Iran to resume Basmati imports from India soon
NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY
11:
Indian rice exporters may soon be
able to resume Basmati exports to Iran. Top officials in the country have
assured India that the temporary ban placed on imports late last year will be
lifted shortly and the process of registration of suppliers will begin.A team
of officials from the Commerce Ministry recently visited Iran to hold talks
with their counterparts on exports of a variety of products including rice.
Low exports likely
“We were assured that Iran is ready to resume rice imports as
the glut in their domestic market has eased substantially,” a Commerce Ministry
official told BusinessLine.
Business for rice exporters,
however, is not likely to be as brisk as before, as Iran still has substantial
stocks of rice.“Iranian officials have indicated that they will resume the
process of re-registration of Basmati suppliers. The country is supposed to
come up with its notification (on lifting curbs) on March 21.We have to find
out what happens,” said Rajen Sundaresan from the All India Rice Exporters Association
(AIREA).Sundaresan was part of the business delegation that accompanied the
Indian officials.“We expect rice exports to Iran to be 3-5 lakh tonnes (lt), as
it will not be possible to touch the earlier highs,” the Ministry official
said.
Glut in Iran
In 2014-15, exports of rice from India to Iran are likely to be
around 8 lt, as opposed to expectations of 10 lt. In 2013-14, India’s export of
Basmati to Iran was a whopping 1.4 million tonne.Sundaresan said that while
Iran had not indicated how much they want to buy, the general expectation was
that it would be lower this year as there was still a lot of existing stock in
the market.Iran stopped importing rice late last year (August-September) as
there was a glut in the country because of a robust local production and a
spill-over in stocks from the previous year.
Payment mechanism
Iran had stepped up its purchase of all items including rice
from India over the last couple of years to get around economic sanctions
imposed by Western countries over its alleged nuclear activities.India and Iran
have put in place a Rupee payment mechanism wherein part payment for the oil
purchased from Iran by India is deposited in a Rupee account in India’s UCO
Bank.The money is then used to make payments to Indian exporters to Iran
thereby avoiding payments in Dollars and through foreign banks.
(This article was published on February 11, 2015)
Bill Gates gives Ghana, others $3.3m for rice production
Feb 11, 2015 at 3:55pm
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Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation (BMGF) and the German Development Cooperation (BMZ), under their
Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI) project have given Ghana, Nigeria,
Burkina Faso, and Tanzania a $3.3 million grant to boost rice production.About 120,000
small scale rice producers will benefit from the project which is expected to
end 2017. Secondary beneficiaries are the rural service providers and rice
millers.The implementing institutions of the grant are led by GIZ, Technoserve, the John A. Kufuor (JAK) Foundation and Kili Trust (KT). The initiative is geared towards improving their sourcing capacity of quality supply.Speaking on the establishment of the Nigeria/ECOWAS Rice Sector Policy and Regulation Advocacy Platform in Abuja, CARI’s project coordinator, Mr. Stefan Kachelriess-Matthess, stated that the main instrument for the implementation of CARI across the four countries on the matching grant will be on the basis of Public Private Partnership (PPP).“The projects are implemented at two levels of support, we support up to 40 percent of implementation cost and our Nigerian partners in the private sector have to provide 60 per cent of the implementation cost,” Kachelriess-Matthess said.
The ECOWAS Commissioner of Agriculture, Environment
and Water Resources, Dr. Lapodini Marc Atouga, represented by a Director at the
Commission, said rice consumption in the last two years in the sub-region had
increased from 7 to 7.7 million tons, pointing out this clearly shows that
production is not matching up with the consumption as it has to depend on
international imports for 40 per cent of its rice supply with Thailand and
Vietnam as the leading suppliers of the commodity to the region.As a way of
achieving its regional Agriculture Investment Programme (RAIP), he said the
Commission went a step further to develop projects and programmes that will
increase rice production and productivity in the region.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
BATAN to produce prime crop
seedlings
Bambang Muryanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta | Archipelago |
Wed, February 11 2015, 9:16 AM
The
National Atomic Energy Agency (BATAN) will this year release five prime crop
seedlings, consisting of two types of rice seedlings, two sorghum seedlings and
a peanut seedling, as the result of the application of nuclear technology.“We
will immediately announce a superior rice seedling called Tropiko,” BATAN
Radiation and Isotopic Application Center head Hendig Winarno told The Jakarta
Post at the Application of Radiation Processing for Sustainable Development of
Agriculture Seminar in Yogyakarta on Monday.The seminar and workshop, which run
until Thursday and were organized by BATAN and the Forum for Nuclear
Cooperation in Asia (FNCA), were attended by representatives from countries
such as Bangladesh, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Hendig said BATAN was
waiting for a decision letter from the agriculture minister regarding the
Tropiko superior rice seedling, which can withstand pests and yield 10.5 tons
of rice per hectare.“If developed, we can meet up to 10 percent of rice
seedling demand nationally,” added Hendig.He said the application of nuclear
technology, such as gamma rays and electron radiation, was able to produce new
superior seedling varieties in bigger volumes compared to conventional methods. Meanwhile, rice farmer Sumana Sri
Darwanta, from Musirawas in South Sumatra, revealed that he had tried growing
Tropiko rice seedlings, saying they grew faster than usual and had strong roots
and a survival rate of 95 percent.
BATAN
data showed that the prime sorghum seedling called Samurai 1 could produce
1,148 liters of ethanol fuel from a 1-hectare field and the Samurai 2 seedling
(suitable as food) could yield 8.5 tons per hectare, while the superior black
soybean seedling, named Mutiara 2, could produce 3 tons per hectare and Mutiara
3 could produce 3.2 tons per hectare.BATAN created 17 superior rice seedlings
from 1982 to 2014 and eight prime black soybean seedlings from 1987 to
2014.BATAN, equipped with nuclear technology, is also able to produce
oligochitosan from prawn waste, the product of which is called Fitosan, to
boost crop growth and prevent plant diseases originating from fungi, bacteria
and viruses.
Another of its products is the super water
absorbent hydrogel (SWA), used for agriculture on sandy or dry farms and aimed
at efficient water use and maintaining the balance of soil moisture.“SWA usage
for shallot cultivation in sandy soil in Samas Beach, Bantul, could minimize
irrigation from twice daily to once in three days,” said Hendig.BATAN Nuclear
Technology Development Division deputy head Anhar Riza Antariksawan said
agricultural products using nuclear technology were safe to consume.“The method
is safe because radiation immediately disappears,” said Anhar.
He
added that BATAN’s innovations in the field of agriculture could boost crop
productivity and help economic growth. He expressed hope that BATAN’s findings
could be used by farmers in Indonesia.“We hope investors will be willing to
produce these innovations en masse. BATAN will provide technical assistance,”
said Anhar
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/02/11/batan-produce-prime-crop-seedlings.html#sthash.eOuWPaqG.dpuf
Malaysia; Where has the S$113.2
rice subsidy gone?
MALAYSIA - Kedah Regency Council
deputy chairman and two rice millers have lodged a report to the Malaysian
Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) against Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry
Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob over suspected power abuse in handling
rice subsidy, exposing drawbacks in the RM500 million subsidy for Super
Tempatan ST15 per cent broken rice.
Poor people are unable to
purchase subsidied rice, due to allegedly pocketing problems involving senior
officials in the government.However, Ismail Sabri, who was severely criticised
recently for harming racial harmony due to his boycott call, has distanced
himself from the allegation, claiming that he has no supreme decision-making
power in the government's ST15 per cent national rice subsidy programme.
He said that the supply of the
subsidised rice is handled by the commission led by the Ministry's
Secretary-General. As the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister, how
could Ismail Sabri pass the buck just like that? The accusation does not seem
to be baseless as it was openly pointed out by the Kedah Regency Council deputy
chairman, who is a rice miller himself.It was reported that the Kedah Regency
Council deputy chairman has his rice supply quota cut from 1,000 tons to 100
tons as he refused bribery while the supply of other rice millers were
completely cut off. It is believed that many other millers are facing the same
problem, showing that corruption problems in the rice subsidy programme has
become increasingly serious.
The government implements the
ST15 per cent national rice subsidy programme and subsidies 60,000 tons of rice
each month, with RM750 subsidy for each ton. However, rice millers receive only
RM450 for each ton while the other RM300 was said to have passed to specific
officials in the Ministry. If such a saying is true, it shows the existence of
corruption practices and who are the so-called specific officials? The MACC must
investigate where has the RM300 gone.
The purpose of the government to
spend RM500 million for rice subsidy each year is to allow the poor buy cheap
rice, helping them to ease financial burden. The intention is good, but has
unfortunately been abused by corrupt officials and unscrupulous rice millers,
who turn ST15 per cent broken rice into ST5 per cent rice to gain profits from
it, causing ST15 per cent rice can no longer be seen in the market, and the
poor still need to buy expensive rice. The government's subsidy has only
benefited the senior officials. The Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry
Ministry has failed to properly implement the rice subsidy programme and many
problems have derived from it. The Minister's capability should be questioned.
To solve the problem of abusing
rice subsidy, the government must make a thorough reform, such as revoking the
quota system for Bumiputera rice millers. The Ministry allegedly allows only
Malay rice millers to enjoy the subsidy while shutting the door to Chinese rice
millers, rather allowing Malay millers to store up to 6,000 tons of rice and
Chinese rice millers to face shortage of supply. Unfair policy is also a factor
causing corruption and abuse of power.Since Kedah Regency Council deputy
chairman has lodged a report against the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry
Minister and officials, we hope that the MACC can launch a thorough
investigation on involving wholesalers, millers and officials in the ministry
to lift the doubts of the people, as well as allow the poor to enjoy the rice
subsidy.
http://news.asiaone.com/news/malaysia/malaysia-where-has-s1132-rice-subsidy-gone#sthash.hnscJyQd.dpuf
Small and Medium Enterprises financing can best be achieved with
leasing and hire purchase: Zulfikar Thaver
February 10, 2015
Karachi, February 10, 2015
(PPI-OT)
The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME)
has urged the government to promote the
micro and small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) through hire purchase, leasing
and special schemes designed for the sector and also urged the Bankers
Institute of Pakistan to co-ordinate with the government to design products for
the sector.President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said it is very important for the
banks and financial institutions to relax their collateral requirements for financing the
SMEs and consider financing against positive cash flows.
He appreciated the different
schemes of the government including the Prime Minister Youth Loan Scheme
(PMYLS) but said that since the risk in financing was of the concerned banks, the
different schemes did not succeed.The PMYLS is beneficial to only those who
succeed in the ballot despite of having a sound business plan. Unless the SME financing issues are addressed seriously the financing requirements of the sector will remain
and the sector deprived of its rights and level playing field.
The reduction in discount rate
was also much appreciated but unfortunately the commercial banks have
not reduced their lending rates proportionately and their spread is high.He
urged the government to provide credit guarantee to commercial banks against default by the SME borrower
and said the commercial banks will not be inclined to finance the
SMEs unless they are made comfortable through credit guarantee insurance. The
present 40% guarantee cover is insufficient and needs to be increased
substantially.
Thaver said through a survey conducted by UNISAME it was found
that some of the SMEs need finance to acquire assets namely land, machinery,
building. Others need working capital or running finance to purchase raw
material or goods, pay utilities, salaries.Many SMEs need trade finance for
import, exports and domestic trading. All the entrepreneurs complained of lack of
interest of commercial banks in financing them and pointed out that the banks
were demanding immovable properties in selected areas as collateral.Few even
informed UNISAME that the banks were not inclined to discount export bills and
refused post shipment finance against bills of third world countries and letter
of credits established by buyers having low rating opening banks.
Most of the entrepreneurs were not aware of the SME Bank and
those who knew said it is just like any other commercial bank and not a
specific SME bank. The government must restructure the SME Bank to make it a
specific SME Bank.Senior citizens complained that the commercial banks were not financing them as the insurance companies were
not prepared to insure them and the unemployed youth complained that the banks
were not financing them because the banks were financing businesses which were at-least 3 years
old.
Incidentally senior citizens also complained that the National
Saving Centres were delaying profit payments by cheques as the cheque books
were in short supply and cheques were not being issued by the treasury promptly
and suggesting the depositors to collect profit of less than Rs 100,000 by
cash.One senior citizen pointed out that he requested for profit cheque 10 days
ago but had still not received the profit cheque. Secondly new senior citizen
depositors are offered very low rates and they are unable to survive on such
low rates. It is very important that the government takes good care of its
senior citizens and ensures their comfort as Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a
welfare state.Thaver urged the Bankers Institute to educate the banks in risk
management and also design products for the SMEs. UNISAME suggested the
designing of SME credit cards for all micro and SME units according to their
size to enable them to pay utilities and purchase bills and facilitate them for
short periods till sale and realization of proceeds of their goods or services.
Secondly commercial
banks must be directed to finance
mandatory percentage of their lending to SMEs. Most of the banks are engaged in
consumer financing and reporting it as SME financing. This needs to be checked.
Thirdly there is need to promote hire purchasing and leasing without
down payments or equity as this is asset basedfinancing.Fourthly the ministry
of finance must come up with schemes to finance energy companies and security
companiesto promote alternate energy generation
and private guards and detectives services provider companies. Business is not
growing due to lack of energy and due to poor law and order.
For more information, contact:
Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME)
75/1 3rd Commercial Street,
Phase IV, D.H.A., Karachi,
Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-35884225-6
Fax: +92-21-35380642
Cell: +92-300-8245307, +92-321-8245307
Email: unisame@gmail.com
The post Small and Medium Enterprises financing can best be achieved with
leasing and hire purchase: Zulfikar Thaver appeared first on AsiaNet-Pakistan.
Innovative rice farming in the north
S Dilip Roy, Lalmonirhat
A farmer in one of Lalmonirhat's flood prone areas
shows the Binadhan-11 variety he planted, the flood tolerant variety of Aman
plants were submerged for 15 days but still survived. Photo: Star
Back in 2014, people
living in the low-lying districts of northern Bangladesh suffered from a
devastating flood, submerging traditional Aman rice varieties for 15 days,
causing full or partial damage.Most of the low-lying areas of Lalmonirhat,
Kurigram, Gaibandha, Nilphamari and part of Rangpur district are affected by
these recent flash-floods, causing huge losses in agriculture in around fifty
thousand households while more than fifty thousand hectares of Aman rice crops
are damaged in three districts of Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Gaibandha, said
sources.
According to them, the loss is around 1.5 lakh tons
of paddy, which is quite alarming.Some of the affected farmers who live in
Teesta and Dharla, said that this is now a common crisis because of climate change.
Flash flood is becoming a big threat for Aman rice production during monsoon
seasons. Aman rice is one of the most important crops in Bangladesh and
connected with the nation's food security.Due to climate changes, flash-floods
occur almost every year during monsoon and heavy rainfall. These flash floods
occur twice or thrice in the same monsoon, said an affected farmer Azizar
Rahman, 65, from the flood affected village of Kalmati in Lalmonirhat sadar.
He also said, “On the other hand, due to heavy silt
deposition, most of the rivers have lost the free-flows they once had in the
past which causes reduction in the depth and breadth of rivers year after
year.”“Just after continuous rainfall during monsoon, these rivers overflow
their banks and flow into the adjoining fields. As a result, most of the
standing rice fields are affected for about 1-2 weeks, causing severe damage of
Aman rice crops,” said another affected farmer, Altaf Hossain, 58, at Char
Kulaghat village in Lalmonirhat sadar.
Agrculture officials from three districts said that
due to changes in climate, farmers lose around one million tons of rice grain
almost every monsoon, leading to food shortage in the country while more than
one million hectares of Aman rice fields are affected partially or fully by
flash-floods throughout the country.Official sources at NGO RDRS Bangladesh
said that Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and Bangladesh Institute of
Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), under joint collaboration with International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI) has developed submergence tolerant rice varieties
which can withstand submergence for up to 15 days whereas other existing rice
varieties succumb to submergence within 4 to 6 days. The submergence tolerant
rice varieties have the submergence gene (Sub1) that helps crops to renew its
growth after the water recedes.
The Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of NGO
RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid said that considering the geographical
vulnerability, the STRASA (Stress Tolerant Rice in Africa and South-Asia)
project, which is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, carried
out a number of demonstration trials of this submergence tolerant rice
varieties in a couple of fields from flash-flood affected areas.
“Immediately after the water receded, these
submergence tolerant rice plants started forming new shoots and thus proving
that this new rice variety can survive even if fully submerged for fifteen
days”, he said. Deputy Director AED Safayet Hossain of Lalmonirhat said,
“After observing the outstanding performance, farmers of the flood-prone areas
are now very much optimistic about these submergence tolerant rice varieties”.
Published: 12:00 am Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Research and Markets: Global Basmati Rice Industry Report 2015
with Forecasts to 2020
February 10, 2015
DUBLIN — Research
and Markets
(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/vts5ks/global_basmati) has announced the addition of the "Global Basmati Rice Industry Report 2015" report to their offering.The Global Basmati Rice Industry Report
2015 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the basmati
rice industry.The report provides a basic overview of the industry including
definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure.
The basmati rice market analysis
is provided for the international markets including development trends,
competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.Development
policies and plans are also discussed and manufacturing processes and cost
structures analyzed. Basmati rice industry import/export consumption, supply
and demand figures and cost price and production value gross margins are also
provided.
The report focuses on fourteen
industry players providing information such as company profiles, product
picture and specification, capacity production, price, cost, production value and
contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand
analysis is also carried out. The basmati rice industry development trends and
marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment
projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.
Key Topics Covered:
1.
Basmati
Rice Industry Overview
2.
Global
Basmati Rice Market Status Analysis
3.
Major
Regions Basmati Rice Market Status Analysis
4.
Major
Countries Basmati Rice Market Status and Analysis
5.
Major
Companies Basmati Rice Market Status and Analysis
6.
Basmati
Rice Industry Chain and Marketing Channels Analysis
7.
Basmati
Rice Industry Segment Market Analysis
8.
Basmati
Rice Industry Development Trend
9.
Basmati
Rice New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis
10. Global Basmati Rice Industry Research Conclusions
Companies Mentioned
·
Basmati
·
COFCO
·
Charoen
·
Coocosun
·
Fu
Ji
·
Hai
Rice
·
Hamsons
·
Ming
Da
·
Riviana
·
Tilda
·
Uncle
bens
·
Xin
Li
·
Zhao
Fa
·
Zhong
Xing
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/vts5ks/global_basmati
http://www.heraldonline.com/2015/02/10/6785641/research-and-markets-global-basmati.html
How You Can Avoid Low-Level Arsenic in Rice and Chicken
Pesticides, fertilizers in soil
contain some arsenic
Every year, we hear one or two reports about too-high-to-be-safe
levels of something in our food supply. In many cases, the danger is limited to
a specific geographic region, but sometimes it’s a problem that affects the
entire nation.The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) reported in 2012 that
there’s too much arsenic in two things many of us eat frequently – rice and chicken. The
levels were too low to be deemed an official threat, but the presence of
arsenic in food is always a concern.Arsenic is a metallic mineral from the
Earth’s crust that is released into the soil and water via fertilizers and
pesticides. Organic forms are less toxic than inorganic forms. Regardless of its
form, the question is whether you can feel safe eating foods that have even low
arsenic levels.
Arsenic in rice
You might not know it, but you likely eat more than 20 pounds of
rice every year. It might be sushi, rice pudding, rice milk, or just rice
that’s part of a comfort-food dinner. This white or brown grain holds a
traditional place at our dinner table, but it also absorbs inorganic arsenic
more easily than other foods we typically eat.Regular exposure to arsenic, even
at low levels, can slightly raise your risk of bladder, lung and skin cancer,
as well as heart disease and Type-2 diabetes. It can also have a negative
impact on a baby’s growing immune system.Recent studies evaluated arsenic in our rice supply and found most of it is,
fortunately, organic. Levels have risen in recent years, but they’re still not
high enough for the FDA to be concerned. That said, there’s still no federal
limit for the levels of arsenic in our rice supply.
How to eat rice more safely
Eat less rice. If you’re worried, I suggest eating only half of the daily
recommended rice intake and adding more variety to the grains you eat.
Rinse your rice. The U.S. Rice Foundation advises rinsing raw rice before cooking
and using a 1-to-6 cup rice-to-water ratio, draining the excess water off after
cooking.
Know which types of white rice
are considered safest. Overall, white basmati rice from
California, India and Pakistan, as well as U.S. sushi rice, has half the level
of inorganic arsenic as other rice types. However, all rice – except sushi and
quick-cooking – from Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana and most other U.S. locations
had the highest inorganic arsenic levels.
Limit kids’ consumption of
drinks with rice. Rice-containing beverages have among the highest inorganic arsenic levels, so they should
be given sparingly to children younger than age 5.
Choose your brown rice
carefully. Although brown rice has more
nutrients than white rice, studies found brown rice has roughly 80 percent more
inorganic arsenic. Brown basmati from California, India and Pakistan are the
best options, having one-third less arsenic than other kinds of brown rice.
Try other grains. There are gluten-free and gluten-containing grains that have
almost no inorganic arsenic, according to the U.S. Rice Foundation. For
example, you could add amaranth, buckwheat, millet and polenta (or grits) to
your diet, as well as bulgur, barley and farro.
The problem with chicken
But, arsenic in rice doesn’t just affect the grain. It makes its
way to your dinner plate in another way – through the chicken that eats the
rice as feed.Arsenic was introduced to chicken feed in the 1940s as a way to
improve muscle growth, fight disease and make the meat pinker. Most of the
arsenic is excreted, but some ends up in the chicken meat.In 2014, the FDA
called for the removal of the animal drug Roxarsone from chicken feed, saying
it can transform into inorganic arsenic. But, removing it from the market is an
ongoing process.
Eliminating Roxarsone from chicken feed could have a significant
impact on our health in the United States. According to a 2006 Institute for
Agriculture and Trade Policy report, annual chicken consumption per
American sky-rocketed 250 percent between 1965 and 2013, jumping from 33.7
pounds to 83.1 pounds. The same report also revealed that 70 percent of the 8.7
million chickens bred for the food supply ate feed containing Roxarsone.In the
meantime, if the low levels of arsenic in chicken still make you nervous, you
can choose other sources of protein, including fish, beans and tofu.However, I don’t recommend removing chicken
from your diet. I eat it regularly and will continue to do so as a part of a
balanced and varied diet.
WASDE: All-Rice Imports Raised to 23.0 Million Cwt.
FEBRUARY 10, 2015 11:07 AM
RICE: Slight revisions are made to the U.S. all rice and
rice-by-class 2014/15 supply and use balance sheets. All rice imports are
increased 1.0 million cwt to 23.0 million, all in combined medium- and
short-grain rice. Imports of broken rice from Australia of about 21,000
tons (milled basis) were reported in the U.S. Census Bureau’s December trade
data. The all rice export forecast is unchanged at 103.0 million cwt, but
the by-class projections are shifted by increasing long-grain 1.0 million to
71.0 million and lowering combined medium- and short-grain 1.0 million to 32.0
million.
All rice ending stocks are raised 1.0 million
cwt to nearly 42.0 million with long-grain stocks lowered 1.0 million to 28.1
million, and combined medium- and short-grain stocks raised 2.0 million to 11.5
million. Stocks of broken rice, not reported by class, are projected at a
little over 2.0 million cwt. The 2014/15 long-grain season-average price
range is narrowed to $11.90 to $12.50 per cwt, up 20 cents on the low end of
the range and down 20 cents on the upper end—the midpoint is unchanged from a
month ago at $12.20 per cwt.
The all combined medium- and
short-grain season-average price range is narrowed to $17.90 to $18.70 per cwt,
down 10 cents on the low end of the range and a decrease of 30 cents on the
high end—the midpoint is lowered 20 cents from last month to $18.30 per
cwt. Two additional combined medium- and short-grain farm prices are
introduced this month: a California price (on an October-September basis) and a
price for Other States (on an August-July basis). The California combined
medium- and short-grain price is forecast with a midpoint of $20.00 per cwt,
and the midpoint for the Other States is $15.10.Global 2014/15 rice supply and
use projections are lowered from last month. Global 2013/14 rice
production is forecast at 474.6 million tons, down 0.9 million from last month.
The largest declines for
Thailand and Cambodia are partially offset by increases for Sri Lanka and
Iraq. Thailand’s 2014/15 rice crop is lowered 1.0 million tons to 19.5
million due to a reduction in dry-season plantings resulting from an on-going
drought and a reduction in irrigation water availability concentrated in the
Central Region. Thailand’s 2014/15 crop would be the smallest since
2006/07. Cambodia’s crop is lowered 200,000 tons to 4.7 million due
mostly to flooding of the main-season crop. Global consumption is down
slightly from a month ago. World trade in 2014/15 is lowered 400,000 tons
due mostly to reductions for Thailand and Cambodia. Imports are lowered
for Iraq.
World ending stocks are lowered
0.8 million tons to 98.2 million due mostly to a reduction for Thailand, which
is partially offset by increases for Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Thailand’s
2014/15 ending stocks are lowered 1.4 million tons to 9.6 million, the lowest
since 2011/12. Pakistan’s 2014/15 ending stocks are raised 0.5 million
tons owing to a reduction in the 2013/14 export projection.
Trends in global rice trade
Written
by Samarendu Mohanty.
Historically, a small amount of rice is traded globally compared
with other crops such as wheat, corn (maize), and soybeans. However, after
remaining stagnant for almost two and a half decades, rice trade expanded in
the late 1980s in the wake of trade liberalization in many countries and the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1994.Global rice trade now stands at
around 42 million tons compared with 10–12 million tons in the late ‘80s. The
current trade accounts for nearly 9% of global production compared with 4% in
the late ‘80s (Fig. 1)..
Structure of
global rice trade
Rice is a political commodity in
the majority of Asian countries and its price is an important barometer of
government performance. Thus, it becomes imperative for policymakers to control
rice trade flow for domestic rice market to be stable. State agencies are
involved in controlling the flow of rice in and out of countries and, in many
cases, they also take part in importing/exporting rice through
government-to-government (G-G) contracts.
State agencies in many rice consuming countries such as the National Food Authority of the
Philippines, the Bureau of Logistics of
Indonesia, and BERNAS of Malaysia are solely in charge of importing rice into their respective
countries. Similarly, state agencies in many exporting countries are also
involved in rice exports through G-G contracts. For example, Vietnam exported
in excess of 400,000 tons of rice monthly in 2013 and 2014 through G-G sales to
Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and other Asian and African countries
(2014 World Rice Conference, Cambodia). The extent of the hold of the
governments in rice trade was evident during the 2007-08 rice crisis when
exporting countries such as India and Vietnam enforced an export ban, and
importing countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and Nigeria scrambled
to stockpile rice for domestic food security.The rice export market is highly
concentrated with the top five rice exporters accounting for 80% of global rice
trade. Of the five top exporters, four (Thailand, India, Vietnam, and Pakistan)
are from Asia.
Thailand has occupied the top spot for the most part of the past
four decades. For these Asian rice-exporting countries, rice is still the most
important staple, and domestic food security and strategic reserve is extremely
important. Unlike the high concentration in export market, the import side is
quite fragmented. The top five rice importers account for around 30% of the
total trade and the top ten account for less than 50% of total imports. Many of
the major importers, including the current top importer, China, are from Asia
and account for a quarter of the total trade. The other major importing regions
are the Middle East and Africa, with nearly half of the total global trade.
These two are the fastest growing rice markets, with the trade volume doubling
from 10 to 20 million tons in the past decade.
Types of rice
traded
Global rice trade can be broadly divided into fragrant and
nonfragrant rice. The fragrant rice market includes basmati and jasmine rice
while the nonfragrant rice market includes white, parboiled, and glutinous
rice. In the case of basmati trade, India and Pakistan export 100% of this rice
to all parts of the world, with Middle Eastern countries as the major
destinations, followed by the European Union. In the past 15 years, the global
trade of basmati rice has grown from 1 to more than 4 million tons, with India
capturing almost all the market expansion while Pakistan’s market share
declined from 50% to less than 20% during the same period.
For the jasmine rice market, Thailand used to dominate with an
almost 100% market share a decade ago. But, Vietnam and Cambodia have made
significant inroads into the market in recent years, with Thailand’s share
dropping below 50%. Vietnam has evolved to become the biggest competitor for
Thai Hommali jasmine rice, with nearly 40% of the market share. But, despite
its rising market share, Vietnamese jasmine still sells for a hefty discount in
the market. The average spread between Thai Hommali and Vietnamese jasmine has
been around US$400 per ton ($1,000 per ton for Thai Hommali vs. $600 per ton
for Vietnamese jasmine) in recent years.In the past decade, the volume of
jasmine trade was growing at a snail’s pace from 1.7 million tons in 2005
to 2.5 million tons in 2013 (Source: The Rice Trader).
The major markets for jasmine rice are the United States, China,
Hong Kong, Singapore, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Malaysia. In addition, 600–700
thousand tons of 100% broken jasmine rice, primarily Thai Hommali, are mostly
exported to three West African countries, namely, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and
Ghana.In the case of white and parboiled rice, the market is segregated based
on the percentage of broken rice (major types are 5%, 15%, 25%, and 100%). All
major exporters are involved in white rice trading to all parts of the world.
On the contrary, the majority of parboiled rice originates from India and
Thailand, with African and Middle Eastern countries as its main destinations.
Future trends
Since the 2007-08 rice crisis, many rice-consuming countries
have been reluctant to depend on imported rice and have rolled out measures to improve self-sufficiency. Many rice-importing countries have initiated programs to
expand their rice production and reduce their dependence on foreign rice.Both India and China have also emerged as major players in the global rice market in the past
few years with India’s unprecedented rise to the top of the export chart and
China’s unexpected rise to the top of the import chart (Fig. 2). In 2012, India
displaced Thailand from the top spot by exporting 10.4 million tons of rice
vis-à-vis 6.9 million tons for Thailand. Like India, nobody expected China to
become the largest importer of rice in the world, displacing Nigeria, with 3.5
million tons of imports in 2013.
India’s lifting of its export ban on the nonbasmati market in
late 2011 after a 4-year gap, burgeoning domestic stocks, and a weak rupee
supported India’s exports in the past two years. But, earlier in 2014, Thailand
stopped the rice pledging scheme and has regained the majority of markets lost
to India in 2012. Thailand recaptured the top spot in 2014 and is expected to
further strengthen its position in 2015.
Despite all these uncertainties,
the global rice trade will continue to rise in the future. The rising
popularity of rice in many non-Asian countries, including parts of Africa and
the Middle East, is likely to greatly contribute to the uptrend in rice trade.
A lot depends on Africa, where rice consumption is expected to grow much faster
than in any other regions in the world.
Based on our projections,
112 million tons of additional rice will be needed globally by 2040 and nearly
40% of this additional demand will be coming from Africa. If African production
growth cannot keep pace with its rising consumption, then the continent will
emerge as a growing importer of rice from Asia. Many Asian countries are likely to simultaneously export and
import different types of rice asconsumers diversify their diet
and create demand for different types of rice. China, however, remains the
biggest question mark in the rice market.
It appears that the rapidly rising costs of production, pressure
on rice area from competing crops, and water shortages are likely to make
imported rice an attractive option for Chinese traders. In addition, the demand
for different types of rice such as sticky rice from Vietnam, jasmine rice from
Thailand, and long-grain rice from Pakistan is growing as Chinese consumers
diversify their consumption habit with rising income. As long as the Chinese
government is not strongly determined on self-sufficiency and allows imported
rice to enter the country, it is reasonable to assume that Chinese imports will
steadily rise in the near to medium term. On the export side, the current major
exporters (India, Thailand, Vietnam, and Pakistan) will continue to remain in
the market, while Myanmar and Cambodia have the potential to upgrade their rice sectors
and become bigger exporters in the future.
Dr. Mohanty is the head of the Social Sciences Division and program leader (Targetting and policy) at IRRI.
A four-decade quest to improve rice in Latin America and the
Caribbean
Written by Edgar Torres.
The past 40 years have seen major
advances in rice improvement for the unique and diverse growing conditions of
Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The Rice Program of CIAT has contributed
greatly, working in collaboration with its many national partners.In search of an ideal grain
Each new rice variety is an expression of the ideal plant type
that the breeder has in mind. This is one of the insights that guided the work
of renowned rice scientist Peter Jennings, who 
ledCIAT’s research on the crop in its
early years. During a four-decade quest to boost yield potential, CIAT breeders
and their partners developed hundreds of rice varieties—some of which
demonstrate the steady genetic gains in yield amounting to 3.4 tons per
hectare—and accruing over 32 years between the release of CICA 8 in 1978 and
the development of the elite line CT21375 in 2010.This finding comes from an
experiment for measuring the amount of increase in performance that is achieved
through artificial genetic improvement (or genetic gain) programs designed by the
author and Camila Rebolledo, a rice physiologist, at CIAT in Palmira, Colombia.
The idea was to evaluate 17 rice varieties (see Figure) grown under the same
conditions and agronomic management for two seasons.
ledCIAT’s research on the crop in its
early years. During a four-decade quest to boost yield potential, CIAT breeders
and their partners developed hundreds of rice varieties—some of which
demonstrate the steady genetic gains in yield amounting to 3.4 tons per
hectare—and accruing over 32 years between the release of CICA 8 in 1978 and
the development of the elite line CT21375 in 2010.This finding comes from an
experiment for measuring the amount of increase in performance that is achieved
through artificial genetic improvement (or genetic gain) programs designed by the
author and Camila Rebolledo, a rice physiologist, at CIAT in Palmira, Colombia.
The idea was to evaluate 17 rice varieties (see Figure) grown under the same
conditions and agronomic management for two seasons. 
The experiment showed genetic gains in yield (an annual average
of 106 kilograms per hectare) as well as changes in other traits that
characterize the plant types developed over four decades. The resulting rice
plants produced more total biomass, are higher yielding, and are more efficient
because they waste less energy on unproductive tillers. Instead, these plants
produce stems that mostly develop large and fertile panicles with more
grains.The plant type that has guided much of the work of CIAT’s Rice Program
since its beginnings was developed at the International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI) in the early 1960s and reached CIAT through the variety IR8 (see Breeding history). The design of this plant type
allows more sunlight and less lodging (or falling over), and responds
efficiently to fertilizer.
In 2002, Dr. Jennings and other researchers proposed to develop
another plant type based on results obtained by CIAT’s Rice Program through
selection under direct seeding. This plant type has an adequate number of
panicles containing more full grains, while staying green longer, thus
increasing its productive period, and it has greater height. This experiment
showed that combining several traits can effectively raise yield potential in
rice—a key aim of CGIAR’s IRRI-led Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP).
Outwitting
rice diseases
CIAT’s Rice Program has devoted considerable effort to combating
pest and disease threats, especially rice hoja blanca virus and rice blast (caused by
the fungus Pyricularia oryzae).Genes conferring resistance to hoja blanca were found in
tropical japonica varieties such as Takao Iku 18 and its offspring, Colombia I,
as well as in African lines, such as IRAT 120. Just as critical were the
methods developed to check rice for resistance to both the virus and its insect
vector under controlled conditions.Dealing with rice blast required an innovative
approach designed by Dr. Jennings, which involved combining desirable traits,
known as gene pyramiding, through multiple crosses between diverse sources of
resistance from plants from different locations.The idea was to combine
different genes that had evolved with the pathogen separately, making the
pathogen unable to accumulate all of the virulence genes needed to overcome
disease resistance.
In addition, rice plants will be selected for resistance under a
wide fungus diversity at the Santa Rosa experiment station in
Villavicencio, Colombia—a “hotspot” site with
exceedingly high levels of rice blast—that has optimal conditions for disease
development.Segregated populations were moved between CIAT headquarters in
Palmira—where rice is transplanted, complete irrigation is used, and conditions
are very favorable for high yield—and Santa Rosa—where direct seeding is used
and rice is grown under rainfed conditions with more stresses, in general, to
enable the plants to adapt to wider environments. The results were excellent.
Innovators in
abundance
Breeding rice for resistance to rice blast under direct seeding
in favorable upland environments led to many useful innovations. One was a
system for detecting rice blast, developed and improved by Dr. Carlos Bruzzone,
Dr. Edward Pulver, Dr. Jennings, and other researchers. Dr. César Martínez and
Dr. Surapong Sarkarung devised an approach for selecting rice in uplands with
acid soils. Dr. Martínez also developed superior lines using wild rice
relatives, such asOryza rufipogon. Dr. James Gibbons contributed excellent varieties and crosses,
including CT8008, which gave rise to more than 12 varieties in Latin
America.Dr. Elcio Guimarães, CIAT’s regional research director for LAC, and Dr.
Marc Chatel undertook rice improvement through recurrent selection, using
methods developed by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and French Center for Agricultural Research for
Development (CIRAD).
Manuel Rosero, Federico Cuevas, and Luis Eduardo Berrío
disseminated thousands of improved lines through the IRRI International Network for Genetic
Evaluation of Rice (INGER), leading to the development of important commercial
varieties; Mr. Cuevas and Mr. Berrío also devised a method for delayed harvest
under controlled conditions to select for high milling yield.Plant pathologist Robert Zeigler, now IRRI director general, improved selection methods for rice
blast and rice hoja blanca virus. Several innovative concepts, such as lineage
exclusion, were introduced by Purdue University Professor Morris Levi and
Fernando Correa, currently with RiceTec Solutions, to facilitate the
development of blast-resistant varieties. Economist Luis Sanint conceived and
played a critical role in creating the Latin American Fund for Irrigated Rice
(FLAR), which works with rice organizations across the region through plant
breeding and other activities in an integrated approach designed to make the
sector more competitive.
Tangible results of CIAT’s and FLAR’s ongoing collaboration with
Colombia’s National Rice Growers Federation (Fedearroz), which focuses on
improving yields, grain quality, and disease resistance, while stabilizing
production, include varieties such as Fedearroz 50, Fedearroz 2000, Fedearroz
60, and Fedearroz 174. Edgar Corredor, Pompilio Gutiérrez, James Gibbons, and
Luis Berrío all contributed importantly to this work.Recent years have placed
new demands on rice research, including greater resilience in the face of the
impacts of climate change, higher yield potential, superb grain quality, and
more competitive rice sectors overall. A new generation of rice researchers has
arisen to confront these challenges, benefiting from new tools and more
abundant information. Even so, they still look to the past for inspiration in
confronting future challenges.
_________________________________________
Edgar Torres is leader of the Rice Program at CIAT.
Counterpoint:
The science is clear: Protect our wild rice
Article by: PAULA MACCABEE
Updated: February 11, 2015 - 7:16 PM
Minnesota’s limits on sulfate pollution are thoroughly vetted —
and necessary.
The Earth is not flat, there is no tooth fairy and sulfate
limits are required to protect natural stands of wild rice.
A recent commentary on wild rice
and pollution from an official of Minnesota Power (“For sulfate limits, stick
to the science,” Jan. 29) respected neither sulfate limits nor science. In
order to defend a major paying customer for its coal-generated power, Minnesota
Power misrepresented the impacts of decades of sulfate pollution from the U.S.
Steel Minntac tailings disposal facility.
A recent commentary on wild rice
and pollution from an official of Minnesota Power (“For sulfate limits, stick
to the science,” Jan. 29) respected neither sulfate limits nor science. In
order to defend a major paying customer for its coal-generated power, Minnesota
Power misrepresented the impacts of decades of sulfate pollution from the U.S.
Steel Minntac tailings disposal facility.
The evidence is clear that sulfate pollution from the Minntac
facility has devastated downstream beds of natural wild rice in Minnesota’s
Little Sandy and Sandy lakes. There are decades of discharge-monitoring reports
that document how sulfate pollution from the Minntac tailings facility (there
is no other nearby sulfate source) has exceeded Minnesota’s water quality
standard by more than an order of magnitude.Wild rice is Minnesota’s state
grain, an important tribal resource, and a vital plant to support aquatic life,
ducks and mammals. The state has permanently lost tens of thousands of acres of
this resource. Resource managers believe wild rice is in crisis.Four years ago,
with the support of the mining industry, some members of the Minnesota
Legislature tried to eliminate the state’s water quality standard that protects
wild rice from sulfate pollution.
However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stepped
in to safeguard our water quality. The EPA explained that it is illegal under
the federal Clean Water Act to weaken or remove a water quality standard unless
there is good science showing the standard is not needed.Minnesota then spent
over $1 million to provide rigorous scientific research on whether our sulfate
limit of 10 milligrams per liter (mg/L) is needed to protect natural stands of
wild rice. State regulators hired the best scientists from the University of
Minnesota and made sure that they could do their research objectively.Based on
this recent, targeted scientific research, the Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency (MPCA) reached the following conclusions in February 2014:
• Sulfate is not directly toxic
to wild rice. However, sulfate in the surface water can be converted by
bacteria to sulfide in the rooting zone of wild rice.
• Sulfide is toxic to wild rice.
• The 10 mg/L sulfate standard is
needed and reasonable to protect wild rice production from sulfate-driven
sulfide toxicity.
• The 10 mg/L wild rice sulfate
standard should continue to apply to both lakes and streams
To add another layer of
scientific protection from special-interest pressure to deregulate pollution,
the MPCA had a panel of seven scientists from around the world review the wild
rice sulfate research in detail. These scientists issued a final report in
September 2014.Although the wild rice peer review panel asked for more
statistics to tease out sulfate interactions in the environment and told the
MPCA that sulfide may be even more toxic than the agency had thought, the panel
found Minnesota’s research and regulation limiting sulfate to protect wild rice
scientifically valid.
The peer reviewers explained
that, just as one must limit mercury to prevent the formation of toxic
methylmercury, “sulfide is harmful, but sulfate is what has to be
regulated.”Powerful interests can claim otherwise, but the scientific evidence
shows that sulfate pollution must be controlled to protect natural wild rice.Thankfully,
if one believes in science, control over sulfate pollution is possible.
Technology to treat polluted mine discharge has been used extensively across
the United States. Wild rice and aquatic habitats can be protected if Minnesota
regulators require water quality treatment at the Minntac tailings facility and
other pollution sources.We have the tools in our hands to prevent environmental
degradation; now all we need is the courage to stick with the science.
Paula Maccabee is the advocacy
director for WaterLegacy and serves on the MPCA Wild Rice Standards Study
Advisory Committee.
Is rice safe to eat?
Likely,
yes, but growers and consumers await results of FDA testing for arsenic
What would you do if, after many years of building a company, you learned that, through no fault of your
own, your products contained potentially dangerous levels of a notorious poison?
That’s exactly what happened to American rice growers beginning
in 2012, when reports surfaced in the media that rice contained worrisome
levels of arsenic. The grain, it turns out, is uniquely efficient at pulling
naturally occurring arsenic out of the soil and absorbing it—up to 10 times as
efficient as, say, wheat.This raised further questions: How should consumers
respond to this new information? Should they continue eating rice as usual,
stop eating it, or eat less? Are some rice products—baby cereal, for
example—more dangerous than others?
These
are not questions rice farmers can answer. “We’re not scientists,” Grant
Lundberg, chief executive officer of Richvale-based Lundberg Family Farms, said in a phone interview. “We
depend on researchers in universities and the government” to understand the
issue and come up with standards and recommendations, he explained.It’s
complicated. Rice is a staple in the diet of half the world’s people, and it’s
grown on hundreds of thousands of rice farms. The amount of arsenic in the soil
varies from region to region. Even if consistent regulations were in place,
monitoring production and enforcing those regulations would be difficult, if
not impossible.Not only that, so far the experts don’t agree on how much
arsenic people can safely consume.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency holds that any dose of
arsenic carries a cancer risk. Consumer Reports, which has studied the issue
and done its own testing, recommends no more than 120
parts per billion in rice and rice products. Codex Alimentarius, a body that
develops international food standards for the United Nations and the World
Health Organization, has proposed a maximum level of 200 ppb specifically in
white (or polished) rice.Right now the rice industry is anticipating a
long-awaited risk assessment and set of recommendations from the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration that should provide consumers with definitive guidance on
how much rice can be ingested safely. Nobody seems to know when the FDA’s
report will be released, however.
In the meantime, industry spokespeople are insisting that rice
remains a healthful and nutritious food, especially when eaten as part of a
balanced diet that includes other grains.
If you go on the website of the California Rice Commission or the Farmers’ Rice Cooperative, two of the
most important organizations serving the rice industry, you’ll find no mention
of arsenic in rice. It’s not something people are interested in, apparently.As
Brandon Harder, the director of governmental affairs and communication at Farmers’
Rice, put it during a phone interview, “I’ve been working here a little over a
year, and you’re the first person who has asked about it.”Harder told me to
call Jim Morris, the communications manager for the California Rice Commission.
Morris was eager to help but couldn’t tell me much. “We have no scientists on
staff,” he said, echoing Lundberg. Like others in the industry, the CRC is
waiting for the FDA’s risk assessment.“
We want to be able to address customers’ concerns, and we
support the FDA’s research,” Morris said. “We’re very comfortable that rice is
safe.”Morris referred me to the USA Rice Federation, which operates a website
called Arsenic Facts. It notes that, according to a September 2013 report, FDA
scientists have “determined that the amount of detectable arsenic is too low in
the rice and rice product samples to cause any immediate or short-term adverse
health effects.”Also weighing in on the website is Dr. Stephen R. Daniels,
chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Nutrition.
“These FDA data are reassuring,” he writes. “While there is
inorganic arsenic in rice and rice products, it is at a level that should be
safe for consumption across the population. Diets that follow the AAP
guidelines include a variety of foods and a variety of grains and remain a
healthful approach to eating for children and adolescents.”For their part, the
folks at Lundberg, the nation’s largest producer of organic rice and rice
products, decided early on that they wanted to get out in front of the arsenic
issue.
“Since this bubbled up in 2012,” Grant Lundberg said, “we’ve
been committed to staying on the issue. … This comes from our principles as a
company. We believe consumers have a right to know what’s in their food. We
take that seriously.”Wanting to create a three-year baseline for monitoring
arsenic levels, Lundberg Family Farms tested its rice and rice products for arsenic in 2011, 2012 and
2013 and posted the results on its website, which also includes succinct
but useful explanations of the issues surrounding arsenic in rice.In its
testing, the company determined that the average amount of arsenic in its
products was 92 parts per billion, below the Consumer Reports threshold and
well below the 200 ppb level set by Codex.
This figure is doubly significant because the company tested
only brown rice, whose arsenic levels tend to be higher than those of white
rice.“We just put the data out there so our consumers can make more informed
choices,” Lundberg said.
Image: Grant Lundberg, CEO of Lundberg
Family Farms, says his company stayed true to its values when confronting the
arsenic scare.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LUNDBERG FAMILY FARMS
Nigeria in full swing with rice production
NigeriaAgriculture
Economic
News Update
11
Feb 2015
Investment in production and the rollout of higher-yield strains
are helping put Nigeria on track for self-sufficiency in rice, potentially
opening the possibility for exports further down the line.
Oil-rich Nigeria has long been dependent on staple imports to
feed its 170m people, with a total bill of $4.3bn at the end of December 2013.
Nigeria has typically consumed around 6m tonnes of rice a year, importing
almost half the amount to bridge its supply deficit.However, a tighter fiscal
environment – a result of declining oil revenues – alongside efforts to
strengthen the agricultural sector, has prompted a state-led push to improve
local staple crop production and sustainability.
To that end, the government plans to ban all
rice imports by the end of this year, saving some N360bn ($1.9bn) a year.The
target is ambitious, but according to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development, Akinwumi Adesina, Nigeria has recently reached 80% self-sufficiency
in paddy rice production, speaking in November at the Second Nigeria Rice
Investment Forum.
Production
increase
According to government officials, the recent increase in
production has been achieved through private sector investments as well as
state support schemes for growers.Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development, Akinwumi Adesina, said the introduction of new rice varieties –
that meet international standards and allow for two plantings a year to
generate additional yield – will boost output and quality as well as open up
export opportunities in the future.“We started a rapid process of replacing
local varieties with these new varieties,” he told OBG.
“Within the last three years, we have reached 6m farmers who
have expanded cultivated area by 2m hectares. These new varieties can be
produced in both wet season and dry season, so for the first time in this
country, we are doing dry season farming.”“I expect within three years Nigeria
will be a net exporter of rice just like Thailand and India,” he added.The new
strains will be crucial but there is a broader package of measures currently
being rolled out, including an upgrade of infrastructure and storage
facilities, which is equally important.
“Realistically Nigeria must get its infrastructure right,
including roads, irrigation and storage facilities, along with co-operatives
and efficiently sourced inputs,” said Mukul Mathur, the head of Nigeria Olam,
which has invested N18bn ($111m) in an integrated farm and milling facility in
Nasarawa State. “Only then will the discussion be about higher yielding seeds,”
Mathur told OBG.
Private sector involvement
Significant investments have also been ploughed into processing
capacity, with the number of rice mills rising from one plant five years ago,
to 24 at present, according to the Rice Millers, Importers and Distributors’
Association of Nigeria. Increased processing will enable Nigeria to reduce
milled imports and boost the value-added in the production chain.One of the
biggest investments in processing was made last year by Dangote Group.
In August, the Nigerian
conglomerate committed to spend more than N165bn ($1bn) in mills, farms and
related infrastructure in a bid to support the country in its goal of becoming
a net-exporter of rice. The group acquired farmland in five states, which
will be used for the commercial production of rice paddy. It will also set-up
two rice mills with an installed capacity of 240,000 tonnes of rice per day.The
expansion of downstream activity is crucial to ensuring that Nigeria’s rice
sector is sustainable.
Countries that have been
able to fully develop their agriculture sectors have done it through
commercialisation, Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of Dangote Industries
Limited told OBG. “Nigeria is already making strides to prioritise greater
private sector participation in farming, since large commercial entities can
introduce larger capital investments and productivity-enhancing initiatives,”
he added.
Imported rice
destabilises market
In addition to other initiatives, the Federal Government
recently said it had concluded plans to establish and manage a rice levy fund
to support local rice production and growers.Under the Backward Integration
Programme scheme, introduced in 2013, approved investors who are developing
rice processing facilities are allowed to import rice at reduced tariffs until
their production capacity comes on line.
The programme, which will end in 2017 when domestic production
is expected to be sufficient to meet demand, is credited with having helped
attract an estimated $1.6bn in private sector investments. However, it may also
have caused distortions in the market and a drain on state funds with claims of
increased smuggling of rice as a result of a government price hike on
imports.Cheap smuggled rice has toughened the competition for local growers,
lowering the price they can attain on the market. At the same time, some
companies may have obtained an import quota but have not made any investments
in the rice sector, or have imported quantities of rice well about their quota,
without paying the appropriate levies.
In mid-January, the government announced it would pursue
instances of under-payment or non compliance, with the N36.5bn ($195.7m) in
estimated debts to the state, once collected, to be put into the newly
established National Domestic Rice Production Fund.
Abakaliki
Rice Millers Threaten Strike
Posted by King Osila on Feb 11th, 2015 and filed under Agriculture. You can follow any responses to
this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are
currently closed.
Rice millers at Abakaliki Rice
Mill Company have threatened to stop work if the state government persists with
its threat to forcefully relocate them.The chairman of the mill, Chief Joseph
Ununu who made this known to our correspondent at the weekend said his
association was reacting to the state governor’s recent statement that the
environmental status of the mill made the rice unhygienic.“This relocation
issue is distracting us, we will be forced to down tools to see whether the
government will be pleased,” he said.
According to him, the millers
would mill enough rice and preserve in order to sustain their families and
gather all the mill on daily basis without doing anything.Ununu said there had
been any reported case of ill health caused by the consumption of rice prepared
by them.He said environmental experts continually assess their surroundings and
have always certified them fit for operation.“The governor (Elechi) buys our
rice always; he used our rice for campaigns during his first and second
tenures,” he said.The millers boss further explained that the rice used by
local government chairmen and traditional rulers to pay him homage were all
from the Abakaliki Rice Mill.He noted that the millers would readily relocate
to any site if facilities that would enable them to operate optimally were
provided.
“Our machines do not operate
under the sun or rain, so we need facilities where we will install the machines
and preserve our produce.”“The new mills constructed by the government are not
yet functional and do not have the necessary facilities that will make us
relocate from our present site” he said
Counterpoint: The science is
clear: Protect our wild rice
Article by: PAULA MACCABEE
Updated: February 11, 2015 - 7:16 PM
Minnesota’s limits on sulfate
pollution are thoroughly vetted — and necessary.The Earth is not flat, there is
no tooth fairy and sulfate limits are required to protect natural stands of
wild rice.A recent commentary on wild rice and pollution from an official of
Minnesota Power (“For sulfate limits, stick to the science,” Jan. 29) respected
neither sulfate limits nor science. In order to defend a major paying customer
for its coal-generated power, Minnesota Power misrepresented the impacts of
decades of sulfate pollution from the U.S. Steel Minntac tailings disposal
facility.
The evidence is clear that
sulfate pollution from the Minntac facility has devastated downstream beds of
natural wild rice in Minnesota’s Little Sandy and Sandy lakes. There are decades
of discharge-monitoring reports that document how sulfate pollution from the
Minntac tailings facility (there is no other nearby sulfate source) has
exceeded Minnesota’s water quality standard by more than an order of
magnitude.Wild rice is Minnesota’s state grain, an important tribal resource,
and a vital plant to support aquatic life, ducks and mammals.
The state has permanently lost
tens of thousands of acres of this resource. Resource managers believe wild
rice is in crisis.Four years ago, with the support of the mining industry, some
members of the Minnesota Legislature tried to eliminate the state’s water
quality standard that protects wild rice from sulfate pollution. However, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stepped in to safeguard our water
quality. The EPA explained that it is illegal under the federal Clean Water Act
to weaken or remove a water quality standard unless there is good science
showing the standard is not needed.Minnesota then spent over $1 million to
provide rigorous scientific research on whether our sulfate limit of 10
milligrams per liter (mg/L) is needed to protect natural stands of wild rice.
State regulators hired the best scientists from the University of Minnesota and
made sure that they could do their research objectively.
Based on this recent, targeted
scientific research, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) reached the
following conclusions in February 2014:
• Sulfate is not directly toxic
to wild rice. However, sulfate in the surface water can be converted by
bacteria to sulfide in the rooting zone of wild rice.
• Sulfide is toxic to wild rice.
• The 10 mg/L sulfate standard is
needed and reasonable to protect wild rice production from sulfate-driven
sulfide toxicity.
• The 10 mg/L wild rice sulfate
standard should continue to apply to both lakes and streams
To add another layer of
scientific protection from special-interest pressure to deregulate pollution,
the MPCA had a panel of seven scientists from around the world review the wild
rice sulfate research in detail. These scientists issued a final report in
September 2014.
Although the wild rice peer
review panel asked for more statistics to tease out sulfate interactions in the
environment and told the MPCA that sulfide may be even more toxic than the
agency had thought, the panel found Minnesota’s research and regulation
limiting sulfate to protect wild rice scientifically valid. The peer reviewers
explained that, just as one must limit mercury to prevent the formation of toxic
methylmercury, “sulfide is harmful, but sulfate is what has to be regulated.”
Powerful interests can claim
otherwise, but the scientific evidence shows that sulfate pollution must be
controlled to protect natural wild rice.
Thankfully, if one believes in
science, control over sulfate pollution is possible. Technology to treat
polluted mine discharge has been used extensively across the United States.
Wild rice and aquatic habitats can be protected if Minnesota regulators require
water quality treatment at the Minntac tailings facility and other pollution
sources.
We have the tools in our hands to
prevent environmental degradation; now all we need is the courage to stick with
the science.
Paula Maccabee is the advocacy
director for WaterLegacy and serves on the MPCA Wild Rice Standards Study
Advisory Committee.
Dr Harold Roy-Macauley appointed as new Director General of
AfricaRice
Dr Harold Roy-Macauley, a Sierra Leonean national, was appointed
as the new Director General of the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) at an
Extraordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of AfricaRice held on 6
February 2015, in Kampala, Uganda.The announcement was made by the Honorable
Cabinet Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Republic of
Uganda, Tress Bucyanayandi, in his capacity as the Chair of the AfricaRice
Council of Ministers, which is the Center’s highest oversight body.
The current Chairmanship is held by Uganda.Dr Roy-Macauley has
nearly 30 years of experience in agricultural research with extensive
leadership and management expertise. He is currently the Executive Director of
the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development
(CORAF/WECARD) – a leading sub-regional organization, which coordinates and
facilitates agricultural R&D activities in 22 countries in West and Central
Africa.Dr Roy-Macauley is no stranger to CGIAR, having served previously as the
Regional Director for the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in West and Central
Africa.
He has consulted for numerous international and bilateral
organizations on biosafety and biotechnology and was the Managing Director for
the Regional Center for Improving Adaptation to Drought (CERAAS) in Senegal, a
research and training center of CORAF/WECARD.Dr Roy-Macauley is fluently
bilingual in English and French. He obtained his PhD degree in tropical plant
biology in 1993 from the Université Denis Diderot, France, his MSc in tropical
plant biology in 1988 from the Université de Pierre et Marie Curie, France, and
his BSc with Honors in Botany in 1982 from the University of Sierra Leone.
During the Extraordinary Session, the National Experts Committee
(NEC), under the chairmanship of Dr Ambrose Agona, Acting Director General of
the Uganda National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), carefully
examined the Board’s report on the selection process and recommended to the
Council of Ministers that Dr Roy-Macauley be appointed. The NEC comprises the
Directors General of the national agricultural research institutions of
AfricaRice member countries and serves as the technical arm of the AfricaRice
Council of Ministers.“We are pleased with the transparent and rigorous
selection process adopted by the AfricaRice Board of Trustees,” stated Hon.
Tress Bucyanayandi, thanking the Board Chair DrPeter Matlon.
“We have full confidence
that Dr Roy-Macauley has the leadership experience, skills and vision needed to
advance the noble mission of AfricaRice.”Thanking the Council of Ministers and
the Board, Dr Roy-Macauley said, “I am honored to accept this very important
challenge with a great sense of responsibility.” He added that his vision for
the Center is to help position rice, which he referred to as ‘the next gold’, as
key in driving the economies of rice-producing countries in Africa and
contributing to industrial development and livelihood changes of rural
producers, especially women, involved in rice production.
As part of his mandate at AfricaRice, he underlined the importance
of “introducing more high-end life science and socioeconomic applications in
the Rice Sector Development Hubs, convened by AfricaRice, to help consolidate
the already profound and significant changes the rice value chain is undergoing
in Africa.”He also conveyed his commitment to engage with national and regional
agricultural research and innovation systems, governments of member States of
AfricaRice, regional economic communities, the African Union, and international
partners in order to efficiently and effectively respond to and influence
national, regional, and continental rice policies.Paying homage to former
Directors General of AfricaRice, Dr Roy-Macauley said that he would further
build on the legacies and achievements forged by his predecessors.
He highlighted particularly his admiration for the “great
dynamism of excellence in AfricaRice,” promoted by Dr Papa Abdoulaye Seck,
former Director General of AfricaRice and current Minister of Agriculture and
Rural Equipment of Senegal.The Council of Ministers, the National Experts
Committee and the Board took the opportunity to highlight the exceptional
contributions made by Dr Seck, which have transformed AfricaRice and taken it
to new levels of excellence.They also conveyed their deep appreciation to the
Interim Director General, Dr. Adama Traoré, for steering the Center over the
past 18 months with great steadiness, integrity and effectiveness. “We are sure
that we can continue to rely on his strong support during the leadership
transition.”Dr Roy-Macauley will assume his post at AfricaRice on 9 March 2015.
More
zinc-enriched rice cultivation stressed
NARSINGDI, Feb 11 (BSS): Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE)
has taken a plan for enhancing the cultivation of zinc enriched rice BRRI
dhan-64 to meet the necessary requirement of micro-nutrients for a human body
and increase disease resistant capacity of children.Deputy Director of DAE
Subash Chandra Gayan said zinc is one of the vital micro-nutrient. Deficiency
of zinc hampers normal growth of children and it also decreases the disease
prevention capacity of poor and vulnerable people and the pregnant women.
The
DAE organized training to inspire the farmers to farm the new devised zinc
enriched BRRI dhan-64 during the current Boro season.The department put special
emphasis on enhancing cultivation of the zinc rice, a short duration rice
variety which can be harvested 100 days after plantation and this variety may
give yield up to 5.5 to 6 tonnes per hectare.DAE has taken 4 demonstration
plots on 4 bighas of land at Belabo upazila of the district during the current
Boro season and collected 40- kg seeds of the new variety from Bangladesh Rice
Research Institute.The whole production of the paddy will be preserved as seeds
for enhance cultivation of zinc enriched rice in the district for next year.
USA
Rice Reports Major Change to Farm Bill Program Payments
USA Rice Producers'
Group Chairman
John Owen
JENNINGS, LA --
Last night at the annual Louisiana growers meeting, USA Rice Federation Rice
Producers' Group Chairman John Owen announced that USA Rice, working with the
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA), has secured an
accelerated payment calendar for rice farmers.
Producers of medium and long grain rice in the mid-South will receive
their Farm Bill program payment in early November and it will be based on final
price numbers in the five southern rice states.
Under the
original National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reporting calendar,
Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) program payments
to rice farmers were scheduled to come out as late as February 2016. Recognizing this put a financial strain on
rice farmers, Owen and USA Rice Chairman
Dow Brantley sent a detailed letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in
January suggesting a different methodology be adopted to determine timing of
the ARC and PLC payments.
At a House Ag Committee hearing this morning, Representative Rick
Crawford (R-AR) personally thanked Secretary Vilsack and the FSA team for
"going out of your way to help America's rice farmers. Timely payment is of the essence for
producers seeking to repay loans and to demonstrate to lenders that they can
sustain cash flow for another year." "It was great to be able to
announce this positive development at a growers' meeting," said Owen. "We appreciate the Secretary's willingness
to work with USA Rice on behalf of America's rice farmers."
Contact: Ben Mosely (703) 236-1471
Louisiana
Rice Industry Convenes in Jennings
From left: Dr. Mike Strain,
USA Rice CEO Betsy Ward, International Rice Queen Ali Hoffpauir,
LARC President Eric Unkel, and LARGA President Jeffrey Sylvester
JENNINGS,
LA -- The Grand Marais Center was packed here last night for the annual joint
meeting of the Louisiana Rice Council (LARC) and Louisiana Rice Growers
Association (LARGA). More than 225
attendees visited with exhibitors, heard remarks from the Commissioner of
Louisiana's Department of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Mike Strain, USA Rice
Federation representatives, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist, Kevin Norton.After
concluding the official business of the organizations, USA Rice President &
CEO Betsy Ward shared market updates on Cuba, Iraq, and China. Included in her remarks was a "thank
you" to Dr. Strain for his leadership on the Iraq rice tender issue,
including his meetings with the U.S. State Department last month.
"As
you can see, we're always trying to find ways to improve your viability,"
Ward told the crowd, "and improving and expanding trade opportunities is a
clear way to do that."USA Rice Vice President of Marketing,
Communications, and Domestic Promotion Michael Klein updated attendees on
domestic promotion initiatives and how USA Rice is integrating what they
learned during consumer focus groups."We know the public has great respect
for farmers, loves conservation and sustainability, and likes to eat local
whenever they can," he said.
"Our promotion programs are designed to capitalize on this to help
grow domestic markets for U.S.-grown rice.
"Ben Mosely, USA
Rice's vice president of government affairs, also addressed the crowd,
highlighting the legislative challenges and opportunities that lay ahead for
the industry."Since 2010 there has been a fifty percent turnover in the
House of Representatives," he explained.
"That's more than 200 Members of Congress who have never worked on
a Farm Bill or really know what it takes to get one done. We've already started educating these folks
to prepare for legislative battles we may not have for several years."
Capacity crowd
Commissioner
Strain also spoke, emphasizing the economic impact agriculture has had on the
state economy, and how vital trade is for the sector. He also spoke out harshly and passionately
against the proposed Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule."I'll make it real
simple to remember," Strain said.
"Waters of the U.S.?
WOTUS? Woe to us is more like
it!"The featured speaker of the evening was NRCS State Conservationist
Kevin Norton who talked about the many conservation programs available to
Louisiana's rice farmers.
"These
programs are getting competitive, but rice is very competitive from a
conservation standpoint," he said.Norton said the state's rice farmers do
a good job of taking advantage of programs such as EQIP and CSP which recognize
their contributions to conservation, but more can always be done, specifically
pointing to the Regional Conservation Partnership Programs (RCPP) developed by
USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited."You can sit back and watch change happen
around you, or you can get involved in the RCPP like the rice industry has
done, and shape change and build the program," Norton said.
Contact: Randy Jemison (337)
515-7250
Learn about
heart-healthy foods during National Heart Month
We see lots of heart-shaped items in February. Let the red and
pink boxes and drawing on cards remind you of your own heart. Respect your
hard-working heart by getting regular exercise and eating healthful foods.These
foods were rated by nutrition experts as among the “best of the best”
heart-healthy foods. Note the ones that are a part of your regular diet.Salmon
has heart-healthy omega-3 fats.
You can purchase it fresh, frozen, or canned. Compare prices to
stretch your budget.Oatmeal is a whole-grain food that provides soluble fiber,
along with minerals and vitamins. See the recipe included in this
newsletter.Dry beans, such as black beans, kidney beans and other legumes,
provide fiber, B vitamins and minerals. Canned beans are a convenient way to
eat more beans, but canned beans are higher in sodium than the beans you soak
and cook. Almonds and walnuts provide plant omega-3 fats, along with magnesium,
fiber and many other nutrients. Try a small handful as a satisfying snack or
add some crunch to your favorite recipes.Tuna is a good source of omega-3 fatty
acids, vitamins and minerals. Shop for “water-packed” tuna for a lower-calorie
addition to tuna salad sandwiches.
Brown rice is a whole-grain food rich in B vitamins, fiber and
minerals. Try stir-fried vegetables over brown rice.Berries, including
blueberries, cranberries, strawberries and raspberries, are rich in
antioxidants that help protect your body. Sprinkle yogurt with berries or make
a smoothie.Carrots are rich in fiber and beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is
converted to vitamin A in your body. Shred some carrots into chili, or have
baby carrots available as a quick snack.
.
Spinach is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Use
spinach instead of iceberg lettuce to make a power-packed salad.Broccoli
provides beta-carotene, vitamin C and minerals such as potassium. Steamed
broccoli adds color and nutrition to your menu.This list also includes sweet
potatoes, red bell peppers, oranges, tomatoes, soy foods (tofu, soy milk),
ground flaxseed, acorn squash, cantaloupe, dark chocolate and tea.Do you notice
that many of the plant foods on the list are very colorful?
Aim for a variety of foods in your diet every day, not only
these foods. A piece of dark chocolate once in a while is OK, too!
Foodwise Tip of the Month
Oatmeal provides heart-healthy soluble fiber. Eating it
regularly may help maintain or lower your blood cholesterol.A canister of
oatmeal usually is less expensive per serving than the individual packets of
instant oatmeal. Be creative with your oatmeal at breakfast. Try adding a
sprinkle of brown sugar and some naturally sweet fresh fruit (blueberries,
apples) or dried fruit (raisins, cranberries).
For more information on this topic, contact Luella Morehouse,
EFNEP/FNP Education Assistant, NDSU Extension Service Stutsman County, 116 1/2
1st St. E, Jamestown, 252-9030 or luella.morehouse@ndsu.edu.
CCC
Announces Prevailing World Market Prices
|
WASHINGTON, DC -- The Department of Agriculture's
Commodity Credit Corporation today announced the following prevailing world market prices of
milled and rough rice, adjusted for U.S. milling yields and location, and the
resulting marketing loan-gain (MLG) and loan deficiency payment (LDP) rates
applicable to the 2014 crop, which became effective today at 7:00 a.m.,
Eastern Time (ET). Prices are unchanged from the previous announcement.
This week's prevailing world market prices and MLG/LDP rates are based on the following U.S. milling yields and the corresponding loan rates:
The next program announcement is scheduled for February 18. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CME
Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
|
USA Rice Federation
DUBAI SHOWCASES
GLOBAL TRILLION DOLLAR HALAL MARKET THROUGH GULFOOD 2015
The Halal industry is full of business opportunities for Muslim
and non-Muslim nations including the United States and other Western countries.
The halal industry is expected to grow to $3.7 trillion
in 2019.
— Camille Paldi
DUBAI, UAE, February 11, 2015 /EINPresswire.com/ -- CEO of FAAIF, Camille Paldi, participates in Gulfood 2015 and
the Halal Investment Conference Feb. 10, 2015 in Dubai, UAE. Currently, the
halal food products industry stands at $2 trillion worldwide with Muslim
countries accounting for $700 billion. The industry is expected to grow to $3.7
trillion in 2019. Currently, the GCC procures US$ 26 billion annually in halal
food imports. The CEO of the Islamic Development Economy Development Center in
Dubai, Abdullah Al Awar, states that, “the spread of Islamic sectors such as
Islamic banking, halal food, fashion, cosmetics, tourism, and other sectors is
no longer a matter just for the Muslim world, but now an international
phenomenon.
” Paldi says that this is a business opportunity, which
America and other Western nations should not miss! Paldi notes that there are
hundreds of US businesses from the food and beverage industry participating in
the mega halal food event along with many Western delegates amongst the
approximately 85,000 conference visitors. Recently, the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, during its annual meeting
in Istanbul, Turkey, announced that it will work to create a commercial
arbitration center for the halal industry with the formulation of rules along
the lines of the arbitration rules of the Paris-based International Chamber of
Commerce. In addition, it is imperative that measures are taken to regulate and
harmonize the global halal certification industry, such as with the creation of
one central, global halal certification regulatory agency to oversee,
harmonize, and regulate all other halal certifying agencies.
Paldi notes that
many countries such as the UAE and Malaysia have a state accreditation agency,
which certifies halal production companies and slaughterhouses with the
official UAE/Malaysia halal logo.Camille Paldi is a highly educated and
exemplary US citizen converted to Islam and has qualified as a lawyer in four
countries including the UK in addition to earning seven university degrees
including an MA in Islamic finance from Durham University in the UK in 2014. In
addition, Camille has obtained a post-graduate degree in the halal industry
from Pakistan. Paldi is the CEO of the Franco-American Alliance for Islamic
Finance and offers services in Islamic banking, halal industry, legal
consultancy, advisory, and training. The FAAIF website can be found at http://www.faaif.com and Camille Paldi can be contacted at camille@faaif.com.
FAAIF
Limited is a legal and management consultancy firm servicing clients in Islamic
banking, finance, takaful, and the halal industry. FAAIF Events is an events
production and management company http://www.faaif.com.
Camille Paldi
Global Basmati Rice Industry Report 2015 with
Forecasts to 2020
Futures and Commodity Market News
Feb 10, 2015 (M2 PRESSWIRE via
COMTEX) --
Research
and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/gctj2r/global_basmati)
has announced the addition of the "Global Basmati Rice Industry Report
2015" report to their offering. The Global Basmati Rice Industry Report
2015 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the basmati
rice industry. The report provides a basic overview of the industry including
definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The
basmati rice market analysis is provided for the international markets
including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions
development status.
Development policies and plans are also
discussed and manufacturing processes and cost structures analyzed. Basmati
rice industry import/export consumption, supply and demand figures and cost
price and production value gross margins are also provided. The report focuses
on fourteen industry players providing information such as company profiles,
product picture and specification, capacity production, price, cost, production
value and contact information.
Upstream
raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out.
The basmati rice industry development trends and marketing channels are
analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and
overall research conclusions offered. Key
Topics
Covered: - Basmati Rice Industry Overview - Global Basmati Rice Market Status
Analysis - Major Regions Basmati Rice Market Status Analysis - Major Countries
Basmati Rice Market Status and Analysis - Major Companies Basmati Rice Market
Status and Analysis - Basmati Rice Industry Chain and Marketing Channels
Analysis - Basmati Rice Industry Segment Market Analysis - Basmati Rice
Industry Development Trend - Basmati Rice New Project Investment Feasibility
Analysis - Global Basmati Rice Industry Research Conclusions Companies
Mentioned - Basmati - COFCO - Charoen - Coocosun - Fu Ji - Hai Rice - Hamsons -
Ming Da - Riviana - Tilda - Uncle bens - Xin Li - Zhao Fa - Zhong Xing For more
information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/gctj2r/global_basmati
CONTACT: Research and Markets, Laura
Wood, Senior Manager. press@researchandmarkets.com Fax from USA: 646-607-1907
Fax from rest of the world: +353-
1-481-1716 Sector: Food
(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/categories.asp?cat_id=57&campaign_id=gctj2r)
((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information
provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further
information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.m2.com on the world
wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com.
(C)1994-2015 M2 COMMUNICATIONS
The bull whose
semen is worth $3,000
By Soutik BiswasBBC News, Haryana
In the sprawling yard of a three-storey beige stucco
building in a village in northern India, a large buffalo ambles around on yoga
mats, his dark eyes sizing up the new visitors wearily.
Yuvraj is a handsome animal with oiled backward-curving horns, a
smooth grey-black coat and a slim, bushy tail. He weighs 450kg (990lbs), is
10ft long and 5ft 8in tall. He is also used to attention - and slightly
disdainful of his latest admirers."Every day somebody or the other comes
to see him. He's not just another bull, he's a brand," says his proud
owner, Karamveer Singh, a 47-year-old third generation farmer in Haryana
state.Singh lives in the village of Sunarion in a district - Kurukshetra -
renowned as the place where a mythical battle was fought in India's best-known
epic, the Mahabharata.
In real life, it is among the many villages in India where
boundaries between city and countryside are blurring fast: prosperous farmers
reside in large, well-appointed homes. Many of their children, first-generation
college students, are enrolled in foreign universities. The
hard-working farmer Singh owns a herd of two dozen cows and buffaloes, runs a
business and deals in property. He lives with his wife, half a dozen cars and
tractors and a retinue of household servants. One of his sons is studying for
an MBA in Australia; the other is studying computer science in Rajasthan.But
Yuvraj, named after an Indian cricket star, is his most prized possession. He's
a Murrah bull - the best of the 13 recognised buffalo breeds in India - and a
cash cow if ever there was one.Inderjeet Singh, chief of India's Central
Institute for Research on Buffaloes describes Yuvraj as a "champion
breeding bull".
His semen is now possibly the most expensive in India, costing
up to 350 rupees ($5.65; £3.75) a dose - possibly more than 10 times the
average.A single ejaculation, triggered with the help of a teaser animal and
collected in an artificial vagina, provides 500 to 600 sperm "doses",
each containing 20 million sperm. The upshot is that Singh earns anything
between three and five million rupees every year selling the stuff, which he
stores at home in thin frozen strips, preserved at -196C in 50-litre containers
of liquid nitrogen.Semen traders, armed with cryogenic flasks, drive from all
over India to queue up at Singh's door. 
"We have come to buy Yuvraj's semen for the first
time," says Lalit Chowdhury, from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh state.
"I saw him at an animal fair in Meerut last year and people were raving
about him. I want to sell his semen to farmers all over India now."Yuvraj
also earns money by winning state-sponsored buffalo and livestock contests,
collecting up to 300,000 rupees ($4,853; £3237) each time.
The spacious rooms in Singh's home glitter with the
bull's trophies."I have never seen a healthier, productive and more
handsome bull," says Inderjeet Singh.Plenty of people would like to buy
this wondrous animal. Two years ago, a businessman from the southern city of
Hyderabad offered Singh 70 million rupees ($1.14m; £757,000). It was not
enough."I would only consider selling him if I got an offer which was
three times this offer," says Singh. "With that I could buy a
helicopter." And then, in an afterthought, he mutters: "But should I
be separating him from his family? Would I be able to live without him?"
It's a good question.
In a backyard, Yuvraj's family wanders around. There's his
19-year-old mother, Ganga, who's now pregnant for the 16th time, sluggish and
sleepy under a sharp winter sun. She is a "milk powerhouse" producing
26 litres of milk every day, says Singh proudly. Three-year-old brother Bhim is
chewing cud absent-mindedly. His 16-month-old sister, Saraswati, appears to be
the quietest.It all began when Singh bought Yuvraj's father, a bull he later
named Yograj, from a farmer in Rohtak district for 37,000 rupees ($597; £397)
14 years ago. "The rest is history," he says.
But Singh's tender loving care has clearly helped to make Yuvraj
the winner bull he is.His two meals a day comprise 20 litres of milk nourished
with tonics and vitamins, 10kg of apples, and an equal amount of fodder and
grain. All this costs 2,000 rupees ($32; £21) per day. In the evening, two
servants take Yuvraj for a brisk 5km walk on the farm."When I come back
home after a hard day's work, the last thing I do before I go to bed is check
whether Yuvraj is doing fine," says Singh.
In biting winters, Yuvraj sleeps in a cosy
sand-filled enclosure in a tarpaulin covered shed. In scorching summers, he's
kept comfortable by air coolers positioned outside the enclosure.Yuvraj needs
to be rested well after coping with the incessant rush of visitors, says Singh.
"People come from all kinds of places," he adds, "Canada,
Brazil, Venezuela.""They take pictures of his eyes, his coat, his
horn, his tail. A scientist came from Brazil and said Yuvraj was the best bull
he has ever seen."But you must come in summer to see him again. He looks
more handsome then."
India's buffaloes
India is the world's top milk producer. More than
half of its milk comes from buffaloes, even though the country's 108 million
buffaloes are outnumbered by its 200 million cows.India is home to 57% of the
global buffalo population. There are 13 recognised breeds in the country -
experts say some of them are among the best in the world.On the top of the
pyramid are the Murrah water buffaloes, mostly found in northern and central
India. There are six million of this breed in Haryana alone.
Murrah buffaloes are in particular demand for their high
milk yield - an average of 7 litres per day, but some produce more than three
times this amount. High-fat buffalo milk - thicker than cow's - is used for
making sweets and mozzarella cheese. The male's semen also fetches a good
price.Buffaloes are also more resistant to diseases than cows in tropical
countries such as India. Typically a cow suffers from infertility and udder
infection after three lactation seasons over three years and is often sold off
cheaply - the cow is a sacred animal for Hindus, and many states do not allow
them to be slaughtered.A buffalo, by contrast, will easily last 10-15 lactation
seasons before the animal is sold to the slaughter house.No wonder then that
beef - 80% of it from buffaloes - is now India's top agricultural export,
beating the more famous basmati rice.
BBC
News Magazine
Syed Kadir’s
nasi briyani wins food award
A GOOD plate of nasi
briyani should
be flavourful and aromatic.One eatery that has won over the stomachs and taste
buds of Klang Valley residents is Restoran Syed Kadir in SS19, Subang Jaya.The
restaurant was acknowledged as having the best nasi briyani in the The Star People’s Food
Awards.
Owner Syed Kadir Syed Mahamad said he was surprised but thrilled
to have received the award.Syed Kadir has been in the business for 40 years and
his name has become synonymous with nasi
briyani but he has
tweaked the recipe and gave the dish a new name, nasi bukhara.“We registered the
name ‘nasi bukhara’ when my son created the special
recipe,” he said.Syed Kadir added he opened his first restaurant in 1975 in
Section 8, Petaling Jaya selling nasi
kandar and nasi briyani.
Popular vote: Restoran Syed Kadir’s flavourful meals
attract many customers who showed support during The Star People’s Food Awards.
“We were attracting customers
with our nasi
kandar but not doing
as well with our nasi
briyani,” he said. With the introduction of nasi bukhara, the dish took off and
today, remains one of the most sought after in his restaurants.There are five
types of nasi
bukhara which is
served with fish, prawns, deer meat,kampung chicken, and mutton. Customers can
also order plain briyani.Syed
Kadir is a firm believer that customers should get value for money and as such,
he uses only the best ingredients.The spices are flown in from Egypt and only
first-grade basmati rice is used for nasi
bukhara.Syed Kadir has 14 restaurants in the Klang Valley and set
up a restaurant in Hong Kong at Chungking Mansions two years ago.He plans to
expand to Dubai through franchising.
Prize winner: (From left) Representative from Star
Publications (M) Bhd Aida Ahmad presenting the award to Syed Kadir. With him is
Jasmine Food Corporation Sdn Bhd central region sales manager Cheah Kok Teong.
Apart from his restaurant
business, Syed Kadir also caters food. Restoran Syed Kadir received 116 votes,
beating 12 other briyani nominees to win the award via public
nomination and voting on Metro Online Broadcast’s (MOB) website (www.mob.com.my)
The Star People’s Food Awards is a monthly contest that
recognises the best street food in the Klang Valley.The public can vote for the
best category-based street food such as curry
laksa (March) and rojak buah (April) via the MOB website.This
month, vote for your favourite popiah place in the Klang Valley.Nominations
have ended and voting will begin on Feb 15 and will end at midnight on Feb
28.Those who nominate, vote or successfully share a link are automatically
entered into the race to win attractive prizes such as hotel stays and dining
Source with thanks: The Star Online
EQUITY ALERT: The Rosen Law Firm Files Securities Fraud Class
Action Against Amira Nature Foods Ltd. -- ANFI
02/10/2015 | 08:12pm US/Eastern
NEW YORK, Feb.
10, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights firm,
announces that it has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of
Amira Nature Foods, Ltd. Stock (NYSE:ANFI) between September 27, 2012 and
February 9, 2015. The lawsuit seeks to recover damages for Amira investors
under the federal securities laws.
To join the Amira
class action, go to the website athttp://rosenlegal.com/cases-506.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. or Jonathan Horne,
Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com orjhorne@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. The suit
is pending in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.NO
CLASS HAS YET BEEN CERTIFIED IN THE ABOVE ACTION. UNTIL A CLASS IS CERTIFIED,
YOU ARE NOT REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL UNLESS YOU RETAIN ONE. YOU MAY ALSO REMAIN
AN ABSENT CLASS MEMBER AND DO NOTHING AT THIS POINT. YOU MAY RETAIN COUNSEL OF
YOUR CHOICE.
The lawsuit
alleges: (a) Amira fraudulently overstated its Indian-produced basmati rice
exports, thereby overstating revenues by at least 24% and 18.7% in FY 2013 and
2014, respectively; (b) Amira concealed that many of its counterparties are
secretly related parties, including its largest customer, one of its largest suppliers,
a potential counterparty to a $30 million transaction, and over a dozen others;
(c) Amira's CEO used company money to pay his own personal household expenses,
including salaries for a personal house manager and a chef for his farmhouse.
The lawsuit
alleges that the truth was disclosed on two occasions, on April 3, 2013,
causing its stock price to fall to $1.10 by April 5, or almost 20%, and on
February 9, 2015, causing Amira's stock price to fall $3.45, or almost 26% from
its previous close.A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish
to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than April 13,
2015. If you wish to join the litigation go to http://rosenlegal.com/cases-506.html or to discuss your rights or interests
regarding this class action, please contact, Phillip Kim, Esq., or Jonathan
Horne, Esq., of The Rosen Law Firm toll free at 866-767-3653 or via e-mail at pkim@rosenlegal.com orjhorne@rosenlegal.com.
The Rosen Law
Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in
securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation.
CONTACT: Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
Jonathan Horne, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
jhorne@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com
Source
with thanks: Globe Newswire
EQUITY ALERT: The Rosen Law Firm Files
Securities Fraud Class Action Against Amira Nature Foods Ltd. -- ANFI
Published: Feb 10, 2015 8:11 p.m. ET
NEW YORK, Feb 10, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE via COMTEX) --
The Rosen Law Firm, a global
investor rights firm, announces that it has filed a class action lawsuit on
behalf of purchasers of Amira Nature Foods, Ltd. StockANFI, +0.69% between September 27, 2012 and
February 9, 2015. The lawsuit seeks to recover damages for Amira investors
under the federal securities laws.To join the Amira class action, go to the
website at http://rosenlegal.com/cases-506.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. or Jonathan Horne, Esq. toll-free at
866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or jhorne@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. The suit is pending in U.S.
District Court for the Central District of California.
NO CLASS HAS YET BEEN CERTIFIED IN THE ABOVE ACTION. UNTIL A
CLASS IS CERTIFIED, YOU ARE NOT REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL UNLESS YOU RETAIN ONE.
YOU MAY ALSO REMAIN AN ABSENT CLASS MEMBER AND DO NOTHING AT THIS POINT. YOU
MAY RETAIN COUNSEL OF YOUR CHOICE.
The lawsuit alleges: (a) Amira fraudulently overstated its
Indian-produced basmati rice exports, thereby overstating revenues by at least
24% and 18.7% in FY 2013 and 2014, respectively; (b) Amira concealed that many
of its counterparties are secretly related parties, including its largest
customer, one of its largest suppliers, a potential counterparty to a $30
million transaction, and over a dozen others; (c) Amira's CEO used company
money to pay his own personal household expenses, including salaries for a
personal house manager and a chef for his farmhouse.
The lawsuit alleges that the truth was disclosed on two
occasions, on April 3, 2013, causing its stock price to fall to $1.10 by April
5, or almost 20%, and on February 9, 2015, causing Amira's stock price to fall
$3.45, or almost 26% from its previous close.A class action lawsuit has already
been filed.
If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court
no later than April 13, 2015. If you wish to join the litigation go to http://rosenlegal.com/cases-506.html or to discuss your rights or interests regarding this class
action, please contact, Phillip Kim, Esq., or Jonathan Horne, Esq., of The
Rosen Law Firm toll free at 866-767-3653 or via e-mail atpkim@rosenlegal.com or jhorne@rosenlegal.com.The Rosen Law Firm represents
investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class
actions and shareholder derivative litigation.
CONTACT: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. Jonathan Horne, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 34th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 lrosen@rosenlegal.com pkim@rosenlegal.com jhorne@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com
Source with thanks: GlobeNewswire, Inc.
Wolf Popper LLP Announces
Investigation on Behalf of Investors in Amira Nature Foods Ltd.
PR
Newswire
NEW
YORK, Feb. 11, 2015
NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
Wolf Popper LLP is investigating potential securities fraud claims on behalf of
investors in Amira Nature Foods Ltd. ("Amira") common stock (NYSE:
ANFI) during the period September 27, 2012 through February 9, 2015. Such investors are advised to contact Fei-Lu Qian at 877.370.7703 or fqian@wolfpopper.com.On February 9, 2015, Prescience Point Research Group issued
a report concluding that Amira, among other things, had overstated its India-produced Basmati rice revenue by 146% in fiscal
2013 and 116.9% in 2014, citing reports on Basmati rice exports by the Indian
government.
 In addition, the report alleged that
Amira had engaged in a related-party transaction with one of its largest
distributors. On this news, Amira common stock plummeted $3.45
per share or more than 25%, to close at $9.95 per
share on February 9, 2015. The next trading
day, the stock declined an additional $1.45 per
share, or 14.5%, to close at $8.50 per share, on February 10, 2015.Wolf Popper LLP has extensive
experience representing shareholders in securities class actions and has
successfully recovered billions of dollars for defrauded investors.
 The reputation and expertise of the
firm in representing shareholders has been repeatedly recognized by the courts,
which have appointed the firm to major positions in securities litigation.
 See www.wolfpopper.com
Attorney
Advertising: Prior Results Do Not Guarantee A Similar Outcome.Wolf Popper LLP
Fei-Lu Qian
845 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Tel.: 877.370.7703
Fax: 877.370.7704
Email: fqian@wolfpopper.com
Shareholder Alert: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
Announces Investigation of Amira Nature Foods Ltd.
PR Newswire
NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 2015
NEW
YORK, Feb. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney
Advertising -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is investigating
potential claims on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Amira Nature
Foods Ltd. ("Amira" or the "Company") (NYSE: ANFI -News). Such
investors are advised to contact Peretz Bronstein
or his investor relations coordinator Eitan Kimelman
at info@bgandg.com or
212-697-6484.The investigation concerns whether Amira and certain of its
officers and/or directors have violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934.Â
On February 9, 2015, third-party analyst firm Prescience
Point Research Group issued a report on ANFI (the "Prescience
Report"). Among other things, the Prescience Report charged that: 1)
 ANFI had overstated its India-produced
Basmati rice revenue by at least 116.9% in 2014, citing Indian government
reports on Basmati rice exports; 2) Â ANFI had engaged in material
related-party transactions, including with its largest distributor, one of its
largest suppliers, and a company from which ANFI intended to buy $30 million of land; and that ANFI CEO Karan Chanana used company resources for personal use,
including to pay salaries for household help.Â
On this
news, shares of Amira fell $3.45 or 25.75% to close
at $9.95 on February 9, 2015.If
you are aware of any facts relating to this investigation, or purchased shares
of Amira, you can assist this investigation by contacting Peretz Bronstein or his Investor Relations Coordinator Eitan Kimelman of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
at 212-697-6484 or via email info@bgandg.com.Â
Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address,
email and telephone number.
Bronstein,
Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a corporate litigation boutique. Our
primary expertise is the aggressive pursuit of litigation claims on behalf of
our clients. In addition to representing institutions and other investor
plaintiffs in class action security litigation, the firm's expertise includes
general corporate and commercial litigation, as well as securities
arbitration. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee
similar outcomes.
Contact:
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
Peretz Bronstein or Eitan Kimelman 212-697-6484
info@bgandg.com
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
Peretz Bronstein or Eitan Kimelman 212-697-6484
info@bgandg.com
The Law Firm of Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Launches an
Investigation into Possible Breaches of Fiduciary Duty by the Board of
Directors of Amira Nature Foods Ltd.
*
Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.
SHAREHOLDER ALERT: The Law Firm of Levi & Korsinsky, LLP
Launches an Investigation into Possible Breaches of Fiduciary Duty by the Board
of Directors of Amira Nature Foods Ltd.
Levi & Korsinsky, LLP is investigating Amira Nature Foods Ltd.
(NYSE:ANFI) in connection with possible breaches of fiduciary duty by the Board
of Directors of the Company. To get more information, click here: http://zlk.9nl.com/amira-nature-foods-anfi.
There is no cost or obligation to you. The investigation stems from allegations
made in a February 9, 2015 report from Prescience Point Research Group
(“Prescienceâ€).
In this report Prescience suggested that: (a) Amira Nature Foods
had overstated its India-produced Basmati rice revenue by at least 116.9% in
2014, citing Indian government reports on Basmati rice exports; (b) the Company
had engaged in material related-party transactions, including with its largest
distributor, one of its largest suppliers, and a company from which it intended
to buy a $30 million parcel of land; and (c) Amira Nature Foods’ CEO used
company resources for personal use.
If you own common stock in Amira Nature Foods and wish to obtain
additional information about the investigation and our efforts to assist
shareholders in recovering their losses, please contact Eduard Korsinsky, Esq.
either via email at ek@zlk.com or
by telephone at (212) 363-7500, toll-free: (877) 363-5972, or visit http://zlk.9nl.com/amira-nature-foods-anfi.
Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, New Jersey,
Connecticut and Washington D.C. The firm’s attorneys have extensive expertise
in prosecuting securities litigation involving financial fraud, representing
investors throughout the nation in securities and shareholder lawsuits and have
helped shareholders recover millions of dollars in losses over the years. For
more information, please feel free to contact any of the attorneys listed
below. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Levi &
Korsinsky, LLP
Eduard Korsinsky, Esq.
Tel: 212-363-7500
Toll Free: 877-363-5972
Fax: 866-367-6510
Investigation of Amira Nature
Foods Ltd. Announced by Glancy Binkow & Goldberg LLP
* Reuters is not responsible for the content in this
press release.
INVESTOR
ALERT: Investigation of Amira Nature Foods Ltd. Announced by Glancy Binkow
& Goldberg LLP
Glancy
Binkow & Goldberg LLP announces that it is investigating
potential claims on behalf of investors of Amira Nature Foods Ltd. (“Amira
Nature Foods†or
the “Companyâ€)
(NYSE:ANFI) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws. The
investigation is focused on certain statements issued by Amira Nature Foods
concerning the Company’s business and financial performance. Please contact Casey
Sadler at (888) 773-9224 or (310) 201-9150, or at shareholders@glancylaw.com to
discuss this matter. If you inquire by email please include your mailing
address, telephone number and number of shares purchased. Amira Nature Foods is
a Dubai-based company engaged in processing, distributing and marketing
packaged specialty rice and other food products.
The investigation is related to allegations that the Company
misrepresented its business and financial performance and failed to disclose
material related-party transactions. On February 9, 2015, a report by the
analyst firm Prescience Point Research Group alleged that, according to Indian
government reports on Basmati rice exports, Amira Nature Foods had overstated
its India-produced Basmati rice revenue by more than 116% in 2014. The report
also alleged that Amira Nature Foods engaged in material related-party
transactions, including with a company from which it intended to buy $30
million of land, and the Company's chief executive officer used Company
resources for personal use, including to pay salaries for household help.
Following this news, shares of Amira Nature Foods declined more than 25% on
February 9, 2015, to a closing price of $9.95 per share on unusually heavy
volume.
If you purchased Amira Nature Foods securities, if you have
information or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any
questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect
to these matters, please contact Casey
Sadler, Esquire, of Glancy Binkow & Goldberg LLP, 1925 Century Park
East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at (310) 201-9150, Toll Free at
(888) 773-9224, by e-mail to shareholders@glancylaw.com, or
visit our website at http://www.glancylaw.com. If
you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number and
number of shares purchased. This press release may be considered Attorney
Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.
Glancy
Binkow & Goldberg LLP, Los Angeles, CACasey Sadler
(310) 201-9150
(888) 773-9224
shareholders@glancylaw.com
www.glancylaw.com
Vietnam Rice Exports to Africa Decline
Sharply in 2014 
