Friday, February 09, 2018

9th February,2018 daily global regional local rice e-newsletter


 


           
New Bill Focuses Attention on Organic Food 
By Lesley Dixon
 Rep. John Faso (R-NY)
WASHINGTON, DC -- Representative John Faso (R-NY) has introduced a bill that addresses fraudulent organic agricultural imports and proposes to increase funding to the National Organic Program (NOP) for oversight and technology upgrades.  USA Rice has continually raised the issue of fraudulent organic rice imports with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because they are harmful to domestic organic rice producers.

The bill would require the NOP to provide yearly reports to Congress on the progress of the initiative, and is intended to protect the integrity of the USDA organic label, increase consumer trust, and protect the interests of U.S. organic farmers who follow regulations.

"Representative Faso's bill is a big step forward in addressing fraudulent labeling of non-organic products," said Frank Leach, USA Rice manager of government affairs.  "Additional resources and technology for inspectors will boost consumer trust and program integrity, and protect our farmers."

Sales of organic food reached a record $43 billion in 2017, and the industry is growing at a rate of almost 10 percent per year, according to Faso.  As demand for organic products in the U.S. increases, so have attempts to pass fake organics off as the real thing.  In 2017 alone, the USDA eliminated 42 fraudulent certificates from the organic supply chain that originated in countries including Viet Nam, Denmark, and Turkey.

The consequences to U.S. organic farmers, who must comply with additional certification to have their products authenticated as organic by the USDA, can be serious.  Fraudulent organic imports create unfair competition in the U.S. marketplace and undermine consumer confidence in organic brands, which ultimately hurts U.S. organic farmers.

The NOP, which is largely responsible for regulating organic certificates, has not kept pace with these issues.  Regulation and oversight have lagged behind in comparison to how rapidly the organic industry has grown, and Faso's bill, also known as The Organic Farmer and Consumer Protection Act of 2017, aims to remedy that disparity.  

The bill seeks to modernize the NOP's record-keeping and tracking tools in order to improve their ability to regulate, oversee, and trace organic imports from their origins all the way to the U.S. market, giving the agency authority over any certifying agent operating in a foreign country. 

"Imports of organic rice products have surged in recent years and we are convinced that many of these are fraudulent and do not comply with NOP standards," said John Hasbrook, USA Rice Foodservice Subcommittee Chairman.  "It is impacting our profitability and the integrity of our organic rice production.  We support Representative's Faso's bill and all steps to combat these illegal imports."
USA Rice Daily









WASDE Report Released  

WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. 2017/18 rice supply and demand estimates are unchanged this month.  The projected season-average farm price for all rice is lowered 10 cents at the midpoint of the range.  The reduction is primarily attributed to lower-than-expected long-grain prices reported by NASS.

Global 2017/18 rice supplies are lowered 1.3 million tons on reduced beginning stocks and lower production.  Total world production is only down fractionally primarily on a smaller Bangladesh crop.  Exports are up 1 million tons to a record 46.8 million.  Export changes are led by a 500,000-ton increase for India and a 300,000-ton increase for Burma.  Imports are raised 800,000 tons for Bangladesh and 500,000 for Indonesia.  Total global use is raised 600,000 tons for 2016/17 but reduced 1 million for 2017/18.  For the 2017/18 marketing year, consumption is lowered 200,000 tons each for Bangladesh, Burma, and India, while it is raised 300,000 for China.  Ending stocks are down 300,000 tons but remain the highest since 2000/01.

Read the full report 
here.

USA Rice Daily

One Grain Time Assams Rice Seed Library Climate Resilience


In the foothills of the eastern Himalayas in Assam, Mahan Chandra Borah, is racing against time to stock up nearly-extinct and rare indigenous rice varieties, one grain at a time, in his unique seed library-to help secure genetic diversity for climate resilience.
Borah’s ‘Annapurna’ library is “northeast India’s first indigenous seed saving library” that seeks to collect and promote the cultivation of heirloom rice landraces of the region in the wake of climate change. A history graduate-turned-farmer, he started the seed bank about 12 years ago, from Meleng in Assam. Backed by traditional wisdom on diverse rice cultivars imparted by the elderly in his village, he fanned out to hamlets across the northeastern states in hunt of these treasures. He subsequently converted it into a library. His assemblage includes aromatic, sticky, black, flood-tolerant and hill rice among others.
“I started with three varieties. Now I have 250 varieties of rice, mostly from northeast India,” Borah said. “These traditional rice types can withstand extreme climatic variability such as floods, drought etc. But they are not cultivated extensively nowadays due to preference for hybrid or high yielding varieties (HYVs).”

A seed chain

Annapurna is also a sister library of the California-based Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library. Richmond Grows in its website says the idea is that you “plant the seeds, let some go to seed, then return some of these next generation seeds for others to borrow.” So, people from the region can borrow seeds from Borah’s library, conserve it and lend the seeds to others.
Borah has expanded his endeavour to open up libraries in other parts of the state in Sadiya, Balipara and Kaziranga.  “Farmers come to me to deposit seeds. I sow them in a plot of land and then later on, others come and borrow the resulting seeds. It is not a strict rule that they have to give me back some seeds in return. They can carry on the chain. I characterise their properties and educate the farmers as well so they can make an informed choice about the rice variety they want to procure,” he explained.
According to Ministry of Agriculture’s agricultural statistics for 2015-16, India produced 104.31 million tonnes of rice over 43.38 million hectares. Rice is the most significant crop cultivated in northeast India.
Rice is cultivated in a wide range of agro-ecological situations in Assam: from the hill slopes of Karbi Anglong to drought-affected upland and rain-fed lowland to very deep water conditions. There are four broad divisions of rice cultivars grown in Assam – Sali (winter rice), Ahu (autumn), Boro (summer) and Bao (deepwater rice), having various traits such as stickiness, high starch content, waxy or otherwise and aromatic. It is because of this exposure to a range of environmental conditions, there is extensive diversity in traditional landraces.
Borah conducts regular workshops for university students educating them about the diversity and the need to preserve the indigenous varieties and plans to connect with more to spur a community seed library initiative.

Mahan Borah’s rice seed lending library exhibition. Photo by Sahana Ghosh / Mongabay.

Unique traits in traditional varieties

At the Biodiverse 2018 conference at IIT-Guwahati, Borah showcased a clutch of rice types for attending students and participants. Take ‘Tulsi Sali’, for example. It is suitable for low land areas. Borah points out it takes time to cook but “is good for hardworking people”, alluding to its nutritional characteristics. Also, on display was the iconic ‘Joha’ aromatic variety that received the geographical indication (GI) tag last year, as well as stocks of exquisite black rice. “Burma Black (black rice) needs two whistles (on a pressure cooker). Kokua Bora’s grains are red and is very tasty as a parboiled rice,” Borah said.
“Some of the Joha rice varieties are at the cusp of extinction while other such as Dumai, Murali in Barak Valley are also threatened,” added T. Ahmed, chief scientist, Regional Agricultural Research Station, Titabar, under Assam Agricultural University (AAU). Rice germplasm of the region should be thoroughly evaluated to seek out sources of resistance before they are wiped out by ravages of nature and human interventions, he emphasized.
“Despite their low-yield potential, these cultivars are grown for their high market and social values. And they are important reservoirs of valuable traits. The germplasm collections from this region could serve as valuable resources in breeding for abiotic stress tolerance, grain yield and cooking/eating quality,” Ahmed said.

Rice seed labelled according to their traits. Photo by Sahana Ghosh / Mongabay.
Climatic factors have also pushed scientists to harness biotechnological tools to develop resilient rice varieties. “We are developing short-duration flood tolerant variety. We developed the popular Ranjit variety which is suited to flood-free rain-fed lowlands during winter season in Assam. It now covers over 60 percent of sali (winter) crop areas. The improved ‘Keteki Joha’ scented rice gives three times higher yield. We need a basketful of rice varieties to combat climate change and develop resilience. Any form of conservation, whether ex-situ (in lab) or in-situ (natural site) is good,” Ahmed said.
Mahan Borah’s rice seed collection displayed in a village. Photo by Bijit Dutta / Annapurna Seed Library.

Seed security for food security

According to Assam’s Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC 2015-2020) the state falls within areas of greatest climate sensitivity, maximum vulnerability and lowest adaptive capacity. The draft report has flagged rise in ambient temperature, reduction in availability of water for irrigation, degrading soil health, erratic floods and droughts, emergence of new pests and pathogens as “threats” to rice production levels.  The emerging trends of rainfall indicate a reduction in the number of rainy days but a spike in extreme rainfall days coupled with enhanced intensity. Total rainfall is projected to increase in most of the areas in the Assam in the future.
“Nearly 0.4 million hectares of paddy is chronically flood prone and in some years, the flood swallows up about 1 million hectares,” Ahmed said. In addition, the hot humid climate of Assam favours pests and diseases. The pest scenario is further aggravated by intensive cultivation of susceptible modern HYVs, overlapping growing seasons, use of high doses of chemical fertilisers and injudicious use of plant protection chemicals. “Wild rice types are disappearing very fast and collection of wild rice deserves priority. Biotechnological tools will be helpful in conserving rice varieties. Also, variability of germplasm up to DNA level should be documented with regards to IPR regime,” Ahmed said.
“Northeast is the motherland of paddy. My ancestors were into farming and I took up the profession. Gradually it was seen that some of the traditional varieties started vanishing. This is not good. In addition, the seed market is being monopolised. So if you think about food security, you must think about seed security,” Borah signed-off.
This article was originally published at Mongabay India. It has been re-published at IC under a Creative Commons License.

https://intercontinentalcry.org/one-grain-time-assams-rice-seed-library-climate-resilience/

Technology keeps rice fertilizer nice

By Kaine Korzekwa
Farmers make a lot of decisions. One of the most important is how much fertilizer to apply to their crops, and when to apply it. Applying more than necessary or at the wrong time can waste resources, impact the environment, and cut into narrow profits.
Visiting professor Nadeem Akbar using the Handheld GreenSeeker in the field. Photo credit Telha Rehman.
The answer could lie in a small handheld device. A new tool may help growers make better decisions in applying nitrogen fertilizer to their rice fields.
The most wasteful application of nitrogen fertilizer occurs in the middle of the season, says Telha Rehman. Rehman is a researcher at the University of California, Davis. This is because it’s hard for farmers to know how much nitrogen—an essential nutrient for plants—is already available to the crops. He’s working to find a device that farmers can use to measure the amount of nitrogen already in their crops.
While the problem is not specific to rice, Rehman is focused on the crop because it is a major crop in California. It is grown on more than 555,000 acres. Rice also contributes more than $5 billion to the state’s economy annually.
“In California, an increasing number of farmers are beginning to apply midseason nitrogen fertilizer to their crop,” Rehman says. “Some growers now even plan a midseason application by withholding some of the first application of nitrogen. However, there has been no research to investigate whether these practices are effective at increasing rice productivity. We hope to find the best nitrogen management practices for California rice growers.”
The traditional way of measuring the amount of nitrogen in the plants is by destructively sampling them and submitting them to a lab for analysis. However, this method has some problems.
Analyzing plant samples is cumbersome and time-consuming. Fertilizer applications are time-sensitive, and this procedure often returns results after the critical time to apply fertilizer has passed. Additionally, Rehman explains, “It is nearly impossible to sample enough to know the nitrogen content of the whole field.”
To combat this, Rehman has been testing a small tool called the Handheld GreenSeeker to gather data on the plants. The device is able to collect data without physically contacting the plants. It objectively measures how green the plant is (nitrogen is a key component of the molecule that makes plants green). The index then uses the “greenness” to determine how much nitrogen is in the rice.
The first results show the measurements can provide insight into nitrogen status of the crop to guide in-season fertilizer application. The data can help farmers use their fertilizer more efficiently and increase productivity—and prevent the runoff of nitrogen from the fields.
“We use the GreenSeeker mostly because it is simple and easy to use,” Rehman says. “This new information should help growers to avoid fertilizer applications that cost them both financially and in production.”
Rehman presented the research at the October Annual Meeting of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America in Tampa, FL.

VGlobal Basmati Rice Market Size 2018 LT Foods, KRBL Limited, Kohinoor Rice, Amira Nature Foods, Aeroplane Rice and Best Foods

Larry Labadie | February 8, 2018
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LCCI vows to enhance Pak share in Malaysian import

LAHORE: Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Malik Tahir Javaid has expressed the resolve to make all out efforts to enhance Pakistan’s share in Malaysian imports of 163.4 billion.
According to Lahore Chamber’s spokesman here Wednesday, he was speaking at a dinner hosted by Pakistani High Commissioner in Malaysia Nafees Zakaria in honor of the LCCI delegation that moved to Malaysia after having a very successful visit of Indonesia.
LCCI President said that Pakistan and Malaysia had close and cordial relations since long and this relationship was growing and strengthening with the passage of time but this should be reflected in mutual trade and economic ties.
He said that Pakistan’s major exports to Malaysia were cereal, textiles and clothing, rice, vegetables, seafood (fresh, chilled and frozen), chemical and chemical products whereas major imports from Malaysia were palm oil, chemical products, electrical and electronic products.
Other exports from Pakistan to Malaysia included fish, potatoes, onion, maize, cotton yarn, woven fabrics, synthetic staple fibre, bed-linen, electrical apparatus for line telephony and parts and accessories, whereas other imports from Malaysia were rubber, wood, synthetic filament yarn, insecticides, automatic data processing machines and parts and accessories, he maintained.
Malik said that China, Singapore, Japan, USA, Thailand, South Korea and Indonesia were the major trade partners of Malaysia, and it was a bit discouraging that Pakistan was not in this list despite good relations with Malaysia and having best-of-the-best products in the world.
He suggested establishment of display center for Pakistani products in Pakistani embassies abroad to grab the attention of foreign buyers. The balance of trade had always been in favour of Malaysia and this situation was prevailing, and over the last five years, this gap had constantly been closing but still the total imports from Malaysia were six times of Pakistan’s exports to Malaysia, he added.
Malaysia and Pakistan, he said, had already signed a Free Trade Agreement which came into effect in January 2008, adding, “It provided us good platform to be utilized for a win-win situation but Pakistan achieved far lesser than its potential.”
He said the business community was trying its level best to make good use of FTA but there had to be some support provided by the Ministry of Commerce and especially commercial section of Pakistan’s High Commission in Malaysia. He said, “We want to acquire some justifiable share in trade with Malaysia. There is a huge potential of exporting Pakistani rice, fresh fruits like citrus and mango to Malaysia.”
Malik Tahir Javaid said that FTA did provide Pakistan exporters certain edge in the form of duty relief on fruit and vegetables etc. but due to knowing little about the packaging and certain requirements related to certification of food items, they could not make full utilization of these opportunities.
He said that joint ventures in the fields of livestock and dairy, food processing, energy, chemicals, Halal products and especially in light engineering could further strengthen the trade ties between two countries.
He said, “We need to develop good liaison with our Mission in Malaysia in order to overcome all the challenges involved in enhancing exports to Malaysia.”
Pakistan High Commissioner to Malaysia M. Nafees Zakaria lauded the efforts of Lahore Chamber of Commerceand Industry, and said that LCCI was leading from the front.
He urged Pakistani businessmen to evolve strategy to tap huge potential existed in Malaysia. He assured that he would make all out efforts to turn Pakistan mission in Malaysia into a match-making point for the business community in the two countries. He said that he would also utilize Malaysian media to highlight the soft image of Pakistan as in today’s world media was a strong tool to propagate information.
The delegation members Shahid Nazir, Awais Saeed Piracha, Muhammad Wasim, Haseeb Khawar, Shabbir Bhatti, Malik Muhammad Islam, Muhammad Farooq, Mian Faisal Majeed and Muhammad Arshad Bhatti also expressed their views about Pak-Malaysia trade relations

https://www.brecorder.com/2018/02/08/397820/lcci-vows-to-enhance-pak-share-in-malaysian-import/

 

Pakistan-Indonesia: Review process for PTA finalized

 

By APP
Published: February 8, 2018
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Indonesia have finalised the review process for their Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), which is likely to enhance local exports to Indonesia. Pakistan and Indonesia currently have an annual trade volume of $170 million, which is expected to increase $370 million after renegotiation of PTA between the two countries, a senior official of the Ministry of Commerce told APP on Wednesday. Both countries agreed to expand the PTA and opt for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the official said. Both sides discussed 20 tariff lines and Indonesia agreed to give unilateral concession on major exports from Pakistan including zero percent tariff  on tobacco, textile fabric, rice, ethanol, Citrus (Kinnow), woven fabric, t-shirts, apparel and mangoes during renegotiation on PTA, he added.  
Published in The Express Tribune, February 8th, 2018.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1628898/2-pakistan-indonesia-review-process-pta-finalized/




Chinese food takes over Pakistani menus

 

By Muhammad Zamir Assadi Source:Global Times Published: 2018/2/8 16:08:39

Illustration: Luo Xuan/GT

 

 

 

 

China proposed the Belt and Road initiative, which not only originated from the much needed sustainable development and inclusive growth of the countries that are involved in the initiative but many other interesting realities that are transforming human civilizations.China also upholds the significant element of people to people connectivity based on cultural exchanges aiming to develop the close bonds between people of different continents.

On one hand, the Belt and Road initiative is pushing forward economic integration and forming new regional alliances of development for people's wellbeing, while on the other hand, the vision is introducing Chinese food culture that has thousands of years of history to other regions of the world.

Now having an impressive and visible presence around the world, Chinese food with all its unique cooking styles, flavors and colors has started dominating Pakistani menus.

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship project of the Belt and Road initiative, has successfully paved a way of introducing Chinese cuisine in Pakistan.

The growing number of Chinese citizens traveling to perform their duties on hundreds of CPEC projects in Pakistan and more Pakistani people visiting China for various purposes have helped grow the popularity of Chinese food in the country. There are now restaurants in many Pakistani cities such as Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.

In addition, many Pakistani restaurants located in the cities included in CPEC projects have incorporated famous Chinese dishes in their traditional Pakistani menus following the presence of Chinese citizens there.People associated with the hotel industry believe that the CPEC significantly created huge opportunities benefitting the commercial entities on both sides of the border, but the introduction of Chinese food has given a fresh look to Pakistani dining tables.

Mei Kong, established in the 1970s and known as the oldest Chinese restaurant, takes the lead and pride of introducing Chinese food to Pakistan. The restaurant has trained chefs in cooking Chinese rice, chow mein (stir-fried noodles) and Lanzhou Lamian (stretched noodles), shrimp, prawns and lobsters.

The introduction of Chinese seafood in Pakistan has spread Chinese flavor and food traditions to spicy Pakistani dishes, which creates endless options for fusion cuisine. Chinese rice has also become a part of weekly household menus.

 

With the rising trend of Chinese restaurants, hotels are stepping up to prepare and introduce new Chinese dishes on the eve of Spring Festival.

The Chinese culture center in Islamabad has also done a lot to promote authentic Chinese culinary habits and eating techniques, especially the usage of chopsticks.Pakistan, a home of delicious traditional food, has always welcome international cuisines, and now the inclusion of Chinese food to traditional menus is being widely appreciated.

The promotion of Chinese culture through unique food in Pakistan has proven that the Belt and Road initiative has been performing beyond trade and investment. Chinese food has been forming a close bond between people around the world, and now there are much more cuisine choices to share with your loved ones.

This article was published on the Global Times Metropolitan section Two Cents page, a space for reader submissions, including opinion, humor and satire. The ideas expressed are those of the author alone, and do not represent the position of the Global Times.

 

Former Afghan leader urges sanctions on Pakistan officials

By: KATHY GANNON, Associated Press
Updated: Feb 7, 2018 - 1:16 PM
Former Afghan leader urges sanctions on Pakistan officials
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Saying that Afghanistan is in "terrible shape" 16 years after the collapse of the Taliban, former President Hamid Karzai accused the United States and Pakistan of using the Afghan war to further their own national interests.
He also warned that Afghans who had embraced the U.S. as a friend and liberator now see it as "hurting us, not helping us."
"That has to change," Karzai said in an interview with The Associated Press.
As many as 16,000 U.S. forces remain in Afghanistan, and a special training unit is scheduled to deploy early this year. After the U.S. and NATO forces formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014 and shifted to a training role, a resurgent Taliban stepped up their attacks and an affiliate of the Islamic State group emerged in Afghanistan.
That same year marked the end of Karzai's second and final term in office.
In the interview at his Kabul home, where he wore his signature ankle-length green striped coat and karakul cap, Karzai echoed complaints from Afghanistan's current government that accused neighboring Pakistan of harboring Taliban militants and he urged the U.S. to impose sanctions on Pakistani military and intelligence officials.
Citing U.S. President Donald Trump's New Year's Day tweet that accused Pakistan of "lies and deceit," Karzai said, "We hope the U.S. will now act in Pakistan."
But he added that "doesn't mean that the Pakistan people should be hurt or that war should be launched in Pakistan."
"In other words I want the U.S. to impose sanctions on the Pakistan military and the intelligence, not on the Pakistani people," Karzai said.
Trump has ramped up pressure on Pakistan this year, suspending up to $2 billion in military aid to Islamabad after accusing it of failing to crack down on militants who launch cross-border attacks on U.S. and Afghan forces.
Pakistan denies such allegations, blaming the violence on the Kabul government's security failures.
The interview came a day after U.S. lawmakers questioned the direction of America's longest war. At a hearing Tuesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee noted that Washington is spending about $45 billion a year in Afghanistan, with most of the money going to security, the bulk of which finances U.S. troops and accompanying logistical support. Only $780 million goes toward economic aid.
In recent weeks, Kabul has been battered by a wave of attacks claimed alternately by the Taliban and a rival Islamic State affiliate, which killed scores of people and exposed the U.S.-backed government's failure to secure the capital.
"The U.S. cannot tell us, 'Well if I am not here, you will be worse off.' We are in a terrible shape right now. ... We want to be better. We want to have peace. We want to have security," Karzai said.
In the early years of Karzai's administration, which was criticized as corrupt, oversight of the war was nonexistent. Commanders allied with the U.S.-led coalition often steered their American partners toward attacking their own enemies to try to settle old scores, rather than build the nation.
Today, Afghanistan's National Unity Government, paralyzed by bickering and feuding, shares power between President Ashraf Ghani and his chief executive, Abdullah Abdullah. The power-sharing deal was brokered by then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
Karzai called it a U.S. creation and said it "undermined Afghan democracy and the Afghan constitution."
He did not hide his frustration during the interview. He believes Washington wants to establish permanent bases in Afghanistan to project power in the region, while Pakistan wants to turn Afghanistan into a client state.
He said that U.S. forces are not in Afghanistan "to stop extremism."
"In my view, their intention is to keep us divided and weak so they can carry on their objectives in this region," Karzai said. "They have their global politics and rivalries. They have China as a great rising power. They have Russia as a revitalized, re-energized great power on the world scene, and they feel threatened and challenged."
He even suggested that reports from northern Afghanistan accused the U.S. of aiding the Islamic State affiliate against ethnic Tajik fighters in a bid to threaten Russia, which has reinforced its bases in Central Asia, against a burgeoning IS insurgency bolstered by Uzbek radicals formerly aligned with the terrorist group known as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.
Public opinion in Afghanistan, which has always been critical of Pakistan, has increasingly turned against the U.S. as the war has dragged on. Public sentiment also runs against the presence of foreigners in the country along with the Kabul government, which is perceived as deeply corrupt and incompetent.
In Kabul's western neighborhood of Kot-e-Sangi, day laborers gather by the hundreds at dawn in freezing temperatures, hoping for work.
Mohammed Daoud comes every day for the 300 Afghanis - roughly $4 - that he sometimes earns. Deteriorating security in the Afghan capital has meant less work and he blames both the government and also the coalition.
"The government looks after only itself. And what are the foreign soldiers doing? Nothing," he said.
Karzai said Afghans have to retake their country.
"We must implement our constitution and we must do all we can as a people to restore ourselves to the ownership of this country, which we don't have right now," he said.
"Right now it is the U.S. policy that owns it."

http://www.wpxi.com/news/world/former-afghan-leader-urges-sanctions-on-pakistan-officials/695671760

 

MILLERS ASK FOR PADDY TRANSPORTATION RATE HIKE                                                                             

Friday, 09 February 2018 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar
Rice millers have urged the State Government immediately to pay transportation charges for paddy procurement at a hiked rate as the existing rate is “abnormally low”.
Abnormal lower rates fixed for different incidentals for procurement of paddy and collection of custom milled rice (CMR) have posed a serious problem to the State Government.
While the State Government is going ahead with the paddy procurement programme in a big way, the transportation charge on paddy has been fixed by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution at Rs 4.75 per quintal. This rate is fixed for bringing paddy from purchase centres to the mill premises for the Kharif marketing season (KMS) 2017-18.
Interestingly, the transportation charge for KMS 2016-17 was fixed at Rs 36.18 per quintal. And instead of hiking the charge, the Union Government has slashed tit o Rs 4.75, which is apparently unworkable considering the rates of transportation prevalent in Odisha.
According to sources, while for procurement of paddy this rate is fixed, the transportation charge on custom milled rice from mill point to godowns of the State agency is also low and unworkable.
While during KMS 2016-17 the rate was Rs 13.44 per quintal , the Union Ministry has slashed it to Rs 6.62.
Both the rates are unworkable and not at all feasible considering the present rate of food grains transportation in the State, point out the rice millers. They have presented a memorandum to the State Secretary of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department Vir Vikram Yadav in this regard. Millers have also raised hue and cry over the matter with the Minister of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Surjya Narayan Patro on this issue. The present transportation rate for food grains transportation is above Rs 30 per quintal; and officials of the Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC) agree that the rate fixed by the Union Government is abnormally low.
The OSCSC, which handles paddy procurement, is not able to pay the amount to the millers as the rate is not acceptable to them. Similarly, gunny depreciation and usage charges have been fixed at Rs 12.30 as against the State Government’s proposal for Rs 24.00.
Administrative Charges on CMR have been fixed at a much lower level, which is not acceptable to the State Government, officials say. During KMS 2016-17, the administrative charge was fixed at 2.5 per cent, which has been slashed to 1 per cent during KMS 2017-18.
The State authorities are worried over the issue and have approached the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs to consider a hike in the
rates immediately as the problem is threatening smooth paddy procurement.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhubaneswar/millers-ask-for-paddy-transportation-rate-hike.htmlIs

 

Soy Milk The Best Plant-Based Alternative?

 -
 
Soy milk is often touted as being a healthy alternative to cow milk. But is it really? Soy, after all, is highly controversial. And up until recently, there’s been little research comparing the pros and cons of each. But now a new study has compared the four most-commonly consumed types of plant-based milk. Let’s see how soy fairs nutritionally compared to almond milk, rice milk and coconut milk.
New study compares almond, rice, coconut and soy milk
Dairy alternative milks taste good and generally don’t come with the same problems some people experience with cow’s milk. They’re also hyped as being healthy and wholesome for those who are lactose-intolerant. But there’s never really been much research done to compare the benefits between plant-based milks — until now.
study from McGill University in Canada, published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology looked at milk beverages from plant sources around the world. These included almond milk, soy milk, rice milk and coconut milk. They compared the nutritional values of unsweetened versions with those of cow’s milk — based on a one-cup serving. Here’s what they found…
Cow milk allergy and lactose intolerance
Did you know that cow’s milk is one of the most common allergies among infants and children? It even affects children more than peanut and nut allergies.  However, up to 35 percent of these infants outgrow being allergic to milk by the age of five to six years according to Food Scienceand Technology. Milk allergy may produce severe cellular damage and even trigger physical, mental and emotional symptoms that can vary in intensity and severity.
If your lactose intolerant, you’re either deficient, or lacking the enzyme lactase in the digestive tract. And you’re not alone. It affects about 15 to 75 percent of all adults depending on their race, eating habits and gut health. It’s for these reasons —  as well as being vegan or even a vegetarian, of course —  that there has been an increased demand for plant-based alternative milks around the world reports the study.  But there is only one alternative milk closest to cow’s milk when it comes to nutrients suggests the study.
Rice milk
Rice milk is lactose- free and can act as an alternative for those suffering from soybean and almond allergies. Calorie-wise, it is comparable to cow’s milk, but it lacks protein. Additionally, rice milk does not contain calcium, so generally it is fortified with calcium during the manufacturing process. Apart from the high carbohydrate count, rice milk offers a sweet taste but little nutrition says researchers. So, unfortunately rice milk is not the best plant-based alternative to cow’s milk.
Coconut milk
Compared to cow’s milk coconut milk is few calories but no protein. However, what calories it does have comes mostly from fat. But that’s not a bad thing since coconut milk contains beneficial fat called lauric acid. Lauric acid is a medium-chain fatty acid that’s easily absorbed and used by the body for energy. Additionally, these fats will not raise your cholesterol levels nor cause heart damage. Instead, coconut milk may help you lower cholesterol levels, improve blood pressure and help prevent heart attacks or a stroke. However, if stored for over two months, coconut milk loses its nutritional value.
Almond milk
Almond milk is made by blending almonds with water and then straining the mixture to remove the solid pieces. It has a nutty taste and creamy texture similar to cow’s milk. When it comes to cow’s milk, almond milk is low in calories, low in protein and low in carbs. And, to make up for lost nutrients, most manufacturers enrich almond milk with vitamins, minerals or protein and calcium according to Medical News. While many studies link whole almonds to a variety of health benefits, those benefits do not apply to almond milk. And of course, if you have an almond allergy you may want to steer clear from this alternative milk product.
This brings us to soy milk
Soy, according to the McGill University study, is the best plant-based alternative to cow’s milk. Why? Because soy milk has been an alternative source for cow’s milk for four decades and has the most balanced nutritional profile of all the four milks say researchers. It is also widely consumed for the phytonutrients — known as isoflavones — present in the milk. These phytonutrients have anti-carcinogenic properties which may help prevent or delay cancer. But there is a downside. Many people can’t stomach soy milk thanks to the “beany flavor.” There’s also a concern about the presence of substances in soy that reduce nutrient intake and digestion. Nevertheless, it is a great source of protein and usually fortified with essential vitamins and minerals.
But choose a quality soy milk
If you choose soy milk, pick a brand made with real soybeans. Fresh soy milk is best. However, if you can’t find it at your local health food store then choose whole-bean soy milk to avoid soy milk made from soy protein or soy isolate, suggests Dr.Oz. Additionally, check the expiration date. The further out the expiration date, the more likely the soy milk contains additives to extend its shelf-life. Check the label for hidden or added sugars like “brown rice syrup” or “evaporated cane juice.” If sugar is first on the list, then one cup of soy may just be too high in calories. In the end, you have to choose a milk that best suits your health needs. If you’re looking for a plant-based milk that compares to cow’s milk, soy may be the best alternative.
— Katherine Marko

Gov’t-to-gov’t deal seen to speed up NFA rice arrival

By Catherine TevesPhilippine News Agency on February 9, 2018


Created in 1972 as the National Grains Authority, the NFA is the government agency tasked with providing an adequate local supply of affordable rice and corn while ensuring reasonable return rates for Filipino farmers. (Photo: PTV via PNA)
MANILA — The National Food Authority (NFA) could have more affordable rice available for sale to Filipinos beginning April if the agency gets the go-signal to and starts importing the staple grain this February through government-to-government (G2G) arrangement.
This was according to NFA information officer Cynthia Suarez, who noted G2G facilitates importation, since governments concerned transact directly with each other under this arrangement.
“Such arrangement takes about 45 days only,” she said, noting rice importation under government-to-private (G2P) scheme takes longer.
NFA has admitted its rice inventory is already running low.
The agency explained that aside from the time needed for the bidding process itself, the G2P arrangement involves compliance requirements under RA 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.
The country may have to wait until around May for inbound rice shipments if the NFA imports the grain this February under G2P, the agency said.
G2G and G2P are government’s authorized arrangements for NFA rice importation.
Created in 1972 as the National Grains Authority, the NFA is the government agency tasked with providing an adequate local supply of affordable rice and corn while ensuring reasonable return rates for Filipino farmers.
The agency said it must maintain 15 days’ and 30 days’ rice buffer stocks at any given time and during the July-September lean season, respectively, to ensure availability of lower-cost rice nationwide.
“Regular well-milled” NFA rice costs PHP27/kilogram, while “well-milled” NFA rice costs PHP32/kg — lower than commercial rice in the market.
This week, however, the NFA said its total inventory of some 1.2 million bags of rice may last for two days only.
Such situation has prompted the agency to recalibrate its distribution of the remaining rice, prioritizing as recipients government agencies involved in relief operations.
Earlier, the NFA Council approved the agency’s 250,000-metric-ton (MT) rice importation for this year.
NFA is awaiting the council’s authorization for this agency to proceed with the importation.
Despite its shrinking inventory, the agency said there was no rice shortage in the country, since commercial rice was available in the market.
The council expects private importers to complete bringing into the country some 325,000 MT of rice by end-February.
That importation, the NFA noted, comprises the first tranche of the 690,000 MT of rice private importers are authorized to ship into the country this year.
Such imports would be sold as commercial rice, the agency said. (PNA)
http://www.canadianinquirer.net/2018/02/09/govt-to-govt-deal-seen-to-speed-up-nfa-rice-arrival/12:00 AM, February 09, 2018

Wheat cultivation lowest in 3 decades

Wheat acreage shrank to its lowest in three decades this year as many farmers switched to rice to profit from its high prices.
This cultivation season, wheat acreage stood at 3.49 lakh hectares, down 79 percent year-on-year, according to data from the Department of Agricultural Extension on January 23.
Many farmers opted for boro rice cultivation as rainfall affected wheat plantation in the main sowing period in November, said Naresh C Deb Barma, director of newly established Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute.
“The high prices of rice also influenced their decisions.”
Besides, wheat cultivation was discouraged in the southwestern districts -- Kushtia, Jhinaidaha, Jessore, Chuadanga and Meherpur -- to control blast infection, which hit wheat fields for the first time in 2015, Barma said.
Acreage has shrunk at a time when wheat imports are on the rise for increased domestic consumption as substitute of rice and for its increased use in the processed food industry.
Between July 1 last year and January 18 this year, imports of the grain, mostly by the private sector, rose 12 percent year-on-year to 37.32 lakh tonnes, according to data from the food ministry.
“We grew wheat on vast areas of land in our locality once. Now, you will find only a handful of growers cultivating the crop,” said Wasim Royal, a resident at Damurhuda upazila under Chuadanga, a southwest district.
Farmers in his locality have allocated the lands to rice, maize and sugarcane cultivation.
Growers are more interested to cultivate rice this year than wheat because of the high price of the staple, Royal said, adding that the prices of paddy almost doubled from Tk 600-700 two months ago.
Yesterday, the retail prices of coarse rice in Dhaka was Tk 44-46 each kilogram, up 22 percent from a year ago, according to data from the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh.
The prices of wheat flour were Tk 28-35 each kg, up only 5 percent from a year ago.
Barma said wheat prices were not that much attractive to growers compared to rice prices. “Imports are high,” he said.
The country imported 56.90 lakh tonnes of wheat in fiscal 2016-17, up 30.33 percent from a year earlier, according to data from the food ministry.
Imports is forecasted to rise to 65 lakh tonnes due to accelerated domestic consumption in the processed food industry this fiscal year, said the US Department of Agriculture last week.
Despite the slump in cultivation area, Barma expects that productivity of wheat would be high for favourable weather.
“Vegetative growth has been good so far. Besides, there is no disease infection. We are also carrying out campaigns so that farmers use fungicide to prevent the disease,” he said.
Wheat production declined 3 percent year-on-year to 13.11 lakh tonnes in fiscal 2016-17 on account of lower acreage, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

http://www.thedailystar.net/business/economy/wheat-cultivation-lowest-3-decades-1531984

 

Bangladesh rice output forecast lower

08.02.2018 
Rice production in Bangladesh in 2017-18 is forecast down slightly from a year ago, according to a Feb. 6 Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

This year’s output of 32.65 million tonnes is predicted lower than the 2016-17 total of 34.57 million tonnes due to heavy rains during a key grain maturing stage.

The report noted that more than 20 inches of rain fell in December, causing damage to the Aman rice crop.

Rice imports for the country in 2017-18 are forecast at 3.4 million tonnes, up from last year’s 2.47 million tonnes. The report said increased imports from India are anticipated.

Asia Rice-Prices retreat in top exporters as demand wanes



Reuters Thursday February 08, 2018 6:48 AM
Kitco News
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* India rates dip by $15 per tonne
* Thai prices ease to $420-$430 a tonne
* Vietnamese markets quieten ahead of holiday

By Arpan Varghese
BENGALURU, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Rice prices in India fell sharply this week from multi-year peaks hit last week due to a depreciating rupee and slowing demand, while a lack of fresh deals weighed on rates of the staple in other major exporters in Asia.
Top exporter India's 5 percent broken parboiled rice prices fell by $15 per tonne to $432-$436 after rising to the highest level since September 2011 last week.
"Thailand has cut prices sharply in last few days. Buyers are now expecting a further reduction in prices by all sellers," said an exporter based in Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
The exporters managed to cut prices by a few dollars due to the depreciating rupee, said another exporter in Kakinada.
The rupee has fallen more than one percent so far this month, increasing exporters' margins from overseas sales.
India's non basmati rice exports during April-December jumped 39.5 percent from a year ago to 6.34 million tonnes as Bangladesh and Benin raised purchases. Thailand's benchmark 5 percent broken rice rates fell to $420-$430 per tonne, free-on-board (FOB) Bangkok, from $443-$446 last week with new harvest produce expected to hit the market towards the end of February, and the lack of new orders from overseas, exporters said.
"We have to watch the Indonesian market closely. There is a chance that they will order more and that would push up prices," said a Thai rice trader, alluding to a recent buying order from Indonesia that had boosted Thai rice prices in previous weeks.
Indonesia's state food procurement agency Bulog said on Wednesday it signed contracts with six companies for 281,000 tonnes of rice imports.
Bulog will import 141,000 tonnes from Vietnam, 120,000 tonnes from Thailand and 20,000 tonnes from India. Thai traders were also eyeing potential orders from the Philippines, said another Bangkok-based trader.
However, an official at a government panel in Philippines that decides on its imports, on Wednesday said the country is facing no urgency to import rice despite a fall in stocks to the lowest in over two decades. Prices eased in Vietnam as well, as activity slowed ahead of the country's biggest holiday, the Lunar New Year, locally known as Tet, which will be observed from Feb. 14 to Feb. 20, traders said.
Vietnam's 5 percent broken rice prices dipped to $420-$425 a tonne, FOB Saigon, from $440-$450 previously.
"Everyone in this market is busy cleaning up storages and partying for Tet; who cares about trading," said a Ho Chi Minh City-based trader.
Prices could ease further in late February or early March during the harvest for the winter-spring paddy, traders said.

http://www.kitco.com/news/2018-02-08/Asia-Rice-Prices-retreat-in-top-exporters-as-demand-wanes.html

Piñol to cap rice prices as NFAC okays imports

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol (PNA)
Following the decision of the National Food Authority Council (NFAC) to push through with the importation of rice, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said he would urge President Duterte to cap the price of commercial rice.
“I will recommend [to the President] that there should be a cap on the price of commercial rice. The price of rice in the market now is not acceptable anymore,” Piñol told the BusinessMirror in an interview. “The rule of thumb in pricing rice is that it should be double the buying price of palay. Right now we have not heard of reports that palay is being bought at P25 per kilogram [kg], the highest now is P20. So, the price of rice should not be higher than P40,” he added.
He said the price of commercial rice should be capped at P42 to P44 per kg, while the regular-milled variety should not exceed P40 per kg. “Prices should not be higher than these figures as no one is buying paddy at P25 per kg.”
Piñol said the Department of Agriculture (DA) will open a rice outlet on Valentine’s Day, where farmers’ groups would be allowed to sell rice at P38 per kg.
National Food Authority (NFA) Spokesman Rex Estoperez confirmed to the BusinessMirror that the food agency has been allowed to purchase 250,000 metric tons (MT) of imported rice following Duterte’s directive to Cabinet Secretary Leoncio B. Evasco Jr. to green light the importation.
Evasco disclosed in a television interview on Thursday that  Duterte called him on Wednesday evening to activate the standby authority of the NFA to import 250,000 MT of rice.
Evasco chairs the NFA Council, the food agency’s highest policy-making body.
“NFA is proposing to buy rice via government-to-government, [because] we have a standby for 250,000 MT. The President called me [on Wednesday] night, giving us the order to buy,” Evasco said.
NFA Administrator Jason L.Y. Aquino also confirmed that the food agency has been allowed by the President to push through with the purchase of 250,000 MT of imported rice importation to beef up its buffer stock.
However, Estoperez said the NFAC will decide on Monday the mode of procurement and the budget for rice imports. “The details of the procurement will still be discussed but talks with NFA colleagues point to the  fastest mode.” Estoperez said the NFA has two options for purchasing rice from abroad: government-to-government (G2G) or via government-to-private scheme.
“If we follow the procurement law, it’s too long considering the process and preparation that should be followed. G2G importation is faster but the problem is it should be acceptable to the members of the NFAC because there’s a notion that it is prone to corruption,” he added.
The current rice stockpile of the NFA is around 1.2 million 50-kilogram bags, which is equivalent to two days of the country’s total rice consumption. This is reserved for the needs of calamity-prone areas and rice requirement of island municipalities and provinces.
The state-run food agency has already suspended its distribution of rice to almost all retailers across the country due to the depletion of its stockpile.
Grains Retailers’ Confederation of the Philippines Inc. warned that once the NFA’s stockpile is completely depleted, the price of commercial could go up by P5 per kg,  as 10 million Filipinos would have no other recourse but to purchase the commercial variant.



Will “fake rice” products be addressed by FDA?

Rice-state congressmen send letter asking for clear standard
David Bennett | Feb 07, 2018
Recent labeling of some “fake rice” products has led to worries about consumer confusion at the grocery store. Freezer sections often contain “riced” cauliflower or other vegetables but use none of the actual grain.
Citing worries about rice producers market share and a lack of information for those who want to differentiate between “fake” and real rice products, lawmakers from rice-growing states have signed a letter asking for help from the Food and Drug Adminstration. Those signing the letter include Arkansas Rep. Rick Crawford, Arkansas Rep. French Hill, Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman, California Rep. John Garamendi, Louisiana Rep. Ralph Abraham, Mississippi Rep. Trent Kelly, Texas Rep. John Culberson, Texas Rep. Pete Olson, Texas Rep. Blake Farenthold, and Texas Rep. Ted Poe.
Addressed to FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, the letter – sent Feb. 5 -- reads:
“We are concerned with the proliferation of the word ‘rice’ on the packaging and advertising for non-grain products that contain no rice at all. Rice pretenders are being marketed to intentionally create consumer confusion, harming the U.S. rice industry. We request that the Food and Drug Administration exercise its authority to create a standard of identity for rice, defining rice as a producer containing or derived from rice or wild rice. This standard will eliminate widespread consumer confusion over the products.
“It is not uncommon in grocers’ freezers to see ‘Cauliflower Fried Rice’ stocked next to ‘Vegetable Fried Rice.’ Although both are clearly labeled as rice products, the former is cauliflower crumbles, and contains no rice at all. The latter is a grain and vegetable product, containing actual rice. Given how challenging it is to distinguish the rice pretender from the genuine rice, we worry that consumers will be misled to choose the rice pretender, necessitating a standard of identity for rice.
“Without a standard of identity, rice products will continue to be confused for rice pretenders, and take away business from the hardworking rice farmers in our districts, who already struggle with unpredictable weather patterns, a down farm economy, and narrow profit margins. These farmers’ market share should not be eroded by consumer confusion.
“Rice pretenders do not represent the same nutritional value as rice, yet they are marketed alongside rice. Rice is a grain – not a vegetable that has been processed to resemble rice. While we recognize that consumers are entitled to select rice pretender products, we want to ensure this choice is not an error. We reiterate the need for a standard of identity for rice. Although resolving this issue will not address every difficulty facing our nation’s rice farmers, it will ensure that their market is not compromised by consumer confusion.
“We appreciate your consideration of this request and look forward to your timely response.”


ASIA RICE-PRICES RETREAT IN TOP EXPORTERS AS DEMAND WANES

2/8/2018
* India rates dip by $15 per tonne
* Thai prices ease to $420-$430 a tonne
* Vietnamese markets quieten ahead of holiday
By Arpan Varghese
BENGALURU, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Rice prices in India fell
sharply this week from multi-year peaks hit last week due to a
depreciating rupee and slowing demand, while a lack of fresh
deals weighed on rates of the staple in other major exporters in
Asia.
Top exporter India's 5 percent broken parboiled rice prices
<RI-INBKN5-P1> fell by $15 per tonne to $432-$436 after rising
to the highest level since September 2011 last week.
"Thailand has cut prices sharply in last few days. Buyers
are now expecting a further reduction in prices by all sellers,"
said an exporter based in Kakinada in the southern state of
Andhra Pradesh.
The exporters managed to cut prices by a few dollars due to
the depreciating rupee, said another exporter in Kakinada.
The rupee has fallen more than one percent so far
this month, increasing exporters' margins from overseas sales.
India's non basmati rice exports during April-December
jumped 39.5 percent from a year ago to 6.34 million tonnes as
Bangladesh and Benin raised purchases.
Thailand's benchmark 5 percent broken rice rates
<RI-THBKN5-P1> fell to $420-$430 per tonne, free-on-board (FOB)
Bangkok, from $443-$446 last week with new harvest produce
expected to hit the market towards the end of February, and the
lack of new orders from overseas, exporters said.
"We have to watch the Indonesian market closely. There is a
chance that they will order more and that would push up prices,"
said a Thai rice trader, alluding to a recent buying order from
Indonesia that had boosted Thai rice prices in previous weeks.
Indonesia's state food procurement agency Bulog said on
Wednesday it signed contracts with six companies for 281,000
tonnes of rice imports.
Bulog will import 141,000 tonnes from Vietnam, 120,000
tonnes from Thailand and 20,000 tonnes from India.
Thai traders were also eyeing potential orders from the
Philippines, said another Bangkok-based trader.
However, an official at a government panel in Philippines
that decides on its imports, on Wednesday said the country is
facing no urgency to import rice despite a fall in stocks to the
lowest in over two decades.
Prices eased in Vietnam as well, as activity slowed ahead of
the country's biggest holiday, the Lunar New Year, locally known
as Tet, which will be observed from Feb. 14 to Feb. 20, traders
said.
Vietnam's 5 percent broken rice prices <RI-VNBKN5-P1> dipped
to $420-$425 a tonne, FOB Saigon, from $440-$450 previously.
"Everyone in this market is busy cleaning up storages and
partying for Tet; who cares about trading," said a Ho Chi Minh
City-based trader.
Prices could ease further in late February or early March
during the harvest for the winter-spring paddy, traders said.
(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Panu Wongcha-um in
Bangkok and Mai Nguyen in Hanoi, editing by David Evans)

NFA secures Duterte approval to import 250,000 MT of rice

Published February 8, 2018 6:51pm 
By JON VIKTOR D. CABUENAS, GMA News
The National Food Authority (NFA) has secured the approval of President Rodrigo Duterte to import an additional 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice as the supply of government-subsidized rice has dwindled.

“The request of NFA for 250 TMT replenishment of our buffer stocks has been approved yesterday by the Office of the President,” NFA Administrator Jason Aquino said in a text message through his assistant.

NFA Council will have to finalize details of the importation.

“That will still be decided by the NFA council. They will meet Monday daw,” NFA spokesperson Rebecca Olarte said.
More than 10 million consumers have been forced to shift to the more expensive commercial rice in the face of low supply of NFA rice.

According to NFA data, its regular-milled rice costs P27 per kilogram and the well-milled variety costs P32 per kg.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed regular-milled rice sells for P38.58 on average per kg while commercial well-milled rice goes for P42.51 per kg.

The NFA has suspended rice distribution to accredited retailers as the government shifted priorities in favor of calamity victims and stockpiling for islands at greater risk of natural disasters.

The government also released about 140,000 bags of rice to affected families in war-torn Marawi City. 
—VDS, GMA News
 


Gov't to proceed with 250,000 metric ton rice imports

ABS-CBN News
Feb 08 2018 11:09 AM
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte has authorized the importation of an additional 250,000 metric tons of rice, a cabinet official overseeing procurement of the staple said Thursday.
The 250,000 metric tons will be on top of 325,000 metric tons that was bought in 2017 and will be delivered in February, said Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco, who chairs the inter-agency National Food Authority Council.
Evasco said he was informed late Wednesday that the President had approved the additional imports.
"We have no option but to follow the President to activate the 250,000 metric tons na naka-standby that will be on top of the 325,000 na magdating anytime this month," he told ABS-CBN's Umagang Kay Ganda.
(We have no option but to follow the President to activate the 250,000 metric tons on standby that will be on top of the 325,000 that will arrive anytime this month.)
Evasco said the NFA Council was being "very very careful" in importing rice so as not to compete with local farmers, especially during the harvest season.
Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv
The government is expecting palay or paddy rice harvest of 3 million metric tons in the first quarter, which will augment the 2.8 million metric ton surplus from 2017, Agriculture Secretary Emanuel Piñol told DZMM.
Piñol said there was no shortage in subsidized rice sold by the NFA, adding raising prices due to an alleged lack in supply amounted to "daylight robbery."

Inmates sa Manila City Jail, apektado rin sa kakulangan ng NFA rice

Raya Capulong, ABS-CBN News
Feb 08 2018 10:44 AM

mga preso sa Manila City Jail apektado na rin ng kulang na suplay sa nfa rice pic.twitter.com/5mouiKgK1B
 — Raya Capulong (@RayaCapulong) February 8, 2018
Nangangamba ngayon ang Manila City Jail dahil sa nagkukulang na sa merkado ang supply ng NFA (National Food Authority) rice na ipinapakain din nila sa kanilang inmates.
Ayon kay Jail Senior Inspector Jayrex Bustinera ng Public Information Office ng Manila City Jail, hanggang ngayong buwan ng Pebrero na lang sasapat ang supply ng kanilang NFA rice.
Wala pa aniya silang balita mula sa NFA Central District Office/Warehouse sa UN Avenue kung may mabibili pa silang bigas para sa susunod na buwan.
Batay sa record ng Manila City Jail, 48.5 na sako ng NFA rice ang nakukunsumo nila kada araw para sa 5,650 na mga preso.
Sa loob ng isang buwan, umaabot sa 1,452 na sako ng NFA rice ang kanilang nakukunsumo.
Giit ni Bustinera na kapag nagkataon aniya na kulang o wala talaga silang matatanggap na supply ng NFA rice sa susunod na buwan, mapipilitan silang bumili ng commercial rice.
Ibig sabihin din nito na kailangan nilang tapyasan ang budget para sa ulam ng mga preso.
Sinabi pa ni Bustinera na taun-taon ay nagmamahal ang mga bilihin pero nananatili pa rin sa P60 ang budget sa pagkain ng bawat preso kaya napipilitan na lang silang pagkasyahain ito.
Bisitahin ang Patrol.PH para sa iba pang mga balita.

Rice production up by 1.65 million tons in 2017 – gov’t data

INQUIRER.net / 02:48 PM February 08, 2018
Rice farmers can expect higher yield as the government taps hybrid seeds in a new agriculture program. INQUIRER FILE / WILLIE LOMIBAO
Filipino farmers produced an additional 1.65 million metric tons (MT) of palay in 2017 over their harvest the previous year, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.
For 2017, 19.28 million MT of palay were produced compared to 17.63 million MT in 2016, or a 9.36 percent increase year-on-year, a PSA report dated Jan. 22, 2018, showed.
The PSA attributed the increase in production to sufficient irrigation, favorable weather conditions and higher yielding seed varieties.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol said Thursday that the higher yield resulted in a 2.7-million MT surplus in rice supply going into 2018.
Piñol said he expected the surplus to rise to a “record” 3 million MT by the end of the first quarter of the year after the current harvest season.
“Sobra-sobra ang ating bigas ngayon (We currently have an oversupply of rice),” Piñol said in a radio interview.
The report on the huge rise in local palay production came as the National Food Authority (NFA) announced that it was experiencing a shortage in its buffer stock of low-priced rice.
NFA officials explained that it could not buy local palay because it could only offer P17 per kilo to farmers, who would rather sell their produce to traders who buy the grain at P18 to P20 per kilo.
The NFA said it was requesting the government to allow the importation of 250,000 MT of rice, which the Philippines traditionally buys from Vietnam or Thailand. /cbb

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/967209/breaking-news-rice-agriculture-philippine-statistics-authority-psa-palay-emmanuel-pinol-manny-pinol-nfa




NFA Council: Duterte orders importation of standby rice order

By VJ Bacungan, CNN Philippines
Updated 00:19 AM PHT Fri, February 9, 2018
1803
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 9) — President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the importation of 250,000 metric tons of rice, on top of the shipment arriving at the end of this month.
"Mayroong verbal instruction si Presidente na i-activate na yung 250,000 metric tons on standby," said National Food Authority (NFA) Council chair Jun Evasco in a Thursday interview.
[Translation: The President gave a verbal instruction to activate the 250,000 metric tons on standby.]
The move came after NFA Administrator Jason Aquino said on Wednesday that the agency had a "very low" inventory of NFA rice, which caters to around eight to 10 million lower-income Filipinos.
As a result, Aquino said the masses will be forced to buy commercial rice – the price of which has already increased due to the lack of supply.
NFA rice is at ₱27 to ₱32 a kilo, while commercial rice costs ₱36 to ₱65 a kilo.
That same day, Evasco allayed fears of a shortage, saying that 325,000 metric tons of rice will arrive by end-February.
Evasco said on Thursday that the NFA Council, which is the agency's top policy-making body, will meet on Monday to discuss how to procure the rice.
"Marami naman tayong [We have many] options," he said. "First option is government-to-government. Second option is government to private traders from outside. Third option is let our traders purchase this rice from outside."
                 

Rice Prices

as on : 09-02-2018 12:05:27 PM

Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
Arrivals
Price
Current
%
change
Season
cumulative
Modal
Prev.
Modal
Prev.Yr
%change
Rice
Bindki(UP)
800.00
-5.88
11508.00
2230
2230
-
Bahraich(UP)
248.20
10.56
1447.70
2200
2200
-0.45
Ballia(UP)
160.00
23.08
2200.00
2150
2140
0.94
Howly(ASM)
144.00
-29.41
2150.00
1350
1400
-
Akbarpur(UP)
77.50
6.9
1664.50
2175
2150
-0.46
Sahiyapur(UP)
38.50
-15.38
900.50
2145
2140
-
Bharthna(UP)
36.00
-20
5038.00
2280
2280
-
Naanpara(UP)
31.00
12.73
544.00
2135
2125
-
Naugarh(UP)
28.40
-5.33
86.70
2020
2035
-
Raiganj(WB)
27.00
NC
376.00
3250
3250
27.45
Islampur(WB)
25.00
NC
321.50
3350
3350
48.89
Lalganj(UP)
20.00
-50
367.00
2040
2040
-
Robertsganj(UP)
19.00
-5
174.50
2165
2180
-
Chorichora(UP)
19.00
-11.63
264.50
2145
2140
-
Kayamganj(UP)
15.00
-16.67
265.00
2250
2240
-
Dibrugarh(ASM)
13.00
85.71
171.40
2400
2400
6.67
Paliakala(UP)
13.00
-13.33
665.80
2170
2165
-
Mirzapur(UP)
10.00
-16.67
59.00
2125
2130
-
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
9.70
-4.9
175.10
2600
2600
36.84
Khurja(UP)
7.00
-41.67
271.00
2420
2420
-
Bonai(Bonai)(Ori)
3.00
NC
22.40
2800
3500
12.00
Balarampur(WB)
1.82
2.25
18.59
2640
2660
12.82
Kasipur(WB)
0.66
1.54
2.41
2620
2630
21.86
Published on February 09, 2018

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- February 09, 2018
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-February 9, 2018

Nagpur, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Gram and Tuar reported higher in Nagpur Agriculture Produce Marketing
Committee (APMC) on increased demand from local millers amid thin supply from producing belts.
Fresh hike in Madhya Pradesh pulses and reported demand from South-based millers also jacked up
prices here.
About 900 bags of gram and 2,000 bags of tuar reported for auction in Nagpur APMC, according to
sources. 

    FOODGRAINS & PULSES
    
   GRAM
   * Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was poor.
  
   TUAR
     
   * Tuar varieties quoted static in open market here on subdued demand from local
     traders.

   * Wheat mill quality recovered in open market here on increased seasonal demand from
     local traders. 
                                                                  
   * In Akola, Tuar New – 4,100-4,300, Tuar dal (clean) – 6,400-6,600, Udid Mogar (clean)
    – 7,600-8,700, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,300-7,600, Gram – 3,500-3,600, Gram Super best
    – 5,200-5,700

   * Other varieties of wheat, rice and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in
     scattered deals and settled at last levels in thin trading activity.
      
 Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
   
     FOODGRAINS                 Available prices     Previous close  
     Gram Auction                  3,100-3,976         3,100-3,900
     Gram Pink Auction            n.a.           2,100-2,600
     Tuar Auction                4,000-4,575         3,900-4,540
     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        1,650-1,750        1,650-1,715
     Gram Super Best Bold            6,000-6,500        6,000-6,500
     Gram Super Best            n.a.            n.a.
     Gram Medium Best            5,500-5,700        5,500-5,700
     Gram Dal Medium            n.a.            n.a
     Gram Mill Quality            3,800-3,900        3,800-3,900
     Desi gram Raw                3,900-3,950         3,900-3,950
     Gram Kabuli                12,500-13,100        12,500-13,100
     Tuar Fataka Best-New             6,400-6,600        6,400-6,600
     Tuar Fataka Medium-New        6,100-6,300        6,100-6,300
     Tuar Dal Best Phod-New        5,600-5,800        5,600-5,800
     Tuar Dal Medium phod-New        5,500-5,700        5,500-5,700
     Tuar Gavarani New             4,200-4,500        4,200-4,500
     Tuar Karnataka             4,550-4,750        4,550-4,750
     Masoor dal best            4,800-5,000        4,800-5,000
     Masoor dal medium            4,500-4,700        4,500-4,700
     Masoor                    n.a.            n.a.
     Moong Mogar bold (New)        7,500-8,000         7,500-8,000
     Moong Mogar Medium            6,500-7,000        6,500-7,000
     Moong dal Chilka            5,900-6,500        5,900-6,500
     Moong Mill quality            n.a.            n.a.
     Moong Chamki best            7,500-8,000        7,500-8,000
     Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 7,200-7,700       7,200-7,700
     Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)    5,600-7,000        5,600-7,000   
     Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)        5,800-6,200        5,800-6,200    
     Batri dal (100 INR/KG)        4,600-5,000        4,600-5,000
     Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)          2,500-2,600         2,550-2,650
     Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)            3,100-3,200        3,100-3,200
     Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)    4,200-4,300        4,200-4,300  
     Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)        1,900-2,000        1,900-2,000
     Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG)    1,775-1,900        1,750-1,850  
     Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)         2,150-2,350           2,150-2,350        
     Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)    2,300-2,400        2,200-2,400   
     Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)   2,000-2,200        2,000-2,200
     Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)    n.a.            n.a.
     MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG)    3,200-3,700        3,200-3,700   
     MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)    2,400-2,700        2,400-2,700          
     Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG)        3,500-4,000        3,500-4,000   
     Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG)        3,000-3,200        3,000-3,200
     Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG)        3,300-3,500        3,300-3,500  
     Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG)         2,500-2,700        2,500-2,700     
     Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG)      2,600-2,800        2,600-2,800  
     Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG)      2,400-2,500        2,400-2,500
     Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG)      2,400-2,500        2,400-2,500  
     Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG)        4,500-4,800        4,500-4,800    
     Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG)        3,900-4,300        3,900-4,300
     Rice HMT new (100 INR/KG)        4,000-4,400        4,000-4,400   
     Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG)      5,200-5,600        5,200-5,600
     Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG)    4,700-4,900        4,700-4,900
     Rice Shriram new (100 INR/KG)    4,800-5,200        4,800-5,200  
     Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)    9,500-14,000        9,500-13,500    
     Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)    5,000-7,500        5,000-7,500   
     Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG)    6,100-6,300        6,100-6,300   
     Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG)    5,500-5,700        5,500-5,700
     Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG)    5,600-5,800        5,600-5,800  
     Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)        2,000-2,200        2,000-2,100   
     Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)         1,800-2,000        1,700-2,000

WEATHER (NAGPUR) 
Maximum temp. 32.9 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 15.6 degree Celsius
Rainfall : Nil
FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 34 and 16
degree Celsius respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but
included in market prices)

https://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrain/nagpur-foodgrain-prices-open-february-09-2018-idINL4N1PZ3A2

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- February 08, 2018


Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-February 8, 2018

Nagpur, Feb 8 (Reuters) – Gram and Tuar firmed up again in Nagpur Agriculture Produce Marketing
Committee (APMC) on good seasonal demand from local millers amid weak supply from producing
belts. Notable rise on NCDEX, upward trend in Madhya Pradesh pulses prices and repeated
enquiries from South-based millers also boosted prices here.About 500 bags of gram and 1,000 bags of tuar reported for auction in Nagpur APMC, according to sources. 

    FOODGRAINS & PULSES
    
   GRAM
   * Desi gram reported higher in open market on renewed demand from local traders.
  
   TUAR
     
   * Tuar Karnataka reported down in open market here on poor demand from local traders
     amid good supply from producing regions.

   * Watana dal showed weak tendency in open market here lack of demand from local
     traders. 
                                                                   
   * In Akola, Tuar New – 4,100-4,300, Tuar dal (clean) – 6,400-6,600, Udid Mogar (clean)
    – 7,600-8,700, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,300-7,600, Gram – 3,500-3,600, Gram Super best
    – 5,200-5,700

   * Wheat, 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                  3,300-3,906         3,200-3,900
     Gram Pink Auction            n.a.           2,100-2,600
     Tuar Auction                3,900-4,560         3,900-4,500
     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        1,650-1,716        1,600-1,712
     Gram Super Best Bold            6,000-6,500        6,000-6,500
     Gram Super Best            n.a.            n.a.
     Gram Medium Best            5,500-5,700        5,500-5,700
     Gram Dal Medium            n.a.            n.a
     Gram Mill Quality            3,800-3,900        3,800-3,900
     Desi gram Raw                3,900-3,950         3,850-3,900
     Gram Kabuli                12,500-13,100        12,500-13,100
     Tuar Fataka Best-New             6,400-6,600        6,400-6,600
     Tuar Fataka Medium-New        6,100-6,300        6,100-6,300
     Tuar Dal Best Phod-New        5,600-5,800        5,600-5,800
     Tuar Dal Medium phod-New        5,500-5,700        5,500-5,700
     Tuar Gavarani New             4,200-4,500        4,200-4,500
     Tuar Karnataka             4,550-4,750        4,600-4,800
     Masoor dal best            4,800-5,000        4,800-5,000
     Masoor dal medium            4,500-4,700        4,500-4,700
     Masoor                    n.a.            n.a.
     Moong Mogar bold (New)        7,500-8,000         7,500-8,000
     Moong Mogar Medium            6,500-7,000        6,500-7,000
     Moong dal Chilka            5,900-6,500        5,900-6,500
     Moong Mill quality            n.a.            n.a.
     Moong Chamki best            7,500-8,000        7,500-8,000
     Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 7,200-7,700       7,200-7,700
     Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)    5,600-7,000        5,600-7,000   
     Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)        5,800-6,200        5,800-6,200    
     Batri dal (100 INR/KG)        4,600-5,000        4,600-5,000
     Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)          2,500-2,600         2,550-2,650
     Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)            3,100-3,200        3,150-3,250
     Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)    4,200-4,300        4,200-4,300  
     Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)        1,900-2,000        1,900-2,000
     Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG)    1,750-1,850        1,750-1,850  
     Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)         2,150-2,350           2,150-2,350        
     Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)    2,300-2,400        2,200-2,400   
     Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)   2,000-2,200        2,000-2,200
     Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)    n.a.            n.a.
     MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG)    3,200-3,700        3,200-3,700   
     MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)    2,400-2,700        2,400-2,700          
     Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG)        3,500-4,000        3,500-4,000   
     Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG)        3,000-3,200        3,000-3,200
     Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG)        3,300-3,500        3,300-3,500  
     Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG)         2,500-2,700        2,500-2,700     
     Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG)      2,600-2,800        2,600-2,800  
     Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG)      2,400-2,500        2,400-2,500
     Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG)      2,400-2,500        2,400-2,500  
     Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG)        4,500-4,800        4,500-4,800    
     Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG)        3,900-4,300        3,900-4,300
     Rice HMT new (100 INR/KG)        4,000-4,400        4,000-4,400   
     Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG)      5,200-5,600        5,200-5,600
     Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG)    4,700-4,900        4,700-4,900
     Rice Shriram new (100 INR/KG)    4,800-5,200        4,800-5,200  
     Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)    9,500-14,000        9,500-13,500    
     Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)    5,000-7,500        5,000-7,500   
     Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG)    6,100-6,300        6,100-6,300   
     Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG)    5,500-5,700        5,500-5,700
     Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG)    5,600-5,800        5,600-5,800  
     Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)        2,000-2,200        2,000-2,100   
     Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)         1,800-2,000        1,700-2,000

WEATHER (NAGPUR) 
Maximum temp. 30.6 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 14.3 degree Celsius
Rainfall : Nil
FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 33 and 13
degree Celsius respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, butincluded in market prices)

https://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrain/nagpur-foodgrain-prices-open-february-08-2018-idINL4N1PY3EZ

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