26th October,2016 daily global,regional and local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine

KBP concerned over low paddy prices

October 25, 2016

HAFIZABAD - The Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) called upon the government to fulfill its promise of the procurement of basmati paddy by the Trading Corporation of Pakistan and Passco at the government-fixed support price.Addressing a press conference here, KBP’s Central Rice Committee Chairman Amanullah Chattha said that basmati paddy is being purchased by the middlemen at Rs1,300 per 40kg which has inflicted huge loss to the growers.

He further said that during a sit-in staged by the growers, the Punjab agriculture minister had assured them that basmati paddy would be purchased by the government agencies at the support price fixed by the government.
However, he regretted, that the promise has not yet been materialised causing huge loss to the growers

http://nation.com.pk/national/25-Oct-2016/kbp-concerned-over-low-paddy-prices

Govt mulls extra rice imports after typhoons: official

Enrico Dela Cruz, Reuters

Posted at Oct 25 2016 06:17 PM | Updated as of Oct 25 2016 07:12 PM

MANILA - Philippine authorities are keeping an eye on the country's rice supply and will decide shortly if more imports of the staple grain are needed after two typhoons hit major rice-producing provinces this month, an official said on Tuesday.The country's grains procurement agency National Food Authority (NFA) has a stand-by authority to import another 250,000 tons of rice in addition to the 250,000 tons it bought recently from Vietnam and Thailand, said Diwa Guinigundo, the deputy governor of the country's central bank.The central bank is represented in the NFA Council, the inter-agency panel that approves rice importation.

The council "will be monitoring the situation within the month and on the basis of our assessment, decide accordingly," Guinigundo told Reuters, without giving any further details on the timing of the NFA's next rice import deal.The central bank is closely watching domestic rice prices, which account for 9 percent of the consumer basket, making the commodity an "important determinant of inflation," Guinigundo said in separate interview with local news channel ANC.The NFA Council has yet to see any damage report after Super Typhoon Haima hit some of the country's rice-growing regions last week, Guinigundo said in the ANC interview.

"Depending on the magnitude ... I think the NFA has sufficient buffer at this point to make sure that prices of rice and other commodities will be more or less stable," he said.Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said on Monday there was no urgent need to import rice, although his department said the damage inflicted by Super Typhoon "Lawin" (international name: Haima) on agriculture and fisheries had reached P10.2 billion ($212 million), with the biggest losses seen in rice, corn and vegetables.

Lawin, the 12th storm to hit the Philippines this year, came just days after Typhoon Karen (international name: Sarika) also slammed into the northern provinces, damaging $62 million worth of crops.The Southeast Asian country, one of the world's biggest rice importers, is hit by an average of 20 storms every year.

'Lawin' kills 12, ravages rice fields in PH

BENGUET/HONG KONG - Typhoon Lawin (international name: Haima), the strongest storm to hit the Philippines in three years, killed at least 12 people and inundated vast tracts of rice and corn fields, officials in Manila said on Friday, before it took aim at Hong Kong.Philippine authorities said they were assessing the extent of damage to infrastructure and crops, but confirmed that thousands of hectares of farmland were destroyed in northern provinces.Eight of the victims were from the Cordillera region, said Ricardo Jalad, chief of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, citing reports the agency received from provincial officials.

In Cagayan alone, where the super typhoon made landfall late on Wednesday with destructive 225 kph (140 mph) winds and heavy rain, between 50,000-60,000 hectares of rice fields were flattened and flooded, said the provincial governor Manuel Mamba."It was like we were hit by another Yolanda," he told a radio station, referring to the 2013 super typhoon known internationally as Haiyan which killed at least 6,000 people and destroyed billions of pesos worth of property.

Hong Kong shut all but essential services in the global financial hub as the storm approached."According to the present forecast track, Haima will be closest to Hong Kong around noon, skirting about 100 km (62 miles) to the east of the territory," said the observatory on its website."This means that winds with mean speeds of 63 kmh (40 mph) or more are expected from the northwest quarter."Flights and train services have been cancelled in and out of the city.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/business/10/25/16/govt-mulls-extra-rice-imports-after-typhoons-official

Nigeria: Govt Gets 14-Day Ultimatum to Lift Ban On Rice Importation

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

The Campaign for Democracy, CD, has given the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to lift the ban on rice importation, to help reduce premature deaths by suicidal actions by hungry and frustrated Nigerians.National Publicity Secretary of CD, Dede Uzor Uzor, who gave the ultimatum in Onitsha, Anambra State yesterday, said since government does not have any incentive for farmers to produce enough rice for local consumption, there is no need banning importation of such an important commodity.

Describing rice as one of the favourite staples of every family, Uzor declared that "with Nigeria being unable to grow enough rice for the population of about 180 million, continued placement of ban on it would only aggravate the situation and cause more harm than good.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201610250608.html

Rice Prices

as on : 25-10-2016 08:10:47 PM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.

	Arrivals			Price
	Current	% change	Season cumulative	Modal	Prev. Modal	Prev.Yr %change
Rice
Pilibhit(UP)	10000.00	11.11	54057.50	2240	2235	2.28
Shahjahanpur(UP)	1752.40	-59.01	32632.20	2250	2250	11.11
Sultanpur(UP)	786.50	-9.34	6199.50	2250	2280	4.65
Nalbari(ASM)	495.00	3.34	3249.50	2300	2300	15.00
Etawah(UP)	360.00	500	12295.00	2260	2260	-0.66
Burdwan(WB)	332.00	3.75	6989.00	2200	2200	25.71
Manjeri(Ker)	290.00	NC	11890.00	3200	3200	6.67
Hardoi(UP)	260.00	1268.42	3286.20	2220	2240	2.78
Gondal(UP)	168.00	-11.11	11618.50	2030	2000	0.25
Guskara(Burdwan)(WB)	158.00	6.76	3592.00	2400	2350	17.07
Allahabad(UP)	140.00	40	5090.00	2240	2245	-0.88
Mathabhanga(WB)	130.00	44.44	6330.00	2450	2450	32.43
Faizabad(UP)	100.00	25	4373.00	2260	2275	9.18
Dhing(ASM)	95.00	-13.64	3590.20	2000	2000	11.11
Saharanpur(UP)	95.00	18.75	5709.00	2300	2310	7.48
Kalipur(WB)	95.00	5.56	7365.00	2300	2300	24.32
Cachar(ASM)	80.00	33.33	3190.00	2200	2200	-18.52
Ballia(UP)	80.00	-11.11	5680.00	2125	2125	7.87
Vasai(Mah)	77.00	75	492.00	2720	2680	4.62
Mainpuri(UP)	70.00	32.08	2021.00	2250	2250	11.39
Jangipur(WB)	63.50	0.79	1628.60	2245	2225	7.42
Dadri(UP)	60.00	20	2148.00	2240	2260	8.74
Nadia(WB)	50.00	25	1220.00	3350	3350	15.52
Silapathar(ASM)	49.00	-5.77	857.90	3000	3000	NC
Beldanga(WB)	48.00	6.67	3586.00	2600	2550	11.83
Pandua(WB)	48.00	4.35	2936.00	2800	2800	16.67
Coochbehar(WB)	47.50	1.06	2372.50	2450	2450	16.67
Lanka(ASM)	45.00	NC	3210.00	2000	2000	12.68
Gazipur(UP)	42.50	25	3152.00	2180	2170	8.46
Lakhimpur(UP)	40.00	233.33	537.00	2200	2390	0.46
Yusufpur(UP)	35.00	40	1490.00	2130	2140	5.97
Gauripur(ASM)	34.50	-19.77	2698.00	4500	4500	NC
Katwa(WB)	32.50	4.84	543.00	2400	2400	14.29
Chintamani(Kar)	29.00	-	58.00	2500	-	-
Purulia(WB)	24.00	-20	2050.00	2380	2400	13.33
Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah)	20.00	42.86	2258.00	3000	3000	-
Medinipur(West)(WB)	18.00	NC	174.00	2500	2550	-
Pundibari(WB)	15.50	3.33	428.50	2350	2350	14.63
Rampur(UP)	15.00	-6.25	1227.00	2570	2575	17.89
Kaliaganj(WB)	15.00	-25	1081.00	2550	2550	-8.93
Mekhliganj(WB)	15.00	-6.25	970.00	2400	2350	26.32
Golaghat(ASM)	12.00	242.86	267.50	2200	2200	-10.20
Islampur(WB)	12.00	20	406.90	2400	2400	17.07
Kolaghat(WB)	11.00	-8.33	1192.00	2550	2550	6.25
Nilagiri(Ori)	10.00	25	574.00	2300	2400	-8.00
Dinhata(WB)	10.00	NC	215.50	2250	2250	10.29
Tamluk (Medinipur E)(WB)	10.00	-9.09	1140.00	2550	2550	6.25
Sheoraphuly(WB)	8.50	6.25	488.15	2850	2850	14.00
Bolangir(Ori)	8.00	NC	383.40	2400	2400	9.09
Mirzapur(UP)	8.00	33.33	1671.10	2170	2175	9.60
Raiganj(WB)	7.50	NC	936.00	2730	2730	-5.86
Dibrugarh(ASM)	7.00	-22.22	1690.20	2450	2450	-
Champadanga(WB)	7.00	-56.25	1147.00	2700	2700	14.89
Tusura(Ori)	6.00	20	370.00	2400	2400	NC
Buland Shahr(UP)	6.00	NC	381.50	2250	2250	11.39
Haldibari(WB)	6.00	NC	516.00	2350	2350	-9.62
North Lakhimpur(ASM)	5.50	-70.74	1955.50	1900	1900	NC
Jeypore(Ori)	5.00	150	222.50	4100	4200	NC
Uluberia(WB)	5.00	4.17	236.40	2450	2450	-2.00
Chengannur(Ker)	4.50	-30.77	545.00	2400	2400	-4.00
Baruipur(Canning)(WB)	4.40	-20	105.50	2800	2800	NC
Jeypore(Kotpad)(Ori)	4.00	17.65	218.30	4100	4200	-3.53
Darjeeling(WB)	3.30	26.92	138.10	2950	2950	9.26
Melaghar(Tri)	3.00	50	109.00	2850	2750	18.75
Jahangirabad(UP)	2.00	NC	8.00	2260	2260	-
Lamlong Bazaar(Man)	1.50	7.14	60.80	3000	3000	NC
Shillong(Meh)	1.00	25	74.20	3500	3500	NC
Bishenpur(Man)	1.00	NC	26.70	2900	2900	NC
Kalimpong(WB)	0.90	-25	44.80	2650	2650	17.78
Ernakulam(Ker)	0.56	NC	13.12	3500	3500	7.69

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article9266383.ece

Low Uptake of Gov’t Rice Fund

Millers are using their own resources to purchase paddy rice from farmers to store in their warehouses,
bypassing the government’s emergency rice fund. Reuters

The government’s much-heralded $27 million emergency rice fund, announced last month amid complaints from rice farmers and millers that cheap competition and low-storage capacity was driving down prices, has so far had only limited takers among rice millers.Kao Thach, CEO at the Rural Development Bank (RDB) said yesterday that the rice sector was presently still using its own funds to purchase and process the ongoing rice harvest, and that the fund had not yet been utilized.

“At this moment, all rice millers are using their own resources to purchase rice from farmers to store in their warehouses, but I hope that they will come to us for the next harvest season, which includes other varieties of aromatic fragrant rice [Romdoul and Malis] that are popular globally,” he explained.He predicted that the increased need in November and December for loans will see the emergency fund being totally used up. With interest on the loans being seven percent annually, Mr. Thach said that he expected any loans from the fund to be fully repaid by May, once all rice had been harvested.

 In order to qualify for the funding, millers must use their rice stocks as collateral, which may be a factor in the limited number of loan recipients.Phon Nary, director-general of Heng Huch Rice Mill in Battambang province, told Khmer Times that he had hoped to apply for the funds, but that his rice storage capabilities were too small for RDB requirements.He said that the RDB required storage capacity of up to 150 tons per day but small and medium-sized operations struggled to store more than 50 tons.

 

“Currently I use my money to purchase rice from farmers and now I have almost exhausted my budget to purchase the upcoming rice harvest,” he said. “I have purchased about 600 tons...and my silos can only receive about 45 tons a day and process about six tons per hour, so we haven’t been allowed to get funding.”“We are now trying to sell our milled rice to the market to get some money to purchase the upcoming new harvest” Mr. Nary added.He said that more than 10 rice mills in Battambang province had been unable to receive any loans under the scheme, and called upon the government and the RDB to lower their storage requirements before the next harvest.

 Rin Sokun, the owner of Chhang Lay Rice Mill in Battambang province, agreed that the current system seems to be favoring large-scale exporters, rather than smaller businesses.“The government cooperates with the big rice mills and huge rice exporters as they are easy to work with,” he said.“We are disappointed since what we expect from the government is now hopeless – both farmers and rice mills do not trust the government. Farmers expect the rice mills to purchase their rice since [they think] rice millers now have lots of money, but the reality is not this,” Mr. Sokun said.

http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/31195/low-uptake-of-gov---t-rice-fund/

Govt mulls extra rice imports after typhoons: official

Enrico Dela Cruz, Reuters

Posted at Oct 25 2016 06:17 PM | Updated as of Oct 25 2016 07:12 PM

MANILA - Philippine authorities are keeping an eye on the country's rice supply and will decide shortly if more imports of the staple grain are needed after two typhoons hit major rice-producing provinces this month, an official said on Tuesday.
The country's grains procurement agency National Food Authority (NFA) has a stand-by authority to import another 250,000 tons of rice in addition to the 250,000 tons it bought recently from Vietnam and Thailand, said Diwa Guinigundo, the deputy governor of the country's central bank.
The central bank is represented in the NFA Council, the inter-agency panel that approves rice importation.
The council "will be monitoring the situation within the month and on the basis of our assessment, decide accordingly," Guinigundo told Reuters, without giving any further details on the timing of the NFA's next rice import deal.
The central bank is closely watching domestic rice prices, which account for 9 percent of the consumer basket, making the commodity an "important determinant of inflation," Guinigundo said in separate interview with local news channel ANC.
The NFA Council has yet to see any damage report after Super Typhoon Haima hit some of the country's rice-growing regions last week, Guinigundo said in the ANC interview.
"Depending on the magnitude ... I think the NFA has sufficient buffer at this point to make sure that prices of rice and other commodities will be more or less stable," he said.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said on Monday there was no urgent need to import rice, although his department said the damage inflicted by Super Typhoon "Lawin" (international name: Haima) on agriculture and fisheries had reached P10.2 billion ($212 million), with the biggest losses seen in rice, corn and vegetables.
Lawin, the 12th storm to hit the Philippines this year, came just days after Typhoon Karen (international name: Sarika) also slammed into the northern provinces, damaging $62 million worth of crops.
The Southeast Asian country, one of the world's biggest rice importers, is hit by an average of 20 storms every year

http://news.abs-cbn.com/business/10/25/16/govt-mulls-extra-rice-imports-after-typhoons-official

Arkansas Farm Bureau: Daily Commodity Report       Rice

	High	Low
Long Grain Cash Bids	- - -	- - -
Long Grain New Crop	- - -	- - -

Futures:

High Low Last Change Nov '16 1039.5 984.0 985.0 -44.0 Jan '17 1063.5 1009.0 1010.5 -44.5 Mar '17 1057.0 1039.5 1036.0 -43.5 May '17 1057.5 -43.5 Jul '17 1076.5 -43.0 Sep '17 1084.0 -44.5 Nov '17 1084.0 -44.5

Rice Comment

Rice futures plummeted today after opening higher. November charted a bearish key reversal and violated uptrending support in the process, which could signal a move toward a retest of support at the contract low of $9.35. Weekly export sales of 69,600 metric tons was an improvement from last week, but not enough to spark buying interest.

Philippines mulls extra 250,000 T in rice imports -official

Manila. Philippine authorities are keeping an eye on the country's rice supply and will decide shortly if more imports of the staple grain are needed after two typhoons hit major rice-producing provinces this month, an official said on Tuesday (25/10).

The country's grains procurement agency National Food Authority (NFA) has a stand-by authority to import another 250,000 tonnes of rice in addition to the 250,000 tonnes it bought recently from Vietnam and Thailand, said Diwa Guinigundo, the deputy governor of the country's central bank.

The central bank is represented in the NFA Council, the inter-agency panel that approves rice importation.

The council "will be monitoring the situation within the month and on the basis of our assessment, decide accordingly," Guinigundo told Reuters, without giving any further details on the timing of the NFA's next rice import deal.

The central bank is closely watching domestic rice prices, which account for 9 percent of the consumer basket, making the commodity an "important determinant of inflation," Guinigundo said in separate interview with local news channel ANC.

The NFA Council has yet to see any damage report after Super Typhoon Haima hit some of the country's rice-growing regions last week, Guinigundo said in the ANC interview.

"Depending on the magnitude ... I think the NFA has sufficient buffer at this point to make sure that prices of rice and other commodities will be more or less stable," he said.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said on Monday there was no urgent need to import rice, although his department said the damage inflicted by Super Typhoon Haima on agriculture and fisheries had reached 10.2 billion pesos ($212 million), with the biggest losses seen in rice, corn and vegetables.

Haima, the 12th storm to hit the Philippines this year, came just days after Typhoon Sarika also slammed into the northern provinces, damaging $62 million worth of crops.

The Southeast Asian country, one of the world's biggest rice importers, is hit by an average of 20 storms every year

http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/international/philippines-mulls-extra-250000-t-rice-imports-official/

Commodity Report Oct. 24

Published October 25, 2016

Today’s commodity report: National Weekly Rice Summary, 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. Second head and Brewers prices steady. Rice by-products: Rice Bran prices steady to firm as supplies are limited; rice hulls prices steady to weak due to competing commodities in same market.

CME Rough Rice settlements for Friday 21st, Nov 16 closed .035 lower at 10.29; Jan 17 closed .025 lower at 10.55; Mar 17 closed .03 lower at 10.795. US dollar index on Friday settled at 98.70.

USDA National Weekly Rice Summary (.pdf)

California Shell Eggs: Daily Egg Report

Prices are steady. Trade sentiment is higher. Demand is moderate to fairly good and better into planned ads. Offerings and supplies continue moderate. Monday’s shell egg inventories declined 4.8% in the Southwest and 1.2% 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	124
EXTRA LARGE	118
LARGE	116
MEDIUM	89

Shell Eggs: Daily National Egg Market

New York prices are 2 cents higher on Medium and heavier weight eggs. Regional and California prices are steady The undertone is higher. Retail and distributive demand is mostly moderate to fairly good, best where ads are planned. Current offerings are light to moderate. Supplies are at times light to mostly moderate. The total shell egg inventory is 1.1% less than last week. Market activity is moderate. Breaking stock offerings are light to moderate for the light demand. Light hen supplies are light to moderate for less than normal processing schedules.

Check the October USDA Commodity Report Calendar for today’s commodity reports released by USDA.

Today’s Commodity Market ending market numbers:

Corn
December Corn ended at $3.49 1/4 gaining 1 cent, March ended at $3.59 up 1 cent.
Soybeans
November Soybeans ended at 9.90 3/4 decreasing 1 1/4 cent, January ended at 10.02 1/4 unchanged.
Wheat
December Wheat ended at $4.04 1/4 up 1 3/4 cent, March ended at $4.26 3/4 increasing 2 1/4 cents.
Rough Rice
November Rough Rice ended at 9.835 losing 0.015, January ended at 10.095 down 0.01.
Live Cattle
October Feeder Cattle ended at $102.725 losing $0.40 and December ended at $103.90 down $0.35 and February ended at $104.55 decreasing $0.075.
Feeder Cattle
October Feeder Cattle ended at $121.55 losing $0.825 and November ended at $122.65 increasing $0.125 and January ended at $117.70 down $0.375.
Lean Hogs
December Lean Hogs ended at $44.625 up $1.425, February ended at $51.375 gaining $1.675.
Class III Milk
October Class III Milk ended at $14.73 gaining $0.03, November ended at $15.40 up $0.04, December ended at $15.20 increasing $0.07.
#2 Cotton
December #2 Cotton ended at 68.49 down 0.28, March ending at 69.02 losing 0.20.
Sugar #11
March sugar #11 ended at 22.93 decreasing $0.27, May ended at 22.28 down $0.25.
Orange Juice
November Orange Juice ending at 207.70 up $1.70, January ended at 205.90 gaining $0.80.

http://agnetwest.com/2016/10/25/commodity-report-oct-24/

The Survey Says:  Health Professionals Provide Insight into Rice 

By Deborah Willenborg

BOSTON, MA -- Last week, at the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics annual Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE), USA Rice surveyed 230 health professionals to gain insight on rice attitudes and usage.  The good news is that health professionals are huge proponents of rice.  In fact, 98 percent of those in a position to make dietary recommendations, said they encourage their patients to include rice and rice products in their diet.  But their responses also shed light on education gaps and growth opportunities for the rice industry. 

Overall, survey respondents expressed a positive perception of rice.  They ranked the most appealing attributes of rice as versatility (79%), affordability (67%), and nutrition (60%).  And when asked about the health indicators they associate with rice, the top five responses were:  whole grain (77%), gluten-free (67%), complex carbohydrates (57%), source of energy (47%), and low fat (45%).

Furthermore, 79 percent of respondents reported no barriers in recommending rice.  However, 10 percent said that when it comes to diabetic patients, recommending rice can be challenging since many patients struggle with portion control and do not want to switch from white rice to brown rice.

Speaking of brown rice, it should come as no surprise that whole grain rice is the top choice of health professionals with 90 percent of respondents recommending brown rice, and 40 percent recommending wild rice.  And with the growing popularity of aromatic rice as well as consumers seeking more whole grain variety, 47 percent of respondents report recommending whole grain jasmine and basmati rice, while 27 percent recommend black and red rice.

"This continues to be a good growth opportunity for the U.S. rice industry," said Katie Maher, USA Rice director of domestic promotion.  "At the USA Rice booth, we display all of the many types of rice grown in the USA and attendees are always impressed with the variety of whole grain rice available, but they often express difficulty in finding these rice types in their grocery stores."

While a survey group made up of professional dietitians is well-informed about the benefits of rice, they did express a different attitude among consumers.  Thirty-three percent indicated that a general lack of knowledge about rice - on topics such as nutrition, preparation, and applications - negatively affect consumer acceptance and usage of rice.  

"They reported that some consumers have a 'low-carb' mentality from the decades of fad diets and that people always seem to struggle with how to prepare rice," Maher said.  "They told us that recipes, cooking tips and tricks, as well as detailed nutritional information about the various rice types would be helpful resources when working with consumers."

Maher concluded that, "FNCE is one of the most important tradeshows USA Rice attends.  We are able to address nutrition questions and food safety concerns as well as gain reliable feedback through conversations and surveys like this to better understand consumer interests and needs."

Managing crops after typhoon

Super typhoons Karen and Lawin brought damages in Central and Northern Luzon affecting the country’s major rice-producing provinces. According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), Karen alone left almost P3 Billion in agricultural damages.

To help farmers recover from the damages brought by the said calamities, experts at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) recommended strategies on how to manage crops after typhoons.

For those who were able to harvest before Karen and Lawin hit the country, farmers are advised to use the mechanical dryer for drying of harvested grains.

“Seeds must have drying temperature not higher than 43°C. It is advantageous for farmers to use the mechanical dryer as it allows drying during unfavorable weather conditions,” said Arnold Juliano, PhilRice’s agricultural engineer.

In harvesting crops submerged in water or mud, farmers can use the combine harvester provided that the field is already dry.

“If the crop submerged in water is easy to drain, combine harvester can be used provided that no or minimum moisture is present in the panicles to minimize grain losses during operation.  For submerged crop with drainage problem, immediate manual harvesting is advisable to save the grains from deterioration,” Juliano explained.

To know more about the practical recommendations on how to manage crops after typhoons, farmers may call or text the PhilRice Text Center 0920 911 1398.

Phil Rice

From rice paddy to dayami art

The FutureRice program of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) organized an art competition to help strengthen the Institute’s campaign against the burning of rice straw, locally known as dayami, Oct. 14.

Six teams of farmers, students, and PhilRice staff members participated in the event. They were given art frames of beneficial insects in the field and popular characters in the movies. The frames were then creatively covered using rice straw. Entries were judged based on creativity, cleanliness, and teamwork.“We hope to encourage our farmers to completely stop burning of rice straws and explore its other uses,” said Marian Rikka Anora, PhilRice researcher.

PhilRice data showed that burning of rice straws, generally practiced during the harvest season, causes air pollutants such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulphur dioxide. If continually done, it will decrease the soil’s nitrogen, phosphorus by 25%, potassium by 20%, and sulfur by 5-60%. The practice also damages food resources of beneficial insects in the rice field.For this reason, the competition also aims to raise awareness of farmers and other rice stakeholders on the uses of rice straw.“We learned here that aside from arts, there are a lot of ways to use rice straw. It can serve as another source of energy and fertilizer, and be used for mushroom production,” said Lourdes B. Ariola, a resident of Brgy. Maligaya. Winners of the competition took home a trophy and brown and milled rice.

Phil Rice

Grand prize: Ladybug by the residents of Purok I, Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz

Second prize: Spider by the students of St. Elizabeth Global College of Talavera, Nueva Ecija

Third prize: Ironman by PhilRice laborers

Region 8 native awarded national title to promote rice

mjordaait8.com Meredith as Miss Arkansas Rice Festival (Source: Tisha Westerman)

 Meredith as Miss International Rice Festival (Source: AnnaLisa Meredith on Facebook)

WOODRUFF COUNTY, AR (KAIT) -

A Region 8 native will soon travel the country to promote one of Arkansas’ largest crops.AnnaLisa Meredith is from Augusta in Woodruff County. She was crowned Miss International Rice Festival Saturday, Oct. 22, in Louisiana.She represented Arkansas in the pageant after she was crowned Miss Arkansas Rice Festival last year in Weiner.According to Meredith's Facebook page, winning this title was a lifetime goal for the agribusiness major at Arkansas State University-Beebe.She said she plans to pursue a career in the rice industry and will get started by promoting rice production across the country for the International Rice Festival.Meredith is the first Arkansas native to win the title.To learn more about

Ag Collaborates to Help Endangered Fish

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Farm News Director

Don Bransford, president of the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District (GCID) as well as a member of the State Board of Food and Agriculture, expressed major concerns with the proposed State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) diversion of 40% of the water from many irrigation districts on rivers that drain into the San Joaquin River to increase flows in the Delta to protect endangered fish.

“It’s a very difficult challenge because it appears that the SWRCB wants to increase the flows in the Sacramento River. That water has to come from somewhere, and it looks like it’s going to come from the irrigation districts. Unless we can do environmental projects on the River to improve habitat for fish and re-manage our water, we have water at risk,” said Bransford.

Don Bransford, president, Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District

Bransford, who is also a rice farmer, said “Everyone has their own science regarding protecting those species. We’re talking about salmon, steelhead trout, and of course the smelt.”“The difficulty is, we believe they’re using a lot of old science. There is newer science that suggests there are better ways to manage this. And, if something does not work, then you change. You just don’t throw more water at it,” he noted.“We think habitat improvements are important in providing refuge for the fish,” Bransford explained. “We’re looking at flushing rice water into the rivers to provide food. Currently, the rivers are pretty sterile because they are just channels now. If we could apply flows from rice into the rivers like we did for the Delta Smelt this summer, you’re providing food for smelt.”

Bransford noted the Northern California irrigation districts work with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to increase flows in certain areas of the Sacramento River at certain times. “Our irrigation district managers work with the Bureau to provide flushing flows on the upper Sacramento.” These flows clean out diseased gravel beds in the absence of natural high water flows.”“So they used some extra water late March of this year,” Bransford elaborated, “to just turn the gravel over to freshen it up. It did help the fish, particularly the salmon,” said Bransford

http://californiaagtoday.com/tag/rice-water/

Indonesia may abolish licences for food commodity imports

25 Oct 2016 at 19:02 2,548 viewed0 comments

WRITER: REUTERS

A farmer dries rice grain at a rice mill at Campursari village in Temanggung, Indonesia, on Oct 20, 2016. (Reuters/Antara photo)

JAKARTA - Indonesia may abolish the licensing system for importers of some food commodities and put in place a tariff system in order to open its economy, a government official said on Tuesday."At this moment, we are reviewing the trade regime for important commodities such as rice, sugar, beef, chillies, onions and two other commodities," Denni Purbasari, deputy chief of staff at the executive office of the president, said during the launch of the World Bank's Indonesia Economic Quarterly report."We are looking at the possibility of changing from licensing regime to tariffs, such that everybody can play to import the commodities," she said.Indonesia's food trade restrictions and other policy interventions impose a massive "tax" on consumers, the World Bank said in the report.

In 2015, the cost burden from the system on Indonesian consumers was estimated at $36 billion, much higher than the $22 billion estimate for the entire European Union, the report said.Currently, the Indonesian government has a quota system for the import of food commodities it considers important. Only the state procurement agency Bulog is allowed to import non-premium rice. Importation of white sugar is limited to state-owned companies appointed by the government.Indonesia has abolished its quota system for cattle imports, allowing firms to bring in the livestock as long as they commit to a breeding programme.

The import quota is decided based on domestic food production data compiled by the Agriculture Ministry. But ministry officials routinely inflate the rice production data to present a rosy picture to the government to keep farm subsidies flowing, a senior government official told Reuters earlier this year.The World Bank said Indonesia needs to rebalance its food security policy, highlighting not only the trade barriers on some commodities, but also the government's approach on public spending to increase productivity. The multinational lender said the government needs to replace "the large, poorly targeted fertiliser subsidy programme with a comprehensive soil fertility and water management programme" to increase productivity.Purbasari said Indonesia is also looking at ways to reform the fertiliser and rice-for-poor subsidy scheme "to make sure that every single penny is spent really well".

Bangkok Post

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