Thursday, December 14, 2017

14th December,2017 daily global regional local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine

Rout admits loan suicides
First published on 14-Dec-2017
SUBRAT DAS
Bhubaneswar: Odisha agriculture minister Damodar Rout on Wednesday finally admitted that 14 farmers had committed suicide unable to withstand loan burden in the state this year.
However, he stopped short of admitting that the suicides were caused by crop loss. Of the 14, six were from Bargarh, three from Ganjam, two from Sambalpur, and one each from Dhenkanal, Jajpur and Rayagada districts, he said. Rout also informed the House that the suicide of eight farmers were caused by loan burden.
He, however, reiterated that Brunda Sahu, a farmer from Bargarh whose suicide had snowballed into a political controversy, had no loan burden. "Those who were sharecroppers might have committed suicide after being harassed by their respective landowners," Rout said.
The minister also told the Assemnly that crop loss compensation would also be extended to the sharecroppers.
Stating that paddy cultivation was not remunerative as Rs 35,157 was required for paddy cultivation on an acre of land, Rout said the Centre had been asked to raise the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy to Rs 2,930 per quintal.
The Opposition - Congress and BJP - on Wednesday continued its attack on the BJD over farmers' issues, stalling Assembly proceedings over the distress sale of paddy even as the state government said it had set up squads to launch crackdowns against rice millers.
Earlier, talking to reporters outside the Assembly after the adjournment of proceedings, Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra lambasted both the Centre and the state for neglecting Odisha' farmers. He said that while the Centre was not hiking the MSP for paddy, the state government agencies were forcing the farmers into distress sale.
"These agencies were refusing to purchase the paddy from the farmers on the pretext that they were not up to fair average quality (FAQ) standard and deducting 5 to 10 kg per quintal. This is sheer exploitation of farmers by the government agencies, forcing them to sell their produce to private rice-millers and middlemen at throwaway prices," said Mishra.
BJP MLA Pradip Purohit also accused the state government of neglecting the farmers. "That's why it is avoiding discussions on farmers' issues," he said.
Food supplies and consumer welfare minister Surya Narayan Patro said the Opposition were just making generalised allegations to "create a storm in the tea cup". "They should come up with specific charges against an individual or agency," he said. Patro said his department had set up squads to conduct raids on the millers. Raids were going on in Bargarh, Sambalpur and other districts, he said.

Millers hand-in-glove with public distribution system dealers

THE HANS INDIA |    Dec 14,2017 , 04:10 AM IST
      


Srikakulam: Rice millers are colluding with fair price shop dealers in the district to reach their rice levy target. They are purchasing public distribution system (PDS) rice from the ration shops dealers and rice traders who are purchasing PDS rice from white ration card holders. 

In turn, the PDS rice will be handed over to the Andhra Pradesh State Civil Supplies Corporation (APSCSC) by the millers and sell the original paddy rice at a higher price in the open market. 

Millers reportedly purchasing PDS rice from dealers and traders by paying Rs 10 to Rs 12 per kg and after polishing it, they are mixing it in normal rice which is being sold at Rs 40 to Rs 42 per kg.

Every miller has to handover 67 per cent rice to APSCSC out of the procured paddy from Paddy Purchasing Centres (PPC). Millers have to clear previous years’ levy targets till 2015-16, and 2016-17 rice levy target is also pending for a quantity of 184 tonnes which is worth Rs 40 lakh. 

To meet the levy conditions, PDS rice is being used by the millers. About 30 per cent of PDS rice is being diverted and mixed in the millers’ target.
Most of the white ration card holders are not consuming the PDS rice and after purchasing it, they immediately sell to the dealer or a trader in the village for Rs 8 to Rs 10, in turn, they sell the rice to millers for Rs 10 to Rs 12 by getting Rs 2 as profit.

“After re-cycling of PDS rice, we cannot found that it is PDS rice and millers claimed that it as rice milled from common paddy variety”, district civil supplies officer (DSO) G Mohan Babu told The Hans India. “To prevent misuse of PDS rice, we are making surprise checks of stocks at fair price shops across the district with 16 civil supplies deputy tahasildars (CSDT) by forming them as Task Force team,” the DSO elaborated.

“To prevent this practice, we are making surprise checks of stocks at rice mills and tallied stocks by comparing paddy procured from PPCs and available stock at the rice mill for every 15 days”, civil supplies district manager R Venkateswar Rao explained.

Rice prices go up again

Iftakhar Mahamud | Update: 15:11, Dec 14, 2017
Just after the price of rice dropped for a month, it has soared again, increasing the woes of people in the low income bracket.
The price of rice at the outset of the year was Tk 40 a kg, in May it was Tk 50.
The price decreased to Tk 42 after the government took few measures, , but the price once again increased last week by Tk 2-3 a kg. The current price is Tk 45.
The price of low grade coarse rice in the markets of Kazipara, section-6 of Mirpur and Karwan Bazar in the capital, is Tk 45-50.
Market supply of coarse rice has fallen while supply of fine and medium grade rice is on the rise.
Most of the shops were selling rice at a price between Tk 50-65.
Price on the rise despite stock
The total amount of rice currently in government, non-government and farmer-level stocks is around 4.5-5 million tonnes. According to the food ministry, the amount of rice stocked in the government warehouses is about 460,000 tonnes and the traders have imported 1.4 million tonnes.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, overall rice reserves in the country in November were about 7 million tonnes. The people consume about 2.2 million tonnes of rice per month.
The food ministry also said that the government has fixed the target of Aman production in this season at 15 million tonnes. Of the amount, farmers have harvested 30 per cent or about 4.5 million tonnes.
But, the government has signed agreements with 5,000 millers to procure only 300,000 tonnes of rice so far.
Based on the information on previous reserves, Aman produce and imported rice, economists said there should not be any shortage of rice reserves in the country.
Food minister Quamrul Islam said to Prothom Alo, “You are free to write whatever you want about the rice price. I’m not going to say anything. I’ve nothing to say.”
Meanwhile, traders blamed the hike of paddy price for the increased price of rice. They said paddy prices soared after the government had fixed procurement price of paddy at Tk 39 a kg.
Paddy price has increased by Tk 100-200 per maund in the wholesale markets of Naogaon, Dinajpur, Kushtia and Thakurgaon in the last few days.
Rice Millers Association general secretary AKM Layek Ali said paddy price hike is damaging for the businessmen as they will be able to make marginal amount of profit.
He warned rice prices might go up more in the coming days. The chance of decrease of rice price before the next Boro season is slim, he added.
Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) chairman economist Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said traders will increase rice price on any excuse and will not decrease it easily.
He further said whenever the media talks about rice price various government organisations take steps to show their activities, which renders the market further unstable.
The government should monitor the market regularly and continue the open market sale (OMS) till the price comes down to Tk 40 a kg, he observed. Otherwise, the poor will face dire situation,  he warned.
Shrinking social safety net
The government increases sale of rice for poor people under social safety net programme whenever its price crosses Tk 40 a kg. The OMS was resumed in September. People could get rice at Tk 30. But that programme saw a hitch. Most of the dealers were sent ‘atap’ rice, which does not go with the food habit of the people.
The consumers and dealers demanded ‘shiddha’ rice but the food directorate, without paying heed to the demands, decided to close down OMS from 15 December.
Kazi Nurul Islam, supply, distribution and marketing director at directorate general of food, said they supplied a tonne of ‘atap’ rice to 2,105 dealers each but 30 per cent of that rice remained unsold.
The OMS however will resume in March, he added.
Senior researcher of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Nazneen Ahmed said, “People are not buying atap rice as it doesn’t go with their food habit. The government should increase the supply of rice in the OMS and other social safety net programmes to ensure their security.”
*This piece, originally published in the Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Shameem Reza

Elephant Group to flood market with local rice
December 13, 2017
Rice

The Managing Director (MD) of Elephant Group of Companies , Mr Tunji Owoeye, on Wednesday said the company would soon flood the market with its local rice known as the Elephant Pride.
Owoeye said this in a statement after his company took possession of the Elele Alimini Rice Processing Mill in Rivers.
The statement was signed by the group’s Media Consultant, Mr Babatunde Ajibola.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)  concessioned the rice mill in Rivers to the group on Dec.1.
The statement quoted the managing director as  saying at the occasion that the mill had the capacity to process 210 metric tonnes of paddy rice per day.
“Elephant group is ready to make effective use of the mill and it will be producing our own brand of local rice, Elephant pride.
“We will get our supply of paddy rice for the mill from the surrounding communities.
“This will encourage the local communities to grow more rice through the out-growers scheme, thereby, expanding the agricultural value chain.
“There will be direct and indirect job creation and it will also increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country,’’ he said.
Owoeye also said that the development would make positive impact on the Nigerian economy.
He added that it would also guarantee food security and support the Federal Government’s efforts to ensure agricultural sustenance and food sufficiency.
The Elephant group is a multinational group in the business of imports, exports, production, processing, marketing and distribution of agro-commodities throughout the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The group is popularly known for its cement known as the Elephant Cement; other products include Elephant Fertiliser and Elephant Gold Rice.(NAN)۔












http://www.worldstagegroup.com/worldstagenew/index.php?active=news&newscid=41556&catid=36m GMT      |      Views: 87



Rice

The Managing Director (MD) of Elephant Group of Companies , Mr Tunji Owoeye, on Wednesday said the company would soon flood the market with its local rice known as the Elephant Pride.
Owoeye said this in a statement after his company took possession of the Elele Alimini Rice Processing Mill in Rivers.
The statement was signed by the group’s Media Consultant, Mr Babatunde Ajibola.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)  concessioned the rice mill in Rivers to the group on Dec.1.
The statement quoted the managing director as  saying at the occasion that the mill had the capacity to process 210 metric tonnes of paddy rice per day.
“Elephant group is ready to make effective use of the mill and it will be producing our own brand of local rice, Elephant pride.
“We will get our supply of paddy rice for the mill from the surrounding communities.
“This will encourage the local communities to grow more rice through the out-growers scheme, thereby, expanding the agricultural value chain.
“There will be direct and indirect job creation and it will also increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country,’’ he said.
Owoeye also said that the development would make positive impact on the Nigerian economy.
He added that it would also guarantee food security and support the Federal Government’s efforts to ensure agricultural sustenance and food sufficiency.
The Elephant group is a multinational group in the business of imports, exports, production, processing, marketing and distribution of agro-commodities throughout the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The group is popularly known for its cement known as the Elephant Cement; other products include Elephant Fertiliser and Elephant Gold Rice.(NAN













Nathan Childs, USDA Economic Research Service, discusses domestic and global rice outlook at the USA Rice Outlook conference in San Antonio

Tight supplies and higher prices expected for 2017-18 rice crop

Tight supplies indicate higher rice prices for 2017/18; building stocks will mean lower prices for 2018/19
Ron Smith | Dec 13, 2017
U.S. rice farmers can expect tight supplies and higher prices for the 2017-18 crop year and will respond with increased acreage and anticipated higher production, assuming normal conditions.
The latest World Supply and Demand Estimate report, released Dec. 12, indicates U.S. rice acreage will be up 17 percent in 2018, up to 2.9 million acres. Estimates show a 3 percent yield increase — assuming normal growing conditions. Carry-in for both long-grain and medium-grain rice shows a sharp decline from 2017-18 and below recent five term averages.
Production will increase almost 24 percent from the 2018-19 crop, up to 224 million hundredweight, mostly from long-grain rice at a 28 percent increase to 161 million hundredweight. Medium- and short-grain estimates show a 13.5 percent jump to 59 million hundredweight.
Imports will increase slightly, up 0.8 percent, from Asian aromatic rices. Total U.S. rice supplies are expected to increase more than 10 percent, which sets up a likely price pullback for 2018-19.
Lower Prices for 2018-19
Prices could decline by 20 cents a pound, for the 2018-19 crop. “Farm prices for both classes of rice in the South and in California are projected to decline in 2018-19, mostly due to the much larger U.S. supplies,” says Nathan Childs, Economic Research Service, USDA.
Childs, speaking at the closing session of the USA Rice Outlook Conference in San Antonio, Dec. 12, reporting on numbers fresh off the World Supply and Demand Estimates report released shortly before he spoke, said U.S. ending stocks are expected to show a substantial increase in 2018-19, with long-grain accounting for most of the production increase.
Global supply also increases, Childs said, in spite of some production setbacks. “Global supplies increase to a record 621.5 million tons, a result of a 4 percent larger carry-in,” he explained. Global production was down 0.7 percent from the 2017-18 record, at 483.5 million tons (milled basis).
Production shortfalls occurred in Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, India, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and the United States, and more than offset larger production in Burma, China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam, Childs said.
Harvested area is projected down by 600,000 hectares from 2017-18 to 160.2 million hectares. Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Philippines, and the United State all harvested less area, which “more than offset expanded rice area in Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.”
Weather and Other Factors
He cited several reasons for reduced rice area, including low prices at planting for U.S. growers, followed by weather issues — heavy rain and flooding early and a hurricane on the Gulf Coast late. Other countries lost production to flooding and drought; strict area controls in Egypt resulted in a switch to corn and cotton, and expectation of increased imports precipitated a decrease in the Philippines.
U.S. production dropped by 20.4 percent. Sri Lanka increased production by 45.2 percent. China is up 0.8 percent.
Thailand, Sri Lanka, China, Burma, and Cambodia are increasing rice production area.
Childs said global rice supplies for 2017-18 are expected to be a record high, supporting prediction of lower prices. “Continued high producer price support in China increased area 4,000 hectares, despite huge stocks and record imports.”
Global consumption is also down, Childs said. “At 480.8 million tons, global consumption (including a residual) is 600,000 tons below the 2016-17 record and 2.7 million tons below 2017-18 production. Indonesia, Thailand, and the United States account for most of the expected decline in global consumption (including a residual component) in 2017-18.” China, Egypt, India, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Vietnam will increase rice consumption.
Global ending stocks for 2017-18 will rise 2.7 million tons from 2016-17 figures and will be the highest since 2000-01.
The China Syndrome
As with other commodities, China is the overriding dynamic, holding more than two-thirds of the global ending stocks for 2017-18. Ending stocks for the top five exporters, India, Thailand, Viet Nam, United States and Pakistan, are down.
Childs says Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Iran are expected to import less rice in 2017-18.
The export market is significant for rice with 9 percent of global production traded annually. “That’s double the share of 25 years ago,” Childs said. Thailand and India are expected to be top rice exporters in 2017 and 2018, and Burma is back in the export business with the highest anticipated rice export since before World War II.
Childs said China had backed out of the rice export market for about a decade but has re-entered, “and now China exports more than 1 million tons of rice, and is also expected to remain the largest rice importing country, followed by Nigeria,” which is a distant second.
Childs says the U.S. faces difficulty trading with Asian countries because of the price differential, about $150 a ton, with other exporters.
Latin America Top Market
The Western Hemisphere is the U.S. rice market. “Latin America typically accounts for about 60 percent of U.S. rice exports.” The figure would be higher, Childs said, if he included Canada.
Exports are projected to decline in 2017-18. “Through Nov. 30, U.S. all-rice exports were 9 percent below a year earlier, with rough-rice responsible for most of the decline. U.S. long-grain exports were 9 percent above a year earlier, with milled rice accounting for all of the increase.”
Childs sees some good news from exports estimates. “Through Nov. 30, U.S long-grain sales and shipments to Iraq, Haiti, and Mexico were well ahead of a year ago,” he said. “But medium- and short-grain sales were well behind last year to northeast Asia, north Africa, and the Middle East.”
Other factors affecting 2018-19 markets include:
• Big increase projected for total domestic and residual use, mostly due to a larger crop.
• Long-grain accounts for the bulk of the expected increase in domestic use.
• Increased exports of both classes of rice, with medium- and short-grain increasing at the fastest pace.
• A substantial increase in U.S. ending stocks, with long-grain accounting for the bulk of the increase.
• Farm prices for both classes of rice in the South and in California are projected to decline in 2018-19, mostly due to much larger U.S. supplies.

Childs says several factors could affect U.S. rice exports, including:
• Will Venezuela remain a top buyer of U.S. rice? Venezuela has been a critical market for U.S. rice in recent years, despite political turmoil.
• Will competition from South American exporters in Mexico and Central America increase?
• Any additional U.S. sales to Iraq?
• Any U.S. sales to Iran?
• U.S. sales to China?
• Will Turkey and Libya return as buyers of U.S. rice?

Childs and other market observers at the conference say overproduction from the 2018 crop could have an even greater negative impact on prices.



           


Rice Scholarship Winner Shows Versatility of Rice
By Meghan Mahoney
 USA Rice's Betsy Ward and Dow AgroSciences' Zach Lopez present the big money to grand prize winner Jared Fitton
SAN ANTONIO, TX -- Copious research.  Tedious work.  Contemporary thinking.  It's a winning combination both for rice production and for the National Rice Month Scholarship Contest grand prize entry.

Jared Fitton, winner of the 2017 Dow AgroSciences-sponsored scholarship, received a $4,000 scholarship and a trip for two to the awards ceremony at the 2017 USA Rice Outlook Conference here Monday.

This year's competition was fierce with 68 entries - more than three-fold over last year - from all six rice producing states.  Fitton's winning entry was a stop-motion video created to help promote, and increase awareness of, U.S.-grown rice.

"I wanted to think outside the box and be interesting and entertaining," says Fitton, a self-proclaimed computer science nerd, who attends Santa Barbara High School Computer Science Academy in Santa Barbara, California.  "I decided that a stop-motion video would help show the versatility of rice by changing shapes created out of grains to tell the story."

Stop-motion is an animation technique to make static objects, in this case rice, appear as though they are moving.  To create the video, Fitton made a camera mount in his garage so he could shoot pictures directly over a table covered with a black paper backdrop.  From there, he slowly moved the rice around the table into different images, capturing every small movement with a picture and repeating the process.

"It took around seven hours, but my little brother helped out and kept me entertained," he says.  "It was a good bonding experience."

The pictures then went into a program that greatly increases the speed at which the images are viewed to give the illusion of movement, and Fitton recorded voiceover that paired with the video.

"National Rice Month is a time to celebrate the hard work that rice farmers put into making one of American's favorite grains," Fitton says in the video introduction.  And to truly appreciate rice, he helped viewers understand how rice is produced, harvested, and milled; the environmental benefits of rice; and, the positive economic impacts of rice.

Fitton's personal takeaway from the project is the positive impact rice contributes to his home state.

"To put it into perspective for the average teenager, with the $500 million rice contributes to California's economy, you could buy 1,113,585,000 chicken nuggets," Fitton says.

Go to thinkrice.com/scholarship for more information on USA Rice and the scholarship sponsored by Dow AgroSciences and to view Fitton's video, titled Rice in Motion.

This year, Olivia Davis of Shreveport, Louisiana, was awarded second place and a $3,000 scholarship for her video, Celebrate Rice!  The third place award of $1,500 went to Jessa Goodeaux of Lonsdale, Arkansas for her video, Rice Unites Us!










Urgent action needed to reduce arsenic in infant rice cereals, says study

By Gill Hyslop
12-Dec-2017 - Last updated on 12-Dec-2017 at 12:19 GMT
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Infant rice cereals account for 55% of the total inorganic arsenic infants ingest, according to a 2016 study. Pic: ©GettyImages/ChristinLola
Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF), an alliance of scientists and child health advocacy organizations, is calling for urgent action by cereal makers, the FDA and parents to remove high-arsenic cereals off store shelves and out of infants’ diets.
The HBBF has lashed out at the US FDA for “falling short of protecting infants”​ after a study found infant rice cereals contain six times the level of arsenic than other grain cereals on the market.
The study tested more than 100 types of infant cereals, including 45 products made by nine different companies, including Beech-Nut and BioKinetics, sold at stores around the US.
Results found one third of the brands tested contained levels of 90 parts per billion (ppb) or higher of inorganic arsenic (the most toxic form of arsenic).
The FDA has no limit for arsenic in rice cereal, but issued draft guidance of 100 ppb of inorganic arsenic ​last year.

Laboratory test results

Averaging all the samples together in the HBBF report, the rice cereals contained 85 ppb of inorganic arsenic, but several samples came in with 90 ppb or higher.
Brand
Cereal
Grains listed
Inorganic arsenic levels
Beech-Nut
Rice Baby Cereal
Rice flour
Ranging between 67-102 ppb
Gerber
Complete Rice Single Grain Baby Cereal
Rice flour
Ranging between 65-78 ppb
Gerber
DHA Probiotic Rice Cereal
Rice flour
Ranging between 79-86 ppb
Gerber
Organic Rice Cereal
Organic rice flour
Ranging between 28-47 ppb
Gerber
Rice Cereal
Rice flour
Ranging between 59-112 ppb
BioKinetics
Brown Rice Sprouted Baby Cereal
Organic sprouted brown rice flakes
Ranging between 128-235 ppb
Earth's Best
Whole Grain Rice Cereal
Organic whole grain brown rice flour
Ranging between 65-109 ppb
Gerber
Organic Brown Rice Cereal
Organic whole grain brown rice flour
Ranging between 72-109 ppb
Gerber
Rice & Banana Apple Cereal
Whole grain rice flour
Ranging between 92-107 ppb
HappyBABY
Organic Probiotic Baby Cereal - Brown Rice
Milled organic whole grain brown rice
Ranging between 51-123 ppb
Healthy Times
Brown Rice Cereal for Babies
Organic whole grain brown rice flour
102 ppb
BioKinetics’ Brown Rice Sprouted Baby Cereal contained the most arsenic in the testing, with samples ranging from 128-235 ppb.
However, BioKinetics president Robert DenHoed said the company does not intend making any changes.
“We test samples ourselves and send some to an offsite lab in Toronto, and our readings are typically less than 10 ppb,”​ he said in a statement to the media.
High levels of arsenic were also found in Beechnut infant cereals, with a sample of its Rice Baby Cereal brand ranging between 87-102 ppb.
In its media statement, Beech-Nut reassured parents the company has rigorous testing protocols in place to ensure it provides safe, nutritious food for babies.
“All of our currently available cereals meet the FDA recommendation for inorganic arsenic. We buy our rice from California, the rice-growing region with the lowest levels of arsenic and we test every delivery of rice flour before we make our rice cereal as a standard practice,”​ said the company.
The HBBF contends that – more than a year after the FDA issued its draft guidance to cereal makers of 100ppb – the regulator has still not set a final limit for arsenic in rice cereal.
Arsenic levels of infant rice cereals vs multi-grain cereals
“It has failed to finalize the proposed cap in its draft guidance, even though there is no known safe level of arsenic exposure,”​ wrote Jane Houlihan, national director of Science and Health, HBBF, in the report.
Arsenic is strictly regulated in drinking water (with a limit of 10 ppb), but is legal in any amount in infant rice cereal.
A cup of prepared infant rice cereal has more than double the amount of arsenic allowed in a cup of water, according to the report.
Rice naturally absorbs more ten times more arsenic from soil and water than other grains used for infant cereals.

High costs of arsenic

Several studies – including those conducted by the FDA – have found that inorganic arsenic exposure in infants and pregnant women can result in reduce children’s IQ.​.
The World Health Organization also foundlong-term exposure can cause cancer and skin lesions.
According to the HBBF report, rice-based foods are resulting in a loss of 9.2 million IQ points among 0-6 year-old children.
The lower IQs will result in decreased salaries for those children when they are adults, costing the US an estimated $12-$18bn annually.

Call for action

The HBBF is calling upon the FDA to “act immediately to set an enforceable, health-based limit for arsenic in infant rice cereal and other rice-based foods.”
Although the study found cereal makers have taken steps to limit arsenic in infant rice cereals – levels were reduced, on average, to 85 ppb in 2016-2017 from 103 ppb in 2013-2014 – it urges cereal makers to continue reducing these levels.
In the meantime, it is encouraging parents to stop feeding children rice cereals altogether, and substitute them with iron-fortified grain cereals such as barley, oat, and multigrain.
The HBBF also recommended avoiding infant rice snacks, which contain high arsenic levels, too.

Study:

Arsenic in 9 Brands of Infant Cereal
Author: Jane Houlihan, MSCE, National Director of Science and Health, Healthy Babies Bright Futures
Funded by the Forsythia and Passport Foundations and The John Merck Fund
The study has not been peer-reviewed or published in a journal, but is posted on the HBBF website.
https://www.bakeryandsnacks.com/Article/2017/12/12/Urgent-action-needed-to-reduce-arsenic-in-infant-rice-cereals-says-study

North Texas running back Jeffrey Wilson will not participate in New Orleans Bowl


·         DEC 12, 2017 - 6:53 PM

 Senior running back Jeffrey Wilson was among the North Texas players who were greeted with Mardi Gras beads and brass band music when he arrived for the New Orleans Bowl on Tuesday.
But Wilson is only here in a support capacity. He wore a walking boot as he made his way into the team hotel, and Mean Green coach Seth Littrell said his star running back will not be available for Saturday’s bowl contest against Troy.
“Jeffrey’s had a great career. He’s one of our biggest leaders and he’s such a great person — I hate it for him,” Littrell said. “He really wanted to go out and finish the season the right way.”
Wilson was in the midst of a breakout senior season, rushing for 1,215 yards and 16 touchdowns in the first 11 games before injuring his ankle in North Texas’ 52-49 win against Army.
He was held out of both the regular-season finale against Rice and the Conference USA Championship Game against Florida Atlantic.
Wilson finished his North Texas career as the school’s fourth all-time leading rusher, gaining 3,205 yards in his four seasons.
“He’s not going to be available, which sucks, but at the same time I’m proud of what he’s accomplished,” Litrell said.
Redshirt freshman Nic Smith earned the starting spot in Wilson’s absence. Smith rushed for 228 yards on 40 carries in those games, including a 178-yard performance against Rice.
True freshman Evan Johnson, a Loranger native, served as the top backup, gaining 42 yards on 10 carries in the two games.
Though it's a small sample size, the North Texas offense saw its overall numbers dip in two games without its star running back.
Against Rice and FAU, North Texas averaged 410 yards and 23.5 points per game, compared to 477.4 yards and 38.2 points per game with Wilson in the lineup.

Season of giving

Both teams arrived in New Orleans on Tuesday evening and later in the week will enjoy one of the added bonuses of making a bowl game: Gifts the players receive for participating in the game.
The bowl swag for North Texas and Troy players at the New Orleans Bowl this season included a Fossil watch and a gift suite — which essentially assigns a numerical value to a wide assortment of gifts and allows players to spend their allotment on what they choose.

Record watch

Troy running back Jordan Chunn can etch his spot in history with a big game Saturday.
The senior enters the New Orleans Bowl with 47 career rushing touchdowns, putting him one behind Louisiana-Lafayette’s Tyrell Fenroy for the conference’s career record.
North Texas has had difficulty keeping opposing running backs out of the end zone this season. The Mean Green has allowed 32 rushing touchdowns, which ties them for the sixth-worst mark nationally.

On tap

Included in the festivities leading up to Saturday’s bowl game are a luncheon and a fun run, both of which will be held Friday.
The keynote speaker for the luncheon is former pro bowl safety Darren Woodson, who serves on the board of the North Texas chapter of the Make A Wish Foundation. Tickets for the luncheon are $65 and can be purchased at NewOrleansBowl.org/luncheon
The Dashing Through the Dome fun run will be held at 6 p.m. Friday. Participants will start outside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, then weave through the concourses, finishing the 2-mile race on the Superdome turf.
Tickets cost $35 and include a general admission ticket to the game.


Rice exporters' delegation from Pakistan in Sri Lanka to promote and market Pakistani rice 
Wed, Dec 13, 2017, 09:23 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Dec 13, Colombo: A 15-member delegation of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) is visiting Sri Lanka to promote and market Pakistani rice, according to a statement.The delegation held a meeting with Muhammad Rizwan Hameem, Chairman, Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE), which is the state body responsible for the procurement of rice from various origins.CWE, under the purview of Ministry of Industry and Commerce issued tenders in October to procure 500,000 metric tons of rice.Leader of the Pakistani delegation, Acting chairman of REAP Rafique Suleman held a discussion with CWE chairman for the possibilities to increase rice imports from Pakistan.
Suleman also held discussion with the Sri Lankan government officials to reduce heavy import duty imposed on Pakistani long grain rice.According to the Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen and his officials, domestic Lankan rice market has faced supply pressures as three consecutive harvesting seasons (2016 & 2016/'17) failed to produce usual paddy volumes resulting in a 50 percent fall in domestic rice supply this year, thereby necessitating imports to the country to sustain the market.
                                   
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_17B/Dec13_1513137189CH.php

New dishes daily on WTC delegates’ platter

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By AuthorTelanganaToday  |   Published: 13th Dec 2017  1:09 am
Hyderabad: The lunch menu for World Telugu Conference delegates will change every day, with a variety of authentic Telangana delicacies on the table. A statement from the Civil Supplies Department on Tuesday spelled out the details of the strictly vegetarian lunch menu to be served at all of the conference venues.
There will be no lunch on December 15 as the conference will be inaugurated in the evening. On December 16, vegetable biryani and raita will be served for flavoured rice, bagara baigan and pattu vadiyala pulusu for curries, and paneer butter masala for north Indian curry.
On December 17, jeera rice will be served with beerakaya, tomato soya kura and mentula pulusu curries. Those preferring north Indian curries can opt for Aloo mutter.
On December 18, bagara rice will be served with mirchi capsicum kura and sorakaya podi pappu, with mixed vegetable curry from north Indian cuisine.
On the final day, delegates can enjoy Tomato rice with chikudukaya tomato kura, vankaya pulusu and aloo palak curries.
White rice, fruits, and pindi vantala will be served daily.





Basmati Rice North America Industry 2017 Sales, Supply and Consumption Forecasts to 2022

Wiseguyreports.Com Added New Market Research Report On – “Basmati Rice Industry 2017 North America Production, Supply and Demand Research Report to 2022”
PUNE, INDIA , December 13, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ --
North America Basmati Rice Market
Description
WiseGuyReports.Com adds” North America Basmati Rice Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 “Research To Its Database.
"Basmati is a variety of long, slender-grained aromatic rice which is traditionally from the Indian subcontinent.
Basmati rice has a typical pandan-like (Pandanus amaryllifolius leaf) flavour caused by the aroma compound 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline. Basmati grains contain about 0.09 ppm of this aromatic chemical compound naturally, a level that is about 12 times more than non-basmati rice varieties, giving basmati its distinctive spicy fragrance and flavour. This natural aroma is also found in cheese, fruits and other cereals. It is a flavoring agent approved in the United States and Europe, and is used in bakery products for aroma."
Scope of the Report:
This report focuses on the Basmati Rice in North America Market, especially in United States, Canada and Mexico. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, countries, type and application.

Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers
LT Foods
Amira Nature Foods
Best Foods
KRBL Limited
Kohinoor Rice
Aeroplane Rice
Tilda Basmati Rice
Amar Singh Chawal Wala
Hanuman Rice Mills
Adani Wilmar
Galaxy Rice Mill
Dunar Foods
Sungold
Market Segment by Countries, covering
United States
Canada
Mexico
Market Segment by Type, covers
Indian Basmati Rice
Pakistani Basmati Rice
Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into
Direct Edible
Deep Processing


Table of Contents -Major Key Points
1 Market Overview
1.1 Basmati Rice Introduction
1.2 Market Analysis by Type
1.2.1 Indian Basmati Rice
1.2.2 Pakistani Basmati Rice
1.3 Market Analysis by Applications
1.3.1 Direct Edible
1.3.2 Deep Processing
1.4 Market Analysis by Countries
1.4.1 United States Status and Prospect (2012-2022)
1.4.2 Mexico Status and Prospect (2012-2022)
1.4.3 Canada Status and Prospect (2012-2022)
1.5 Market Dynamics
1.5.1 Market Opportunities
1.5.2 Market Risk
1.5.3 Market Driving Force 
2 Manufacturers Profiles
2.1 LT Foods
2.1.1 Profile
2.1.2 Basmati Rice Type and Applications
2.1.2.1 Type 1
2.1.2.2 Type 2
2.1.3 LT Foods Basmati Rice Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)
2.1.4 Business Overview
2.1.5 LT Foods News
2.2 Amira Nature Foods
2.2.1 Profile
2.2.2 Basmati Rice Type and Applications
2.2.2.1 Type 1
2.2.2.2 Type 2
2.2.3 Amira Nature Foods Basmati Rice Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)
2.2.4 Business Overview
2.2.5 Amira Nature Foods News
2.3 Best Foods
2.3.1 Profile
2.3.2 Basmati Rice Type and Applications
2.3.2.1 Type 1
2.3.2.2 Type 2
2.3.3 Best Foods Basmati Rice Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)
2.3.4 Business Overview
2.3.5 Best Foods News
2.4 KRBL Limited
2.4.1 Profile
2.4.2 Basmati Rice Type and Applications
2.4.2.1 Type 1
2.4.2.2 Type 2
2.4.3 KRBL Limited Basmati Rice Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)
2.4.4 Business Overview
2.4.5 KRBL Limited News
2.5 Kohinoor Rice
2.5.1 Profile
2.5.2 Basmati Rice Type and Applications
2.5.2.1 Type 1
2.5.2.2 Type 2
2.5.3 Kohinoor Rice Basmati Rice Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)
2.5.4 Business Overview
2.5.5 Kohinoor Rice News
2.6 Aeroplane Rice
2.6.1 Profile
2.6.2 Basmati Rice Type and Applications
2.6.2.1 Type 1
2.6.2.2 Type 2
2.6.3 Aeroplane Rice Basmati Rice Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)
2.6.4 Business Overview
2.6.5 Aeroplane Rice News
2.7 Tilda Basmati Rice
2.7.1 Profile
2.7.2 Basmati Rice Type and Applications
2.7.2.1 Type 1
2.7.2.2 Type 2
2.7.3 Tilda Basmati Rice Basmati Rice Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)
2.7.4 Business Overview
2.7.5 Tilda Basmati Rice News
2.8 Amar Singh Chawal Wala
2.8.1 Profile
2.8.2 Basmati Rice Type and Applications
2.8.2.1 Type 1
2.8.2.2 Type 2
2.8.3 Amar Singh Chawal Wala Basmati Rice Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)
2.8.4 Business Overview
2.8.5 Amar Singh Chawal Wala News 
………..CONTINUED
Norah Trent
WiseGuy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
+1 646 845 9349 / +44 208 133 9349


Diabetes Quick Fix: Indian-Spiced Chicken with Cumin-Scented Rice and Spinach

BY LINDA GASSENHEIMERTribune News Service

DECEMBER 11, 2017 12:00 AM
UPDATED DECEMBER 11, 2017 01:33 AM
Tandoori chicken, with its delicate blend of spices and intriguing aroma, is one of my favorite Indian dishes. One characteristic of the dish is it is cooked in a special tandoor oven in most restaurants. Another important characteristic is the ginger, garlic, coriander and cayenne yogurt sauce that it is cooked in. For this dinner, I have captured the essence of tandoori chicken with this easy yogurt sauce. Although not made in a special oven, the meal fills my requirement for some great Indian food that can be prepared quickly.
All of the spices can all be found in the spice section of the supermarket.
Helpful Hints:
– Chicken tenderloin can be found in most supermarkets. If not available, use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut into 2-inch by 5-inch pieces.
– Basmati rice is a type of long-grain rice grown in the foothills of the Himalayas and is a popular rice in India. It is fragrant and smells like popcorn while cooking. Long-grain white rice can be used instead.
– Diced fresh onions can be found in the produce section of the supermarket.
– A quick way to peel and chop fresh ginger is to scrape the skin with the edge of a spoon and then scrape it with a grater.
Countdown:
– Place water for rice on to boil.
– Prepare ingredients.
– Start rice.
– Make chicken.
– Finish rice.
Shopping List:
To buy: 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins, 1 carton plain non-fat yogurt, 1 bottle ground coriander, 1 small bottle ground cumin, 1 small package basmati rice, 1 small bottle cayenne pepper, 1 small box raisins, 1 small bunch fresh mint, 1 small piece fresh ginger, 1 container fresh diced onion, 1 bag washed, ready-to-eat spinach.
Staples: canola oil, minced garlic, salt, black peppercorns.
INDIAN SPICED CHICKEN
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
1 cup plain, non-fat yogurt
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves plus 2 tablespoons, chopped
1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped (1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch cayenne
2 teaspoons canola oil
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins
1/4 cup fresh diced onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Mix yogurt, 1/4 cup chopped mint, ginger, coriander, and cayenne together. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet just large enough to hold chicken in one layer over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onion to the skillet. Brown chicken 2 minutes. Turn and brown 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Add garlic to the skillet. Spoon yogurt sauce over chicken. Cover with a lid and cook 3 minutes. A meat thermometer should read 165 degrees. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons chopped mint and serve.
Yield 2 servings
Per serving: 318 calories, 84 calories from fat, 9.3 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 4.3 g monounsaturated fat, 111 mg cholesterol, 295 mg sodium, 13.4 g carbohydrate, 0.9 g dietary fiber, 0.9 g sugars, 43.7 g protein
Exchanges: 1/2 fat-free milk, 1/2 carbohydrate, 5 lean meat
CUMIN-SCENTED RICE AND SPINACH
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
1/2 cup basmati rice
5 cups washed, ready-to-eat spinach (5 ounces)
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil over high heat. Add the rice and let roll in the boiling water 10 minutes. Add spinach and immediately drain the rice leaving 2 tablespoons water in the saucepan. Add the oil to the saucepan and return the rice to the pan. Add the raisins and cumin. Toss well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Yield 2 servings
Per serving: 25 calories, 68 calories from fat, 7.5 g total fat, 0.6 g saturated fat, 4.4 g monounsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 64 mg sodium, 47.1 g carbohydrate, 2.7 g dietary fiber, 5.7 g sugars, 5.8 g protein
Exchanges: 2 1/2-starch, 1/2 fruit, 1 vegetable, 1 fat
(From "Mix 'n' Match Meals in Minutes for People with Diabetes" by Linda Gassenheimer, published by the American Diabetes Association. Reprinted with permission from The American Diabetes Association. Gassenheimer's latest book is "Delicious One-Pot Dishes," published by the American Diabetes Association. To order either book call 1-800-232-6733 or order online at www.shopdiabetes.org)

Tight supplies and higher prices expected for 2017-18 rice crop

Tight supplies indicate higher rice prices for 2017/18; building stocks will mean lower prices for 2018/19
Ron Smith | Dec 13, 2017

Nathan Childs, USDA Economic Research Service, discusses domestic and global rice outlook at the USA Rice Outlook conference in San Antonio
U.S. rice farmers can expect tight supplies and higher prices for the 2017-18 crop year and will respond with increased acreage and anticipated higher production, assuming normal conditions.
The latest World Supply and Demand Estimate report, released Dec. 12, indicates U.S. rice acreage will be up 17 percent in 2018, up to 2.9 million acres. Estimates show a 3 percent yield increase — assuming normal growing conditions. Carry-in for both long-grain and medium-grain rice shows a sharp decline from 2017-18 and below recent five term averages.
Production will increase almost 24 percent from the 2018-19 crop, up to 224 million hundredweight, mostly from long-grain rice at a 28 percent increase to 161 million hundredweight. Medium- and short-grain estimates show a 13.5 percent jump to 59 million hundredweight.
Imports will increase slightly, up 0.8 percent, from Asian aromatic rices. Total U.S. rice supplies are expected to increase more than 10 percent, which sets up a likely price pullback for 2018-19.
Lower Prices for 2018-19
Prices could decline by 20 cents a pound, for the 2018-19 crop. “Farm prices for both classes of rice in the South and in California are projected to decline in 2018-19, mostly due to the much larger U.S. supplies,” says Nathan Childs, Economic Research Service, USDA.
Childs, speaking at the closing session of the USA Rice Outlook Conference in San Antonio, Dec. 12, reporting on numbers fresh off the World Supply and Demand Estimates report released shortly before he spoke, said U.S. ending stocks are expected to show a substantial increase in 2018-19, with long-grain accounting for most of the production increase.
Global supply also increases, Childs said, in spite of some production setbacks. “Global supplies increase to a record 621.5 million tons, a result of a 4 percent larger carry-in,” he explained. Global production was down 0.7 percent from the 2017-18 record, at 483.5 million tons (milled basis).
Production shortfalls occurred in Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, India, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and the United States, and more than offset larger production in Burma, China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam, Childs said.
Harvested area is projected down by 600,000 hectares from 2017-18 to 160.2 million hectares. Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Philippines, and the United State all harvested less area, which “more than offset expanded rice area in Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.”
Weather and Other Factors
He cited several reasons for reduced rice area, including low prices at planting for U.S. growers, followed by weather issues — heavy rain and flooding early and a hurricane on the Gulf Coast late. Other countries lost production to flooding and drought; strict area controls in Egypt resulted in a switch to corn and cotton, and expectation of increased imports precipitated a decrease in the Philippines.
U.S. production dropped by 20.4 percent. Sri Lanka increased production by 45.2 percent. China is up 0.8 percent.
Thailand, Sri Lanka, China, Burma, and Cambodia are increasing rice production area.
Childs said global rice supplies for 2017-18 are expected to be a record high, supporting prediction of lower prices. “Continued high producer price support in China increased area 4,000 hectares, despite huge stocks and record imports.”
Global consumption is also down, Childs said. “At 480.8 million tons, global consumption (including a residual) is 600,000 tons below the 2016-17 record and 2.7 million tons below 2017-18 production. Indonesia, Thailand, and the United States account for most of the expected decline in global consumption (including a residual component) in 2017-18.” China, Egypt, India, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Vietnam will increase rice consumption.
Global ending stocks for 2017-18 will rise 2.7 million tons from 2016-17 figures and will be the highest since 2000-01.
The China Syndrome
As with other commodities, China is the overriding dynamic, holding more than two-thirds of the global ending stocks for 2017-18. Ending stocks for the top five exporters, India, Thailand, Viet Nam, United States and Pakistan, are down.
Childs says Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Iran are expected to import less rice in 2017-18.
The export market is significant for rice with 9 percent of global production traded annually. “That’s double the share of 25 years ago,” Childs said. Thailand and India are expected to be top rice exporters in 2017 and 2018, and Burma is back in the export business with the highest anticipated rice export since before World War II.
Childs said China had backed out of the rice export market for about a decade but has re-entered, “and now China exports more than 1 million tons of rice, and is also expected to remain the largest rice importing country, followed by Nigeria,” which is a distant second.
Childs says the U.S. faces difficulty trading with Asian countries because of the price differential, about $150 a ton, with other exporters.
Latin America Top Market
The Western Hemisphere is the U.S. rice market. “Latin America typically accounts for about 60 percent of U.S. rice exports.” The figure would be higher, Childs said, if he included Canada.
Exports are projected to decline in 2017-18. “Through Nov. 30, U.S. all-rice exports were 9 percent below a year earlier, with rough-rice responsible for most of the decline. U.S. long-grain exports were 9 percent above a year earlier, with milled rice accounting for all of the increase.”
Childs sees some good news from exports estimates. “Through Nov. 30, U.S long-grain sales and shipments to Iraq, Haiti, and Mexico were well ahead of a year ago,” he said. “But medium- and short-grain sales were well behind last year to northeast Asia, north Africa, and the Middle East.”
Other factors affecting 2018-19 markets include:
• Big increase projected for total domestic and residual use, mostly due to a larger crop.
• Long-grain accounts for the bulk of the expected increase in domestic use.
• Increased exports of both classes of rice, with medium- and short-grain increasing at the fastest pace.
• A substantial increase in U.S. ending stocks, with long-grain accounting for the bulk of the increase.
• Farm prices for both classes of rice in the South and in California are projected to decline in 2018-19, mostly due to much larger U.S. supplies.

Childs says several factors could affect U.S. rice exports, including:
• Will Venezuela remain a top buyer of U.S. rice? Venezuela has been a critical market for U.S. rice in recent years, despite political turmoil.
• Will competition from South American exporters in Mexico and Central America increase?
• Any additional U.S. sales to Iraq?
• Any U.S. sales to Iran?
• U.S. sales to China?
• Will Turkey and Libya return as buyers of U.S. rice?

Childs and other market observers at the conference say overproduction from the 2018 crop could have an even greater negative impact on prices.

http://www.deltafarmpress.com/rice/tight-supplies-and-higher-prices-expected-2017-18-rice-crop

Long grain rice exports to Sri Lanka declining

KARACHI: Rice exporters have urged the Sri Lankan government to reduce import duty on Pakistani long grain rice.
A visiting delegation of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (Reap) to Sri Lanka held several meetings with the government officials, trade bodies and rice importers.
Reap Chairman Rafique Suleman informed the Sri Lankan officials that there are two separate categories of Pakistani rice — basmati and non-basmati.
Super Basmati, PK-385, PK-198/D-98 etc are included in the basmati variety and these are premium quality rice and may be added to the list of luxury item. Whereas Irri-6 and Irri-9 etc are coarse varieties and called non-basmati rice which are cheaper and famous in Sri Lanka.
Average price of non-basmati stands around $325-400 per tonne internationally.
The Reap chairman urged the Sri Lankan officials to rectify the situation by reducing the duty in the larger interest of both the countries.
https:// https://www.dawn.com/news/1376220 dawn.com/news/1376220

https://telanganatoday.com/new-dishes-daily-wtc-delegates-Pakistan counters India on trade issues at WTO meet

Sidhartha| TNN | Dec 12, 2017, 19:38 IST

Suresh Prabhu. (TOI file photo)
NEW DELHI: "We don't want to dirty our hands with genhu (wheat), chawal (rice) and chini (sugar). I wonder why your people want to do it," said Syed Tauqir Shah, Pakistan's ambassador to World Trade Organization (WTO).

Shah's remarks came hours after commerce and industry minister Suresh Prabhu on Monday told trade ministers from 164 countries that India did not envisage an outcome at the WTO meet which did not result in a permanent solution to its food security concerns. The government believes the current rules may make it tough for many developing and poor countries, including China, from procuring grains, oil seeds and pulses through a regime similar to minimum support price in India.

While Pakistan is a member of the G-33 coalition seeking a permanent solution, among other things, it has opted to take a stand opposed to India on food security. "We have done away with ration shops and moved to cash transfers through an ID-based progamme, like yours. We don't want to do it," Shah said.
But has Pakistan abandoned procurement through an MSP-like programme? "There is a problem in building massive stocks like India. There are concerns about impact in third countries," the Pakistan ambassador said referring to possible export of subsidised food stuff in global markets.

Like in other areas, Pakistan has opted to take a position diametrically opposite to India on trade issues. The only exception is the demand that developed countries reduce subsidies to their farmers, a subject where India and China have joined hands.

TOP COMMENT

bhikhari ko khane ke lale pade he or khud ka pav tod raha ha. dusmani me pak pagla gaya he. and who listen pak in WTOmanishpujara pujara
On others, such as a global framework for e-commerce and investment facilitation, being pushed by China, Pakistan's position is backing its closest ally in the region. "Why should we only allow Ebay to sell in our country when many of our small businesses can't register on Ebay or PayPal?" Shah asked after a session addressed by Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma.
               
But how will investment rules help Pakistan? The Pakistan ambassador believes it will not result in a competitive environment where countries battle it out to attract investors. With Pakistan-based companies under the lens for possible links to terror, Shah's stance is not surprising.


Minister of Agriculture Urges Ministry Officials to Work Hard in Alleviating Poverty

  
Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman (kementan)
JAKARTA, NNC – Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman has invited Echelon I, II, III and IV officers of the Ministry of Agriculture to work hard in alleviating poverty in Indonesia, and realize the dream of actualizing the target of becoming a world food barn by 2045.
"Let's show the world that Indonesia is able to feed the Indonesian people without importing rice," Minister Amran said during the Leadership Meeting of the Ministry of Agriculture in Jakarta on Wednesday (12/13/2017).
The Minister of Agriculture said that the dream is in accordance with President Joko Widodo's promise to the people of Indonesia to realize rice self-sufficiency in three years. Today, Indonesia does not import rice, corn, onion and chili thanks to the performance of all employees of the Ministry of Agriculture.
"The first onion import was in in 2014. Today we export to six countries, as well as with chili," said Minister of Agriculture
On that occasion, The Minister of Agriculture also appealed to all officials of Ministry of Agriculture within the next two years to do what is important in alleviating poverty in Indonesia. The underprivileged in Indonesia reach 27 million people, comprising of 17 million people in rural areas, and 10 million people in urban areas.
The Minister of Agriculture added that the price of community needs in 2017 is also relatively stable compared to previous years. This is what distinguishes this year, that price stability can be realized without importing four strategic commodities, namely rice, onion, corn, and chili.
"For three years the performance of our Ministry has improved, and we have now exported four main commodities and maintain stable prices,” Amran added.
http://www.en.netralnews.com/news/business/read/16291/minister.of.agriculture.urges.ministry.officials.to.work.hard.in.alleviating.poverty

Funding, timing will be critical issues for farm bill debate

 USA Rice farm bill panelists Jennifer Cervantes, Tom Sell, Reece Langley, Robert Redding, Dale Thorenson, and Ben Mosley, discussed farm bill expectations at a breakout session during the USA Rice Outlook Conference in San Antonio.
A new farm bill will find challenges in funding, timing and legislators who have never voted on a farm bill before. A united ag front will be crucial.
Ron Smith | Dec 12, 2017
Holding on to the current farm policy, with a few targeted tweaks, would suit most commodity organizations — with the exception of cotton and dairy — but funding will be a challenge as Congress begins debating the next farm bill.
Representatives for soybeans, sugar, cotton, peanuts and rice offered their wish list for a farm program during a farm bill panel, a standing room only break-out session at the USA Rice Outlook Conference in San Antonio.
Tom Sell, co-founder and managing partner of Combest Sell and Associates, moderated the panel, which included Reece Langley, National Cotton Council; Jennifer Cervantes, vice president, Florida Sugar Cane league; Dale Thorenson, associate at Gordley Associates, representing the American Soybean Association; Ben Mosely, vice president, USA Rice; and Robert Redding, president, The Redding Firm, Inc., representing the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation.
Panelists agreed that a unified front, across all ag commodities and interests, will be crucial when making a case to Congress for necessary funding. “When farm groups start fighting over funding, that’s when the wheels fall off the bus,” said Cervantes. “We have to stick together.”
“It’s important that we don’t let happen to this farm bill debate what happened in 2014,” Redding said. “We were divided.”
“It shouldn’t be that hard,” Thorenson said. “We’re not changing policy that much.”
Langley says cotton policy needs more than a tweak, however. “With the 2014 act, Cotton has no access to ARC or PLC. Our No.1 priority for the next farm bill is to realize an increase in our safety net. STAX has not been sufficient to deal with multiple years of low cotton prices.”
Redding says the 2014 farm program has worked well for peanuts. “We like the PLC option. We want to keep the reference price, the support for storage and handling costs, and the separate payment limit for peanuts. This has been good farm policy for us.”
“Most people in the rice industry have been pleased with the farm program and PLC,” Mosely said. “The mechanics of the program are working; it just needs some tweaks.”
Cervantes says sugar does not qualify for ARC or PLC but hopes to “maintain the sugar program we have. We will fight tooth and nail to retain what we have. We are working to make people understand the importance of sugar.”
She says sugar needs the support of a farm program. “A free market for sugar does not exist. If we dismantle our program, the rest of the world will not.” She said sugar will not add acreage but will rely on increased yield and efficiency for growth. “Our footprint will not be larger.”
Sugar creates jobs, she adds. “Sugar is responsible for 142,000 jobs across the country, but sugar is not produced in every state, so we have to educate legislators.”
That chore will be a big one with the next farm bill debate. “We have 120 members of Congress who have never voted on a farm bill. We don’t know how they will vote,” Cervantes said. “It is important for us to explain the importance of sugar.”
Political action committees are key, she adds. “A PAC doesn’t guarantee they will vote your way, but it does gain access. We have to build long-term relationships.”
“That’s our weakest area,” Redding said.
Thorenson added that if farm organizations do not show up and make their case, other organizations will step up and make theirs.
Sell said anti-ag groups are well-organized and well-funded and have created a new force in Washington.
Money, a huge issue in the 2014 farm bill debate, will again dictate policy. “We’re all asking for more money,” said Thorenson. “It’s a challenging time for agriculture, so we at least want to keep our baseline and that will be hard.”
“Baseline reflects the amount of money expected to be spent over 10 years if the policy in place now remains,” Sell explained.
Baseline is a particular sticky issue for cotton. Langley said cotton hopes to build its baseline before a new farm policy is enacted.
Deep Cuts
Losing the Foreign Market Development program has been a blow, Mosley said. “We had hoped for an increase, now we just hope to get back to square one. It’s a tough environment; we’re always facing cuts, and we continue to deal with cuts already in place.”
“We struggle with the Congressional budget Office,” Redding added. “They don’t understand the peanut industry.”
Timing of the farm bill is another big question mark. “Everyone agrees that we want farm bill efforts to begin quickly when Congress gets back in the new year,” Sell said
“We hope it’s enacted in 2018,” Langley said. “Our worst-case scenario is a delay.” He anticipates the House will move first and have something out by the end of the first quarter. If the Senate acts quickly the two bills could go to conference by mid-term.
“The closer to the 2018 election the bill is rolled out, the harder it will to pass it,” Thorenson said.
Timing could be a challenge, Cervantes says, especially if the bill follows a promised executive order to reform welfare. “That probably will not be helpful,” she said. “It will be interesting to see what comes out of the executive order. We could see a work requirement. That will tell us a lot about how the farm bill will roll out.”
Panelists expect bi-partisan efforts in both the House and Senate agriculture committees, but Congress overall is “getting more partisan, less cooperative,” Sell says. Panel consensus indicated that passing the tax bill could improve that situation. “It would take some pressure off Democrats to oppose anything proposed,” Redding said.
“I yearn for the days when we had more cooperation,” Sell added.
Panelists said generic acreage — moved out of cotton in the 2014 program — will be an issue with the next farm bill. They don’t expect more money to be allotted for farm programs.
The challenge ag commodities face between now and when Congress rolls out a farm bill is to educate legislators on what producers need to continue to produce affordable food. Grassroots efforts are called for, Cervantes says.
“We’re trying to develop data to help put a farm bill together,” Thorenson said.
Basmati mandis to be set up across J&K: Hanjura      
The minister, according to an official spokesperson, was addressing the farmers and growers after inaugurating 7th annual buyer-seller meet for traditional aromatic Basmati rice at SKUAST-J. Agriculture Minister GhulamNabi Lone Hanjura today said the government is working on a comprehensive plan to open up basmati mandis across the state to give better marketing facilities to farmers. The minister, according to an official spokesperson, was addressing the farmers and growers after inaugurating 7th annual buyer-seller meet for traditional aromatic Basmati rice at SKUAST-J. Vice Chairman Jammu and Kashmir State Board for Development of Kisans, Daljeet Singh Chib, MLA R.S. PoraDrGaganBhagat, Vice Chancellor SKUAST (J) P.K. Sharma, Secretary Agriculture Production Department Showkat Ahmad Beig, Former Member Parliament Tirlok Singh Bajwa, Director Agriculture Jammu, H.K. Razdan, Agriculture scientists, farmers and exporters of Basmati rice were present on the occasion. The minister, while highlighting the government’s initiatives in the agriculture sector, said that the department will soon set up Basmati Mandies at several places where the buyers and sellers will hold direct transactions to save the farmers from exploitation at the hands of middleman. He said that it will immensely help the Basmati growers get better and viable marketing support for their production.

New forum to tackle problems in rice sector

Sum Manet / Khmer Times  Share:    

Next month the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) will hold the sixth edition of the Cambodia Rice Forum, bringing major stakeholders in the sector together to discuss the future of the local rice industry and create a joint effort to ramp up production and exports.
The three-day event, scheduled for January 16-18, will open with remarks from Prime Minister Hun Sen on the first day.
Riddled with sub-standard infrastructure, high logistical and production costs and tougher competition abroad, the local rice industry has been struggling to turn profits and remain competitive.
During the forum, participants will deliberate on which local rice brand should be pushed on the international stage. One local brand will be selected and given priority in marketing campaigns that seek to promote Cambodian rice to international buyers.
Representatives of companies and farming associations will also discuss solutions to problems that continue to plague the rice industry and devise long-term strategies to tackle them.
Hun Lak, the CRF’s vice-president, said the main problems afflicting the industry are a lack of adequate warehouses and an inefficient marketing system. He noted, however, that storage infrastructure is slowly improving.
“We are sparing no effort in boosting cooperation among stakeholders. They need to come together to ramp up production,” he said.
“They must increase quality while reducing expenses…production costs must be slashed to improve the production chain.
“Our strategy is to strengthen the quality of our fragrant rice and to find mechanisms that allow us to expand our export markets. Cambodian rice still has a great deal of potential in the global market.”
Mr Lak also commented on recent efforts by Myanmar and Vietnam to increase their share of the European market, with both Asean nations now negotiating trade agreements with the EU, and restated the need to ramp up efforts at home to increase quality and keep up with the competition.
“Cambodian rice is now competing with the big players of the international market,” he said, “so we need to believe in ourselves, in our product, while sparing no effort to produce the best product we can.”
Mr Lak said local farmers do not need to lose sleep over Italy’s recent request to reduce imports of Cambodian rice to the EU, arguing that Cambodian rice still enjoys sufficient demand in the Chinese and European markets.
During the first 11 months of this year, Cambodia shipped more than 562,000 tonnes of rice abroad, an increase of 17.2 percent compared with the same period last year, according to a report from the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export Formality.


Cabinet gives green light to import rice

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The Cabinet has decided to import more than 200,000 metric tons of rice to stabilise the price of rice during the festive season.
The Secretary to the Industry and Commerce Ministry, K.D.N. Ranjith Ashoka, said the imported rice stocks would be issued through Lanka Sathosa and Co-operative societies.
However, retail prices of rice are still high.
The Secretary further stated that a controlled price will have to be imposed if the situation persists.

http://newsfirst.lk/english/2017/12/cabinet-gives-green-light-import-rice/178409

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