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003) and the Philippine
Clean Air Act of 1999 both prohibit open-field burning, including burning of
rice straws.According to PhilRice statistics, the country produces 15.2 million
tons of rice annually of which 11.3 millions are turned into rice straw.To
minimize post-harvest waste, rice straws can be used by farmers as organic
fertilizer and primary material for mushroom production. Also, rice straw and
other biomass from farm by-products can help farmers save expenses from
chemical fertilizer inputs.
Javier said when rice straws are
scattered in the field during land preparation, they maintain the soil’s
nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, silicon and carbon
as well as moisture.They also preserve the biodiversity of microorganisms that
helps in nutrient cycling and efficient fertilizer utilization.Rice straws can
also be used as mulch to protect the roots of the plants from heat and cold and
reduce the evaporation rate and prevent weeds from growing in the paddy.
Rizal G. Corales of PhilRice’s
Palayamanan Plus recommended the use of rice straws as substrate for oyster
mushroom (Pleurotus spp.) production.Corales said the bulk of the rice biomass
produced is still being disposed indiscriminately despite its many known uses.
“Using rice straw as mushroom substrate is economically profitable for farmers
and people engaged in agribusiness,” he said, adding waste from mushroom
production is also the main substrate for vermicomposting, one of the best
organic fertilizers produced.
http://thestandard.com.ph/news/-provinces/205067/stop-burning-dayami-philrice-tells-farmers.html
PhilRice engineers, studies recognized
POSTED
ON MAY - 6 - 2016
The Philippine Society of Agricultural
Engineers (PSAE) commended agricultural engineers and researchers of the
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) for their studies and outstanding
contribution in agriculture during the 66th PSAE Annual Convention at Mariano
Marcos State University, Batac City, Ilocos Norte, April 24-30. PhilRice
Scientist, Dr. Ricardo F. Orge won the Most Outstanding Agricultural Engineer
or Maramba Award, the highest recognition given during the event.
The same award was given to PhilRice
Scientist, Dr. Manuel Jose C. Regalado in 2015. Orge is the former center
director of the Institute’s Climate Change Center and current program lead of
Coping with Climate Change Program. Researchers Arnold S. Juliano, Romeo B.
Gavino, Melissa E. Agulto, Victorino T. Taylan, Armando N. Espino Jr., and
Emmanuel V. Sicat won first place in the agricultural power, energy, and waste
utilization category for their study Improvement of PhilRice-designed rice hull
gasifier engine-pump system for rainfed lowland irrigation. They developed a
rice hull gasifier engine-pump system with a 30cm diameter reactor that uses an
average of 8.5kg of fresh rice hull per hour to supply fuel to a 16hp gasoline
engine. The same research team won second place for their study Optimizing
water utilization from a developed rice hull gasifier engine-pump system for
rainfed lowland farm in the soil, and water conservation category.
The team established an optimization scheme in
using the developed gasifier system for three crops in a hectare farm. Results
showed that using the gasifier system for continuous pumping operation
can generate savings of P20, 705 per year with an investment payback
period of 2.62 years and P1.23 per cubic meter pumping water cost. Posters derived
from these studies won third place in their respective categories. Regalado,
Alexis T. Belonio, Marvelin L. Rafael, Katherine C. Villota, Phoebe R.
Castillo, and Eden C. Gagelonia’s Design, testing, and evaluation of hydrous
bioethanol distiller for the production of fuel-grade alcohol from nipa sap
(Nypafruiticans) won second place in the agricultural power, energy, and waste
utilization category. The distiller is consist of an internal-heated
boiler/steamer, a packed-column, and a water-jacketed condenser. It is capable
of distilling fuel-grade bioethanol at a rate of 2-4l/hr using fermented sap
and 5l/hr for pre-processed feed. PSAE was founded in 1950 to advance the
theory and practice of agricultural engineering. It is an accredited national
organization and home to more than 7,000 licensed agricultural engineers in the
country.
http://www.philrice.gov.ph/philrice-engineers-studies-recognized/#sthash.52aJdbld.dpuf
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