Indian rice prices rise on African
demand
Rice prices in India advanced this week on higher demand from
African buyers, while prices of the Vietnamese grain could fall soon on the
prospect of rising suply as farmers start harvesting the Winter-Spring paddy
later this month. India's 5 percent broken parboiled rice jumped $17 per tonne
this week, to $371 to $376 per tonne, on robust exports demand.
"African buyers have increased buying over the last few weeks," said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. "They are willing to pay a premium over Thai rice due to better quality." India, the world's biggest rice exporter, mainly exports non-basmati rice to African countries and premier basmati rice to the Middle East.
In Thailand, the world's second biggest rice exporter, markets stayed quiet with prices of 5-percent broken rice unchanged from last week at $355-$360 per tonne. Prices of Vietnam's 5-percent broken rice stayed flat compared with last week's $335-$340 a tonne as traders returned to work after the country's biggest public holiday.
But prices are expected to ease shortly as farmers are due to start harvesting the Winter-Spring paddy later this month, boosting supply from the world's third largest exporter of the grain. Vietnam's rice exports declined 26.5 percent last year with demand from China and Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines and Indonesia, falling sharply amid rising supplies from Thailand and India. Shipments are estimated to have fallen to 325,000 tonnes in January, down 32.3 percent from a year earlier, data by the Vietnamese government showed
"African buyers have increased buying over the last few weeks," said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. "They are willing to pay a premium over Thai rice due to better quality." India, the world's biggest rice exporter, mainly exports non-basmati rice to African countries and premier basmati rice to the Middle East.
In Thailand, the world's second biggest rice exporter, markets stayed quiet with prices of 5-percent broken rice unchanged from last week at $355-$360 per tonne. Prices of Vietnam's 5-percent broken rice stayed flat compared with last week's $335-$340 a tonne as traders returned to work after the country's biggest public holiday.
But prices are expected to ease shortly as farmers are due to start harvesting the Winter-Spring paddy later this month, boosting supply from the world's third largest exporter of the grain. Vietnam's rice exports declined 26.5 percent last year with demand from China and Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines and Indonesia, falling sharply amid rising supplies from Thailand and India. Shipments are estimated to have fallen to 325,000 tonnes in January, down 32.3 percent from a year earlier, data by the Vietnamese government showed
http://fp.brecorder.com/2017/02/20170205137876/
Iran may resume imports of Indian rice soon
India's
Commerce and Industry Ministry said Iran is expected to resume imports rice
from the South Asian country in the near future.
"Government of Iran may soon
issue the notification about the resumption of issuance of permits for import
of rice," the ministry said in a statement, according to the Economic
Times.
It came after a 20-member Indian
trade delegation visited Iran on January 28-30 to promote exports of rice since
Iran is one of the largest importers of rice from the country.
"The deliberations helped to
dispel the negative publicity which appeared in sections of the Iran media
causing doubts about the health and safety of rice from India," the
ministry added.
Iran has been one of the largest
importers of Indian basmati rice in recent years. However, in 2015-16, basmati
rice exports from India to Iran almost halved to $571 million from $1.1 billion
in the previous fiscal year.
In the first half of this fiscal
year, basmati rice exports from India to Iran amounted to $356 million.
Both India and Pakistan have
claimed geographical indication on aromatic long-grained basmati rice, saying
the variety is unique to their respective countries. Uruguay is another rice
exporter to Iran
http://www.iran-daily.com/News/177041.html
Rice exports fall from last year
Submitted by Eleven on Sun, 02/05/2017 - 15:15
Rice dealing at Bayintnaung commodity brokerage
centre in Yangon. (Photo-Kyi Naing)
Until January 27
this fiscal year, the country exported 1.15 million tonnes
of rice and broken
rice, down nearly 140,000 tonnes from the
same period last year, according to the Ministry of
Commerce.
Assistant permanent secretary Khin
Maung Lwin said: “Foreign countries have offered
to buy rice under a government-to-government deal. Sri
Lanka now wants to import Myanmar's rice.”Last financial
year's rice exports were 1.5 million tonnes and now Sri
Lanka has offered to buy 50,000 tonnes, with a memorandum of
understanding being discussed. Rice is mainly exported
to African and EU markets. Monthly rice exports
to Africa amount to 60,000 tonnes, according to the Myanmar
Rice Federation
Indian Delegation Seeks Rice Deals in Iran
Sunday,
February 05, 2017
A20-member Indian trade delegation visited Iran from January
28-30 to promote export of rice since Iran is one of the largest importers of
Basmati rice from India.
According to Indian newspaper Business Standard, about 250
people participated in the sales promotion event held at Tehran’s Hotel Espinas
Palace.
The delegation visited various departments in the government of
Iran, including Food and Drug Organization, Government Trading Corporation and
Trade Promotion Organization. Meetings were also held with Iran Chamber of
Commerce and Rice Importers Association.
According to the Indian paper, the deliberations helped dispel
the negative image in Iran about possible health risks associated with the
consumption of Indian rice.
The paper also claims the government of Iran may soon permit
resumption of rice imports from India.
The Iranian government has recently amended tariffs for
importing rice by reducing it from the previous 40% to 26%. It was announced on
January 21 that the rate would stand at 5% following a series of tariff cuts on
a list of agro-food products.
There is an all-out ban on rice imports during harvest seasons
in Iran. This year the measure was in place from July 21 to November 21.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Iranians consume more
than 3 million tons of rice every year, of which almost 2.2 million tons are
supplied by domestic farmers.
“This [domestic supply] does not suffice demand. We need
imports, but imports that are limited and controlled,” Agriculture Minister
Mahmoud Hojjati said in November
https://financialtribune.com/articles/economy-domestic-economy/58880/indian-delegation-seeks-rice-deals-in-iran
New Delhi Says Iran May Resume Imports of Indian Rice Soon
News ID: 1318920 Service:
Economy
February, 05, 2017 - 15:37
TEHRAN (Tasnim)
– India’s Commerce and Industry Ministry said Iran is expected to resume imports
of the South Asian country’s rice in the near future.
“Government of Iran may soon issue the notification about the
resumption of issuance of permits for import of rice,” the ministry said in a
statement on Saturday, according to the Economic Times.
It came after a 20-member strong trade delegation visited Iran
on January 28-30 to promote India's exports of rice since Iran is one of
the largest importers of the country's rice.“The deliberations helped to dispel
the negative publicity which appeared in some part of Iran media causing doubts
about the health and safety of rice from India,” the ministry added.Iran has
been one of the largest importers of Indian basmati rice in recent years. But
in 2015-16, basmati rice exports from India to Iran almost halved to $571
million from $1.1 billion in the previous financial year.
In the first half of this fiscal year, basmati rice exports from
India to Iran amounted to $356 million.Both India and Pakistan have claimed
geographical indication on aromatic long-grained basmati rice, saying the
variety is unique to the respective countries. Uruguay is another rice exporter
to Iran.
R1355/P42410/S1193/CT45
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/02/05/1318920/new-delhi-says-iran-may-resume-imports-of-indian-rice-soon
Nigeria: Rice Farmers in South-South Strategises to Boost Production
Rice farmers.
Rice farmers in the South-South
geo-political zone of the country say they are determined to boost rice
production with a view to ensuring food security in the zone.Mr Sylva Ejezie,
Chairman, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) Delta chapter, stated this in an interview with the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Asaba on Sunday.Ejezie told NAN that members of the
association from Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States
met in Asaba to strategise on how to achieve their aim.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201702050019.html
Jigawa produces 1.5 million metric tonnes of
rice this year
By
Aliyu M. Hamagam, Dutse | Publish Date: Feb 5 2017 3:32PM
Jigawa state is expecting a bumper harvest of
1.5 million metric tonnes of rice in this year's farming season.Governor
Mohammadu Badaru Abubakar made this known at the weekend, shortly after
inspecting some wheat farms in Auyo Local government area.He explained that
last year on general average, rice farmers in the state realized about 4.5
metric tonnes per hectre while those in engaged in government supported cluster
farming scheme got seven metric tonnes per hecter.
On
wheat production, Badaru said the state was expected to have a yield of 125,000
metric tonnes in this farming season on the average of three tonnes per hecter.He
pinpointed that in order to provide a ready made market for the farmers, his
government had commenced discussion with the Flour Mill Association of Nigeria
being a major off taker of wheat in the country.
According
to him, the feat recorded in the production of the two cereals was not unconnected
to the training given to the farmers by government on the best agronomy
practice.The improvement in farmers productivity had created a window for
competativeness since high yield would be recorded after spending little on
production, he said."We expect to have 1.5 million metric tonnes of rice
at the end of this year's both dry and raining farming seasons. We also hope
produce 125,000 metric tonnes of wheat in this year's dry season farming.
http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/jigawa-produces-1-5-million-metric-tonnes-of-rice-this-year/184019.html
DAE expects
over 0.6m tonnes of paddy output
Our Correspondent
BOGRA, Feb 05: The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE)
is expecting over 0.6 million tonnes of Boro paddy production from the
adjoining areas of Chalan Beel this season if the weather condition remains
favourable till May.DAE sources said several thousands of poor and marginal
farmers of eight upazilas have brought over 10,5000 hectares of land under Boro
cultivation.
A total of 22,155 hectares of land in Raigonj upazila, 22750
hectares in Tareash, 29,330 hectares in Ullapara upazila, 22,050 hectares in
Shazadpur, 41,60 hectares in Gurudaspur, 9,850 hectares in Shingra upazila,
9,815 hectares in Chatmohor and 7025 hectares of land in Bangua upazila have
been brought under Boro cultivation this season.Some farmers told the
correspondent that the production cost of paddy is comparatively low in the
region as the soil of the basin areas is fertile. "We get a bumper yield
every year. We do not need to use fertilisers on our croplands", they
added.
Abul Hossain, a farmer of Raigonj upazila, said, "We start
Boro cultivation from the beginning of January and harvest the crops in mid of
May. As the region is comparatively low lying, the growers try to harvest the
crops before the monsoon."
"I have cultivated Boro in five bighas of land spending Tk
5,000 and expect 100 maunds of output", said Sobhan Ali, a farmer of
Ullapara upazila in Sirajganj.Agriculture officer of Tarash upazila Saiful
Islam said Boro growers of the area will get a good yield as the weather
condition is quite favourable till now.
emdadul2015@gmail.com
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2017/02/05/61053/DAE-expects-over-0.6m-tonnes-of-paddy-output
China scientists develop diseases
and insects resistant rice
Xinhua, February 5, 2017
A new rice variety, developed with
genome-wide breeding chip technology, will be grown in northeast China's
Helongjiang Province, China National Seed Group announced Saturday.
The new variety is expected to be
the first disease and insect resistant, and high-yield rice in the country, the
company said at the signing ceremony with Rongzhong Capital Investment Group in
Wuhan city, central China's Hubei Province.
"The use of pesticides and
chemical fertilizers have caused environmental and food safety problems,"
said Zhang Qifa with Chinese Academy of Sciences. "But the genome-wide
chip helps develop a new variety to cope with the problem."In May 2012,
scientists from China National Seed Group, Peking University and Huazhong
Agricultural University selected more than 40,000 useful gene markers in
countless gene data and developed the first genome-wide breeding chip in the
world.
"It helped to improve the
diseases and insects resistance of the current rice variety," said Zhou
Fasong, leading scientist at China National Seed Group. "We have been
identifying the genes in the past five years, and recently finally developed
the new breed."The new rice variety will be cultivated in Heilongjing
Province in April
http://china.org.cn/china/2017-02/05/content_40224447.htm
Food for Thought: U.S. Rice Meets Foodservice Trends on
Campus
By Katie Maher
First in a three-part
series
ARLINGTON,
VA -- College students aren't just hungry for knowledge, they're also just
hungry according to Datassential, a foodservice research firm, that reports
College & University (C&U) operators spent $7.2 billion on purchases
from distributors and made sales of $17.9 billion in 2016. This upward
trend is expected to continue into 2017 and to help U.S. rice capitalize on the
potential opportunity in this market, USA Rice is targeting C&U foodservice
providers through a new e-newsletter campaign.
"The C&U segment serves a good amount of rice, but we're asking them to serve even more," said John Hasbrook, USA Rice Foodservice Subcommittee Chairman. "Since global cuisines are so popular on campuses, we're showcasing rice's supreme versatility; and the low cost of rice as an ingredient helps providers. Students also have great interest in the story of their food and U.S. rice's story of locally and sustainably grown will surely resonate with them."
The first issue of the e-newsletter was distributed last week to 5,400 C&U foodservice operators and focuses on how U.S. rice can help C&U operators meet the demands of today's students for locally-sourced and sustainable foods. It also includes a "Meet the Farmer" section featuring California's Nicole Van Vleck and highlights the conservation aspects of rice farming. "We know nearly half the people that opened the email were interested in the locally-grown and sustainability messages because they clicked-thru to view more information on our website," said Hasbrook.
"This activity positions USA Rice as a valuable resource and partner for the C&U segment," added Hasbrook. "We're giving them everything from rice menu concepts to ideas and tools to promote U.S. rice to students in college dining halls - we want to help them take advantage of current food trends that go perfectly with U.S. rice."The C&U e-newsletter will be sent quarterly and future topics include plant-forward dining and innovative breakfast options.
"The C&U segment serves a good amount of rice, but we're asking them to serve even more," said John Hasbrook, USA Rice Foodservice Subcommittee Chairman. "Since global cuisines are so popular on campuses, we're showcasing rice's supreme versatility; and the low cost of rice as an ingredient helps providers. Students also have great interest in the story of their food and U.S. rice's story of locally and sustainably grown will surely resonate with them."
The first issue of the e-newsletter was distributed last week to 5,400 C&U foodservice operators and focuses on how U.S. rice can help C&U operators meet the demands of today's students for locally-sourced and sustainable foods. It also includes a "Meet the Farmer" section featuring California's Nicole Van Vleck and highlights the conservation aspects of rice farming. "We know nearly half the people that opened the email were interested in the locally-grown and sustainability messages because they clicked-thru to view more information on our website," said Hasbrook.
"This activity positions USA Rice as a valuable resource and partner for the C&U segment," added Hasbrook. "We're giving them everything from rice menu concepts to ideas and tools to promote U.S. rice to students in college dining halls - we want to help them take advantage of current food trends that go perfectly with U.S. rice."The C&U e-newsletter will be sent quarterly and future topics include plant-forward dining and innovative breakfast options.
USA
RICE
Higher prices may lift
basmati exports to last year’s levels
BENGALURU, FEBRUARY 6:
The recent uptrend in basmati
prices on expectations that Iran would resume rice imports may help India
sustain export earnings from the long-grain aromatic cereal for the current
financial year at last year’s levels.
Basmati shipments in the current
financial year, so far, have been sluggish due to the curbs on rice imports
imposed by Iran, a large buyer.
“There is a pick-up in price and
also volumes. We may be able to catch up with last year’s levels in value
terms,” said AK Gupta, Director, Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF),
under the Agricultural & Processed Foods Export Development Authority
(Apeda).
Overall volumes were likely to be
marginally lower than last year. “We may see a drop of about 1 lakh tonnes, 2-3
per cent lower than last year’s 40 lakh tonnes,” Gupta told BusinessLine. Basmati prices in the
international market have risen by around $100 per tonne to $800 in the recent
past. The price rise will help in reviving exports, he added.
Though Iran has announced its
intent to open up its market for the overseas rice, it is not clear as to when
the country will start issuing permits. Iran has a temporary ban on rice
imports mainly from end-July to early January next year in order to protect
domestic paddy growers. Recently, a trade delegation led by the Apeda Chairman
visited Iran to promote Indian rice exports.
Rice exporters are also hopeful
of a rebound. “We may be able to achieve more or less the same as last year,”
said Rajen Sundaresan, Executive Director of the All India Rice Exporters
Association.
After touching a record $4.88
billion or ₹29,299 crore in 2013-14, India’s basmati export earnings were on
a downtrend over the past three years on a decline in prices and lower
purchases by Iran, a large buyer. To supplement domestic production of about 2
million tonnes, Iran imports about 1 million tonnes of rice every year out of
which about 7 lakh tonnes (lt) is exported from India.
Purchases by Iran have been on a
steady decline in the past three years. From an all-time high of 14.40 lt in
2013-14, exports to Iran dropped to 9.36 lt in 2014-15 and came down further to
6.95 lt in 2015-16.Shipments to the UAE have grown from 1.48 lt in 2013-14 to
2.79 lt in 2014-15, rising sharply to 6.12 lt in 2015-16. Exports to Iraq have
also doubled to around 4.18 lt in 2015-16 from 2013-14.
(This article was published on February 6, 2017
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/higher-rise-in-prices-may-lift-basmati-exports-to-last-years-levels/article9524929.ece
Government rushing to
amend law allowing QR on rice
FEBRUARY 6, 2017
The government is racing against
time to come up with a new law that will replace rice-import quotas with
tariffs by June 30, according to an official of the National Economic and
Development Authority (Neda).Neda Assistant Secretary Mercedita A. Sombilla
also said the government is considering all possible alternatives as the expiry
of the quantitative restriction (QR) on rice extended by the World Trade
Organization (WTO) nears.
Sombilla said a bill to amend
Republic Act (RA) 8178 has already been drafted, but it has yet to reach
Congress, as it will be subjected to consultations.“Definitely, we may not be
able to amend RA 8178 before June 30. We still have to consult a lot of
agencies with regard to that because there are sensitivities about the matter,”
she told reporters in an interview on Monday.Sombilla said the government is
looking at other options to fulfill the country’s obligations to the WTO while
the amendment of RA 8178 is ongoing.
“There are measures that we are
actually discussing with agencies on how best we would tackle this issue,” she
said.“We have to talk about alternative measures. It’s not acceptable that the
traders and stakeholders are left hanging,” Sombilla added.Philippine Institute
for Development Studies senior research fellow Roehlano Briones, however,
warned that the Philippines could be involved in legal disputes if it fails to
lift the QR on rice.
“There would be implications if
RA 8178 will not be amended. Other WTO members could insist on their right to
export [more] rice to the Philippines,” Briones told the BusinessMirror.“The
government can say we still have the QR [due to the continued existence of RA
8178], but WTO members could say it’s not our fault. So we could be subjected
to legal disputes the longer we maintain the inconsistencies between domestic
laws and international treaties,”
he added.Briones said Congress could consider filing a “simple amendment” and to assign an equivalent tariff for the rice import caps. “Basically, the amendment repeals the provision for the QR and sets the equivalent tariff based on the WTO rules.”Upon its accession to the WTO in 1995, the Philippines was allowed to enjoy the rice QR for 10 years. Manila was able to secure an extension when it lapsed in 2004.
he added.Briones said Congress could consider filing a “simple amendment” and to assign an equivalent tariff for the rice import caps. “Basically, the amendment repeals the provision for the QR and sets the equivalent tariff based on the WTO rules.”Upon its accession to the WTO in 1995, the Philippines was allowed to enjoy the rice QR for 10 years. Manila was able to secure an extension when it lapsed in 2004.
After it lapsed in 2012, Manila
again negotiated for an extension. In 2014 the WTO gave its go signal to the
Philippines to implement the QR up to June 30 next year.According to the WTO
General Council Ruling in July 2014, the Philippines should subject rice
imports to ordinary customs duties right after the QR-waiver extension expires
on June 30.
To do this, Congress needs to
amend RA 8178, which allowed the Philippines to retain the nontariff barrier on
rice, according to Agriculture Undersecretary Segfredo R. Serrano.“What I’m
telling the economic managers is that even if the WTO waiver expires, the
department is duty bound to implement the provisions of RA 8178 because it has
no expiry date,” Serrano said.
Earlier, an official of the
Neda told the BusinessMirror that the agency would recommend to the
President a tariff ranging from 40 percent to 50 percent once the country
converts the rice-import quota into tariffs.
Under the QR scheme, rice imports within the minimum access
volume (MAV) of 805,200 metric tons per year are slapped with a lower
tariff of 35 percent, while imports in excess of the MAV are slapped a higher
tariff of 50 percent.
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/government-rushing-to-amend-law-allowing-qr-on-rice/
Meat processors to
feel pinch of lifting of rice QR
FEBRUARY 6, 2017
File
photo of meat imports from various sources
The impending removal of import
quotas for rice traded under the World Trade Organization (WTO) would increase
the production cost of processed-meat manufacturers, triggering price spikes
down to the level of retailers, according to the Philippine Association of Meat
Processors Inc. (Pampi).
Pampi Executive Director
Francisco J. Buencamino said the lifting of the quantitative restriction (QR)
on rice on July 1 would make mechanically deboned meat (MDM)—the raw material
used in making processed-meat products—more expensive. Buencamino said this
could cause the price of some of their processed- meat products to go up by at
least 12 percent in the second half of the year.
“We are bothered by the raw-
material concern, because in July, when the rice QR is lifted, the preferential
tariff rate of MDM will go up,” he told the BusinessMirror on the sidelines of a signing ceremony
between some Pampi members and Aboitiz Power Corp. held recently in Bonifacio
Global City.
“If government reverts MDM tariff
back to 40 percent, that will move prices up by 12 percent to 17 percent. We
are talking about the price of processed-meat products from the supplier to the
outlets. Therefore, the suggested retail price of processed-meat products could
even be higher,” Buencamino added.The Philippines’s rice quota waiver to the
World Trade Organization is set to expire on June 30. As part of its concession
for the second extension of its rice quota in 2012, the Philippines lowered its
tariff on MDM to 5 percent, from 40 percent, for the duration of the extension.
Under Executive Order (EO) 190,
signed by former President Benigno S. Aquino III, the Philippines will restore
its tariff on MDM to the original rate of 40 percent starting July 1 this year.
“The volume of MDM that we are
using, the volume we consume, is huge. So the rate from 5 percent will become
40 percent, which is stated in the EO. So we have a problem with that—on how to
handle that,” Buencamino said.Latest data from the Bureau of Animal Industry
(BAI) showed that from January to October last year, chicken MDM imports
reached 134,630 metric tons (MT), slightly higher than the 133,027 MT imported
in 2015.BAI data also showed that MDM pork purchased abroad during the 10-month
period jumped to 2,425 MT, from 703.28 MT imported in January to October 2015.
Earlier, Dr. Rolando T. Dy,
executive director of the University of Asia and the Pacific’s Center for
Food and Agri Business, told the BusinessMiror that the lifting of the QR on
rice would cause poultry meat imports to become more expensive. This would
result in an increase in the prices of processed- meat products, like hot dogs.“But
other poultry products, such as chicken-leg quarters, would not become
expensive, as these are heavily discounted [by the US],” Dy said.
In 1995 the Philippines, upon its
accession to the WTO, was allowed to implement a rice QR for 10 years. Under
the QR, rice imports within the minimum access volume of 805,200 MT were
slapped with an in-quota tariff of 35 percent, while all imports in excess of
the MAV were assessed with a higher 50-percent tariff.
In 2004 Manila applied for a
seven-year extension of the QR. In December 2006 the request was approved by
the WTO, subject to tariff concessions on certain agricultural products for
member-countries. Among those concessions was a reduction in tariffs for MDM
and mechanically separate meat of poultry.
After securing another extension
of the rice QR in 2012, Manila retained prior concessions. The government also
had to grant new concessions, which include a reduction in the tariffs for
dairy products, oil-seed meals and frozen potatoes.
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/meat-processors-to-feel-pinch-of-lifting-of-rice-qr/
‘Reminding Trump about rural America’ to be USA Rice goal
USA Rice Federation leaders to appeal to new president's
"business side" to continue opening trade with Cuba.
The flurry of activity that usually occurs with any new presidential
administration is not a big concern to farm organizations. That’s to be
expected as a new president tries to put his agenda into place in his first 100
days.What is of concern is when the new president begins to make good on items
that some considered to just be “campaign rhetoric,” including his pledge to
“tear up” the North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA.
“Obviously, we have a problem
with that,” said Betsy Ward, president and CEO of the USA Rice Federation and
a speaker at the Arkansas Rice Annual Meeting in Stuttgart. “It’s worked out
pretty well for us. Mexico is our No. 1 market. (Canada, the other NAFTA member
country, is No. 4.)”Mexico has gone from importing zero U.S. rice before the
advent of NAFTA in 1994 to more than 600,000 metric tons of U.S. rice in 2016.
U.S. rice holds an 88-percent market share in Mexico and 75 percent market
share in Canada.
“These are important markets for
us so we have to watch what happens with NAFTA,” Ms. Ward noted. “I don’t think
he’s going to tear it up, but we do need to watch what happens in any
negotiations.”
Rules of origin issue
One of the administration’s
concerns centers around NAFTA’s “rules of origin” provision, which allows
manufacturers to build parts for cars and other products in one of the member
countries and ship them duty-free into the U.S. The president has complained
that such provisions have cost the U.S. jobs.
One of the remedies suggested by
administration officials is a 35 percent tax on Ford cars made in Mexico and
sold in the U.S. Comments like those and Trump’s promise to have Mexico pay for
a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border by imposing a 20 percent tax on Mexico’s
imports to the U.S. make commodity organization executives nervous.
Mexican officials, for their
part, have indicated a willingness to revisit NAFTA provisions that they feel
disadvantaged Mexico’s farmers.The Trans-Pacific Partnership, another trade
agreement that involved the U.S and Mexico, was generally given up for dead on
election night but received its final send-off when Trump issued an executive
order formally withdrawing the U.S. from the agreement on Jan. 23.
“All of agriculture supported
TPP, except for rice. We never took a position because we had concerns about
what it meant for Southern long grain rice, frankly,” Ms. Ward said. “We don’t
know what’s going to come in its place – probably some bilateral agreements.
Mexico and Vietnam were also part of TPP so we want to watch that space as
well.
Not a priority - yet
“Our conversations with officials
in Mexico indicate such bilateral agreements are not a priority right now –
they’re more concerned about NAFTA. We think they would be more likely to
negotiate a bilateral agreement with a larger country like Japan before they
would with Vietnam.”
Cuba is a major concern for the
U.S. rice industry because it appears the new president plans to roll back some
of President Obama’s overtures aimed at normalizing relations with the Castro
government.“So we really need to get in there and understand what the
administration’s goals are on Cuba,” Ms. Ward said. “It’s not very clear right
now. It’s a potential short-term negative, but hopefully we can get in and
appeal to his business side that this is a good market for Ag and a good market
for rice.”
Ms. Ward gave the Arkansas Rice
Council and Arkansas Rice Federation members a “fun fact: 76 percent of the counties
with Cracker Barrels in them voted for Donald J. Trump while 22 percent of the
counties with Whole Foods in them voted for the new president in the 2016
elections.“I think that tells you it was rural America that got him there, and
we need to remind him of all the issues we have,” said Ms. Ward.
She also showed a video produced
by the P.F. Chang restaurant chain that featured several rice industry members,
including former USA Rice Federation Chairman
Dow Brantley and rice farmers Jennifer James and Marvin Haire and their
families.
The P.F. Chang Restaurant Group
spent more than $300,000 producing the video, which examined the roll of family
and the conservation ethic of U.S. rice farmers. The film is centered in
Arkansas, which is the largest U.S. rice-producing state.
For more on the USA Rice Federation, visit https://www.usarice.com/
http://www.deltafarmpress.com/rice/reminding-trump-about-rural-america-be-usa-rice-goal
Chinese
scientists in rice breakthrough
By Cai Wenjun | February 7, 2017, Tuesday
LOCAL scientists said yesterday
they had identified a plant gene which can help fight rice blast — a major
global disease that savages crops — and reduce the use of harmful pesticides.Rice
blast is a fungus and a major scourge in China and worldwide. It can halve
grain production. Scientists estimate it destroys global crops by enough rice
to feed 85 million people annually.
“Experts estimate that rice blast
causes the loss of 3 million tons of rice in China every year,” said He Zuhua,
chief scientist of the research team from the Shanghai Institute of Plant
Physiology and Ecology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.“Although some areas
can control the disease, the cost is the large use of pesticides.“It is a
threat to the environment and food security. So we have been looking for
disease-resistant genes. By identifying the useful gene and promoting it to
more rice products, we can not only control rice blast but also protect the
environment and public health.”
The team in 2006 identified a
gene, Pigm, which has broad-spectrum resistance.The scientists then spent a
decade to analyze the mechanism of the gene locus and found it encodes two
proteins — PigmR and PigmS.PigmR can defend disease but leads to a drop in
production, while PigmS can raise grain production but inhibits the resistance
effect of PigmR.
“The two proteins result a good
balance by controlling the disease and maintaining good production,” He said.“By
fully understanding the gene, we can guide seed companies and breeders. So far,
over 30 domestic companies and breeders have used our discovery for molecular
breeding to allow new rice varieties with better disease resistance effects but
ideal production.”The discovery was published in “Science.
New Delhi Says Iran May
Resume Imports of Indian Rice Soon
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – India’s Commerce and Industry Ministry has said Iran is expected to resume imports of the South Asian country’s rice in the near future."Government of Iran may soon issue the notification about the resumption of issuance of permits for import of rice,” the ministry said in a statement. It came after a 20-member strong trade delegation visited Iran on January 28-30 to promote India's exports of rice since Iran is one of the largest importers of the country's rice."The deliberations helped to dispel the negative publicity which appeared in some part of Iran media causing doubts about the health and safety of rice from India,” the ministry added.
Iran has been one of the largest importers of Indian basmati rice in recent years. But in 2015-16, basmati rice exports from India to Iran almost halved to $571 million from $1.1 billion in the previous financial year.In the first half of this fiscal year, basmati rice exports from India to Iran amounted to $356 million.Both India and Pakistan have claimed geographical indication on aromatic long-grained basmati rice, saying the variety is unique to the respective countries. Uruguay is another rice exporter to Iran.
MILo’s making Murray history
by ZOE MCMAUGH
FEBRUARY 07, 2017
MILo, an Australasian Bittern, was tagged on
Paul and Shelley Scoullar's Mayrung property on January 31. Photo courtesy
Bitterns in Rice coordinator Matt Herring.
Ecologists have tagged the first
Australasian Bittern in the Murray Valley production region as part of the
Bitterns in Rice research project.The young male bittern was discovered in a
rice crop at Mayrung on Tuesday, January 31.
Fondly named ‘MILo’ by Murray Irrigation,
which sponsors the project, the bittern has since been tagged with a
transmitter to help uncover the network of wetlands that the population depends
on during the colder months after harvest.
The Mayrung property, ‘Willum Park’, is
owned by Paul and Shelley Scoullar.Fittingly, Shelley’s father John Hand
photographed bitterns in his rice crop back in 2009. He was one of the first to
do so in the Murray Valley.Mr Hand sent his photo to Birdlife Australia seeking
information about the then cryptic bird. It was this communication that
inspired the formation of the Bitterns in Rice Project.
‘‘I’m just so thrilled,’’ Mrs Scoullar said.‘‘Dad
took the photograph that triggered this project, and now the first bittern
tagged in the Murray Valley was captured on our property.‘‘Plus, with Murray
Irrigation being sponsors of the tracking program, and me being a passionate
customer of Murray Irrigation, it’s all just aligned perfectly.’’
The globally endangered Australasian Bittern
is the centre of an innovative collaboration between the Ricegrowers’
Association of Australia, Murray Irrigation and many other organisations.Deniliquin-based
RGA environmental projects manager Neil Bull said the project was formed to
better understand the behaviour of these unique and endangered birds.
‘‘Without the support of organisations like
Murray Irrigation, it wouldn’t have been possible to launch Bitterns in Rice,
which is focused on displaying how farming systems and environmental outcomes
are not mutually exclusive,’’ he said.‘‘The project improves awareness of how
food production and wildlife conservation can work together.’’
The Australasian Bittern is an endangered
species with numbers thought to be less than 2,500 birds remaining in the wild.Bitterns
have found a unique home in the NSW Riverina, finding rice to be the perfect
vegetated wetland for roosting and breeding.Murray Irrigation CEO Michael Renehan
said the company is happy to be able to support an innovative project like
Bitterns in Rice.
‘‘Many of our customers are rice growers and
this project reinforces the habitat values of rice growing,’’ he said.
“We look forward to staying in touch with
MILo and continuing to support the project in the future.”More information on
the Bitterns in Rice project, including updates on tracking, can be at
www.bitternsinrice.com.au
http://www.riverineherald.com.au/regional/2017/02/07/72752/milos-making-murray-history
Iran may soon issue notification to resume
Basmati rice import
By Kirtika
Suneja, ET Bureau | Updated: Feb 04, 2017, 06.43 PM IST
Iran
has been one of the largest importers of Indian basmati rice in recent years.
Budget
2017:
NEW DELHI: Iran
may soon issue notification to resume Basmati rice imports from India after a 20 member trade
delegation visited the country last month. “Government of Iran may soon issue
the notification about resumption of issuance of permits for import of rice,”
commerce and industry ministry said in a release. The delegation met various
departments in the Iranian government including Food and Drug Organisation,
Governmental Trading Corporation and Trade Promotion Organisation. Meetings
were also held with Iran
Chamber of Commerce and Rice Importers Association. “The deliberations helped to dispel the negative publicity which appeared in some part of Iran media causing doubts about the health and safety of rice from India,” the ministry said. To supplement domestic production of about 2 million MT, Iran imports about 1 million MT of rice every year out of which about 7 lakh MT is exported from India. Iran has been one of the largest importers of Indian basmati rice in recent years. In 2015-16, however, basmati rice exports from India to Iran almost halved to $571 million from $1.1 billion in the previous financial year. In the first half of this fiscal, basmati rice exports from India to Iran amounted to $356 million.
