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

Rice-loving Asians may be more prone to diabetes, study shows

Tuesday October 17, 2017
12:40 PM GMT+8

ICYMI

Obesity is seen as a red flag for diabetes because weight gain causes the body to become more resistant to insulin.

Dr Toh shared preliminary results of the Assessing Progression to Type 2 Diabetes(APT-2D) study on Monday (Oct 16) and urged more people of different ethnicities to sign up, in order for results to be more representative and definitive.

About 1,300 participants have been recruited so far, out of which about 900 have been screened. This is short of the 2,300 that researchers hope to get by June next year.

The findings of the study was based on 140 participants — half are pre-diabetic while the others have normal blood glucose levels.

Despite the small participant size, Dr Toh said she was surprised by the observations so early on. “The common perception is that Asians are not overweight and we look slim, so we are less prone to diabetes. But the results show that it might not be the case,” she said.

Insulin secretion in the pre-diabetic individuals was 36 per cent lower than in normal individuals, researchers found. This means the pre-diabetics were less able to produce insulin to compensate for spikes in sugar levels.

Other studies show Caucasians are “far more able to compensate for spikes in blood sugar as compared to Asians”, said Dr Toh. A European study that investigated the probability of diabetes in different ethnic groups found 8 per cent of participants of Chinese descent had diabetes — four times their European counterparts. The participants had a body mass index of 23.

Participants in the APT-2D study will be tracked over three-and-a-half years. They undergo an oral glucose tolerance test, where they consume a 75g glucose drink and have their insulin and blood glucose levels taken two hours later. They also undergo tests involving an insulin infusion. After the first visit, a second visit is done within three months, and subsequent trips to the hospital take place at six-month intervals.

Participants must be aged between 30 and 70. They must not have a history of diabetes and other chronic diseases that require long-term medication, or uncontrolled hypertension. Asians may develop diabetes even at lower levels of obesity than Caucasians, early findings from one of the largest studies on diabetes here show. — TODAY pixSINGAPORE, Oct 17 — Asians may develop diabetes even at lower levels of obesity than Caucasians, early findings from one of the largest studies on diabetes here show.

This is because they seem less able to produce enough insulin in response to spikes in blood sugar levels.

The finding means Asians may have to watch their weight, diets and lifestyles more closely, to avoid increasing their risk of Type 2 diabetes, said the study’s principal investigator, Dr Sue-Anne Toh of the National University Hospital.

Insulin helps to regulate blood sugar levels by allowing the body to convert sugar from food to energy or to store it for future use, thus keeping diabetes at bay.

Alan Phua, 34, found out he was pre-diabetic after going for the APT-2D study. He is even more conscientious after the tests, and has halved his white rice intake.Businessman Alan Phua, 34, was “surprised and slightly depressed” to learn he had pre-diabetes after taking part in the study. He had thought himself to be of “extremely low risk”, given a relatively low body fat percentage of 11 per cent and an active lifestyle.

He started to be more conscious of his diet and health about two years ago due to a family history of diabetes — both his grandmothers died from diabetescomplications, while five of his mother’s six siblings have Type 2 diabetes. He is now even more conscientious: “If one day I get careless or lazy and not take care of my lifestyle and diet, Type 2 diabetes is almost a certainty.”

The APT-2D study, which costs S$20 million (RM62.3 million), is jointly funded by the Ministry of Health and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The team hopes to complete the study by 2021.

Those interested to join may email brite_spot@nuhs.edu.sg or call 8781 6302 or 8781 6303 during office hours. — TODAY

 

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/features/article/rice-loving-asians-may-be-more-prone-to-diabetes-

 

 

 

 

Scientists claim to have invented 'giant rice' that stands over SEVEN FEET tall as they look for ways to feed growing population

·        Experts in China claimed they had cultivated new grain in an experiment

·        The yield of the 'giant rice' is said to be 50 per cent higher than ordinary rice

·        It's expected to greatly benefit the nation which faces a shortage of farmers

·        Scientists also introduced 'sea rice', which could grow on saline-alkaline land

By TRACY YOU FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 12:47 BST, 17 October 2017 | UPDATED: 13:00 BST, 17 October 2017

A new kind of rice that can grow as tall as 2.2 meters (7ft 2in) has been introduced.

The so-called 'giant rice' is expected to feed more people as scientists claimed its yield could be 50 per cent higher than ordinary rice, according to a report on China's People's Daily Online today.

Experts from the China said they had spent 10 years cultivating the new grain, which was unveiled on October 16.

+3

A team of researchers from the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, have planted and harvested the 'giant rice' on an experimental field, according to the People's Daily Online report, citing Xinhua News Agency.

The experimental field is located in Jinjing Township of Changsha County, central China's Hunan Province.

The new type of rice is said to be 1.8 metres tall on average (5ft 10in), with the greatest ones reaching 2.2 metres. 

Xia Xinjie, a researching involved in the project, expected the yield of the 'giant rice' to surpass 11.5 tonnes per hectare. Mr Xia said the per-hectare yield is 50 per cent higher than the ordinary rice.

Mr Xia added that experts had harvested more than 500 grains from a single 'giantrice' stalk.

The Chinese scientists are said to have used a series of new technologies to cultivate the new rice, including mutation induction and hybridisation between different kinds of wild rice.

+3

A Chinese farmer harvests Xiangliangyou 900, the hybrid rice that has set the world record for its high per-hectare yield. The new rice was invented by a team led by renowned Yuan Longpin

The 'giant rice' is due to greatly benefit China which is facing a shortage of farmers and a growing population.

'It is expected that 60 per cent more rice will need to be produced in 2030 compared to 1995,' Yuan Longping, a renowned agricultural scientist, told People's Daily Online, in an interview last month.

Mr Yuan added: 'Currently, one hectare for rice production provides food for 27 people. By 2050, one hectare will have to support 43 people.'  

CHINA'S 'FATHER OF HYBRID RICE'

 

+Chinese scientist Yuan Longping (second left), known as the 'father of hybrid rice', surveys the growth of hybrid rice in a field in Hebei, China, on October 15

Yuan Longping, 87, has been billed as the 'father of hybrid rice' in China for his constant contribution in breeding high-yield grains in the past 60 years.Last month, the scientist announced he and his team had successfully cultivated a new type of rice, called 'sea rice', which could grow on saline-alkaline land.

On an experiment field, four types of rice were said to register an estimated output between 6.5 to 9.3 tonnes per hectare.China has 100 million hectares of saline-alkaline soil, according to Mr Yuan. Among them, 18.7 million hectares have the potential to grow rice.This week, another new type of hybrid rice, also cultivated by Mr Yuan, become the highest-yielding one in the world.

The rice has been named Xiangliangyou 900. The pilot rice fields in Handan, Hebei province, were harvested on October 15. The three plots yielded 17.2 tons per hectare on average. Of the three plots, the one with the highest yield reached 17.7 tons per hectare, which is a new world record.

 

 

TradeNet to cover rice, 6 other goods

BY MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO, TMT

ON OCTOBER 17, 2017

The government’s online trade facilitation platform — expected to be rolled out this December — will initially cover seven goods that represent half of the Philippines’ total trade volume, the Finance department said.Advertisements

The TradeNet system will allow traders to apply for clearances covering rice, sugar, used motor vehicles, chemicals (toluene), frozen meat, medicines (for humans, animals or fish) and cured tobacco.

“The initial deployment will allow traders to use the system for the first seven commodities that represent fifty percent of the total trade volume of the Philippines,” Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran was quoted as saying in a report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd.

TradeNet aims to minimize the costs of doing business and cut the processing time for import and export permits. It will also perform the functions of the country’s National Single Window (NSW).

The NSW, which will be interconnected by December to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Single Window, is a regional initiative that aims to speed up cargo clearances and promote economic integration by enabling the electronic exchange of documents between the bloc’s 10 member-states.

Beltran also said that 16 agencies involved in the processing of permits for the seven commodities would have to be connected to TradeNet by December.

These include the Bureau of Animal Industry, National Tobacco Administration, Fair Trade and Enforcement Bureau, National Food Authority, Bureau of Plant Industry, Food and Drugs Administration, National Meat Inspection Service, Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs.

More goods will be added to the system once other agencies also link up with TradeNet, he said.

TradeNet aims to connect 66 agencies and 10 economic zones involved in approving import and export permits and other trading requirements.

The Finance department was able to secure a P21.5-million grant last year from the German development bank KfW Group to help implement TradeNet.

Besides simplifying the import-export documentation processes, the program’s targets include developing policies to “oversee, manage and harmonize transactions of all regulatory agencies” involved by establishing protocols to link their databases.

http://www.manilatimes.net/tradenet-cover-rice-6-goods/356955/

Congress must pass rice tariffication bill soon

By BusinessMirror Editorial

October 17, 2017

   

The Philippines had enjoyed the protection of quantitative restriction (QR) on rice, or rice- import caps, for more than two decades. Upon joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995, the country was allowed to place caps on rice imports purportedly to discourage the influx of cheap staple from neighboring Southeast Asian countries. Rice was the only commodity that enjoyed the QR as the government had converted the import quotas into tariffs when Congress passed Republic Act (RA) 8178, or the Agricultural Tariffication Act.

Initially, the Philippines was allowed by the WTO to implement the QR on rice for 10 years. Manila was granted a seven-year extension when it expired in 2004. After the waiver on the special treatment on rice again lapsed in 2012, the Philippines sought and was again permitted by the WTO to keep import caps in place until June 30 this year.

In seeking the extension, the government cited the need to prepare the rice sector for competition from Asean countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam, which can produce the staple in a more cost-efficient manner. Despite being in place for more than two decades, domestic rice production continues to fall short of the requirements of Filipinos. Even after the Aquino administration had targeted rice self-sufficiency, the shortfall in rice output is still at around 1 million metric tons (MMT) annually.

The government should have rolled out the necessary measures to prepare the rice sector since day one of the effectivity of the QR for rice traded under the WTO. But problems that had plagued the sector for many years—lack of irrigation, inability to secure the necessary farm equipment, lack of access to cheap credit for their production capital—have yet to be addressed. And it doesn’t help that RA 8178 did not include a sunset clause for the implementation of the rice-import caps. Manila had informed the WTO that it could not yet convert the QR into tariffs because Congress has yet to amend the agricultural tariffication law.

The Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council had identified the amendment of RA 8178 as a priority bill to fast-track its passage. A technical working group (TWG) created by the House Committee on Food and Agriculture recently approved a substitute bill to amend RA 8178. House Committee on Agriculture and Food Chairman Party-list Rep. Jose T. Panganiban Jr. of Anac-IP told the BusinessMirror that the lower chamber is planning to approve the bill on third and final reading before the end of the year. The Senate would also start discussions on the bill filed by Sen. Ralph G. Recto during the Halloween break, according to Sen. Cynthia A. Villar, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food.

The substitute bill approved by the TWG created by the House Committee on Agriculture and Food calls for the crafting of a road map, which will specify new initiatives to help rice farmers cope with the possible influx of cheaper imports from neighboring Southeast Asian countries. Bureaucrats will also have the money to put in place measures to make the local rice sector competitive, as the substitute bill stipulates that all duties collected from the importation of the staple would go to a Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund. The Philippine Institute for Development Studies said last November that the removal of the QR would allow the government to generate at least P27 billion annually.

Economic managers said the scrapping of the rice QR could cut the cost of the staple. But its removal could also jolt government officials out of complacency and force them to focus on resolving the ills that have long plagued the rice sector

https://businessmirror.com.ph/congress-must-pass-rice-tariffication-bill-soon/

 

Nigeria looks to food exports to boost FX income after oil shock

October 17, 2017, 11:04:00 AM EDT By Reuters

By Chijioke Ohuocha

ABUJA, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Nigeria is looking to boost agricultural exports to earn more hard currency, and aims to cut imports of rice and wheat which together cost it almost $4 billion a year, Agriculture Minister Audu Ogbeh told Reuters.Nigeria emerged from recession in the second quarter as oil revenues rose, but growth was sluggish. The government has touted agriculture as a way to wean the country off its oil dependence, improving access to finance and introducing policies to try to encourage private investment.

He said Nigeria needed 12 million tonnes of unmilled rice to achieve eight million tonnes of milled rice to meet local demand, and the country's production was approaching 20 million tonnes of unmilled rice this year.Unmilled rice production was 7.85 million tonnes in 2016 and was just 4.54 million in 2010, government figures show.

"We redesigned the agricultural programme ... clearly saying that we are looking for an alternative to oil and gas," Ogbe said in an interview in Abuja."The simple thing in diversifying the economy (is) to increase local production of staples and substitute for imports - top of which is rice and wheat," he said, adding the rice policy would save Nigeria$1.6 billion a year.Ogbe said a similar policy had worked with sorghum and now the country was able to meet local demand, especially for the beer industry, substituting for barley imports.

On wheat, he said the plan was to cut imports by 2019 as current output of 300,000 tonnes grows thanks to better seed.

Ogbe said the government was aware that crude oil demand would probably decline over the next 10 years and had made a call to boost agriculture, which contributes around 40 percent to its gross output and is growing.

HIGHER PRICES

Africa's biggest economy earned $12.9 billion in non-oil revenues in 2013. Ogbe expects agriculture will generate around $40 billion in five years time, nearly the same as the country earns from crude exports, as it looks to boost sales of cocoa, cashew, livestock, coconut oil, sesame seed, cassava.

He said the country had started to export yams and was seeing demand for fruits and livestock such as bananas, mangoes, goat meat and soybeans from Britain, United States, Russia, the Middle East and China.

Ogbe said a devaluation of Nigeria's naira currency last year made agricultural commodities cheaper for neighbouring countries, to the extent that the likes of Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ghana, Togo, Niger and Chad started to buy food from its local markets, a move which stoked food price inflation.

"We literally had an invasion from West Africa. It became cheaper to buy food here. They're shopping here. Everyday trucks leave big markets especially in the north and south west loading food," Ogbe said

However, prices have started coming down, he said, adding the government was looking at ways to formalise trade with neighbouring nations to boost revenues and foreign exchange.

Core inflation in Nigeria has declined for eight consecutive months, though food price inflation has remained above 20 percent, government data showed on Tuesday.

http://www.nasdaq.com/article/nigeria-looks-to-food-exports-to-boost-fx-income-after-oil-shock-20171017-00995

 

Tariffication to give rice sector P27-billion safety net

By Jasper Y. Arcalas

 -

October 16, 2017

   

The rice sector may get at least P27 billion in government assistance, or nearly half of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) P60.6-billion budget for 2018, once Congress approves the tariffication of the staple.Removing the quantitative restriction (QR) on rice by amending Republic Act (RA) 8178 would allow the government to generate P27 billion annually, according to a paper published by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (Pids).

The Pids paper noted that the projected revenues would come from the importation of some 2.2 million metric tons (MMT) of rice at 35-percent tariff. Purchases of imported rice are expected to increase once the government removes the QR.

Under a substitute bill approved recently by the technical working group created by the House Committee on Agriculture and Food, duties collected from importing the staple would form the rice competitiveness enhancement fund, or Rice Fund.

“The Rice Fund shall consist of all duties collected from the importation of rice under this act and shall be automatically credited to a special account in the general fund of the national treasury: provided that fund release shall not be subject to any ceiling by the Department of Budget and Management [DBM],” the substitute bill read, a copy of which was obtained by the BusinessMirror.

The Rice Fund shall be channeled to six components: rice endowment fund, farm equipment/mechanization grants, rice-crop finance, postharvest development, rice scholarships and vocational education and research and development.

“Up to 20 percent of the Rice Fund collected from the effectivity of this act from the applicable rates of duty for all rice importations shall be utilized for the establishment of a permanent rice-endowment fund, which shall be preserved as a capital fund and not expended, and which will be prudently invested, and its profits and earnings reinvested and any savings at the end of the year shall also accrue to the rice endowment fund,” it read.

The substitute bill also noted that 20 percent of the Rice Fund shall be made available as grants to farmers and cooperatives in the form of farming machinery. Tractors, harvesters, millers, reapers and other related farming equipment would be given to farmers to increase their productivity.

“Up to 20 percent of the Rice Fund shall be used for a special program of the crop loans, farm inputs, crop insurance, loan guarantees and other financial assistance to farmers and farm workers included in the registry system for basic sector in agriculture, including related technical assistance and support, which shall be established and administered by the DA,” the substitute bill read.

Another 20 percent of the Rice Fund will be allocated for postharvest facilities, logistics, storage, transportation facilities and infrastructure projects.

As for the remaining 20 percent, 10 percent will be used to fund rice farmers’s education, scholarships, technical and vocational training of farmers and their dependents. The remaining 10 percent will be channeled to the government’s research and development program on rice.

“The congressional oversight committee on agricultural and fisheries modernization shall conduct a periodic review of the use of the Rice Fund,” the substitute bill read.

It indicated that the fund will be disbursed by the DBM to the DA and that the Agriculture secretary would administer the fund.

“The DA, in consultation with the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries, shall promulgate the policies and guidelines necessary for the planning, administration, coordination and monitoring of the utilization of the Rice Fund,” it read.

The programs that will be supported by the Rice Fund will only complement the existing initiatives rolled out by the DA for the rice farmers, according to the substitute bill.

“Any remaining balance at the date of expiration of the collection of duties for the Rice Fund shall not revert to the general fund but shall continue to be used for the purpose for which it was collected and set aside,” it read.

The DA, together with other relevant agencies, will be tasked to craft a Rice Industry Roadmap that will serve as a “backbone” of the sector’s development.

“Upon the enactment of this Act, the DA, together with relevant agencies, shall be given a maximum of 180 days to finalize the rice road map to restructure the government’s delivery of support services for the sector,” it read.

“As part of this road map, a five-year rice program shall be implemented to provide alternative livelihood for those who will be affected by the shift in the import policy. The road map shall be based on the following principles: rice industry; farmers’ profitability, support covering the whole value chain and technology-oriented, location, situation and farmer-specific support services,” it added.

House Committee on Agriculture and Food Chairman Party-list Rep. Jose T. Panganiban Jr. of Anac-IP earlier told the BusinessMirror that they plan to approve the bill on third and final reading before the end of the year

https://businessmirror.com.ph/tariffication-to-give-rice-sector-p27-billion-safety-net/ 16 October 2017 | 

Akufo-Addo Throws Challenge To Farmers

 Daily Guide

His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo has challenged farmers in the Northern Region to increase their productivity to bring wealth and opportunities into the region.According to the president, the Avnash Rice Mill in the Northern Region has been underutilized because due to the low inputs coming into the mill.

He said the stable peace and stability in the region is what encouraged investors like Avnash to invest in the region. He thus pleaded with the good people to continue to maintain the peace and stability in the region to attract more investors into the region.The Avnash Rice Mill which has the capacity to thresh about 500 metric tons of rice per day and situated in the heart of Tamale, in the Northern Region, is the largest in Africa.

The Chief Executive Officer of Avnash Industries Ghana Limited, Jai Mirchandani said the company has adopted a policy which apart from training about 32,000 farmers will also create a million jobs in the region over a 5-year period.Avnash is known for its use of local labour and local raw materials.

The Minister for Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto said, the facility is being underutilized mainly because of the insufficient resources available to farmers, especially rice farmers in the region.

He revealed that, as part of the planting for food and jobs policy of the Akufo-Addo government, the plant was going to be made one of the pillars for the success of the policy. This year, some 1100 metric tons of improved rice variety have been supplied to farmers for cultivation.

According to the sector minister, the supply will hit 8,000 metric tons next year which will see a rise in the cultivation of rice in the country.In 2015, statistics from the ministry of agriculture reveals that, the nation spent $1.5 billion on rice imports alone, an amount, according to the agriculture minister, that can be saved and invested into the development of other facilities and projects

 

 

https://www.modernghana.com/news/809768/akufo-addo-throws-challenge-to-farmers.html

Vietnam rice industry should focus on quality: experts

VNA WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2017 - 10:36:00 

Workers at Hau River Food Company in the southern Can Tho Province load rice for export. (Photo: VNA)

HCM City (VNS/VNA)-Vietnamese rice producers and exporters should focus on quality and supplying products that are in demand to sustain the production and export of the grain and add value to the grain, heard a meeting in Ho Chi Minh City on October 17.

Speaking at the meeting held to discuss Vietnam’s Rice Market Development Strategy from 2017 to 2020, Phan Van Chinh, head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s import-export department, said the global rice market had seen changes, with major importing countries increasing domestic production.

“Free trade agreements theoretically create opportunities for Vietnam to boost exports to these markets, but to do so Vietnamese rice must meet the quality standards set by these markets.”

To achieve sustainable production and export, the Government has approved a strategy for the 2017–20 period.

Tran Xuan Long of the import-export department said one of the goals of the strategy was to gradually reduce rice export volume but increase value.
USSD.

Between 2021 and 2030 the annual volume is expected to be around four million tonnes, earning 2.3 billion - 2.5 billion USD. The make-up of the exports would also be restructured then, with a focus on increasing the export of fragrant, speciality, japonica and high-grade white rice, he said.Vietnam would focus on Asian and African markets, with China, Bangladesh and ASEAN members such as the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia remaining key markets.Huynh Minh Hue, general secretary of the Vietnam Food Association, said the main varieties of rice traded in global markets are basmati, parboil, fragrant, white broken rice, sticky rice, japonica, and white long-grain rice.

Vietnam is well placed in terms of sticky rice, fragrant, white broken rice, and white long-grain rice, he said.He said rice traders should “capitalise on their advantages to develop nearby and traditional markets whose demands dovetail with Vietnam’s conditions.”

To improve the competitiveness of rice traders, which is one of the measures in the strategy, businesses should focus on improving quality and marketing and cut costs, he said.Rice traders and exporters should establish links with farmers to ensure supply meets market demand and efficiency, he said.Pham Thai Binh, general director of Trung An Hi-tech Farming JSC, said rice traders who have contracted farmers that use safe production processes have bagged export orders from the beginning.

The country should have zoning plans for each variety of rice based on soil conditions in different areas and use technology to improve the quality and value, he said.Delegates at the meeting called on the Government to speed up negotiations and sign agreements on hygiene and food safety standards with importing countries.The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should decide on and apprise exporters about the process of quality inspection and hygiene and food safety regulations in line with those agreements, they said.

Relevant agencies should review seaport planning and speed up loading and unloading of goods at ports to reduce logistics costs, they said.

They called for cooperation among traders in promoting exports.According to the VFA, Vietnam is expected to export 5.6 million tones of rice this year.-VNA

https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnam-rice-industry-should-focus-on-quality-experts/119671.vnp

Invention contest entry set on

 October 20 Tuesday, October 17, 2017

A TOP official of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) announced that interested participants to the Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits (RICE) have until Friday, October 20, to submit entries to the contest. DOST regional officer-in-charge Martin Wee said the contest is open to both public and private sector inventors and researchers within Zamboanga Peninsula. There are six categories available in the invention contest and these are: outstanding invention, outstanding utility model, outstanding industrial design, outstanding creative research, and outstanding student creative research for high school and college students.

Wee said the RICE is open to all inventors, makers, designers, creative researchers and student researchers who are Filipino citizens residing in the region. Wee said this year’s RICE will be held on November 14 to 16 during the DOST’s Regional Science and Technology Week celebration, where the agency’s leading programs, services and technologies will be featured. The DOST holds its nationwide RICE event all over the country every two years to recognize the indispensability of Filipino inventions. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/local-news/2017/10/17/invention-contest-entry-set-october-20-569870

USA Rice Asks for Government Crackdown on Mislabeled Rice Products 

By Michael Klein

WASHINGTON, DC -- It's only natural for manufacturers, competing for the ever-dwindling attention of consumers, to make product claims to set theirs apart.  But a rise in these statements that range from the incredulous to the spurious has forced USA Rice to bring several of these claims to the attention of U.S. government agencies that monitor and regulate food."We are seeing a variety of statements on health benefits, organic certifications, and provenance that we think deserve a closer look," said Betsy Ward, president & CEO of USA Rice.  "Consumers care about where their food comes from and they don't want to be lied to about the food they are putting in their bodies.  If the statements are true, good for the companies, but they do need to be held to the same standard as our members.  Phony organic imports, mislabeled imports, and erroneous health claims all impact the bottom line of the U.S. rice industry and need to be stopped."

Ward said she and her team recently briefed officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss the landscape of rice health and marketing claims.

Also, last week a team from the USA Rice Millers' Association met with Customs and Border Protection and FDA inspectors to review compliance with U.S. regulations regarding the marking of imported rice with country of origin and other labeling regulations governing enrichment.  

"U.S. regulations are clear - imported products must be marked with the country of origin to the final consumer," said USA Rice COO Bob Cummings.  "Portraying imported rice as U.S.-grown is not fair to consumers and our members and we are asking U.S. port officials to be vigilant."  Cummings said the United States imported 528,000 metric tons of rice last year, mostly for direct sale to food service and consumer retail.  

"Unless imported rice is 'substantially transformed' into another product, a marking of country of origin must accompany the product," he said.  "And if rice is marked as enriched but is not, the product is subject to regulatory action at the state and federal levels including removal from the market."Ward said her organization would continue to monitor the marketplace and work with manufacturers, regulators, and enforcement officials to ensure a level and honest playing field for her industry.

In China, a skewed system leads to sweeping science fraud – China’s latest business and technology news

summary of the top news in Chinese business and technology for October 16, 2017. Part of the daily SupChina newsletter, a convenient package of China’s business, political, and cultural news delivered to your inbox for free. Subscribe here.

1 day ago

By Lucas Niewenhuis

The New York Times reports (paywall) on what has led to China becoming the world’s capital of science fraud, as indicated by it retracting “more scientific papers because of faked peer reviews than all other countries and territories put together” since 2012. The problem became especially visible earlier this year when China’s Ministry of Science and Technology launched an investigation into the retraction of 107 papers from a prominent journal of biology. Based on conversations with scientists in China and other sources in Chinese academia, the Times concludes:

“As in the West, career advancement can often seem to be based more on the quantity of research papers published rather than the quality. However, in China, scientists there say, this obsession with numerical goal posts can reach extremes. Compounding the problem, they say, is the fact that Chinese universities and research institutes suffer from a lack of oversight, and mete out weak punishments for those who are caught cheating.”

This is not to say that China hasn’t made great advances in science, nor that China is failing to attract some of the world’s best scientists. Here are just a few stories from the past couple months:

• China is leading the world in human genome editing, a potentially revolutionary technology that has many bioethicists on edge.
• Chinese scientists have invented rice that can grow in salty water, which has the potential to greatly increase the amount of arable land in the country. The largest-yet harvest of this new variety of rice is hitting the shelves next month, SCMP reports.
• Finally, China is making definite progress in reversing a longstanding brain drain, as many top students are now returning to China for work instead of staying abroad. The Times notes that these students may be bringing back best practices and raising ethical standards, an influence which combined with more sophisticated algorithms to root out plagiarism may help to stem the fraud.

---

• China’s economy and the 19th Party Congress
  China: Central banker gives gravity-defying 7% growth forecast / Fortune
  Message or massage? What’s the value of a price signal before China’s Communist Party congress? / SCMP
  China’s Communist party congress: 3 investment themes to watch / FT (paywall)
  Xi’s report card – has met China economic goals but can he keep it going? / Reuters
  China’s party congress will matter for investors this time / FT (paywall)
• Artificial intelligence (AI)
  Huawei hosts private AI confab in Vancouver / The Information (paywall)
  Huawei Technologies organized an invite-only gathering in Vancouver last week to talk AI. Guests included people from Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.
  Former IBM Watson chief scientist joins JD / China Tech News
• Agriculture
  China dairy giants shake off scandal to become blue chips / Bloomberg
• Airports
  Beijing proudly unveils mega-airport due to open in 2019 / Reuters
• U.S.-China trade relations
  New energy vehicles top China’s list of subsidy questions for U.S. / Reuters
• Dalian Wanda
  Wanda golf courses in China resort shut down by authorities / Bloomberg

By Lucas Niewenhuis

Lucas Niewenhuis is an associate editor at SupChina who helps curate daily news and produce the company's newsletter, app, and website content. Previously, Lucas researched China-Africa relations at the Social Science Research Council and interned at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. He has studied Chinese language and culture in Shanghai and Beijing, and is a

http://supchina.com/2017/10/16/china-skewed-system-leads-sweeping-science-fraud-chinas-latest-business-technology-news/

 

Scientists: Plant More Trees to Combat Climate Change

October 16, 2017 8:38 PM

Reuters

---

A caretaker of the Zika Forest near Entebbe, Uganda, poses under the trees, Jan. 28, 2016.

Planting forests and other activities that harness the power of nature could play a major role in limiting global warming under the 2015 Paris agreement, an international study showed Monday.

Natural climate solutions, also including protection of carbon-storing peat lands and better management of soils and grasslands, could account for 37 percent of all actions needed by 2030 under the 195-nation Paris plan, it said.Combined, the suggested "regreening of the planet" would be equivalent to halting all burning of oil worldwide, it said.

"Better stewardship of the land could have a bigger role in fighting climate change than previously thought," the international team of scientists said of findings published in the U.S. journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The estimates for nature's potential, led by planting forests, were up to 30 percent higher than those envisaged by a U.N. panel of climate scientists in a 2014 report, it said.Trees soak up heat-trapping carbon dioxide as they grow and release it when they burn or rot. That makes forests, from the Amazon to Siberia, vast natural stores of greenhouse gases.

Overall, better management of nature could avert 11.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year by 2030, the study said, equivalent to China's current carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use.The Paris climate agreement, weakened by U.S. President Donald Trump's decision in June to pull out, seeks to limit a rise in global temperature to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times.

Current government pledges to cut emissions are too weak to achieve the 2C goal, meant to avert more droughts, more powerful storms, downpours and heat waves.

"Fortunately, this research shows we have a huge opportunity to reshape our food and land use systems," Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, said in a statement of Monday's findings.

Climate change could jeopardize production of crops such as corn, wheat, rice and soy even as a rising global population will raise demand, he said.The study said that some of the measures would cost $10 a ton or less to avert a ton of carbon dioxide, with others up to $100 a ton to qualify as "cost-effective" by 2030.

"If we are serious about climate change, then we are going to have to get serious about investing in nature," said Mark Tercek, chief executive officer of The Nature Conservancy, which led the study.

Korea's rice output expected to fall below 4m-ton mark this year

By Yonhap

·        Published : Oct 17, 2017 - 14:27

·        Updated : Oct 17, 2017 - 14:29

South Korea's rice output is expected to drop below the 4 million-ton mark for the first time in over three decades, due mainly to bad weather conditions in the harvest season, government data showed Tuesday.The country's rice production is expected to come to 3.96 million tons this year, down 5.8 percent from 4.2 million tons in 2016, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.The last time the total fell short of 4 million tons was in 1980 when the country's rice output stood at 3.55 million tons.

Farmers harvest rice in a paddy in South Gyeongsang Province on Oct. 10, 2017. (Yonhap)

The statistics office said unfavorable weather conditions during the planting and harvesting seasons is largely behind the weak number this year. It added that the decline in the cultivation area for rice also contributed to the fall.The country's rice acreage declined 3.1 percent on-year from 778,734 hectares in 2016 to 754,716 hectares this year as the government has been pushing to control rice production in order to deal with a chronic glut of the staple grain. (Yonhap)

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20171017000689

Rice sowing: Crop confidence grows in NSW Riverina

EMMA FIELD, The Weekly Times

October 17, 2017 6:00pm

RICE sowing is well underway in the NSW Riverina, with a quiet confidence among growers about the season due to good volumes of carryover water and excellent planting conditions.The NSW Government this week announced a 1 per cent increase in general security allocation for the Murray Valley to 30 per cent, with 97 per cent for high-security water and the average carryover at 44 per cent.The Murrumbidgee system remained the same with 95 per cent allocation for high-security water, 33 per cent general security and 27 per cent average carryover.

Moulamein grower and SunRice director Leigh Vial said he’d planted about 40 per cent of his program and “planting condition have been ideal for both drill and aerial sowing”.

“We have carried over substantial amount of water, so we have secured a good level of production this year,” he said.Dr Vial said he would be planting a similar amount of rice as last year and was feeling more confident about prices, given key competitor California was expecting to produce less rice this year.According to a recent US Department of Agriculture report, US rice production will be down substantially on last year.

The USDA estimated the US rice crop would drop 1.41 million tonnes on last year to 5.71 million tonnes.

Australian rice exporter SunRice said in a statement at its annual general meeting in August “medium-grain rice prices are improving, largely driven by a short supply situation in the California market”.It said in August the medium-grain paddy price in California had increased 40 per cent since March, and it announced a rice reiziq pool price range for Australian growers of $320-360/tonne this season.

Earlier in the year, SunRice announced limited fixed-price contracts for the 2017-18 season of $360/tonne for reiziq, $520/tonne for koshihikari and 450/tonne for doongara.

Rice Growers Association president Jeremy Morton said he believed there would be “good solid crop” sown given global prices were heading up, and good volumes of carryover water.But he said some growers were still concerned at this season’s water allocations.“I think (growers) are concerned allocations haven’t built as quickly as we have liked, and it’s weighing on people’s decision making,” he said.

A SunRice spokeswoman said there had been ideal planting conditions for this season’s rice crop and with“predictions of a wet summer and strong grower interest in premium specialty varieties, the 2018 rice season is shaping up positively”.

http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/agribusiness/cropping/rice-sowing-crop-confidence-grows-in-nsw-riverina/news-story/86eef77e0f1855c014eef1c4bfc95282

Rice basmati rises on uptick in demand

By PTI  |   Published: 17th October 2017 02:17 PM  |  

Last Updated: 17th October 2017 02:30 PM  |   

New Delhi, Oct 17 (PTI) Rice basmati prices firmed up by Rs 200 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today on pick up in demand from retailers.However, other grains held steady in thin trade.Traders said upsurge in demand from retailers mainly pushed up rice basmati prices.

In the national capital, rice basmati common and Pusa -1121 variety rose by Rs 200 each to Rs 7,200-7,300 and Rs 5,900-6,000 per quintal respectively.

Following are today's quotations (in Rs per quintal): Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,100-2,350, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,785-1,790, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,795-1,800, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 260-300, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 255-290, Roller flour mill Rs 960-970 (50 kg), Maida Rs 990-1,000 (50 kg)and Sooji Rs 1,060-1,080 (50 kg).

Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs 10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati Rice Rs 9,800, Basmati common new Rs 7,200-7,300, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 5,900-6,000, Permal raw Rs 2,200-2,225, Permal wand Rs 2,250-2,275, Sela Rs 2,300-2,400 and Rice IR-8 Rs 1,850-1,875, Bajra Rs 1,180-1,185, Jowar yellow Rs 1,400-1,450, white Rs 2,800-2,900, Maize Rs 1,280- 1,285, Barley Rs 1,435-1,445. PTI SUN KPS ADI MKJ .

http://www.newindianexpress.com/pti-news/2017/oct/17/rice-basmati-rises-on-uptick-in-demand-1676391.html

Myanmar to try to improve rice-export capacity

Submitted by Eleven on Tue, 10/17/2017 - 18:08

Writer: Nilar

Rice trading at Bayintnaung Wholesale Centre in Yangon.Myanmar will try to improve its rice-export capacity by producing rice of different kinds from different zones, said Union Minister for Commerce Dr Than Myint.Despite a continued increase in rice export, Myanmar is far behind its nieghbouring Thailand, which can export 10 million tonnes yearly.The minister stressed the need to take systematic measures to produce rice in kind by launching

different zones and markets. As rice is a strategic good, measures are being taken to export rice under a government-to- government system.Moreover, discussions will be made with relevant departments to prevent malpractice andirregularities in the local market and to ensure a strong and sustainable market.The minister warned that if major export items such as rice, beans and peas depend on a single market, there could be great impact on the country’s export sector.Most items such as rice, beans and peas and fruit have to be exported as raw materials. It is therefore necessary to export value-added and quality products so as to extend export market, according to the ministry.

http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/business/12021

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/1343727/rice-prices-expected-to-hold-steady

Northeast rice farmers gain subsidy to ease harvest costs

Economy October 17, 2017 01:00

By THE NATION

THE THAI Rice Exporters Association will subsidise Northeastern farmers at Bt200 per rai for no more than 10 rai each in an effort to help reduce harvest costs.The initiative comes as Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn stuck to the ministry’s target of 11 million tonnes of rice exports this year, after the nine-month figure came in at 8.97 million tonnes.Apiradi said the association would launch its relief measure of the Bt200-per-rai subsidy for about 5,363 Northeastern farmer in 12 provinces, costing Bt9.17 million. The provinces covered are: Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Phanom, Roi Et, Surin, Nakhon Ratchasima, Maha Sarakham, Buri Ram, Amnat Charoen, Ubon Ratchathani, Kalasin and Si Sa Ket.

The initiative arose from the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) and the association joining forces for the Pracha Rat project with the goal of reducing rice production costs.The subsidy will be trans-ferred to each farmer through the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) directly. Charoen Laothamatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said that, given the different demands of farmers in each area, the subsidy would be given directly to them through BAAC next week under the pilot project for this year.

“We've discussed with the MOC several times and agreed that the direct subsidy would be the right solution. The farmers will receive the money to reduce their harvest costs and this is our first pilot project," he said.Suthep Kongmak, president of the Thai Agriculturist Association, had said earlier that Thai Rice Exporters Association had set aside a budget of Bt20 million for direct relief measures for farmers with a previously targeted area of 100,000 rai.The association screened its members so as to give priority to those who had not participated in a big farming project and, as a result, there would be about 5,000 farmers to take part in the subsidy project for the 50,000-rai criteria, Suthep said.

In regard to this year's rice export target, the MOC reiterated its targeted volume of 11 million tonnes, given continued global demand for Thai rice, Apiradi said.From January 1 to October 11, Thai rice exports climbed 25.28 per cent year on year to 8.97 million tonnes worth Bt132 billion. The export value also rose, by 17.41 per cent.White rice exports topped the list with 3.91 million tonnes, accounting for 43.61 per cent of the total Thai rice exported. Parboiled rice followed at 2.65 million tonnes with a 29.59 |per cent share and Thai Hom |Mali rice at 1.68 million tonnes with a 18.73 per cent share.Charoen also agreed on the ministry's rice export target |for 2017, while expecting Thai |rice production to increase |about 10 per cent for the 2017-18 season.

Both in-season and off-season rice production is expected at 32 million tonnes of paddy rice for the season. Thai Hom Mali rice's export price is expected at US$750-$800 a tonne. White rice's export price is hovering around $375 a tonne and parboiled rice $385 a tonne.

Apiradi said that the rice in the government's stocks has not yet been sold but the ministry is monitoring the situation. “If there's market demand, there could be a rice sale from the stock. We have to check on the situation periodically,” the minister said.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Economy/30329442

Northeast rice farmers gain subsidy to ease harvest costs

Economy October 17, 2017 01:00

By THE NATION

THE THAI Rice Exporters Association will subsidise Northeastern farmers at Bt200 per rai for no more than 10 rai each in an effort to help reduce harvest costs.The initiative comes as Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn stuck to the ministry’s target of 11 million tonnes of rice exports this year, after the nine-month figure came in at 8.97 million tonnes.Apiradi said the association would launch its relief measure of the Bt200-per-rai subsidy for about 5,363 Northeastern farmer in 12 provinces, costing Bt9.17 million.

The provinces covered are: Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Phanom, Roi Et, Surin, Nakhon Ratchasima, Maha Sarakham, Buri Ram, Amnat Charoen, Ubon Ratchathani, Kalasin and Si Sa Ket.The initiative arose from the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) and the association joining forces for the Pracha Rat project with the goal of reducing rice production costs.The subsidy will be trans-ferred to each farmer through the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) directly.

Charoen Laothamatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said that, given the different demands of farmers in each area, the subsidy would be given directly to them through BAAC next week under the pilot project for this year.“We've discussed with the MOC several times and agreed that the direct subsidy would be the right solution. The farmers will receive the money to reduce their harvest costs and this is our first pilot project," he said.Suthep Kongmak, president of the Thai Agriculturist Association, had said earlier that Thai Rice Exporters Association had set aside a budget of Bt20 million for direct relief measures for farmers with a previously targeted area of 100,000 rai.

The association screened its members so as to give priority to those who had not participated in a big farming project and, as a result, there would be about 5,000 farmers to take part in the subsidy project for the 50,000-rai criteria, Suthep said.In regard to this year's rice export target, the MOC reiterated its targeted volume of 11 million tonnes, given continued global demand for Thai rice, Apiradi said.From January 1 to October 11, Thai rice exports climbed 25.28 per cent year on year to 8.97 million tonnes worth Bt132 billion. The export value also rose, by 17.41 per cent.

White rice exports topped the list with 3.91 million tonnes, accounting for 43.61 per cent of the total Thai rice exported. Parboiled rice followed at 2.65 million tonnes with a 29.59 |per cent share and Thai Hom |Mali rice at 1.68 million tonnes with a 18.73 per cent share.Charoen also agreed on the ministry's rice export target |for 2017, while expecting Thai |rice production to increase |about 10 per cent for the 2017-18 season. Both in-season and off-season rice production is expected at 32 million tonnes of paddy rice for the season. Thai Hom Mali rice's export price is expected at US$750-$800 a tonne. White rice's export price is hovering around $375 a tonne and parboiled rice $385 a tonne.Apiradi said that the rice in the government's stocks has not yet been sold but the ministry is monitoring the situation. “If there's market demand, there could be a rice sale from the stock. We have to check on the situation periodically,” the minister said.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Economy/30329442

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- October 17, 2017

Reuters Staff

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-October 17

Nagpur, Oct 17 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices firmed up again in Nagpur Agriculture Produce

and Marketing Committee (APMC) here on good festival season demand from local millers amid weak

supply from producing regions. Fresh rise in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and enquiries from

South-based millers also jacked up prices. 

About 400 of gram bags and 300 bags of tuar were available for auctions, according to sources.

    FOODGRAINS & PULSES

    

   GRAM

   * Desi gram raw declined further in open market on poor demand from local traders.

  

   TUAR

     

   * Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was poor.

   * Moong and Udid varieties reported down in open market on poor buying support from

     local traders amid good supply from producing regions.

                                                    

   * In Akola, Tuar New – 3,900-4,000, Tuar dal (clean) – 5,700-6,000, Udid Mogar (clean)

    – 7,800-8,500, Moong Mogar (clean) 6,900-7,200, Gram – 5,000-5,025, Gram Super best

    – 7,100-7,300

   * Wheat, rice and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in

     scattered deals and settled at last levels in weak deals.

      

 Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg

   

     FOODGRAINS                 Available prices     Previous close  

     Gram Auction                  4,300-5,020         4,200-5,000

     Gram Pink Auction            n.a.           2,100-2,600

     Tuar Auction                3,600-3,970         3,500-3,900

     Moong Auction                n.a.                3,900-4,200

     Udid Auction                n.a.           4,300-4,500

     Masoor Auction                n.a.              2,600-2,800

     Wheat Mill quality Auction        1,592-1,782        1,586-1,664

     Gram Super Best Bold            7,000-7,500        7,000-7,500

     Gram Super Best            n.a.            n.a.

     Gram Medium Best            6,400-6,800        6,400-6,800

     Gram Dal Medium            n.a.            n.a

     Gram Mill Quality            5,100-5,200        5,100-5,200

     Desi gram Raw                4,950-5,050         5,000-5,100

     Gram Kabuli                12,500-13,200        12,500-13,200

     Tuar Fataka Best-New             6,000-6,200        6,000-6,200

     Tuar Fataka Medium-New        5,600-5,900        5,600-5,900

     Tuar Dal Best Phod-New        5,300-5,600        5,300-5,600

     Tuar Dal Medium phod-New        4,800-5,200        4,800-5,200

     Tuar Gavarani New             3,800-3,900        3,800-3,900

     Tuar Karnataka             4,200-4,500        4,200-4,500

     Masoor dal best            5,200-5,400        5,200-5,400

     Masoor dal medium            4,800-5,000        4,800-5,000

     Masoor                    n.a.            n.a.

     Moong Mogar bold (New)        6,800-7,200         7,000-7,500

     Moong Mogar Medium            6,200-6,600        6,200-6,800

     Moong dal Chilka            5,400-5,800        5,500-6,100

     Moong Mill quality            n.a.            n.a.

     Moong Chamki best            6,900-7,400        6,900-7,400

     Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 8,000-8,500       8,000-8,700

     Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)    6,200-7,200        6,500-7,500   

     Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)        5,200-6,200        5,600-6,600    

     Batri dal (100 INR/KG)        5,000-5,300        5,000-5,300

     Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)          2,800-3,000         2,800-3,000

     Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)            2,900-3,100        2,900-3,100

     Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)    3,800-4,400        3,800-4,400  

     Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)        1,900-2,000        1,900-2,000

     Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG)    1,700-1,850        1,700-1,850  

     Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)         2,100-2,300           2,100-2,300        

     Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)    2,200-2,400        2,200-2,400   

     Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)   1,900-2,100        1,900-2,100

     Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)    n.a.            n.a.

     MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG)    3,100-3,600        3,100-3,600   

     MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)    2,200-2,700        2,200-2,700          

     Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG)        3,000-3,500        3,000-3,500   

     Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG)        2,800-2,900        2,800-2,900   

     Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG)         2,200-2,400        2,200-2,400     

     Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG)      2,500-2,600        2,500-2,600  

     Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG)      2,300-2,400        2,300-2,400  

     Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG)        3,600-4,000        3,600-4,000    

     Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG)        3,250-3,600        3,250-3,600   

     Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG)      4,600-5,000        4,600-5,000

     Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG)    4,200-4,500        4,200-4,400  

     Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)    10,000-14,000        10,000-14,000    

     Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)    5,000-7,500        5,000-7,500   

     Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG)    4,700-4,900        4,700-4,900   

     Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG)    4,400-4,600        4,400-4,600  

     Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)        2,000-2,100        2,000-2,100   

     Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)         1,700-2,000        1,700-2,000

WEATHER (NAGPUR) 

Maximum temp. 36.4 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 19.6 degree Celsius

Rainfall : Nil

FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 36 and 20 degree

Celsius respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available

(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, butincluded in market prices)

https://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrain/nagpur-foodgrain-prices-open-october-17-2017-idINL4N1MS321

S. Korea’s rice output expected to fall below 4 mln-ton mark this year

SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's rice output is expected to drop below the 4 million-ton mark for the first time in over three decades, due mainly to bad weather conditions in the harvest season, government data showed Tuesday. The country's rice production is expected to come to 3.96 million tons this year, down 5.8 percent from 4.2 million tons in 2016, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. The last time the total fell short of 4 million tons was in 1980 when the country's rice output stood at 3.55 million tons. The statistics office said unfavorable weather conditions during the planting and harvesting seasons is largely behind the weak number this year. It added that the decline in the cultivation area for rice also contributed to the fall. The country's rice acreage declined 3.1 percent on-year from 778,734 hectares in 2016 to 754,716 hectares this year as the government has been pushing to control rice production in order to deal with a chronic glut of the staple grain.

Farmers harvest rice in a paddy in South Gyeongsang Province on Oct. 10, 2017. (Yonhap

 http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/business/2017/10/17/0501000000AEN20171017006200320.html

Date: 17-Oct-2017

Rice basmati rises on uptick in demand

New Delhi, Oct 17 (PTI) Rice basmati prices firmed up by Rs 200 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today on pick up in demand from retailers. However, other grains held steady in thin trade. Traders said upsurge in demand from retailers mainly pushed up rice basmati prices. In the national capital, rice basmati common and Pusa -1121 variety rose by Rs 200 each to Rs 7,200-7,300 and Rs 5,900-6,000 per quintal respectively. Following are today's quotations (in Rs per quintal): Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,100-2,350, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,785-1,790, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,795-1,800, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 260-300, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 255-290, Roller flour mill Rs 960-970 (50 kg), Maida Rs 990-1,000 (50 kg)and Sooji Rs 1,060-1,080 (50 kg).

Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs 10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati Rice Rs 9,800, Basmati common new Rs 7,200-7,300, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 5,900-6,000, Permal raw Rs 2,200-2,225, Permal wand Rs 2,250-2,275, Sela Rs 2,300-2,400 and Rice IR-8 Rs 1,850-1,875, Bajra Rs 1,180-1,185, Jowar yellow Rs 1,400-1,450, white Rs 2,800-2,900, Maize Rs 1,280- 1,285, Barley Rs 1,435-1,445. PTI SUN KPS ADI MKJ .

http://www.newindianexpress.com/pti-news/2017/oct/17/rice-basmati-rises-on-uptick-in-demand-1676391.html

Rice prices expected to hold steady

• 17 Oct 2017 at 09:30 3,266 viewed1 comments
• NEWSPAPER SECTION: BUSINESS | WRITER: PHUSADEE ARUNMAS

A rice processing plant in Ayutthaya province. Overseas demand is expected to offset downward pressure from this year's main crop and support rice prices. TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD

- +

Strong overseas demand for Thai rice is expected to support prices even as an influx of around 25 million tonnes of the 2017/18 major crop is about to flood the market next month, say industry officials.

Thai Rice Exporters Association president Charoen Laothammatas said hefty demand from the overseas markets could push 2017 rice exports to 10.8 million tonnes, nearly matching the record high of 10.9 million tonnes in 2014.
"Exports could even hit 11 million tonnes this year if we can ship an average of 900,000 tonnes during the last three months of the year," said Mr Charoen.
He said Thailand exported 8.2 million tonnes so far this year, an average of 820,000 tonnes a month, bringing the target within reach.
Strong demand is expected to last until the end of the year, preventing the price from falling significantly after the harvest at the end of the year.
Apart from the major crop, another 7-8 million tonnes of paddy is estimated to come from the second crop, mostly from well-irrigated areas in the central region, bringing the total to 32 million tonnes for the 2017/18 crop.
"Excessive rainfall and flooding could damage some crops in the low-lying areas in the central region, but good irrigation in the areas also allows the farmers to grow crops off-season," said Mr Charoen.
In contrast, excessive water helps boost the production of premium grade white rice, known as hom mali, grown mostly in plateaus areas in the northeastern region, he added.
However, abundant rice crops are unlikely to cause any price slumps this year as demand for Thai rice from several countries, particularly in Asia, is expected to keep prices relatively high despite rising output during the harvest.
The price of premium grade hom mali rice is US$750-$800 a tonne, compared with the average price of $781 a tonne last year.
The price of common grade 5% white rice was at $375-$400 a tonne, compared with the average price of $394 a tonne last year.
"The price is expected to remain firm until the end of the year, support by strong demand," he said. Bangladesh is asking to buy around 150,000 tonnes and Sri Lanka wants to buy 25,000 tonnes of rice from Thailand, said Mr Charoen.
Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn said the ministry has no plans to release any rice from the state stockpiles during the year-end harvest to avoid hurting local rice prices.

The local paddy price stands at 7,500-8,000 baht a tonne, slightly higher than 6,000 baht last year, said Mr Charoen.