THAILAND
Thailand's Supreme Court has found former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra guilty of negligence in rice subsidy case, sentencing her in absentia to five years in jail.
In the scheme, Yingluck's government paid Thai rice farmers
inflated prices for their crops, driving up global rice prices.The subsidy
scheme did not work, costing the country eight billion U.S. dollars and leaving
it with vast stockpiles of rice.
http://www.radio.gov.pk/27-Sep-2017/text-bulletin-1800-hrs
#ECONOMIC
NEWS
SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 / 5:43 PM / UPDATED
21 HOURS AGO
Rice prices slip in India,
Thailand; big exporters woo Bangladesh
·
·
BENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice prices dipped this week in the Asian
hubs of India and Thailand, but prospects of new deals with flood-ravaged
Bangladesh could reinvigorate sluggish markets for the staple grain amongst top
exporters in the region.
Bangladesh, which has emerged as a major importer this year to
try to shore up stocks in the country, is looking to buy more rice in
government-to-government deals to combat high domestic prices, a food ministry
official said.
“We can buy from India, Thailand and Vietnam,” he said, without
elaborating.
The lowest offer in the tender from Bangladesh’s state grains
buyer to purchase 50,000 tonnes of rice which closed on Thursday was $427.33 a
tonne, on a cost, insurance and freight basis, liner out from a domestic
trader.
In Thailand, benchmark 5-percent broken rice eased to $375-$385
a tonne, free-on-board (FOB) Bangkok, from the $390-$396 level last week on
lower demand from overseas amid a strong local currency.
“Since the value of the baht remains relatively strong and
stable, we can’t compete with other rice exporting countries,” a Bangkok-based
rice trader said.
But there continues to be some demand for Thai rice from
Bangladesh, the trader also said.
“We expect Bangladesh to import a total of 500,000 tonnes due to
the flooding crisis. So far, they have already imported around 250,000 tonnes,”
the trader said.
Thai prices could decline further and demand is likely to
witness a seasonal slowdown toward the end of the year.
India’s 5 percent broken parboiled rice prices fell
by $12 per tonne from last week to the $405-$408 range on
sluggish demand and as a depreciation in the rupee allowed dealers to reduce
export prices.
“In dollar terms, prices have come down due to the falling
rupee. Demand from African countries is weak,” said an exporter based in
Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Indian rupee has fallen 2.5 percent so far in September and was
trading near its lowest level in 6-1/2 months. A weak rupee increases
exporters’ margin.
India’s rice production from the summer-sown crop is likely to fall 2 percent
year-on-year to 94.48 million tonnes.
In Vietnam, 5 percent broken rice was quoted at $385-$395 a
tonne, FOB Saigon, versus the $390-$395 range last week, with traders
attributing the high rates to a lack of fresh supply in a thinly traded market.
The Vietnam Food Association has
raised the country’s target for rice exports in 2017 to 5.6 million tonnes,
with the world’s third-biggest exporter having sold 3.8 million tonnes so far
this year.
https://in.reuters.com/article/asia-rice/rice-prices-slip-in-india-thailand-big-exporters-woo-bangladesh-idINKCN1C31R1
معزول خاتون تھائی وزیراعظم ینگ لک کو غیرموجودگی
میں 5 برس قید
28 ستمبر 2017 (11:20)
2014ء میں ینگ لک کی حکومت بغاوت کے نتیجہ میں ختم ہوگئی تھی۔ جج نے ریمارکس دیئے متفقہ فیصلہ دیا سزا معطل نہیں ہوگی۔ وہ اگست میں ملک سے فرار ہو کر دبئی چلی گئی تھیں۔
http://dailypakistan.com.pk/international/28-Sep-2017/650537
Malaysia to continue to import rice
Malaysia will continue to depend on rice imports as the country's production of the grain is nearly 30% short from the three million metric tonnes (MT) self sufficiency level (SSL).
Agriculture and Agrobased Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the industry is expected to narrow the SSL gap from 72% presently to 80%, but the country will remain dependent on other countries for its rice supplies.
He said the industry has to cope with the rising population and demands, ageing farmers, pest attacks and harvesting process inefficiencies.
"We do have enough facilities, but very often a lot of the crop is lost after the harvesting process. Sometimes due to pests, sometimes due to carelessness, and sometimes due to complications during the processes after harvesting the crop.
"It cannot be avoided entirely and that is why we are doing what we can to ensure the farmers are informed on how they can reduce crop wastage," he said at the National Paddy Conference in Petaling Jaya yesterday.
Based on the three million MT SSL, a household on average consume about 100kg of rice annually. There are about 674,548ha of area planted with the world's second most important crop. Malaysia was the world's 14 biggest rice importer based on value at US$377.4 million (RM1.59 billion) or 2% of global imports in 2016 according to www. worldstopexports.com.
China was the world's largest rice importer valued at US$1.6 billion. The world's most populous nation's rice imports had risen 40.9%. India was the largest exporter of the grain valued at US$5.3 billion or 26.7% of total rice exports, followed by Thailand at US$4.4 billion (21.9%) and the US at US$1.9 billion (9.6%).
Ahmad Shabery said that 80% of rice production is sufficient for the country's population."This is because 15% to 20% of the 31.19 million population does not consume rice or only prefer certain kinds of rice, which are not available in locally," he said, adding that no one country produced all the different rice types.
He also launched a standard operating procedure by The Malaysian Agr iculture Research and Development Institute to aid farmers to reduce loss after harvesting rice.He said Malaysia does not intend to become a net rice exporter.
"First, it is the price. Are we able to offer competitive prices that meet the retail markets worldwide? "Secondly, we must look at the subsidy. Once we begin to export with the subsidy, the more we export, the more we lose. Exporting will do more harm than good," he said.
Bangladesh gets offers in tender to buy 50,000
tonnes rice
DHAKA, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The lowest offer in
the tender from Bangladesh’s state grains buyer to purchase 50,000 tonnes of
rice which closed on Thursday was $427.33 a tonne, on a cost, insurance and
freight basis, liner out, officials at the state grains buyer said.The offer
was submitted by a domestic farm while six other traders competed for the
tender, which was issued earlier this month.
Will adhere to 48-hr deadline for paddy lifting: Punjab govt
28 SEPTEMBER 2017
Last Updated at 7:56 PM
Chandigarh, Sep 28 Punjab Chief
Minister Captain Amarinder Singh today promised strict adherence by his
government to the 48-hour deadline for lifting of paddy and payment to farmers
for their crop in the ensuing kharif season.Addressing a meeting of rice
millers, led by All India Rice Miller Association and Punjab State Rice Millers
Association, the chief minister also promised revival of sick rice milling
units to be taken up on priority by his government.
The chief minister said
everything was in place for smooth procurement of paddy in this season, when an
estimated 182 lakh tonnes of the crop was expected to come into the market, as
against the previous season's target of 165 lakh tonnes, said an official
release.
The mandis were witnessing 182
per cent increase in arrival of cotton crop as compare to last year, as a
result of the collective efforts of the state government, PAU and farmers,
backed by favourable weather conditions, said the chief minister, expressing satisfaction
over the bumper production of cotton.
Reiterating his government's
commitment to early redressal of the various problems faced by the beleaguered
industry, Amarinder pointed out that his government had recently announced a
One Time Settlement (OTS) scheme to provide an opportunity to all defaulter
rice millers to clear their past dues.
Around 1,500 of the total 3,500
defaulting and sick milling units would benefit by the scheme, he said, adding
that this was one of the several measures initiated to bring the industry back
on the path of progress.
Responding to a demand from the
rice millers, Amarinder said he would take up the issue of 'Bardana' use and
transportation charges with the central government next week at his meeting
with Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.
On the issue of millers in
surplus paddy districts being given more paddy at a rate of 140 per cent of
their original entitlement, he assured that no miller would be forced to mill
paddy beyond his capacity and only those willing to mill extra paddy would be
considered.
The chief minister called upon
the rice milling industry to collaborate with the state government in ensuring
smooth procurement of paddy in the forthcoming kharif season.
Collective efforts always yield
positive results, he said, recalling the success of the collaboration between
the farmers and the government in tackling the recent whitefly attack on cotton
crops.
With farming community and the
agricultural scientists of the Government of Punjab coming together, the spread
of the whitefly was successfully prevented, he added.
Punjab Mandi Board Chairman Lal
Singh blamed the previous SAD-BJP government for the "mess" in the
industry, saying the Akalis and BJP had "plundered" the state,
leaving it under a massive debt burden of Rs 2.08 lakh crore as a result of its
"ill-conceived and corrupt" policies.
Under Amarinder Singh led
government, the state was witnessing a turnaround with more than 300 new rice
mills already set up in just six months, said Lal Singh, promising to act as a
bridge between the milling community and the government to resolve any issues
of concern.
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/will-adhere-to-48hr-deadline-for-paddy-lifting-punjab-govt/1156620
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Septmember
28, 2017
SEPTEMBER
28, 2017 / 1:17 PM /
Reuters Staff
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices –
APMC/Open Market-September 28
Nagpur, Sept 28 (Reuters) – Gram
prices declined in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing
Committee (APMC) here on lack of
demand from local millers amid high moisture content arrival.
Easy condition in Madhya Pradesh
gram prices and downward trend on NCDEX also affected
sentiment.
About 200 of gram and 100 bags of
tuar were available for auctions, according to sources.
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was poor.
TUAR
* Tuar gavarani and tuar Karnataka reported higher in open market on
increased demand
from local traders amid thin supply from
producing regions.
* Moong Chamki recovered in open market on good demand from local
traders amid weak
supply from producing regions.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 4,100-4,250, Tuar dal (clean) – 6,000-6,200, Udid
Mogar (clean)
– 7,700-8,700, Moong Mogar (clean)
6,600-7,000, Gram – 5,500-5,650, Gram Super best
– 7,800-8,300
* Wheat, other varieties of rice and other foodgrain items moved in a
narrow range in
scattered deals and settled at last levels
in weak trading activity.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market
prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 4,600-5,200 4,690-5,400
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction n.a. 3,750-3,910
Moong Auction n.a. 3,900-4,200
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Wheat Mill quality Auction 1,580-1,664 1,550-1,650
Gram Super Best Bold 8,000-8,500 8,000-8,500
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 7,400-7,600 7,400-7,600
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 5,700-5,800 5,700-5,800
Desi gram Raw 5,650-5,950 5,650-5,950
Gram Kabuli 12,500-13,200 12,500-13,200
Tuar Fataka Best-New 6,200-6,400 6,200-6,400
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 6,000-6,200 6,000-6,200
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 5,600-5,800 5,600-5,800
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 5,000-5,400 5,000-5,400
Tuar Gavarani New 4,100-4,200 4,050-4,150
Tuar Karnataka 4,550-4,750 4,500-4,700
Masoor dal best 5,200-5,400 5,200-5,400
Masoor dal medium 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 6,800-7,200 6,800-7,200
Moong Mogar Medium 6,300-6,600 6,300-6,600
Moong dal Chilka 5,500-6,200 5,500-6,200
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 7,000-7,500 6,900-7,400
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New)
8,000-9,000 8,000-9,000
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,000-7,000 6,000-7,000
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,500-6,500 5,500-6,500
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,000-5,500 5,000-5,500
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 2,900-3,100 2,900-3,100
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,400 3,800-4,400
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,850 1,700-1,850
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,300 2,100-2,300
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,400 2,200-2,400
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,600 3,100-3,600
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,700 2,200-2,700
Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,400 3,100-3,400
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,100 2,800-3,100
Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,600 2,400-2,600
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400
Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 3,700-4,100 3,700-4,100
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,700 3,400-3,700
Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000
Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,400-4,600 4,400-4,600
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,500-13,500 9,500-13,500
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500
Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,200 4,800-5,200
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,700 4,500-4,700
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,100 2,000-2,100
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-2,000 1,700-2,000
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 34.9 degree
Celsius, minimum temp. 24.8 degree Celsius
Rainfall : Nil
FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky.
Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 35 and 25
degree Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are
excluded from plant delivery prices, but
included in market prices)
MONSOON’S
SLOW DEPARTURE FROM OCT 1 TO AID RABI
Thursday, 28 September 2017 | PNS | New Delhi1
2
3
5
The South West monsoon is set for a delayed retreat. Indications about the
delay in the retreat were observed on August 31, when strong monsoon-friendly
south-easterly winds were noted over North-West India.
The Met
Department has said monsoon withdrawal process will begin from October 1 from
north-western Rajasthan. The delayed withdrawal is expected to aid sowing
prospects next month for winter crops such as wheat and rapeseed by improving
soil moisture content. Summer crops such as rice, corn, sugarcane, soybeans and
cotton no longer need downpours, though sporadic rain can aid their growth.
According to
Met Department, there is a five per cent deficient rainfall this year till date
(September 27). The deficiency of monsoon was recorded six per cent till
September 20 this month. As per reports, monsoon has recorded below average in
six States that include Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Manipur, Delhi and
Nagaland. “The final report pertains to this year monsoon is to be
finalised after September this year. The rainfall in September has reduced the
deficiency up to one per cent,” said officials.
The Met
Department officials said Dakshin Dinajpur, Murshidabad and South 24 Pargana
districts in West Bengal, Anugul, Balangir, Baragarh, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal,
Jajapur, Kandhamal, Sambalpur in Odisha, RI Bhoi and West Garo Hills in
Meghalaya, Phek in Nagaland, Senapati and Thoumbal in Manipur, Arwal, Nawada,
Nalanda, Lakhisarai, Bhojpur, Jamui, Madhubani, Munger and Muzzaffarpur in
Bihar, Unnao, Deoria, Mau, Chandauli, Ballia, Amethi, Banda in UP are among the
districts which have received below rainfall this monsoon.
Due to uneven
rainfall this year, the Agriculture Ministry’s data of advance estimate of
production of kharif crops has estimated to be lower than last year with the
only exception being sugarcane. Production of foodgrains such as rice, pulses
and coarse cereals is likely at 134.7 million tonnes in 2017-18, about 2.8 per
cent below last year’s record crop of 138.5 million tonnes, the Ministry
estimates showed.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/monsoons-slow-departure-from-oct-1-to-aid-rabi.html
Rice importation not banned – Agric Minister, Ogbeh
By
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, has
stated that the Federal Government did not ban the importation of agricultural
produce including rice.
He clarified that all the federal government did was to put
measures in place to checkmate the smuggling of rice into the country.
He also explained that maize was not on the nation’s import ban
prohibition list but charged maize importers to work out how to grow the produce
locally through integration, the way Olam farms had done with rice production.
Ogbeh said: “Olam has gone into a very large poultry business and
they ordered maize because maize is not banned yet.
“We haven’t really banned anything yet, not even rice; you can
bring in rice as long as it passed through the ports and you pay the tax and
levies. It’s the smuggling of rice that we don’t want.
“Develop an out-growers programme like you’ve done for rice and
let Nigerian farmers grow for you.
http://dailypost.ng/2017/09/28/rice-importation-not-banned-agric-minister-ogbeh/ Home Business Global
Business
12:00 AM, September 28, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 12:00 AM, September
28, 2017
Production loss, govt indecision caused rice price spiral: WB
The government's indecisiveness in
procuring rice and reducing tariff destabilised the market while it did not
have adequate stocks for intervention in the market, said Hussain.There was
indecision at the government level about the mode of procurement, whether it
will be government-to-government or through tender -- and from which country to
import it from, he said.As a result, rice did not reach government silos in
time, said the economist, adding that the government also suffered from
indecision on decreasing taxes, due to which import halted and hundreds of
trucks were stranded at land ports.
Hussain said the spread of a rumour that India has banned export of rice
spurred a steady rise of the price while the price went up in India, Thailand
and Vietnam. He said businessmen might have taken advantage of these
uncertainties to go for speculative hoarding, which may have pushed up the
price.
“It is difficult to prove the hoarding
but it cannot be dismissed,” Hussain said.Price per kilogramme of coarse rice
reached Tk 50 recently while fine rice Tk 70. The former's price is falling but
that of fine rice is still hovering around the same level.
Rice prices were Tk 42 and Tk 68 respectively
in Dhaka yesterday, according to a report of the Trading Corporation of
Bangladesh
Bangladesh gets offers in tender to buy 50,000 tonnes rice
SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 / 3:07 PM /
DHAKA, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The
lowest offer in the tender from Bangladesh’s state grains buyer to purchase
50,000 tonnes of rice which closed on Thursday was $427.33 a tonne, on a cost,
insurance and freight basis, liner out, officials at the state grains buyer
said.The offer was submitted by a domestic farm while six other traders
competed for the tender, which was issued earlier this month.
Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing
by Christian Schmollinger
SPONSORED
SEPTEMBER 29, 2017 / 8:48 AM / UPDATED
6 HOURS AGO
Sri Lanka to import rice to stabilize prices
Thursday, 28
September 2017 - 8:45
Meanwhile,
the Coconut Marketing Board has initiated a programme to sell coconuts directly
to consumers to assist with price control, as prices have gone up excessively.The
President instructed that a committee consisting of officials from the Ministry
of Trade and Ministry of Agriculture should meet on a weekly basis to discuss
variables relating to the sale of essential food items.
Govt. to purchase 720,000 tons of rice this
year
·
Published : Sept 28, 2017 - 10:23
·
Updated : Sept 28, 2017 - 10:23
The government will buy 720,000 tons of rice harvested this year
to stabilize domestic market prices amid chronic oversupply of the staple
grain, the agriculture ministry said Thursday. The Ministry of
Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it will buy 350,000 tons of rice for
its reserve and 370,000 tons to help maintain market prices at a certain level.
The government increased the amount of rice purchased for the supply adjustment from 299,000 tons in 2016, when rice prices fell to a 21-year low.
As the rice surplus last year was estimated at about 300,000 tons, the government's purchase for the purpose of price stabilization this year is expected to surpass surplus production, the ministry said.
The government increased the amount of rice purchased for the supply adjustment from 299,000 tons in 2016, when rice prices fell to a 21-year low.
As the rice surplus last year was estimated at about 300,000 tons, the government's purchase for the purpose of price stabilization this year is expected to surpass surplus production, the ministry said.
|
|
|
Agriculture Minister Kim
Young-rok announces the government`s rice purchase plan during a press
briefing held in Sejong on Sept. 28, 2017. (Yonhap)
|
"Although the official rice production data hasn't been announced, this year's purchase volume for market stabilization is expected to exceed the extra amount produced," Agriculture Minister Kim Young-rok said in a press briefing. "As the government plans to buy enough rice to separate it from the market, I expect it would help stabilize rice prices."There was an excess of 300,000 tons of rice last year, as the 4.2 million-ton supply far exceeded the 3.9 million tons consumed, and the glut will likely be around 200,000 tons in 2017.
The chronic oversupply of rice comes as a growing number of South Koreans have been reducing their rice intake and diversifying their diets with alternatives like wheat, barley, beans and corn.As part of efforts to reduce the excess of rice, the government also plans to finalize its preparations to join the Food Assistance Convention this year to ship 50,000 tons of rice overseas annually.
The FAC is a 14-nation convention aimed at promoting global food security and providing humanitarian food assistance to developing countries. Members include the United States, the European Union, Canada, Japan and Australia.
http://nwww.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170928000291
Bangladesh gets offers in tender to buy 50,000
tonnes rice
DHAKA, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The lowest offer in
the tender from Bangladesh’s state grains buyer to purchase 50,000 tonnes of
rice which closed on Thursday was $427.33 a tonne, on a cost, insurance and
freight basis, liner out, officials at the state grains buyer said.The offer
was submitted by a domestic farm while six other traders competed for the
tender, which was issued earlier this month.
https://in.reuters.com/article/bangladesh-tender-rice/bangladesh-gets-offers-in-tender-to-buy-50000-tonnes-rice-idINL4N1M93QT USA Rice Seeks Increased Funding for Export Programs
By Frank Leach
WASHINGTON, DC -- USA Rice joined 150 members of the Coalition to
Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports this week in signing a letter to leaders of
the House Committee on Agriculture, asking them to increase funding for U.S.
Department of Agriculture Export programs in the upcoming Farm Bill.
"Despite a tremendous growth in export opportunity for
farmers and small businesses since the 2002 Farm Bill was enacted, the real,
effective federal funding that reaches the agricultural cooperators carrying
out market development work has steadily eroded, while our international
competitors continue to greatly outspend us," the letter reads.
The letter was released on the heels of a Senate bill, S.1839, the
Cultivating Revitalization by Expanding American Agricultural Trade and Exports
(CREAATE) Act, introduced by Senators Angus King (I-ME), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Joe
Donnelly (D-IN), and Susan Collins (R-ME), that has been referred to the Senate
Agriculture Committee. Companion legislation in the House (H.R. 2321) was
introduced by Representatives Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Chellie Pingree
(D-ME).
The CREAATE Act seeks to expand funding for the Market Access
Program (MAP) to $400 million annually and the Foreign Market Development (FMD)
program to $69 million annually, with the increases phased in over the timeline
of the new Farm Bill.
Export market promotion and development are extremely important to
the U.S. rice industry with an average of 50 percent of the crop being exported
annually. Top destinations for U.S. rice include Mexico, Japan, and
Colombia, and USA Rice uses MAP and FMD funding to undertake significant
promotion programs there and elsewhere.
"Increased funding for MAP and FMD programs is critical to
increasing exports and developing new markets for U.S. rice," said USA
Rice International Promotion Chairman Terry Harris. "The funding for
these programs has remained flat for too long. We applaud the work of our
Congressional leaders who recognize the need to increase funding in order to
help promote U.S. products on the international market."
Lazy Rice!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2Y_dC4Pugs
Basmati rice to
remain costlier this year on lower output estimates
The price
increase might hurt exports of this aromatic rice which remained a favourable
choice for consumers in Iran, Saudi Arabia and European countries.
Dilip Kumar Jha | Mumbai Last
Updated at September 28, 2017 01:01 IST
·
ALSO READ
·
The prices of Basmati paddy and rice are likely to remain firm
this year due to estimates of lower output, following erratic monsoon rain in major growing regions. Data
compiled by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) showed the country’s
cumulative rainfall this season was 5 per cent lower than the long-period
average (LPA), with the northwest region recording 11 per cent less rainfall
until September 20.
According to industry sources, lower
rainfall in major Basmati paddy-growing regions not only hit the overall sowing
area but also standing plants in the fields. The price increase might hurt the export of this aromatic rice, a
favourable choice for consumers in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and European countries.
“During the current season, there has been
rainfall deficit in the key Basmati rice-producing states of Uttar Pradesh and
Haryana over the previous year’s monsoon season till mid-September 2017 as well
as lower water reservoir levels in Uttar Pradesh. These factors can translate
into lower paddy production in the current crop
season, and thus the paddy prices are likely to open firm in
the oncoming procurement season,” said Deepak Jotwani, assistant
vice-president, Icra.
Meanwhile, India’s Basmati rice exports have witnessed a
rebound in the current fiscal year, with the first quarter of 2017-18 (FY18)
registering a 32 per cent growth in exports contributed by 25 per cent increase
in realisations and 7 per cent increase in volumes. This comes after a three-year
consecutive decline in Basmati exports till FY17 (Rs 21,605 crore).
In the past, despite the volumes holding
firm, the exports have been adversely impacted by pressure on realisations
(from peak of Rs 77,988 a tonne in FY14 to Rs 54,011 a tonne in FY17), driven
by lower demand in the global market as well as lower paddy prices over the procurement seasons
of FY15 and FY16.
Gurnam Arora, joint managing director,
Kohinoor Foods Ltd, said, “Basmati rice is likely to remain firm
this year on lower output estimates.”
An Icra report said Basmati rice exports in the current
financial year had been encouraging, especially driven by demand from Iran. The
West Asian countries are the biggest importers and also a source of volatility
in demand.
Demand from Iran, the second-largest
importer has been fairly volatile, primarily on account of import bans imposed
from time to time. In Q1 FY18, Iran has been the primary contributor to growth
in industry exports, contributing around 40 per cent to the total. However,
from August, Iran has again discontinued importing Basmati rice from India.
The resumption of imports by Iran, which
is expected around the procurement season, would be critical for the overall
demand for Basmati rice.
Any delays in the same could dampen the paddy procurement in the upcoming season
as well as subdue the exports outlook for H2 FY18 and FY19. This is especially
important in the light of decline in volume sales from other key market - Saudi
Arabia (13 per cent of total exports in Q1 FY18 as against 20 per cent in
FY2017, according to the Icra report.
On the supply side, during the last
procurement season of October-December 2016, Basmati paddy prices had firmed up by 20-25 per
cent across varieties, on the back of relatively lower production.
Demand concerns in the form of Iran import
ban and sluggishness from other key geographies would be overcome and export volumes in FY18 would be around
4.1 million tonnes. In addition, higher paddy prices in the last procurement
season and likelihood of firm prices in the upcoming procurement season are
expected to push up the average realisations in FY18. As a result, export value is expected to grow to
around Rs 26,000 crore in FY18, a jump of 21 per cent over FY17, it said.
India’s Basmati rice output is estimated to have
declined by over 18 per cent to 8 million tonnes for 2016-17. An Icra report said that basmati rice exports in the current
fiscal have been encouraging, especially driven by demand from Iran. The Middle
Eastern countries are the biggest importers; and also a source of volatility in
demand. Demand from Iran, the second largest importer has been fairly volatile,
primarily on account of import bans imposed from time to time. In Q1FY2018,
Iran has been the primary contributor to growth in industry exports –
contributing around 40 per cent to the total. However, from August 2017, Iran
has again discontinued importing Basmati rice from India.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/basmati-rice-to-remain-costlier-this-year-on-lower-output-estimates-117092600339_1.html
Rice researchers discover herbicide
resistance in popular variety
Kent McKenzie, director
and plant breeder, California Rice Experiment Station, says researchers
discovered a single recessive gene in a common rice variety that makes it
resistant to the herbicide Oxyfluorfen, providing hope that one day weed
control in rice systems may be easier.
A discovery by researchers at the Rice Experiment Station in Biggs, Calif.
offers hope that a possible new rice variety may someday give growers better
control of weeds in the aquatic system.
Kent McKenzie, director and plant
breeder with the Rice Experiment Station (RES), says the idea came about in the
greenhouse when studies of the popular M206 variety showed signs of resistance
to Oxyfluorfen, an herbicide with other agricultural applications, but one not
labeled for use in rice.
Weed control in California rice
is a challenge for growers.“It’s huge and it’s expensive,” McKenzie says.Earlier
this year, a granular mixture of benzobicyclon and halosulfuron, the active
ingredient components of a Gowan Company product called Butte, was registered
for use in California rice. What excited growers at the time is Butte provides
a new mode of action (Butte is an HPPD-inhibitor) previously not offered in
California rice systems.
According to McKenzie,
researchers studying Oxyfluorfen (a PPO-inhibitor) in the greenhouse
discovered M206 rice plants – a common variety among California growers – were
not damaged by the herbicide. Additional tests and conventional breeding
procedures from early populations of resistant rice found nine plants that did
not die when exposed to Oxyfluorfen.
“So at that point we got a little
excited and thought maybe we have something that is resistant to this
herbicide,” he said.
From there McKenzie said
researchers began looking at different kinds of weeds common to California rice
systems that could be controlled by Oxyfluorfen and if it can work in the
field.“The advantage of this is we found it in M206 which is our most
widely-grown variety,” he said. “From the plant breeding end this is very
desirable because we shouldn’t have to fix a lot of things.”
Also desirable, and unlike other
technologies that allow herbicides to be applied over the top of resistant
crops, is this process does not involve genetic engineering.“This isn’t going
to fly in rice,” he said. “The technology is there but the markets haven’t
accepted it.”
Instead, genetic studies show
that the trait causing the herbicide resistance is inherited as a single
recessive gene through common, long-standing breeding practices.Though not a
variety at this point, McKenzie says the Oxyfluorfen-resistant rice has been
given the name “ROXY,” and is now patent-pending. Discussions are also under
way to find a company willing to serve as the registrant for a product that
could be labeled for California rice.
The search for a new mode of
action to control rice weeds is critical as these weeds are developing
resistance to currently labeled herbicides.“It looks promising,” McKenzie says.
“We still don’t know how long it will be before we have this, but people keep asking
me and I just tell them ‘I’ll have the variety by the time you have the
label’.”
Government
Cuts Rice Imports
28.09.2017
Annually the government
is spending K600million to import rice. The government plans to cut
the import of rice despite an increase of 5 percent annually in consumption. IT
will take at least five years for Papua New Guinea to start producing and
exporting its own rice and for the eight million people to consume. Agriculture
Minister Benny Allen in his response to Menyamya MP Thomas Pelika said there
are at least five companies that are in the process of producing rice locally –
one of which is Naime Rice.
Minister Allen was taken to task by Mr Pelika during Question
Time in Parliament about the Government’s plans to have rice grown locally and
help with job creation for provinces like Menyamya
http://www.blackseagrain.net/novosti/government-cuts-rice-imports
Corruption eating away relief for
the public
12:00 AM, September 28, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 01:21 PM, September
28, 2017
Coarse varieties of rice were on
sale for Tk 50-54 per kg in the capital's retail markets last week—Tk 10 higher
than the price only a month ago.
Despite the progress, natural
calamities like floods and landslides are having a disastrous effect on the
nutrition situation, which is likely to be more severe this time around,
considering the extent of damage caused by floods this year. According to the
state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), coarse varieties of rice
were on sale for Tk 50-54 per kg in the capital's retail markets last week—Tk
10 higher than the price only a month ago.
With rice prices soaring across the
country in recent months, following widespread fears of rice shortages fuelled
largely by the fact that massive amounts of agricultural losses were endured,
the government has rightly started to intervene in the market recently by
selling the staple at a subsidised price under a nationwide Open Market Sale
(OMS) programme. Although, only after wrongly delaying from intervening.
Food Ministry sources, meanwhile,
said that the intervention was not possible earlier because of the shortage of
rice in public granaries, while also blaming a section of rice millers for
deliberately hoarding rice and hiking prices. The Anti-Corruption Commission
too has “received the allegation” that traders were hoarding rice in cahoots
with “some government officials”, which it has said it will “inquire
into”.
Consequently, their attempts to
defraud the public also allegedly included dissemination of a confusing letter
that said that India had stopped exporting rice to Bangladesh, which was later
cleared to have been fake by the government. When seen from a broader
perspective, this allegation is much more serious than it initially seems. At a
time when the nation had barely recovered from one massive disaster (floods)
and was struggling to deal with another crisis (the Rohingya influx), that
special-interest groups will attempt to destabilise the rice market—endangering
the national interest—for a quick buck should not be taken lightly.
Thus, the government should
carefully investigate the matter and transparently deal with its findings.
However, what none of this can excuse is the government's own failure to
pre-empt a situation in which it would significantly have to intervene in the market
in order to stabilise the price of a commodity as essential as rice.
One further indicator of this is
the shelving of the government's rice distribution programme to the ultra-poor
which it had drummed up for quite some time. The government suddenly postponed
the plan as it would require 4.5 lakh tonnes of food-grains, while to operate
the OMS programme beyond the district-level for a month, it would also need
50,000 to 100,000 tonnes of rice; whereas, the public food stock had 3.45 lakh
tonnes of rice only and 1.21 lakh tonnes were still in the import pipeline,
information from food ministry officials revealed.
This and other similar failures
have prompted even rice traders to allege that “the food ministry didn't pay
any attention to a fast depleting government food stock, and [had] responded
late to the urgency of replenishing the rice reserve after the Haor deluge.”
And to blame the government for “the delay in reducing the high import duty on
rice” and for refusing “to give better price for homegrown rice”, only to
procure the staple later “from abroad at much higher prices” (Govt wasn't alert
to depleting stock, September 20, The
Daily Star).
One leading private rice importer
said that had the government reduced duty on rice imports “right after the
flash flood-induced crop loss, a situation like this would not have arisen in
the first place.” And so, this is the crux of the current crisis. While it is
understandable that the government has had to deal with a number of crises all
at the same time, what is inexcusable is the food ministry's failure to perform
its primary and specific duty. This too demands a proper investigation as much
as the circulation of the fake letter does.
And, finally, there is the matter
of what has been happening since then which, bar none, deserves the greatest
and most urgent attention; particularly given that it is still rectifiable.
And, that is, corruption in the OMS programme, including in its sale and
distribution.
One incident of this was recorded
in Rajshahi's Durgapur upazila on September 20, where three dealers were
alleged to have falsely shown on paper the sale of rice at the subsidised OMS
rate. “Taking advantage of lax monitoring by food officials,” the dealers were
alleged to have sold three tonnes of rice—the total allocation of OMS for the
day—on the black market (one can only assume at a higher price for personal
profit) in complete disregard for the plight of ordinary citizens and the
intent of the initiative (Dealers go rogue with OMS rice, September 22, The Daily Star).
One of the monitoring officials had
even admitted signing the document confirming the sale, under pressure from
someone named Rustom, who also happens to have the “blessings of local leaders
of the ruling party”. No doubt, there are many more cases of similar corrupt
practices happening regularly that are going completely unreported.
Given the settings, while it is
perhaps illogical to ask the government to address each and every case of such
corruption individually, what it can do is take exemplary measures against the
corrupt in cases that are brought to its notice—particularly when its own party
men are involved—to show that no one should feel emboldened enough to chance
their luck. Also, assigning responsible and non-partisan monitoring officials
at the points of sale is as paramount as properly informing the public about
where and how they can easily obtain OMS rice—that has been dismally lacking so
far.
It has been a difficult year for
the government with so much going on, but an even tougher one for those who
have lost everything and now have nothing going for them. In some of the cases,
the government did well and meant well, but in others, it made a hash of
things. In some of the instances it was a handful of individuals at fault, but
in others, the government's lack of action that allowed it.
Right now, those who have nothing
going for them cannot afford to have the government make a hash of things any
longer, nor its lack of action to alleviate their sufferings.
Scientists succeed in increasing rice yield on
saline-alkaline soil
By Zhao Yusha and Zhang Hui Source:Global Times
Published: 2017/9/28 23:28:40
A field test on Thursday of yields from an alkali-resisting "sea rice," developed by Yuan
Longping, China's "father of hybrid rice," has exceeded expectations,
according to scientists involved in the study.
The Chinese scientists carried out the test on
a field at a research center in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, and
said that it paved the way for greater use of similar rice in China's 100
million hectares of saline-alkaline soil.
The test center, for which Yuan is the chief
scientist, was established in October 2016. In this test, the sea rice yield
from saline-alkaline soil with a salinity of 3 per millage, was about 390
kilograms per 0.07 hectare, after using soil conditioner. This increased the
yield by 20 percent, compared with rice yields without soil conditioner, said
Wu Zhaohui, a fellow of the China National Hybrid Rice R&D Center, who
joined the yield test in Qingdao.
"The results of this experiment have
boosted our confidence and we'll do some more experiments before promoting the
sea rice for saline-alkaline soil nationwide," Wu added.
Yuan said he plans to increase yields of
sea-rice to at least 300 kilograms per 0.07 hectare, in three to five years, on
condition of keeping sea water salinity to 3 to 8 per millage, thepaper.cn
reported.
Wu said that their next step is to increase the
salinity of the saline-alkaline soil for more of these experiments. Sea rice is
sometimes found in saline-alkaline soil at the juncture of rivers that join the
sea and is reported to be resistant to pests, diseases, salt, and alkali, and
does not need fertilizer. China's most advanced sea-rice breed has a yield of
400 kilograms per mu (0.07 hectares), but can only be grown in water with a
salinity of less than 0.3 percent, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
When asked about whether the greater use of
"sea rice" will cover the costal wetlands, Zhang Guodong, of the
Qingdao sea-rice research center, told thepaper.cn that they will mainly use
inland saline-alkaline soil because, "China has 35 million mu of coastal
wetlands that can only be developed according to the country's
requirements."
Rice is the first choice for improving
saline-alkaline soil, of which there is 950 million hectares worldwide, Yuan
said, with 100 million hectares in China, 18.7 million hectares of that
exploitable. He noted that previously, he had hopes that the popularization of
"sea rice" would benefit human beings as much as plowed land had.
And he concluded, "I myself and my
institution are also willing to help other countries develop hybrid rice to
contribute to world food security and peace.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1068754.shtml
Quote of the Day
"A simple act of kindness the
size of a rice grain can weigh as heavy as a mountain."
- Feroz Bham
