Muslim scientist takes over PhilRice
posted August 18, 2016 at 11:15 pm by
Anna Leah E. Gonzales
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol has appointed a Muslim rice breeder and
scientist from Maguindanao as the new executive director of Philippine Rice
Research Institute.Piñol said he signed the apppointment of Dr. Sailila Abdula as officer-in-charge/executive director of PhilRice last week. Abdula replaced Calixto Protacio.
Abdula, chief science research specialist and Gawad Saka Outstanding Agricultural Researcher awardee for Central Mindanao Region, is known for his achievements in rice science.
A native of Patadon, Kidapawan City and previously head of PhilRice Station in Midsayap, North Cotabato, Abdula is credited with the breeding and development of two new rice varieties - NSIC Rc120 and Rc226.
The new rice varieties, known to be pest-resistant, were developed by Abdula to address the ‘tungro’ rice disease in Southern Mindanao.
Abdula is also credited for breeding the ‘Sigue-Sigue’ rice variety whose performance is comparable to expensive hybrid seeds developed by multi-national and large seed companies.
Abdula, 43, finished his PhD in Agriculture at Chungbuk National University in Korea.
“When I publicly announced his appointment during the farmers’ forum in Kidapawan City last month, I also asked Dr. Abdula to institute reforms in the premiere rice research agency of the country,” Piñol said.
Piñol said he instructed Abdula to look into the presence and operation of PhilRice Foundation Inc., a private foundation whose members are both active and retired members of PhilRice, but is operating inside PhilRice’s premises and offices.
PhilRice Foundation allegedly uses the offices, facilities and even employees of PhilRice while receiving donations and grants for researches and programs which are independent of the PhilRice programs.
“Late last month, I ordered undersecretary Segfredo Serrano to investigate the operations of PhilRice Foundation Inc. after I received complaints that the PFI presence inside the PhilRice facility in Munoz, Nueva Ecija was not only unethical but also detrimental to the operations of the rice research body,” Piñol said
http://thestandard.com.ph/business/213678/muslim-scientist-takes-over-philrice.html
Exporters eying to double rice exports
August 18, 2016
Lahore
- With efforts of Reap, Pakistan’s rice exports have achieved $2 billion target
and now they are eying some $4 billion rice exports by 2018.If the government
continues its support to the roadmap of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan
for increasing rice exports the country can achieve its goal of doubling the
rice exports in a couple of years.Pakistan is estimated to export 4.
5 million tons of rice for the year 2016/17, as experts pin hopes on higher hybrid production.
The USDA Report 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 15-20 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.
5 million tons of rice for the year 2016/17, as experts pin hopes on higher hybrid production.
The USDA Report 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 15-20 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.
REAP
Chairman Ch Muhammad Shafique said that Pakistan’s rice exports have crossed 4
million ton mark in the past, and there is sufficient demand in the
international market and if the country’s production during the year comes to 7
million tons, rice exports will surely surge to 4.5 million tons.
However, he said that only market access is not sufficient to boost exports from Pakistan.
There is a dire need to adopt export-oriented policies, as innovation and value creation are also vital to enhance export, he added.
However, he said that only market access is not sufficient to boost exports from Pakistan.
There is a dire need to adopt export-oriented policies, as innovation and value creation are also vital to enhance export, he added.
It
is unfortunate that the country has missed the overall export target for the
outgoing fiscal year by a wide margin and is unlikely to come closer to the
ambitious export goal of $35 billion projected under the Strategic Trade Policy
Framework (STPF) 2015-18.The policy implementation was delayed by almost a year
and even the support measures announced by the government for boosting exports
from July 1, 2016 have yet to be implemented. Ch Shafique said that rice
exporters are struggling in a difficult trading environment where global trade
has contracted and most of the countries with similar product-mix have suffered
a decline in exports.
He
suggested the commerce ministry to closely monitor the export performance and
hold continuous dialogue with the private and public stakeholders to reverse
the trend.For the sector-specific measures announced in the STPF, the
government should try to ease the pressure on the export sector through
multiple measures like improving access to energy, downward adjustment in
electricity tariff, lowering of interest rates and zero rating of rice sector
like other five leading export sectors, he said.REAP chairman said that the
rise and fall in commodity prices drastically impacted the country’s overall
exports.Experts said that rice price is again picking up and it might help to
push up exports in next two to three years, he said
Pakistan’s Geographical Indication protection law long overdue’
KARACHI:
The much-awaited draft Geographical Indication (GI) Bill 2016 was presented by
the Intellectual Property Organisation (IPO) on Wednesday before relevant
stakeholders including lawyers, businessmen and bureaucrats.
The
meeting observed that Pakistan’s GI protection law has been long overdue and
IPO should expedite the process of making the draft into a law. The panellists
highlighted issues confronting trade without GI protection and certification.
The
participants observed that the GI protection draft was impressive but not as
exhaustive as the law in developed countries.
However,
some panellists strongly advised that Pakistan must protect its GI logo and
maintain its reputation by working hard on research and development.
Being
one of the marketing tools and a tag for getting higher price, efforts must be
made to maintain the benchmark and keep up the reputation of its
characteristics and features, they added.
It
was also advised that the responsibility for certification of GI should not be
entrusted to any trade body as it would result in conflict of interest and a
committee be formed to decide which authority or government body should be
entrusted this task.
The case for Basmati
The
meeting was informed that the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (Reap) had
been at the forefront for demanding protection for Pakistan’s Basmati rice.
Way
back in 1994-95, Reap took up the issue with the government after the European
Union threw out Pakistani Basmati from GI certification following strong
lobbying by India.
As
a result, the Indian Basmati rice started fetching 150 to 200 euros per tonne
while Pakistani Basmati rice having no GI certification was quoted at 50 euro
per tonne, a speaker said.
Pakistanis
put up a strong argument with EU as to how it was possible that a farmer only
40km away from an Indian rice grower could get a lower price for the same
produce. Finally India agreed to enter into talks on GI for Basmati rice in
Geneva, he added.
It
was also observed that while Pakistan could have signed the GATT in 1948, it did
so in 1995. The speakers questioned as to why there was a long delay in
protecting Pakistan’s GI interests which are directly related to trade interest
and our heritage.
It
was stated that WTO is of a view that every member country – including Pakistan
– has to protect its GI interests so that their indigenous products could fetch
better price in the world.
The
meeting noted that if India today has around 200 products protected under GI,
Pakistan could at least have around 100 goods which could fall under the
category of GI which ensures value-addition which also helps to get better
price in world market.
Besides
Basmati rice, Pakistan could have GI logos for mangoes, Sindhi Ajrak, Multani
halwa and so many other indigenous commodities.
Prominent
among those who spoke were Director IPO Meesaq Arif, TDAP Director General Dr
M. Usman, IPO expert Dr Owais Hassan, Sheikh Zahid Khwaja of REAP, Feroz Ahmed
of SMEDA, PIPRA Chairman and Registrar of Trademark
UDF to hold its second conference on Aug 19
Lucknow | Wednesday, Aug 17 2016 IST
The Industrial United Development Foundation(IUDF) will hold its second conference here on August 19 to raise certain issues before the Uttar Pradesh government about the problems of the rice mills owners and the industrial sectors.The conference would be attended by senior UP government officials while former state chief secretary and presently the chief development advisor to the Chief Minister Alok Ranjan , informed IUDF president Dev Bhattarcharya here today.Mr Bhattarcharya said there are several issues to the discussed in the conference to be attended by around 700 delegates representing different industrial sectors of the state.
"Double taxation by the the Industrial Development Authorities from the industrial units on the name of maintainence besides rise in the rate from Rs 8 per meter to Rs 40 per meter would also be discussed in the conference," he said.Mr Bhattarcharya said the issue of rice mill owners would also be discussed as there are on the verge of closing their units due to apathetic attitude of the state officials.The first conference of the IUDF was held a couple of months back and the demands raised during the meet was also to take congisance by the Prime Minister Office (PMO). UNI MB ANC RJ AN2201
http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20160818/2920398.html
Louisiana farmers still being hit hard by
flooding
By Bill Tomson
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2016 - From
underwater fields to drowned cattle, the damage to Louisiana farmers and
ranchers from the recent storms and continued flooding is extensive, but state
officials say they are doing what they can to prevent losses.The water is still
rising in some areas of Louisiana and the priority is saving human lives - at
least 20,000 people have been rescued from their homes by boat or truck - but
officials are also working to minimize the damage to farms, Louisiana
Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain told Agri-Pulse.
“We're trying to get the water out
of our basins and into the Gulf of Mexico,” he said. “We're trying to operate
our locks and dams in such a manner to expedite the water going out, but a lot
of the backwater has not drained into the major systems yet so we're having a
slow retreat of the water. That's a big thing.”Despite those efforts, the
damage will still be extensive, Strain predicted.
“Deep flooding rains over the
weekend have the entire agriculture production sector wondering what the future
holds for this year's crop,” said Vincent Deshotel, an agent for USDA's
Cooperative Extension Service in Louisiana's Saint Landry Parish, in a National
Agricultural Statistics Service report released Monday. “Many acres of maturing
crops, some mature and ready to harvest under water. In many areas stored hay
completely submerged. The truth will not really be known until any harvest
attempt is made. Good weather days are needed.” Soybeans are the state's
biggest crop, and many farmers will lose their entire crop for the year, said
Ron Levy, the top soybean agronomist for Louisiana State University.
“There is significant damage to
soybeans and other crops as well,” Levy said in an interview. “A lot of the
fields were flooded and there are fields that will be flooded for another week.
We still have water rising in some areas from floods in other areas.”The
flooding came at a particularly sensitive time for farmers, many of whom were
just starting to see their soybean plants sprout in the pods, said Levy. Those
crops, especially in the worst hit areas of the state, will not survive.
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“The water is moving out slowly
because there's just so much of it,” Strain said. “And everything is inundated
and we're worried because our soybean fields are under water.”But even those
farmers who have already harvested - some plant early so they can grow
sugarcane - didn't escape the flood damage, Levy said. “Rice and soybeans that
were in the process of drying were destroyed,” he said. About 80 percent of
Louisiana's rice crop this year has already been harvested, but much of what
remains is sustaining damage, according to the USA Rice Federation.
Dustin Harrell, an LSU rice
specialist, estimated about $14.3 million in damages to Louisiana farmers,
according to USA Rice.
As for
livestock, it will take at least three weeks before an assessment can be made
on losses, said Strain. But cattle are a major part of Louisiana's agriculture
sector and the commissioner said he already knows the floods have hurt
ranchers.“I know of a couple herds that have been lost,” Strain said. “They
were swept into rivers and drowned. We're trying to save as much of the
livestock as possible. Those that are out of the water are being brought to
shelters and holding facilities. Those that are in the water, we're trying to
get them to high ground. If we can get them to high ground, we can get some hay
and feed in them.”Meanwhile, Strain said he has been in contact with USDA
officials like Deputy Secretary Michael Scuse and the department has promised
assistance.
“Our hearts go
out to the families and communities in Louisiana who have been devastated by
flooding over the past several weeks,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said
in a statement. “USDA has offices in nearly every county
or parish in the U.S., and we want to remind people that we have a variety of
services that may be useful in challenging times like this one. Our employees
are also members of the communities hit by flooding, and we want to help.”And a
lot of help will be needed.“It's bad, but right now we don't know just how
bad,” Levy said. “We can't even get out to assess how bad the damage is.”http://www.agri-pulse.com/Louisiana-farmers-still-being-hit-hard-by-flooding-08182016.asp
http://www.agri-pulse.com/Louisiana-farmers-still-being-hit-hard-by-flooding-08182016.asp
Rain hurting rice, corn crops in state
This article was published August 18, 2016 at 5:45
a.m. Heavy rains over the past five days have damaged rice and corn crops
across the state, but cotton and soybeans are holding up, farmers and cooperative
extension officials said Wednesday.Farmers were just starting to harvest rice
and corn as rain moved into the state last week. Intermittent rain, both day
and night, since then has made things worse, with some farmers in northeast
Arkansas starting to report some flooding, said Jarrod Hardke, a rice
agronomist with the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture.
Farmers and extension agents
in Randolph, Lawrence and Clay counties reported receiving the most rain and
damage, but the extent of that damage won't be known until more farmers are
able to get out into their fields, Hardke said. If farmers can't get into the
fields just to check crops, they also won't be sending in heavy combines for
harvesting.
About 2 percent of rice in
Arkansas -- the nation's top rice producer -- has been harvested, considered
normal for this time of year, and 97 percent has "headed," or become
ready for harvest, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's statistics service said
this week.
The National Weather Service
said 2 to 4 inches of rain fell across the state over the weekend alone. The
southern two-thirds of the state is forecast to get from 1 to 3 inches of rain
the rest of the week.
Rice and other grains that
begin sprouting prematurely can still be harvested but will have to be dried to
be acceptable for grain elevators. That grain is less desirable at market,
resulting in lower prices, Hardke said.
Further damage will be done
if there are any high winds, causing wet, top-heavy crops to "lodge,"
or collapse. Harvesting collapsed fields is especially difficult, he said.
A long stretch of rainfall
late in the harvest season of 2009 caused nearly $400 million in crop losses,
with cotton and soybeans being especially hard hit, the UA agriculture
extension service said.
Grain sorghum also is
suffering heavy damage, Hardke said. That damage will be lessened somewhat
because farmers planted only 40,000 acres of grain sorghum compared to 450,000
acres last year. The falloff was attributed to lower demand in China.
"For rice, it just seems
like this always happens just as you're ready to put the combine in the
field," Bill Robertson, a cotton expert for the extension service, said
Wednesday. "But for cotton, it's not that far enough along yet to be hurt.
Most bolls are not opening yet."
Arkansas farmers planted some
370,000 acres of cotton this year, compared to 210,000 last year. The increase,
Robertson said, came out because early prices were high for cotton and low for
soybeans and corn at spring planting.
"If it clears up and we
get some really good weather, we have the potential for a really good
crop," Robertson said. "The plant is working really hard right now to
produce and we need the sunny weather, but not the 100-degree days. Ninety
degrees will be just fine."
Randall Foran, a farmer in
Marvell (Phillips County), said his soybeans are doing fine, but he's worried
about his 450 acres of corn. He planted just 100 acres of corn last year.
"The corn is starting to sprout at the ears and is wanting to rot,"
Foran said "That's not a good thing. We need the rain to quit and the
sunshine to come out."
Business on 08/18/2016
Print Headline: Rain hurting
rice, corn crops in state
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/aug/18/rain-hurting-rice-corn-crops-in-state-2/?f=business#/
Gov’t eyes 1M tons of rice imports for 2017
By: Ben O. de Vera
Philippine Daily Inquirer
04:18 PM August 18th, 2016
By: Ben O. de Vera, August 18th, 2016 04:18 PM
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC
DAVAO CITY – The government plans to import one million metric tons (MT) of
rice for next year to take advantage of prevailing affordable global prices
while also preparing for the expected prolonged wet season due to La Niña.Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia told reporters that the country’s rice stocks for this year were sufficient, but now would be a good time to import to cover the projected deficiency for 2017.
Early this month, the government announced to buy 250,000 MT for next year’s stocks, to be followed by another tranche of 250,000 MT.
These initial 500,000 MT will be bought on a government-to-government basis, said Pernia, who is the Director-General of state planning agency National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).
The first tranche of importation was scheduled to come in during the next few months of this year, Pernia said.
The remaining 500,000 MT to be imported later on would “really secure” domestic rice supply for next year, the Neda chief added.
Pernia said this plan was put forward during the Aug. 2 meeting of the Cabinet’s economic cluster.
Neda Deputy Director-General Rosemarie G. Edillon said the government was expecting a “mild” case of La Niña, with a 50-60 percent probability of occurring in the second half.
To prepare for the looming La Niña expected to intensify between August and October, Pernia said the Department of Agriculture was “already crafting an action plan that identifies the most vulnerable municipalities, focusing on appropriate interventions, preparedness, response, immediate recovery and rehabilitation.” CDG/rga
http://business.inquirer.net/213695/govt-eyes-1m-tons-of-rice-imports-for-2017
Philippines says needs to import a further 750,000 T rice
Thu Aug 18, 2016 2:44am GMT
"Otherwise we will experience what happened in 2013 when rice prices spiked."The immediate volume to be purchased will be the 250,000 tonnes that the government announced earlier, followed by another tranche of 250,000 tonnes, he said."And the next set will be about 500,000 tonnes to be really secure about rice (supply) over the next year," said Pernia.(Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Writing by Manolo Serapio Jr.; Editing by Michael Perry)
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFP9N1AB02V
PHL to buy 1 million tons of rice as prices drop -- economic exec
Posted on August 19, 2016
DAVAO CITY -- The Philippines, one of the world’s top rice buyers, plans to import 1 million tons of the grain to secure supply of the country’s food staple through next year while prices are low, Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said on Thursday.
The immediate volume to be purchased will be the 250,000
tons that the government announced on Aug. 9, followed by another tranche of
250,000 tons, he said.“And the next set will be about 500,000 tons to be really
secure about rice (supply) over the next year,” Pernia told a media briefing.The
750,000 tons will be purchased via government-to-government deals while the
remaining 250,000 tons will be imported by private companies, he said.
In the government-to-government transactions, the Philippines usually buys rice from either Vietnam, Thailand or Cambodia.Manila’s plan could support global rice prices that have dropped amid lean demand from the rest of Asia and Africa, with benchmark prices in major suppliers Vietnam and Thailand at multi-month lows.
At $410 a ton on Thursday, Thai 5% broken rice RI-THBKN5-P1 has fallen 7.5% from a nearly three-year high reached on July 22.“I think our rice on stock will be sufficient for the rest of the year but then we need to import right now to prepare for the deficiency,” Pernia said.
“Otherwise we will experience what happened in 2013 when rice prices spiked.”Frequent typhoons usually hit the country’s rice production, forcing it to import any shortfall to feed its 100 million people.The planned rice purchase, if carried out, will be smaller than the Philippines’ imported volume of around 1.8 million tons for 2015.
President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who assumed office on June 30, has vowed to make the Philippines self sufficient in rice within his six-year term.The Philippines expects its paddy rice output to reach 18.135 million tons this year, flat from 2015 and reflecting crop losses in the first half of the year due to El Nino-induced drought. -- Reuters
In the government-to-government transactions, the Philippines usually buys rice from either Vietnam, Thailand or Cambodia.Manila’s plan could support global rice prices that have dropped amid lean demand from the rest of Asia and Africa, with benchmark prices in major suppliers Vietnam and Thailand at multi-month lows.
At $410 a ton on Thursday, Thai 5% broken rice RI-THBKN5-P1 has fallen 7.5% from a nearly three-year high reached on July 22.“I think our rice on stock will be sufficient for the rest of the year but then we need to import right now to prepare for the deficiency,” Pernia said.
“Otherwise we will experience what happened in 2013 when rice prices spiked.”Frequent typhoons usually hit the country’s rice production, forcing it to import any shortfall to feed its 100 million people.The planned rice purchase, if carried out, will be smaller than the Philippines’ imported volume of around 1.8 million tons for 2015.
President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who assumed office on June 30, has vowed to make the Philippines self sufficient in rice within his six-year term.The Philippines expects its paddy rice output to reach 18.135 million tons this year, flat from 2015 and reflecting crop losses in the first half of the year due to El Nino-induced drought. -- Reuters
Cambodia Opts Out of Rice Bid
Cambodia will not join the upcoming bid to supply milled rice
to the Philippines as it plans to import an additional 750,000 tons of rice to
secure the country’s supplies through 2017, a Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF)
representative told Khmer Times yesterday.The Philippines, one of the world’s
top rice buyers, plans to stockpile rice now ‒ taking advantage of low global
prices ‒ to prepare for shortfalls caused by natural disasters like floods and
typhoons.
“I think our rice on stock will be sufficient for
the rest of the year but then we need to import right now to prepare for the
deficiency,” the Philippines’ Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia told
Reuters.“Otherwise we will experience what happened in 2013 when rice prices
spiked,” he said.Hun Lak, vice-president of CRF, said Cambodia would not be
joining the bid to supply the Philippines with the staple grain because the
Kingdom’s current rice production was riddled with problems ranging from
falling exports, high transportation and production costs, to the lack of
warehouses to store paddy rice to be milled.
“This year, we don’t have any plans to join the
bid because we still have to tackle many problems. We are facing big challenges
and we have to overcome them, to make us more competitive against other
bidders,” said Mr. Lak.According to Reuters, the immediate volume to be
purchased by the Philippines will be 250,000 tons, followed by another tranche
of 250,000 tons. The third tranche will be about 500,000 tons.Cambodia’s rice
exports fell by 6.9 percent from the 283,825 tons in the first six months of
last year to about 268,190 tons in same period this year, according to a report
released by the general department of agriculture last week.
Hean Vanhan, the deputy director of the general
department of agriculture, told Khmer Times the drop in the volume of rice
exports was partly due to millers and exporters not having enough capital to
buy rice in the harvest season to store in warehouses for processing and
export, as well as the flow of rice imported from Vietnam, while Thailand was
releasing its rice to the market at a lower price.According to Mr. Lak the
Cambodian price is between $50 to $60 higher per ton compared to rice from
neighboring Vietnam and Thailand.
Earlier, Mr. Lak told Khmer Times that high
electricity rates were eating significantly into the production costs of rice
millers.“We are trying to find ways to lower the cost of electricity. We want
the electricity rate to be reduced to less than 400.60 riel (10 cents) per
kilowatt hour for the agricultural sector,” he said.Chan Sokheang, CEO of
Signature of Asia – a local rice exporter ‒ also agreed that the country needed
to reduce production costs before “joining bids to supply other countries with
rice.”
“Cambodia doesn’t even have the capacity to compete with our neighbors, let alone produce enough rice for domestic consumption. And our production costs are still very high,” he pointed out.Mr. Sokheang said he does not support the bid to supply the Philippines with rice because it is not a sustainable strategy for Cambodia.“Other countries, joining the bid to supply the Philippines with rice, receive subsidies from their respective governments. On the other hand, our exporters don’t receive any assistance whatsoever,” he said.
Vietnam witnesses lowest
level of rice exports since 2016
Source: Xinhua 2016-08-18 14:14:03
HANOI, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam
Witnessed
the lowest level of rice exports in July since the beginning of 2016, according
to Vietnam Industry and Trade Information Center (VITIC) on Thursday.In July,
Vietnam exported over 286,688 tons of rice, earning 127.2 million U.S. dollars,
a decrease of 12 percent in volume and 85 percent in value over the previous
month, VITIC quoted statistics of Vietnam General Department of Customs as
saying.Compared to the same period in 2015, the July figure posted a decrease
of over 53 percent in volume and 50 percent in value.
All
markets of Vietnamese rice saw downtrend in revenue in July due to plunge in
export price.Vietnamese rice was sold at the lowest level compared to other
regional rice exporters. Price of Vietnam's 5-percent broken rice was 370-380
U.S. dollars per ton while that of Thailand was over 400 U.S. dollars, said
VITIC.Amid the sluggish situation, the Vietnam Food Association decided to
lower rice export target to 5.65 million tons in 2016 from the previous target
of 6.5 million tons. As such, this will be the first time in many years that
Vietnam saw an under-6-million-ton rice export volume.
Recently,
Vietnamese agricultural experts have expressed concerns over the risk that
Vietnam may lose its position as the world's third largest rice exporter as the
country saw significant declines in rice exports so far this year.In the first
seven months of 2016, Vietnam exported some 2.94 million tons of rice, earning
around 1.32 billion U.S. dollars, down 18.2 percent in volume and 14.2 percent
in value year-on-year, according to Vietnamese customs statistics.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-08/18/c_135611160.htm
Emergency Response Meeting Tomorrow in Crowley, LA
Acadia Parish businesses and farmers are asked to join Acadia Parish Leadership and Emergency Response Officials for an update on search and rescue; recovery and rebuild efforts; and local, state, and federal resources available to the business and agricultural communities.
The meeting is open to everyone and will be held at the Grand Opera House of the South, 505 N. Parkerson Avenue, in Crowley. Your attendance will allow leaders to assess the specific challenges and needs of the agricultural and business communities going forward.
USA Rice Daily, Thursday, August 18, 2016
U.S. Rice Farmers Provide 81 Percent of Rice Consumed by Americans
By Peter Bachmann
WASHINGTON, DC -- USA Rice released the annual U.S. Rice Domestic Usage Report today, tracking shipments and consumption of U.S. milled rice from August 2014 to July 2015. According to the report, U.S. rice mills shipped 10.56 billion pounds of rice to domestic and foreign markets, an increase of approximately 780 million pounds from one year earlier. While rice imports increased, the rate of increase, 7 percent, was less than the previous year's 10.7 percent. The report revealed that U.S. farmers are maintaining an 81 percent rate of American-grown domestic rice consumption despite increased imports and exports of the U.S. crop.
Ken Cox, of Louisiana-based Farmers Rice Milling Co. and chairman of the USA Rice Domestic Usage Report Subcommittee, shared his enthusiasm about the future of this report, "We saw quite a significant increase in the voluntary participation by our rice mills this year, up six from last year along with several new mills interested in participating moving forward."
"This year's survey to the mills was redesigned to capture more specific data, breaking all of the subcategories down by white milled, brown, and specialty milled rice. Our Subcommittee believes that diving deeper into the category-specific trends will be more helpful to the mills that participate and those who purchase the report," Cox said.
He noted a few interesting trends in the report, "Derived disappearance shrank this year from 26 to 25.3 pounds but we can attribute it to the increase in exports at a higher rate than the increase in domestic supply and imports. This number is fairly cyclical and changes in part based on the ebb and flow of the U.S. rice stocks."
Overall, the report captures 6.46 billion pounds of rice shipped domestically, of which 62 percent is for direct food use and 38 percent for processed foods like pet food, beer, sake, and snacks.
To purchase the report containing 35 pages of charts, graphs, and data analysis, please email pbachmann@usarice.com.
Gov’t eyes 1M tons of rice imports for 2017
By: Ben O. de Vera
Philippine Daily Inquirer
04:18 PM August 18th, 2016
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC
DAVAO CITY – The government plans to import one million metric tons (MT) of
rice for next year to take advantage of prevailing affordable global prices
while also preparing for the expected prolonged wet season due to La Niña.Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia told reporters that the country’s rice stocks for this year were sufficient, but now would be a good time to import to cover the projected deficiency for 2017.
Early this month, the government announced to buy 250,000 MT for next year’s stocks, to be followed by another tranche of 250,000 MT.
These initial 500,000 MT will be bought on a government-to-government basis, said Pernia, who is the Director-General of state planning agency National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).
The first tranche of importation was scheduled to come in during the next few months of this year, Pernia said.
The remaining 500,000 MT to be imported later on would “really secure” domestic rice supply for next year, the Neda chief added.
Pernia said this plan was put forward during the Aug. 2 meeting of the Cabinet’s economic cluster.
Neda Deputy Director-General Rosemarie G. Edillon said the government was expecting a “mild” case of La Niña, with a 50-60 percent probability of occurring in the second half.
To prepare for the looming La Niña expected to intensify between August and October, Pernia said the Department of Agriculture was “already crafting an action plan that identifies the most vulnerable municipalities, focusing on appropriate interventions, preparedness, response, immediate recovery and rehabilitation.” CDG/rga
Southern
Louisiana reeling after flooding
Published on: Aug 18, 2016
More than 20 in. of rain has fallen in southwest Louisiana since last week, and with more on the way, the full scope of damage due to historic flooding in the area won't become clear until the water recedes."We're still in the stabilization and rescue mode now," Louisiana agriculture commissioner Mike Strain said. "Once the water recedes, we'll begin doing analysis. The Feds will join us with teams on the ground doing assessments."Twenty-nine parishes have requested disaster declarations. As of noon Tuesday, the following parishes were included on the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Louisiana disaster declaration: Acadia, Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Lafayette, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, St. Landry, Tangipahoa and Vermilion.“Estimating the value of damage to the rice crop in southwest Louisiana will not be easy since, at this point, everything seems to be constantly changing,” said Dustin Harrell, research agronomist and extension rice specialist at Louisiana State University.After talking with extension agents in every affected parish, then using an average yield value of 7,100 lb. per acre and an average rice price of $11/cwt., Harrell came up with what he called “a highly speculative estimate” of approximately $14.3 million in losses for the southwest Louisiana rice crop. This estimate does not include potential ratoon rice losses.
Rice farmers throughout the affected areas report varying degrees of damage. Kevin Berken from Lake Arthur, La., is pumping water off his rice and remains optimistic that his crop will be saved, although he thinks his second crop is "toast or teal (duck) food.”Fred Zaunbrecher estimated that “between 18-20 in. of rain” has fallen at his farm in Duson, La. “My brother had to evacuate his home, and my son and his buddies have been running rescue missions in south Lafayette (La.) with their gator tail boat,” he said.
Donald Berken from Welsh, La., relayed a conversation with Rep. Charles Boustany's (R., La.) staff, who said the Army Corps of Engineers responsible for lock operations gave assurances that all of the locks in the area are under constant monitoring but cannot remain open continuously due to tidal activity. Berken added, “My area went through a similar event in May of 1980. This appears to be as bad, if not worse, due to more widespread rain.”
It has been estimated that about 80% of the southwest Louisiana crop had been harvested prior to the flooding, but of the 20% still in the field, 20% of that would likely be lost due to flooding.None of the rice mills in the state have reported flood-related disruption, although employee transportation and safety are obviously a top concern, according to Robert Trahan, director of sales and business development at Falcon Rice Mill in Crowley, La., and chairman of the USA Rice Millers' Assn.
Randy Jemison and Carrie Castille with USA Rice recently shared the initial impact of the flooding on the rice industry and will remain in contact with that group on a FEMA National Business Emergency Operations Center coordination call. USA Rice said it will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as they are reported.
http://feedstuffs.com/story-southern-louisiana-reeling-after-flooding-45-145456
Modified rice has five times the zinc and iron and could help eliminate micronutrient deficiency to save over 1 million lives each year and boost GDP of poor nations over 20%
Being able to prevent anemia and micronutrient deficiency in nearly two billion poor people will save over a million lives each year, prevent stunting which reduces IQ and boost productivity and GDP by over 20%. Success in this public health area would be one of the biggest things in reducing world poverty and improving public health in those countries.
Iron and zinc deficiencies are widespread in the developing world and cause serious human disorders, such as child stunting, increased maternal mortality and iron-deficiency anaemia. In some communities, up to 80 percent of the diet comes from rice, which is a poor source of these vital nutrients.
Zinc deficiency is a major cause of stunting among children. About 165 million children with stunted growth run a risk of compromised cognitive development and physical capability. The IQ scores of the severely stunted children at eight years of age were 11 points lower than those of the children who were not stunted. When the children in the study were tested again at age 11, those who had been most severely stunted at age 2 still scored lower on the intelligence test than children who had not been stunted, although the gap was narrower at about 5 IQ points.
The World Health Organisation estimates two billion people, or 30 per cent of the world’s population, are anaemic, in many cases due to iron deficiency. This condition leaves people weak and lethargic and poses a significant and even fatal health risk to pregnant women and their children. Equal numbers are at risk of zinc deficiency with severe health consequences including stunted growth and impaired immune function.
- Timely treatment can restore personal health and raise national productivity levels by as much as 20%
- Anaemia contributes to 20% of all maternal deaths.
Iron deficiency anaemia as a risk factor for mortality, iron deficiency is estimated to cause 591000 perinatal deaths and 115000 maternal deaths globally. The associated loss of healthy life years amounts to more than 19 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from perinatal causes and more than 3 million from maternal causes. When the direct sequelae of iron deficiency anaemia are added, the total global burden attributed to iron deficiency anaemia amounts to 841000 deaths and 35057000 DALYs.
Micronutrient deficiencies can lower IQ, cause stunting and blindness in children, lower resistance to disease in both children and adults, and increase risks for both mothers and infants during childbirth.
Researchers are now on the cusp of making a real difference. University of Melbourne plant geneticist Dr Alex Johnson and colleagues have created a genetically modified (GM) rice that produces grain with significantly more iron and zinc through a process called biofortification. And field trials have now shown that the biofortified rice is just as high yielding as conventionally bred rices.
Rice grains usually contain just 2-5 parts per million (ppm) of iron. The researchers were aiming to increase that to at least 13 ppm to address iron deficiencies in rice-based diets. They managed to get to 15 ppm. Similarly, they had been targeting to increase the amount of zinc from 16 ppm to 28 ppm, but they managed to get to 45 ppm.
Because of inadequate intakes, billions of people are at risk for zinc deficiency. In fact, more than 400,000 children die each year due to zinc deficiency. An estimated 17.3% of the global population is at risk of inadequate zinc intake. The regional estimated prevalence of inadequate zinc intake ranges from 7.5% in high-income regions to 30% in South Asia. Direct measures of the prevalence of zinc deficiency are scarce as the recommended method for measuring zinc deficiency has not been used widely since its publication in 2007.
Zinc is involved in more body functions than any other mineral. Zinc’s role includes acting as a necessary component of more than 200 enzyme systems, normal growth and development, the maintenance of body tissues, sexual function, vision, and the immune system. Zinc is essential for survival, and zinc deficiency has serious consequences for health, particularly during childhood when zinc requirements are increased. In addition, zinc deficiency also causes stunting. Randomized controlled trials showed that zinc supplementation can reduce the severity of morbidity from a number of common childhood infections, including diarrhea, pneumonia, and possibly malaria, by one-third.
In 2011, his team identified a specific rice gene that when “switched on” increases the amount of iron taken up from the soil and transported to the grain. Usually this gene is only activated when the rice plant itself is short on iron, but by modifying what drives the gene they were able to keep the gene switched on all the time. “We have basically tricked the plant into thinking it is continuously short of iron.”
They also found that it increased the uptake of zinc. “It was a dream result,” says Dr Alex Johnson.
Dr Johnson and his colleagues are now aiming to introduce the iron and zinc biofortified rice into Bangladesh where almost 80 per cent of cultivated land is dedicated to rice, but where more than half of all children and 70% of women are iron deficient.
They have had successful field trials in Colombia and the Philippines, the team is planning for large-scale deployment of this rice in Bangladesh and other rice consuming countries. The aim is to help as many people as possible and, with the financial and practical support of international NGOs, the enriched rice will be distributed to farmers in developing countries at no additional cost to traditional rice varieties.
Dr Johnson identified genes that are largely responsible for iron and zinc uptake in rice. By replacing the ‘on-off’ switches for these genes with ‘always on’ versions, Dr Johnson was able to greatly increase the activity of these genes. The rice strain his team developed has approximately four-fold more iron and two-fold more zinc in grain tissues compared to traditional rice.
The iron- and zinc-enriched rice varieties were originally developed by Dr Alex Johnson through research activities at the University of Melbourne and the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics.
Field trials of the rice varieties are currently being conducted with HarvestPlus partners at the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Colombia and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines. World Vision Australia recognises the strong humanitarian need for iron- and zinc-enriched rice and is working with the team to identify and develop markets in developing countries.
Golden Rice and vitamin A
Golden rice [different from the Melbourne rice] is a variety of rice (Oryza sativa) produced through genetic engineering to biosynthesize beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, in the edible parts of rice. It is intended to produce a fortified food to be grown and consumed in areas with a shortage of dietary vitamin A, a deficiency which is estimated to kill 670,000 children under the age of 5 each year.
Golden rice differs from its parental strain by the addition of three beta-carotene biosynthesis genes. The rice plant can naturally produce beta-carotene in its leaves, where it is involved in photosynthesis. However, the plant does not normally produce the pigment in the endosperm, where photosynthesis does not occur.
In 2005, Golden Rice 2 was announced, which produces up to 23 times more beta-carotene than the original golden rice. To receive the USDA's Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), it is estimated that 144 g of the high-yielding strain would have to be eaten. Bioavailability of the carotene from golden rice has been confirmed and found to be an effective source of vitamin A for humans
Golden rice has met significant opposition from environmental and anti-globalization activists that claim that there are sustainable, long-lasting and more efficient ways to solve vitamin A deficiency that do not compromise food, nutrition and financial security. A study in the Philippines is aimed to evaluate the performance of golden rice, if it can be planted, grown and harvested like other rice varieties, and whether golden rice poses risk to human health. Data has not been released yet.
Golden Rice was one of seven winners of the 2015 Patents for Humanity Awards by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
As of 2016, it is still in development
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation supports the use of genetically modified organisms in agricultural development. Specifically, the foundation is supporting the International Rice Research Institute in developing Golden Rice, a genetically modified rice variant used to combat Vitamin A deficiency.
In June 2016, 107 Nobel laureates signed a letter urging Greenpeace and its supporters to abandon their campaign against GMOs, and against Golden Rice in particula
Linh Do ’18 Examines Vietnam's Economy in Transition
By Sophie
Gaulkin '17 | Contact Holly
Foster 315-859-4068
Posted August 18, 2016
Tags Economics Erol Balkan Levitt Center Levitt Research Fellow Social Sciences Student Research Students
A far-reaching economic policy that impacts countless lives can start with something as small as a grain of rice.Linh Do ’18 is spending her summer working on a research project titled, “Vietnam’s Economy in Transition,” which aims to analyze the effects of the Renovation Policy on Vietnamese rice production. Her project, undertaken with economics professor Erol Balkan, is supported by a Levitt Center Summer Research grant.Do attributes her interest in the economic development of her home country to Balkan’s course on the subject, which she took this past spring. “Even though I am a Vietnamese citizen,” she explained, “My understanding of the agricultural development in Vietnam is insufficient. Therefore, I decided to collaborate with Professor Balkan on this project to learn more about the transformation of the Vietnamese agriculture in general and rice production in particular during and after the Renovation Period.”
Likewise, she credits the importance of rice for both farmers and consumers in Vietnam as motivation to pursue this topic further. While the rice sector is critical to Vietnam’s economy, the country’s dramatic economic progress has led to development and emphasis of its non-agricultural sectors, much to the chagrin of the agricultural sector and particularly the rice sub-sector. This research, however, challenges that narrative. “It serves as a reminder to me and everyone about the role of the rice sector in our economy,” Do explained.
Specifically, Do’s main objectives this summer are threefold: “to discuss agricultural reforms that directly affected Vietnam’s rice production during and after the Renovation Period, to explain the impact of these reforms on rice production, yield and export trends in Vietnam from 1986 until now and finally to analyze the role of trade liberalization on rice exports.”
Do is extremely optimistic about the benefits of her work so far: “I believe that this research will help me and my peers expand our understanding of the impact of agricultural reforms on the Vietnamese rice production and farming households during and after economic transition.”
However, beyond these theoretical results lies the potential for practical action. She continued, “It will lay a foundation for developing policy to improve rice yields and lessen any negative effects of trade liberalization on farming households. I consider my current research a necessary step to developing agricultural economic policies that may bring positive impacts on rice farmers—one of the most vulnerable sectors in our economy.”
Piñol names Maguindanaon scientist as PhilRice executive director
- August 19, 2016
Abdula was named SOCCSKSARGEN Region’s Gawad Saka Outstanding Agricultural Research in 2016 for his contributions in rice science, particularly the development of NSIC Rc120, and Rc226 rice varieties, which were developed to address tungro rice disease in Southern Mindanao.His project “Improvement of rice-based farming technology through training of religious leaders in Maguindanao, ARMM: A pilot test of Madrasah sa Basak” was awarded as the Best Re-entry Project of the Development Academy of the Philippines’ Middle Managers’ Class 8.
Abdula, a native of Patadon, Kidapawan City, completed his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture major in Plant Breeding and Genetics at the University of Southern Mindanao in Kabacan, Cotabato in 1995 and finished his PhD in Agriculture at Chungbuk National University in Korea.“My first move is to review the PhilRice mandate. We will look into what programs are parallel to the priorities of the Department of Agriculture,” Abdula said in an interview.
The new PhilRice executive director also pledged to carry out programs that will help attain President Rodrigo Duterte’s target to achieve food sufficiency.He also confirmed that Sec. Piñol has directed him to look into the alleged presence and operations of the PhilRice Foundation.“We will look on the problems in the PhilRice Foundation, and if there are irregularities there, we will dissolve it,” he said. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12)
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1611471584366/pi-ol-names-maguindanaon-scientist-as-philrice-executive-director#sthash.blZRzwiQ.dpuf
Invasive species threat grows due to sea shipping
Study points out most invasive
species carried to PH by ship
THE Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the UN is considering imple-menting an international phytosanitary standard directed primarily at sea shipping, given that the one-year grace period to allow countries to tighten protections against invasive biological species will expire this year.Part of the research supporting the FAO’s call for tightening controls was done at the University of the Philippines – Los Baños, which found that the most serious non-native pests such as the rice black bug, leaf miner, potato cyst nematode, and mealy bug were all accidentally introduced to the country through imports.
“The crop losses and control costs triggered by exotic pests
amount to a hefty tax on food, fiber and forage production,” says Craig
Fedchock, coordinator of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)-based
International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat. “All told, fruit
flies, beetles, fungi and their kin reduce global crop yields by between 20 and
40 percent,” he explained.The FAO pointed out that invasive species have
historically dramatically affected food production, and that sea shipping has
largely been the means by which species, which may be entirely benign in their
native habitats, arrive and wreak havoc in far-away countries.
“It was an exotic fungus that wiped out billions of American
chestnut trees in the early 20th century, while today the emerald ash borer –
another pest that hitch-hiked along global trade routes to new habitats –
threatens to do the same with a valuable tree long used by humans to make tool
handles, guitars and office furniture,” the FAO said in a recently-published
position paper.The FAO notes that perhaps the most disastrous biological
invasion was when a fungus-like eukaryotic microorganism called Phytophthora
infestans – the name of the genus comes from Greek for “plant destroyer” –
sailed from the Americas to Belgium. Within months it arrived in Ireland,
triggering a potato blight that led to famine, death and mass migration.
“The list goes on and on. A relative of the toxic cane toad
that has run rampant in Australia recently disembarked from a container
carrying freight to Madagascar, a biodiversity hotspot, and the ability of
females to lay up to 40,000 eggs a year make it a catastrophic threat for local
lemurs and birds, while also threatening the habitat of a host of animals and
plants,” the FAO report said. And in Europe, fears are growing that a warming
climate will allow the aggressive tiger mosquito, a ship borne invader that
first arrived in Albania in the 1970s, to spread northward.
“This is why the nations of the world came together some six
decades ago to establish the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)
as a means to help stem the spread of plant pests and diseases across borders
boundaries via international trade and to protect farmers, foresters,
biodiversity, the environment, and consumers,” the FAO report said.
Shipping containers carry pests
The FAO noted, however, that the growth in sea shipping, with most of the cargo carried in containers, is putting severe pressure on efforts to control invasive species. The report cites data that about 527 million sea container trips are made each year, and that China alone deals with over 133 million sea containers annually.“It is not only their cargo, but the steel contraptions themselves, that can serve as vectors for the spread of exotic species capable of wreaking ecological and agricultural havoc,” the FAO said. The organization said that an analysis of 116,701 empty sea containers arriving in New Zealand over the past five years showed that one in 10 was contaminated on the outside, twice the rate of interior contamination. Unwelcome pests included the gypsy moth, the Giant African snail, Argentine ants and the brown marmorated stink bug, each of which threaten crops, forests and urban environments. Soil residues, meanwhile, can contain the seeds of invasive plants, nematodes and plant pathogens.
“Inspection records from the United States, Australia, China
and New Zealand indicate that thousands of organisms from a wide range of taxa
are being moved unintentionally with sea containers,” the study’s lead
scientist, Eckehard Brockerhoff of the New Zealand Forest Research Institute,
told a recent meeting at FAO of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM),
IPPC’s governing body.
PH invaders
In an FAO-support study by UP Los Baños, invasive species carried to the Philippines by sea shipping include the rice black bug, which is a major rice crop pest in Mindanao and some parts of the Visayas, particularly Leyte, and arrived by cargo ship from Indonesia and Malaysia; the potato cyst nematode, which affects potato and some other vegetable crops in Northern Luzon and arrived with the importation of contaminated potato planting materials; the golden apple snail, another serious pest that according to various estimates (FAO, the International Rice Research Institute, and the Department of Agriculture) causes between $28 million and $45 million of damage per year; and the mealy bug, which affects coconut production in Palawan, and was imported with hybrid coconut planting materials.
In an FAO-support study by UP Los Baños, invasive species carried to the Philippines by sea shipping include the rice black bug, which is a major rice crop pest in Mindanao and some parts of the Visayas, particularly Leyte, and arrived by cargo ship from Indonesia and Malaysia; the potato cyst nematode, which affects potato and some other vegetable crops in Northern Luzon and arrived with the importation of contaminated potato planting materials; the golden apple snail, another serious pest that according to various estimates (FAO, the International Rice Research Institute, and the Department of Agriculture) causes between $28 million and $45 million of damage per year; and the mealy bug, which affects coconut production in Palawan, and was imported with hybrid coconut planting materials.
Estimates for crop losses from invasive species in the
Philippines are difficult to find, but on a global scale, Brockerhoff said
biological invasions inflict damages amounting to around five percent of annual
global economic activity, equivalent to about a decade’s worth of natural disasters.
Factoring in harder-to-measure impacts may double that, he said.
Designing a phytosanitary action plan
In 2015, the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures adopted a recommendation encouraging national plant protection organizations to recognize and communicate the risks posed by sea containers, and to support implementation of related parts of the UN Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTU Code), a non-regulatory industry guidebook, the FAO report explained.Although not considered a hard deadline, the Commission agreed in principle that stakeholders would be allowed a year to implement voluntary measures, and that the development of an international standard would be considered after that, which would be this year or next.
Several recommendations in the UPLB study are the same as
those adopted by the Commission, including more stringent adherence to existing
inspection and quarantine regulations, pilot testing of alien species,
monitoring developments in genetically-modified (GMO) agricultural products and
testing them, and strengthening databases to permit destination countries to
quickly identify threats and appropriate response measures
http://www.manilatimes.net/invasive-species-threat-grows-due-to-sea-shipping/280748/
Rice mission: from the Mississippi Delta to Honduras
Horizon Ag and Mississippi farmers team up with Borderless
Brigade
Aug 17, 2016 | Delta Farm Press
- Horizon Ag, Mississippi farmer team up with Borderless Brigade.
- Rice bagged at new mill, shipped to needy in Honduras.
Related Media
It turns out the man at Walker’s church was Tommy Taylor, head of Byhalia, Miss.-based Borderless Brigade. The organization’s mission statement says it is to “equip and dispatch multifunctional skilled brigades to meet basic human needs in practical ways to impoverished communities regardless of location. This is accomplished through meeting the medical, dental, optical, nutritional, clothing and shelter needs of individuals and by providing veterinary care for their livestock and pets. Borderless Brigade is your emissary equipping, embracing and enhancing lives wherever sent.”
Intrigued by Taylor’s work, Walker thought maybe he could help. “The critical cog in the wheel ended up being Mike Wagner,” says Walker. “Mike’s a rice farmer, has built a mill and was very willing to help. He milled the rice, bagged it and helped us get the logos on the bags.”
Besides his parents, Wagner points to recently deceased Tunica, Miss., farmer Penn Owen as a huge influence. “He gave of himself and his time selflessly. He took me under his wing and taught me the ropes, so to speak. We did everything from visiting and testifying before officials and lawmakers in Washington urging them to match grower check-off funds to putting our feet in Latin America.
“Penn was very popular down there and was kind of the face of the U.S. rice farmer. When he died in early spring, some of the first praise for his life came in from folks he knew in Central and South America. FECARROZ – the rice organization of Latin America -- sent flowers and condolences.”
The mill
Wagner traveled south of the border for “eight or 10 years to help however I could – and people there need the assistance. But in the back of my head I wondered ‘why aren’t we doing some of this in our own backyard? There are plenty of folks in the United States that need help, as well.’”Wagner had been interested in vertically integrating and started looking at building a rice mill. Not long after it was built, Walker called.
“I’ve known Tim for years – a fine gentleman with a brilliant mind that he focuses on rice,” says Wagner. “He and I share information on varieties sometimes – I’m always looking for varieties that might work for the markets I try to address. Out of that, Tim told me about Borderless Brigade and asked if I’d be interested in working with them. Absolutely! So we bought bags, bagged it up and ordered labels.
“It was a pleasure doing that. It was kind of coming full circle for me. I learned so much from traveling down to Latin America and the fruit of that education, all that work, ended back up in Latin America.”
IT’S FREE! Stay informed on what’s happening in Mid-South agriculture: Subscribe to Delta Farm Press Daily.
Where did the rice come from?
“Every year, we end up with a little extra seed production,” says Walker. “That’s typically sold to a mill. We thought we’d just use some of that seed.
“The way it worked out, though, is Mike had grown the same variety on his farm. Rather than freighting rice from our seed production location, we just worked out a deal.”
What about the actual delivery in Honduras?
“The Borderless Brigade took care of the logistics of getting the rice into the country,” says Walker. “We sent down 3,000 1-kilo bags that will go to families that are in poverty. There is such great need there.
“There’s a family at my church that goes down there every year. The last time I spoke with them, the rice had cleared customs down there and was waiting for the Borderless Brigade team to get there for the distributions.”
The farm
It turns out Wagner doesn’t just give rice in Latin America. “I believe we’ve given over 15,000 pounds away in the state – to a number of worthy organizations -- over the past 18 months.”Wagner’s son, Lawrence, is newly out of Mississippi State University “and we’re trying to get him inured to the farm and rice marketing.”
The family’s operation isn’t typical. “We bought land that no one else wanted and flat-graded a lot of it,” says Wagner. “When I began farming it was out of my own pocket and, in the mid-80s there was a move to LISA (Low Input Sustainable Agriculture). We still kind of practice that. One reason is economy but it also got us to where we are.
“We’re very proud of our water conservation efforts. There is also very little inputs. Geese and ducks do a lot of the fertilizing work for us. They also stomp the straw down.
“We use a little herbicide, but we’re about as green as you can get without being certified organic.”
The Wagners also grow Group 3 public variety soybeans. “We’ve learned to plant them very thick. Dryland, they’ll make 20 to 50 bushels. Two years ago, we cut some 78-bushel irrigated beans. The system works, although it isn’t perfect. I feel you can save one to three irrigations. If you’re growing Group 5s, you could shave four or five irrigations.”
Plans?
Does Walker want to continue assisting Borderless Brigade?“We want to, that’s for sure. The Horizon Ag owners are generous people and, certainly, from a rice standpoint, Honduras is a major export destination for U.S. rice anyway.
“We’ll be looking for opportunities to come alongside (the brigade) and help. As long as we have the ability to do so, we will.
“If folks want to help, please encourage them get in touch with Borderless Brigade. They have the boots on the ground, have the contacts in customs, and know the ins and outs.
Warm weather, rains trigger sprouting in unharvested Arkansas rice
In northeast Arkansas
Aug 17, 2016 | Delta Farm Press
- Warm, wet weather triggering uncommon sprouting in rice
- Reports of sprouting may increase once weather lets farmers back in field
- Sprouted grains considered undesirable
Jarrod Hardke, Extension rice agronomist with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said Tuesday (Aug. 16) that he and other agronomists had received reports from Cooperative Extension Service agents in Clay, Lawrence, Randolph and other rice-heavy counties in the northeast corner of the state this week.“It’s too early to know how widespread this is, because most growers aren’t out in their fields right now, given the rain,” Hardke said. “Once it lets up, though, and growers get out to look at the fields, I believe observations will increase. This is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Hardke said that the reports he had received as of Tuesday were from fields with relatively immature rice.
“If it’s happening there, it’s probably worse in fields where the rice is even further along in development, because the kernels will be closer to having harvestable levels of moisture,” he said.
“These are no longer viable kernels,” Hardke said. “If it makes it through a combine, producers will be docked by buyers for undesirable grain. If, for some reason, it doesn’t even make it that far, it’s just a direct yield loss.”
Heavy rainfall throughout the week had already impacted rice in Arkansas, largely bringing the young harvest to a halt. The National Weather Service reported average rainfall of 2-4 inches throughout much of the state over the weekend.
As of Tuesday, the NWS forecast 1 to 3 additional inches falling across the southern two-thirds of Arkansas, as well as neighboring states.
Delta Farm Press Daily
Craig Allen, agricultural agent for the Poinsett County Cooperative
Extension Service office, said nearly all fields in his county were too
saturated to harvest as of Monday.“It’s at a standstill right now,” Allen said. “The forecast shows rain through Saturday, so there’s a good chance it will be next Monday before anyone out here is back in the field.”
According to a report published Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, 97 percent of Arkansas rice has headed — a significant jump over the five-year average for this point in the season. About 2 percent of the crop had been harvested, which is closer to typical.
Allen said the rain and humidity had also contributed to isolated instances of late-season diseases such as neck blast and sheath blight.
Lodging
Hardke warned that if the continuing rains were joined by high winds during harvest, a portion of the state’s rice crop may become “lodged,” as heavy, harvest-ready crops collapse against each other under the weight of saturation.“When heavy rains start to come in at an angle, driven by higher winds, it has a ‘push’ effect to it,” Hardke said. “It will start to push the crop over — if there are areas of the field that have weaker stems or straw, they’re going to have a tendency to lodge and go down. Once that starts, there’s usually a domino effect — the weight of the fallen rice leaning on the rest of the rice — eventually, it’ll break down the rest of it.”
The lodging phenomenon can be a routine occurrence in Arkansas rice fields, Hardke said, which sometimes puts growers in the difficult position of deciding when to cut losses on the harvest process itself.
“If the storm damage happens later in the season, and the crop lodges, but doesn’t actually get too flat or too wet, the main fear becomes wear and tear on the machines, just to pick up anywhere near the same amount of yield,” Hardke said. “It’s much more difficult and time-consuming to cut downed rice than standing rice. You have to drive the combine slower and cut at a lower height — you’re literally trying to pick it up to get it in the combine.”
Ryan McGeeney writes for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/warm-weather-rains-trigger-sprouting-unharvested-arkansas-rice
Rice price goes up
Millers, traders cite public procurement, flood as reasons
A retailer with different varieties of rice at Bahadurbazaar
in Dinajpur. Traders say that government rice procurement coupled with recent
floods caused a supply shortage and an increase in rice price. Photo: Star
Star Report
Prices of rice have edged up amid the government's ongoing purchase, falling
supply from farmers and flood in the country's northern region, said millers
and traders.In Dhaka, retail prices of coarse rice rose by 6.45 percent to Tk 32-34 per kg from Tk 30-32 a month ago, according to the Department of Agricultural Marketing.
Prices of the staple also soared in Rangpur and Dinajpur due to supply shortages as millers prefer delivering to government warehouses at Tk 32 a kg, reports our Dinajpur correspondent.
Fine rice, including miniket and paizam, has also become dearer. A 50 kg bag of fine rice was selling between Tk 2,400 and 2,600 at a rice wholesale market in Mahiganj of Rangpur town on Sunday, up from between Tk 2,000 and Tk 2,200 two to three weeks ago, said traders.
According to some buyers and traders, prices of coarse rice have increased by nearly Tk 6 per kg in some areas of Rangpur and Dinajpur over the last two to three weeks. On Sunday, the commodity was trading at up to Tk 33 each kg, up from Tk 26 two to three weeks ago.
“How come prices go up so fast? Is there any rule?” questioned an annoyed Ibrahim Ali in Bahadurbazaar of Dinajpur town.
He claimed of buying a kg of BR-11 rice for Tk 33 this week, which he could get for Tk 26 two weeks ago at the rice markets in Bahadurbazaar. He blamed syndication of traders for the price hike.
Visiting the markets in the area on Sunday, The Daily Star found that coarse and medium-grain rice was traded at between Tk 1,600 and Tk 1,800 per 50 kgs. Some traders said the same quantity of rice was sold between Tk 1,300 and 1,500 two to three weeks ago.
“The current price is quite high for me,” said Masud Rana, a rickshaw puller in Rangpur. He urged the government to look into the matter.
Early this month, the Directorate General of Food started procuring rice as per contracts with millers. The food office aims to buy five lakh tonnes of parboiled rice and 50,000 tonnes of sundried rice from the boro crop, harvesting of which ended in June.
The office earlier bought 6.69 lakh tonnes of paddy at Tk 23 per kg during the boro season.
As of August 16, the food office bought 44,763 tonnes of rice, according to food ministry data. The government procures rice to create a stock and to give price support to growers.
KM Layek Ali, general secretary of Bangladesh Auto, Major and Husking Mills Association, said rice prices increased owing to rising prices of paddy. The government's procurement of paddy was the main reason behind the price spiral, he pointed out.
Prices of almost all varieties of paddy rose by up to Tk 300 each maund (40 kilograms) since the end of the boro season, he said, adding that the market saw poor supply of coarse paddy since the beginning of public procurement.
He said marginal farmers do not have paddy in their hand now. “Big-scale farmers and traders who hold back their stock now have paddy,” he added.
Some traders said big-scale farmers and stockists have slowed down the supply of paddy assuming that import of rice would be very expensive due to duty hike by the government.
“Many millers are also buying from local markets to deliver rice to public warehouses,” said Layek.
The government imposed 25 percent duty on rice import in the current fiscal year to protect interest of farmers.
Sheikh Abul Kashem, secretary of Rangpur Rice Millers Association, said big merchants were holding their stock. He hoped supply would improve by the end of this month.
Abdur Rashid, owner of Matin Rice at Mohammdapur Krishi Market in Dhaka, said prices of the staple have been on the rise since the Eid-ul-Fitr early last month. He attributed the price hike to higher paddy prices.
Prices of fine and medium quality rice increased by Tk 4-6 per kg since May this year owing to spike in paddy prices, said Nirod Boron Saha, a wholesaler and commission agent in Naogaon, one of the main rice trading hubs in the country's north.
Saha, also president of Dhan O Chal Aratdar O Byabosayee Samity in Naogaon, blamed the price spiral on slow supply of paddy from big farmers and traders.
He said higher prices of coarse rice might affect low-income and working class people.
“But the price hike is not abnormal. Increase in prices appears to be tolerable from the view point of increased wages of day labourers,” he added
http://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/rice-price-goes-1271653
Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
Rice|
High
|
Low
|
|
|
Long Grain Cash
Bids
|
- - -
|
- - -
|
|
Long Grain New
Crop
|
- - -
|
- - -
|
|
|
||
|
Futures:
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rice Comment
Rice futures were lower again
today, but losses were limited by increasing concern about the crop. The market
is reacting to heavy rains in Louisiana and other areas of the Delta and the
potential impact that will have on the crop there. The condition report
released Monday showed 65% rated good to excellent. However, that is expected
to deteriorate severely as the flood waters recede and we see the full extent
of the damage. Warm, wet conditions in Arkansas are causing sprouting and
eroding the quality of the crop at home. Last week’s production report showed a
reduction due to a decreased yield projection.
The average yield was decreased
to 7,659 pounds per acre, down from 7,680 pounds in the July report. A decrease
in production, beginning stocks and import projections resulted in a decrease
in the ending stocks estimate, which is now 54.7 million cwt. Exports and
domestic use were unchanged. Recent price losses resulted in the average farm
price estimate down 80 cents on either end to $10.40-$11.40
http://www.arfb.com/ag-markets-statistics/report/
Rice Prices
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Thodupuzha(Ker)
|
70.00
|
NC
|
3850.00
|
2800
|
2800
|
12.00
|
|
Vasai(Mah)
|
57.00
|
137.5
|
205.00
|
2520
|
2730
|
-3.08
|
|
Beldanga(WB)
|
45.00
|
-10
|
2788.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
8.70
|
|
Cachar(ASM)
|
20.00
|
-66.67
|
2840.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
-7.41
|
|
Tamluk (Medinipur E)(WB)
|
20.00
|
NC
|
998.00
|
2450
|
2450
|
16.67
|
|
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
|
16.20
|
145.45
|
1807.80
|
1900
|
1900
|
-
|
|
Jeypore(Ori)
|
12.00
|
700
|
151.00
|
4200
|
4200
|
2.44
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
11.00
|
57.14
|
1451.80
|
2450
|
2450
|
-
|
|
Raiganj(WB)
|
9.00
|
-10
|
1039.00
|
2750
|
2700
|
5.77
|
|
Chengannur(Ker)
|
8.00
|
100
|
706.50
|
2400
|
2600
|
-4.00
|
|
Aroor(Ker)
|
2.00
|
NC
|
222.70
|
7300
|
7300
|
5.80
|
APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1539
|
Market Watch
|
||||
|
Commodity-wise,
Market-wise Daily Price on 17-08-2016
|
||||
|
Domestic Prices
|
Unit Price : Rs per
Qty
|
|||
|
Product
|
Market Center
|
Variety
|
Min Price
|
Max Price
|
|
Rice
|
||||
|
1
|
Mangalore (Karnataka)
|
Fine
|
2600
|
3590
|
|
2
|
Dibrugarh (Assam)
|
Other
|
2000
|
2900
|
|
3
|
Sainthia (West Bengal)
|
Common
|
1840
|
1880
|
|
Wheat
|
||||
|
1
|
Dehgam (Gujarat)
|
Other
|
1655
|
1775
|
|
2
|
Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh)
|
Common
|
1650
|
2051
|
|
3
|
Sangli (Maharashtra)
|
Other
|
1800
|
2800
|
|
Banana
|
||||
|
1
|
Jagraon (Punjab)
|
Other
|
2000
|
2200
|
|
2
|
Mangalore (Karnataka)
|
Other
|
2000
|
3000
|
|
3
|
Solapur (Maharashtra)
|
Other
|
1200
|
1200
|
|
Brinjal
|
||||
|
1
|
Chala (Kerala)
|
Other
|
2200
|
2251
|
|
2
|
Bonai (Orissa)
|
Other
|
2000
|
2000
|
|
3
|
Dasuya (Punjab)
|
Other
|
1200
|
1500
|
|
Source:agmarknet.nic.in
|
||||
|
APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1540
|
Market Watch
|
||||
|
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on
17-08-2016
|
||||
|
Domestic Prices
|
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
|
|||
|
Product
|
Market Center
|
Variety
|
Min Price
|
Max Price
|
|
Rice
|
||||
|
1
|
Mangalore (Karnataka)
|
Fine
|
2600
|
3590
|
|
2
|
Dibrugarh (Assam)
|
Other
|
2000
|
2900
|
|
3
|
Sainthia (West Bengal)
|
Common
|
1840
|
1880
|
|
Wheat
|
||||
|
1
|
Dehgam (Gujarat)
|
Other
|
1655
|
1775
|
|
2
|
Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh)
|
Common
|
1650
|
2051
|
|
3
|
Sangli (Maharashtra)
|
Other
|
1800
|
2800
|
|
Banana
|
||||
|
1
|
Jagraon (Punjab)
|
Other
|
2000
|
2200
|
|
2
|
Mangalore (Karnataka)
|
Other
|
2000
|
3000
|
|
3
|
Solapur (Maharashtra)
|
Other
|
1200
|
1200
|
|
Brinjal
|
||||
|
1
|
Chala (Kerala)
|
Other
|
2200
|
2251
|
|
2
|
Bonai (Orissa)
|
Other
|
2000
|
2000
|
|
3
|
Da
|
|||
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