Monday, March 13, 2017

13th March,2017 daily global,regional and local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine

Global Parboiled and White Rice Market 2017-2022 - Research and Markets


NEWS PROVIDED BY
Mar 10, 2017, 12:00 ET
DUBLIN, Mar. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Parboiled and White Rice Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2017 - 2022" report to their offering.

Parboiled and White Rice Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2017-2022 provides a detailed insight into the global parboiled and white rice market.
Rice is a staple food for nearly half of the world's total population. There are generally three forms of rice, namely brown rice, white rice and parboiled rice.
Parboiled rice is a form of rice which is given a special pre-treatment during its manufacturing known as parboiling. Parboiled rice is easy to digest, good in taste and takes less time to cook. It also has a lower glycemic index which makes it suitable for diabetic people. White rice, on the other hand, loses most of its essential nutrients during its processing. Despite this fact, it still represents a good calorie and energy source. 
Scope of the Report
  • The global consumption of parboiled rice is estimated to reach around 201 Million Tons in 2016, representing a CAGR of around 1.8% during 2009-2016. 
  • On the other hand, the global consumption of white rice is estimated to reach around 247 Million Tons in 2016, with consumption levels declining at a CAGR of 0.4% during 2009-2016. 
  • The report has segmented the global parboiled and white rice market on the basis of end-uses and major regions. 
  • On the basis of end-uses, the food industry is currently the largest consumer of rice accounting for the majority of the total global consumption. The food industry is followed by the feed sector. 
  • Region-wise, China represents the largest producer of rice accounting for nearly 30% of the total global production. China is followed by India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Philippines, Brazil, Japan and the United States. 
Key Topics Covered: 

1 Preface 

2 Research Methodology 

3 Executive Summary 

4 Introduction 

5 Global Rice, Parboiled Rice and White Rice Industry 

6 Myanmar Rice Industry 

7 Competitive Structure 

8 Parboiled and White Rice Manufacturing Process 

9 Project Details, Requirements and Costs Involved 

10 Loans and Financial Assistance 

11 Project Economics
For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/l5tdhz/parboiled_and
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Laura Wood, Senior Manager 
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SOURCE Research and Markets

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-parboiled-and-white-rice-market-2017-2022---research-and-markets-300421943.html

 

Traditional cuisine enthralls visitors to Pakistan food festival in Jeddah

MASHHOOD ROOHUL AMIN |  Sunday 12 March 2017
Description: http://www.arabnews.com/sites/default/files/styles/ph3_660_400/public/2017/03/12/870971-1702141400.jpg?itok=acvFcEET
Pakistani Consul General Shehryar Akbar Khan and foreign diplomats cut a cake during the festival in Jeddah. (AN photo)
 JEDDAH: The Pakistani Consulate on Wednesday launched its inaugural food festival in Jeddah.
The two-day event showcased a wide range of authentic Pakistani cuisine. The dining lawn design highlighted the culture of all provinces of Pakistan.
Saudis and officials from 12 foreign consulates attended the event along with their families. Mazen Batterjee, vice chairman of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was the guest of honor.
Batterjie said that food festivals and other similar activities help project the soft image of Pakistan, and that such activities promote products and earn a place in the Saudi market.
“Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy good relations and I am sure such festivals shall bring the Saudi people closer to the Pakistani people, and help develop the taste for Pakistani cuisine,” he said.

In his welcoming speech, Pakistani Consul General Shehryar Akbar Khan thanked guests and said such events aim to bring different communities living in the Kingdom closer to each other.
Khan also made a short introduction of the origin, types and varieties of Pakistani food.
“Pakistani cuisine is known for its taste, variety and richness, which is a refined blend of local culinary traditions and finds roots in the wider South Asia, Arabia, and Central Asia,” he said.
The Pakistani envoy told Arab News: “Pakistani and Saudi food are very close to each other. For us as a nation, Saudis are like our big brothers. Saudi Arabia has always helped us whenever we needed them.”

The cuisine included famous Pakistani dishes including biryani and chicken haleem.
“Every Saudi household eats Pakistani basmati rice. A lot of meat and chicken comes from Pakistan. They use Pakistani spices,” the envoy said.

He said that Pakistani food has a vibrant and unique amalgam of the rich, spicy and highly seasoned cuisine from its various regions, like Punjab, Kashmir and Sindh, with the mildly spicy and aromatic recipes from Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Shahzad Ahmed, one of the organizers, said the two countries have common tastes and use similar products when cooking. He said the consulate is planning to organize the food fest on a regularbasis.

Laila, a young Saudi woman, said: “I loved eating the ‘chicken haleem.’ And traditional sweets were tremendous too. I wish my school friends could come here and enjoy the festival.”

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1067031/saudi-arabia

 

LEADERSHIP Conference And Awards Now Holds March 17

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The board and management of LEADERSHIP Newspapers Group Ltd have shifted this year’s LEADERSHIP Conference and Awards from Thursday, March 16 to Friday, March 17. The venue remains the Abuja International Conference Centre.
The shift became necessary as the National Economic Council, NEC meeting, is slated for March 16. The meeting is chaired by the vice president with the governors of the 36 states as members. Some of the governors are slated to receive award at the LEADERSHIP eventThe theme of this year’s conference is “The Rice Economy.” In keeping with its tradition of celebrating excellence among individuals and organisations in various fields of human endeavour, the board and management of LEADERSHIP Group in December, 2016, singled out some entities and personalities, who distinguished themselves over the period for award.
For all they were able to do and achieve in 2016, three illustrious personalities, namely: Senator Abubakar Bagudu (governor, Kebbi State), Mr Godwin Emefiele, (governor, Central Bank), and Mr Ibrahim Magu, (acting chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC) were nominated for the award of “LEADERSHIP Person of the Year.”
In choosing the three personalities, it was noted that Governor Bagudu is today seen as number one ambassador of local rice in the country, given the unprecedented production of local rice he pioneers from Kebbi State. Emefiele made it for CBN’s massive support of agriculture, especially with the ANCHORS borrowers’ scheme, and the dexterity he has employed in driving the nation’s monetary policies in this period of recession. Magu, the anti-financial crime czar who drives the EFCC-the country’s foremost anti-graft agency- made it for his unflinching tenacity on the job and the results he is getting for his efforts in the face of relentless antagonism from influential quarters,
The threesome of governorsWilly Obiano (Anambra State), Emmanuel Udom, (Akwa Ibom), and Abubakar Bindow, (Adamawa State), emerged the “Governor of the Year.”
Governor Obiano made it for his agricultural revolution in the state, as well as his remarkable attention to infrastructure development, empowerment and security in the state. Governor Udom stands out for his strides in rural development as well as infrastructure uplift of the state, and for the success of his “Dakkada” governance tagline. Governor Bindow was chosen for his remarkable successes in his efforts to put Adamawa on the path of economic self-reliance, in the manner, yet to be seen from a northern governor.
The award of “Politician of the Year,” went to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, former Edo State governor. The “Public Service Person of the Year” award went to the acting managing director/chief executive officer of the Bank of Industry, Mr Waheed Olagunju. The “Banker of the Year” award was bagged by the group managing director/chief executive officer of First Bank Plc, Dr Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan. The “Business Person of the Year” award was won by the chairman of SHOPRITE Nigeria Limited, Chief Tayo Amusan.
The “Bank of the Year,” award was clinched by Sun Trust Bank, while the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, won the “Government Agency of the Year” award. The “Company of the Year” award was won by Okomu Oil Palm Plc, while Dana Airline Limited won the “Brand of the Year” award.
The “Telecoms Company of the Year,” went to Smile Communications Nigeria Limited. The “Product of the Year” was clinched by Power Oil-the latest brand of cooking oil from the stable of Dufil Nigeria Limited. The “CEO of the Year” was bagged by Mrs Funke Opeke, managing director/CEO of Main One Cables, while the “E-commerce Company of the Year,” went to Yudala.com-a retail trading portal.
The “Artiste of the Year,” award was this time, clinched by Augustine Miles Kelechi, popularly known as Tekno- an Afro Pop and RnB rave of the moment- highly celebrated for his hit song, “Pana.” Miss Faizal Abubakar Sani, from Kano State, who had the overall best result in the May/June, 2016 Secondary School Certificate Examinations, (WASSCE), won the “LEADERSHIP Outstanding Young Person of the Year.” Faizal scored A1 in all the nine subjects she sat for in the exam.
The Nigerian paralympians, who did the country proud in the Summer Paralympic Games, held in Rio de Janeiro from August 5 to 24, 2016 won the “Sports Persons of the Year
Afghan-Pak border tension: Edibles prices up in Kabul

Description: http://www.pajhwok.com/sites/pajhwok.com/files/styles/home_carousel/public/photo/2013/7/DSC06737.JPG?itok=Uisc1Rbu

Business & Economics

OnMar 11, 2017 - 17:15
KABUL (Pajhwok): The prices of liquefied gas, firewood and Russian gold dipped while that of sugar, ghee and flour increased last week in capital Kabul, market sources said Saturday.
Sayed Islam, a firewood seller in Charahi-i-Shahid area of Kabul city, told Pajhwok Afghan News the price of 560 kilograms of peeled oak decreased from 6,700 afghanis to 6,500 afghanis and the same quantity of cedar from 6,500afs to 6,300afs.
He linked the reduction in firewood prices to its decreased demand and warming weather.
The price of liquefied gas also decreased. Ahmad Javid, a gas seller in the Sixth Taimani Road area, sold a kilogram of the commodity for 53afs against last week’s 55afs.
Fuel prices remained unchanged. Abdul Hadi, a worker at Wazir Abad Fuel Station, said a liter of petrol cost 45afs and the same quantity of diesel 41afs, registering no change.
In food items, the prices of only flour and sugar increased.
Food Traders Union head, Fazal Rahman, said the price of 49 kilograms of Kazakh flour increased from 1,145afs to 1,160afs, the same quantity of Pakistani sugar from 2,230afs to 2,600 and 16 liters of Khurshid ghee from 1,100afs to 1,150afs.
He said the closure of borders with Pakistan and the hike in flour price in Kazakhstan were reasons behind the increase.
Pakistan has closed transit ports with Afghanistan since three weeks.
However, the prices of rice and tea also remained steady. Fazal Rahman said 24.5 kilograms of Pakistani rice cost 1,600afs.
Haji Rahmatullah, a tea seller in Kabul Mandavi, said a kilogram of Madina green tea cost 240afs and the same amount of African black tea 260afs, the same rates as of last week’s.
Ahmad Sharif, who owns a grocery store in Taimani neighborhood, said, 49kg of Kazakhstani flour was sold for 1,300afs, 49kg sack of Pakistani sugar for 2,800afs.
He sold 16-litre tin of Khurshid ghee for 1,250afs, 24.5kg sack of Pakistani rice for 1,800afs, a kilo of Madina green tea for 280afs and the same quantity of African black tea for 300afs -- higher than wholesale prices.
The price of Russian gold also decreased. Mohammad Fawad, a jeweller in Timor Shahi area, said the price of one gram of Arabian gold cost 2,300afs. But he said the price of one gram of Russian gold decreased from 1,850afs to 1,800afs due to its low demand.
According to moneychangers’ union in Sara-i-Shahzada, one US dollar was accounted for 68.30afs and 1,000 Pakistani rupees for 630afs against last week's 67.70afs and 625afs.
Haji Khan Mohammad, deputy head of moneychangers’ union, said the afghani’s value decreased after Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) invalidated old banknotes in late August.
The DAB had announced exchanging old banknotes until the end of Assad month of next solar year or late August
http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2017/03/11/afghan-pak-border-tension-edibles-prices-kabul

Scientists optimistic in tackling climate change despite concerns

Description: http://s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/business-mirror/uploads/2017/03/10121833/science01-031217-696x419.jpgIn Photo: Dr. Julian Gonsalves of the International Institute for Rural Reconstruction (second from right) discusses points on Climate Smart Village approach in responding to climate change. Seated, from left, are Philippine Agricultural Journalists (PAJ) Director Dr. Rex Navarro, PAJ President Roman Floresca, Dr. Rex Victor Cruz of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Dr. Reiner Wassmann of the International Rice Research Institute and PAJ PRO for Broadcast and Social Media Gani Oro. Ma.
Three scientists remain optimistic in confronting the challenges of climate change affecting the Philippines despite lingering issues, such as institutional and government policy weaknesses, agricultural zoning and the need to support mitigation and adaptation initiatives at the local level, among others.
Climate-change specialist Dr. Reiner Wassmann of the Los Baños-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), speaking at the monthly Usapang Sakahan forum on “Climate Change: Handa na Ba Kayo [Are You Ready]?” said, “Climate change is a big risk, but it is also a chance for bringing things together because of the comments and interactions of people from different fields and those coming from the policy side.”
Dr. Rex Victor Cruz, a professor at the Institute of Renewable Natural Resources at the College of Forestry and Natural Resources and former chancellor of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, noted the P1 billion poured in by the government from the people’s survival fund “to help local government units implement different adaptive projects in agriculture and in other sectors, as well as investments in research.”
Cruz said, “This is something that should give us confidence to improve our resiliency. The [Philippines’s] Climate Change Commission must do trafficking and serve as a clearing house to coordinate and synergize these different initiatives, because we never had these much resources before to address climate change.”Description: http://ads.devhub.ph/revive/www/delivery/lg.php?bannerid=37&campaignid=1&zoneid=36&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessmirror.com.ph%2Fscientists-optimistic-in-tackling-climate-change-despite-concerns%2F&referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&cb=59038abbc1
Scale up
Meanwhile, senior consultant Dr. Julian F. Gonsalves of the International Institute for Rural Reconstruction based in Silang, Cavite, noted the implementation of the Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture by the Department of Agriculture (DA) in 10 regions, and soon in 17 other regions, in assessing the country’s climate-change vulnerability.
“There is a momentum,” Gonsalves said, but those who work on the ground must scale up. It’s time to demonstrate doing things based on skills to achieve incremental adaptation due to climate change, thereby narrowing the complexity gap. Move the action down to the local government and build on the huge social capital that exists in the country,” he said.
Policy weaknesses, location-specific solutions
Notwithstanding such optimism, Cruz, at the forum initiated by the Philippine Agricultural Journalists Inc. (PAJ), traced the root of agricultural inefficiencies to “institutional and policy weaknesses, uncoordinated government policies and inefficiencies in implementing development plans.
“It is not only an issue of technology preparedness, but also of being institutionally and operationally prepared to face the challenges of climate change,” Cruz said.
Gonsalves pointed out the need for location-specific solutions, as “the nature of climate change at any particular time might be different”. He cautioned against “any glamorous ideas that have not been tested adequately, as the Philippines’s science community has a lot to offer.”
Rice production and nature differences
Rice production, likewise, took center stage during the forum.
“We cannot simply say that rice productivity in the Philippines is much lower than in other countries because of nature differences,” Wassmann said, citing Vietnam’s Mekong Delta as “perfect for planting rice”.
He also pointed out the presence of short-duration rice varieties available to farmers for planting.
“Thailand’s success is not so much of the quantity of rice-produced, but very much of the quality of rice. For farmers, quantity may not be of such a value,” he said.
In fact, Cruz added, the Philippines has a higher rice-productivity-per-unit area, notwithstanding the slow provision of services and development of its irrigation systems.
“In the Philippines we are trying more and more to adapt the framework that includes disaster-risk reduction and climate-change adaptation. We cannot have an approach that is solely isolationist agriculture,” Gonsalves said.
“Input cost is higher in the Philippines than in other Asian countries. We need to decentralize the availability of seeds and inputs,” he said.
“We have enough moisture to grow three crops a year. We are not like Ethiopia and Somalia that are struggling now. This challenge of extreme drought is not here in the Philippines,” Gonsalves said.
Zoning
Unlike in Vietnam, the zoning of agricultural land is not strictly followed in the Philippines, notwithstanding the passage of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (Afma), or Republic Act 8435.
Afma defined “Zoning Ordinance” under Section 4 as “a local legislation approving the development/land-use plan and providing for the regulations and other conditions on the uses of land, including the limitation on the infrastructure that may be placed within the territorial jurisdiction of a city or municipality.”
“The problem is with the local government units,” Cruz said, “for invoking their authority in converting 15 percent of lands within their jurisdiction based on the local government code…. We cannot have unified laws when it comes to land-use allocation because of our policies.”
The DA must take the initiative in pushing forward an interagency collaboration in promoting a common land-use zoning framework, he suggested.
On the other hand, “landscapes with different elements in it are definitely better in terms of adaptation. Just think about diversity. Zoning, if done in the right way, would be a much better approach than having everything unified,” Wassmann said.
Climate-smart agriculture and villages
Wassmann and Gonsalves are jointly working on the so-called Climate Smart Villages (CSVs), a project under the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).
CSV, an element of the Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) approach, is participatory and relevant to the local context to make sure that climate-smart farming practices are carried on in the long term.
The CGIAR CCAFS defines CSA as an integrative approach in addressing the interlinked challenges of food security and climate change.
It aimed at sustainably increasing agricultural productivity to support equitable increases in farm incomes, food security and development; adapting and building resilience of agricultural and food-security systems to climate change at multiple levels; and reducing greenhouse-gas emissions from agriculture (including crops, livestock and fisheries).
Cruz considered “science-based decision-making as the core of being smart in practicing agriculture. This means operating on well-tested technologies and proven with information borne out of research and experiences of scientists, practitioners and farmers…and where the government is able to provide enough support services.”
“We do not want to overwhelm farmers with all kinds of new things and new technologies that they may not be able to handle in a proper way. We should really see what is possible in a given context, and then make it something which is generally accepted,” said Wassmann, who has been working on climate-change issues since 1987.
Dr. Rex L. Navarro, PAJ director and author of the book Towards People Empowerment: GO-NGO Collaboration in Agricultural Development, summed up CSA as informed decision or knowledge-smart based on science; variety smart or right seed to plant, right water management through employing alternate wetting and drying techniques to help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions; nutrient smart/pest smart; energy smart (use of solar energy); market smart with the government providing more efficiencies in mechanization, right information where to sell rice and right postharvest facilities; and being more competitive in the face of the emerging Asean common market.
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/scientists-optimistic-in-tackling-climate-change-despite-concerns/

The rights and plight of women

 

On March 8, various events marked International Women’s Day, a day dedicated to recognise the role of women around the world and their contribution to home, society and country, indeed the world at large. To call them the ‘fairer sex’ as they were once referred to as a compliment may not be politically correct in modern times, illustrating how the lexicon has also changed with changing mores.

Equal rights are their fundamental theme – equal pay for equal work as the men; equal opportunities etc., that have also seen the downside  where men no longer offer their seat in a bus to a woman as was the case in a bygone era.
It is sometimes amusing, if not annoying to see diktats coming from the outside world demanding gender equality in Sri Lanka when this country has made vast strides on that front starting from universal adult franchise way back in 1931 to universal health and education access. Yet clearly, there is more to be done in bringing about parity.
Whether a stipulated quota for women in Parliament or Local Government councils is the panacea for all ills given the male-dominated corrupt political environment is questionable.  There’s so much more that can be done outside the legislative bodies in real terms by the many women already engaged in numerous social service organisations. Unfortunately, the present generation has been unable to get as actively involved as their elders due to pressures at their workplaces.
Around the globe, there was a rallying call on March 8 under the theme “Be Bold For Change” calling for “ground-breaking action” to build a more gender-inclusive world. Even in the United States, there were complaints of discrimination with a demand for a ‘Day without Women’, with women workers staying at home on that day to prove a point.
Issues like violence against women, sexual abuse, maternal mortality, femicide and HIV infection, the lack of economic security and leadership positions and the lack of respect from the opposite sex were among the gamut of issues that still concern women worldwide. In some countries women are not allowed to drive a car and girls not allowed to go to school.
Amidst all this, we keep returning to one of our biggest issues – that of working women in West Asia. Last year, about this time, we referred to these women breaking their backs doing menial jobs in those inhospitable climes, leaving their families and a string of social problems back home.
There are more than half a million of these women workers and governments continue to give them step-motherly treatment even though it is their sweat and tears that put money in our national purse. We said last year that there is a huge dearth of women diplomats stationed in West Asia to counsel and comfort these working women who have diverse needs, some of them psychological.
Alas, this call has fallen on deaf ears – for years, at Government level. At least now that there is a woman Minister of Foreign Employment, she could use her influence in the Cabinet even if the Foreign Ministry is dragging its feet on the matter. As everyone agrees, March 8 ought not to be the only day of the year to focus on the rights and plight of women.

The rice scandal
Alarm bells were rung with the dawn of 2017 that the worst drought in four decades was going to create a major shortfall of the staple food of the people of Sri Lanka — rice. Foreign Governments were asked for help. But how much of this problem is of the Government’s own making?

In 2015, Sri Lanka recorded a good paddy yield showing a 42.6 per cent increase compared to the previous year bringing in a total yield of 4.8 million metric tonnes.The Central Bank annual report for 2015 went on to say; ‘The increased paddy production during the year and the large volatility observed in production in the past few years highlight the need for the country to build a rolling stock of paddy through improved storage facilities, while encouraging the manufacturers of value added rice based products, and exploring the possibility of exporting excess rice production’.

However, Sri Lanka has now gone on to call for food aid and import rice on the grounds of a shortage. Despite the drought conditions experienced during 2016, farmers in Polonnaruwa (a district which brings the highest paddy production along with Ampara) whom the Sunday Times interviewed this week (please see Page 10) believe that paddy production has not been that bad to have to rush to import rice.

They claim that most of the stocks end up with big-time rice millers who are hoarding stocks until the prices are favourable to them. It is the main millers — commonly referred to as the ‘paddy mafia’ who dispatch their lorries to areas where the paddy yield is high and purchase stocks. Our INSIGHT Team saw one of the Polonnaruwa storage facilities, the size of a football field. The Government’s Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) is thoroughly inadequate to meet this private sector domination. In Parliament, a TNA MP accused the PMB itself of holding back stocks — in a Public-Private Partnership of a nefarious kind. The harvesting season is just starting and the situation will be the same, farmers told our reporters.

Small-time paddy millers say they do not get sufficient stocks to be milled through the PMB and that they do not have the capacity to buy paddy from the farmers as some of the main millers do by sending containers into interior areas.Pakistan and Indonesia have come forward to donate 10,000 M/t and 5,000 M/t of rice. It has now become a bad habit for a Government to be asking for foreign assistance at every turn without putting its own house in order.

The Government has now given permission to import 250,000 M/t of rice and the import duty on rice was reduced so that it can be sold at a lower price. However, there is evidence that the imported rice is being mixed with local rice and sold at a higher price. The Consumer Affairs Authority is conducting raids, but with limited officials it has faced problems.As a result, consumers continue to pay a high price for rice – between Rs 80 and 100 a kg, adding to the cost of living.

Then there is the unscrupulous trader who uses a deadly dye to turn white rice to red. In Polonnaruwa, a court held that a consignment was not even fit for animals and had to be burnt as our front page picture depicted a fortnight back. The trader was fined Rs. 3,000 for this as the law stipulates. From top to bottom, the business of rice reeks.


Rice import goes up in two weeks
Prices still remain high in local mkt
Yasir Wardad
 Rice import has been increasing for last two weeks amid its persisting higher price in the domestic market and decline in prices in neighbouring India, said sector insiders.Even after paying 25 per cent customs duty, private importers are making profits by importing two specific rice varieties from India, they added.
The food ministry data showed that private rice millers so far brought over 54,000 tonnes of rice in the current financial year (FY'17) of which 14,000 tonnes entered just in last 15 days.
The rate of rice import was 160-172 tonnes a day earlier which increased to 900-1,000 tonnes in March, said a food ministry official.
L/C (letter of credit) has been opened to bring another 43,000 tonnes of rice, he added.  
Rajib Kumar, a Dinajpur-based importer, told the FE that Brri dhan-28 is now selling at Tk 43-43.5 a kilogram at local mill gates.
He said import cost (including 25 per cent customs duty) of the same variety, known as Ratna in West Bengal, India ranges between Tk 41 and Tk 42 a kg. He said the difference between the prices in India and Bangladesh is encouraging imports.
Lalit Saha, another importer, said prices of Swarna and Ratna declined to some extent in India in February last.
He said finer Swarna was selling at Tk 36-36.5 a kg at mill gates in Bangladesh, but its import cost was Tk 34.0-Tk 34.5.

However, he informed the FE that most of the L/Cs have been opened between February and the first week of March when prices of Swarna and Brridhan-28 were US$ 343- 360 a tonne in India.
The government imposed 25 per cent customs duty at the very beginning in FY'17 following paddy price debacle during harvesting periods which caused huge losses to the farmers. After imposition of import duty, rice prices in Bangladesh started rising.
The price hike of different varieties of rice ranged between 7 per cent and 23 per cent in last seven months, according to Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).
Coarse rice Swarna is now selling at Tk 37-Tk 40 while medium quality Brridhan 28 and Paijam at Tk 45-Tk 48 and finer variety Miniket, Jeerashail and Najirshail at Tk 48-Tk 58 a kg in the country.
Md Hazrat Ali, a Nilphamari-based trader, said import of Brridhan-28 will continue until the beginning of local Boro harvesting from next month.    
The mills face a supply shortage of Brridhan-28, the most-consumed rice variety which grows during the Boro season.
He also pointed out that many big stockists who have a huge stock of Swarna paddy are now making hefty profits.    
According to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Brridhan-28 accounts for nearly 44 per cent while Swarna accounts for over 24 per cent of the country's total rice output.
Secretary of Bangladesh Auto Major Husking Mill Owners Association K M Layek Ali said paddy prices were much higher from last Aman season which benefited the farmers.
The prices of rice will come down to some extent from May with starting of the harvesting season, he said, adding that the existing customs duty should remain in force to protect the local rice industry.
The government should strengthen monitoring so that no one can bring animal food in the name of rice for human consumption, he said. The government has now a stock of nearly 0.64 million tonnes of rice which was 1.06 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year.
Bangladesh produced over 34.57 million tonnes of rice in FY'16 against a demand for 31.0 million tonnes, according to BBS and Directorate General of Food (DGoF
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2017/03/13/64186/Rice-import-goes-up-in-two-weeks
Rice Seed Market Analysis and in-Depth Research on Market Dynamics, Trends, Emerging Growth Factors and Forecasts to 2021

Saturday, March 11th, 2017 - 360 Market Updates
Rice Seed Market analysis is provided for global market including development trends by regions, competitive analysis of rice seed market. Rice seed refers to the seed of rice, one of the most widely cultivated and consumed cereal grain worldwide, especially in Asia. Commonly, there are two sources of rice seed, one is selected and saved by famers from harvested rice and the other is breed and produced by commercial enterprises. In this report, we will only have analysis on the market, enterprises and other information about commercial rice seed.
Browse Detailed TOC, Tables, Figures, Charts and Companies Mentioned in Rice Seed Market Research Report http://www.360marketupdates.com/global-rice-seed-market-by-manufacturers-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2021-10319836
Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers
·        Dupont Pioneer
·        Bayer
·        Nuziveedu Seeds
·        Kaveri
·        Mahyco
·        RiceTec and many others
Scope of the Report:
This report focuses on the Rice Seed in Global market, especially in North America, Rice Seed Market in Europe and Asia-Pacific, Rice Seed Market in Latin America, Rice Seed Market in Middle and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.
Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers
·        North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)
·        Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)
·        Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)
·        Latin America, Middle and Africa
Get Sample PDF of Rice Seed Market Report @ http://www.360marketupdates.com/enquiry/request-sample/10319836
Market Segment by Type, covers
·        Long-grain rice
·        Medium-grain rice
·        Short-grain rice
Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into
·        Agricultural Production
·        Scientific Research
Key questions answered in the report:
·        What will the market growth rate of Rice Seed market in 2020?
·        What are the key factors driving the global Rice Seed market?
·        What are sales, revenue, and price analysis of top manufacturers of Rice Seed market?
·        Who are the distributors, traders and dealers of Rice Seed market?
·        Who are the key vendors in Rice Seed market space?
·        What are the Rice Seed market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the global Rice Seed market?
·        What are sales, revenue, and price analysis by types and applications of Rice Seed market?
·        What are sales, revenue, and price analysis by regions of Rice Seed market?
·        What are the market opportunities, market risk and market overview of the Rice Seed market?
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No. of Report pages: 119
Price of Report: $ 3480 (Single User Licence)
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http://www.newsmaker.com.au/news/271720/rice-seed-market-analysis-and-indepth-research-on-market-dynamics-trends-emerging-growth-factors-and-forecasts-to-2021#.WMZ2adKGN6p

Checks for rice exporters

More than 40 rice millers have applied for quality checks to allow for export to China but most have not yet reached a high enough standard, the Agriculture Ministry said.Applications were received in a second call for expressions of interest after 28 millers gained certification in the first round.Hean Vanhan, director-general of the ministry’s general directorate of agriculture, said most of the millers have not done enough preparation for the quality checks.

 “The Agriculture Ministry will conduct a workshop this month to help them learn about the policies and preparation for the checks,” he said.
“We want to help them pass the inspections for quality checks made by our officials and Chinese experts.”
He added that the ministry will send officials to check rice millers’ quality three weeks after the workshop.Mr. Vanhan said he was not sure how long the quality checks by local officials and Chinese experts would take, but said millers which passed in the second round will join the other 28 in shipping 200,000 metric tons a year to China.

He also said that millers who failed in the first round are among the 40.The ministry started their inspection of 60 millers in October, and in November, a group of Chinese experts inspected the quality and safety of the 28 successful rice mills during a week-long visit in Cambodia. All of them passed.But only 18 of them were given priority to export rice to China due to their experience of Chinese markets, according to Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF).“After a discussion between the Chinese company COFCO, CRF, and Green Trade from December, in Beijing, three parties agreed to allow the first 18 local rice mills to start fulfilling the export quota as most of these companies have experience exporting rice to China in the past,” Hun Lak, CRF vice president said previously.
China tops the biggest markets for Cambodia’s milled rice last year, with the country’s total 542,144 metric tons, 127,000 metric tons of which were shipped to China.Cambodian milled rice exports reached 109,000 metric tons in the first two months this year, up 14 percent over a year before, according to the ministry’s month report. Of this, 46,000 metric tons were sent to China.
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/36362/checks-for-rice-exporters/

India, Iran need to take swift steps to bolster trade: FIEO

By PTI | Updated: Mar 12, 2017, 02.26 PM IST
Description: "The import duty on our basmati rice is about 45 per cent. Iran should reduce it to about 20 per cent. There is huge potential to increase basmati rice exports from India.""The import duty on our basmati rice is about 45 per cent. Iran should reduce it to about 20 per cent. There is huge potential to increase basmati rice exports from India."
Assembly Elections 2017:
NEW DELHI: India and Iran need to take immediate steps like enhancing cooperation in the banking sector and rationalising duties on agri commodities to boost bilateral trade, exporters' body FIEO said.

The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has demanded a significant cut in import duty by Iran on basmati rice.

"The import duty on our basmati rice is about 45 per cent. Iran should reduce it to about 20 per cent. There is huge potential to increase basmati rice exports from India. We have requested Iran to cut the duty," FIEO Director General Ajay Sahai said.

Iran produces about 2 mt of rice against the demand of about 3 mt and imports the commodity mainly from India and Pakistan. The aromatic rice is grown only in these two countries.

Sahai, on the other hand, urged the RBI to grant permission to Iranian banks to open branches in India as that could help facilitate bilateral trade.

According to him, five Iranian lenders Bank of Pasargad, Saman Bank, Parsian Bank, Bank Mellat and Persia International Bank have applied for setting up branches in India.

Asked how the payments issue is being resolved between the two countries, he said certain Indian banks have come forward to open Vostro and Nostro accounts in overseas banks to facilitate trade payments.

Nostro and Vostro accounts are opened by banks that act as caretaker to facilitate trade.

The two-way trade between the countries declined to $9 billion in 2015-16, from $13.13 billion in the previous fiscal.

The commerce ministry in November 2016 launched a portal to provide relevant information and an e-marketplace for buyers and sellers of India and Iran
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/india-iran-need-to-take-swift-steps-to-bolster-trade-fieo/articleshow/57604842.cms

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