News Headlines...
ü
PAKISTAN SENDS 10000 METRIC
TON RICE TO DROUGHT-HIT SRI LANKA
ü
Complete religious freedom
in Pakistan, US told
ü
Rice prices rise in India,
Thailand on stronger currencies
ü
Basmati rice exports may
grow to Rs 22,000-22,500 cr in FY18: ICRA
ü
Rice basmati strengthens on
rising demand
ü
Rice import plan on hold
ü
Vietnam's Q1 rice exports
down but Chinese appetite set to grow
ü
Proposed tariff on rice
imports seen as safety net for farmers
ü
Dining Out: Basmati of
Annapolis provides elegant, leisurely dining
ü
Indonesia to export rice to
Malaysia
ü
UK Makes Brexit Official;
What are Implications for U.S. Rice?
ü
IRRI and FAO step up joint
efforts to globally bolster sustainable rice production
ü
Sustainable rice production
key to food security
ü
U N agriculture agency
takes step to help rice farmers bolster production
ü
IRRI and FAO step up joint
efforts to globally bolster sustainable rice production
ü
U.S. rice deliveries to
Mexico surging
ü
PHILIPPINE FARM MINISTER
SAYS LIKELY NO NEED TO IMPORT 250,000 T OF RICE
ü
Philippines may reconsider
250,000-MT rice import plan
ü
Indonesia to export rice to
Malaysia
ü
Vietnam’s Q1 rice exports
down but Chinese appetite set to grow
ü
Basmati rice exports may
grow to Rs 22,000-22,500 crore in FY18: Report
ü
Rice stocks trade higher:
Kohinoor Foods, KRBL, Chaman Lal surge
News Detail...
PAKISTAN SENDS 10
,000 METRIC TON RICE TO DROUGHT-HIT SRI LANKA
Foreign Office
Spokesperson says Pakistan will continue to provide all possible support to the
drought-hit people of Sri Lanka.
File Photo
05:38 PM, 30 Mar, 2017
The shipment of ten thousand metric ton rice to Sri Lanka in the
wake of severe drought in that country started on Thursday.
The first shipment of rice sent today will reach Sri Lanka on
Monday.
Earlier, twenty-five metric ton of rice was dispatched to Colombo
on 8th of last month as immediate short term assistance.
Foreign Office spokesperson, in a statement, said the government
and people of Pakistan stand shoulder to shoulder with the brotherly people of
Sri Lanka in this hour of need and will continue to provide all possible
support to them.
Complete religious freedom in Pakistan, US told
March 31, 2017
Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD - Special Assistant to the Prime
Minister on ForeignAffairs Syed Tariq Fatemi said on Thursday that there was a complete
religious freedom in Pakistan.
In a meeting with Knox Thames,
the US
Department of State’s SpecialAdviser on Religious
Minorities in the Near East and South and Central Asia, Fatemi said steps were taken by the government
to ensure a more inclusive and progressive Pakistan.
He said that while the world was facing
increasing xenophobia and hostility towards minorities, the policies of the
government and it's across the board support has clearly shown that the nation
has rejected the politics of hate and divisiveness.
Fatemi said Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Holi message to the
members of the Hindu community, address to religious scholars at Jamia Naeemia and his
message on the occasion of Christmas, all serve to highlight the government’s
unflinching resolve to fully protect the rights of the minorities, as
guaranteed under the constitution of Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Pakistan on Thursday dispatched 10,000 MT rice to Sri Lanka
in line with the prime
minister’s directive to provide all necessary assistance in the wake
of severe drought in that country.
“The procedure for the dispatch of
10,000 MT rice to Sri Lanka through containerized shipments, has been
initiated. The first shipment out of 10,000 MT rice from Pakistan (sent on March 30) will reach Sri Lanka
on April 3.
Earlier, 25 MT rice have already been
dispatched to Colombo, on February 8 through PAF aircraft, as immediate
short-term assistance,” said a foreign ministry statement.
http://nation.com.pk/national/31-Mar-2017/complete-religious-freedom-in-pakistan-us-told
Rice prices rise in India, Thailand on stronger currencies
March 30, 2017 Last Updated
at 15:04 IST
Asia
Rice - India down as overseas demand wanes; Vietnam up on thin supplyRise
prices rise in India, Thailand on stronger currenciesRice
prices in India up as demand revives; Thai, Vietnam markets quietRice
prices fall in India on ample supply, weaker rupee; Thailand, Vietnam dullAsia
gold demand rises on price drop; discounts in India at multi-month low
By Mai Nguyen, Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Rajendra
Jadhav
HANOI/BANGKOK/MUMBAI (Reuters) - Rice prices firmed in
Thailand and India on stronger local currencies, while prices weakened in
Vietnam as the country entered its peak harvest season, traders said on
Thursday.
India's 5 percent broken parboiled rice prices rose by
$2 per tonne to $373 to $378 a tonne this week, as gains in the rupee led
exporters to raise prices. The rupee was near its highest level in about 18 months.
"In dollar terms we have raised prices due to a
rising rupee. Our realisation in rupee terms is still down compared with last
month," said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra
Pradesh.
India, the world's biggest rice exporter, mainly
exports non-basmati rice to African countries and premier basmati rice to the
Middle East. Its rice production is likely to rise by 4.3 percent to a record
high 108.86 million tonnes in 2016/17.
"African buyers are making inquiries but still
demand is weak," said another exporter based at Kakinada.
In Thailand, the world's second largest rice exporter,
prices of the benchmark 5-percent broken rice rose to $350-$365 a tonne
free-on-board (FOB) Bangkok from $350-$362 last week, as the baht appreciated
against the U.S. dollar, but demand has been lacklustre.
"The baht keeps strengthening, but actual rice
prices haven't moved up that much," said a Bangkok-based trader.
The U.S. dollar/Thai baht FX spot rate was at 34.49 as
of 0615 GMT on Thursday, compared with the closing figure of 34.58 a week
earlier, Thomson Reuters data showed.
The Thai government held a state auction last week to
offload spoiled rice for industrial use, but results have yet to be announced.
"Thai rice market has been quiet for the past
three months. Nothing spectacular, just regular orders," said an exporter
in Bangkok.
Vietnam, the world's third largest rice exporter, has
entered its main harvest season since late March, pushing down prices of the 5
percent broken rice to $348-$350 a tonne FOB Saigon from $350-$355 last week,
traders said."Prices are down because of the harvest season but we still
can't sell due to competitive Thai prices... Most of the shipments now are
still for China," said a Ho Chi Minh City-based trader.Vietnam's rice
exports are expected to fall 23.9 percent annually to 1.19 million tonnes in
the first quarter, after its shipments of the grain dropped 26.5 percent in
2016 due to lower production caused by climate changes, the government said.
Traders said the market was eyeing potential deals from
the Philippine government, one of Vietnam's biggest rice importers, but the
Philippines' farm minister said there might be no urgent need for a
250,000-tonne rice import plan.
(Reporting by Mai Nguyen in Hanoi, Patpicha
Tanakasempipat in Bangkok and Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai; Editing by Subhranshu
Sahu)
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is
auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)http://www.business-standard.com/article/reuters/rice-prices-rise-in-india-thailand-on-stronger-currencies-117033000621_1.html
Basmati
rice exports may grow to Rs 22,000-22,500 cr in FY18: ICRA
"In
FY18, the value of exports is likely to grow to Rs 22,000–22,500 crore, with
export volumes growing to around 4.09 million tonne and supported by an
increase in average realisations," Jotwani added.
Basmati rice exports is likely to
grow to Rs 22,000–22,500 crore and volume to around 4.09 million tonne mainly
supported by an increase in average realisations, rating agency ICRA said in a
report today.
"We expect the export
volumes in FY17 to be around 4 million tonne (almost similar to the volumes in
FY2016). However, muted average realisations are expected to keep the value of
these exports to under Rs 21,000 crore, against Rs 22,718 crore in FY16,"
said ICRA Assistant Vice President Deepak Jotwani.
"In FY18, the value of
exports is likely to grow to Rs 22,000–22,500 crore, with export volumes
growing to around 4.09 million tonne and supported by an increase in average
realisations," Jotwani added.
This is likely to push up Basmati
rice prices in the next fiscal, he said.
Resumption of imports by Iran
will be keenly watched by the industry as it has the potential to provide an
impetus to exports, he added.
"Going forward, the coming
financial year is expected to witness better revenue growth supported by a rise
in average realisations, as paddy prices firm up during the current procurement
season. Moreover, resumption of imports by Iran will also be crucial for
driving industry growth in the next fiscal," Jotwani said.
The basmati rice industry
witnessed moderation over the last few years on the back of subdued
international demand, partly attributable to the delay in resumption of imports
by Iran.
However, 2016-17 has seen some
stabilisation in demand, ICRA said, adding after peaking at Rs 29,300 crore in
FY14, the value of basmati rice exports went on a downward trajectory.
While volumes saw some growth
over the last few years, the decline in value is primarily owing to continued
pressure on average realisations (declined from a high of Rs 77,988 per tonne
in FY14 to Rs 56,149 per tonne in FY16) in the light of moderation in demand in
the global market, ICRA said.
Nevertheless, the export volumes
in the current fiscal have largely been in line with last year, being supported
by the increasing domestic demand for basmati rice, the report added.
It said, the industry has
registered milling gains on paddy procured at a fairly low rate in the last
procurement season and favourable foreign exchange rate movement.
For the next fiscal, the industry
is expected to benefit from the rising paddy prices, ICRA said.
After declining considerably during
the procurement season in FY16, basmati paddy prices have firmed up by 20-25
per cent across various varieties, primarily due to the relatively lower
production, in the recent procurement season - October to December 2016, the
agency noted.
http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/economy/basmati-rice-exports-may-grow-to-rs-22000-22500-cr-in-fy18-icra-2249507.html
Rice
basmati strengthens on rising demand
Basmati rice
(Lal Quila) Rs 10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati Rice Rs 9,700,
Basmati common new Rs 8,300-8,400, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 6,700-8,000, Permal raw
Rs 2,300-2,350, Permal wand Rs 2,450-2,500, Sela Rs 3,100-3,200 and Rice IR-8
Rs 2,050-2,100, Bajra Rs 1,420-1,430, Jowar yellow Rs 1650-1700, white Rs
3,350-3,550, Maize Rs 1,500-1,510, Barley Rs 1,500-1,520
New Delhi, Mar 30 Rice basmati prices rose by Rs
200 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today on the back of rising
demand.
However, maize eased on reduced
offtake by consuming industries.
Traders said rising demand from
retailers against restricted supplies from producing regions, mainly kept rice
basmati prices higher.
In the national capital, rice basmati
common and Pusa-1121 variety advanced by Rs 200 each to Rs 8,300-8,400 and Rs
6,700-8,000 per quintal, respectively.
On the other hand, maize drifted
lower by Rs 15 to Rs 1,500-1,510 per quintal.
Following are today's quotations
(in Rs per quintal):
Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,300-2,600,
Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,800-1,810, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,850-1,880,
Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 240, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 240, Roller flour mill Rs
990-1,000 (50 kg), Maida Rs 1,090-1,100 (50 kg) and Sooji Rs
1,220-1,225 (50 kg).
Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs
10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati Rice Rs 9,700, Basmati common
new Rs 8,300-8,400, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 6,700-8,000, Permal raw Rs 2,300-2,350,
Permal wand Rs 2,450-2,500, Sela Rs 3,100-3,200 and Rice IR-8 Rs 2,050-2,100,
Bajra Rs 1,420-1,430, Jowar yellow Rs 1650-1700, white Rs 3,350-3,550, Maize Rs
1,500-1,510, Barley Rs 1,500-1,520.
http://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/rice-basmati-strengthens-on-rising-demand/1017834
Rice
import plan on hold
March 31, 2017
Despite the National Food Authority’s (NFA) assertion
the country needs to immediately import 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice,
the Department of Agriculture (DA) believes otherwise.
Emmanuel Piñol, DA secretary, is putting this plan on hold and said the importation “may have to be reviewed and validated as the DA ...expects a bumper rice harvest this planting season.”
“So far, there was no reported infestation and this season’s crops have not been affected by inclement weather,” Piñol said.
The Philippines is one of the world’s biggest rice buyers, importing its requirements mainly from neighbors Thailand and Vietnam, the world’s number two and three rice exporters after India.
The NFA had proposed to fast track the importation of the 250,000 MT of rice out of the 500,000 MT rice imports approved for 2016 so the grains would arrive by end-April to boost thinning stocks ahead of the lean domestic harvest season beginning July.
The agency had cited the need to replenish rice inventory through a government-negotiated importation to ensure it can effectively respond to the needs of emergency or calamity victims in the coming lean months and allow it to preposition the stocks strategically.
NFA likewise wanted to boost stocks to prevent price manipulation, hoarding and speculation by private traders.
The final say, however, is with the NFA Council, the government panel that approves rice importation. The council is chaired by Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco.
In an earlier interview, NFA administrator Jason Aquino, said the Philippines cannot afford to procrastinate “when our people’s most basic food is at stake.”
Aquino said the only way NFA can fill the deficit in its rice buffer stock requirement is through importation and any delay “in getting the 250,000 MT into our government warehouses may lead to disastrous consequences.”
He said while farmers are currently harvesting their summer crop, the NFA cannot compete with the private traders who are buying higher than the government support price of P17 per kilogram (kg.), even with additional incentives amounting to P0.70 to P1.00 per kg.
The agency said based on its monitoring, traders in most areas across the country are buying palay at P18 to P20 per kg. Aquino said the NFA also needs to beef up its stock inventory to prevent any nefarious business activities such as price manipulation, hoarding and price speculation as the agency is also mandated to stabilize the price and supply of rice.
“Although we have enough procurement funds to buy local harvest, our farmers would be better off selling to private traders at higher prices. Thus, we cannot possibly build up our mandated 30-day food security buffer stock before the lean months via local procurement alone,” Aquino had said.
The Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council said the NFA, as food security watchdog of government, should maintain a rice buffer stock good to last for 15 days at any given time and for 30 days at the onset of the lean months from July to September, based on the daily consumption requirement of 32,150 MT or 643,000 bags. (Jed Macapagal with Reuters)
Emmanuel Piñol, DA secretary, is putting this plan on hold and said the importation “may have to be reviewed and validated as the DA ...expects a bumper rice harvest this planting season.”
“So far, there was no reported infestation and this season’s crops have not been affected by inclement weather,” Piñol said.
The Philippines is one of the world’s biggest rice buyers, importing its requirements mainly from neighbors Thailand and Vietnam, the world’s number two and three rice exporters after India.
The NFA had proposed to fast track the importation of the 250,000 MT of rice out of the 500,000 MT rice imports approved for 2016 so the grains would arrive by end-April to boost thinning stocks ahead of the lean domestic harvest season beginning July.
The agency had cited the need to replenish rice inventory through a government-negotiated importation to ensure it can effectively respond to the needs of emergency or calamity victims in the coming lean months and allow it to preposition the stocks strategically.
NFA likewise wanted to boost stocks to prevent price manipulation, hoarding and speculation by private traders.
The final say, however, is with the NFA Council, the government panel that approves rice importation. The council is chaired by Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco.
In an earlier interview, NFA administrator Jason Aquino, said the Philippines cannot afford to procrastinate “when our people’s most basic food is at stake.”
Aquino said the only way NFA can fill the deficit in its rice buffer stock requirement is through importation and any delay “in getting the 250,000 MT into our government warehouses may lead to disastrous consequences.”
He said while farmers are currently harvesting their summer crop, the NFA cannot compete with the private traders who are buying higher than the government support price of P17 per kilogram (kg.), even with additional incentives amounting to P0.70 to P1.00 per kg.
The agency said based on its monitoring, traders in most areas across the country are buying palay at P18 to P20 per kg. Aquino said the NFA also needs to beef up its stock inventory to prevent any nefarious business activities such as price manipulation, hoarding and price speculation as the agency is also mandated to stabilize the price and supply of rice.
“Although we have enough procurement funds to buy local harvest, our farmers would be better off selling to private traders at higher prices. Thus, we cannot possibly build up our mandated 30-day food security buffer stock before the lean months via local procurement alone,” Aquino had said.
The Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council said the NFA, as food security watchdog of government, should maintain a rice buffer stock good to last for 15 days at any given time and for 30 days at the onset of the lean months from July to September, based on the daily consumption requirement of 32,150 MT or 643,000 bags. (Jed Macapagal with Reuters)
http://malaya.com.ph/business-news/business/rice-import-plan-hold
Vietnam's Q1 rice exports down but Chinese appetite set to grow
By Ho Binh Minh
March 30, 2017 | 03:13 pm GMT+7
Vietnam's first-quater rice exports have fallen to a two-year
low, but the outlook remains positive as China, its biggest buyer, is forecast
to import more this year. Photo by Reuters/File Photo
'China has a major impact on Vietnam's rice exports because when
China starts making inquiries, prices rise and other buyers turn away from
Vietnam.'
Vietnam's first-quarter rice exports have fallen to a
two-year low, but the outlook remains positive as shipments to China, its
biggest buyer, are forecast to grow this year, traders and industry
reports said.
"The land border gates are now officially closed
to Vietnamese rice, so export prices have dropped," a trader at a foreign
company in Ho Chi Minh City said, explaining that more fresh winter-spring
grain arriving from the Mekong Delta has contributed to the lower
prices.
China has been the biggest consumer of Vietnamese rice
since 2012, when it overtook Indonesia. Last year, Beijing and Hanoi
signed an agreement to boost the rice trade via official
channels. China has named 22 Vietnamese export firms that it deems
qualified to deal with.
This week, Vietnam's 5-percent broken rice prices fell
to $347-$350 a ton, free-on-board Saigon Port, from around $360 a ton in
late February. At $347, the price is the lowest since February 16.
Vietnamese rice is now cheaper than Thai rice of a
similar grade, which stood this week at $374 a ton, according to the Thai
Rice Exporters Association.
Exports fall
Shipments from Vietnam, the world's third-biggest rice
exporter after India and Thailand, in the January-March period dropped 24 percent
from a year ago to an estimated 1.2 million tons, a two-year low, the
government said on Wednesday.
The estimate is the lowest since the first quarter of
2015, when Vietnam shipped 1.13 million tons.
Overall weak demand is the reason for the drop, with
potential buyers, including the Philippines and Mexico, still absent,
traders said.
Earlier this month, Mexico approved for 150,000 tons of
rice to be imported at a zero percent tariff to meet domestic demand and
diversify its supply sources. Traders said the demand would cut the market share currently
held by the United States and open the door to Vietnamese rice. However,
Mexico has yet to act on the decision.
China imported 331,300 tons of Vietnamese rice from
January-February, up 41 percent from a year ago, based on data from Vietnam's
agriculture ministry. In February alone, it bought 36 percent of Vietnam's
total rice exports, more than doubling the market share it held a year ago.
China's imports
China's rice imports in the 2016/2017 market year
ending this June are forecast to rise 4 percent to 5 million tons, with
Vietnam and Thailand remaining its key suppliers, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture said in a report released on March 21.
It said China's rice imports would continue to be profitable
if import prices stay below China’s floor price of $389 a ton, while the
average CIF (cost-insurance-freight) rice price from Southeast Asia to China is
$350/ton.
"China has a major impact on Vietnam's rice
exports because when China starts making inquiries, prices rise and other
buyers turn away from Vietnam, so overall the volume does not rise
significantly," a second trader said.
He noted that more paddy is coming from the Mekong
Delta, which supplies 90 percent of Vietnam's rice exports.
Mekong Delta farmers have finished harvesting around
half of the 1.53 million hectares (3.78 million acres) planted for the
crop, the Vietnam Food Association said.
Output down
Harvesting of the crop, the biggest among the delta's
three crops a year, ends in April. Paddy output is forecast to ease to 10
million tons, down 1.3 percent from last year, which is the third drop in
a row, the agriculture ministry said, blaming unseasonal rain during the
heading stage in November-December 2016.
In the long term, Vietnam's rice acreage and output
will further fall as the country seeks to restructure its cash crops, officials
said.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc suggested
related agencies to switch from low-yield rice to medicinal plants if the
latter has higher benefits, a government statement said, as part of efforts to
boost Vietnam's pharmaceutical sector.
But the government also regards rice as essential to
national food security, a status that gives rice businesses access to credit
and adequate support.
Phuc told a conference on March 15 to look for
solutions for sustainable production in the Mekong Delta.
The premier has urged the trade ministry to strip the
food association's right to set floor prices and to allocate shipments to
key markets, factors that exporters said have been hindering overseas
sales.
The association has projected Vietnam's rice exports
this year will reach around 5 million tons.
Shipments fell to 4.8 million tons in 2016, the lowest
since 2008, due in part to thinner demand and growing regional
competition.
http://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/vietnam-s-q1-rice-exports-down-but-chinese-appetite-set-to-grow-3563072.html
Proposed
tariff on rice imports seen as safety net for farmers
(The Philippine Star) | Updated March 31, 2017 - 12:00am
Revenues from the proposed imposition of a 35 percent tariff on
rice imports upon expiration of the quantitative restriction (QR) – seen to
reach between P27 billion and P28 billion within the current administration –
is sufficient to provide for safety net measures for farmers who would be
affected by increased importation, said state-run think tank Philippine
Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). File
photo
MANILA, Philippines -
Revenues from the proposed imposition of a 35 percent tariff on rice
imports upon expiration of the quantitative restriction (QR) – seen to reach
between P27 billion and P28 billion within the current administration – is
sufficient to provide for safety net measures for farmers who would be affected
by increased importation, said state-run think tank Philippine Institute for
Development Studies (PIDS).
In its latest policy note on the
impending expiration of the special tax treatment on rice in June, PIDS said
replacing the QR with a 35 percent tariff would double annual imports from the
current 2.2 million tons to around 4.4. million tons on the average from 2017
to 2022.
Farmgate and retail prices, meanwhile,
are projected to decrease by P4.56 per kilogram and P6.97 per kilogram
respectively as a result of the unrestricted volume of importation.
PIDS said the tariff revenues would
be sufficient to cover the cost of compensatory transfers to farmers under a
post-QR regime at P17 billion to P18 billion annually until the end of the
Duterte administration.
“The remaining amount can be used
for other programs also directed to assist farmers,” said PIDS.
At a total of four million hectares
of rice cultivation areas eligible for computation in the provision of
transfers, the government can afford to pay a farmer with two hectares P19,000
annually.
The transfers are proposed to be
provided over and above the existing production support provided by pertinent
government agencies to enable them to transition to a more open trade
environment.
“The purpose of the payments is to
compensate farmers from income loss. It does not intend to displace ongoing
productivity enhancement measures nor does it aim to increase the
competitiveness of farmers.
At the most, it eases the pain of
transition to other crops and even other livelihood,” PIDS said.
The Philippines is actually
entitled to impose a higher tariff on rice imports according to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture.
PIDS said that as prescribed under
the agreement, QR measures are converted to tariffs by taking the difference of
international and domestic prices from 1986
to 1988. Following the formula, the
estimated tariff equivalent for imported rice is 38.5 percent.
Considering, however, that almost
all rice imported by the Philippines come from Vietnam and Thailand, it would
be more appropriate to use the tariff rate of 35 percent for ASEAN.
“A 35-percent tariff rate seems
appropriate as a tariff equivalent. A safety net for rice farmers can be as
much as P 20 billion annually and can be financed entirely by earmarking funds
from the tariff revenue. In short, tarif cation with safety nets will bring
down the price of rice and ease the dislocation of rice farmers,” PIDS said.
The extended QR, which would lapse
in June 2017, is meant to protect the livelihood of Filipino rice farmers while
they are strengthening their production capability. This extension was came
after two years of negotiation with the WTO and various member countries under
the Aquino administration.
Through the QR, the Philippines imposes a high tariff of 35
percent on imported rice, the volume of which has been restricted to 805, 200
metric tons (MT). Importing outside the QR is even more expensive as inbound
shipments would be levied a duty of 40 to 50 percent.To fill the supply gap,
the National Food Authority (NFA) imports rice through tenders and intervenes
in the market by selling the staple at a cheaper price.
http://www.philstar.com/business/2017/03/31/1686107/proposed-tariff-rice-imports-seen-safety-net-farmers
Dining Out: Basmati of Annapolis provides elegant, leisurely dining
A dish of Vegetable Jalfrezi at Basmati Indian
Cuisine in Annapolis. (Joshua McKerrow, staff / Capital Gazette)
Whether
you like your Indian cuisine hot - or not so hot, Basmati customizes it for
you. See the video and pho
I've decided that most of us do not spend enough time eating.
Too often, we grab something for breakfast on the run, have a quick lunch and
gobble dinner by the warming glow of a television screen. Ever notice what's on
at dinnertime? News and game shows.
That's why I like a good Indian restaurant – it slows you down.
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And, Basmati is a good Indian restaurant. Tucked in the center
of a small strip of stores on Solomons Island Road near the Annapolis Harbor
Center, the bright, warm décor and comfortable booths and tables invite
lingering.
Nothing on the menu will surprise you. If you love Indian
cuisine, all your favorites are there. If you are new to its pleasures, there
is much explore: 15 appetizers; a dozen selections from their tandoor, the
cylindrical oven used in Asian cooking; and chicken, lamb, seafood, rice and
vegetarian entrée choices that number more than 50.
Many regions and styles of cooking will leave you with a fine
sense of the diversity of the Indian palate. The flavors are complex, deep and
often spicy. It takes a bit of time to appreciate them.
With so many curries and assertive herbs and spices at work that
give the food its distinctive character, many diners are wary. But, the
restaurant's chefs and servers are quick to ask about and adjust the level of
heat.
Your meal is served as it might be at a family table. Rice in
one bowl, meat or vegetables in an aromatic sauce in another encourages
sharing. There is a rhythm to a leisurely meal and Basmati's serving team
catches it beautifully.
Our hungry quartet found a platter of four meat samosas ($13.90)
a comforting starter. The crispy pastries, filled with ground lamb and peas
subtly seasoned, emerged from the kitchen hot and with nary a trace of cooking
oil. Other appetizers feature many vegetables, kabobs and fritters, all light
and sharable.
Chicken Biryani ($16.95), Chicken Curry ($16.95) Chicken Patia
($17.95) and Shrimp Tikka Masala ($20.95) were the evening's entrees.
With its mild flavor, chicken is a perfect stage for the savory
sauces of Indian cooking. Chicken Biryani adds marinated chicken to Basmati
rice flavored with a sauce of saffron and herbs. With a little salad on the
side, it was a winning meal on a chilly night.
Curries can be powerful eating and the diner who ordered it
requested "hot."
"Are you sure?" our waiter calmly asked.
And hot he got.
My sample of his meal yielded very tender chicken bathed in a
very hot sauce that happily did not overwhelm or hide its bracing mix of herbs
and spices. Chicken Patia showed off the menu's lighthearted side with a sauce
dominated by mango and ginger. With just a hint of sweetness and the bite of
fresh ginger, it was a surprisingly smooth combination.
Salmon, shrimp, and lobster prevail among the seafood options,
but Chef Paramjig Sharma also offers a salute to the Chesapeake Bay with
crabmeat simmered in a creamy sauce featuring tomatoes and herb. The large,
very fresh shrimp in my Shrimp Tikka Masala stood their ground in the
"medium hot" sauce of butter and spices to produce a rich combination
of flavors that actually were heightened by the heat.
With sauces so central to Indian food, bread becomes something
more than a basket of carbs on the table. Naan, poori, bhatura and paratha are
baked at Basmati and, as at every Indian restaurant, are points of pride. They
come in many varieties, flavored with garlic, cheese and more and are the
perfect ways to ensure that every drop of a sauce is consumed.
Fortunately, desserts at Basmati stick with the Indian way of
light elegance. Kulfi, the traditional ice cream of pistachios, almonds and
rosewater, is a refreshing lift, as is Kheer, a comforting rice pudding. New to
the menu is a Punjabi Gajar (carrots) Halwa … a treat that will remind you of
just how sweet carrots can be.
Our dinner for four at Basmati lasted nearly two hours. There
are many restaurants where a two-hour meal would indicate slow service. For us
it was a couple of hours of relief from the fast pace of the day and the news
of the world – real and fake.
Basmati slows you down – and that's a good thing.
Basmati
WHERE: 2444 Solomons Island Road,
Annapolis
PHONE: 510-266-6355
WEBSITE: basmatiofannapolis.com
HOURS: Lunch Buffet: Monday through
Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday Noon to 3 p.m.
Dinner: Sunday through Thursday 5 to 9:30 p.m.; Friday through
Saturday 5 to 10:30 p.m.
CHEF: Paramjig Sharma
1st COURSES: $4.95 to $14.95
ENTREES: $13.95 to $32.95
CREDIT CARDS: All Major Cards
RESERVATIONS: Accepted
ACCESSIBILITY: Yes
http://www.capitalgazette.com/entertainment/ph-ac-en-dining-out-basmati-0331-20170330-story.html
Indonesia
to export rice to Malaysia
Solo, C Java (ANTARA
News) - Indonesia will export 15 to 50 thousand tons of rice to Malaysia in an
effort to meet the neighboring countrys demand and requirement for the
commodity.
"Some time ago, the agriculture minister of Malaysia had met me and expressed interest to import rice from Indonesia," Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman noted here on Thursday.
The minister made the statement after delivering a speech in the framework of the 41st anniversary of the University of Sebelas Maret based on the theme "The Role of Agriculture and Animal Resources in Support of National Food Security."
He remarked that Malaysia will still possibly increase its imports of Indonesian rice from the figures mentioned earlier.
He pointed out that Indonesia is now considered to be successful in achieving food self-sufficiency, especially after the launch of the rice cultivation program in the border regions due to which the country has not imported rice since last year.
Especially with regard to the exports to Malaysia, the rice to be shipped soon is the Raja Unca type sourced from Pontianak in West Kalimantan, he revealed.
"The bottom line is that we have been able to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production, and this has been known by several countries, including by the Food and Agriculture Organization," he stated.
In addition to exporting rice to Malaysia, Indonesia had exported rice to Papua New Guinea, which was shipped from Papua Province.
Sulaiman noted that the government will continue to make efforts to maintain self-sufficiency, so that by the year 2045, it could become the worlds breadbasket.
Involvement of academics and students in advancing agriculture in the entire region is necessary to achieve this goal, the minister remarked.
"The president had also ordered and called on academics and students to get involved," Sulaiman pointed out.
He said the rice stock now reaches 1.9 million tons and is sufficient to meet the publics need during the fasting month of Ramadan.
The stocks will continue to grow, so that the demand for rice can be met during Ramadan.
The government will continue to maintain the stability in prices and the stocks of rice and other commodities, so that their prices will not increase.(*)
"Some time ago, the agriculture minister of Malaysia had met me and expressed interest to import rice from Indonesia," Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman noted here on Thursday.
The minister made the statement after delivering a speech in the framework of the 41st anniversary of the University of Sebelas Maret based on the theme "The Role of Agriculture and Animal Resources in Support of National Food Security."
He remarked that Malaysia will still possibly increase its imports of Indonesian rice from the figures mentioned earlier.
He pointed out that Indonesia is now considered to be successful in achieving food self-sufficiency, especially after the launch of the rice cultivation program in the border regions due to which the country has not imported rice since last year.
Especially with regard to the exports to Malaysia, the rice to be shipped soon is the Raja Unca type sourced from Pontianak in West Kalimantan, he revealed.
"The bottom line is that we have been able to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production, and this has been known by several countries, including by the Food and Agriculture Organization," he stated.
In addition to exporting rice to Malaysia, Indonesia had exported rice to Papua New Guinea, which was shipped from Papua Province.
Sulaiman noted that the government will continue to make efforts to maintain self-sufficiency, so that by the year 2045, it could become the worlds breadbasket.
Involvement of academics and students in advancing agriculture in the entire region is necessary to achieve this goal, the minister remarked.
"The president had also ordered and called on academics and students to get involved," Sulaiman pointed out.
He said the rice stock now reaches 1.9 million tons and is sufficient to meet the publics need during the fasting month of Ramadan.
The stocks will continue to grow, so that the demand for rice can be met during Ramadan.
The government will continue to maintain the stability in prices and the stocks of rice and other commodities, so that their prices will not increase.(*)
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/110223/indonesia-to-export-rice-to-malaysia
UK Makes Brexit Official; What are
Implications for U.S. Rice?
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - In a move that will have implications
and present opportunities for U.S. rice, the Prime Minister of the United
Kingdom informed the President of the European Union yesterday that the UK is
invoking its rights under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union to
withdraw from the EU. Teresa May's six-page letter formalized what all
knew was coming since UK citizens voted to leave the EU in June - the
"Brexit."
The prime minister's action begins a two-year negotiation
between UK and EU officials to remove the UK from more than 45 years of
regulatory, economic, and political integration and establish a new
relationship with the remaining 27 members of the EU.
"This task is tremendously complicated and it's unclear
if two years will be sufficient," said Bob Cummings, USA Rice COO.
"Many believe that the result will be an interim agreement that recognizes
Brexit while the two sides continue negotiations, and the U.S. rice industry
has a definite stake in the outcome."
At issue for the U.S. industry is how the much-diminished European
market for U.S. rice will fare. What has essentially been a single
market: the EU, is becoming two markets: the EU and the UK.
Cummings acknowledged that much of the U.S. rice heading to
the EU went to the UK, but that once Brexit is complete, the UK will have to
establish its own tariff regime for imports not only from the EU but also from
all other countries, including the United States.
"Any U.S.-UK trade deal is at least two years away as the UK
is unable to negotiate bilateral agreements with other countries while still a
member of the EU," Cummings explained. "A U.S.-UK trade deal is
attractive to our industry, especially now that a larger U.S.-EU trade deal
(T-TIP) appears to be in hibernation."
The United States has exceeded its EU TRQ in each of the
last 10 years, with 55,840 mt ($42.4 million) going to the EU last year.
However, shipments are down considerably from the pre-Liberty Link
period. For example, exports to the EU in 2005 were almost 306,000 mt
($86.4 million), of which 135,640 mt ($36.1 million) went to the UK.
usa rice
IRRI and FAO step up joint efforts to globally bolster sustainable rice
production
30 March 2017, Rome - FAO and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have agreed to cooperate more
closely to support sustainable rice production in developing countries to improve
food security and livelihoods while safeguarding natural resources.
An agreement signed today seeks to
better pool the scientific knowledge and technical know-how of the two
organizations so that they can expand and intensify their work globally.
The partnership primarily aims to
enhance sustainable rice-based farming systems through
capacity building activities - including assisting governments draw up and
implement national and regional policies and strategies - to the benefit of
small-scale farmers, especially women.
"The world faces very
significant changes over the next few decades to produce the volume and quality
of nutritious food to feed a global population heading for 10 billion
people," said IRRI Director-General Matthew K. Morell. "Addressing
these issues relies on global partnerships, and today, IRRI is delighted to be
reaffirming through this Memorandum of Agreement our commitment to work with
FAO to enhance sustainable rice-based production and food systems through awareness
raising, capacity development, knowledge exchange, and evidence-based analyses
for policy support."
"With over three billion
people across the globe eating rice every day, rice is critical to global food
security," said Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director-General, Climate
and Natural Resources. "Ensuring sustainable rice production is a key contribution to the global
goal of ending hunger. By teaming up with IRRI, already a long-standing
partner, we will be able to scale up, complement and amplify our work towards
reaching this goal."
In many countries around the world
rice is a staple crop for food security and consumption trends are growing. At
the same time rice production is vulnerable to the increasing
impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events such as droughts
and floods.
Both FAO and IRRI are actively
promoting more sustainable rice practices throughout the value
chain - production,
marketing and consumption - to optimize its nutritional properties and as a
means of improving livelihoods and tackling poverty, particularly in rural
areas.
FAO has developed the Regional Rice Initiative for Asia and Pacific which promotes enhanced crop
resilience while increasing efficiency and farmers' income. In Africa and in Latin America the UN agency is
engaged in scientific and technical cooperation including the sharing of
technologies and best practices to increase production and productivity, including reduction
of post-harvest losses and improved grain quality.
IRRI is engaged in strengthening
capacities of all rice sector actors through its capacity development
activities, including IRRI Education and the Sustainable Rice Platform.
The Sustainable Rice Platform is a global alliance to
promote resource efficiency and sustainability in trade flows, production and consumption operations, and supply
chains in the global rice sector. The Sustainable Rice Platform recently established the
world's first standard for sustainable rice. Through the Sustainable Rice Platform, IRRI aims to use
environmental and socio-economic benchmarks to maintain yields for rice
smallholders, reduce the environmental footprint of rice cultivation and meet
consumer needs for food safety and quality.
At the same time, IRRI Education
works to build capacity through-out IRRI's extensive partnership network.
Improving varieties, transferring
knowledge
FAO and IRRI will together assist
rice producing countries to adopt improved and adapted rice varieties, enhance
availability of certified seeds and also the transfer of knowledge - including
on pest management - through participatory approaches such as farmer fields
schools.
The two organizations will also
seek to strengthen partnerships for post-harvest handling, and help farmers and
other rice producers add value by developing and marketing rice by-products
rich in proteins and micronutrients, and explore the appropriate use of rice
by-products to generate energy, animal feed and other agricultural products.
In addition, FAO and IRRI will work together to ensure that women
farmers can participate in viable, safe and dignified entrepreneurial
opportunities in the rice value chain, and that there is an improvement in work
conditions in the rice sector.
Sustainable rice production key to food security
Friday 31 March 2017
Though a staple crop in many countries,
rice production is facing the impact of extreme weather events such as droughts
and floods
·
Rice
farming can greatly benefit small-scale farmers, especially women, and help end
hunger in developing countries
·
According
to the International Rice Research Institute, rice production needs to increase
by 25 per cent in the next 25 years to meet global demands
·
Integrated
rice-duck farming or growing rice and fish in the same field can supplement
farmers' income and take care of nutritional needs
As we face
the onslaught of climate change, the key to improving
food security in developing countries lies in sustainable rice production. Rice-based farming
systems can greatly
benefit small-scale farmers, especially women, and help end hunger in these
countries.
According to
Maria Helena Semedo, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) deputy
director-general, rice is critical to global food security. Over three billion
people across the globe eat rice every day.
Rice is one
of the world’s staple cereals, along with wheat and maize. It has been
estimated that by 2050, the annual global demand for maize, rice and wheat will
reach almost 3.3 billion tonnes. According to the International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI), rice production needs to increase by 25 per cent in the next
25 years to meet global demands.
Fighting
climate change
In many
countries, especially Southeast Asia,
rice is a staple crop (around 97 per cent of rice is grown in Asian countries).
At the same time rice production is facing the impact of extreme weather events
such as droughts and floods. According to the IRRI, about 20 million hectares
of rice land is prone to flooding. In India and Bangladesh alone, more than 5
million hectares of rice field are flooded during most planting seasons.
Take the
example of Vietnam for instance. In an interview to Down To Earth, Vietnamese farmer Pham Thi Huan blamed
saline soil and mangroves for impacting rice cultivation in her country. To
counter this, rice varieties resistant to drought and salinity developed by the
Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute were planted. To make rice cultivation
sustainable, Huan encouraged women farmers to go in for integrated rice and
duck farming to supplement their income.
FAO’s “save and grow” method takes into account the sustainability
factor when it comes to world’s staple cereals. Under this unique method,
farmers are encouraged to produce more with less. The method also advocates
natural ecosystem processes. One such example practised in China is the rice-fish farming system wherein farmers rear fish in flooded
paddy fields.
This has
twin advantages. While on one hand, the fish can be sold for extra income or
eaten for nutrition, on the other hand, growing fish along with rice helps in
controlling fungi and weeds that damage the crop. It thus reduces dependence on
pesticides.
According to
food policy expert Devinder Sharma, integration is good for making more money
for farmers. However, rich-fish farming best works for wetland paddy.
“Rice-fish
is a traditional system that has been largely replaced by intensive rice
mono-cropping. We are now seeing, in countries like Indonesia, a revival of
aquaculture in rice fields,” FAO’s deputy director of plant production and
protection division William Murray told Down To Earth earlier.
Achieving
sustainability
As rice
farmers are among those most vulnerable to climate change, the Sustainable Rice Platform recently established the world’s first
standard for sustainable rice. Through this, the IRRI aims to maintain yields
for rice farmers and reduce environmental footprint of rice cultivation.
Rice
cultivation uses a lot of water. But there is no denying that it is linked to
livelihoods, Sharma said. While talking about emissions reduction in
agriculture, Meryl Richaards, agroecologist at CGIAR (Consultative Group for
International Agricultural Research) Research Program on Climate Change,
Agriculture and Food Security advocated alternate wetting and drying of paddy.
“By reducing the frequency of irrigation (letting the fields drain
periodically), methane emissions from flooded rice production can be cut in
half,” she said. Though the practice was originally developed to save water, it
has potential to be adaptive to climate change as well.
UN
agriculture agency takes step to help rice farmers bolster production
Harvesting rice in Viet Nam.
Global rice consumption trends are rising. Photo: FAO/Hoang Dinh Nam
30 March 2017 – Concerned about
global rice production and eradicating hunger around the world, the United
Nations agricultural agency today announced that it has teamed up with an
international research institute to enhance rice farming and make it more
adaptable to climate change.
“With over three billion people
across the globe eating rice every
day, rice is critical to global food security,” said Maria Helena Semedo,
Deputy Director-General of Climate and Natural Resources at the UN Food and
Agricultural Organization (FAO).
The UN agency announced that it
will work with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to support
sustainable rice production in developing countries to improve food security
and livelihoods, while also safeguarding natural resources.
According to FAO, the two
organizations will work together to assist rice producing countries to “adopt
improved and adapted rice varieties, enhance availability of certified seeds
and also the transfer of knowledge,” including to control pests and through
farmer field schools.
FAO and IRRI will also work to
help women farmers participate in “viable, safe and dignified” entrepreneurial
opportunities in the rice value chain, the UN agency said.
For its part, IRRI is engaged in
strengthening capacities of all rice sector actors through its capacity
development activities, including IRRI Education and the Sustainable Rice
Platform, a global alliance to promote resource efficiency and sustainability
in trade flows, production and consumption operations, and supply chains in the
global rice sector
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56464#.WN46DNKGN6o
IRRI and FAO step up joint efforts to globally
bolster sustainable rice production
Harvesting rice in Vietnam.
Global rice consumption trens are rising.
30 March 2017, Rome – FAO and the International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI) have agreed to cooperate more closely to support sustainable
rice production in developing countries to improve food security and
livelihoods while safeguarding natural resources.
An agreement signed today seeks
to better pool the scientific knowledge and technical know-how of the two
organizations so that they can expand and intensify their work globally.
The partnership primarily aims to
enhance sustainable rice-based farming systems through capacity building
activities – including assisting governments draw up and implement national and
regional policies and strategies – to the benefit of small-scale farmers,
especially women.
“The world faces very significant
changes over the next few decades to produce the volume and quality of
nutritious food to feed a global population heading for 10 billion people,”
said IRRI Director-General Matthew K. Morell. “Addressing these issues relies
on global partnerships, and today, IRRI is delighted to be reaffirming through
this Memorandum of Agreement our commitment to work with FAO to enhance
sustainable rice-based production and food systems through awareness raising,
capacity development, knowledge exchange, and evidence-based analyses for
policy support.”
“With over three billion people across the
globe eating rice every day, rice is critical to global food security,” said
Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director-General, Climate and Natural
Resources. “Ensuring sustainable rice production is a key contribution to the
global goal of ending hunger. By teaming up with IRRI, already a long-standing
partner, we will be able to scale up, complement and amplify our work towards
reaching this goal.”
Making the rice value chain more
sustainable
In many countries around the
world rice is a staple crop for food security and consumption trends are
growing. At the same time rice production is vulnerable to the increasing
impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events such as droughts
and floods.
Both FAO and IRRI are actively
promoting more sustainable rice practices throughout the value chain –
production, marketing and consumption – to optimize its nutritional properties
and as a means of improving livelihoods and tackling poverty, particularly in
rural areas.
FAO has developed the Regional
Rice Initiative for Asia and Pacific which promotes enhanced crop resilience
while increasing efficiency and farmers’ income. In Africa and in Latin America
the UN agency is engaged in scientific and technical cooperation including the
sharing of technologies and best practices to increase production and
productivity, including reduction of post-harvest losses and improved grain
quality.
IRRI is engaged in strengthening
capacities of all rice sector actors through its capacity development
activities, including IRRI Education and the Sustainable Rice Platform.
The Sustainable Rice Platform is
a global alliance to promote resource efficiency and sustainability in trade
flows, production and consumption operations, and supply chains in the global
rice sector. The Sustainable Rice Platform recently established the world’s
first standard for sustainable rice. Through the Sustainable Rice Platform,
IRRI aims to use environmental and socio-economic benchmarks to maintain yields
for rice smallholders, reduce the environmental footprint of rice cultivation
and meet consumer needs for food safety and quality.
At the same time, IRRI Education
works to build capacity through-out IRRI’s extensive partnership network.
Improving varieties, transferring
knowledge
FAO and IRRI will together assist
rice producing countries to adopt improved and adapted rice varieties, enhance
availability of certified seeds and also the transfer of knowledge – including
on pest management – through participatory approaches such as farmer fields
schools.
The two organizations will also
seek to strengthen partnerships for post-harvest handling, and help farmers and
other rice producers add value by developing and marketing rice by-products
rich in proteins and micronutrients, and explore the appropriate use of rice
by-products to generate energy, animal feed and other agricultural products.
In addition, FAO and IRRI will
work together to ensure that women farmers can participate in viable, safe and
dignified entrepreneurial opportunities in the rice value chain, and that there
is an improvement in work conditions in the rice sector.
http://www.military-technologies.net/2017/03/30/irri-and-fao-step-up-joint-efforts-to-globally-bolster-sustainable-rice-production/
U.S. rice deliveries to Mexico surging
Thursday
Posted Mar 30, 2017 at 9:25 AM
Paddy arrivals were up 25 percent as local milling demand
increased, not only for local consumption, but also due to additional Mexican
milled rice export sales to Venezuela.
By
Marvin Lehrer / USA Rice Federation
According to official Mexican
government data, total U.S. rice deliveries (non-converted) to Mexico were up a
staggering 31.4 percent in the first two-months of 2017 compared with the same
period the previous year. That's 148,016 MT, and of significant note, milled
rice exports nearly tripled — to 22,478 metric tons, nearly half of total milled
exports in all of 2016.
Paddy arrivals were up 25 percent as local milling demand increased, not only for local consumption, but also due to additional Mexican milled rice export sales to Venezuela.
Paddy arrivals were up 25 percent as local milling demand increased, not only for local consumption, but also due to additional Mexican milled rice export sales to Venezuela.
U.S. milled rice shipments were up
183 percent and market share up to 63.3 percent, compared with a market share
of just 22.4 percent in the same period in 2016.
MORE VIDEO: RICE
MILLING DEMONSTRATION AT PAE
Total Mexican rice imports were up
17.1 percent in this period, and the U.S. total market share for all types of
rice reached 93.1 percent, the best since 2013.
"Two months do not (make) a
trend make, but it's very good news," USA Rice Vice President
International Hugh Maginnis said. "USA Rice continues our aggressive
promotion programs in this key market and the U.S. rice industry is very
grateful for Mexico's continued loyalty as our number one export customer.
Mexico is a valued trading partner, and we are heartened that our southern
neighbors continue to place their trust in the quality and reliability that
U.S. rice exporters provide.
http://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/news/20170330/us-rice-deliveries-to-mexico-surging
PHILIPPINE FARM MINISTER SAYS LIKELY NO NEED
TO IMPORT 250,000 T OF RICE
3/29/2017
MANILA, March 30 (Reuters) - The Philippines' farm ministersaid he
expects a bumper rice harvest this planting season,potentially meaning there is
no urgent need for the state grains
buyer to import 250,000 tonnes of the staple food as planned.The National Food Authority (NFA) has been looking to import250,000 tonnes of rice, and wanted the cargo to arrive by
end-April to boost thinning stocks ahead of the lean domestic
harvest season beginning July.
buyer to import 250,000 tonnes of the staple food as planned.The National Food Authority (NFA) has been looking to import250,000 tonnes of rice, and wanted the cargo to arrive by
end-April to boost thinning stocks ahead of the lean domestic
harvest season beginning July.
The plan "may have to be reviewed and validated as theDepartment
of Agriculture...expects a bumper rice harvest thisplanting season,"
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said in
statement.The Philippines is one of the world's biggest rice buyers,importing its requirements mainly from neighbours Thailand andVietnam, the world's number 2 and 3 rice exporters after India.
statement.The Philippines is one of the world's biggest rice buyers,importing its requirements mainly from neighbours Thailand andVietnam, the world's number 2 and 3 rice exporters after India.
"So far, there was no reported infestation and this season'scrops
have not been affected by inclement weather," Piñol said.The NFA Council,
the government panel that approves rice
importation, has yet to give its go-ahead to the agency'spurchase plan.Still, the NFA wants to bolster stocks to prevent price
manipulation, hoarding and speculation by private traders."The only way NFA can fill the deficit in its rice bufferstock requirement is through importation," NFA Administrator
Jason Laureano Aquino said in a statement last week.
importation, has yet to give its go-ahead to the agency'spurchase plan.Still, the NFA wants to bolster stocks to prevent price
manipulation, hoarding and speculation by private traders."The only way NFA can fill the deficit in its rice bufferstock requirement is through importation," NFA Administrator
Jason Laureano Aquino said in a statement last week.
(Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
Philippines may reconsider 250,000-MT rice
import plan
ABS-CBN News
The Department of Agriculture is
reconsidering its plant to import 250,000 metric tons of rice from Vietnam as
local farmers expect a strong harvest, agriculture chief Emmanuel Piñol said
Thursday.
"The planned importation of an
additional 250,000-metric tons of rice for the country's buffer stocks may have
to be reviewed and validated...[As] there was no reported infestation and this
season's crops have not been affected by inclement weather," Piñol said in
a statement.
Once the government validates its
prospects for the harvest, Piñol said "I will advise the National Food
Authority Council to put on hold the planned importation."
Funds intended for the rice
purchase from Vietnam will be reallocated to buy rice from local farmers, he
said.
http://news.abs-cbn.com/business/03/30/17/philippines-may-reconsider-250000-mt-rice-import-plan
Indonesia to export rice to Malaysia
Solo, C Java (ANTARA News) - Indonesia will export 15
to 50 thousand tons of rice to Malaysia in an effort to meet the neighboring
countrys demand and requirement for the commodity.
"Some time ago, the agriculture minister of Malaysia had met me and expressed interest to import rice from Indonesia," Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman noted here on Thursday.
The minister made the statement after delivering a speech in the framework of the 41st anniversary of the University of Sebelas Maret based on the theme "The Role of Agriculture and Animal Resources in Support of National Food Security."
He remarked that Malaysia will still possibly increase its imports of Indonesian rice from the figures mentioned earlier.
He pointed out that Indonesia is now considered to be successful in achieving food self-sufficiency, especially after the launch of the rice cultivation program in the border regions due to which the country has not imported rice since last year.
Especially with regard to the exports to Malaysia, the rice to be shipped soon is the Raja Unca type sourced from Pontianak in West Kalimantan, he revealed.
"The bottom line is that we have been able to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production, and this has been known by several countries, including by the Food and Agriculture Organization," he stated.
In addition to exporting rice to Malaysia, Indonesia had exported rice to Papua New Guinea, which was shipped from Papua Province.
Sulaiman noted that the government will continue to make efforts to maintain self-sufficiency, so that by the year 2045, it could become the worlds breadbasket.
Involvement of academics and students in advancing agriculture in the entire region is necessary to achieve this goal, the minister remarked.
"The president had also ordered and called on academics and students to get involved," Sulaiman pointed out.
He said the rice stock now reaches 1.9 million tons and is sufficient to meet the publics need during the fasting month of Ramadan.
The stocks will continue to grow, so that the demand for rice can be met during Ramadan.
The government will continue to maintain the stability in prices and the stocks of rice and other commodities, so that their prices will not increase.(*)
"Some time ago, the agriculture minister of Malaysia had met me and expressed interest to import rice from Indonesia," Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman noted here on Thursday.
The minister made the statement after delivering a speech in the framework of the 41st anniversary of the University of Sebelas Maret based on the theme "The Role of Agriculture and Animal Resources in Support of National Food Security."
He remarked that Malaysia will still possibly increase its imports of Indonesian rice from the figures mentioned earlier.
He pointed out that Indonesia is now considered to be successful in achieving food self-sufficiency, especially after the launch of the rice cultivation program in the border regions due to which the country has not imported rice since last year.
Especially with regard to the exports to Malaysia, the rice to be shipped soon is the Raja Unca type sourced from Pontianak in West Kalimantan, he revealed.
"The bottom line is that we have been able to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production, and this has been known by several countries, including by the Food and Agriculture Organization," he stated.
In addition to exporting rice to Malaysia, Indonesia had exported rice to Papua New Guinea, which was shipped from Papua Province.
Sulaiman noted that the government will continue to make efforts to maintain self-sufficiency, so that by the year 2045, it could become the worlds breadbasket.
Involvement of academics and students in advancing agriculture in the entire region is necessary to achieve this goal, the minister remarked.
"The president had also ordered and called on academics and students to get involved," Sulaiman pointed out.
He said the rice stock now reaches 1.9 million tons and is sufficient to meet the publics need during the fasting month of Ramadan.
The stocks will continue to grow, so that the demand for rice can be met during Ramadan.
The government will continue to maintain the stability in prices and the stocks of rice and other commodities, so that their prices will not increase.(*)
http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/110223/indonesia-to-export-rice-to-malaysia
Vietnam’s Q1 rice exports down but Chinese appetite set to grow
Vietnam’s
first-quater rice exports have fallen to a two-year low, but the outlook remains positive
as China, its
biggest buyer, is forecast to import more this year.
‘China has a major impact on Vietnam’s rice exports because when China starts making inquiries, prices rise and other buyers turn away from Vietnam.’
Vietnam’s
first-quarter rice exports have fallen to a two-year low, but the outlook remains positive
as shipments to China, its
biggest buyer, are forecast to grow this year, traders and industry reports
said.
“The land border gates are now
officially closed to Vietnamese rice,
so export prices have dropped,” a trader at a foreign company in Ho Chi Minh City said, explaining that more fresh winter-spring grain arriving from the Mekong Delta has contributed to the lower prices.
China has been the biggest consumer of Vietnamese rice since 2012, when it overtook Indonesia. Last year, Beijing and Hanoi signed an agreement to boost the rice trade via official
channels. China has named 22 Vietnamese
export firms that it deems qualified to deal with.
He said the Chinese government
prefers official trade as it cannot tax rice imported via land. China officially imports around 2 million tons of Vietnamese rice a year, while another 1-1.5 million tons enters China via land, and that volume is not included in Vietnam’s
official statistics.
This week, Vietnam’s
5-percent broken rice prices fell to $347-$350 a ton, free-on-board Saigon Port,
from around $360 a ton in late February. At
$347, the price is the lowest since February 16.
Vietnamese rice is now cheaper than Thai rice of a similar grade, which stood
this week at $374 a ton, according to the Thai Rice Exporters
Association.
Shipments from Vietnam,
the world’s third-biggest rice exporter after India and Thailand,
in the January-March period dropped 24 percent from a year ago to an estimated 1.2 million tons,
a two-year low, the government said on Wednesday.
Overall weak demand is the reason
for the drop, with potential buyers, including the Philippines and Mexico,
still absent, traders said.
Earlier this month, Mexico approved for 150,000 tons of rice to be imported at a zero
percent tariff to meet domestic demand and diversify its supply sources.
Traders said the demand would cut the market share currently held by the United States and open the door to Vietnamese rice.
However, Mexico has yet to act on the decision.
China imported 331,300 tons of Vietnamese rice from January-February, up
41 percent from a year ago, based on data from Vietnam’s
agriculture ministry. In February alone, it bought 36 percent of Vietnam’s
total rice exports,
more than doubling the market share it held a year ago.
China’s
imports
China’s rice
imports in the 2016/2017 market year ending this June are forecast to rise 4
percent to 5 million tons,
with Vietnam and Thailand remaining its key suppliers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a report released on March 21.
It said China’s rice
imports would continue to be profitable if import prices stay below China’s floor
price of $389 a ton, while the average CIF (cost-insurance-freight) rice price
from Southeast Asia to China is $350/ton.
“China has a major impact on Vietnam’s rice exports because when China starts making inquiries, prices rise and other buyers turn away from Vietnam,
so overall the volume does not rise significantly,” a second trader said.
He noted that more paddy is
coming from the Mekong Delta,
which supplies 90 percent of Vietnam’s rice exports.
Mekong Delta farmers have finished harvesting around half of the 1.53 million
hectares (3.78 million acres)
planted for the crop, the Vietnam Food Association said.
Harvesting of the crop, the
biggest among the delta’s three crops a year, ends in April. Paddy output is
forecast to ease to 10 million tons,
down 1.3 percent from last year, which is the third drop in a row, the agriculture
ministry said, blaming unseasonal rain during the heading stage in November-December 2016.
In the long term, Vietnam’s rice
acreage and output will further fall as the country seeks to restructure its
cash crops, officials said.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Nguyen
Xuan Phuc suggested related agencies to
switch from low-yield rice to medicinal plants if the latter has higher
benefits, a government statement said, as part of efforts to boost Vietnam’s
pharmaceutical sector.
But the government also regards
rice as essential to national food security, a status that gives rice businesses
access to credit and adequate support.
Phuc told a conference on March 15 to look for solutions for sustainable production in the Mekong Delta.
The premier has urged the trade
ministry to strip the food association’s right to set floor prices and to
allocate shipments to key markets, factors that exporters said have been
hindering overseas sales.
Shipments fell to 4.8 million tons in 2016, the lowest since 2008, due in part to thinner demand
and growing regional competition.
https://www.vietnambreakingnews.com/2017/03/vietnams-q1-rice-exports-down-but-chinese-appetite-set-to-grow/
Basmati
rice exports may grow to Rs 22,000-22,500 crore in FY18: Report
By PTI | Updated: Mar 29, 2017,
05.55 PM IST
Basmati rice exports may grow to Rs
22,000-22,500 crore in FY18: Report
"We expect the export volumes in FY17 to be around 4 million tonne (almost similar to the volumes in FY2016). However, muted average realisations are expected to keep the value of these exports to under Rs 21,000 crore, against Rs 22,718 crore in FY16," said ICRA Assistant Vice President Deepak Jotwani.
"In FY18, the value of exports is likely to grow to Rs 22,000-22,500 crore, with export volumes growing to around 4.09 million tonne and supported by an increase in average realisations," Jotwani added.
This is likely to push up Basmati rice prices in the next fiscal, he said.Resumption of imports by Iran will be keenly watched by the industry as it has the potential to provide an impetus to exports, he added.
"Going forward, the coming financial year is expected to witness better revenue growth supported by a rise in average realisations, as paddy prices firm up during the current procurement season. Moreover, resumption of imports by Iran will also be crucial for driving industry growth in the next fiscal," Jotwani said.
The basmati rice industry witnessed moderation over the last few years on the back of subdued international demand, partly attributable to the delay in resumption of imports by Iran.
However, 2016-17 has seen some stabilisation in demand, ICRA said, adding after peaking at Rs 29,300 crore in FY14, the value of basmati rice exports went on a downward trajectory.
While volumes saw some growth over the last few years, the decline in value is primarily owing to continued pressure on average realisations (declined from a high of Rs 77,988 per tonne in FY14 to Rs 56,149 per tonne in FY16) in the light of moderation in demand in the global market, ICRA said.
Nevertheless, the export volumes in the current fiscal have largely been in line with last year, being supported by the increasing domestic demand for basmati rice, the report added.
It said, the industry has registered milling gains on paddy procured at a fairly low rate in the last procurement season and favourable foreign exchange rate movement.
For the next fiscal, the industry is expected to benefit from the rising paddy prices, ICRA said.
Rice stocks trade higher: Kohinoor Foods, KRBL, Chaman
Lal surge
By ETMarkets.com | Updated: Mar 28,
2017, 10.34 AM IST
ChartsValuation & Peer ComparisonCommunity Buzz
Shares of rice companies surged up to 9.5 per cent in early trade on Tuesday.
Kohinoor Foods was trading 7.93 per cent higher at Rs 81 around 9.50 am (IST). Shares of the company opened at Rs 78.50 and touched a high and low of Rs 82.20 and Rs 77.60, respectively, in trade so far.
Chaman Lal Setia Exports was up 4.56 per cent at Rs 100.95 around the same time, while LT Foods and KRBL were trading higher by 3.77 per cent and 1.34 per cent, respectively, in the morning deals.
For the quarter ended December 31, 2016, Kohinoor Foods and
KRBL reported 27.59 per cent and 175.16 per cent year-on-year rise in net
profit at Rs 6.66 crore and Rs 110.75 crore, respectively. LT Foods registered
76.57 per cent year-on-year increase in bottomline figures at Rs 29.77 crore.
However, net profit of Chaman Lal Setia declined 0.74 per cent
year-on-year to Rs 10.84 crore during the quarter under review.
The domestic basmati rice market is estimated at Rs 12,000-15,000 crore. India’s rice industry has seen a transformation in the last decade, with growth of branded business in the Indian market and a strong impetus to exports. Over the last four years, the industry has shown strong revenue growth, with an increasing focus on branded business, according to CRISIL Research, Euromonitor and Ministry of Agriculture.
According to a report by HDFC Securities, branded basmati is still only 26 per cent of total basmati sold in India, highlighting the opportunity for large players to gain share. Consumers are gradually switching towards branded basmati rice as they become more quality and health conscious. With regards to consumption, the share of basmati as a percentage of total rice consumption is still extremely low in India at around 2 per cent as compared to the Middle East (38 per cent).Growth in the domestic basmati consumption would further provide support to basmati rice demand.
Kohinoor Foods was trading 7.93 per cent higher at Rs 81 around 9.50 am (IST). Shares of the company opened at Rs 78.50 and touched a high and low of Rs 82.20 and Rs 77.60, respectively, in trade so far.
Chaman Lal Setia Exports was up 4.56 per cent at Rs 100.95 around the same time, while LT Foods and KRBL were trading higher by 3.77 per cent and 1.34 per cent, respectively, in the morning deals.
The domestic basmati rice market is estimated at Rs 12,000-15,000 crore. India’s rice industry has seen a transformation in the last decade, with growth of branded business in the Indian market and a strong impetus to exports. Over the last four years, the industry has shown strong revenue growth, with an increasing focus on branded business, according to CRISIL Research, Euromonitor and Ministry of Agriculture.
According to a report by HDFC Securities, branded basmati is still only 26 per cent of total basmati sold in India, highlighting the opportunity for large players to gain share. Consumers are gradually switching towards branded basmati rice as they become more quality and health conscious. With regards to consumption, the share of basmati as a percentage of total rice consumption is still extremely low in India at around 2 per cent as compared to the Middle East (38 per cent).Growth in the domestic basmati consumption would further provide support to basmati rice demand.
