Monday, March 20, 2017

18th March,2017 daily global,regional and local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine

USA Rice Engaged in Productive Trade Conversation with Trump Administration
By William Mencer

WASHINGTON, DC -- USA Rice and other farm groups met on Wednesday at the White House with Trump Administration officials that make up the National Economic Council to discuss the importance of continued growth of agriculture exports and trade policy concerns.

The commodity groups expressed their eagerness to work with the Administration on preserving the benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and expanding market access for agricultural goods in upcoming discussions with NAFTA partners as well as countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the European Union (EU).

Administration officials laid out the President's priorities for agricultural trade and job creation, and asked those in attendance to provide recommendations for maintaining and improving trade relations with current and prospective partners.

USA Rice and other groups noted that the majority of their potential consumers live in countries other than the United States.  They also emphasized that agriculture is actually America's largest manufacturing sector providing more than 15 million U.S. jobs and $423 billion in domestic economic activity.     

Ben Mosely, vice president of government affairs for USA Rice, was among those in attendance to share insight on the rice industry's priorities.  "The Administration officials were gracious in not only inviting us out and hosting the meeting, but for truly listening to agriculture's perspective on trade barriers and challenges agriculture is facing," he said.

Knowing President Trump has an upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Mosely said, "It was important to take the opportunity to elevate one of USA Rice's highest priorities, exporting U.S.-grown rice to China.  I urged the Administration to finalize the phytosanitary agreement for rice between our two countries that will pave the way for U.S. rice exports to China, the largest importer of rice in the world."

"I left the meeting with a sense of assurance that the Trump Administration understands agriculture's needs and that they welcome our recommendations to increase U.S. agriculture exports," said Mosely.  "If we continue to expand on our surplus of agricultural exports around the globe, then our shared goal of increasing manufacturing, job creation, and ultimately, economic growth are all achievable.  And those are all things that people in rural America desperately need to see."




Fortified Rice Study Clears Way for More Rice in Food Aid as Administration Looks to Eliminate Humanitarian Programs
By Rebecca Bratter

WASHINGTON, DC -- Last week the World Food Programme (WFP) released a much-anticipated study on rice fortification that should pave the way for greater use of fortified rice in U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and WFP food assistance programs.  The study demonstrated that rinse-resistant coated fortified rice and extruded fortified rice perform the same in terms of taste and impact on malnutrition.  USDA is already using fortified rice in the McGovern-Dole school feeding program but the tonnages have been limited by lack of access to rinse resistant coating technology.  The results of this study should lead to greater use of all available fortification technologies in food aid programs and help bolster the use of U.S.-grown rice.    

"The study concludes that extrusion and rinse resistant coating are both viable techniques for fortifying rice and that both fortification technologies are effective delivery devices for key nutrients" said Bobby Hanks, president of Louisiana Rice Mill and chairman of the USA Rice Food Aid Subcommittee.  "This is welcome news for the U.S. rice industry, which should now see benefits from greater programming of fortified rice and overall use of rice in feeding programs." 

USA Rice will be working closely with USAID on minor revisions to the commodity specifications for fortified rice with the expectation that these specifications will be released within the next few months.  In addition, more work will be needed to ensure that certain nutrients will be effectively absorbed and that the common practice of pre-soaking rice in many recipient countries will not affect the bioavailability of key micronutrients in fortified rice.

"USAID has made it clear that once this study was completed, the agency would use all fortified rice in many of their feeding programs" said Hanks.  "With looming budget cuts that may negatively impact U.S. food aid programs, including the McGovern-Dole program that has provided more than 22 million meals to children in 41 countries, it is heartening to see that U.S.-grown fortified rice has received a positive evaluation from WFP in improving the nutritional quality of food aid delivered to vulnerable populations."
Fortified Rice Study Clears Way for More Rice in Food Aid as Administration Looks to Eliminate Humanitarian Programs 

WASHINGTON, DC -- Last week the World Food Programme (WFP) released a much-anticipated study on rice fortification that should pave the way for greater use of fortified rice in U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and WFP food assistance programs.  The study demonstrated that rinse-resistant coated fortified rice and extruded fortified rice perform the same in terms of taste and impact on malnutrition.  USDA is already using fortified rice in the McGovern-Dole school feeding program but the tonnages have been limited by lack of access to rinse resistant coating technology.  The results of this study should lead to greater use of all available fortification technologies in food aid programs and help bolster the use of U.S.-grown rice.  

"The study concludes that extrusion and rinse resistant coating are both viable techniques for fortifying rice and that both fortification technologies are effective delivery devices for key nutrients" said Bobby Hanks, president of Louisiana Rice Mill and chairman of the USA Rice Food Aid Subcommittee.  "This is welcome news for the U.S. rice industry, which should now see benefits from greater programming of fortified rice and overall use of rice in feeding programs."

USA Rice will be working closely with USAID on minor revisions to the commodity specifications for fortified rice with the expectation that these specifications will be released within the next few months.  In addition, more work will be needed to ensure that certain nutrients will be effectively absorbed and that the common practice of pre-soaking rice in many recipient countries will not affect the bioavailability of key micronutrients in fortified rice. 

"USAID has made it clear that once this study was completed, the agency would use all fortified rice in many of their feeding programs" said Hanks.  "With looming budget cuts that may negatively impact U.S. food aid programs, including the McGovern-Dole program that has provided more than 22 million meals to children in 41 countries, it is heartening to see that U.S.-grown fortified rice has received a positive evaluation from WFP in improving the nutritional quality of food aid delivered to vulnerable populations." 







Good Taste Featured Dish of Week for March 13: Himalaya

Posted: 3:22 PM, March 16, 2017Updated: 3:22 PM, March 16, 2017
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HOUSTON - Our Good Taste featured dish of the week for March 13, 2017, is from Himalaya.
Himalaya Restaurant & Catering -- It should be mandatory that every Houstonian eat at Himalaya at least once!  Chef/Owner/Culinary Genius Kaiser Lashkari’s Indian and Pakistani cuisine will leave your taste buds in awe.

More Food Headlines

Tender pieces of lamb cooked in a magical blend of dry whole spices and layered with fragrant basmati rice
http://www.click2houston.com/food/good-taste-featured-dish-of-week-for-march-13-himalaya

The jackfruit returns

By Shilpi Madan  |  Express News Service  |   Published: 11th March 2017 10:00 PM  |  
Last Updated: 10th March 2017 05:10 PM  |   A+A A-   |  
Jaydeep Mukherjee, Corporate Executive Chef, deGustibus Hospitality
For Mumbai-based chef Conrad D'Souza, the quintessential Indian kathal brings in a rush of childhood memories from Mangalore. “It was my father’s native place, and each time he would return from there, the huge jackfruit consignment would arrive with him,” smiles Conrad.
“So I experimented a great deal with the kathal. From frying jackfruit chips served up with a spicy, curd-based dip to jackfruit ice cream bursting with the deliciously earthy flavours of the fruit.”
In his new menu at his restaurant Out of the Blue in Mumbai, Conrad is perfecting his grilled fish served with a side salad. “Sauting jackfruit with a hint of garlic, then smoking it up a bit and tossing it up with chilli oil to complement the fish,” he says. “The earthy, not-too-sweet complexion of jackfruit makes it a great foil.”

Love the Taste, Loathe the Smell
The jackfruit is making a comeback, from being the staple ingredient in south Indian recipes to fusion specialities in restaurants in varying avatars.
Few know that the humble, wholesome, unattractive fruit is a virtual powerhouse of nutrition. Dubbed as the “vegetarian meat”, it packs a good amount of fibre and revs up the glow on your face through the anti-oxidants in its soft, fleshy bulbs. Even the seeds of the palakkai jump into dishes as fibrous, vitamin-enriched warriors and are known to ward off constipation.

“Jackfruit is one of those fruits that people either hate or love. It’s like an Indian durian; the flavour is beautifully heady,” says Jaydeep Mukherjee, Corporate Executive Chef, deGustibus Hospitality (Indigo, Indigo Deli, Neel, Tote on the Turf, D:OH) in Mumbai.
“These characteristics work very well in desserts and meat curries. Beer battered sweet jackfruit fritters paired with a homemade jackfruit ice cream is a popular summer dessert at Indigo Deli. I also have a mutton stew that brings in the element of slow cooking. When the stew is nearing readiness, I add chestnuts and raw jackfruit and cook further for an earthy, sweetish taste. It accentuates the dish beautifully,” he says.

Snacky Bites
So jostling for attention on the busy shelves of premium supermarts are the shredded avatars of the prickly pasha of fruits. “Apart from papad and chips, the jackfruit is selling in other forms such as canned versions and tacos to bring to you the goodness of the kathal without the mess of dissecting it,” says Swasti Aggarwal, food strategist with Foodhall. Even the history of Chinese medicine reflects the use of jackfruit in combating the effects of alcohol in the body.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/food/2017/mar/11/the-jackfruit-returns-1579636--1.html

Changes to institutions urged to improve rice value chain

VNA FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2017 - 18:55:00  PRINT
Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Changes to management institutions are needed to improve the rice value chain and Vietnamese rice’s competitiveness, experts said at a workshop in Hanoi on March 17.

Speaking at the conference, Director of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) Nguyen Dinh Cung said the biggest challenge at the moment is to shift to quality management and promote cooperation and linkage in the chain.

He stressed that the role of farmers’ organizations and professional organizations in the rice value chain is very important. 

Presenting research results on the existing rice value chain institutions, Dang Quang Vinh, researcher at the CIEM, said the rice cultivation area increased quickly from 2007 and the output rose by nearly 10 million tonnes in the 2005-2015 period.

Rice yield per hectare rose to 5.76 tonnes, the highest in Southeast Asia and rice export grew 14 percent annually on average in volume and 10 percent in value in the 1989-2012 period.

Nevertheless, production scale was relatively small with each household having an average 0.44 hectare of land, and rice quality was low and inconsistent.

According to experts, the rice sector will face a lot of difficulty in the upcoming years due to small scale production which makes it hard to apply scientific and technological advances, climate change, and bad farming practices such as the excessive use of chemicals.

The research recommended that in order to improve the value of rice production, it is necessary to clarify the right of property ownership, which will serve as the foundation for other activities such as investment, the development of an agricultural land market, and land accumulation for large-scale production.

Besides that, emphasis should be placed on quality, productivity and farmers’ income instead of quantity and supply.

A more comprehensive approach to food security is also needed, which pays more attention to nutrition than to rice quantity, according to the research.-VNA
http://en.vietnamplus.vn/changes-to-institutions-urged-to-improve-rice-value-chain/108858.vnp

Iran makes first Thai rice buy in 10 years

·        17 Mar 2017 at 18:33 4,319 viewed0 comments
·        WRITER: REUTERS
HAMBURG: Iran purchased about 40,000 tonnes of rice from Thailand in an international tender this week, a deal which traders say shows Iran's purchasing is returning to more normal patterns now that sanctions have been lifted.
Thai authorities announced in late January that they had secured a deal to sell rice to Iran for the first time in 10 years, with delivery of 50,000 to 100,000 tonnes of white rice due over the next one to two months. About 300,000 tonnes in shipments would be made in total, they said.
Traders said Iran in past years largely purchased rice through lengthy direct negotiations as western sanctions imposed over the country's disputed nuclear programme had curtailed international payments via banks.
"I think this sale in a tender shows Iran is starting to return to more traditional purchasing patterns after the relaxation of western sanctions," one European trader said on Friday. "The sale was made by a US multinational trading house."
The Iranian state grains buyer GTC bought Hom Mali grade A rice from Thailand at about €600 (US$645) a tonne, they said. Prices had been sought in euros in the tender that closed on March 14.
The rice was for shipment between April 15 and May 15 to Bandar Imam Khomeini or Bandar Abbas ports.
Asia Golden Rice Co said in January that it had reached an agreement to sell rice to the Iranian government after Iran’s Health and Medical Education Ministry inspected the company's operations late last year.






Iran makes first Thai rice buy in 10 years

·        17 Mar 2017 at 18:33 4,319 viewed0 comments
·        WRITER: REUTERS
HAMBURG: Iran purchased about 40,000 tonnes of rice from Thailand in an international tender this week, a deal which traders say shows Iran's purchasing is returning to more normal patterns now that sanctions have been lifted.
Thai authorities announced in late January that they had secured a deal to sell rice to Iran for the first time in 10 years, with delivery of 50,000 to 100,000 tonnes of white rice due over the next one to two months. About 300,000 tonnes in shipments would be made in total, they said.
Traders said Iran in past years largely purchased rice through lengthy direct negotiations as western sanctions imposed over the country's disputed nuclear programme had curtailed international payments via banks.
"I think this sale in a tender shows Iran is starting to return to more traditional purchasing patterns after the relaxation of western sanctions," one European trader said on Friday. "The sale was made by a US multinational trading house."
The Iranian state grains buyer GTC bought Hom Mali grade A rice from Thailand at about €600 (US$645) a tonne, they said. Prices had been sought in euros in the tender that closed on March 14.
The rice was for shipment between April 15 and May 15 to Bandar Imam Khomeini or Bandar Abbas ports.
Asia Golden Rice Co said in January that it had reached an agreement to sell rice to the Iranian government after Iran’s Health and Medical Education Ministry inspected the company's operations late last year.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1216597/iran-makes-first-thai-rice-buy-in-10-years

WACOT’s N10bn mill excites Kebbi rice communities

By Ismail Adebayo, Birnin Kebbi | Publish Date: Mar 16 2017 2:00AM
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image: http://images.dailytrust.com.ng/cms/gall_content/2017/3/2017_3$large_PG_21_A.jpg

WACOT’s rice mill in Argungu, Kebbi State.
The Anchor Borrowers programme on dry season rice and wheat farming, launched a year ago by President Muhammadu Buhari in Kebbi State, has seen an increase in the number of millers and traders trooping to the state.
Come April this year, WACOT will commission its Rice Mill located on the Argungu-Sokoto road, about 55km from Birnin Kebbi and 90 kilometres from Sokoto. The mill was built on 10 hectares of land.
The N10 billion rice mill has a production capacity of 100,000 tonnes annually; silos for storing 18,000 tonnes of paddy and a warehouse for storing additional 12,000 tonnes of paddy. When operational, it is expected to generate direct and indirect employment for 3,500 people and its procurement will reach out to 50,000 farmers.
Expressing joy for getting a rice mill in Argungu, his hometown, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court and patron of Kebbi State Rice Farmers Association, Uthman Mohammed, said, “Before the coming of WACOT, the rice companies simply came here to purchase our rice and take it to mill elsewhere. We discussed with the emir that we would appreciate a company to be set up in Argungu for milling our rice, and we are ready to feed such mill.
“Now that WACOT is here, we have gone round to tell our farmers that we now have a rice mill. We urged them to grow more rice so that the mill will produce round the clock. When our people heard about it they were very excited.  Many are happy that they no longer have to go seeking for jobs elsewhere because of the job opportunities created in Argungu. It is an interesting thing for me to be a rice farmer.
“I have over 50 hectares of rice field. I harvested over 1,000 bags of rice last year. People come on excursion to my farm to see what I have done there.
Last year, a bag of paddy was sold for N10,000 and because of that, most of the young men and farmers have gone into rice farming. If you go to the FADAMA area in Argungu, you will be amazed.”

Justice Uthman also said: “When the federal government asked Governor Atiku Bagudu if they could get a million metric tons of rice from Kebbi last year, I told him we would achieve the target and we did. There is no reason for us to import what we can grow in our country and I am happy the farmers have taken up the challenge very seriously, particularly now that we have a rice mill in Argungu.”  

The Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Ismaila Muhammad Mera, also a rice farmer, expressed delight over the development of rice production in Kebbi State.
“For a very long time, Argungu has always been known for its rice farming. When you talk about agriculture here, it is rice first and other crops follow.
“The late emir of Argungu started the dry season farming in the state.
“It would be good for our farmers to have available markets for their produce and with WACOT, this feat can now be guaranteed. A 100kg bag of rice previously cost N3,000 to N4,000. People simply farmed to feed their families and sell what little they have left.
“However, for two years now, rice farming has become a profitable endeavour,” he said.
 He said these days, they  see company directors closing their offices and coming into the farm business because there is a guaranteed market for the produce.
“This is because of the presence of companies like WACOT in the state.
In the future I see every able person in this country going back to the farm. I had a discussion with the governor on land distribution for farming where he told me to reserve land for the state for redistribution to those that might be rehabilitated from drug addiction and go into farming. This is happening because there now exists a conducive market for the farm produce.
“With WACOT’s presence and its proposed plans for farming, I see a big change in our society soon,” he said.
The general manager, WACOT Rice Limited, Mr Amit Gupta, while assuring on his company’s commitment to rice production in the country, said the Argungu rice mill project was initiated in 2016 to actualize some of the federal government’s economic objectives.
“We plan to complete it within 16 months and when completed, it would be bigger than any rice mill that have been set up in the country,” he said.
It is the first rice mill to be conceptualized and executed with an expectation of being commissioned within the Buhari administration.
“Initially, we were faced with the challenges of getting the piece of land to set up the factory because of the type of soil required. We were also faced with the consideration of getting enough paddies to sustain our production and the need for a place that is economically viable. Kebbi is a remote location with no access to many contractors, as compared to Lagos and Abuja, for the building of our heavy machines and equipment. We were, however lucky to get partnership with a number of good engineering contractors.
“The government has been very supportive about the whole process. Our patron is the Emir of Argungu, he is extremely up and doing in mobilizing public opinion and giving us guidance on how to go about getting people and the resources needed.
“Like I said, we had operational challenges but we were able to overcome them, perhaps because of the dynamism of our management team,” he said.
Expressing his optimism about the major role his company aims to play in the effort to boost rice production in the country, he said, “This country consumes an average of five million tons of rice per year. What we as a company are excited about is the fact that we already have farmers. We started the outgrowers in 2015. We have been working all along with over 5,000 farmers in Kebbi State.
“We trained about 5,000 farmers on good agricultural practices. We engaged them on multiple levels such as the field and demonstration farms. We also set up farmers’ business school to teach them financial management, cost of production, and best ways of investing money.

“We have also worked with a lot of female-led organisations to create self-sustainable groups and make them economically viable.”  

On quality, Mr. Gupta said WACOT has the capacity to produce world class rice that could be compared with those produced in Thailand and India because it has the required machines, boilers and other equipment needed to produce high quality rice.
“We need to change the impression that Nigerian rice is inferior to Thai rice. Our rice has passed through food safety standards and control and we are set to meet our targets.

“We need 100,000 tons of paddy to produce 16,000 tons of finished rice per year. With the capacity of our equipment and the interactions built over the years with farmers, this would not be difficult for us to meet. The rice mill cost us N10 billion to set up. We are confident of our entry into the market,” he said. 

When fully operational, he said, WACOT would employ over 600 full time workers in the mill. In addition, there would be over 400 labourers. He said the company aims to also create about 3,500 indirect workers.
“The mill will have a parking lot, which is expected to attract mechanics, auto electricians, drivers, off loaders, vulcanisers, food sellers and others. Anyone who wants to make or sell polythene bag already has a market here. Our objective is to set up a self-sustaining factory with freedom that will give rise to other initiatives,” he said.

Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/agriculture/wacot-s-n10bn-mill-excites-kebbi-rice-communities/189376.html#LWqH2TAd5UvrQtRG.99


Thailand to increase rice export to Mexico

By NNT
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BANGKOK,(NNT) – The Ministry of Commerce is determined to increase the export of Thai rice to Mexico by 10,000 tons before the end of this year.
According to Commerce Minister Aphiradee Tantraporn, The federal government of Mexico has given its rice importers a privilege to import a total of 150,000 tons of rice without having to pay import duties this year.
To qualify for tax exemption, each domestic company must import fewer or equivalent to 10,000 tons of rice. Aphiradee said it was seen as an attempt to lower prices of rice in Mexico and cater to domestic demand.
Thailand is among rice exporters Mexican importers are to order the grains from. Out of all rice varieties in Thailand, only the long-grain rice has been chosen by the Mexican government.
The Ministry of Commerce is going to ask Mexican importers to buy Thai long grain rice so as to increase the popularity of Thai rice in other Latin American nations. In addition to the long-grain rice, jasmine rice has been marketed at 37 Costco retail stores across Mexico through a rice market expansion program.
Mexico is the fourth largest importer of Thai rice after the United States, Uruguay, and Argentina. In 2016, around 7,000 tons of rice was exported to Mexico, a 50% decrease from a year before. Aphiradee attributed the decline to higher logistics costs and tariffs
http://www.pattayamail.com/thailandnews/thailand-increase-rice-export-mexico-167655

The price of growing rice

Can Nepal regain self-sufficiency in paddy production? Experts say yes.
Sahina Shrestha
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Eighty per cent of Nepalis live off the farm. Agri-culture accounts for one-third of Nepal’s GDP, but the country has turned from a net exporter to importer of rice.
Investment in irrigation, high-yield seeds, mechanisation, and pricing incentives can easily boost rice production and create jobs on the farm for Nepalis. All it needs is for agriculture to have more government priority than it currently receives.
The food balance sheet for 2015-16 shows a deficit of 1,106,892 tons in rice as production plummeted to 4.3 million tons. Things are looking better this year as harvests are up by 21 per cent to 5.23 million tons because of a good monsoon. The Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project, if properly implemented, could decrease dependency on food imports, especially rice from India.
Since most farms are rain-fed, the single most important contribution to boosting productivity would be irrigation. Only 1.3 hectares of farms in Nepal get year-round irrigation – 18 per cent of the total arable land. Monsoon rice is planted in 1,450,000 hectares, while only 112,000 hectares grow spring rice because of the lack of irrigation.
Says Mukunda Bhusal, Crop Production Officer at Department of Agriculture: “Rice imports will go down if we can increase the production of spring rice, but that needs irrigation.”
However, Nepalis are moving away from the land or migrating overseas for work as soon as they leave school. Booming real estate prices and urban expansion have reduced total cultivated area. And cheap rice from India does not make it worthwhile for Nepali farmers to grow paddy.
“The other way is to change the food habits of Nepalis and replace rice with other grains,” says Bhusal. But that may be easier said than done in a country where “Have you eaten rice today?” is a form of greeting, and people in the mountains are turning to rice from traditional millet and buckwheat.
The trend is most visible in Morang, once Nepal’s grain basket. Out-migration of young men and the economics of agriculture has meant that it does not make sense to invest labour in paddy farming.
“In Morang alone, 10,000 hectares of land has gone fallow in the past decade,” says Rajendra Uprety of the Regional Directorate of Agriculture in Biratnagar, “land that was previously farmed is now used for non-agricultural purposes.”
Along the border, Indian businessmen often come to Nepal to buy harvested paddy in bulk, dehusk it in their mills and sell the rice back to Nepal. Farmers are also forced to sell paddy at a lower rate to rice mills when there is a surplus in India and the excess rice dumped in Nepal.
Government apathy, lack of support and subsidies mean that there is little cushion for farmers if the crops don’t do well, or don’t sell. There is no minimum price for food grain, although the Department of Agriculture has asked the Nepal Food Corporation to buy paddy, spring paddy and wheat at a minimum cost if sales are down.
Economist Rajendra Pradhan of the Department of Agriculture says there is little Nepal can do to stop cheap imports from across the open border. But boosting productivity would enhance food security so that with the spreading road network domestic supply can meet demand in remote areas.
Pradhan explains, “For national food security, production is not enough. People should have access to food and there should be opportunities of employment in agriculture as well.

http://nepalitimes.com/article/nation/can-nepal-be-self-sufficient-in-rice,3598

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