Thursday, April 19, 2018

19th April,2018 daily global regional local rice e-newsletter



Super Basmati Rice Price in Pakistan Today: 

Super Basmati Rice price in Pakistan today for major cities are shown here and it can benefit Farmers/Arthis. Super Basmati Rice rates are updated on daily basis here.

Thursday 19th, April 2018

City
Price (Rs) /40kg
Up/Down Price (Rs)
Up/Down Ratio
شہر
Arif Wala
3760 - 4000
عارف والا
Bahawal Pur
3200 - 3400
-40
-1%
بہاولپور
Bhakhar
4400 - 4800
بھکر
Chichawatni
4400 - 4600
چیچہ وطنی
D G KHAN
3600 - 4000
ڈیرہ غازی خان
Dinga
3800 - 3880
ڈنگہ
Faisalabad
4000 - 4200
فیصل آباد
Gujranwala
3880 - 3920
گوجرانوالہ
Jhelum
3520 - 3600
جہلم
Khanewal
4000 - 4000
خانیوال
Lahore
3800 - 4800
لاہور
Lala Musa
3520 - 3680
لالہ موسیٰ
Layyah
4200 - 4400
لیہ
Lodhran
3800 - 4000
لودھراں
Mandi Bahaudin
3800 - 4000
منڈی بہاؤالدین
Mian Channu
3800 - 4000
میاں چنوں
Mianwali
3988 - 4000
میاںوالی
Multan
3600 - 3700
ملتان
Narowal
3600 - 3800
نارووال
Noshehra wirkan
3880 - 3920
نوشہرہ ورکاں
Okara
4080 - 4400
+80
+1%
اوکاڑہ
Pak Pattan
4400 - 5600
پاکپتن
Qila Dedar Singh
3880 - 3920
قلعہ دیدار سنگھ
Rahim Yar Khan
3360 - 3420
رحیم یار خان
Rawalpindi
4000 - 4400
راولپنڈی
Sahiwal
4200 - 4400
ساہیوال
Sargodha
3600 - 3700
+100
+2%
سرگودھا
Sraialamgir
3920 - 4080
سرائے عالمگیر
T T Singh
4160 - 4160
ٹوبہ ٹیک سنگھ
Vehari
3800 - 4000
وہاڑی
Wazirabad
3880 - 3920
وزیر آباد
http://www.agriculture.pk/super-basmati-rice-price-pakistan-today/

Nigeria wheat, rice imports rising

April 18, 2018 - by Arvin Donley

LAOS, NIGERIA — A refugee crisis in Nigeria is straining grain supplies as the country increasingly looks to imported wheat and rice to meet its consumption needs, according to an April 17 Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The country’s rice production, estimated at 3.7 million tonnes in 2018-19, is not keeping pace with demand, the report said. It said rice consumption is projected to increase by 4% to 6.7 million tonnes from the 6.4 million tonnes recorded in 2017-18.
“Nigeria’s increasing rice consumption is mostly driven by population growth, increasing urbanization as well as substitution away from traditional coarse grains,” the report said.
Rice imports (mostly parboiled rice from Thailand and India entering through informal cross-border channels) are expected to increase by about 12% to 2.9 million tonnes in 2018-19, it said.
Wheat consumption in Nigeria is also on the rise, projected up 5% in 2018-19 to 5 million tonnes.
While domestic production remains small, at 60,000 tonnes, imports are projected to increase from 5.2 million tonnes in 2017-18 to 5.4 million this year.
The Boko Haram insurgencies and the pastoralist-farmers conflicts in northern Nigeria have led to population displacement and an influx of refuges and caused severe food insecurity in that area, the report said. Over 2 million people in the region are now depending on food assistance.



NFA fast tracks G2G rice importation

by UNTV News   |  
 Wednesday, April 18th, 2018
Socks of NFA rice
NFA Administrator Jason Aquino directed the NFA’s Special Bids and Awards Committee to speed up the process of the agency’s government-to-government rice importation deal.This involves the swift delivery of 250,000 metric tons of rice to immediately replenish the government’s rice buffer stocks.
Aquino added that President Rodrigo Duterte wants the NFA to secure a buffer stock good for at least 60 days. — UNTV News & Rescue

Evasco out as NFA Council head


by UNTV News   |   Posted on Wednesday, April 18th, 2018
FILE PHOTO: Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr.
Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. will no longer head the National Food Authority Council, the agency’s policy-making body.Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Tuesday the move was in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision on Monday night to revert to the Department of Agriculture the supervision of NFA, along with two other agencies — the Philippine Coconut Authority and the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority.
Roque added that the President’s decision was also to unload the Office of the President.Meanwhile, Evasco thanked the President for the trust and the chance given to him to head the council and added that he respected his decision.
It was earlier reported that Evasco was relieved from the council following conflicts with NFA Administrator Jason Aquino over rice importation and buying price of palay among other issues. — UNTV News & Rescue

NFA eyes cheaper rice for Visayas, Mindanao


by UNTV   |   Posted on Tuesday, April 17th, 2018

FILE PHOTO: The low-priced regular milled rice from the Nueva Ecija Rice Millers Association
MANILA, Philippines — After rice traders from Luzon kept their promise to provide cheaper rice supply in the markets of Metro Manila, the National Food Authority (NFA) will meet next with rice millers and traders of Visayas and Mindanao.
This is to discuss the possibility of implementing the same program in the regions.
However, according to Grain Retailers Confederation of the Philippines (Grecon), they will study  first the feasibility of its implementation since there are areas in Visayas and Mindanao where the prices of rice are already lower.
Moreover, the traders always consider the high-buying price of rice in an area before sending supplies.
For now, the group is focusing on Luzon just as they promised President Rodrigo Duterte.
According to Grecon, they expect that on Thursday, April 19, commercial rice priced at P39 per kilo will be distributed to markets in Metro Manila.
The rice stocks will come from Isabela, Nueva Ecija, and Bulacan.              The group of millers clarified that the rice they deliver are newly-milled and if there are cheaper variants being sold in the market, those did not come from them.
“Mga lumang bigas yun ng mga traders ng ibang mga nagtitinda. Yung ibinibigay namin yung talagang pang serbisyo doon para sa commitment namin kay president,” Grecon national president Jaime Magbanua said.
(Those are old rice supplies from traders of other retailers. What we are offering is for public service, in keeping with our commitment to the president.)
Meanwhile, according to Magbanua, President Duterte has returned the National Food Authority (NFA), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and the Philippine Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority under the supervision of the agriculture department.
Malacañang has confirmed the revamp.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, this was discussed by the NFA Council with the president last night.
The NFA said they are ready to cooperate with whichever department they will be under.
“Wala namang problema sa amin kung saan kami under. Ang importante maayos natin itong ating issue na kakulangan sa buffer stock ng NFA,” said NFA spokesperson Rex Estoperez.
(It’s not an issue with us what department we’ll be under. What’s important is addressing the deficiency in NFA’s buffer stock.)  — Rey Pelayo | UNTV News & Rescue



USA Rice to USTR:  NAFTA, China, & Improved Market Access are Priorities 

WASHINGTON, DC -- Last week, USA Rice met with U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) new Chief Agricultural Negotiator Gregg Doud to discuss current market access issues for rice.  USA Rice highlighted the many trade priorities of the industry including preserving the benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and improved market access to China and Japan.  "Our partnership with U.S. trade negotiators is critical," said USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward.  "Rice is heavily protected around the world and it is only through good trade agreements that we have gained significant market access for U.S. rice exports."

The rice industry's long struggle for approval to sell U.S.-grown rice in China demonstrates the difficulty of doing business there and the need for reforms to their trading system.  USTR was encouraged to help pull China across the finish line so U.S. rice can be part of the solution to U.S. trade concerns. 

Given the Administration's recent comments on re-engaging with Japan and President Donald Trump's meeting this week with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, USA Rice urged USTR to work for additional access for rice there which is consistent with the industry's position in the previous administration during the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.

Other issues that were discussed with USTR were Brazil's use of domestic support programs for rice (see 
USA Rice Daily, April 11, 2018), trade with Iraq, and the EU after Brexit.

"We thanked Ambassador Doud for focusing on prosecuting rice competitors who we know are heavily subsidizing rice production - starting with the WTO case against China," said Ward.  "We appreciate the precedent these actions set with other key rice exporters like India, Thailand, and Vietnam.  This meeting was a great first step in our partnership with the leader of agricultural negotiations for the United States."


USA RICE

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About david@fiormarkets.com

https://opinioninvestor.com/global-rice-seed-market-2018-nidera-syngenta-kesters-nursery-longping-high-tech-hefei-fengle-seed/359203/

[OPINION] The alarming depletion of NFA rice under Duterte’s watch

Now we’ve run out of subsidized rice – the first time this has happened since NFA’s creation in 1972, or in nearly 50 years
JC Punongbayan
Published 1:20 PM, April 19, 2018
Updated 1:22 PM, April 19, 2018
When President Duterte assumed office in 2016, maNy had hoped that he – or at least his Cabinet – would finally get rice policy right.But it now seems such hopes were largely premature and illusory. In fact, Duterte’s rice policies of late are so bad that stocks of cheap NFA (National Food Authority) rice have been depleted – for the first time in decades – while commercial rice prices have spiked.In this article we confirm this using data, explore possible reasons why this happened, and propose solutions that could turn around Duterte’s bungled rice policies.
Depleted stocks
Let’s begin with hard data showing the alarming depletion of NFA rice stocks under Duterte’s watch.
Figure 1 shows that, years before Duterte assumed office, the stocks of all types of rice – NFA rice, commercial rice, and household rice – roughly followed the same trends, or at least never strayed too far from one another.
But since Duterte came, NFA rice stocks (denoted by the orange line) have deviated from the rest and plummeted at an alarming rate. By early April 2018, NFA rice has essentially been “wiped out” in warehouses and markets nationwide.
Figure 1.
The LEDAC (Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Committee) requires the NFA to keep at least 15 days' worth of buffer stock at all times.But now, we’ve run out of subsidized rice – the first timethis has happened since NFA’s creation in 1972, or in nearly 50 years.
Granted, there’s still commercial rice to be bought from markets, and 250,000 metric tons are set to replenish NFA supplies as early as May.
NFA stocks are also very tricky to manage: the NFA’s business model of buying high and selling low is inherently unprofitable, and forecasting the right amount of rice to import is fraught with so much uncertainty that it often leads to over- or under-importation.
But the precipitous drop of NFA rice stocks of late is no less shocking because it was needless and totally avoidable.
Where’s the rice?
Where did all the NFA rice go?
For starters, some observed that, last year, the NFA, for some reason, flooded the market with rice during the harvest season and restricted supply during the lean season. This is the exact opposite of how a buffer stock ought to work.
Moreover, a number of dubious transactions suggest gross mismanagement by NFA Administrator Jason Aquino. Most recently, Aquino allegedly diverted 10.4 million kilos of NFA rice from Region VIII and sold them to select rice traders in Bulacan. (READ: NFA’s Aquino diverted E. Visayas rice to Bulacan traders – memo to Duterte)
This much was divulged in a memo by Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco Jr. who, until recently, headed the interagency NFA Council in charge of overall rice policy.
All the charges against Aquino have been downplayed by the NFA spokesperson. But some strongly believe that the significant transaction authorized by Aquino had a direct hand in the dwindling of NFA rice stocks at least in Eastern Visayas.
How many more dubious deals have the NFA made under the public’s nose and in other parts of the country?
Infighting in the Cabinet
What’s more, despite all the red flags, Duterte seems to be turning a blind eye to Aquino’s gross mismanagement of the NFA.
Instead of punishing Aquino – or at least suspending him – Duterte even recently removed Cabinet Secretary Evasco from the NFA Council and reverted supervision of the NFA to the Department of Agriculture.
This is not the first time Duterte has favored Aquino over Evasco. Last year Duterte fired on live TV one of Evasco’s most trusted assistants, then Palace undersecretary Halmen Valdez, on wrong accusations that she allowed rice imports that will hurt local farmers (the issue is more nuanced than that).
In a recent meeting with rice traders, Duterte even threatened to abolish the NFA Council altogether (even though he cannot do this unilaterally).
Such a move would be pernicious to the country since the NFA Council was established precisely to inoculate subsidized rice from politics and corruption, and reduce the enormous discretion often enjoyed by those who handle it.
Abolishing the NFA Council would only open the floodgates to more shady deals by the NFA, which we now have reason to suspect given Evasco’s damning evidence against Aquino.
In addition, Aquino’s preferred method of rice importation – government-to-government (G2G) – is more prone to corruption and financial strain vis-à-vis government-to-private sector (G2P) importation.
Aside from being exempt from the Procurement Law, every G2G transaction requires the government to take new loans from Landbank. A one-million-ton rice import, for example, would necessitate incurring P24 billion of extra debt from Landbank.
To address the recent depletion of NFA rice, Duterte green-lighted the importation of rice via G2G. But with the oversight function of the NFA Council now gone, who will make sure this and NFA’s future G2G imports will be transparent, corruption-free, and efficient?
In the end, Jason Aquino’s mismanagement of the NFA has transcended mere “whiff or whisper” of corruption, yet Duterte’s hands still seem inextricably tied. Why? One clue may lie in the fact that Aquino enjoys a direct link to Special Assistant to the President Bong Go.
Scarcer, costlier rice
Whether caused by politics, corruption, or plain old incompetence, rice is now scarcer and costlier, thanks to Duterte’s botched rice policies.
Markets are coping, for example, through a flurry of smuggling activities. On April 14, a Mongolian vessel was spotted off Zamboanga Sibugay unloading to two other vessels 7,000 to 8,000 sacks of rice from Viet Nam (the ship carried a total of 27,180 sacks worth P68 million).
Smuggling is often a manifestation of unmet demand. But government, by itself, cannot quickly address rice shortages as long as the NFA has the sole authority to import it.
Economists have long argued that abolishing NFA’s rice importation monopoly – and leaving rice importation to market forces – could minimize the need for (and profitability of) rice smuggling.
Amid the shortage of NFA rice, the poor are also left with no choice but to buy more commercial rice. But thanks to classic supply and demand, this has led to a recent spike of commercial rice prices (Figure 2).
Figure 2.
This, in turn, has contributed to a higher-than-expected inflation rate (that is, a faster rise of prices) in recent months – on top of other factors like higher world oil prices (at a 3-year high), the weaker peso (at an 11-year low), and the inflationary impact of TRAIN.
With the poor devoting as much as two-thirds or three-quarters of their budgets on rice alone, higher inflation’s impact on their incomes becomes even larger.
In view of rice’s singular importance to inflation, some economists have proposed a number of changes in rice policy that could abate inflation’s impact on the poor.
One is to “tarrify” the import quotas of rice – that is, convert the import quotas into their equivalent tariffs. Not only could this reduce the special privileges enjoyed by certain rice traders, but it could also generate revenues that government could earmark for programs directed specifically at poor farmers.
Another is to reduce rice import quotas significantly and allow rice supplies to be determined freely by the market. Here, the NFA wouldn’t lose all reason for its existence; it could still maintain a small buffer stock for emergencies. (READ: Rice in the time of Duterte: Will more imports be good?)
Although some Cabinet members have voiced out these and other sound policy recommendations, lobbying and infighting among Duterte’s minions continue to prevent these proposals from seeing the light of day.
In other words, even while we’re looking for solutions, politics continues to bedevil rice policy.
Low-hanging fruit
For a nation consuming so much rice, one would think that, by now, our government should be an expert in rice policy.
But decades since the creation of the NFA, rice policy seems as rife with mismanagement and corruption as ever.
This is unfortunate. Many experts agree that rice policy is one of the lowest-hanging fruits of good public policy. Done well, it can swiftly improve the lives of millions of Filipinos, especially the poor.
“Tariffying” rice import quotas or substantially reducing them, for example, could help ensure more and cheaper rice for our people, which we need especially now that inflation has gone through the roof.
But unless the Duterte government sets aside politics, tempers opportunism among its ranks, and gets its act together, plentiful and cheap rice will be as far beyond our grasp as ever. – Rappler.com
The author is a PhD candidate and teaching fellow at the UP School of Economics. His views are independent of the views of his affiliations. Follow JC on Twitter: 

Traders edging out NFA in race for local palay

In Photo: A Filipino farmer carries a bundle of rice through the field in Daet, Camarines Norte, in Bicol. Palay production in Camarines Norte in 2017 rose by 19.12 percent to a record-high of 107,099 metric tons (MT), Philippine Statistics Authority data showed. The province produced 89,909 MT of palay in 2016. This is the first time that the province breached the 100,000-MT production level.
The National Food Authority (NFA) could not buy more palay from farmers even if the summer harvest season has reached its peak as traders continue to aggressively compete with the food agency for locally produced rice.
A government official told the BusinessMirror that the state-run grains agency can only buy palay from farmers in remote and nontraditional areas through its mobile procurement scheme.
“The palay procurement is very minimal. [The NFA] is only able to buy in remote and nontraditional areas through mobile procurement and ugnayan, the official, who requested anonymity, told the BusinessMirror.
“The main reason for the low procurement is the high ex-farm price of palay ranging from P20 to P24 per kilogram [kg] and the aggressive stance of private traders,” the source added.
The source revealed that the NFA has received help from some local government units (LGUs), such as Isabela, to improve its palay procurement and salvage its nearly depleted rice stockpile.
“There’s help coming from LGUs, like the provincial government of Isabela, which gives [farmers] a premium of additional P4.50 per kg on top of the government support price of P17 per kg,” the source said. “But the problem is that they only have limited funding.”
Part of the NFA’s stockpile, which has fallen to 170,000 50-kg bags, or around 8,500 metric tons (MT) as of April 18, consists of unmilled rice bought from farmers. The NFA’s buffer stock is equivalent to less than a day, or just one-fourth of the country’s total daily requirement volume of about 32,000 MT or 640,000 bags.
This means that the NFA is only capable of supplying a fourth of the country’s total rice demand for a day should it become the lone seller of the staple and the stocks held by the commercial warehouses and households are totally wiped out. Also, the source disclosed that the present stockpile held by the NFA would be totally depleted by the end of the month.
Earlier, the NFA has vowed to step up its purchases of unmilled rice, but an official from the agency said it would be a tall order for the NFA to hit its procurement target for this year’s dry season harvest.
The NFA said it has bought 19,361 50-kilogram (kg) bags of palay from farmers. Of this volume, 7,412 bags were bought last month, at the start of the summer crop harvest.
“Rice harvest started in March, and it would peak this month. So, if the farm-gate price of palay would drop, then we could procure more palay,” the official said. “We remain optimistic that we can hit our target, but it would be quite difficult.”
Rice imports
NFA Administrator Jason Aquino on Thursday ordered the agency’s special bids and awards committee to fast-track the government’s importation of 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice via the government-to-government (G2G) procurement scheme to replenish the government’s nearly depleted stockpile.
Aquino made the directive following President Duterte’s instruction that the NFA should “immediately” import its needed stocks to bring back cheap government rice in local markets.
An official told the BusinessMirror that the NFA will invite Bangkok and Hanoi to participate in the G2G importation within the week. Thailand and Vietnam are the only countries that can participate in G2G importation as they have agreements with Manila.
The official said the NFA will receive and open the offers made by Thailand and Vietnam on April 27. “If successful, the notice of award will be issued on the same day. After the submission of required perforemance bond and other documents, the issuance of notice to proceed [would be] issued by May 7.” The official said the rice imports will have to be delivered to the Philippines starting the third week of May until June 30.
Of the 250,000 MT that will be imported, 250,000 MT is 25 percent brokens, while the remaining volume is 15 percent brokens. “Most likely, the DAP price for 25 percent brokens rice would be around $460 per MT, while the 15 percent brokens would be around $470 per MT.” The attached agency of the Department of Agriculture has set aside a budget for P6.1 billion for the rice imports.
Under the approved terms of reference for the G2G importation, the official said the NFA would implement a delivered-at-place (DAP) system, which would require Thailand and Vietnam to deliver rice directly to NFA warehouses. Also, the DAP indicated that exporters should process and shoulder the delivery costs. The official said rice imports would be delivered to the following ports: La Union, Subic, Tabaco, Manila, Batangas, Ilo-ilo, Bacolod, Cebu, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, General Santos and Surigao.

Coral Color Is More than Cosmetic

In one species, differently colored corals have strengthened defenses against different threats.

by Elizabeth Preston 


https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/coral-color-is-more-than-cosmetic/


Solon pushes rice probe

House panel to look into supply situation; 13 traders face inquiry

April 19, 2018 at 01:55 am by Maricel Cruz
THE chairman of the House committee on agriculture and food on Wednesday said he sees the need for a series of congressional investigations to assess the rice situation in the country in light of the recent shortage of buffer stocks from the National Food Authority.The House committee  earlier discovered that some 13 private traders have been hoarding rice in the National Capital Region, triggering an increase in the price of the commodity.
“As an oversight function of Congress, we need to complete the investigation and come out with new policy or amendment of existing ones to address the issue,” said ANAC-IP Party-list Rep. Jose Panganiban, the panel’s chairman.
The committee identified the alleged private rice hoarders as Evergreen, Rising Sun, GRC, CGG, Expo, ARNS, Working Gold, Leoneco, PMT, Hype Rice, LM Rice Cereal, MML Grain and Grandio.
Panganiban said his panel would invite the representatives of these companies to appear in the next House hearing to hear their side.Meanwhile, Anakpawis Party-list Rep. Ariel Casilao urged the government to look into the botched smuggling of 1, 539 metric tons of rice.Casilao, member of the leftist Makabayan bloc, said the rampant smuggling not only of rice but also of other agricultural products is the result of the continuing commitment of the government to importation under the Word Trade Organization agreement on agriculture.“Agricultural smuggling is only a reflection of the country’s continuing madness to import. Not only has it abetted corruption but it is also an insult to our farmers,” Casilao said.
TARGET MISSED. A worker walks beside a wall of stacked rice after unloading truckload of rice at the warehouse of the National Food Authority in Manila. NFA administrator Jason Aquino has instructed the agency’s special bids and awards committee on rice importation to fast-track the government-to-government procurement of 250,000 metric tons of rice for the immediate replenishment of government buffer stocks. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol and DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez (inset) inspect a stall selling rice at P39 per kilo at Libertad Market in Pasay City on Wednesday. AFP/Norman Cruz
Citing a report of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura, in the years from 2013 to 2015, Casilao said a total of P64 -billion revenue losses were incurred by the government due to widespread smuggling of agricultural products. This reflected a P32-billion loss per year, which is equivalent to the Department of Agriculture’s budget for 2016 and excess funds for the rehabilitation of the agriculture sector.
A separate report by Dr. Jose Ramon Albert, a senior research fellow from Philippine Institute for Development Studies, showed that those who were classified as poor had agriculture-related jobs, Casilao noted.
“Aside from virtually no government subsidies to local rice farmers for procuring reasonable price of palay, agricultural smuggling which includes rice is further killing our local rice farmers’ livelihood. Worse, through smuggling, billions of [pesos in] revenues are lost,” Casilao said.
NFA Administrator Jason Aquino ordered the agency’s special bids and awards committee to speed up the government-to-government procurement of 250,000 metric tons of rice to replenish government buffer stocks.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier directed NFA to immediately import the needed stocks as consumers continued to clamor for the P27- and P32-per-kilo NFA rice.Aquino said the President wants government to have buffer stocks good for 60 days.“As a long-time responsible and responsive leader, he knows that government should always be ready to effectively address any contingency,” Aquino said.But, as a policy, he said, government would only import the deficiency in local production.

DTI, Agri Dept.eyeing suggested retail price on rice

April 19, 2018 1:55pm 
By TED CORDERO, GMA News
The Departments of Agriculture and of Trade and Industry are studying the possibility of placing a suggested retail price on rice varieties, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said on Thursday.
“Tinitignan namin kung pwede bang mag-set ng suggested retail price sa bigas according to variety,” Piñol told reporters during in a press conference.

The departments are forming a technical working group to study how to put in place a system of pricing for the commodity.“There is no uniformity in pricing,” Piñol noted, saying this was observed by the DA, DTI, and National Food Authority during an inspection of rice outlets Wednesday.

Rice retailers were pricing rice varieties on their own, and without a system of price verification for a particular variety. “Anybody can just put na ito ay dinorado” Piñol said.

He said putting an SRP based on rice variety and a uniform pricing system will protect consumers against unscrupulous traders and retailers.During the same briefing, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the SRP will only cover regular and well-milled varieties.

The Trade chief noted the policy-making NFA Council will decide on the SRP for rice.“The DTI’s part will be in price monitoring ... Putting an SRP is not a price control, this is just like what we are doing on manufactured products for us to have a chance to comment on price changes at the retail level,” he said. 
—VDS, GMA News

Solutions sought to drought, saline intrusion in Mekong Delta

VNA PRINT
At the workshop (Source: VNA)

Bac Lieu (VNA
) – Measures to deal with drought and saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta region were discussed during a workshop in Bac Lieu province on April 17. Organised by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, the event drew experts, scientists and managers from research institutes and universities, and representatives from regional localities such as Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Hau Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh and Kien Giang.

Experts assessed solutions to adapt to drought and saltwater intrusion in this year’s dry season, while discussing the efficiency of transformative economic models that have been implemented to address the problem. Coastal provinces in the Mekong Delta are mostly affected by salinity intrusion and climate change. Scientists said the best solution is to plant crops able to adapt to climate change.

Associate Professor, PhD. Vo Cong Thanh from Can Tho University stressed the need to pay more attention to building infrastructure. Climate change response infrastructure projects must be effective, he said, adding that they should also not affect the environment. Duong Thanh Trung, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Bac Lieu province, said the locality will restructure many production areas.

The province is concentrating on transforming ineffective rice production areas into the rice/shrimp rotation model, he noted, adding that nearly 40,000 ha is applying the model.The locality will replicate this model, while stepping up the transfer of science and technology and apply effective rice growing models, he said.

The Mekong Delta, the country’s largest rice granary, comprises 12 provinces and one centrally-run city with a total area of 40,000 square kilometres and a combined population of 18 million. It has been tasked with ensuring the country’s food security.However, it is also one of the most affected by climate change, rising-sea level and saltwater intrusion. By mid-2016, the Mekong Delta faced serious drought and saline intrusion. This year’s dry season, drought, saltwater intrusion and riverbank and coastline erosion, is also extreme.At present, saline intrusion is infiltrating regional localities, affecting a large area of rice and vegetables.-VNA

Global Rice Seed Market 2018 – Nidera, Syngenta, Kester’s Nursery, Longping High-tech, HEFEI FENGLE SEED

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Pakistan Night shares and celebrates students’ culture

Daniel Caudill, ReporterApril 17, 2018 • 0 Comments
Sajjad Naqvi plays guitar and sings during Pakistan Night held in the Beggs Ballroom of the RSC Sunday evening.Students from the Pakistani Student Association (PSA) hosted a cultural celebration for the nation that many of them call home.
Pakistan Night was held in the ballroom of the Rhatigan Student Center, adorned with green and white national flags.
“I love Pakistan, and that’s why I’m promoting it,” PSA President Zehdan Qidwai said.
At Pakistan Night, the Pakistani national anthem, folk songs, and pop tunes were sang in Urdu.
“A lot of people from other cultures won’t be able to understand, but they will get the idea of what type of music people play in Pakistan,” Qidwai said.
Pakistan Night attendees chose from popular Pakistani dishes, including a type of flatbread called naan and biryani, a spicy rice dish traditionally served with meat and vegetables.
“We have [biryani] at every single festival, any special occasion, or religious festival, or cultural festival” Qidwai said. “We have to have a biryani because a lot of people like biryani and even non-Pakistani people are familiar with it.”
Born and raised in Pakistan, Qidwai moved to the United States in 2015 to pursue a mechanical engineering degree at Wichita State.
“The college of engineering is really good, and I heard really good things about Wichita State,” Qidwai said. “Being an international student, we pay a lot more fees than people that are paying in-state tuition, and we don’t get any grants or any type of scholarships, so … I thought Wichita would be one of the most cost-effective places to live.”
PSA Treasurer Muhammad Rohail Jamil, also originally from Pakistan, said that the most difficult part of moving to the United States was only being able to see his family over winter break during the school year.
“Thank God for technology because without it, I wouldn’t be able to communicate with my family,” Jamil said. “You can adjust cultures in a few months, but you can never find a new family. That’s the hardest part.”
Jamil moved to Wichita in 2016, and is currently seeking a degree in computer science.
Qidwai said hosting events on campus helps Pakistani students feel more at home while also exposing non-Pakistani students to the nation’s culture.
“They get to enjoy the food, they get to enjoy the music that they used to listen to back home, and they get to meet people from our country,” Qidwai said.
Qidwai said that unity was one of the most prominent aspects of Pakistani culture.
“If I see someone who belongs to Pakistan, I’m going to feel proud of them,” Qidwai said.
On April 28th, the group will host a kite-flying celebration in honor of the Pakistani holiday, the Basant kite festival, at O.J. Watson Park in Wichita.
“We ordered kites from Pakistan, and we had them delivered here, and we decided to hold the event so people can enjoy that type of traditional event,” Qidwai said. “People make different food, different kinds of snacks, and we all go on the roofs to fly kites.”
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https://thesunflower.com/26812/lifestyle/pakistan-night-shares-and-celebrates-students-culture/

Grain retailers group president: NFA rice will arrive third week of May

 
NFA administrator Jason Aquino (left) attends a Senate hearing on rice shortage.This comes after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the National Food Authority (NFA) to increase the country's buffer stock on NFA rice to 60 days.
Moreover, the Secretary said the importation of the 250,000 metric tons of rice, which was authorized by the Council through a government-to-government transaction, would take about a month to be delivered."The NFA Council will not be abolished", Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this clarification a day after Duterte presided a meeting with the NFA Council.
"Because the NFA is now under the Department of Agriculture anew, Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. will no longer be part of the NFA Council", he said during the press conference in Boracay.
Evasco and the rest of the council had rejected Aquino's previous requests for G2G approval since Filipino farmers had a good harvest at the time, and the council preferred to buy rice locally.
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Consumers may breathe a sigh of relief soon, as the head of a grains retailers group says NFA rice supply could come by the third week of May.
In early April, reports surfaced that the NFA stocks in Metro Manila were "wiped out". The food agency was later placed under the supervision and control of Evasco through Executive Order No. 1 issued by Duterte in 2016.
"The NFA Council will not be abolished", Roque said.
Yet Duterte appears to recognize the virtues of G2P importation, to some extent.
Meantime, the country would shift back to government-to-government (G2G) agreements from government-to-private procurement scheme (G2P) in rice importation, according to Roque. However, it's not clear if Evasco will still be calling the shots.
Subsequent importations will be government-to-private, which was preferred by Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco, Jr., and would be implemented and supervised by the Executive Council Committee headed by the Office of the President.

A better pot of rice is within reach with these 5 tips

 
 
(Photos by Stacy Zarin Goldberg for The Washington Post)
It sounds so easy, but sometimes it’s not: A pot of rice.I admit to struggling with this, often bouncing between batches with grains burned on the bottom (and not in the good way a la bibimbap or crispy Persian rice) and others with a gummy, unappealing texture — more often the latter than the former.
Now, I know some people swear by a rice cooker. And if you do, great! But I don’t make rice often enough to justify owning one, nor do I have room for yet another appliance. So the pot it is.
Of course, your ideal rice may be different from my ideal rice — individual grains, aromatic, not soggy and at home under a variety of meals, especially curries and stir-fries. You may like to use a different type of rice, or use it in a different type of dish. It’s all good. I just won’t be able to get into every single possibility here.
If you’re like me, however, and in search of a better all-purpose pot of rice, here are some tips to consider:
Understand what you’re looking at in the grocery store. Rice typically is categorized according to shape and size as long-, medium- or short-grain. The sizes refer to how long the grains are in relation to their width, from long and tender to short and rounded. Examples of long-grain rice are basmati, jasmine and Carolina Gold; they are less starchy and cook up better into individual grains. This is what I turn to most, and basmati is my favorite variety for its aromatic but not overpowering flavor.
Medium- and short-grain, which cook up stickier, tend to run into each other in terms of how they’re categorized, but varieties include arborio (used in risotto), bomba (used in paella) and sushi rice. Brown rice is to white rice what whole-wheat flour is to white flour, in that brown rice has not had the outer (brown) bran and germ removed. Other items you’ll see on the shelf: Trendy black rice (an unprocessed version of Japanese sticky rice) and wild rice (not actually rice, but a grass).
Play with the ratios of rice to water. Tradition says 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. I almost always find this results in rice that is too wet for my taste. I’m more in the camp of 1 2/3 to 1 3/4 cup of water to 1 cup of rice. Your ideal ratio may also depend on the size of your pot and how much rice you’re cooking, especially when it comes to scaling up. As Cook’s Illustrated explains in this post and accompanying video, rice can only absorb so much water, and only so much water will evaporate in cooking. If you try to proportionally scale up the water your rice cooks in, you will likely end up with some mushy rice. (For example, in doubling their rice pilaf recipe, which calls for 1 1/2 cups rice and 2 1/4 cups of water, they ended up using only 3 3/4 cup water rather than 4 1/2 cups.)
Rinse your rice. This is an important step. According to “Seductions of Rice: A Cookbook,” by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid (Artisan, 1998), rinsing rice “means that there is no more loose starch or other powder or coating left on the rice that might gum it up or change the texture of the cooked rice.” Use cold water to rinse the rice until the water runs clear. I do this by putting the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and holding it under the faucet. As soon as the water filtering through is no longer milky-looking, you’re good to go. Set the strainer over a bowl for a few minutes to let any excess water drain.
Some people make a case against rinsing enriched rices, which have been coated with a powder to provide extra nutrients. Alford and Duguid write that “we feel that since in North America we have access to a wide range of vegetables and other foods, the loss is not critical.” They recommend doing whatever you’re comfortable with, but they fall on the side of rinsing to achieve better texture.
Consider toasting the rice. The benefits are twofold. You’ll get fluffy and light rice, plus the addition of some wonderful nutty flavor. Try it with a little butter or olive oil over medium-low to medium heat in the pot before you add the water. If you want to get fancy, you can add some aromatics (garlic, onion) or spices for additional flavor.
Pay attention and be patient. Like pasta, you may want to check the doneness of the rice a few minutes before the end of the cook time recommended on the package. Ideally you’ll see little craters on the surface from where the steam has cooked out. You don’t want to vigorously stir, but push a little rice aside and take a look underneath. Is there wet, mushy rice lower down? Then try a piece. The rice may feel done, or it may need a bit more time. Once you’re satisfied, Alford and Duguid recommend letting the rice rest for a bit after it finishes cooking, about 10 to 15 minutes, after briefly lifting the lid to let steam escape. Last step: Fluff with a fork and enjoy.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2018/04/09/a-better-pot-of-rice-is-within-reach-with-these-5-tips/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.7493cd3dd0f6

‘Kaleshwaram will be the lifeline of Telangana’, says Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao

By Express News Service  |   Published: 19th April 2018 03:58 AM  |  
Last Updated: 19th April 2018 03:58 AM  
HYDERABAD: Irrigation  Minister T Harish Rao said Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) would change the face of the State in all aspects. The surface water being supplied to the farmers would improve the quality of life and will be the lifeline for Telangana. In an interaction with the TNIE team on Wednesday, Harish Rao said once water was supplied, paddy production would improve, new rice millers would come up and employment would be generated.
The fishermen and the shepherds would get more production due to the availability of water. KLIS would benefit all the erstwhile districts of the state, except Mahbubnagar. On cost escalation of the projects, Harish Rao said that earlier, the cost escalations of various projects was 20 per cent to 150 per cent. “The cost escalation in any project is natural due to the increase in the prices of steel, cement and diesel.
Recently, the Supreme Court imposed a penalty of 12,500 crore on steel manufacturing companies. The companies passed the burden onto the consumers. Earlier, the steel price was `28,000 per tonne. Now it has increased to `45,000 per tonne,” Harish Rao explained. The minister said that KLIS has received all the statutory clearances. “We are expecting three more optional clearances — simulator, technical advisory committee (TAC) and benefit cost ratio — this week,” the irrigation minister added.

NFA fasttracks procurement of rice stocks

By Jed Macapagal
April 19, 2018
The National Food Authority (NFA) will fasttrack the procurement of 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice to immediately replenish government buffer stocks and ensure the availability of affordable NFA rice sold at P27 and P32 per kilogram.Jason Aquino, NFA administrator, said he has instructed the agency’s special bids and awards committee (SBAC) on rice importation to look into how to facilitate the government-to-government procurement in compliance to President Duterte’s order to beef up stocks good for 60 days.He said the agency’s Operations Department was ordered to study and recommend a marketing plan on a15-day strategic rice reserve (SRR) and 30-day stock for the lean months, and a 30-day SRR and 60-day stock for lean months.

Aquino added  NFA will continue to intensify market monitoring and enforcement, in partnership  with the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry and the Philippine National Police.NFA has  made available in the market commercial rice sold as low as P39 per kg. The grains were obtained from  private millers last Monday for sale  by NFA accredited retailers in Metro Manila. DA secretary Emmanuel Piñol earlier said the agency will help the NFA identify provinces where the buying price of palay is relatively low. The DA will also offer incentives to farmers by providing drying facilities for free in NFA buying stations, loans for cooperatives and associations who will sell their produce to NFA and free tractors, harvesters and other farm equipment to associations who could deliver a certain volume of rice to NFA.

Rice Prices

as on : 18-04-2018 12:17:18 PM

Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
Arrivals
Price
Current
%
change
Season 
cumulative
Modal
Prev.
Modal
Prev.Yr
%change
Rice
Kesinga(Ori)
250.00
66.67
400.00
3300
3300
37.50
Risia(UP)
181.60
-80.47
5238.40
1600
1600
-
English Bazar(WB)
116.50
-4.51
1220.60
3800
3600
10.14
Choubepur(UP)
97.50
14.71
1000.00
2400
2420
11.11
Shahjahanpur(UP)
85.00
-5.56
1301.40
2370
2350
-
Beldanga(WB)
75.00
7.14
780.00
2800
2800
12.00
Indus(Bankura Sadar)(WB)
70.00
-6.67
1270.00
2800
2800
9.80
Kasimbazar(WB)
69.00
NC
1504.50
2760
2750
11.29
Basti(UP)
66.00
20
1849.00
2150
2150
1.65
Ghaziabad(UP)
60.00
-25
2005.00
2650
2640
10.42
Akbarpur(UP)
55.00
37.5
2731.50
2170
2175
-0.91
Lalganj(UP)
40.00
100
597.00
2040
2040
5.15
Sahiyapur(UP)
31.50
18.87
1331.00
2155
2150
-
Lakhimpur(UP)
30.00
36.36
1015.00
2270
2280
5.09
Safdarganj(UP)
30.00
20
563.00
2185
2185
1.63
Jangipura(UP)
30.00
50
578.00
2200
2200
-
Soharatgarh(UP)
20.00
5.26
140.00
2060
2050
-0.72
Balrampur(UP)
20.00
NC
130.00
2200
2025
4.76
Sirsaganj(UP)
20.00
33.33
452.00
2660
2690
13.19
Tamluk (Medinipur E)(WB)
18.00
NC
150.00
2800
2800
21.74
Kolaghat(WB)
16.00
NC
140.00
2800
2800
21.74
Islampur(WB)
13.00
NC
497.50
3350
3350
48.89
Badayoun(UP)
12.00
-40
276.00
2380
2375
-
Raiganj(WB)
12.00
NC
585.00
3250
3250
28.71
Karvi(UP)
11.00
-12
102.50
2050
2045
-8.07
Charra(UP)
10.50
10.53
47.50
2500
2520
-
Alappuzha(Ker)
10.00
NC
30.00
7450
6850
66.48
Bampada(Ori)
10.00
-16.67
37.00
2800
2600
7.69
Fatehpur(UP)
9.50
171.43
1088.00
2285
2280
3.86
Deogarh(Ori)
9.00
NC
213.00
2500
2500
NC
Paliakala(UP)
8.00
6.67
840.10
2230
2225
-
Maudaha(UP)
7.00
-12.5
148.00
2035
2035
-3.10
Muradabad(UP)
6.00
-14.29
148.00
2450
2420
-
Farukhabad(UP)
5.00
-16.67
136.00
2330
2330
5.43
Mirzapur(UP)
5.00
-28.57
358.00
2175
2170
-
Unnao(UP)
5.00
-23.08
141.90
2175
2175
6.10
Buland Shahr(UP)
5.00
11.11
66.50
2550
2520
8.97
Chhibramau(Kannuj)(UP)
5.00
25
222.50
2240
2240
NC
Chitwadagaon(UP)
4.00
-42.86
133.20
2000
2100
-6.10
Kalyani(WB)
3.50
-66.67
64.90
3400
3400
NC
Tundla(UP)
2.40
20
86.50
2520
2610
-
Khairagarh(UP)
1.20
50
59.90
2550
2530
1.19
Bangarmau(UP)
1.00
-44.44
23.40
2150
2150
4.88
Jagnair(UP)
0.80
-33.33
49.70
2540
2530
NC
Published on April 18, 2018
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rice-prices/article23582901.ece

Rice Prices

as on : 19-04-2018 01:52:58 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)
650.00
30
23258.00
2290
2300
-
Kesinga(Ori)
225.00
-10
625.00
3200
3300
33.33
Allahabad(UP)
110.00
15.79
3668.50
2675
2675
22.71
Shahjahanpur(UP)
90.00
5.88
1391.40
2365
2370
-
Beldanga(WB)
75.00
NC
855.00
2800
2800
12.00
Maur(UP)
61.00
35.56
1000.00
2155
2155
-
Kopaganj(UP)
61.00
-6.15
1250.00
2155
2150
-0.23
Ghaziabad(UP)
50.00
-16.67
2055.00
2650
2650
10.42
Akbarpur(UP)
45.50
-17.27
2777.00
2175
2170
-0.68
Hapur(UP)
40.00
-20
1440.00
2650
2640
16.23
Sahiyapur(UP)
34.50
9.52
1365.50
2160
2155
-
Lalganj(UP)
30.00
-25
627.00
2040
2040
5.15
Jaunpur(UP)
29.00
-9.38
905.30
2180
2175
3.81
Jayas(UP)
21.00
-22.22
921.00
2060
2060
5.64
Jafarganj(UP)
20.00
-20
277.00
1900
1850
-
Karanjia(Ori)
15.00
-31.82
184.00
2620
2630
-6.43
Tamkuhi Road(UP)
12.00
-25
529.00
2130
2150
-
Deogarh(Ori)
9.00
NC
222.00
2500
2500
NC
Bolangir(Ori)
7.00
NC
99.50
2800
2800
16.67
Chitwadagaon(UP)
6.00
50
139.20
2100
2000
-1.41
Balarampur(WB)
1.85
1.65
36.89
2640
2640
12.34
Khairagarh(UP)
1.50
25
61.40
2560
2550
1.59
Published on April 19, 2018

USA Rice says Brazilian shipments hurting US farmers

By Bill Tomson

A Bunge port complex in Pará, Brazil

Brazil, known and often reviled in the U.S. ag sector for its successful World Trade Organization challenge to U.S. cotton support programs, is now suspected of breaking WTO rules by subsidizing its rice exports.The land of samba and soybeans is also a major rice producer and the government has dusted off a pair of support programs that U.S. farmers and millers say are being used to push Brazilian rice into the U.S. and other countries where the U.S. fights to keep a market share.
Brazil is the tenth largest rice exporter in the world and competes with U.S. exports to countries like Venezuela, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Peru.Brazil’s government uses the two programs – the Premium for Product Outflow (PEP) and the Equalization Premium Paid to the Producer (PEPRO) – to help farmers sell off their stocks and move rice from big production areas to states where little or none is produced.
But the government has also previously used the programs to help get rice surpluses out of domestic silos and onto the international market.The USA Rice Federation does not yet have solid proof, but the circumstantial evidence is strong. Brazilian rice exports to the U.S. for the first two months of this year are 60 percent higher than they were in January and February of 2017. That coincides with Brazil’s renewed use of the two subsidy programs that have not been operational since 2011.
Brazil exported about $3.1 million worth of rice to the U.S. from January through February, according to USDA data. That’s a significant increase from the $2.2 million that Brazil shipped here in the first two months of 2017.And then there are the anecdotal accounts in the U.S. A miller here called in to USA Rice to complain that he lost a sale to Brazilian imports. The miller said he didn’t know how much the customer paid for the Brazilian rice, but stressed he was offering his rice at 25 cents per pound, which is “about as low as you can get in the business.” Anything less would be selling “at cost.”
If you take into account that the cost of transporting that Brazilian rice to the U.S. is far more expensive than sourcing domestically, it’s just more evidence that Brazil is selling subsidized rice at below market value, said USA Rice spokesman Michael Klein.
That is technically considered dumping and it’s against WTO rules.“Although the programs are intended to facilitate the movement of commodities within Brazil, nothing bars them from exporting the rice,” said Bobby Hanks, chairman of the USA Rice International Trade Policy Committee. “If rice is indeed being exported under these programs, then this is a WTO violation, of great concern to us, and exactly the sort of unfair trade practices that hurt U.S. farmers and that the Trump Administration is cracking down on.”
Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, also called CONAB, announced last week that it is preparing to hold its sixth auction this year under the two programs – PEP and PEPRO – on Thursday this week. The first was held in January at about the time that Brazilian rice exports to the U.S. began climbing.
On Thursday CONAB said it is prepared to help facilitate the sale of 107,000 tons of rice from farmers’ stockpiles in the southern states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, two of the biggest rice-producing states in the country.In the previous five auctions, CONAB said it successfully facilitated the sales of 346,200 tons of rice from southern Brazil.
Overall, the Brazilian government plans to spend about the equivalent of $29 million on the two subsidy programs, according an announcement made in December.
Klein told Agri-Pulse that the group has taken up the issue with both the U.S. Trade Representative and the USDA in an effort to get the agencies to confront Brazil.U.S. government officials have assured USA Rice that they are doing exactly that at the WTO, although the U.S. has not made a move to challenge Brazil officially by asking for a dispute panel.
That could still come. Klein said Brazil is usually good about reporting exports and USA Rice expects a clearer picture soon of exactly how the subsidy programs are affecting the country’s exports.For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com

https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/10865-usa-rice-says-brazilian-shipments-hurting-us-farmers

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