Govt
not planning to stop ST15 rice subsidy programme
Published on: Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Kuala Lumpur: The government is not planning to
stop the ST15 rice subsidy programme yet so as to protect the interest of various
parties, including 15,000 grocers nationwide.Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based
Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said the ministry
appreciated views and recommendations on the rice subsidy programme, but also
took into account the impact on related parties if the programme was
stopped."Firstly 15,000 grocery stores nationwide, secondly 2,400
wholesale workers, 865 rice wholesalers including 607 Bumiputera small traders,
43 Bumiputera rice millers and 35,000 farmers who receive direct supply of ST15
under the 20kg quota per month," he said. Gooi asked whether the
government would review the subsidy programme following recommendation from the
Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to suspend the subsidy programme for failing to
benefit the poor.
Tajuddin said the ministry, however, would continue to monitor
and scrutinise the programme from time to time through the establishment of the
Paddy and Rice Industries Affairs Main Committee, which comprise the ministry's
permanent representatives, its agencies and Farmers' Organisation Authority.
"The committee is responsible to consider the ST15 rice quota to
wholesalers. A technical committee will also be set up to inspect and evaluate
the wholesalers from time to time," he said.On alleged distribution leakages,
Tajuddin said 60,000 tonnes of ST15 rice produced would be distributed to
wholesalers for onward distribution to retailers nationwide, every month.
"We don't think there are leakages because the wholesalers
cannot keep the rice, if 60,000 tonnes for a month, how much for two or three
months? They will not want to keep such a big amount of rice," he
said.Tajuddin said that if any elected representatives had evidence of fraud in
the sale of ST15, they can directly lodge a complaint to the ministry or the
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).However, Tajuddin admitted that
there were some weaknesses in the delivery system, especially in Sabah and
Sarawak, with limited access problem to rural areas as well as the lack of
personnel to carry out enforcement and monitoring activities.In addressing the
smuggling problem of ST15 rice to neighboring countries, especially Indonesia,
Tajuddin has asked leaders at the grassroots to play a proactive role to assist
the ministry to curb such problems. - Bernama
http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=99909
Access to
finance limits export potential for millers
Wed, 20 May 2015
Cambodian rice exports have grown year-on-year since 2009 but
have fallen well short of reaching the government’s 1 million tonne annual
target, with experts saying that limited access to finance, warehousing and
logistical support are holding back the potential of rice millers.According to
the Economic and Social Survey
of Asia and the Pacific 2015, published by the UN Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), despite the 3 million tonnes of
paddy available for processing in Cambodia, it will not reach the 1 million
tonnes export mark in 2015 and will need to invest in scaling up milling
capacity and irrigation facilities.David Van, adviser to the Cambodia Rice
Federation, said that while government figures for paddy production are
probably inflated, the issue wasn’t the sector’s capacity to mill this paddy,
but rather access to finance.
“Big impediment is not in milling capacity but in working
capital of millers and exporters to buy paddy and compete with mainly
Vietnamese brokers with deep pockets and plenty of cash provided by the
Vietnamese government,” Van said.The problem stems from millers and exporters’
ability to get finance, Van said, with the government and donor partners
failing to address the issue for years, though there was some assistance from
the private sector.“Now we’re seeing more commercial banks, like ANZ Royal and
Acleda, focusing on establishing some ‘paddy banks’, trying to team up with
millers using a warehousing receipt concept - to use paddy as collateral,” Van
added.
While there is some access to financing, it was more difficult
to attain when compared to neighbouring Vietnam and Thailand, who are aided by
local subsidies to buy paddy from Cambodia, said Kunthy Kann, CEO of rice
miller Brico.“Vietnam and Thailand have government subsidies or warehouse
facilities to buy during the season, so whatever is left after buying by local
[Cambodian] millers goes to these countries,” Kann said.He added that the lack
of financing and warehousing make it difficult for local millers to stock up
all the rice available in November or December, given that Cambodia has only
one harvest window.While the sector currently has the potential to produce 1.5
million tonnes of exportable rice, the mills are working at only 30 to 40 per
cent average capacity a year due to low stockpiles, Kann said.
“Each miller has to have a lot of working capital to buy the
paddy and have a huge warehouse facility, because the harvest is about eight
weeks. This means you have to be able to collect as much as you can,” he
added.Kann said that logistical costs, like using road transport instead of
railways, to get rice to the ports was an additional cost that takes away from
their limited capital spending.Charles Vann, executive vice president at
Canadia Bank, said that private banks have been supporting rice exporters and
millers with financing and collateral management, adding that the onus was on
the borrower to meet bank criteria for loans.
“If they do not [have] access, or not have enough [access], it
means that they are not qualified to [meet] the criteria. The rice miller needs
to meet the banks criteria to qualify for a credit line,” Vann said.He said
that it is helpful where the government can provide assistance, but for the
private sector, when financing of the rice industry, collateral options would
have to be a decision made by each individual bank.Cambodia’s rice exports in
2014 was a record-breaking 387,000 tonnes, but was still more than 60 per cent
short of its intended 1 million mark.
Contact author: Ananth Baliga
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/access-finance-limits-export-potential-millers
Cuts in California rice open doors for competitors
By Ching Lee
Once again, California rice farmers are planting less
rice due to water restrictions, while Southern rice-growing states are
expanding their production of medium-grain rice, taking some of California’s
markets in the process.
Photo/Christine Souza
Photo/Christine Souza
With California farmers not
planting as much rice due to water restrictions, Southern rice-growing states
are jumping in to fill the gap by expanding their production and taking some of
the Golden State's markets in the process."You'd think with the drought
and the reduced acres that things would be good, but the business went
elsewhere," said Charley Mathews Jr., a rice grower in Yuba
County.Although Southern states such as Arkansas and Louisiana typically grow
long-grain rice and very little of the medium-grain rice that is the dominant
variety in California, Southern growers are devoting more acreage to medium
grain in expectation of tighter supplies from California, said Nathan Childs,
an economist at the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. Higher returns for medium grain also
have made it a more attractive choice for Southern growers, he
added."Long-grain prices really went down last year, and so if you're a
grower in the South, you look to soybeans or medium-grain rice," Mathews
said, adding that newer rice varieties have allowed Southern growers to
incrementally increase their medium-grain production.Southern medium-grain
acreage more than doubled last year to 301,000, according to USDA, while
California's total rice acreage fell 30 percent—from 567,000 in 2013 to 434,000
in 2014. Total U.S. medium-grain acreage rose 6 percent last year.
More medium-grain rice will be planted in the South again this
year, as water restrictions force California farmers to decrease their
plantings even further. Initial estimates from USDA indicate Southern growers
intend to plant 311,000 acres of medium grain, while California farmers will
grow 375,000 acres of medium grain and 408,000 acres of all rice varieties, a 6
percent reduction from 2014.California Rice Commission spokesman Jim Morris
noted that the 2015 USDA estimates were made before the state's water
allocations were finalized—and that California's total rice acreage will likely
be lower.
While reduced plantings have had a significant impact on local
communities and businesses that depend on rice farming, Mark Kimmelshue,
general manager and CEO of Associated Rice Marketing Cooperative in Butte
County, said those reductions "probably aren't going to have a huge effect
on the world market and the price of rice."He said not only has production
in other states offset the reductions in California, but the price of
California rice has been relatively high compared to other rice sources in the
world. He noted that Southern medium-grain rough rice (before it is milled) is
now selling for $14 to $15 a hundredweight, while California medium-grain rough
is $21 cwt."We haven't sold as much rice as we had in previous
years," he said. "That means there's going to be more rice carried in
from the 2014 crop into the 2015-16 marketing year than there has been in the
past.
"Kimmelshue said while the state normally ships rice to
Turkey, the country has not bought any rice from California this year; all
shipments have come from the South. Likewise, Taiwan, which has been a big
market for California rice, has been buying more Southern rice.Asian markets
such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan typically prefer the quality of
California rice, but those are limited markets, Kimmelshue said, and right now
there's much more rice in California than those markets could absorb.
Turkey, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia historically have been big
customers of California rice when prices were lower, but they've been turning
to the Southern states' less-expensive product, he added.Mathews said the
strength of the dollar has not helped, and political turmoil in the Middle East
has affected sales to Libya and Syria, two of the state's biggest customers a
few years ago. Turkey and Libya are two of the largest buyers of U.S. medium-
and short-grain rough rice, whereas Japan, South Korea and Taiwan typically
take almost two-thirds of total U.S. medium- and short-grain exports, USDA
economist Childs said.Disruption at West Coast ports due to a nine-month-long
labor dispute between shippers and dockworkers, which heightened last winter,
also contributed to the state's increased rice stocks, Childs said.Winter is
usually peak export season for rice, Mathews said, and the port slowdown
affected the state's ability to ship rice to its Middle Eastern customers, who
turned to Australia, a major competitor.
Rice production from Down Under had dropped off significantly
during Australia's drought several years ago, but in recent years, it has made
a huge comeback, Kimmelshue said. Australia not only competes with California
in Middle Eastern markets but in key Asian markets of Japan, Korea and Taiwan,
he added.One competitor the state doesn't have to worry much about is Egypt,
once a major supplier of medium-grain rice. In recent years, the Egyptian
government has been restricting rice exports in favor of keeping most of its
supply for domestic consumption.Mathews said California is now catching up on
its export backlog from the port slowdown, which ended in late February. He
noted this summer will be a busy export season for California rice because
Japan, which usually imports rice in the winter, has shifted its purchases to
the summer due to the earlier disruptions at the ports."So we'll be able
to move our crop, but it's just very delayed," he said.
Kimmelshue said he expects the price of rice will remain at
current levels for the rest of the 2014-15 marketing year and into the 2015
crop. If the state receives plenty of rain this winter, prices could drop,
because California farmers would plant more rice, increasing supplies. But if
the drought continues and state rice acreage continues to fall, prices could
start moving up again.Mathews said regardless of what happens in the market,
his planting decisions remain the same every year because his land is not
suited to growing anything but rice. Plus, his water supply is in "pretty
good shape," he noted, and he has access to groundwater in some of his
fields."The summertime is when things are going to get dicey, because
that's when reservoirs get down to the bottom," he said. "What you
don't ever want to see is somebody's crop getting shut off in the middle of
summer. I've never seen it before, and we just hope it doesn't
happen."(Ching Lee is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted
at clee@cfbf.com.)
Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the
California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item.
http://agalert.com/story/?id=8301&utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+May+19%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
Amru nearing
organic rice deal with the US
Wed, 20 May 2015
Local rice exporter Amru Rice is close to signing an agreement
with an American importer to bring Cambodian organic rice to the American
market, according to the rice exporter’s chief executive.Amru Rice CEO Song
Saran told the Post yesterday that after analysing the US market, his company
had decided to tap into the potentially vast source of customers.“We observed
that more Americans are consuming organic, chemical-free rice, so that’s why
we’re trying to promote our rice there and obtain a larger market share,” he
said.“We are preparing to sign an agreement with an importer to promote our
brand of organic rice to the retail market and reach real consumers.
”However, Saran declined to reveal the name of the American
company he was dealing with due to ongoing talks.He said that plans would be
finalised in June with Cambodian rice hitting the shelves in September.Amru has
already tested the market by exporting a small amount of unbranded organic
rice. “Before we just sold some unpackaged organic rice, so the consumers
didn’t know it was made in Cambodia. Now, we want to promote our brand,” said
Saran.David Van, senior adviser to the Cambodia Rice Federation, said there was
potential for the country’s organic rice in the US.“Amru has been working on
exploring this market since last year, not only recently,” he said.
“They’re already exporting Preah Vihear organic jasmine [rice]
to the US, drawing better margins than others who export regular jasmine
[rice],” he explained.In September last year, Amru Rice signed a deal with
eight farmer cooperatives in Preah Vihear province to purchase 2,500 tonnes of
organic fragrant paddy rice.Fong Ngai, director of the Hong Kong Trade Office
in Singapore, said Cambodian rice was known to be of good quality compared to
others.“Cambodian organic rice is really good, as Hong Kong’s consumers prefer
organic products. However, the price is a bit higher than [rice from]
Thailand.”Cambodia’s primary organic rice exporter, the Cambodian Center for
Study and Development in Agriculture, known as CEDAC, shipped 540 tonnes of
fragrant organic rice to international markets last year, an increase 20 per
cent compared to 2013. The rice exporter is aiming to export 1,000 tonnes in
2015.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/amru-nearing-organic-rice-deal-us
Indonesia moves ahead with rice
fields in Papua
Updated at 9:57 am on 20 May 2015
Indonesia's state-owned fertilizer maker
Pupuk Indonesia is to raise $US 534-million to clear and develop 750,000
million hectares of rice fields in Papua.The Jakarta Globe reports this is part of President Joko
Widodo's programme to establish a million hectares of rice, sugar cane,
soybean, corn, and oil palm-growing area - dubbed the Merauke Integrated Food
and Energy Estate - in Papua by 2017.An official with Indonesia's Agriculture
Ministry, Haryono, says Pupuk Indonesia is still discussing how to fund the
investment.
Private companies will be responsible for developing the
remaining 250,000 hectares.Haryono says the project still had to resolve land
acquisition issues, with the majority of the land being communally owned.He
says a plus is that Merauke's land is flat and has irrigation systems left by
the Dutch, which only need a few repairs.The government targets to clear
250,000 hectares of land by the end of this year.
Rice field, Photo: Supplied
http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/274108/indonesia-moves-ahead-with-rice-fields-in-papua
PM okays $22mil. budget to preserve rice fields
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has
approved a budget of 470 billion VND (about 22 million USD) to help preserve
and develop rice fields in nine cities and provinces across the country.
Northern Bac Ninh, central Thanh Hoa, Da Nang, Quang Ngai are
among the provinces earmarked for attention, but most of the funds will go to
Mekong Delta provinces such as Tay Ninh, Vinh Long, Hau Giang, Dong Thap and
Kien Giang.A Government study has revealed that rapid urbanisation and
industrialisation as well as infrastructure development have led to a decline
in rice fields throughout Vietnam.Government Decision 35/2015 will serve as a
keystone policy to assist localities in preserving and developing rice fields,
ensuring the country's rice production capacity in the future.The decision
stipulates that for each hectare of rice field in production, localities may receive
up to 1 million VND (46.5 USD) on top of other on-effect subsidies provided by
the State.
Northern Bac Ninh, central Thanh Hoa, Da Nang, Quang Ngai are
among the provinces earmarked for attention, but most of the funds will go to
Mekong Delta provinces such as Tay Ninh, Vinh Long, Hau Giang, Dong Thap and
Kien Giang.A Government study has revealed that rapid urbanisation and
industrialisation as well as infrastructure development have led to a decline
in rice fields throughout Vietnam.Government Decision 35/2015 will serve as a
keystone policy to assist localities in preserving and developing rice fields,
ensuring the country's rice production capacity in the future.The decision
stipulates that for each hectare of rice field in production, localities may receive
up to 1 million VND (46.5 USD) on top of other on-effect subsidies provided by
the State.
The decision also encouraged
localities to convert other types of land into rice fields with subsidies of up
to 10 million VND (465 USD) for each hectare.The budget will also be used for
land enrichment, upgrading water irrigation systems and supporting local
farmers to apply scientific and technological advances in rice production.In
addition, the decision required localities and individuals to be committed to
and legally responsible for the preservation of rice fields and the
environment. Reports on rice fields under local authority management will be
submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on an
annual basis.A recent report by the agricultural ministry said the country must
maintain rice production levels at 39.8 million tonnes in 2020 and 40.5 million
tonnes in 2030 to ensure national food security.The task of preserving rice
fields is of great importance as Vietnam is among the list of countries most
affected by climate change. Up to 70 percent of its rice fields will be
adversely affected by rising sea-level by the end of the century.
VNA
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/society/131064/pm-okays--22mil--budget-to-preserve-rice-fields.html
Need to rethink our rice industry
It comes to mind that we need to end the subsidies on foods, even
rice. Or in the case of what was recently raised by the Malay Economic Action
Council (MTEM), especially rice. And it was an eye opener to get their data on
issues plaguing our farmers.For one, it was calculated that the seasonal
revenue for padi farmers in Sanglang is a mere RM4,773 for 1.4 hectares.
Meanwhile, seasonal costs are calculated at RM3,027, thus leaving a mere
RM1,004.84 for the farmers to take home to their families.It doesn’t sound so
bad to have a thousand bucks, right? Wrong.That figure is for an entire season,
which is four months long.
This means that the farmer gets an average monthly income of a
mere RM250.The rice industry for Malaysia is huge, it is a RM7 billion
industry. But put that together with what the farmer is earning? Well, you
don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see something is wrong somewhere.Today,
the farming industry in Malaysia, particularly rice, is a dying one. There are
only 13 percent padi farming families in this nation of 30 million, with an
average age of 60 years old.If you thought the farmers have it bad, the next
step in the supply chain has it equally bad.With 95 percent of the farmers
being Malays, they formed the Malay Rice Factory Association of Malaysia to set
up their own factories.From boasting 110 factories before, there are now only
35 left.With all this in mind, let us consider what the government is targeting
for the padi farmers by 2020.Among other points, this government is targeting
the opening of 400,000 hectares of new land for padi farming.
Through the Economic Transformation Programme, the Malaysian
government is also targeting self-sufficient production, 85 percent local
production by 2020.That figure currently stands at 57 percent.This is no longer
a case where you can provide more subsidies to farmers in order to bolster
their income. There needs to be total reform and further study into making
their incomes more attractive.
Shrinking rice bowl
Thus, when people say that subsidies distort the market, here we are. Subsidies on rice, yet very little intervention down the supply chain from farm to fork, has caused and will definitely cause our so-called rice bowl to grow ever smaller to the point of insignificance.And that is why we need to reconsider whether subsidising rice is truly the best move. Farmers used to be able to sustain a household in the past, but this is no longer valid as we have seen above.So, should we reconsider paying a fair price for rice to allow the industry to become more attractive for a future generation of padi entrepreneurs?
Or, will we be just content on increasing our import of rice to
cater to local demand without a care about food security?
This, I believe, is dependent on the government’s next Malaysia
Plan which will plot out the next five years.Perfect timing, since the average
padi farmer will be at the age of retirement by 2020.
https://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/298980
DITP hoping global rice traders will have more
confidence in Thai rice
BY EDITOR ON 2015-05-20
THAILAND
DITP hoping global rice traders will have more confidence in Thai
rice
BANGKOK,
20 May 2015 (NNT)-The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) has
expressed its confidence that the 7th Thailand Rice Convention 2015 will raise
foreign importers’ confidence in the quality of Thai rice.According to DITP
Deputy Director General Banjongjit Angsusing, this year’s convention, now
underway, is held under the theme ‘Think of Rice, Think of Thai Rice’.Its
objective is to reiterate to rice importers that Thailand is still the world’s
leading rice exporter and a global rice hub. Participants of this event have
been informed about the environmentally-friendly methods used in producing rice
grains.The 7th convention has also been held in honor of Her Royal Highness
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s 60th birthday anniversary. More than 50 rice
traders from various nations attend the convention, which will come to an end
tomorrow, the Deputy Director General said.
Liberia: Japanese Gov't Donates
8,060 Metric Tons of Rice to Liberia
By Bettie Johnson
Monrovia — The Japanese Government has handed over eight
thousand Sixty Metric tons of assorted rice to the Government of Liberia. The
donation brought together several Liberian officials, including Agriculture
Minister Dr. Florence Chenoweth, Commerce Minister Axel Addy, representatives
of rice importers, Japan's Ambassador and other dignitaries.Speaking at the
Program, Agriculture Minister Dr. Chenoweth said the impact of the program
supports the whole cycle of rice production in Liberia.
"Though Ebola took
away almost everything, but the full cycle of support from the Japanese
Government must be commended; the varieties are many and a selection of
varieties has been made by the Agriculture Ministry and your program supports
the foundation seed and sacrifice seed for all of the varieties. Most of our
farmers in Liberia are illiterate and they know the means of the varieties,
they tell you which type of seed they want," the Agriculture Minister
said.Commerce Minister Addy commended the Japanese Government for their support
to the Liberian economy. He disclosed that the rice donation is not the first
as the other donations have led to the construction of bridges; projects and
warehouses among others. Minister Addy also pleaded with consumers to swiftly
purchase the rice, which he said will help finance other projects that will
empower local farmers in the country.
Monsoon enters Sri Lanka; Kerala
coast next on the list
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MAY 20:
Establishment
of monsoon conditions over Sri Lanka was the positive signal on a day when the
India Met Department suffered a setback over both the seas around the
South.Winds over Arabian Sea suddenly reversed direction to being
north-westerly (atypical of monsoon) while the watch for a ‘low’ in the Bay has
had to be withdrawn.
Bay arm lags
Monsoon establishing over Sri Lanka is the most significant news
after its onset over the Andaman and Nicobar islands in Indian territorial
waters on Saturday last. But it has not been able to make any significant
progress since. The Met merely hoped that it would cover more areas in the Bay
of Bengal over the next two days.It had mentioned about the prospects of a low-pressure
area developing in the Bay which could have revved up the Bay arm of the
monsoon. This outlook has been withdrawn on Wednesday.The onset of monsoon over
Kerala normally happens within a few days of that over Sri Lanka, and 10-12
days after Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
No MJO support
Meanwhile, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said it did not
find support coming from the upper levels of the atmosphere for onset of
monsoon along the Kerala coast.It was referring to the periodical Madden-Julian
Oscillation (MJO) wave that travels periodically to the east across the Indian
Ocean. It boosts convection and cloudiness at the ground level. But the monsoon
can prevail even without MJO, provided the onset pulse packs the required
strength and intensity to drive on its own along the West Coast.
El Niño outlook
Apart from triggering the onset of the monsoon, the MJO wave has
also been responsible for setting up low-pressure areas, depressions, and even
storms.The Bureau did not see an MJO moving over the Indian Ocean for at least
the next two weeks. El Nino conditions in the tropical Pacific region are
likely to strengthen, says the Bureau, which closely tracks weather in the
region. Super typhoon Dolphin, which had helped drag in the monsoon faraway upstream
over the Bay of Bengal, may also be bolstering the case of El Nino by default,
too.The net effect is that moisture, storminess and cloudiness get driven away
from Asia and the larger monsoon region into equatorial and east Pacific
(towards South America).
(This
article was published on May 20, 2015)
Rice mills seek exemption from
GST
The rice mill owners and
paddy-rice dealers in the State have appealed to the Union Government to exempt
rice from Goods and Service Tax.This was one of the resolutions passed at a
state-level meeting of the Federation of Tamil Nadu Rice Mill Owners and
Paddy-Rice Dealers Associations held here on Tuesday.Since Tamil Nadu is
deficit in paddy production and rice is a major food in the State, the
Government has not levied any tax on these so far.Rice millers and farmers need
additional power supply during the harvest season to dry the paddy and the low
tension power supply available to these units is inadequate.
The federation appealed to the
State Government and to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission to
pass the required orders for this.The mills would pay the charges fixed by the
commission for the additional supply.The paddy dealers and mill owners also
appealed to the State to remove the market cess levied on rice.The State has
277 agricultural markets.However, rice and paddy were procured by the dealers
and mills directly from the farmers and also from States such as Karnataka,
West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, they pointed out.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/rice-mills-seek-exemption-from-gst/article7229426.ece
Duty
on rice pushes up paddy prices
Yasir Wardad
Duty on rice pushes up paddy prices
The
prices of paddy increased by Tk140-150 per maund (37.32kgs) at farm level in
last one week following the levying of 10 per cent duty on rice import, a
market survey reveals.But farmers are reaping little benefit from the hike in
prices. Big millers and traders, who have built up rice stocks through
procurement of the main staple from
domestic and external sources, are making the most of it.By the time the paddy
prices have taken an upturn, most farmers in the country are learnt to have sold
out their new harvests.Market experts said more than 60 per cent of farmers
already had sold out their produce at much lower prices to millers and their
allied local wholesalers (pikers) or mid-level traders.
Paddy
prices plunged to a three-year low this Boro season with the beginning of
harvest from mid-April when per-maund Brridhan-28 sold at only Tk450-500 while
finer-variety Miniket sold at Tk500-550 per maund, according to Department of
Agricultural Marketing (DAM) data.The DAM reckonings show the prices of
different varieties of paddy have increased by Tk140-150 per maund (30-33 per
cent rise) in last seven days. Costs of
production of Brridhan-28 and 29 and Miniket were Tk750 to Tk800 per maund as
per the calculation done by agriculture ministry.The government is going to buy
paddy at Tk880 per maund and rice at Tk1280 per maund from May 30 from the
farmers and millers, said food officials.Millers, traders and experts claimed
that uncontrolled import of rice from India was the key reason behind the fall
in paddy prices this Boro-harvesting season.
They
had urged the government from the beginning of the year to withdraw zero duty
on rice import as lower-priced imported rice flooded the market.However, the
private importers have brought 1.417 million tonnes of rice until May 18,
according to the food ministry data.Meanwhile, imports declined to 2,500 tonnes
per day during the period from April to May 18 from 4,600 tonnes a day in
July-March period of the current financial year, according to the data."As
a consequence of huge imports, 60 per cent millers stopped their operation in
December-April period in the peak Aman-and Boro-milling seasons," said KM
Layek Ali, secretary of Bangladesh Auto Major and Husking Mills Owners
Association (BAMHMOA).
He
said Swarna variety's import cost was between Tk20 and 24 per kilogram when
local milling cost of the produce was Tk27 to 29 per kg.However, amid growing
demand from farmers, millers, experts, the government finally slapped 10 per
cent duty on rice import with effect from May 11, according to the National
Board of Revenue (NBR).The duty obligation pushed up paddy prices
dramatically.Md Shah Suja, a farmer in Ramnagar Union under Nilphamari sadar upazila, said Brridhan-28 was selling
at Tk1140-1160 per 75- kg sack (Tk600-620 per maund) now against Tk850-900 per
sack (Tk450-480 per maund) a week back.He said: "The price started to
increase when most of us had sold our products. Every farmer incurred a loss of
Tk2500-3000 per bigha (33 decimal) by cultivating paddy this season.
"He
said local millers, paikers and traders are reaping huge benefits from the hike
following the market intervention.Economist and rice-market expert Dr Mahabub
Hossain told the FE that the government policymakers should have analysed the
matter much earlier when the number of LCs increased significantly for rice
import.He said if the duty obligation came earlier, it could benefit most of
the farmers."But, many of the farmers who are in the harvesting process
will get some benefit from recent price rises. If the paddy price increased to
Tk650-700 per maund, the farmers at least could get back their
investment," he said. "Many farmers go for Boro farming much later.
We now term it Braush (Boro+Aus). The Braush cultivators will reap benefits,"
he said.Dr Hossain also said, "Without ensuring profits for farmers, we
cannot increase our production at level necessary to ensure food security of
the country.
Farm-economist
Prof Gazi M Jalil said 60 per cent of the farmers have already sold their crop
as they needed money for the jute and Aman cultivation and also for paying back
their debts.Prof Jalil, who teaches agriculture economics at Sher-e-Bangla
Agricultural University, said the government should enact a time-befitting rice
import and export policy to protect the interests of the country's
people."Government should consider rice always a strategic crop, which
could help it in framing a farmer-friendly import policy.
"However,
rice (milled) prices were static marinating lower prices at mill-gate for last
two weeks, BAMHMOA secretary KM Layek Ali said.The government allowed
substantial rice import when local farmers gifted the country with record
production, according to the government data.Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics
data reveal that rice production was a record 34.465 million tonnes in the
fiscal year 2013-14 while output of Aman and Aus crops accounted for record
13.2 million tonnes and 2.328 million tonnes respectively in the current
financial year.Meanwhile, the production may surpass19.0 million tonnes in the
current Boro season as per the prediction of the Department of Agriculture
Extension.
tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2015/05/21/93502
Scientists
prove a plant point
Our Special Correspondent
New
Delhi, May 19: Government scientists have asserted that India has provided tens
of thousands of samples of key foodcrops to global gene repositories, refuting
allegations by sections of foreign researchers that India has been reluctant to
share its plant resources.The scientists with the Indian Council of
Agricultural Research (ICAR) have said India ranks first in the list of
contributors of plant germplasm in 11 gene banks maintained by the Consultative
Group (CG) of International Agricultural Centres held "in-trust" for
the global community.India has over the past three decades submitted over
66,800 plant germplasm varieties - or 9.2 per cent - to more than 720,600
accessions maintained by the network of CG repositories, emerging at the top of
its list of contributors, the ICAR scientists said in a report that analysed
the flow of plant varieties from India.
Crop
scientists view such transfer of key plant material as critical for crop
breeding and improvement programmes aimed at food security."This analysis
should dispel notions that India hasn't been sharing its plant resources,"
said Rishi Kumar Tyagi, a principal scientist at the ICAR's National Bureau of
Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi, who led the study of plant germ flow from
India over the past four decades.Plant gene repositories in the US, Russia,
Taiwan, Germany and the UK also have several thousands of accessions of Indian
origin. At a gene bank maintained by the US department of agriculture, over
22,000 among its total of more than 625,000 accessions are of Indian origin.
Crop
researchers based in Europe had two years ago raised concerns that access to
Indian plant germplasm was limited. Scientists from Norway had pointed out that
the world's largest global seed vault maintained by Norway in Svalbard had very
few samples from India.Tyagi and his colleagues have challenged that claim.The
Svalbard gene vault has over 824,000 germplasm accessions from over 60 gene
banks, among which over 66,000 accessions - or over 8 per cent - deposited by
24 gene banks are of Indian origin, the ICAR scientists said in their analysis
just published in the journal PLOS One.Although India has directly submitted
only 25 samples to Svalbard, over 66,000 samples are of Indian origin, having
been deposited there by the CG crop research centres or by other national gene
banks.
The International Rice Research Institute in
Manila, Philippines, has deposited its entire rice germplasm collection of
116,600 at Svalbard, among which over 16,220 accessions belonging to 18 species
of rice have their origin in India, the ICAR scientists wrote in their
report.The ICAR scientists have listed 16 crops, including rice, wheat, maize,
chickpea, eggplant, groundnut and pigeon pea, among others, that have been
deposited by India into gene repositories across the world. Among over
2,800,000 samples held by 446 organisations worldwide, 106,000 are from
India."India is also a big beneficiary of such germplasm exchange,"
said Kailash Bansal, head of the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources,
who was not involved in the analysis.
"One
recent example is kiwifruit - it's import of germplasm that brought kiwifruit
to India," he said.Crop scientists also point out that several varieties
of foodcrops, including vegetables, currently cultivated across the country owe
their origin to foreign germplasm.The analysis has revealed that the flow of
plant germplasm from India has indeed slowed down over the past decade owing to
national biodiversity laws that India enacted in 2002. The national
biodiversity regulations lay down strict rules on the transfer of plant genetic
material from India.From the mid-1970s through the early 1990s, India used to
supply more than 4,000 germplasm samples each year. But over the past five
years, the number has been less than 1,000 per year."Over the past decade,
the number of requests India has received for germplasm has also
declined," Tyagi said. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150520/jsp/nation/story_21087.jsp#.VV2yoflViko
Jute packaging by rice mills made
mandatory in Bengal
May 20 2015
The Rs 8,000 crore plus jute industry in West Bengal, which has
been passing through a demand crisis and closure of mills, may get a new lease
of life with Mamata Banerjee government deciding that rice mills in the state
will now have to pack at least 70 per cent of their total production in new
jute bags. There are more than 1,200 rice mills in the state.Jute mills from
West Bengal will be given requisitions by the jute commissioner and accordingly
jute bags for packaging of rice will be supplied to rice mills.In addition, a
comprehensive list of rice mills in respective districts will be provided to
the jute commissioner by the department of food and supplies to track the
entire process of procurement.
The decision was taken on Wednesday at a meeting between the group
of ministers and a delegation from the Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA).It
was also decided that a 5-member committee comprising senior officials from the
departments of finance and commerce, food and supplies, agriculture and labour
will be set up. The committee will coordinate with the jute commissioner in
future. The committee will have its first meeting on May 25 to work out the
modalities.West Bengal houses 64 of the total 84 jute mills in the country.
According to industry officials, jute mills in West Bengal till recently had
been running at only 60 per cent of their capacity rendering a large number of
workers jobless. There had also been a production cut of 30-40 per cent few
months ago, thanks to lack of orders.“The meeting with the state
government-appointed group of ministers was positive from the perspective of
the jute industry in West Bengal.
“The decision taken during the meeting to ensure that rice mills
purchase new jute bags for packing of levy rice is positive and encouraging. We
are optimistic about the support and guidance provided during the extensive
meeting with ministers and hope that the rich legacy of the jute industry will
be taken into consideration while adopting a policy direction to revive the
industry,” IJMA deputy chairman Ashutosh Bhagat told Financial Chronicle.Under
the present system, the state government has been procuring 25-30 per cent of
levy rice from nearly 1,200 rice mills. Through this mechanism, states buy
paddy from millers for selling it through ration shops, the subsidy burden of
which falls on the centre. The centre has already decided to do away with the
levy purchase system by October 1, 2015.
ritwikmukherjee@mydigitalfc.com
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:UFJdztMaBnIJ:www.mydigitalfc.com/knowledge/jute-packaging-rice-mills-made-mandatory-bengal-717+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=pk
Forget chemotherapy — try some genetically modified lettuce
to fight your colon cancer
May 19, 2015 · 9:00 AM EDT
An agriculturist prepares to plant "Golden Rice"
seedlings at a laboratory of the International Rice Research Institute in Los
Banos, Laguna south of Manila, on August 14, 2013.
Credit: Erik
De Castro/Reuters
There’s a lot of fear surrounding genetically modified fruits
and vegetables. But what if scientists could engineer food to cure cancer?
This story is based on a radio
interview.Listen to the full interview.
New research suggests scientists can use plants to deliver a
type of genetic material called microRNA, which can help prevent or suppress
cancer. In experiments with laboratory mice that were fed the genes, incidences
of colon cancer decreased.“It’s a very controversial field,” says Kendal
Hirschi, a professor of pediatrics and human genetics at theChildren’s Nutrition Research
Center at the Baylor College of
Medicine in Houston. He’s also an author on one of the research papers
about this topic.Hirschi says that though it’s generally understood that the
healthiest diet is plant-based, there are a lot of converging opinions about
the best bets for optimal nutrition.
“We’re playing with this idea that the microRNAs in the plant
foods can be these regulators, something that is a bioactive compound that
affects our bodies," he says.But Ken Witwer, an assistant professor of
molecular and comparative pathology at John Hopkins University School of
Medicine, says we shouldn’t get too excited just yet. “So far we don’t have any
data on genetically modified plants,” he says. Instead, the mice in the
experiment had the microRNA injected directly into their stomachs via a feeding
tube.
The same results would be difficult to achieve with dietary
intake alone, he says. But finding a plant-based solution is an important
step in the process, Hirschi explains: "There’s something about
the delivery of the nutrients that’s better when we eat stuff out of the plant
matrix.”These “transgenic plants” won’t be ready for at least a couple of
years, the scientists estimate. And though GMO foods are controversial, they
say this research is likely to transcend the politics. As Hirschi points
out, “Who’s going to argue about making a plant to help a patient who has
cancer?”
http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-05-19/forget-chemotherapy-try-some-genetically-modified-lettuce-fight-your-colon-cancer
ShopRite?
Shop Rice!
 ARLINGTON, VA -- This month, USA
Rice is working with registered dietitians to promote U.S.-grown rice through
theLive Right program at
ShopRite, a chain of more than
250 grocery stores in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York,
and Pennsylvania. Shoppers will be educated on the health, environmental, and culinary
benefits of U.S.-grown rice through the Wellness e-Newsletter and in-store
activities.Distributed to more than 110,000 customers, ShopRite's Wellness
e-Newsletter, A Serving of
Health, provides shoppers with healthy recipes, as well as resources and
tips for healthy living. This month, there is an entire section called "Make Over Your Meals with
U.S.-Grown Rice, " encouraging consumers to add U.S.-grown rice to their
shopping list. The newsletter features key messages about rice and USA Rice's
recipe for Teriyaki Salmon with Gingered Vegetable Brown Rice.
U.S.-grown rice will be featured in the Dietitian's Selection
Program from now through July, and in the Dietitian's Selection section of
the Wellness Circular Insert, that reaches 10 million shoppers each week.
U.S. rice will also be included on the Dietitian's Selection Shopping List
that customers can pick up at all ShopRite stores, and is called out on
shelves as a Dietitian's Selection. The retail dietitian team, active at 115
stores, uses this shopping list and incorporates these items into store
tours, community events, and one-on one-consultations. "Consumers
look to dietitians as a credible source on healthy living and eating,"
said Paul Galvani, USA Rice's retail subcommittee chairman. "So building
relationships with these dietitians and providing them with information they
can in turn share with patrons is integral to our goal of increasing
awareness of U.S. rice."
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One-on-One
with ITC Rice Industry Study
Rice's new best-seller
ARLINGTON,
VA -- Yesterday USA Rice hosted a briefing by members of the U.S. International
Trade Commission (ITC) research team that conducted the yearlong study on the
factors and policies affecting the global competitiveness of the U.S. rice
industry. The study, "Rice: Global Competitiveness of the U.S.
Industry," is known as a Section 332 investigation and examined the rice
industry in the U.S. and in major producing and exporting countries, such as
China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Uruguay, and Brazil.The study looked at the
impact on the U.S. rice industry of exports from competitor countries to the
U.S. and traditional U.S. markets like Mexico, Haiti, and West Africa and found
that although the U.S. rice is high quality and enjoys favorable tariff
treatment from markets such as Mexico and Central America, competition is on
the rise.
"We used this is an opportunity for our Washington staff to
get deeper into the specifics of the study," said USA Rice President &
CEO Betsy Ward. "We're grateful the ITC experts were willing to provide
their insight and interpretations, share anecdotes, and answer many questions
from our staff."
Contact: Deborah Willenborg (703) 236-1444
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CCC
Announces Prevailing World Market Prices
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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). Rough rice prices decreased $0.21 per cwt for both
long grain and medium/short grain.
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 May 27, 2015. |
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CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
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Rice Is Sticky Issue for Japan in Trans-Pacific Trade Talks
Washington wants greater access to Japanese markets; Tokyo says no
By MITSURU OBE And YUKA HAYASHI
Updated May 19, 2015 3:33 p.m. ET
TOKYO—The cover photo on Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe’s Facebook page shows him bowing deeply to an elderly woman
in rubber boots, standing next to a freshly planted rice paddy.The photo
symbolizes the hefty influence rice farmers wield over Japane
Log In website to see more detail...
http://www.wsj.com/articles/rice-is-sticky-issue-for-japan-in-trans-pacific-trade-talks-1432025782?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+May+20%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
Fake rice made with plastic reportedly spreading across Asia
Plastic rice sold on the Chinese
market has reportedly found its way into various Asian countries, including
India, Indonesia and Vietnam.The fake rice is made by mixing potatoes, sweet
potatoes and synthetic resin, according to the International Business Times. It's long been circulating on the market in Taiyuan, Shaanxi
and appears identical to natural rice.Health experts have warned that consuming
the fake grains could seriously damage the digestive system.Authorities have
attempted to quell consumers' fears as the internet has been abuzz with news of
the fake rice landing on the shores of various Asian regions.
"As part of AVA’s routine
surveillance, imported rice is regularly inspected and sampled to ensure
compliance with our food safety standards and requirements," a spokesman
from the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) told The Straits Times after rumors surfaced that the fake rice had entered
Singapore."We have not received any feedback on fake rice."The
Malaysian Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry likewise denied
receiving any reports about the resin-laced grains, but said if it were to have
gotten into Malaysia, it would most likely be sold at small shops rather than
large supermarkets.So how can you avoid consuming plastic-tainted rice?
According to Oryza.com, the fake rice grains remain hard after being boiled,
and the soup made by it forms a very unappetizing
plastic sheath 'that burns like plastic' when
heated up. Euuhhh.
Contact the author of
this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with
further questions, comments or tips.
http://shanghaiist.com/2015/05/20/fake-rice-made-with-plastic-spreading-across-asia.php?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+May+20%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
Yingluck Shinawatra Pleads Not
Guilty to Negligence Over Thai Rice Subsidy
Former Thai
Premier Speaks Before Trial
Former Prime Minister Yingluck
Shinawatra of Thailand spoke on Tuesday outside the courthouse in Bangkok
before the start of her trial on charges of criminal negligence.
By
Reuters on Publish DateMay 19, 2015. Photo by Chaiwat Subprasom/Reuters.
HONG KONG — Former Prime MinisterYingluck Shinawatra of Thailand pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges of criminal negligence
over a plan to prop up rice prices, which her political opponents called a
corrupt bid to buy support from the country’s farmers.“I am confident in my
innocence,” she told reporters before the hearing.The Thai Supreme Court approved
bail for Ms. Yingluck, who faces up to 10 years in prison. The trial is
expected to take up to a year, during which she is barred from leaving the
country.Ms. Yingluck was removed from office in a coup one year ago and retroactively impeached in
January by the military junta that replaced her. The impeachment means
she is barred from politics for five years.
She and her allies, including her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, have won every
election since 2001, but they have faced fierce opposition from the political
elites in Bangkok. Mr. Thaksin now lives abroad to avoid imprisonment in
Thailand on corruption charges.The rice subsidies, a key policy of Ms.
Yingluck’s during her three years in office, involved spending billions to buy
the crop at high premiums over market rates. The effort angered the opposition,
which called it a waste of public funds, and fueled street protests against
her.She has called the program an important effort to support the country’s
poor.Also on Tuesday, the military government said it would hold a referendum
on a new constitution it is drafting. The government said the referendum would
be held no later than next January. If it passes, officials said, the election
the junta has promised would be delayed until August or September 2016.Poypiti
Amatatham contributed reporting from Bangkok.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/20/world/asia/yingluck-shinawatra-pleads-not-guilty-to-negligence-over-thailand-rice-subsidy.html?_r=1&utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+May+20%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
Meet the
Farmer Who's Helping Chipotle Go Organic
By Ken Roseboro
McKaskle Family Farm supplies organic rice
to more than a dozen Chipotle restaurants in Missouri, Tennessee, and Arkansas.
(Photo: Organic & Non-GMO Report)
Chipotle Mexican Grill made news recently
when the “fast casual” restaurant chain announced that it was serving only
foods made with non-GMO ingredients.A farmer in Missouri is helping Chipotle
take its “food with integrity” commitment one step further—to organic. Steve
McKaskle, owner of McKaskle Family Farm,
the only organic rice farm in Missouri, supplies a growing number of Chipotle
restaurants in his region with organic long grain white and brown rice.
After the Tornado
Based in Braggadocio in Missouri’s southernmost Bootheel region, the seven-generation McKaskle Family Farm offers an excellent example of how a bad event can bring a blessing in disguise. In the early 2000s Steve and his wife Kaye grew organic cotton, which they supplied to companies like Patagonia, Ecosport, and Nike. But in 2006 an F4 tornado destroyed the McKaskles’ farm headquarters, tractors, barns, grain bins, cotton harvesters, and cotton gin. “We lost our entire farming operation and three-fourths of our home,” Steve McKaskle says. “We barely survived.”But like the proverbial phoenix rising from the ashes, the McKaskles rebuilt their farm. Without the cotton harvesters and gin, they switched to growing organic rice and found greater success. Today, their farm is thriving more than ever, as they supply organic rice to Chipotle restaurants in Missouri, Tennessee, and Arkansas.“We’re rebounders,” McKaskle says.Along with rice, McKaskle Family Farm grows organic popcorn, soybeans, winter wheat, and oats on about 2000 acres.They also package and sell their own Braggadocio brand organic rice and popcorn to Whole Foods store, Hy-Vee supermarkets, and natural food stores in Missouri and surrounding states.
Mill Expands Capacity
To better serve Chipotle’s needs, McKaskle Family Farm recently expanded with a new rice processing facility that was partially funded by state income tax credits from the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Construction of the mill was completed in November 2014.
To better serve Chipotle’s needs, McKaskle Family Farm recently expanded with a new rice processing facility that was partially funded by state income tax credits from the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Construction of the mill was completed in November 2014.
https://www.yahoo.com/food/missouri-farmer-helps-chipotle-go-beyond-non-gmo-118967993571.html?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+May+20%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
APEDA
India News
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Satake to
exhibit at FOOMA Japan 2015
5/19/2015 - by World Grain Staff
TOKYO, JAPAN — Satake will exhibit
at FOOMA Japan 2015 June 9-12 at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center,
Tokyo, Japan.
See detail on website…
http://www.world-grain.com/articles/news_home/Supplier_Update/2015/05/Satake_to_exhibit_at_FOOMA_Jap.aspx?ID=%7B1E8034AC-7B58-4F79-ACA2-A462AE45DEA3%7D
Download/View On-Line the above News
in pdf format,just click the following link
