Pakistan eyes $2 billion through rice exports
By Javed Mirza
July 21, 2016
KARACHI:
Pakistan is estimated to export 4.5 million tons of rice, fetching
approximately $2.0 billion for the year 2016/17 as experts pin hopes on higher
hybrid production as well as pro-agriculture and pro-export measures announced
by the government.The office of Global Analysis USDA has raised Pakistan’s exports forecast by 0.1 million tons to 4.5 million tons on a stronger pace of trade.
USDA projects around 20 percent larger purchases by Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan from Pakistan. Reportedly, Saudi Arabia would import around 1.6 million tons of rice during the period.
Global Analysis USDA maintains Pakistan’s rice export quotes at $410/ton. Arif Mahesar, an office bearer of Pakistan Rice Growers Association, said hybrid varieties were being grown in many areas and production would be better.
“Pakistan’s rice exports have crossed 4.0 million ton mark in the past, and there is sufficient demand in the international market.” “If the country’s production during the year comes to 7.0 million tons, rice exports will surely surge to 4.5 million tons.”
Mahesar, however is wary of the lower commodity prices, which are compelling the growers to opt for alternate crops. “A number of rice growers in Sindh have already switched to sugarcane due to low rice prices. But, the hybrid seed is available in the local market, which enables higher yields on smaller land.”
Mahesar said that there were some concerns pertaining to hybrid produce, “but the positive point is that China, which is a big market, likes hybrid produce.” According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the country exported 3.946 million tons of rice fetching $1.7 billion during July-May 2015-16.
For 2016/17, USDA Grain Report forecasts global production at a new record, primarily due to a larger crop in the United States, while global trade is forecast lower, with reduced imports and consumption in Bangladesh, Iran, and Nigeria.
Ahsan Mehanti, Director at Arif Habib Commodities, said government had announced several incentives for the promotion of agriculture as well as exports, which would be reflected in overall agro-based production.
“However, the higher production of any commodity cannot guarantee higher exports. If rice production numbers grow northwards globally, and competitors offer better rates, Pakistan’s exports might take a hit.”
Mehanti said Middle East and Africa were the primary markets for Pakistani rice, and Thailand, Vietnam, and India were competing producers. “India’s rice export quotes were lower than Pakistan last year, and concerned authorities should focus on better marketing also,” Mehanti noted
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/136327-Pakistan-eyes-2-billion-through-rice-exports
Insolvency Looms in Rice Sector
The specter of insolvency looms large over the
businesses of rice millers in the Kingdom as the government drags its foot in
providing emergency loans to bail out the sector, currently reeling from the
aftereffects of a severe drought and facing stiff competition from low-grade
rice flowing into the country from Vietnam.To further add salt to their wounds,
two visiting European Commission delegations hinted last week that the European
Union (EU) could limit rice imports from Cambodia as it moves from a low-income
country to a lower-middle-income nation.
Late last month, the Cambodia Rice Federation
(CRF) announced that the government agreed to make out loans of between $20
million and $30 million to help rice millers purchase rice from farmers after
the harvest this November to store in warehouses and process them for
export.The loans were to be made to CRF, with the foundation acting as
guarantor. The CRF in turn will screen all applicants and hand out the money to
deserving rice millers and exporters, said Hun Lak, CRF’s vice president.
But close to a month later none of the loans
have been made and rice millers are becoming very anxious.Many millers,
exporters and farmers are in financial doldrums due to a severe drought early
this year that saw rice production fall drastically.Chray Son, a rice miller
and director of the newly established Capital Food in Battambang, told Khmer
Times that close to 90 percent of rice millers in the province are facing
severe shortage of funds to buy harvested rice from farmers to be milled for
export.
“In the next three months if we still cannot
afford to buy rice from farmers our businesses will go under and we would have
to declare bankruptcy,” said Mr. Son.He added that rice millers found it very
difficult to get loans from banks and he was disappointed with the limited
assistance offered by the government.Though Mr. Son welcomed the emergency
loans of $20 million to $30 million offered by the government, he said the
repayment period was too short.
“The period of disbursement and payback don’t
make sense. The loans need to be repaid by the end of the year to the
government but the bulk of the money is needed for the peak of the harvesting
season between November and early January,” he said.Mr. Son also said he was
worried by remarks made by two visiting European Commission Directorate-General
delegations last week that hinted Cambodia would have to share its rice export
quotas to the EU with Myanmar.A EU source told Khmer Times that Cambodia could
have its quota slashed under the tariff-free entry of rice exports to the EU in
the “Everything but Arms” trade concessions to about 300,000 to 350,000 tons a
year, and would have to share it with Myanmar. The source said calls were made
to cut Cambodia’s EU tariff-free quotas as the World Bank reclassifies the
country’s status from a low-income country to a lower-middle-income nation.
Last year Cambodia exported 538,396 tons of
rice, according to the CRF, 43 percent of which were for the EU markets.“These
remarks made by the EU are just worrying and it just adds on to our problems.
They seem to be coming one after another,” said Mr. Son.
On Tuesday, an alarming Facebook post was made
by Kao Thach, the director general of the Rural Development Bank, who said rice
millers nationwide could be facing bankruptcy unless the government stepped in
fast to save them.In his post, he said, 50 rice millers from four provinces ‒
Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Siem Reap and Pursat ‒ had come together in an
emergency to discuss the future of the rice milling industry in the country.
Mr. Thach, however, could not be reached for further comments.Chan Sokheang, chairman of rice export company Signature of Asia, said rice millers had to have the promised government emergency loans disbursed to them soon before the harvest season in November so that they can make plans to earmark purchases from farmers in the short harvest time.“There is only a short three or four-week window of opportunity to buy rice from farmers for milling in November. If this is missed, the harvested rice will be sold by farmers to rice millers in neighboring countries,” he pointed out.
In March, rice millers and exporters wrote to
the government urging intervention to prevent Vietnamese companies from
snapping up high-quality Cambodian rice and flooding the Cambodian market with
low-grade grain.Mr. Lak of the CRF, said that the government’s emergency loans
were already in place and urged rice millers to be patient.
“The main point is that borrowers have to lodge
loan applications through the Rural Development Bank and then their loans would
be considered if they meet the requisite criteria. These loans have to be paid
back and they are not grants,” he said.
But Mr. Lak admitted that $20 million to $30
million was still insufficient to solve the current problems of rice millers
that at present seem insurmountable.
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/27470/insolvency-looms-in-rice-sector/Asia Rice-Prices up in India, near 5-mnth low in Vietnam
7/20/2016
* India
rice prices gain on higher demand* Vietnam's 5 pct broken prices ease to $357-$365/T
* World rice trade seen down at 43.9 mln T in 2016 - FAO
* China's 2016 rice imports seen lower at 6.8 mln T - FAO
By Ho Binh Minh
HANOI, July 20 (Reuters) - Asian rice export prices were
mixed on Wednesday, with prices in top exporter India edging up
on higher demand and lower supplies, while Vietnamese prices
fell to near the lowest in five months on a lack of buying
interest, traders said.
India's 5 percent broken parboiled rice <RI-INBKN5-P1> rose
by $4 a tonne this week to $382-$392 a tonne, free on board
(FOB), on higher demand and dwindling supplies.
"Demand is improving. Prices could rise by another $15 (per
tonne) in the next few weeks," said M. Adishankar, executive
director at Sri Lalitha, a leading rice exporter based in the
southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
India's rice exports this year are forecast to fall 9.7
percent from 2015 to 10 million tonnes, the U.N. Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a report on Monday.
Overall, the FAO forecast world rice trade to drop 1.5
percent from 2015 to 43.9 million tonnes, revising down from
44.9 million tonnes in its April forecast.
The lower projection reflected import reductions by buyers
such as Bangladesh, China, the Philippines and Sri Lanka due to
ample stocks or tightened border protection, the FAO said.
Rice imports this year by China, the world's top importer of
the grain, are forecast to ease 4 percent from 2015 to 6.8
million tonnes, as "heightened border surveillance has slowed
inflows from Myanmar and Vietnam", the FAO said.
In Vietnam, the world's third-largest exporter after India
and Thailand, prices for its 5 percent broken rice for
summer-autumn grain widened to $357-$365 a tonne on Wednesday,
FOB basis, from $360-$365 a week ago, traders said.
The variety stood at $355 a tonne on Monday, on par with
prices on Feb. 24, 2016, based on Thomson Reuters data.
"Rice quality is not good so nobody is buying," a Vietnamese
trader in Ho Chi Minh City said, referring to newly harvested
grain from Mekong Delta's summer-autumn crop.
Traders said most African buyers have now turned to
Thailand, while top importer China has not returned for new
purchases.
The Thai rice market is closed on Wednesday for a holiday.
Its 5-percent broken rice <RI-THBKN5-P1> stood unchanged at
$420-$435 a tonne, FOB basis, for all of last week.
India, Thailand and Vietnam together account for around 60
percent of global rice trade.
(Reporting by Ho Binh Minh; Additional reporting by Rajendra
Jadhav in MUMBAI; Editing by Tom Hogue)
http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
PH must achieve rice sufficiency – Sec. Piñol
- July 20, 2016
“We need to attain rice sufficiency in the next two years and attain rice buffer stock six months before the Duterte administration ends,” Piñol emphasized as he addressed South Cotabateños gathered at the South Cotabato Sports Complex on Monday.
Sec. Piñol was here as one of the three guests of honor at the province 50th Foundation Anniversary and 17th Tnalak Festival culmination program.
Other guests were Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno and National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
Piñol emphasized, Philippines would be left without adequate rice supply if El Nino if its sources of imported rice such as Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia are affected by El Niño phenomenon.
To boost rice sufficiency, the official said, the country must have enough buffer stocks of food and that the DA under his watch will provide necessary assistance to the farmers in producing food for the Filipino people.
“We will support the farmers by providing free seeds and free fertilizers for the next cropping terms on condition that these farmers deposit in a bank an amount equal to the amount of the production inputs given to them by DA so that they have available money to buy seeds and fertilizers of the next cropping,” he said. Free seeds and fertilizers will be released in 2017, he said.
Regarding this, he urged the local government units to identify their rice production areas and possible rice expansion areas to help DA allocate adequate amount production inputs.
“If we need to put up a communal irrigation project there, we will do that. If you need water pumps as well as pre and postharvest machines, we will give you that,” he continued.
Under his management, he added, DA will veer away from building huge irrigation projects that take years and billions of pesos to construct and cause detrimental effects to the environment.
Meantime, he said that the provision of free production inputs to the farmers and fisherfolks is just part of the priority agenda of the DA as directed by President Rodrigo Duterte.
“When President Duterte appointed me as his Agriculture Secretary, he has only two mandates. First, to stop corruption in the agency and ensure that there is affordable and available food for every Filipino.”If there’s no corruption in the DA, Piñol stressed, there will be enough funds for everybody since the agency is one of the departments given with huge budget allocation annually. (LMSalvo-DA RAFIS 12/DEDoguiles-PIA 12)
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1611468986660/ph-must-achieve-rice-sufficiency-sec-pi-ol
Pangilinan pushes for calamity-ready rice reserve
By: Maila Ager
@MAgerINQ
INQUIRER.net
11:18 AM July 20th, 2016
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan. INQUIRER
FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
To
mitigate the crippling effects of a possible La Niña, Senator Francis “Kiko”
Pangilinan is proposing a measure that would establish a strategic rice reserve
to help ensure food security in times of calamity.“Rice is a staple food of the Filipinos. As preparation for the rainy season, we must ensure that there is enough supply that is easily accessible and affordable especially during the aftermath of calamities,” Pangilinan said in a statement on Wednesday.
He said his bill known as “The Strategic Food Security Rice Reserve Act of 2016” will ensure a steady and ample supply of rice year round, which is equivalent to 15 days national rice consumption, at affordable prices.
“This will be controlled by the government through the National Food Authority (NFA), and released to the market as soon as the President declares a State of Calamity through the recommendation of the Agriculture Secretary,” said Pangilinan, who chaired the NFA council during his stint as the Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization.
The stock, he said, will be procured from small farmers and farmers’ cooperatives to strengthen their grains marketing activities.
“This is consistent with our mandate to help ensure that our agricultural programs are prioritizing the increase in income of our farmers,” said the senator.
His proposal came amid the weather state bureau’s prediction that there is a 55-60% probability of a weak La Niña forming this year.
If La Niña occurs, Pangilinan said, farmers and the agriculture sector would bear the brunt and would suffer more as they are still recovering from El Niño.
“Our farmers are doubly affected whenever disaster strikes. Their produce are hindered by flooding and, at the same time, depresses their income,” he said.
Pangilinan pointed out that the recently concluded El Niño resulted in more than P4 billion worth of agricultural damages as of February 2016. IDL
Rice exports plunge 40 percent in June
Vietnam exported only 380,000 tons of rice in June, down nearly 40 percent over the same period last year, reported the Vietnam Food Association (VFA).|
|
|
Export rice bags are loaded on the boat in
the Hau River, the Mekong Delta (Photo: SGGP)
|
China which is the largest rice export market of Vietnam posted a significant reduction to 912,076 tons worth US$420 million, falling 13.1 percent in volume and 11 percent in value. Similarly, the export volume to the Philippines dropped 45 percent to 193,435 tons.
Rice export has been reduced in recent months because of drought and salt intrusion and severer competition in the world market.
The down trend is forecast to continue in the upcoming time as the Thai Ministry of Commerce will open for sale 3.7 million tons of rice in stock on July 25 while Vietnam’s large markets such as Indonesia and the Philippines have announced no hurry to import rice.
The above difficulties have forced VFA to lower the rice export target of 2016 to 5.65 million tons from 6.5 million tons
New technologies boost rice production
New technologies introduced to dry season rice farmers at the Daffiama and Sankana irrigation dams in the Upper West Region have boosted rice production.The adoptation of the “Feed the Future Ghana Agricultural Technology Transfer (ATT) project’s” Urea Deep Placement (UDP), rice transplanting, the provision certified rice seeds, free fertilizers and planting on rolls technologies had helped increased production compared to the indigenous broadcasting system known to the farmers.
The interventions also allowed more rice to be planted and made weeding and harvesting easier and faster as well as helped to reduce cost and promote maximum utilisation of fertilizer than the traditional broadcasting system.
A plant could develop about 25 to 30 tillers as compared to the traditional method of broadcasting, which produced about 14 tillers.
The project’s goal is to increase the availability of appropriate and affordable technologies to sustainably improve the competitiveness of maize, rice, and soybean value chains in Northern Ghana.
It focused on integrated soil fertility management, seed sector promotion and upscaling of high quality seeds, capacity building in research.
At “Farmers Field Day” at Daffiama in the Daffiama, Bussie, Issa District to evaluate production levels, and benefits of the technologies, the farmers said they were happy with the new innovations introduced to them.
The Field Day brought a number of farmers in the communities to the field to witness the harvesting of the rice, and they expressed interest to participate in the project.
Some of the farmers who interacted with journalists said they were happy with the vigour of the crops and expressed surprise with the high yields.
The farmers promised to put all the 20 hectares irrigable land area into rice cultivation using the technologies.
They however expressed that livestock are destroying the rice and appealed to community members to control the movement of the animals.
The farmers also asked the sponsors of the project to consider fencing the fields to stop stray animals from destroying the crops.
Madam Mabel Bogtege, a rice farmer said at first it was difficult to transplant the rice as that caused her waist pains, but now all had turned to be joy because the quality and quantity of rice on stock is good and beyond her expectation.
“I am going to sell some, keep some as seed and eat the rest”, she said.
Mr Samuel Ayamga Atia, Regional Technical Manager of the ATT, said the project has been introduced in Tono and Vea in the Upper East Region and Bontanga and Golinga in the Northern Region, which yielded positive results.
Farmers implementing the technology are realising rice yields from 24 to 28 bags per an acre of land as compared to the traditional system of broadcasting, which gave them from three to five bags.
He said the project acquired four briquettes machines to produce fertilizers for rice farmers in the Upper East and Northern Regions and that had helped increased rice production to more than 300 per cent.
He said apart from the Daffiama and Sankana communities, 10 other communities have been identified in the region to benefit from the project next season.
The ATT in collaboration with Ghana Irrigation Development Authority had established “Learning Centres” on the fields for rice farmers to see all the best practices that were associated with the technologies.
Mr Tia said the farmers were involved in the training on all the practices such as nursery, transplanting and UDP application, which involved placing urea briquettes at a depth of seven and 10 cm between four rice plants seven to 14 days after transplanting to improve nitrogen fertilization in irrigation rice systems.
“This one time application of the urea significantly reduces the recommended rates of urea while increasing the yields of paddy rice by an average of 15 and 30 per cent,” he explained.
The technology helps to reduce nitrogen losses through run-off, and leaching volatilisation and enhances the availability of nitrogen for the crops, he added.
It also suppress weeds growth thereby reducing cost of weeding while increase yields and reduce cost of fertilizer.
Dr Boubakary Cisse, Rice Seed Expert, USAID Seed Scaling Project said the project’s goal was to stimulate the development of a sustainable rice seed system in Northern Ghana.
He said the project would help improve seed planning and connecting actors along the rice seed value chain, strengthen capacity of rice seed value chain actors and facilitate access to adapted equipment from seed production to conditioning and storage.
He said the project would facilitate access to quality breeder seed for private sector companies intending to produce foundation seed and facilitating access to quality foundation seed for out-growers intending to produce certified seed both at the commercial and informal sectors.
Dr. Cisse announced that the project would produce 6,000 tonnes of certified and quality seed to farmers in the north before it folds up
USAID-Ghana is funding the five years project to increase the competitiveness of rice, maize and soybean value chains, fostering broad-based and sustained economic growth through the increase availability of agricultural technologies and increasing productivity in northern Ghana.
The project focuses on Ghana’s Feed the Future intervention zone covering the Savannah ecological zones of Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions.
The International Fertilizer Development Centre has been the lead implementer of the ATT project.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/New-technologies-boost-rice-production-455933
India's monsoon cheer forecast to continue as La Nina kicks in
NEW DELHI | By Sankalp Phartiyal
India is almost halfway through its four-month monsoon season and plentiful rains so far have lifted farmers' hopes of a revival in output and incomes after the El Nino weather phenomenon led to two straight years of drought.
El Nino is a warming of sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific, causing dry weather in some parts of the world and floods in others.
A weakening El Nino is likely to give way to La Nina, characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, the two officials said.
"Global factors of monsoon variability are set to confirm our prediction of above-average rains," one of the Indian Meteorological Department officials said, adding that La Nina could develop early next month.
A U.S. government weather forecaster said last week that the La Nina weather phenomenon is favored to develop during August through October.
Rains covered the whole of India on July 13 and are 2 percent above average since June 1, helping the steady planting of summer-sown crops such as sugarcane, cotton, rice and lentils.
India's forecast of above-average rainfall needs to come to fruition if the country of 1.3 billion is to tame inflation and remain a net exporter of food products this year.
The country's rain-fed farms account for nearly 15 percent of its $2 trillion economy and more than three fifths of the people making a living from agriculture.
(Editing by David Goodman)
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-monsoon-idUSKCN0ZZ25U
Thai farmers urged to embrace innovation
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION July 20, 2016 1:00 am
A rice farmer in Japan has adopted modern
technology and innovation to increase rice quality and minimise impacts from
natural disasters.A JAPANESE RICE farmer must be the envy of his Thai
counterparts, earning Bt50,000 or more per rai, five times what they gain from
their hard work.
According to Tsutomu Miyakoshi, former general
manager of the Research Institute of Agricultural Economics under the Niigata
prefectural government, Thai farmers could also enjoy such a high income if
greater focus were placed on innovation.
During a briefing in Bangkok last week,
Miyakoshi attributed Japanese farmers' high incomes to their focus on
production quality, which could be achieved through innovative solutions for
rice farming as well as innovative ideas on adding value to the farms' output.
As a major rice producer, Thailand could
maintain such a position if farming were possible even during a natural
disaster. Meanwhile, Thailand may need to diversify its focus, from merely
producing rice as a main staple to producing rice products with added value, he
said.
In Japan, the help starts from the government.
When there is a risk of storms with strong winds, farmers are told to deepen
their rice fields so that they can hold more water and allow the rice to grow
without interruption. Japanese farmers also coat rice seeds with iron powder to
add weight. This will also help protect the seeds from birds.
Once output becomes steady, they pay attention
to rice packaging and design. Thanks to this creativity, one brand of Japanese
rice can sell its product for 2,000 yen (about Bt660) per kilogram.
Some Japanese farmers have also diversified
into rice-based products such as snacks and cosmetics. This helps increase
their incomes and creates sustainable development for the rice industry,
Miyakoshi said.
"When rice is turned into products, the
value tends to increase three- to fivefold," he said.
Miyakoshi is ready to share these experiences
with Thai farmers.As agricultural-solutions adviser to Siam Kubota Corp, he is
working on solutions to develop the Thai rice industry, embracing innovation.
The objective is to reduce farmers' reliance on the mercy of nature or
government subsidies.The solutions should be ready within one year and Siam
Kubota may seek help from government agencies in implementing them.
While waiting for the right solutions,
Miyakoshi urges farmers, which normally cultivate 5-10 rai (8,000-16,000 square
metres) per household, to integrate their rice fields to increase bargaining
power when purchasing agricultural machinery and equipment.
India's monsoon cheer forecast to continue as La Nina kicks in
NEW DELHI | By Sankalp Phartiyal
India is almost halfway through its four-month monsoon season and plentiful rains so far have lifted farmers' hopes of a revival in output and incomes after the El Nino weather phenomenon led to two straight years of drought.
El Nino is a warming of sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific, causing dry weather in some parts of the world and floods in others.
A weakening El Nino is likely to give way to La Nina, characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, the two officials said.
"Global factors of monsoon variability are set to confirm our prediction of above-average rains," one of the Indian Meteorological Department officials said, adding that La Nina could develop early next month.
A U.S. government weather forecaster said last week that the La Nina weather phenomenon is favored to develop during August through October.
Rains covered the whole of India on July 13 and are 2 percent above average since June 1, helping the steady planting of summer-sown crops such as sugarcane, cotton, rice and lentils.
India's forecast of above-average rainfall needs to come to fruition if the country of 1.3 billion is to tame inflation and remain a net exporter of food products this year.
The country's rain-fed farms account for nearly 15 percent of its $2 trillion economy and more than three fifths of the people making a living from agriculture.
(Editing by David Goodman)
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-21 July,2016
Nagpur, July 21 Desi gram reported down in open market here on lack of demand from
local millers amid good supply from producing regions. Easy condition in Madhya Pradesh gram
prices also affected sentiment in weak trading activity, according to sources.
* * * *
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
* Wheat mill quality reported higher in open market on renewed demand from local
traders amid weak supply from producing regions like Punjab and Haryana.
* In Akola, Tuar New - 8,500-8,700, Tuar dal New - 12,800-13,100, Udid -
12,500-13,000, Udid Mogar (clean) - 16,200-17,100, Moong -
8,200-8,400, Moong Mogar (clean) 9,200-9,500, Gram - 7,700-8,000,
Gram Super best bold - 9,500-9,900 for 100 kg.
* Other varieties of wheat, rice and other commodities moved in a narrow range in
scattered deals, settled at last levels.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction n.a. 8,030-8,890
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction n.a. 7,800-8,800
Moong Auction n.a. 6,400-6,600
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Gram Super Best Bold 10,000-10,300 10,000-10,300
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 9,500-9,800 9,500-9,800
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 8,500-8,700 8,500-8,700
Desi gram Raw 7,950-8,250 8,000-8,300
Gram Yellow 9,500-9,700 9,500-9,700
Gram Kabuli 8,900-10,900 8,900-10,900
Gram Pink 9,300-9,600 9,300-9,600
Tuar Fataka Best-New 13,100-13,500 13,100-13,500
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 12,500-12,800 12,500-12,800
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 12,200-12,500 12,200-12,500
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 11,300-11,800 11,300-11,800
Tuar Gavarani New 8,700-8,900 8,700-8,900
Tuar Karnataka 8,800-9,200 8,800-9,200
Tuar Black 12,200-13,000 12,200-13,000
Masoor dal best 7,500-7,700 7,500-7,700
Masoor dal medium 6,600-7,100 6,600-7,100
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 8,500-9,000 8,500-9,000
Moong Mogar Medium 8,000-8,400 8,000-8,400
Moong dal Chilka 6,800-7,200 6,800-7,200
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 8,100-8,500 8,100-8,500
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 16,000-17,000 16,000-17,000
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 13,500-15,000 13,500-15,000
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 9,000-9,200 9,000-9,200
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 6,400-6,800 6,400-6,800
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 5,500-5,800 5,500-5,800
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 4,100-4,200 4,100-4,200
Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,000 3,800-4,000
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 4,300-4,800 4,300-4,800
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,850-1,950 1,850-1,950
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,050 1,950-2,000
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,750-1,950 1,750-1,950
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,250-2,400 2,250-2,400
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,200 2,000-2,200
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,800 3,200-3,800
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,700-3,000 2,900-3,000
Rice BPT best New(100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,500 3,000-3,500
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,900 2,600-2,900
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,250-2,500 2,250-2,400
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100
Rice HMT best New (100 INR/KG) 3,700-4,000 3,700-4,000
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,300 3,000-3,230
Rice Shriram best New(100 INR/KG) 4,700-5,000 4,700-5,000
Rice Shriram med New(100 INR/KG) 4,300-4,500 4,300-4,500
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,500-14,000 9,700-14,000
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,000-8,000 7,000-8,000
Rice Chinnor best New(100 INR/KG) 5,500-5,800 5,500-5,800
Rice Chinnor med. New (100 INR/KG) 5,200-5,400 5,200-5,400
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,850 1,700-1,850
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 32.0 degree Celsius (89.6 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
25.7 degree Celsius (78.3 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.
Rainfall : 25.0 mm
FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky. Rains or thunders-showers very likely to occur. Maximum and
minimum temperature would be around and 30 and 24 degree Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but
included in market prices.)
Attn : Nagpur APMC soyabean and foodgrain traders today continued their strike in protest
against Maharashtra government decision to impose commission on them. Some traders are ready to
participate in the auctions. Final decision will be taken in second session today, according to
sources.
http://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrain-idINL4N1A72UY
07/20/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
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Rice Comment
The rice market continues to track mostly
sideways on extremely light volume. The WASDE report showed mostly offsetting
changes, but 16-17 ending stocks are projected at their highest level since
85-86 thanks to large increases in California medium grain stocks. The all rice
on farm average price was lowered, again a result of lower prices in
California. November has resistance at $11.17.
National Rice RCPP Project Goes
Live in California
DAVIS, CA -- Yesterday, the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) rolled out the National Rice
Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project here, organized and
implemented by USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited through their Stewardship
Partnership.
The portion of the project, Sustaining
the Future of Rice, released is the Environmental Quality Incentives
Program (EQIP) sign-up. The practices available solely for rice farmers
within the program focus on reduction of on-farm water usage and give priority
to those seeking to install irrigation tailwater recovery systems and improve
the efficiency of irrigation pipelines.
California rice grower and member of the Stewardship Partnership, Leo LaGrande, said he's "excited that the RCPP project is finally kicking off in California, there's definitely a need here for conservation financial assistance."
LaGrande added, "It is common
knowledge that we're ranching out here in the West in difficult but efficient
environments because of our lack of water. That's why it was important to
us when putting together the EQIP ranking criteria that we prioritized
water-saving practices to further incentivize innovative irrigation
methods."
Rice growers are eligible to submit
EQIP applications at their local NRCS offices no later than August
19 in the following counties: Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Placer,
Sacramento, San Joaquin, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo, and Yuba. To learn more
about the National Rice RCPP project in California, visit the project's state
NRCS page.
The application period for the
Conservation Stewardship Program will be announced late this fall across all
six rice-growing states
USA Rice Daily
National Rice RCPP Project Goes
Live in California
DAVIS, CA -- Yesterday, the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) rolled out the National Rice
Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project here, organized and
implemented by USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited through their Stewardship
Partnership.
The portion of the project, Sustaining
the Future of Rice, released is the Environmental Quality Incentives
Program (EQIP) sign-up. The practices available solely for rice farmers
within the program focus on reduction of on-farm water usage and give priority
to those seeking to install irrigation tailwater recovery systems and improve
the efficiency of irrigation pipelines.
California rice grower and member of the Stewardship Partnership, Leo LaGrande, said he's "excited that the RCPP project is finally kicking off in California, there's definitely a need here for conservation financial assistance."
LaGrande added, "It is common
knowledge that we're ranching out here in the West in difficult but efficient
environments because of our lack of water. That's why it was important to
us when putting together the EQIP ranking criteria that we prioritized
water-saving practices to further incentivize innovative irrigation
methods."
Rice growers are eligible to submit
EQIP applications at their local NRCS offices no later than August
19 in the following counties: Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Placer,
Sacramento, San Joaquin, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo, and Yuba. To learn more
about the National Rice RCPP project in California, visit the project's state
NRCS page.
The application period for the
Conservation Stewardship Program will be announced late this fall across all
six rice-growing states
APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1519
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MPCA issues latest revisions to proposed wild rice standards
STEVE
KARNOWSKI, Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS
— Minnesota regulators on Tuesday unveiled the latest refinements to their
proposal for revising the state's water quality standards for protecting wild
rice from sulfate pollution.The draft document released Tuesday by the Minnesota
Pollution Control Agency builds on more than 600 comments submitted
last fall about the agency's original proposal.The state's existing standard limits sulfate discharges into wild rice waters to a flat 10 parts per million. The 1970s-era rule went largely unenforced until recently when the debate heated up over proposed copper-nickel mining and pollution from existing iron mines. Mining interests and their legislative allies then complained that the standard was too restrictive. So the MPCA is developing a new approach, using a complicated formula for setting limits for individual waters.
That approach is based on the interplay among sulfates, sulfides, iron and organic carbon in sediments where wild rice grows. Research shows that sulfates in the water aren't directly toxic to wild rice, but they become toxic when bacteria convert them to sulfides in the sediments where the plants take root. Carbon in sediment provides food for the bacteria and boosts sulfide production.
The MPCA is taking feedback through Sept. 6, and citizens can formally comment on the updated proposal during the rulemaking process next year.
"This isn't a decision yet. It's the next step in the process," said Shannon Lotthammer, director of the MPCA's unit that develops water quality standards.
The revisions announced Tuesday fall into four main areas, Lotthammer told reporters. They lower the original proposed limit for sulfide concentrations in sediment. MPCA scientists also refined their equation for determining how this happens. The agency also added more specifics about how data will be collected from individual waters. The fourth area affects how wild rice waters are defined.
Lotthammer acknowledged that the changes are "very technical," but said that the MPCA wanted to be transparent and "show our work" to people who are interested in wild rice. That includes American Indian tribes that consider wild rice to be a sacred food source and an integral part of their culture.
The revisions drew criticism from John Pastor, an expert on wild rice biology at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He said his research undercuts the MPCA's theory that higher concentrations of iron in water protect wild rice because they reduce sulfides. He said he's found that much of the iron sulfide that precipitates out of the water forms plaques on the roots of wild rice plants that hamper their ability to produce seeds.
Pastor said the MPCA's data on the relationships among sulfides, iron and organic matter don't completely match what his researchers are seeing in their experiments. So he said it's premature for the MPCA to conclude that its model for the role of iron is correct. Established science shows that the existing 10 parts-per-million sulfate standard protects wild rice, he said, so the safest course is to stick with that.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency must approve any change to the standard. Paula Maccabee, an attorney for the environmental group WaterLegacy, said she hopes the EPA's review will focus on science, not political pressures. And she said the MPCA needs to take a closer look at Pastor's research.
Lotthammer said her agency is aware of Pastor's work. But she said the MPCA is confident its approach is grounded in sound science
http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/mpca-issues-latest-revisions-to-proposed-wild-rice-standards/article_ce71eeef-7b43-5268-bc32-f70aad838724.html
Opposition to GM food is killing poor people
Golden rice could save lives in developing countries, but activists continue to resist it in the face of the evidence
Hungarian Greenpeace activists demonstrate
against genetically modified organism food. Photograph: Ferenc Isza/AFP/Getty
Images
Nongovernmental environmental organisations,
principally Greenpeace,
have long been vocal in their opposition to genetically
modified food. Their opposition contradicts the findings of mainstream
science, but unfortunately science is not nearly as effective as Greenpeace at
getting its message across to the general public. However, science has now
launched a major counteroffensive: 110 Nobel laureates (mostly in physics,
chemistry and medicine, and six in economics) signed
an open letter in June 2016 to Greenpeace, the United
Nations and governments around the world, supporting genetic modification
technology in agriculture. The letter calls on Greenpeace to abandon its
campaign against GMF in general, and “golden rice” in particular, and calls on
governments to reject the Greenpeace campaign.
The open letter quotes the UN prediction that
world production of food, feed and fibre will need to double by 2050 to meet
global population demands, but points out that Greenpeace-led opposition to
modern plant-breeding has “repeatedly denied these facts and opposed
biotechnological innovations in agriculture” necessary to boost food
production. “They [Greenpeace and others] have misrepresented their [GMF]
risks, benefits and impacts, and supported the criminal destruction of approved
field trials and research projects”.
Scientific academies worldwide (for example,
the Royal
Society of London, Royal Society of Medicine, World
Health Organisation and the US National Academy of Sciences) have
consistently found that genetically modified crops and foods are at least as
safe as those derived from any other production method.
“There has never been a single confirmed case
of a negative health outcome for humans or animals from their [GMF]
consumption,” the open letter states. Neither do genetically modified organisms
damage the environment. The latest study, Genetically
Engineered Crops: Experiences and Prospects, carried out by the National
Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (2016) confirms these points but advises
caution when making generalisations about this relatively new technology.
Nevertheless Greenpeace continues to oppose GMF and is particularly distrustful
of giant seed corporations such as Monsanto.
Desirable traits
Genetic modification is used to introduce
desirable new characteristics into plants. One important application uses the
technology to make plants more nutritious (biofortification). One third of the
world’s population, while not faring too badly on calorie intake, do not get
enough nutrients in their diet: vitamins, minerals and so on. In richer countries,
staple foods are artificially fortified with vitamins and minerals, which is
relatively inexpensive, but in poor countries such food fortification is
expensive and difficult to sustain. In these latter cases, biofortification of
staple foods by genetic modification is a particularly useful intervention.
Rice, the staple food for half the world,
doesn’t naturally produce beta carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in
the human body, and vitamin A deficiency is endemic. Vitamin A deficiency compromises
the immune system: between 1.3 and 2.5 million deaths per year among infants
and preschool children would be prevented if they got enough vitamin A. It is
also the leading cause of blindness globally, affecting 250,000- 500,000
children annually. Half the children die within a year of losing their sight.
Vitamin A deficiency has a simple solution:
golden rice. Scientists have genetically engineered golden rice to produce beta
carotene by introducing three genes into ordinary rice. Unfortunately the golden
rice project has languished in research institutes since 2000 because
environmental activists have persuaded farmers and governments to reject golden
rice.Greenpeace promotes other worthy causes, such as mitigation of global
warming, but the public assumes all their campaigns are worthy. However, the
Nobel laureates’ letter charges that environmental activist opposition to GMF
“based on emotion and dogma and contradicted by data”, according to the letter,
is frustrating initiatives that could prevent needless suffering. The letter
ends with a striking question: “How many poor people in the world must die
before we consider this [opposition to genetically engineered biofortification
of food] as a ‘crime against humanity’?
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/science/opposition-to-gm-food-is-killing-poor-people-1.2719412
Chinese Scientists Push for Wider GMO Use Amid Protests
A Chinese farmer works at a hybrid rice field
on June 20, 2006, in Changsha City, Hunan Province of China. (Photo : Getty
Images)
Chinese
scientists are urging for wider acceptance of genetically modified foods, with
many saying that GMOs (genetically modified organisms) may be the key to
addressing China's limited farmland and scarce water resources.While China has a sufficient crop supply to meet the country's current needs, the changing Chinese diet, which is shifting further towards meat and animal products, adds to food security concerns, Wang Dayuan, former dean of the Department of Biological Engineering at China National Rice Research Institute, said in his remarks during a seminar in Beijing on Sunday.
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"The
rice and flour supply per capita is about 30.2 jin [approximately 15 kilograms]
per month. China is not in a food crisis if we just consider crop supply,"
Wang acknowledged, adding that the rising demand for meat necessitates more
reliance on animal feed, which itself is dependent on imports overseas."China imported some 820 million tons of soybeans in 2015, which comes out to 500 million mu [330,000 square kilometers] of soybean farmland in China. But this is impossible," Wang said, explaining that the limited availability of both farmland and water have stymied the agriculture industry in the country.
Wang argued that the worry over the safety of GMO foods is meaningless. All GMO foods that enter the Chinese market undergo an rigorous safety assessment which ensures these foods comply with similar standards as that of non-GMO products, according to the state-owned Global Times newspaper citing agriculture ministry officials.
GMO food has long been a controversial issue in China, with many opposing it for fear that it will jeopardize human health, farmland, or both. The seminar was even interrupted by an anti-GMO protester who handed out flyers and shouted anti-GMO slogans. Several protesters were also found rallying outside the venue.
"Chinese farmers are often neglected in modern society, but they communicate their needs through their choices about GMO technology and organic farming," said Wu Kongming, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences told the Global Times in an interview. Wu, who has conducted research on insect-resistant cotton for over 10 years, said in his findings that GMO cotton could cut insecticide use by at least half.
China's fertilizer use is around five times the world average, while the country's yields are below that of GMO corn, Wang said.
Jiang Tao, a senior engineer the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Development Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, also noted that GMO technology is a type of molecular breeding. Jiang said that stubbornly insisting on traditional methods will only hinder scientific development and threaten public wellbeing.
http://en.yibada.com/articles/143326/20160720/chinese-scientists-push-wider-gmo-use-amid-protests.htm
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