Cabinet
execs eye stop to NFA rice-trading activities
CABINET officials are set to recommend to
President Rodrigo Duterte the abolition of the grains buying and selling
functions of the National Food Authority (NFA), where reports of corruption
date back to its creation in 1972 during the Marcos administration.This was the
decision of an interagency body composed of the heads of the Departments of
Finance, Agriculture, Budget and Management, and the National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA), said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto
Pernia.“The decision that is going to be proposed to the President, which I am
sure he will like, is to remove the proprietary and commercial activity of NFA,
and [allow it to]focus on its core function of regulation,” Pernia told
reporters.Under the Office of the President, the NFA is responsible for
ensuring food security and the stability of supply and price of rice, the
Philippines’ staple grain.
The NFA has the monopoly of rice importation
and buys rice at above market prices supposedly to support rice farmers. At the
same time it sells rice at below market prices to keep the cost of the staple
low, resulting in billions of losses.Pernia, the NEDA director general, said
the removal of the agency’s commercial functions means the agency would no
longer be engaged in buying and selling of rice, a source of
corruption.“[Instead] they will just focus on regulation and ensure adequate
buffer stock. They should have a buffer stock. Buffer stock is really reserved,
it should always be there, in case of contingencies,” he said.Once approved,
the selling of cheap NFA rice in accredited stores will also stop, Pernia said.
“Rice will be mainly imported by private
sector. The imported rice is always cheaper than homegrown rice. It is very
expensive to grow rice in our country. It also removes the smuggling problem,”
he explained.This measure will also control the ballooning debt of the agency,
Pernia said.“The problem with NFA is it buys high and sells low so it incurred
a lot of loss. The accumulated debt of NFA is already at P165 billion,” he
said.To pay for the debt, the NFA can sell certain assets such as real estate,
Pernia said.The interagency body will still determine if the abolition of the
NFA’s commercial functions can be implemented by an executive order or through
legislation.“There will be a lot of objections.
Many people would want to maintain the commercial function of the NFA, because
it’s a milking cow,” Pernia said.“It is a good time to do it now, because
President Duterte has strong support in Congress. We are trying to push it now
because it has to be done, otherwise the bleeding will continue,” he added.
Column: Asia's rice market reaches semblance of normality after Thai upheaval - Russell
A farmer harvests rice at a paddy field outside
Hanoi October 11, 2012. REUTERS/Kham
Clyde Russell | LAUNCESTON, Australia
(The
opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.)Asia's rice markets are showing signs of returning to what could be described as normal trade, even as the last acts of Thailand's ultimately disastrous subsidy scheme play out.While Thailand's benchmark 5-percent broken rice has slumped 15 percent in the past month to $376.50 a tonne, it's likely that move is driven mainly by supply and demand factors, rather than political intervention and its aftermath.The rice market has been characterized by distortion since former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra implemented a rice-buying system after winning elections in 2011.
Her government's plan was simplistic and deeply flawed, and while it may have delivered higher incomes to her rural supporters, it resulted in a massive surplus of rice entering government stockpiles - a blowout in Thailand's budget and ultimately leading to her ouster by the military in 2014.
Yingluck believed that Thailand could unilaterally raise the price of rice to overseas buyers given its status as the world's largest exporter of the grain that is the staple food for about two-thirds of the world's population.
All she succeeded in doing was encouraging India to start exporting its massive surplus, as well as delivering market share to regional rival Vietnam, with both those countries overtaking Thailand in the export stakes.
In the meantime, Thailand built up a stockpile of more than 20 million tonnes of rice, equivalent to about double its usual annual exports.
These inventories acted as a drag on the rice price, even after the new military government in Thailand ended the subsidy scheme and started selling down the stockpile.
This process still has way to go with Thailand planning to sell another 1 million tonnes of rice in August, which will reduce its stockpile to something closer to eight million tonnes.
This is a much more manageable figure, indicating that rice is more likely to trade on supply and demand fundamentals in the coming months, and that Yingluck's intervention and its aftermath will eventually fade into memory.
The question then becomes as to which direction are the fundamentals pointing, and is the sharp price decline of recent weeks the start of a new bear cycle.
It's still the case that rice markets appear well supplied, even though the now faded El Nino weather event brought drought and reduced crops in major producers India, Thailand and Vietnam.
There is some doubt among weather forecasters about the strength of the current La Nina event, where lower sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific tend to cause heavier rains across Southeast and South Asia, as well as in Australia.
It seems most likely that the 2016-17 rice season will be about normal, with top exporter India sowing 32.61 million hectares of rice for the season started in June, up from 30.47 million the prior year.
SHIFT IN MARKET DYNAMICS
The International Grains Council estimated on Aug. 25 that global rice production for 2016-17 would be 484 million tonnes, down on the prior month's forecast of 487 million but up on the previous season's 473 million.
Thailand expects to export about 9.5 million tonnes in 2016, and shipments in the first half of the year were up 12 percent on the same period last year, according to the Thai Rice Exporters Association.
The overall supply picture is one of comfortable volumes being available amid the ongoing selldown of high inventories in both Thailand and India.
On the demand side, top importer China hiked its purchases almost 23 percent from a year go to 2.141 million tonnes in the first seven months of 2016, according to customs data.
The main beneficiaries of the increase were Thailand, which boosted its exports to China in the January-July period by 31 percent to 555,993 tonnes, and Pakistan, whose sales rose almost 220 percent to 513,245 tonnes.
With China's early 2016 rice output down 2.7 percent to 32.8 million tonnes, it's likely that China will continue to see rising imports over the coming months.
The Philippines, another major importer, is also increasing purchases, with the government planning to buy 1 million tonnes to secure supplies until next year while prices are low.
The current price weakness is also likely to tempt buyers in the Middle East and Africa.
Putting supply and demand together and rice looks more like a market responding to shifts in those dynamics.
This is a marked change from the politics-driven market of the previous years, and more likely a more healthy situation.
Yingluck, however, has defended her rice-buying scheme in her trial on charges of criminal negligence over her management of the subsidy system, which the military government says cost the country around $8 billion.
"We found that the rice policy could increase people's income and the price of rice for farmers," Yingluck told the Supreme Court north of the capital, Bangkok, during her trial on Aug. 5.
"It did not distort the market," she said. "We saw that the benefits of the scheme outweighed the monetary losses."
The scheme may well have provided a temporary boost to farmers, but Yingluck remains deluded if she thinks it didn't distort the rice market.
It is only now, two years after she was ousted, that the distortions are finally dissipating.
(Editing by Himani Sarkar)
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-column-russell-rice-asia-idUSKCN1160YN
NFA releases rice import terms
By: Ronnel W. Domingo
12:03 AM August 30th, 2016
The National Food Authority has released the terms of reference (TOR) for its importation of 250,000 tons of milled rice on Aug. 31, signed by Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco.The NFA wants the entire volume to arrive and be deposited in various warehouses across the country by the end of October.
The NFA is buying from neighboring, state-run suppliers mainly in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Southeast Asia is home to some of the world’s biggest exporters of rice as well as some of the biggest importers, including the Philippines.
Based on the TOR, the biggest tranche at 80,000 tons should be shipped to Manila, the National Capital Region being the biggest consumer of rice in the country.
About one-fifth—49,000 tons—of the latest batch of imports are bound for warehouses in Cebu City while 24,000 tons are going to Zamboanga City and 20,000 tons to Davao City.
Also, 16,000 tons each are going to the cities of Tabaco and General Santos; and 12,000 tons each to Batangas City and Subic in Zambales.
Further, 10,000 tons is going to Iloilo City; 6,000 tons to Legaspi City and 5,000 tons to San Fernando in La Union.
Earlier this month, Evasco was reported to have said he would propose to President Duterte the abolition of the NFA,
Largely because of the agency’s P167-billion debt, Evasco said the NFA was better scrapped or be relegated as a regulatory body without commercial stake in the industry.
Evasco took over the NFA along with three of the biggest agriculture-related agencies that used to be under the Office of the Presidential Assistant on Food Security and Agricultural Modernization which President Aquino created. Before that, the agencies were supervised by the Department of Agriculture.
The three other agencies are the National Irrigation Administration, Philippine Coconut Authority and Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol had vied for the return of the these four agencies to the DA, and had even recommended to the President a list of appointees to lead the agencies.
Fresh demand from the Philippines expected to boost Vietnam's rice exports
Vietnam is likely to win a deal to supply 250,000 tons of rice to the Philippines. Vietnam is planning to bid for a 250,000 ton rice contract to the Philippines, said the Vietnam Food Association.Vietnamese rice exporters are likely to submit offers at more competetive prices ranging from $360 to $365 per ton than their Thai rivals.Experts said Vietnam looks set to win the contract for delivery of 250,000 tons, mostly 25 percent broken rice, to the Philippines.There is no specific information on when the shipments are due to arrive.
The Philippines’s National Food Authority (NFA)
plans to import 1 million tons of the staple grain in 2017 to fill stockpiles.
The NFA, which ensures the country's food
security, said it is also looking to buy up to 750,000 tons of well-milled
long-grain white rice through government-to-government deals to build up
stocks.Countries with existing supply agreements with the Philippines such as
Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia are qualified to submit offers.
Vietnamese rice exporters said the fresh demand
from the Philippines could boost export prices, which have been under
pressure from weak market demand since the second half of this year.
Over the January-August period, Vietnam’s rice
exports fell 16.6 percent on-year to 3.37 million tons, according to data
released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.Thin demand and
rising supplies have also driven
down
Vietnam’s export prices.Vietnam's rice exports in the same period were down
nearly 13.1 percent from a year ago at $1.51 billion, according to the
ministry.China remains Vietnam’s biggest customer for the staple grain,
accounting for 36 percent of Vietnam's exports over the first eight
months of the year.However, China's purchases of Vietnamese rice were down
about 21.6 percent from a year ago in July at 1.04 million tons.The
Philippines, one of the world’s biggest rice buyers, imports about 1 million
tons or more of the staple grain each year to bolster stockpiles that can be
severely depleted by adverse weather conditions and natural calamities.The
Philippines is hit by 20 typhoons on average each year, mostly during the
second half of the year.
http://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/fresh-demand-from-the-philippines-expected-to-boost-vietnam-s-rice-exports-3459625.html
Vietnam’s
rice exports fall during January-August
Vietnam
exported 432,000 tonnes of rice for 191 million USD in August, bringing the
total volume and value in the first eight months of this year to 3.37 million
tonnes and 1.51 billion USD.
The
figures represented decreases of 16.6 percent in volume and 13.1 percent in
value compared with the same period last year, according to the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development. China remained the biggest importer of
Vietnam’s rice with 36 percent of the market share. A total of 1.04 million
tonnes worth 476 million USD were shipped to this market between January-July,
down 21.6 percent in volume and 11.9 percent in value year-on-year.
Indonesia followed with 353,000 tonnes and 140.4 million USD, up 25.5-fold in volume and 26.8-fold in value year-on-year. Rice export to several traditional markets suffered from drastic decreases, including the Philippines (66.4 percent), Malaysia (54.5 percent), and Singapore (36.3 percent). However, it is noted that the Philippines will open bidding for 250,000 tonnes of rice on August 31 as part of its plan to import 1 million more tonnes of rice to ensure food for next year. Vietnam will participate in this auction, according to the Vietnam Food Association.
Indonesia followed with 353,000 tonnes and 140.4 million USD, up 25.5-fold in volume and 26.8-fold in value year-on-year. Rice export to several traditional markets suffered from drastic decreases, including the Philippines (66.4 percent), Malaysia (54.5 percent), and Singapore (36.3 percent). However, it is noted that the Philippines will open bidding for 250,000 tonnes of rice on August 31 as part of its plan to import 1 million more tonnes of rice to ensure food for next year. Vietnam will participate in this auction, according to the Vietnam Food Association.
VNA
Second rice shipment to China to start soon
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION August 31, 2016 1:00 am
THAILAND should soon start shipping the second
1-million-tonne lot of rice under a contract with China after that country
delayed the shipment for a |few months as it was not yet ready for it.Duangporn
Rodphaya, director-general of the Commerce Ministry's Foreign Trade Department,
said the first 1-million-tonne shipment under the agreement had been completed
midyear. After requesting a suspension of its rice imports, and it now seems
ready for the second lot.She said the Thai government would continue to ship
the rice in small lots of 100,000 tonnes per month, as previously. Chinese and
Thai officials are discussing the details of the shipments and should soon be
able to get them started soon.
During the second lot of shipments, Thailand
also expects that China will negotiate the import of another 1 million tonnes
of rice from Thailand in the future, Duangporn said.Meanwhile, the Commerce
Ministry is confident of getting all the paperwork completed before the
deadline next February for its legal action demanding compensation from four
politicians and two former government officials involved in a fake
government-to-government rice deal.Duangporn said the ministry needed a long
time to study the legal procedures carefully as it is a sensitive case that
involves several agencies.
In addition, the ministry reported that 13 rice
traders joined the fifth auction of the year for 750,000 tonnes of rice. If the
government accepts their bids and sells this stock, it could generate Bt7.4
billion in sales value.
Moreover, 10 bidders have joined the auction
for 255,000 tonnes of low-grade rice for the industrial sector. The ministry
will consider their bids soon.About 9.1 million tonnes of rice remain in the
government stockpiles, including the latest lots put up for auction. As of
August 26, Thailand has exported 6.3 million tonnes of rice this year, worth
Bt99 billion, up by 8.2 per cent in volume and 6 per cent in value over the
same period last year.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Second-rice-shipment-to-China-to-start-soon-30294128.html
Scientists hope new varieties can start Africa rice revolution
As the climate shifts and arable land shrinks under population pressure, experts say there is a need for more innovative ways to produce food. Africa's food deficit is projected to increase to 60 million metric tonnes by 2020 if no action is taken, according to the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).Joe DeVries, director of an AGRA program to strengthen Africa's seed systems, said productivity on the continent is limited by the fact that farmers have a narrow choice of improved varieties. “Most of them (are) planting varieties that were released more than 30 years ago,” he said.
Denis Kyetere, executive director of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), which has developed the new hybrids in a public-private partnership, said hybrid technology had revolutionized rice production in Asia, especially in China. Asia’s productivity dramatically increased from an average of 1.89 metric tonnes per hectare in 1949 to 6.71 tonnes per hectare in 2012.“With this technology, we look forward to Africa being able to feed Africa,” said Kayode Sanni, project manager for rice at the AATF. In 2014, Africa imported 12 million tonnes of rice, mostly from Asia, he noted.The AATF, in collaboration with private firm Hybrids East Africa Limited, has so far developed 140 hybrid rice varieties using African parent lines.
Of these, 15 – each yielding 7 to 10 tonnes per hectare - have been presented to the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) for national performance trials. U.S.-based aWhere Inc, a partner in the hybrid rice project, has developed web-based tools that allow scientists to determine when and where to conduct breeding, seed multiplication and seed production to take advantage of the best climate conditions.
BEATING EXPECTATIONS
Improved inbred rice varieties, such as the New Rice for Africa (NERICA) lines, are already in use on African farms.
With this method, two different parent varieties are cross-bred, and their offspring are selected through several cycles of self-pollination, or inbreeding, to get the desired result.
The end product has the ability to reproduce itself through self-pollination because the rice plant flowers contain both the male and female organs.
With hybrid varieties, the parent plants are crossed separately with new varieties, and the offspring from those crosses are united to produce a first-generation hybrid seed, which performs better than both parents. The process is repeated each time.
Currently, the average yield of inbred rice varieties in sub-Saharan Africa is 2.3 tonnes per hectare. But in trials, some of the new hybrids have produced between 7 and 10 tonnes per hectare, said Sanni, more than the breeders had hoped for.
“I think it is a tremendous breakthrough,” he added.
One potential problem is that seeds harvested from hybrid plants are not recommended for replanting because their superior performance is lost due to genetic separation, resulting in a lower yield.
That means farmers do not save seed from their harvest to plant again, and seed companies must cross the parent materials every season to produce new hybrid seed for planting.“This has always been a setback - particularly for farmers who cannot afford higher prices of hybrid seeds. But through this project, we have developed an innovative way of helping the poor farmers, so that they can borrow the seed and pay (it) back only after harvest,” said John Mann, managing director for Afritec Seeds Ltd, which is testing more than 100 hybrid varieties under the AATF’s “Breeding by Design” project.
EAGER FARMERS
Although farmers will have to buy seeds each time they plant, the extra profit from the hybrids' higher yield is expected to be far higher than the cost of the seeds, said Sanni.
Apart from Egypt, which has been producing hybrid rice on a commercial scale for over a decade, no other African country had succeeded in developing its own local hybrid rice.
Egyptian farmers have improved the country’s average rice production to almost 10 metric tonnes per hectare, a feat praised by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and others.
Farmers who are participating in the trials in East Africa are eagerly waiting for the hybrid seeds to be officially released for commercial use – probably in less than a year, after two seasons of trials by KEPHIS.
“We have already set aside money to buy the new breeds,” said Charles Wawo, a rice farmer and chairman of the Ahero Irrigation Scheme Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society in Kisumu County in western Kenya.
Kenya and Tanzania will be the first beneficiaries of the new hybrid varieties. Trials will then be rolled out in other countries in East, West and Southern Africa, Sanni said.
(Reporting by Isaiah Esipisu; editing by Megan Rowling. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit news.trust.org)
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-africa-agriculture-rice-idUSKCN1140NO
Chasing the monsoon
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/chasing-the-monsoon/article9046474.ece
USA Rice Establishes Strong Ties
with Rice Wholesalers in Mexico
By Sarah Moran
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO -- The USA Rice
promotions team in Mexico has added a new target audience to its wide-ranging
marketing program - principal grocery wholesalers. Several of these wholesalers
have developed into significant one-stop outlets servicing Mom & Pop,
corner, or convenience stores - a distribution channel not previously serviced
by USA Rice.During the past month USA Rice has partnered with two of the
largest of these wholesalers, Scorpion and El Zorro, who have multiple stores
throughout urban areas. "We've
developed programs and activities for this very important group of wholesalers
who handle quite a bit of packaged rice," said Gaby Carbajal, who leads
USA Rice promotions in Mexico. "In the past, we have been very
successful targeting larger supermarket chains, but this new segment
specifically targets the thousands of Mom & Pop stores so common in Mexico
City. In turn, we reach urban consumers who don't shop in the larger
suburban chains. It's a way of maximizing our reach in this huge country
of over 120 million people." As part of the new marketing program,
USA Rice will sponsor a booth at the annual trade show of ANAM (National
Association of Grocery Wholesalers) held in Puebla in September.
"This trade show is only open
to the trade and USA Rice received a special invitation to attend," said
Carbajal. "We expect to establish deeper ties with this group, and
develop promotional activities for buyers to educate them about and promote the
benefits of trading in U.S. origin rice."
Australian rice exports to PNG at risk
Exports
to one of Australia's biggest rice markets are at risk because of a change of
government policy in Papua New Guinea. More than three-quarters of the rice
consumed in PNG is imported from or sourced by Australia. But the PNG
Government's new rice policy will give 80 per cent of the import market to what
it is calling 'pioneer investors' willing to develop a domestic rice industry.
Eric Tlozek
ELEANOR
HALL: Exports to one of Australia's biggest rice markets are at risk, because
of a change of government policy in Papua New Guinea.More than three quarters of the rice consumed in PNG is imported from or sourced by Australia.
But the PNG Government's new rice policy will give 80 per cent of the import market to what it is calling "pioneer investors", willing to develop a domestic rice industry, as Papua New Guinea correspondent Eric Tlozek reports.
JOHNATHAN THURSTON: Hi, I'm Johnathan Thurston from the North Queensland Cowboys. To be the best at my game, I need to be fit and healthy.
ERIC TLOZEK: Australian rice-growers have been using Papua New Guinea's love of rugby league to market their rice under the "Trukai" brand.
JOHNATHAN THURSTON: Rice is a big part of my diet and I love Trukai Jasmine rice.
ERIC TLOZEK: The company, owned by Australia's Sun Rice, has more than 75 per cent of PNG's rice market.
But Trukai's extensive operation in Papua New Guinea is threatened by a government decision to create an import quota and allocate it to another company which promises to grow rice in PNG.
Trukai's chief executive is Greg Worthington-Eyre.
GREG WORTHINGTON-EYRE: Trukai's been here for over 46 years. We've built a very large distribution system and we've been feeding the country and guaranteeing food security for that period of time and with this policy, as it's constructed as of today, would basically wipe out our business.
ERIC TLOZEK: Trukai's business is worth $360 million a year, and a good portion of Australia's rice exports go to PNG.
Greg Worthington-Eyre says the policy also threatens the company's extensive workforce.
GREG WORTHINGTON-EYRE: We have invested extensively in our distribution network and we have a finishing mill in Lae and we are the only company that packs in country.
All the other rice imported into PNG comes packed offshore. So we have a significant investment, we employ over a thousand people, and that's been built up over a period of time.
ERIC TLOZEK: Australian investment in PNG is worth more than $20 billion, and is supposedly protected by a bilateral agreement.
The executive director of the Australia-Papua New Guinea Business Council, Frank Yourn, says the rice policy seemingly overrides some of those protections, which is alarming for investors.
FRANK YOURN: It would send a negative signal to investors, not only Australian investors, but investors anywhere that you know, if their investments aren't properly protected by the international agreements that Papua New Guinea has entered into, then that's a deep concern for companies.
ERIC TLOZEK: Australia's Trade Minister wrote to his PNG counterpart, Richard Maru, who then sought legal advice on the policy.
Mr Maru told parliament that showed it would breach the trade agreement.
RICHARD MARU: Trukai, which is an Australian majority-owned company, is likely to lose a lot of business.
But that's the law - that's the agreement we have signed. So I am informing parliament. That's the advice I've received.
ERIC TLOZEK: The minister warned Parliament it would also breach international trade rules.
RICHARD MARU: If ever our government embarks on such a policy it will be in serious breach of our obligations as a member of the World Trade Organization. It is also likely to be illegal.
ERIC TLOZEK: Even though the policy has been announced, PNG's Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, says Cabinet is yet to make a final decision on its implementation.
But he says rice importers need to contribute to the development of a domestic rice industry.
PNG's former agriculture secretary, Matthew Kanua says that's not easy, as other crops like coffee and cocoa give PNG's small-block farmers a better return.
MATTHEW KANUA: I think what you're going to get is elevated, inflated rice prices, which will be passed on to the consumers, and I think the Government is going to waste and put in a lot of money into a business venture which is not going to produce any dividends to the nation.
It's just not going to work.
ERIC TLOZEK: Papua New Guinea's competition watchdog, the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission, agrees.
It published a report last year saying the policy would increase the price of rice, reduce the amount eaten in PNG and - because the policy gives generous tax breaks for the "pioneer investor" - provides no financial benefits to the Papua New Guinea government.
From Port Moresby, this is Eric Tlozek, reporting for The World Today
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-31/australian-rice-exports-to-png-at-risk/7801788
Domestic Rice Production is a Necessity
Tuesday,
August 30, 2016 8:58am /FBNQuest Research
Rice remains an integral part of the average Nigerian’s diet. As such, there is no surprise that the country is import heavy on this food crop. The FGN’s estimates show demand at 6.3 million metric tons per year (mmt/y) while domestic supply is estimated at 2.3 mmt.
According to the FGN’s Agriculture Promotion Policy, rice imports still exceed US$1bn per annum. We gather that the CBN’s policy which focused on limiting the importation of 41 items (rice inclusive) led to a 300,000 metric ton decline in rice imports in Q1 2016.The inclusion of rice on the list of 41 items excluded from accessing forex from the official window as well as the general issues with sourcing fx has led to a drop in rice supply to the domestic market and a spike in prices.
Considering that the FGN’s set minimum wage currently stands at N18,000 per month, a bag of rice currently priced at N23,000 per bag is almost not affordable for the average household.Despite the ban on rice imports through land borders, there has been increased smuggling. The Nigeria Customs Service has recorded a pick-up in seizures since January 2016.The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) has expressed its commitment to improving rice productivity. Local rice production has been projected to hit 2.7 mmt in 2017.On the public- private partnership sphere, recently Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the FMARD to invest US$1bn towards boosting fully integrated rice production and processing across the country over the next two years.
Apart from large entities like Olam and Dangote, there has been increased participation by small holder rice farmers. However, access to credit still remains a challenge.There are other areas within the rice value chain which are largely untapped; they include processing, storage, packaging and distribution. Insufficient supply chain integration was highlighted as a core issue within the rice segment by the FGN.While the supply deficit is huge, closing the gap could be accelerated through increased private sector participation. However the onus is on the government to create an enabling environment. Excluding the job creation potential, this would also ease pressure on the country’s import bill.
Second rice shipment to China to start soon
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION August 31, 2016 1:00 am
THAILAND should soon start shipping the second
1-million-tonne lot of rice under a contract with China after that country
delayed the shipment for a |few months as it was not yet ready for it.
Duangporn Rodphaya, director-general of the Commerce
Ministry's Foreign Trade Department, said the first 1-million-tonne shipment
under the agreement had been completed midyear. After requesting a suspension
of its rice imports, and it now seems ready for the second lot.
She said the Thai government would continue to ship the rice
in small lots of 100,000 tonnes per month, as previously. Chinese and Thai
officials are discussing the details of the shipments and should soon be able
to get them started soon.
During the second lot of shipments, Thailand also expects
that China will negotiate the import of another 1 million tonnes of rice from
Thailand in the future, Duangporn said.Meanwhile, the Commerce Ministry is
confident of getting all the paperwork completed before the deadline next
February for its legal action demanding compensation from four politicians and
two former government officials involved in a fake government-to-government
rice deal.Duangporn said the ministry needed a long time to study the legal
procedures carefully as it is a sensitive case that involves several agencies.
In addition, the ministry reported that 13 rice traders
joined the fifth auction of the year for 750,000 tonnes of rice. If the
government accepts their bids and sells this stock, it could generate Bt7.4
billion in sales value.
Moreover, 10 bidders have joined the auction for 255,000
tonnes of low-grade rice for the industrial sector. The ministry will consider
their bids soon.
About 9.1 million tonnes of rice remain in the government
stockpiles, including the latest lots put up for auction. As of August 26,
Thailand has exported 6.3 million tonnes of rice this year, worth Bt99 billion,
up by 8.2 per cent in volume and 6 per cent in value over the same period last
year.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Second-rice-shipment-to-China-to-start-soon-30294128.html
Golden Rice still struggling for acceptance in Asia
August 30, 2016 - by Laura Lloyd
Golden
Rice, so named because beta-carotene turns the rice kernels bright yellow,
still remains short of commercialization after many years of testing and
tweaking the genetics required to produce the seeds.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, U.S. — Seventeen years
ago, the promise of what is called Golden Rice seemed simple enough: insert a
trait that adds beta-carotene to the genetic code of rice and watch the perils
of blindness and death from vitamin A deficiency in children and pregnant women
start to disappear. Impoverished Asian — and perhaps some Central American —
countries where rice is eaten as much as three meals a day would obtain a
low-cost, convenient way to end one of the worst scourges of malnutrition.
But the reality has proved far more complex. Golden Rice, so named because beta-carotene turns the rice kernels bright yellow, still remains short of commercialization after many years of testing and tweaking the genetics required to produce the seeds. It continues to be recommended as a way to eradicate devastating effects on the eyesight and immune systems of a large portion of children under five in the developing world, despite many bumps in the road along the way to production.
But the reality has proved far more complex. Golden Rice, so named because beta-carotene turns the rice kernels bright yellow, still remains short of commercialization after many years of testing and tweaking the genetics required to produce the seeds. It continues to be recommended as a way to eradicate devastating effects on the eyesight and immune systems of a large portion of children under five in the developing world, despite many bumps in the road along the way to production.
Organizations opposing all forms of bioengineered crops have kept up their special focus on blocking Golden Rice, said Robert S. Zeigler, Ph.D., plant pathologist and director general of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) from 2005 to 2015, who led the organization during much of the research and development of the beta-carotene enriched rice. “You can see why there was excitement … here was a way we could use modern technology to transform the lives of the poor,” he told World Grain. “There were people, including myself, who did not understand how complex and difficult the process was going to be and how many potholes” were going to be encountered in the journey from invention to the marketplace, he said. A recurring problem was resistance from environmental groups such as Greenpeace International, which, Zeigler said, “have drawn a line in the sand to, quite explicitly, block Golden Rice.”
He said Greenpeace has argued that Golden Rice
is a Trojan horse, taking the view that “if Golden Rice is allowed to succeed,
that will be a justification for all GMOs to be introduced,” he said.
For a
variety of reasons, many of which don’t have much to do with Greenpeace, Golden
Rice remains unavailable to rice growers anywhere in the world, and experts
estimate it will be at least a couple of years before it will be available,
probably starting in the Philippines. Zeigler said large-scale trials in
farmers’ fields would likely be in place in about 2019, with commercialization
coming somewhat later.
The
Philippines and Bangladesh are two countries with both a large impoverished
population and a relatively advanced regulatory process for developing and
disseminating bioengineered crops .
“One of the questions is how a crop like Golden
Rice would establish itself in the market,” he said. “It would be fairly
straightforward for farmers to grow it and either buy the seed from seed
growers, or, because of the nature of rice, they could even save their seed for
one or two generations to produce it.”
The
Philippines and Bangladesh are two countries with both a large impoverished
population and a relatively advanced regulatory process for developing and
disseminating bioengineered crops (Bangladesh has released an insect-resistant
genetically modified eggplant) and Golden Rice would likely get its start
growing there, Zeigler said. Other countries that may follow suit include
Indonesia, Malaysia, Colombia in Central America and Haiti, a Western
Hemisphere country known for its poverty.
Experts said China, the behemoth of Asia in
terms of population, has made enough strides in feeding its people that the
need for a product like Golden Rice is less pressing, although malnutrition has
certainly not been eradicated. But dealing with genetically modified crops —
and specifically Golden Rice — in China has been fraught. In 2013, Tufts
University in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., admitted its researchers violated
ethical rules in a study feeding Golden Rice to children in China. Greenpeace
in China contended scientists fed children a potentially dangerous product
without informing parents, and China responded by closing down the research.
The controversy “became a huge social media story and, if you look at attitudes
toward GM by the Chinese public and Chinese consumers after that event, it went
quite negative,” said Eric J. Wailes, Ph.D., distinguished professor of
agricultural economics at the University of Arkansas, U.S.
India, where childhood malnutrition is
significant, has a strongly anti-GMO policy that has been influenced by
attitudes prevalent in the European Union, said Zeigler. And Thailand, one of
the biggest exporters of rice, has said it will never grow Golden Rice.
Golden Rice made the news again this summer,
when 107 Nobel laureates signed a letter urging Greenpeace to end its efforts
to stop Golden Rice from coming onto the market. According to The
Washington
Post, one of the motivations for Greenpeace’s campaign against
Golden Rice, in the opinion of signers of the letter, was that spreading fear
about bioengineered crops helps raise money for their cause.World
Grain requested a response from Greenpeace to the Nobel Laureates’
letter, and received this email:
“Some organizations have asserted that GMOs
such as Golden Rice could help impoverished populations combat vitamin A
deficiency,” said Davon Hutchins, senior campaigner for Greenpeace
International’s Food for Life campaign. “Golden Rice is still in the research
phase after 20 years. It is not a viable solution available on the market,
according to the IRRI There are also other ways to combat VAD (vitamin-A
deficiency) without resorting to “silver bullet” GMOs, like a more balanced
diet rich in all vitamins, including vitamin A. Many of our partners in
developing countries like Southeast Asia and Africa simply don’t want to be
forced to choose or become reliant on GMO crops and we respect their concerns
and reservations.”Wailes offered a rebuttal.“Obviously, a more diversified diet
with foods high in beta-carotene, such as leafy greens, vegetables and fruits is
for some countries a better way, but if a family is living on less than $2 per
day, access to a diversified diet is not generally possible.”
While high-profile skirmishes in the GMO wars
attract the public’s attention, other, less dramatic issues have also been a
focus of the Golden Rice debate.The amount of willingness farmers have to grow
Golden Rice, its financial cost relative to other types of rice, its yields and
its other agronomic attributes are useful questions in evaluating the efficacy
of Golden Rice. Experts have spent time considering how best to convince
impoverished and often poorly educated consumers to try the new product —
despite its being a color they might associate with urine or discoloration and
spoilage, noted Wailes.
He said rice exporting and importing nations
remained concerned about the potential for bioengineered rice to co-mingle with
other types of rice. Major rice growing and exporting countries in the Far
East, such as Thailand, have said they will not grow and export Golden Rice
abroad because of these perceived risks.“I think we should salute the anti-GMO
community for getting the word contamination in common use,” Zeigler said
sardonically. “It has a very negative connotation.”He noted that many countries
have “very onerous rules against the sale or distribution of GMOs that have not
passed regulatory approval.”
Proponents of Golden Rice note that one
potential problem for Golden Rice — patent restrictions and, with them,
potentially higher seed costs, has been “put to bed,” said Zeigler. Syngenta,
the biotechnology company that developed Golden Rice, has given up its
intellectual property rights on Golden Rice as a humanitarian initiative.
Farmers wouldn’t have to pay more for Golden Rice seed, and the IRRI has been given
a free hand by Syngenta to work with the technology.“Part of the original
challenges in getting Golden Rice ready were, in fact, the result of a
requirement of the inventors,” Zeigler said. “They imposed a requirement that
Golden Rice couldn’t be sold at a premium, with the intention of making sure
nobody profited from what they perceived as an international public good.”He
said Golden Rice would have to have the same yield and quality of ordinary
rice, which represented a significant breeding challenge.“The materials where
the Golden Rice advantage was originally put were completely unsuitable for
Asian rice projection conditions,” he said. “So there was a major breeding
undertaking to get those genes together in a material farmers would grow.”
He continued, “The kind of setbacks and false
starts that happened in developing this trait was something that kept me up at
night.”As things currently stand, yields of Golden Rice grown, at least in the
Philippines, aren’t as consistent as yields of conventional rice.
With the question of pricing Golden Rice seed
resolved, farmers would likely focus on other variables as to whether to plant
the bioengineered seed. One of their decisions would be whether the nutritional
attributes of Golden Rice would make a difference. Wailes at the University of
Arkansas said studies have shown that 40% to 50% of farmers would be willing to
grow bioengineered rice that offers a 10% improvement in nutrition over other
varieties.
Zeigler said rice markets in the Philippines
and Bangladesh are partly controlled by a government food authority that sets
the price of rice. In addition, “there is quite a lively market in the rice
trade,” he said, with farmers making their own planting decisions.“Farmers are
businesspeople and will grow a crop to make a profit,” he said. “If there is
not demand for Golden Rice beyond just regular rice, they will only grow Golden
Rice if they get a good yield and a good price for it.” Zeigler firmly believes
demand for Golden Rice will ratchet higher when governments make an effort to
spread the news about its significant health benefits.“It will require a
marketing effort to educate consumers,” he said. “It’s a legitimate role for
the public sector. NGO’s would be involved. I hope religious entities become involved,
as for anything that improves the health of children.”
http://www.world-grain.com/articles/news_home/World_Grain_News/2016/08/Golden_Rice_still_struggling_f.aspx?ID=%7BC92F4CE9-6F84-44BC-947F-E98D022BE8FD%7D&cck=1
Cameron Parish rice farmers are struggling after state's heavy floods
Tuesday, August 30th 2016, 8:23 am PKTTuesday,
August 30th 2016, 8:46 am PKT
La. 1141 runs the length of Monkey Island close to the Cameron coast. Hurricane Rita washed away the ferry back in 2005, which cut off the 500-acre island.
(Source: Maranda Whittington/KPLC)
"I was one of the lucky ones to be able to plant a little bit early because I don't plant a lot of rice and was able to get through quicker than most," said rice farmer Kelly Precht.
For others, that wasn't the case.
"Here comes harvest time when about 40-percent of the rice was ready to harvest in the state of Louisiana, and we had this disaster come in and take out our crops," said rice farmer Charles Schultz.
Schultz and his family lost close to 60-percent of their crops from the floods. The crops that are still good might not make it because it becomes nearly impossible for Schultz to get through the fields.
"The roads are muddy; you can't get the trucks in and out to harvest it, and it delayed our harvest time," said Schultz.
This ends up affecting Schultz financially.
"I've had an extra $80,000 in equipment cost just attempting to get this rice out in time that we normally would not have had," said Schultz.
Emotionally all this has really affected him.
"Gut-wrenching, I mean it takes everything that we've worked our whole lives for just to be thrown away," said Schultz.
Bradley Pousson is LSU Ag's rice county agent for Cameron Parish, and admits it's hard to see Schultz, and other farmers in this situation.
"I have a lot of friends that I went to school with that I've been knowing through the years that are now farmers, and seeing them go through this and just doing what I can to help them," said Pousson. "It's very heartbreaking to see this."
Months of hard work for Schultz - just to be washed away by a few hours of heavy rain.
"Fourteen hours a day out here and sometimes if it's the middle of harvest season, he (Schultz) doesn't even go home," said Pousson. "..It's just there's a lot of time that goes into this that nobody really understands."
Schultz and his father said that the floods end up affecting the entire community. Many will be out of jobs for months if rice farmers aren't able to salvage enough rice to send to the mills.
http://www.kplctv.com/story/32872107/cameron-parish-rice-farmers-are-struggling-after-louisianas-heavy-floods
Jonesboro's Madison Gibson named Miss Arkansas Rice
By Arkansas
Farm Bureau • Aug 29, 2016
Credit Arkansas Farm Bureau
Madison
Gibson of Jonesboro (Craighead County) was named 2016-17 Miss Arkansas Rice on
Saturday at the Brinkley Convention Center. Gibson is a junior at Jonesboro
High School and is the daughter of Scott and Karie Gibson.Libby Thornhill of Wynne (Cross County) was first runner-up. Second runner-up was Dawsyn Smith of Newport (Jackson County). Other county winners participating in the state finals were Torri Dumond of DeWitt (Arkansas County), Kristen Lanni of White Hall (Jefferson County), Chloe Griffith of Marianna (Lee County), Lacy Smith of Ward (Lonoke County), Libby Wilkison of Brinkley (Monroe County), Alexandria Rawls of Palestine (St. Francis County) and Gabriella Winkler of Augusta (Woodruff County).
The goal of the Miss Arkansas Rice program is to encourage interest in rice promotion and to publicize the importance of the Arkansas rice industry to the state's economy. Contestants were judged on their promotion activities and knowledge of the rice industry. They also cooked a rice dish at the competition on which they were judged. Gibson’s recipe was “Get Your Gumbo On!”
The Arkansas Rice Council sponsors the annual contest in cooperation with Arkansas Farm Bureau and the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Arkansas Farm Bureau is a nonprofit, private advocacy organization of more than 190,000 families throughout the state working to improve farm and rural life.
http://kasu.org/post/jonesboros-madison-gibson-named-miss-arkansas-rice#stream/0
Scientists Hope New Varieties Can Start Africa Rice Revolution
NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The
first hybrid rice varieties developed in sub-Saharan Africa are yielding up to
four times more than other improved varieties, say scientists, who are using
web-based tools to identify the right climate conditions to maximise harvests.
The 15 hybrids, bred in Kenya and Tanzania, are
also tolerant to diseases and the high temperatures found in Kenya's western
Lake Region and coastal areas.
Local farmers have always depended on imported
hybrid rice varieties, particularly from Asia, which sometimes do not adapt
well to conditions in sub-Saharan Africa.
As the climate shifts and arable land shrinks
under population pressure, experts say there is a need for more innovative ways
to produce food.
Africa's food deficit is projected to increase
to 60 million metric tonnes by 2020 if no action is taken, according to the
Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
Joe DeVries, director of an AGRA programme to
strengthen Africa's seed systems, said productivity on the continent is limited
by the fact that farmers have a narrow choice of improved varieties.
“Most of them (are) planting varieties that
were released more than 30 years ago,” he said.
Denis Kyetere, executive director of the
African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), which has developed the new
hybrids in a public-private partnership, said hybrid technology had
revolutionised rice production in Asia, especially in China.
Asia’s productivity dramatically increased from
an average of 1.89 metric tonnes per hectare in 1949 to 6.71 tonnes per hectare
in 2012.
“With this technology, we look forward to
Africa being able to feed Africa,” said Kayode Sanni, project manager for rice
at the AATF. In 2014, Africa imported 12 million tonnes of rice, mostly from
Asia, he noted.
The AATF, in collaboration with private firm
Hybrids East Africa Limited, has so far developed 140 hybrid rice varieties
using African parent lines.
Of these, 15 – each yielding 7 to 10 tonnes per
hectare - have been presented to the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service
(KEPHIS) for national performance trials.
U.S.-based aWhere Inc, a partner in the hybrid
rice project, has developed web-based tools that allow scientists to determine
when and where to conduct breeding, seed multiplication and seed production to
take advantage of the best climate conditions.
BEATING EXPECTATIONS
Improved inbred rice varieties, such as the New
Rice for Africa (NERICA) lines, are already in use on African farms.
With this method, two different parent
varieties are cross-bred, and their offspring are selected through several
cycles of self-pollination, or inbreeding, to get the desired result.
The end product has the ability to reproduce
itself through self-pollination because the rice plant flowers contain both the
male and female organs.
With hybrid varieties, the parent plants are
crossed separately with new varieties, and the offspring from those crosses are
united to produce a first-generation hybrid seed, which performs better than
both parents. The process is repeated each time.
Currently, the average yield of inbred rice
varieties in sub-Saharan Africa is 2.3 tonnes per hectare. But in trials, some
of the new hybrids have produced between 7 and 10 tonnes per hectare, said
Sanni, more than the breeders had hoped for.
“I think it is a tremendous breakthrough,” he
added.
One potential problem is that seeds harvested
from hybrid plants are not recommended for replanting because their superior
performance is lost due to genetic separation, resulting in a lower yield.
That means farmers do not save seed from their
harvest to plant again, and seed companies must cross the parent materials
every season to produce new hybrid seed for planting.
“This has always been a setback - particularly
for farmers who cannot afford higher prices of hybrid seeds. But through this
project, we have developed an innovative way of helping the poor farmers, so
that they can borrow the seed and pay (it) back only after harvest,” said John
Mann, managing director for Afritec Seeds Ltd, which is testing more than 100
hybrid varieties under the AATF’s “Breeding by Design” project.
EAGER FARMERS
Although farmers will have to buy seeds each
time they plant, the extra profit from the hybrids' higher yield is expected to
be far higher than the cost of the seeds, said Sanni.
Apart from Egypt, which has been producing
hybrid rice on a commercial scale for over a decade, no other African country
had succeeded in developing its own local hybrid rice.
Egyptian farmers have improved the country’s
average rice production to almost 10 metric tonnes per hectare, a feat praised
by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and others.
Farmers who are participating in the trials in
East Africa are eagerly waiting for the hybrid seeds to be officially released
for commercial use – probably in less than a year, after two seasons of trials
by KEPHIS.
“We have already set aside money to buy the new
breeds,” said Charles Wawo, a rice farmer and chairman of the Ahero Irrigation
Scheme Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society in Kisumu County in western Kenya.
Kenya and Tanzania will be the first
beneficiaries of the new hybrid varieties. Trials will then be rolled out in
other countries in East, West and Southern Africa, Sanni said.
(Reporting by Isaiah Esipisu; editing by Megan
Rowling. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of
Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking,
property rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2016/08/29/world/africa/29reuters-africa-agriculture-rice.html?ref=world&_r=0
Commodity Report Aug. 30
Published August 30, 2016
Today’s commodity report: National Weekly Rice Summary, Weekly Shipments (Movement) – Peach, California Shell Eggs: Daily Egg Report, Shell Eggs: Daily National Egg Market and other commodity end of the day market numbers.
National Weekly Rice Summary
In California, medium grain milled rice prices
steady to weak. Second head and Brewers prices steady to weak. Rice by-products:
Rice Bran and rice hulls Steady to firm. Milled rice market is currently in
doldrums until harvest.
CME Rough Rice settlements for Friday 26th, Sep
16 closed .055 lower at 9.73; Nov 16 closed .025 higher at 9.925; Jan 17 closed
.10 higher at 10.155. US dollar index on Friday settled at 95.48.
California Shell Eggs: Daily Egg Report
Prices are steady. Trade sentiment is steady to
cautiously steady. Retail demand is light to mostly moderate with loose egg sales
moderate to fairly good. Warehouse buying interest is hand to mouth. Offerings
and supplies are moderate. Market activity is slow. Monday’s shell egg
inventories increased 15.4% in the Southwest and 9.7% in the Northwest.
Shell egg marketer’s benchmark price for
negotiated egg sales of USDA Grade AA and Grade AA in cartons, cents per dozen.
This price does not reflect discounts or other contract terms.
|
RANGE
|
|
|
JUMBO
|
173
|
|
EXTRA LARGE
|
147
|
|
LARGE
|
137
|
|
MEDIUM
|
90
|
Shell Eggs: Daily National Egg Market
New York prices are unchanged on larger sizes
and Medium. Regional and California prices are steady. The undertone is steady
to firm. Offerings are moderate in California and the Southeast, light to
moderate elsewhere. Demand into all channels is moderate to fairly good, while
retail demand in California is light to mostly moderate. Supplies are at times
light to moderate for current trade needs. The total shell egg inventory is 0.1
percent less when compared to the previous week. Market activity is slow in California,
moderate in the remains areas. Breaking stock demand is light to moderate on
light to moderate offerings with many breakers working from regular commitments
and company owned production. Light type hen supplies are at least sufficient;
processing schedules are normal.
Today’s Commodity Market ending market numbers:
Corn
September Corn ended at $3.04 losing 7 3/4 cents, December ended at $3.15 3/4 down 5 cents.
Soybeans
September Soybeans ended at 9.65 1/2 decreasing 17 3/4 cents, November ended at 9.50 3/4 dropping 13 1/2 cents.
Wheat
September Wheat ended at $3.63 1/4 down 7 1/4 cents, December ended at $3.92 1/4, decreasing 4 3/4 cents.
Rough Rice
September Rough Rice ended at 9.28 losing 0.19, November ended at 9.52 down 0.185.
Live Cattle
August Live Cattle ended at $111.60 up $0.85, October ended at $107.65 gaining $2.575 and December ended at $109.325 increasing $2.30.
Feeder Cattle
September Feeder Cattle ended at $142.525 gaining $3.375 and October ended at $139.525 increasing $4.15 and November ended at $136.325 up $4.10.
Lean Hogs
October Lean Hogs ended at $62.00 up $0.625, December ended at $57.00 gaining $0.675.
Class III Milk
September Class III Milk ended at $16.60 gaining $0.05, October ended at $16.62 up $0.10, November ended at $16.39 increasing $0.11.
#2 Cotton
December #2 Cotton ended at 66.29 down 0.66, March ending at 66.67 losing 0.76.
Sugar #11
October sugar #11 ended at 20.52 decreasing $0.15, March ended at 21.01 down $0.14.
Orange Juice
September Orange Juice ending at 188.85 down $3.10, November ended at 189.15 gaining $0.05.
September Corn ended at $3.04 losing 7 3/4 cents, December ended at $3.15 3/4 down 5 cents.
Soybeans
September Soybeans ended at 9.65 1/2 decreasing 17 3/4 cents, November ended at 9.50 3/4 dropping 13 1/2 cents.
Wheat
September Wheat ended at $3.63 1/4 down 7 1/4 cents, December ended at $3.92 1/4, decreasing 4 3/4 cents.
Rough Rice
September Rough Rice ended at 9.28 losing 0.19, November ended at 9.52 down 0.185.
Live Cattle
August Live Cattle ended at $111.60 up $0.85, October ended at $107.65 gaining $2.575 and December ended at $109.325 increasing $2.30.
Feeder Cattle
September Feeder Cattle ended at $142.525 gaining $3.375 and October ended at $139.525 increasing $4.15 and November ended at $136.325 up $4.10.
Lean Hogs
October Lean Hogs ended at $62.00 up $0.625, December ended at $57.00 gaining $0.675.
Class III Milk
September Class III Milk ended at $16.60 gaining $0.05, October ended at $16.62 up $0.10, November ended at $16.39 increasing $0.11.
#2 Cotton
December #2 Cotton ended at 66.29 down 0.66, March ending at 66.67 losing 0.76.
Sugar #11
October sugar #11 ended at 20.52 decreasing $0.15, March ended at 21.01 down $0.14.
Orange Juice
September Orange Juice ending at 188.85 down $3.10, November ended at 189.15 gaining $0.05.
http://agnetwest.com/2016/08/30/commodity/
Recipe: Tomatoes do double duty in coconut rice
By MEERA SODHA The Associated Press
First Published Aug 30 2016 01:05AM
•
Last Updated Aug 30 2016 01:05 am
This July 2016 photo shows tomato and coconut
rice in London. This dish is from a recipe by Meera Sodha.
When Labor Day swings around, it's the cue for
a final summer food fling — one last late-night barbeque and a fond farewell to
the garden's seasonal bounty.Perhaps the saddest good-bye is to summer
tomatoes. Although they're available year-round, they never quite taste the
same. Right now, they're at peak deliciousness.
I eat them in every way I can: I fry them for
breakfast, slow-roast them for salads, add them to sandwiches and make tomato
chutney. But when big groups of friends come over, I love whipping up South
Indian tomato and coconut rice.
Tomatoes work in a couple of different ways in
this recipe: They create a wonderful sauce alongside the coconut milk, which is
used to flavor and cook the rice, then they float to the top to decorate the
dish.
The end result is a dish delicious enough to
stand on its feet without the need for anything else (which is especially good
if you have vegetarians or vegans at the table) but will also complement
grilled meat or salad. As a side benefit, it's inexpensive to cook a mountain
of it and uses just a single pot.
TOMATO AND COCONUT RICE
Curry leaves add a lovely citrus and smoke
flavor to the rice but can be tricky to find unless you live near an Asian
supermarket. If you can't find them, leave them out.
Start to finish • 45 minutes
Serves • 4
2 cups of basmati rice
2 tablespoons canola oil
12 fresh curry leaves
1 cinnamon stick, approx. 2 inches
1 large onion, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 green serrano chilies, finely sliced
1 handful of cashews, unsalted
12 ounces fresh baby plum or cherry tomatoes,
halved
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup water
Wash the rice in a few changes of cold water
until the water runs clear, then leave to soak in cold water to one side.
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan. When oil is
hot, add the curry leaves and cinnamon stick. Stir-fry for one minute, then add
the onions. Cook the onions until they begin to turn golden brown and are soft
enough to cut with a wooden spoon, then add the garlic, chilies and cashews.
Cook for another two minutes, then add the
tomatoes. Cover and cook for around eight minutes until the tomatoes are soft
around the edges.
Drain the rice and add it to the pan. Stir to
mix. Then add all of the coconut milk, a cup of water and the salt to the pan.
Stir again and bring the mixture to a boil for two minutes, cover and then turn
the heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
Turn off heat. Keep covered for an additional
10 minutes before serving. Nutrition information per serving • 652
calories; 245 calories from fat; 27 g fat (17 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0
mg cholesterol; 498 mg sodium; 90 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 12 g
protein.
— Meera Sodha is an Indian foods expert and
author of "Made in India: Recipes from an Indian family kitchen." She
lives in London, blogs at www.meerasodha.com and tweets at @meerasodha
http://agriculture.einnews.com/article/342311695/1brOdVUmHqx5qvL6
APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1546
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Rice Prices
as on : 31-08-2016 02:30:38 PMArrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
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Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
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Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Bangalore(Kar)
|
2379.00
|
8.43
|
173434.00
|
3800
|
3800
|
-11.63
|
|
Jaunpur(UP)
|
220.00
|
10
|
5170.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
8.91
|
|
Azamgarh(UP)
|
175.00
|
-2.78
|
6756.00
|
2200
|
2190
|
4.02
|
|
Faizabad(UP)
|
150.00
|
7.14
|
4599.50
|
2325
|
2270
|
12.32
|
|
Pilibhit(UP)
|
116.00
|
23.4
|
20953.50
|
2245
|
2240
|
2.75
|
|
Bahraich(UP)
|
112.00
|
-2.61
|
5049.00
|
2190
|
2195
|
6.05
|
|
Basti(UP)
|
95.00
|
-13.64
|
6026.00
|
2085
|
2080
|
7.75
|
|
Kalipur(WB)
|
95.00
|
58.33
|
7529.00
|
2350
|
2350
|
20.51
|
|
Mathabhanga(WB)
|
90.00
|
-25
|
5640.00
|
2450
|
2450
|
25.64
|
|
P.O. Uparhali Guwahati(ASM)
|
81.00
|
-6.9
|
4269.60
|
2230
|
2230
|
6.19
|
|
Devariya(UP)
|
80.00
|
-
|
80.00
|
2250
|
-
|
-
|
|
Thodupuzha(Ker)
|
70.00
|
NC
|
3990.00
|
2600
|
2800
|
4.00
|
|
Jangipur(WB)
|
63.50
|
NC
|
1509.60
|
2230
|
2230
|
7.21
|
|
Mainpuri(UP)
|
55.00
|
-34.52
|
1581.50
|
2225
|
2200
|
12.37
|
|
Egra/contai(WB)
|
54.80
|
-0.72
|
629.10
|
2500
|
2400
|
19.05
|
|
Coochbehar(WB)
|
45.00
|
-3.23
|
1969.50
|
2400
|
2400
|
17.07
|
|
Gazipur(UP)
|
36.00
|
-12.2
|
2828.50
|
2170
|
2160
|
7.69
|
|
Purulia(WB)
|
36.00
|
100
|
2490.00
|
2380
|
2460
|
1.71
|
|
Balugaon(Ori)
|
30.00
|
50
|
504.00
|
3300
|
3300
|
10.00
|
|
Meerut(UP)
|
26.00
|
-16.13
|
745.50
|
2320
|
2325
|
5.94
|
|
Shahjahanpur(UP)
|
25.00
|
-3.85
|
44839.70
|
2250
|
2250
|
11.11
|
|
Jalpaiguri Sadar(WB)
|
25.00
|
NC
|
914.00
|
2650
|
2650
|
-11.67
|
|
Ramkrishanpur(Howrah)(WB)
|
24.40
|
13.49
|
1371.80
|
2400
|
2400
|
-4.00
|
|
Ghatal(WB)
|
21.00
|
-8.7
|
44.00
|
2350
|
2400
|
9.81
|
|
Kaliaganj(WB)
|
20.00
|
-33.33
|
1008.00
|
2650
|
2650
|
6.00
|
|
Ulhasnagar(Mah)
|
18.00
|
-10
|
315.00
|
3500
|
3500
|
-
|
|
Medinipur(West)(WB)
|
17.00
|
-15
|
55.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
-
|
|
Giridih(Jha)
|
15.37
|
0.07
|
313.49
|
3500
|
3500
|
NC
|
|
Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah)
|
12.00
|
9.09
|
2149.00
|
3600
|
3600
|
-
|
|
Lakhimpur(UP)
|
12.00
|
9.09
|
626.50
|
2410
|
2405
|
12.09
|
|
Champadanga(WB)
|
12.00
|
100
|
1159.00
|
2650
|
2650
|
3.92
|
|
Pundibari(WB)
|
12.00
|
-7.69
|
333.00
|
2350
|
2350
|
17.50
|
|
Pukhrayan(UP)
|
11.00
|
10
|
299.50
|
2215
|
2215
|
3.02
|
|
Mirzapur(UP)
|
10.00
|
17.65
|
1600.10
|
1980
|
1980
|
0.51
|
|
Fatehpur(UP)
|
9.00
|
-50
|
351.70
|
2235
|
2250
|
0.22
|
|
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
|
8.80
|
-60
|
1847.50
|
1900
|
1900
|
-
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
8.60
|
13.16
|
1483.00
|
2450
|
2450
|
-
|
|
Cherthalai(Ker)
|
8.50
|
NC
|
445.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
-12.00
|
|
Karnailganj(UP)
|
8.20
|
-36.92
|
21.20
|
2030
|
2000
|
4.10
|
|
Jeypore(Ori)
|
7.80
|
21.88
|
165.20
|
5000
|
4200
|
53.85
|
|
Raiganj(WB)
|
7.50
|
-16.67
|
1055.50
|
2700
|
2750
|
NC
|
|
Karsiyang(Matigara)(WB)
|
7.50
|
15.38
|
172.60
|
2700
|
2700
|
-
|
|
Nimapara(Ori)
|
6.00
|
NC
|
267.00
|
2000
|
2000
|
-9.09
|
|
Firozabad(UP)
|
6.00
|
-25
|
753.10
|
2280
|
2250
|
11.76
|
|
Islampur(WB)
|
4.50
|
12.5
|
359.50
|
2400
|
2350
|
9.09
|
|
Melaghar(Tri)
|
2.00
|
100
|
130.30
|
2700
|
2650
|
14.89
|
|
Gulavati(UP)
|
1.50
|
NC
|
68.00
|
2270
|
2280
|
11.82
|
|
Ernakulam(Ker)
|
0.56
|
NC
|
13.24
|
3500
|
3500
|
7.69
|
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article9055108.ece
08/30/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
Rice|
High
|
Low
|
|
|
Long
Grain Cash Bids
|
- - -
|
- - -
|
|
Long
Grain New Crop
|
- - -
|
- - -
|
|
|
||
|
Futures:
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rice Comment
Rice futures ended lower again today.
Nationwide, 13% of the crop is now rated poor to very poor, and another 27% is
in fair condition. Excessive rains have resulted in rice that has lodged and has
sprouted in the field. This will all result in poorer quality rice and less
than ideal yields. The crop is now 22% harvested. November is testing support
at the contract low of $9.51.
Crop Progress: 2016 Crop 22
Percent Harvested
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
USA Rice Daily, Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Around
500 researchers, scientists, members of the academe, students, farmers,
and other stakeholders will gather at the Philippine Rice Research
Institute (PhilRice) in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija for the 29th National Rice R&D Conference, September 7-8, 2016.With the theme, R4D and rice security, the 2016 conference will focus on plans and strategies for attaining rice security.
“With this conference, we aim to get feedback and advice from rice industry stakeholders on the relevant rice R4D thrusts and initiatives to achieve rice security,” said Dr. Sailila E. Abdula, newly-designated acting executive director of the Institute. Abdula will give a presentation titled Roadmap for Impact: The PhilRice Strategic Plan, 2017-2022.
Anchored on the new strategic plan, this year’s conference will launch the vision, Rice-Secure Philippines of PhilRice and its partners. Rice security as defined by PhilRice means affordability, and accessibility to high-quality and nutritious rice at all times. The new vision encompasses broad areas relating to rice cultivation, commerce, consumption, and competitiveness. It is founded on the DA’s vision of a “food-secure society where farmers enjoy decent and rising standards of living.”
The conference papers and posters will also revolve around four thematic areas: rice germplasm and breeding for improving yields, grain quality and nutrition, resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses; crop management options for increasing/sustaining yields and improving resource-use efficiency; technologies, systems, tools, and socio-economic information for efficient rice and rice-based farming; and technology promotion and delivery for accelerating adoption and achieving impacts on farm productivity and sustainability. The R4D projects in support of the food staples sufficiency program of the DA in collaboration with international and national/local organizations will also be highlighted.
Four plenary sessions and 37 papers for concurrent sessions will be presented along with 99 technical posters for viewing. Three farmers from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao will also share their experiences and best practices.
New PhilRice knowledge products will also be launched including two books, rice technology handouts, PhilRice Milestones, infographic series, and videos.
The National Rice R&D Conference is the most significant scientific gathering annually hosted by PhilRice. It opens avenues to discuss and challenge ideas and technologies concerning the country’s rice R&D.
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