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Unable to compete, rice exporters demand
incentives
Published:
June 30, 2015
25%
is the increase in rice production in Pakistan in the past 15 years STOCK IMAGE
ISLAMABAD: Say competitors are providing hidden
concessions to their industries
Rice growers and exporters have voiced concern over their future after
losing some major markets to Asian competitors and failure to meet export
targets over the last five years.They have
sought assistance and facilitation from the government like the way their
rivals in Thailand, India and Vietnam are receiving.According to the Rice
Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), the country has not been able to
achieve higher export targets and the highest shipments recorded so far were in
2009-10 when exports were valued at $2.2 billion. Since then, the exports have
remained more or less stagnant.
The growers and exporters are apprehensible
of the challenges ahead and have invited attention of the authorities.Prices of
basmati rice were Rs4,400 per 40 kg in 2013-14, which came down to Rs3,400 and
then to Rs2,600.The prices fell after India flooded the international market
with its basmati rice. India had also captured the rice market of Iran but for
the last two years, Tehran has slapped a ban on shipments from India.
For Pakistan, China has been the main market
of Irri-6 rice as 362,000 tons were exported in 2011-12, 589,000 tons in
2012-13 and 353,000 tons in 2013-14. However, this year, exports to China stand
below 200,000 tons, which is very low compared to the last three to four years.
With the situation persisting for the past two years, paddy and rice prices
have recorded an unprecedented decline of more than 40%, causing huge losses to
the industry.The exporters believe that governments in Thailand, Vietnam and
India are providing hidden incentives to the rice industries and fear they will
offer more concession and facilitation. These incentives will put Pakistan’s
industry at a disadvantage and throw it out of the international market,
leading to piling up of surplus stock in the country.
REAP President Malik Jahangir, in a
statement, called on the government to provide relief and bail out the rice
industry. He stressed that the government must process all applications of rice
exporters pending with the State Bank and provide loans in the next three months.He
said commercial banks should be asked to provide relief in margin calls as
prices had dropped about 50% in Punjab for some varieties of rice, especially
old basmati.The industry also asked the government to provide rice farmers with
seeds, pesticides, electricity, water, dryers and other equipment free of
charge in order to bring down the cost of production and enable exporters to
compete in international markets.
Outlining the key reasons that hurt rice
exports from Pakistan, the industry pointed to the global surplus of grains,
particularly rice, with major producers – Thailand, India and Vietnam – holding
huge stocks from the last three years. This has pushed their governments to
offer hidden export subsidies to sell the surplus commodity.In the last 15
years, the global rice trade has grown almost three-fold from 12 million tons
to 33 million tons per annum. The major producers are not only doling out huge
cash subsidies to the farmers, but are also assisting in research on seed
varieties.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 30th,
2015
http://tribune.com.pk/story/912002/unable-to-compete-rice-exporters-demand-incentives/
Pakistan can export 50,000 tons of rice to the
Philippines
Published: June 30, 2015
6.5m tons is Pakistan’s annual
rice production, out of which 4.5 million tons are exported. PHOTO: APP
KARACHI: Pakistan
has secured a quota of 50,000 tons of rice imports in the Philippines for the
year 2015, according to the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP).
A
high-profile trade delegation visited the Philippines earlier in April 2015 and
met its government departments with the support of the ambassador of
Pakistan.The National Food Authority (NFA) – Philippines’ authorised state body
– has invited the private sector to participate in the import of an aggregate
volume of 805,200 tons of rice under the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) for this
year.
The Country
Specific Quota (CSQ) is broken down as follows: Thailand and Vietnam got the
largest share of 293,100 tons each. China got 50,000 tons, India 50,000 tons,
Pakistan 50,000 tons, Australia 15,000 tons and El Salvador 4,000 tons.
The total
import volume comprises 755,200 tons of country-specific quota (CSQ) and 50,000
tons of omnibus origin volume.All rice imported under the 2015 MAV rice
importation programme will be levied with a tariff of 35% to be paid in advance
to the Land Bank of the Philippines, with the Bureau of Customs making the
final assessment and valuation.The importers are allowed to import well-milled
rice with quality not lower than 25% broken or other special rice varieties.The
NFA will accept applications under the 2015 MAV, 15 days from publication of
the notice.
The
interested parties should submit documents to the Grains Marketing Operations
Department at the NFA central office and pay a non-refundable processing fee of
50,000 Pesos. The corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorship, farmers’
cooperatives and joint ventures can apply under the programme. The importers
should be able to deliver the imported rice on or before November 30,
2015.Pakistan, one of the top five rice exporters, has a 15% share in the
international market but it is struggling in even sustaining its $2 billion
rice exports. Its annual rice production is close to 6.5 million tons out of
which approximately 4.5 million tons is exported – equivalent to 70% of total
domestic production.
Published in The Express
Tribune, June 30th, 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/911951/pakistan-can-export-50000-tons-of-rice-to-the-philippines/
Philippines to import rice from Pakistan
The total import volume comprises
755,200 tonnes of country-specific quota (CSQ) and 50,000 tonnes of omnibus
origin volume. — Reuters/fileKARACHI: The Philippines has offered to import
50,000 tonnes of rice from Pakistan to help it meet its goal of importing an
aggregate volume of 805,200 tonnes of rice under its minimum access volume
(MAV) for this year.The total import volume comprises 755,200 tonnes of country-specific
quota (CSQ) and 50,000 tonnes of omnibus origin volume.The CSQ is broken down
as the following: China 50,000 tonnes, India 50,000 tonnes, Pakistan 50,000
tonnes, Australia 15,000 tonnes, El Salvador 4,000 tonnes, Thailand 293,100
tonnes and Vietnam 293,100 tonnes.All rice imported under the 2015 MAV rice
import programme shall be levied with a tariff of 35 per cent to be paid in
advance to the Land Bank of Philippines and only well-milled rice with quality
of at least 25pc “brokens” or other such special rice varieties will be
imported.
Published in Dawn, June 30th,
2015
DAP URGED TO IMPLEMENT QRC FINAL CLOSURE AS DECIDED
The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises ( UNISAME )
has invited the attention of the ministry of commerce ( MINCOM ) to the
difficulties being faced by the SME rice exporters due to the lingering in the
implementation of already decided closure of the Quality Review Committee ( QRC
) and urged the federal commerce minister engineer Khurram Dastagir to direct
the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to disband the futile
committee and to close it immediately as every single day matters for closure
of this troublesome body.President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said it was finally
decided by the MINCOM to close the QRC as it was unanimously agreed that QRC
has become futile and the committee as pointed out by all stakeholders is not
serving any purpose.
The buyers prefer to import rice in their own or
selected brands of blended rice.In fact it is an impediment as the majority of
rice being exported is non basmati. The QRC was entrusted to protect the
basmati label and make sure the basmati rice exported was not mixed with
contrast varieties. The global demand is for 1121 which is non basmati rice and
386 rice which is also not basmati rice.Many buyers demand blended rice of
different varieties with basmati rice as basmati rice has aroma and when mixed
with 1121 and 386 makes it aromatic.It is pertinent to note that 1121 is the
most expensive rice. It is in great demand all over the gulf and middle east
countries but is not classified as basmati rice.
The demand for
basmati rice is very little as compared to 1121 and 386.QRC is not required any
more and its presence as an inspection cell is more an hurdle than a monitor
because it is issuing certificates for non basmati rice as basmati rice under
pressure to keep business going. The big rice exporters are obliged but the
SMES are facing difficulties.Besides the concept of inspection is for third
party inspection and always the prerogative of the buyer.In the last several
meetings it was decided to disband the QRC within a couple of days and then the
government had indicated its closure by 30th June 2015 positively
which is also the end of the fiscal year. 30th June 2015 is the last day of the
fiscal year and for accounting purposes it would be ideal to close it today and
not re-open the ledgers on 1st July 2015. One fails to understand the
reason for the delay and the lack of will and bad influence of the lobby which
is manipulating to avoid accountability of QRC funds spent extravagantly and
purchase of properties in the name of the association managing the QRC for more
than a decade.
Unfortunately no intimation has been received till
close of business today and a meeting has been summoned on 6th July
2015 to work out the final modalities and examination of the audit
report.The requirements of returning the properties purchased by the Rice
Exporters Association of Pakistan ( REAP ) to the government is perhaps
bothering REAP and it is presumed that they are influencing its delay.It was
also suggested to use the premises for the Pakistan Rice Board (PRB) which
would be another mistake as the PRB would be another white elephant.
Commerce Ministry to hold meet over low domestic rice
price
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION June 29, 2015 1:00 am
THE Commerce Ministry will this week call for a meeting with rice
exporters, millers, and traders to try and solve the problem of the rice price
falling domestically despite the higher export price for rice and stronger
demand globally due to drought including in Thailand.Commerce Minister General
Chatchai Sarikulya said the domestic rice price should increase soon because of
the widespread drought."The price of rice domestically |should reflect the
export price, with |the price of white rice increasing |gradually from higher
demand amid drought in many countries, mainly in Thailand, China, and Vietnam,"
said Chatchai.He said that the ministry would ask traders to buy rice from
farmers at a fair price and one that reflects market demand. Chatchai added
that with lower rice supplies in the world market, Beijing has urged Thailand
to accelerate the supply of rice to China under a government-to-government
agreement.
"Thailand should be able to export 10 million tonnes of rice
this year as more orders will come from drought-hit nations," he said.The
Thai Rice Exporters Association reported that Thailand shipped 3.77 million
tonnes of rice in the first five months of the year, down 1.4 per cent on the
same period last year, while the value dropped 2.7 per cent year-on-year to
Bt61.36 billion.However, shipments in May were up by 7.3 per cent in volume to
945,597 tonnes, while the value rose 2.3 per cent to Bt14.11 billion.As of June
24, the export price for 5 per cent white rice was US$380 (Bt1,284) a tonne, up
from $373 a tonne the previous week.Last week, the price of 5 per cent white
Vietnamese rice was $355, and Indian rice was $370 a tonne.
Ironies in rice
self-sufficiency
By: Cielito F. Habito
@inquirerdotnet
Philippine Daily Inquirer
02:30 AM June 30th, 2015
MORE THAN once, and on different occasions, I’ve heard farmers
in Mindanao voice wonder at how too many farmers in Luzon persist in growing
rice, even as that crop has failed to lift them out of poverty. In the same
breath, they’d cite how they’ve made a good living growing higher-value crops
such as rubber, cacao, bananas and oil palm. Rubber farmers, for one, liken
their trees to banks’ automatic teller machines that yield money on a regular
basis, for minimal “deposits” of fertilizer and basic plant care.
Those Mindanao observers were probably not alluding to more
productive rice farmers who can produce 70 to 100 sacks (3-4 tons) of palay per
hectare, well above our national average yield of 35 sacks (1.5 tons) per
hectare over the last 20 years. We have many of these, and they need little
government help. But there are also numerous marginal rice farmers tilling less
productive lands, much of these unirrigated, unmechanized and underfertilized
owing to lack of access to credit for needed working capital to buy
productivity-improving inputs. It’s these rice farmers who might do well to
consider planting something more remunerative than rice, especially if the
lands they are tilling are less suited to rice anyway.
But government, and seemingly Philippine society as a whole,
want them to keep on planting rice, in the name of achieving the dream of full
rice self-sufficiency—never mind that they are likely to remain in poverty if
they do.Some stark ironies come with our seeming obsession with full rice
self-sufficiency. Countless papers written over the years by respected scholars
(notably agricultural economists Cristina David, Ramon Clarete, Arsenio Balisacan,
Rolando Dy and Roehlano Briones, among others) have observed how rice has
traditionally received the lion’s share (up to 70 percent) of our farm budget,
at the expense of many other important commodities. And yet rice contributes
less than a fifth of the country’s total agricultural value added, and rice
farmers are not even the poorest in the Philippine rural sector. It’s the
coconut farmers and artisanal fishers who are.
Ironically, we have not gotten any nearer the self-sufficiency
goal, and have in fact become the world’s largest rice importer. Analyses by
the same authors point to another irony: The rice farmers in greater need
hardly benefit from the huge sumsallocated yearly by government for increased
rice production. Evidence indicates that the primary beneficiaries of
government budgetary allocations for rice have been the better-off, more
productive farmers, not the worst-off among them.Similarly ironic is the fact
that Malaysia, a country now far ahead of us in economic growth and development,
has long had the deliberate and more sensible government policy of not
targeting 100-percent rice self-sufficiency.
And yet Malaysia trades rice actively in both directions,
profiting from significant exports of premium-quality rice even as it imports
substantial amounts to fill the domestic demand-supply gap. Since the 1980s, it
had targeted to produce only 65-85 percent of its rice requirements. The
Malaysians had long recognized that relative to the Greater Mekong Subregion
(GMS) countries of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Burma (Myanmar), they
are naturally disadvantaged in the production of rice, along with neighbors
Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. Our countries lack the vast river
deltas highly favorable to rice production with which the GMS is richly
endowed. Malaysian policymakers understood that the resources needed to fill
the domestic rice gap could be put to much better use, such as supporting
lucrative farm export crops like oil palm and rubber.
These crops have earned them ample foreign exchange, enabling
them to import rice when they need it, even from as far as Latin America (as I
learned from a Malaysian former classmate in graduate school, who had been
responsible for sourcing his country’s rice imports).The most unfortunate irony
of all is that under current circumstances, the more we pursue 100-percent rice
self-sufficiency, the more we make most Filipinos food-insecure. Food security
and food self-sufficiency are two different things. Food security denotes
reliable access to adequate, affordable, safe and nutritious food.
Our self-sufficiency policy has had the perhaps unwitting effect
of making rice much more expensive to Filipino consumers than it needs to be,
with the Filipino poor suffering the most.It’s the basic economic law of
diminishing returns at work: Once beyond the level of maximum productivity that
natural endowments will support, the cost of producing more and more of the
product rises, often steeply. Unlike the GMS countries, our point of natural
maximum productivity appears to be well below our level of sufficiency. For us,
full self-sufficiency can only come at the inevitable cost of much higher rice
prices or huge taxpayer subsidies, posing an undue penalty to all Filipinos,
especially the poor. Indeed, when poverty incidence rose in 2014, it was not
because incomes fell (they had actually risen).
The National Economic and Development Authority clarified that
the culprit was the inordinate rise in the price of rice, the single largest
item in the family budgets of poor Filipino households.The sooner we help
marginal (hence high-cost) rice farmers shift to more lucrative crops and focus
our rice production on those farms most productively endowed for it, the sooner
we can lower our overall rice production costs and prices—and ironically, the
more food-secure Filipinos, especially the poor, will become.
E-mail: cielito.habito@gmail.com
http://opinion.inquirer.net/86268/ironies-in-rice-self-sufficiency
Punjab, Har farmers asked not to sow basmati 1509 till
July 15
Punjab and Haryana governments have advised paddy farmers not to
undertake sowing of a high- yielding variety 'PUSA Basmati 1509' before July 15
after exporters complained of high incidence of breakage in basmati rice due to
early plantation. An awareness campaign has been launched in both Punjab and
Haryana -- the two major producing states of basmati rice. Under this campaign,
farmers have been asked to "shun" the practice of sowing 1509 variety
before July 15. "We are asking farmers under the campaign to transplant
Basmati 1509 variety after July 15 otherwise there will be high incidence of
broken content and moisture content in the crop will be higher," Haryana
Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture), Dhanpat Singh said here today.
If the crop is planted pre-maturely, then there will be high
breakage while milling and will have no acceptability in export market,
according to basmati rice exporters. "What farmers do is they plant this
crop before July and as a result of which the grain remained immature and weak.
When we mill or process it, the grain breaks up," Punjab Rice Millers and
Exporters Association, Director, Ashok Sethi said. Sethi claimed that a large
number of rice exporters faced heavy losses last season when they were unable
to market basmati 1509 variety rice in export market because of high incidence
of breakage. "We want that crop should be sown after July 15, which should
be ready by October," he said.
The association had even raised this matter with Punjab government
following which Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal directed Punjab Agricultural
University, Agriculture department to launch an awareness campaign across the
state in this regard. Developed by Indian Agricultural Research Institute
(IARI), PUSA Basmati 1509 variety has seen its acceptability among growers both
in Punjab and Haryana in a big way because of its high yield and short
duration. Its yield is about 25 quintals per acre, higher than the other
variety of 1121 whose yield is 20 quintals per acre. "We have always been
saying that transplantation of 1509 variety should start from July 20 onwards
and it can be transplanted till August 10.
Then it will have good aroma
and will have no broken rice issue," IARI, Principal Scientist, A K Singh
said. Singh asked exporters not to buy early sown basmati crop from farmers
which can help in solving this problem. Almost 3 lakh hectares in Punjab and
2.50 lakh hectares in Haryana was brought under basmati 1509 variety last year.
Total basmati area in Punjab is about 8 lakh hectares and 6 lakh hectares in
Punjab and Haryana respectively. Punjab and Haryana have targeted 26.50 lakh
hectares and 12 lakh hectares under paddy for current Kharif season
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/punjab-har-farmers-asked-not-to-sow-basmati-1509-till-july-15-115062900839_1.html
Improving
rice flour to aid food poverty
A comparison of bread made with natural and modified rice flour.
Credit: Yayoi Onda (Yamagata University, Japan)
A new, high-quality rice flour could help towards aiding global
food poverty. "This rice flour serves not only as an alternative to wheat
flour for those with wheat intolerance, but could also help to overcome the
global food problem in the future", says Dr Yayoi Onda at Yamagata
University, Japan, one of the researchers behind this work.
By studying and modifying proteins in the rice flour family, the
researchers were able to produce dough and bread of superior quality than that
obtained from 'normal' rice flour.Rice flour does not typically work as efficiently
in bread making as wheat flour. In order to overcome this problem, the
researchers changed the amount, structures and properties of seed storage
proteins. They found that rice flour deficient in a particular protein active
during seed development (called PDIL1;1) produced dough with a network-like
structure through the formation of disulphide bonds, which are strong bridges
between proteins.
"This improved the quality and efficiency of the dough and the
bread", says Onda.The new rice flour overcomes many of the issues
associated with previous rice flour. For instance, the dough is more easily
stretched and less sticky, it holds bubbles inside during fermentation and
baking, it keeps its shape and structure as it inflates, and the bread has a
more elastic texture after baking.The researchers have already started breeding
experiments so that PDIL1;1-deficient rice plants can be grown widely under
different climatic conditions. Explore further: Sensory properties, another
criteria for wheat breeding 
More information: This work will be presented by Dr Yayoi Onda
(Yamagata University, Japan) at the annual meeting of the Society for
Experimental Biology (SEB) at 11.55am on Tuesday 30th June.
Provided by Society for Experimental Biology
Vietnam export 2.1m tons of
rice end of May earning $870m, VFA
HANOI: According to the Vietnam
Food Association (VFA), Vietnam had exported 2.1 million tons of rice by the
end of May, earning $870 million, a decrease of 10 percent in export volume and
13 percent price decrease in comparison with the same period in 2014.To date,
Vietnam has signed contracts on exporting 3.5 million tons of rice, or 8
percent lower than the same period of last year.Rice exporters complained that
rice exports this year have been unsatisfactory. Thailand and India, the
Vietnam’s biggest rivals, all have big inventories. Thailand is reported to
have 15-16 million tons in stock, while India has 23 million tons.
VFA noted that Thailand tends to lower the selling price in an
effort to clear the stocks. Meanwhile, India and Pakistan are competing
fiercely in Africa and the Middle East.As exports have been in a deadlock, the
domestic price has been decreasing.According to Vo Thanh Do, a senior official
of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the Mekong River
Delta, fresh IR 50404 rice is traded at VND4,150-4,250 per kilo.“Though Vietnam
has won the bid to provide 150,000 tons of rice to the Philippines, the
domestic price is still on the decrease,” Do said.
VFA has proposed to collect summer-spring rice for stockpile to
help stabilize the domestic price and ensure reasonable profit for farmers.“We
will be keeping a close watch over the summer-spring rice harvesting,
especially in July and August, the peak harvest season, and make a proposal
about how much to collect,” Do said.Vietnam urged to stop following ‘high
yield, low price’ strategyChina remains Vietnam’s largest rice consumer, which
bought 35 percent of the 2.1 million tons of rice Vietnam exported in the first
five months of the year.However, experts have warned against the heavy reliance
on the Chinese market. China, despite high demand, has been tightening imports
across the border gate since mid-2014, which has made it risky for Vietnamese
enterprises to export rice to the market.
A source said that even contracts on exporting rice through
official channels were also canceled, stressing that it was very risky to do
business with China.Nguyen Thi Bich Vuong, director of Hung Thinh Trade and
Import/Export Company in Lao Cai province, specializing in exporting rice
across the border gates to China, said only several consignments of goods were
exported in the first three months of the year.Meanwhile, no consignment has
been exported since April when China began tightening control over imports
http://www.customstoday.com.pk/vietnam-export-2-1m-tons-of-rice-end-of-may-earning-870m-vfa-2/
PHL registers highest increase in palay
production
June 30, 2015 Lorenzo O. Lambatin Jr.
BACOLOD CITY,
June 30 (PIA6)--With a national rice sufficiency level of 96 to 97 percent, the
country will still continue to import rice to fill-in the gap.In a recent press
conference here, DA Sec. Proceso Alcala said although the target of achieving 100 percent sufficiency level in
2013 was not reached, yet the United States Department of Agriculture
recognized the Philippines for registering the greatest increase in palay in
the whole world for the last five years.
This proves the
government is doing something right regarding palay production, he told the
local media.Alcala noted that in 2010, the country’s sufficiency level was only
82 percent, steadily rising to its present level.
One of the
factors he mentioned for failing to reach the sufficiency target were the
disaster the country suffered; although he clarified it is not the only
reason.A big factor was in the failure to have additional irrigated areas for
planting palay.Because of this, he said, there is a need to import rice citing
as example the harvest right after the dry season reaching to a maximum harvest
of only 42 percent.Although, the Aquino administration is still importing rice,
he pointed out the combined figure of rice importation of the present
government from 2011 through 2014 is only equivalent to one year importation of
the previous administration. (JCM/Lljr-PIA6)
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1011435623522/phl-registers-highest-increase-in-palay-production#sthash.HovG97g6.dpuf
Rice basmati rises on stockists buying, low supply
Press Trust of India | New Delhi
June 20, 2015 Last
Updated at 15:02 IST
Rice basmati prices firmed up at
the wholesale grains market today on the back of buying by stockists against
restricted supplies from producing belts. However, other grains including wheat, after moving in a tight
range on little doing, settled flat. Traders said increased buying by
stockists amid limited arrivals from producing belts, mainly led to the surge
in rice basmati prices. In the national capital, rice
basmati common and Pusa-1121 variety went up to Rs 5,000-5,200 and Rs
3,900-5,100 from previous levels of Rs 4,900-5,100 and Rs 3,800-4,900 per
quintal, respectively.
Following are today's quotations
(in Rs per quintal):
Wheat MP (desi) 2,350-2,700, Wheat
dara (for mills) 1,545-1,550, Chakki atta (delivery) 1,565-1,570, Atta Rajdhani
10 kg) 220, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) 220, Roller flour mill 850-860 (50 kg), Maida
905-925 (50 kg) and Sooji 1,020-1,040 (50 kg).
Basmati rice (Lal Quila) 10,400,
Shri Lal Mahal 10,000, Super Basmati Rice 9,500, Basmati common new
5,000-5,200, Rice Pusa (1121) 3,900-5,100, Permal raw 1,700-1,750, Permal wand
1,900-1,925, Sela 2,300-2,400 and Rice IR-8 1,600-1,625, Bajra 1,200-1,205, Jowar
yellow 1,490-1,500, white 2,550-2,650, Maize 1,225-1,230, Barley 1,280-1,290.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/rice-basmati-rises-on-stockists-buying-low-supply-115062000347_1.html
Monsoon
delivers a 16% surplus in June
Boosts kharif plantings, reservoir levels; IMD sees
8% deficit rainfall for July
BENGALURU, JUNE 30:
The South-West monsoon, despite a delayed onset of
four days, has delivered a surplus rainfall of 16 per cent for June this year.
The country as a whole received 189.5 mm of rainfall during June, about 16 per
cent higher than the normal of 163.6 mm for the period, according
to the Indian Metrological Department (IMD).Thirty three of the 36 metrological
subdivisions, accounting for 95 per cent of the area of the country have
received excess or normal rainfall during June. Thirteen subdivisions
accounting for 52 per cent of the area have received excess rainfall over the
50 year long period average, while 20 subdivisions have received normal
rainfall. SW monsoon, the lifeline of country’s agriculture, covered the entire
country on June 26, close to three weeks ahead of the normal date of July 15. Among
those that have deficient rainfall include Bihar a decline of 28 per cent over
normal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a deficit of 21 per cent. The subdivision
of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura has also received a deficit rainfall
of 31 per cent.The IMD has forecast that July rainfall will be eight per cent
below normal, while precipitation in August would be 10 per cent deficit. IMD
has also predicted a ‘deficient’ rainfall this year and sources said that the
Met was sticking to its forecast.
The better-than-expected monsoon has given a fillip
to the planting of key kharif crops such as paddy, oilseeds and pulses, while
arresting the uptrend in prices mainly that of pulses, witnessed during
April-May. In fact, prices of many agri-commodities including pulses have
softened a bit on rise in acreages. Also the Government’s move to import pulses
to meet the shortfall has aided the softening trend in prices. The surplus June
rains has also resulted in improving water levels in key reservoirs across the
country, which should augur well for the kharif crops. Rainfall during July and
August is crucial for kharif crops. “The spatial distribution of rainfall is
important for kharif crops during July as they will be vegetative stage,” said
JS Sandhu, Agriculture Commissioner. The rain deficit of eight per cent
predicted by IMD for July would not have a major impact if the rainfall is well
spread and well distributed.As on June 26, the kharif planting was complete in
165.61 lakh ha, up 23 per cent over previous year, according to Agriculture
Ministry data. The increase has been largely driven by higher plantings of
pulses, coarse cereals, oilseeds and cotton.
(This article was published on June 30, 2015)
Indian origin offered lowest in Iraq's 30,000 T rice tender- trade
- The Economic Times
El Niño: 140,000 ha of rice farms in CL
to get less water
IN THIS photo taken in March, a farmer in the Science City of Muñoz
in Nueva Ecija province takes advantage of good weather to dry his palay
harvest. The Department of Agriculture has warned farmers of a low water supply
for the dry cropping season this year due to the prolonged drought brought
about by the El Niño weather phenomenon. WILLIE LOMIBAO/Inquirer Northern Luzon
CITY OF SAN
FERNANDO—Almost 140,000 hectares of rice lands in three Central Luzon provinces
may suffer low water supply in this year’s dry season cropping in October due to
prolonged drought brought about by the El Niño weather phenomenon, an
agriculture official said. Andrew
Villacorta, Central Luzon regional director of the Department of Agriculture
(DA), gave this outlook based on the forecast of the Philippine Atmospheric,
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) that rainfall
volume, starting October, would be reduced by 50 to 60 percent.
“The wet season
cropping is delayed by two to four weeks in Amris areas (Angat-Maasim River
Irrigation System, spanning 30,000 ha). [However], if Angat Dam can recover by
August and Upriis (Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System) is fed by
Pantabangan Dam, then the rice lands can survive,” Villacorta told the Inquirer
on Monday.
Ads by Rubicon Project
He said the
lack of water during the dry season cropping would make it difficult for rice
growers to store water for irrigation until March, he said, citing latest
information by the National Irrigation Administration for Amris and Upriis.The
so-called weak El Niño in 2014 lowered the water level in Pantabangan Dam to
204 meters above sea level (masl), which is 4 meters below its ideal level.In
Angat Dam, the water level was recorded at 170 masl as of 8 a.m. on Monday, 10
m below its critical level.This year’s El Niño is of the same scale as the 1997
and 1998 events when storms and floods were more severe, Pagasa said.Villacorta
said the lack of irrigation in the region may cut down the target output of 3.8
million metric tons (MT) of rice harvest by 75,000 MT.
Rice is grown
in 430,000 ha during the wet season and 330,000 ha during the dry season. At
least 20 percent of the national rice production comes from Central Luzon.In
March, 2.208 million MT of rice were harvested in 346,344 ha of rice lands in
Central Luzon. Local governments in the region reported that rice had been
planted in 28,687 ha of irrigated lands and 29,559 ha of rain-fed lands.To help
farmers cope with the drought, Villacorta said the DA had set aside P220
million for the purchase of pumps and the construction of diversion dams and
small water impounding systems.As rice growers brace for the rainy months,
however, the price of palay (unhusked rice) has gone down from P24 a kilogram
during the last season to P17 to P19 a kg this month, information gathered from
farmers in the region showed. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon
Indian
origin offered lowest in Iraq's 30,000 T rice tender- trade
By Reuters | 30 Jun, 2015, 04.31PM IST
The lowest offer in Iraq's last international tender to buy at
least 30,000 tonnes of rice was $431.50 a tonne c&f
free out for rice to be sourced from India, European traders said on
Tuesday.HAMBURG: The lowest offer in Iraq's last international tender to buy at
least 30,000 tonnes of rice
was $431.50 a tonne c&f free out for rice to be sourced from India, European traders said
on Tuesday. No purchase was believed to have been made in the tender which
closed on June 28 with offers having to remain valid until July 2, traders
said. The rice can be sourced optionally from the United States, India,
Uruguay, Argentina or
Brazil, traders said. The lowest offer for US rice was $589.50 a tonne c&f
free out, they said. Brazilian rice was offered lowest at $603 a tonne c&f
free out and Uruguayan rice was offered at $632 a tonne c&f free out, they
said. Lowest offer for Argentine rice was $620.50 a tonne free out. Volumes in
Iraq's tenders are nominal and it frequently buys more than it tenders for. In
its last reported rice tender on May 7, Iraq rejected all offers and made no purchase in a tender
buy at least 30,000 tonnes as prices were regarded as too high.
Rice Council protest against
dumping of Pakistan rice in local market
Published on Tuesday, 30 June 2015 01:33
Written by FINNIGAN WA SIMBEYE
RICE producers are calling on the government to help deal with
some unscrupulous traders who mix locally produced rice with cheap imported
product from Pakistan.Rice Council of Tanzania Executive Director, Winnie
Bashagi said an estimated 3,000 metric tons of Pakistan rice destined for DRC
has been damped in the local market by dishonest traders who are mixing it with
local rice pushing down prices and affecting exports to East African Community
member countries.“We are fighting against smuggled rice that is entering in
mainland Tanzania without passing through normal channel and thus avoiding
payment 75 percent common external tariff that was agreed by the EA member
states,” Ms Bashagi pointed out.
She said Pakistan rice has been regularly dumped in the local
market through smuggling and that the latest consignment entered the country
last February.Bashagi said since last April, RCT has been raising the issue of
smuggled rice into the domestic market and how it is affecting local rice
farmers.“We were informed by some traders that one trader paid CET of on a
small consignment then pretended that he was taking 3000 MT to Congo but damped
all of it at Kahama where he started distributing to Kahama, Mwanza, Shinyanga
up to Arusha and Moshi for mixing with local rice,” the RCT Executive Director
noted.In 2013, the government’s decision to allow importation of Pakistan rice
to offset alleged shortages caused uproar as prices for the commodity plummeted
by more than 40 percent while Rwanda and Uganda imposed hiked duty on local
exports because of the adulteration.
Former Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives Minister,
Engineer Christopher Chiza suspended the imports but theb damage caused is
still being felt by local rice farmers to date.“Uganda has removed the CET but
Rwanda is still there. Uganda was planning to institute it again because of
mixed rice being sold in the country and outside thus distorting the market of
our local produced rice,” Bashagi warned.The RCT sent a paper to President
Jakaya Kikwete last April with 11,000 petition signatures of smallholder rice
farmers and was copied to Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Agriculture Food
Security and Cooperatives, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry and Trade
and Ministry of East African Cooperation.
The RCT has also contacted Parliament in Dodoma seeking an
audience with lawmakers representing main rice producing areas.“Parliament
Clerk’s office contacted RCT and we sent them a copy of the letter to the
President, the position paper, two volumes of the petition signatures,” she
noted. The RCT is however disappointed that there has no official response from
contacted state organs so far.
http://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/biz/46617-rice-council-protest-against-dumping-of-pakistan-rice-in-local-market
International Benchmark Price
Price on: 29-06-2015
APEDA News (India)
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USA Rice Addresses Annual LAFBF
Meeting
USA Rice's Ben Mosely
NEW ORLEANS, LA -- The Rice Advisory Committee of the Louisiana
Farm Bureau Federation (LAFBF) held its annual meeting in conjunction with the
93rd annual LAFBF convention last Saturday.
USA Rice's Vice President of Government Affairs Ben Mosely updated attendees
on a range of public policy issues, most notably: implementation of the 2014 Farm Bill, trade,
and the ongoing efforts of the USA Rice/Ducks Unlimited Stewardship
Partnership. 
Mosely outlined
USA Rice's success in the last farm bill considering the relatively small
commodity size of rice. He also provided
updates on PLC/ARC enrollment, comments submitted for the actively engaged
provision, incentive-based conservation programs, and several other pertinent
programs and provisions.The presentation Saturday was just in time to announce
the passage of the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill by Congress which
Mosely said will clear the way for the real work to begin by USA Rice on the
Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). USA
Rice supported the passage of TPA and will be working closely with the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and the United States Trade Representative on the
role that rice may play in TPP negotiations throughout the rest of the summer.
Mosely wrapped up with an overview and update
on the Rice Stewardship Partnership where he described USA Rice's involvement
as "waist-deep in their first Regional Conservation Partnership Program
(RCPP) project where they'll be implementing rice-specific conservation
practices in all six rice-growing states."
The Partnership is looking at other outlets to both further the funding
and the mission of the organizations including a second joint RCPP proposal.
Getting policy
staff in the field is crucial to understanding the unique needs of farmers and
it's something Mosely truly enjoys.
His efforts were appreciated as Richard
Fontenot, a LAFBF vice president and chairman of the Rice Advisory Committee
said, "Our members were excited about the diverse but substantial subject
matter Ben presented, and we received a lot of complimentary remarks from
members of the Rice Advisory Committee following his presentation."Kyle
McCann, LAFBF associate commodities director, said, "Many of our members
are not typically engaged in national agricultural policy issues and they were
appreciative that Ben was able to provide such helpful insight and in a manner
that related to issues they experience on their own rice operations."
"Visiting firsthand with growers and discussing issues that
directly affect operations is so important for us and the work we do
representing the U.S. rice industry in Washington," Mosley said. "I want to thank LAFBF for inviting me
to take part in their annual meeting. We look forward to seeing everyone again
when we return to New Orleans December 9-11 for our own annual USA Rice Outlook
Conference."
Contact: Randy Jemison (337) 738-7009
University of Arkansas Ag Extension
Announces Two Upcoming Seminars
07.01.15 - Analysis of USDA's Acreage and Stocks Reports
07.22.15 - Updated U.S. Area Estimates and the 2015/16 U.S. and
Global Rice Market Outlook
07.01.15, 2:00 p.m. CST - Webinar - Analysis of USDA's Acreage and
Stocks Reports: NASS Acreage and Rice and Grains Stocks with Eugene Young
Regional Deputy Director, USDA-NASS, Delta Regional Office and Analysis of
Summer Grain Markets with Bryce Knorr, Senior Grain Market Analyst, Farm
Futures
Registration Link:
https://uaex.zoom.us/webinar/register/958656a600f248c37c24e00bf0acd2b8
07.22.15, 2:00 p.m. CST - Webinar on Rice Outlook: Updated U.S.
Area Estimates and the 2015/16 U.S. and Global Rice Market Outlook with Nathan
Childs, Agricultural Economist, USDA Economic Research Service
Registration Link:
https://uaex.zoom.us/webinar/register/193160330ca41c048c34be5db4a05ad8
Mark
Your Calendar for Rice Field Days in Your Area
|
July 9 -- 68th Annual Beaumont Rice Field Day
8:00 a.m. - Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center 1509 Aggie Drive, Beaumont, Texas 77713 Contact: Dr. Ted Wilson, lt-wilson@aesrg.tamu.edu
July 21 -- Northeast Louisiana Rice Field Day
9:00 a.m. - Research Plot Tours, Woodsland Plantation
282 Highway 15, Rayville, LA
71269
11:00 a.m. - Program, Rayville Community Center
817 Louisa St., Rayville, LA
71269
July 30 - MSU-DREC Rice Producer Field Day
3:30 p.m. - Caps Center, Stoneville, MS
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ME Group/Closing Rough Rice
Futures
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CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for June 30
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Big rice
production area experiencing extreme drought
The weather will be kind to some farmers and
nasty to others every year, and this year rice farmers around the U.S. are
experiencing extremes. Those in the Mid-South and Texas have had more than
enough rain while rice farmers in California are hurting because of
drought.California rice farmers aren’t alone because one of the world’s biggest
rice production areas of Thailand is experiencing an extreme drought, and the
government is enacting anti-drought measures in a hope that rain will show up
soon.Water for rice fields in the Chao Phraya River Basin of the central region
of Thailand is needed for the use by the population rather than growing rice.
Reuters reported that Thailand’s Agriculture
Minister has “requested” that farmers delay rice planting until August. Reports
are that 22 of the 76 provinces of the area are fighting drought conditions.It
isn’t a toothless request for delayed planting. The government’s Irrigation
Department is reducing water supply because of an exceptionally low water level
in the Chao Phraya reservoir. Reductions in water being pumped from the
reservoir are hopefully enough to keep water available to area residents until
Aug. 10, by when rains are expected to resume.
Reports indicate there is a fairly high water
table in the area; therefore, many new wells are being drilled.Two irrigation
water cuts have been put into effect with the expectation that rice planting on
320,000 hectares will be delayed. A government compensation package to the
farmers has been a big discussion, and there are mixed reports on just what farmers
might be receiving.A decline in rice production in Thailand is expected to have
an effect in general on world rice prices, which actually declined from the
first of the year to present.
http://www.agprofessional.com/news/big-rice-production-area-experiencing-extreme-drought?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+June+30%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
NFA intensifies efforts vs. alleged fake rice
By CNN Philippines Staff
Updated 18:37 PM PHT Tue, June 30, 2015
Metro
Manila (CNN Philippines) — The National Food Authority (NFA) said on Tuesday
(June 30) that it is still confirming reports of fake rice allegedly made of
potatoes, sweet potatoes, and plastic in the Philippine market.The samples
submitted to the agency are still undergoing laboratory testing.Samples of
alleged fake rice from Davao have been brought to the NFA Food Development
Center (NFA-FDC) in Taguig for testing.However, in order for the results to be
conclusive, at least one kilogram of uncooked rice must be subjected to
scientific testing."Scientists are having difficulty getting a conclusive
result because of the small quantity of cooked rice,” said Administrator Renan
Dalisay.
Dalisay
emphasized that the public's safety is the main concern after the reports of
alleged synthetic rice came out.NFA conducted a surprise inspection of public
markets in Metro Manila on Tuesday to check on the reported presence of
suspected fake or plastic rice from China.Should the public encounter any
suspected plastic rice, the NFA encouraged people to report it through its
hotline number 0906-4363133.
http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2015/06/30/NFA-intensifies-efforts-against-alleged-fake-rice.html
Researchers
Develop High-Quality Rice Flour to Fight Food 
Poverty
pti, Modified: June 30, 2015 15:39
IST
Researchers have developed a new, high-quality rice flour which
they claim can help alleviate global food poverty. By studying and modifying
proteins in the rice flour family, the researchers were able to produce dough
and bread of superior quality than that obtained from 'normal' rice
flour."This rice flour serves not only as an alternative to wheat flour
for those with wheat intolerance, but could also help to overcome the global
food problem in the future," said Dr Yayoi Onda at Yamagata University,
Japan, one of the researchers behind the study.
Rice flour does not typically work as efficiently in bread
making as wheat flour. In order to overcome this problem, the researchers
changed the amount, structures and properties of seed storage proteins,
'phys.org' reported.They found that rice flour deficient in a particular
protein active during seed development (called PDIL1;1) produced dough with a
network-like structure through the formation of disulphide bonds, which are
strong bridges between proteins. "This improved the quality and efficiency
of the dough and the bread," said Onda.
The new rice flour
overcomes many of the issues associated with previous rice flour, researchers
said. For instance, the dough is more easily stretched and less sticky, it
holds bubbles inside during fermentation and baking, it keeps its shape and
structure as it inflates, and the bread has a more elastic texture after
baking.The researchers have already started breeding experiments so that
PDIL1;1-deficient rice plants can be grown widely under different climatic
conditions.
http://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/researchers-develop-high-quality-rice-flour-to-fight-food-poverty-776769
Millers subsidy for Tirumala temple
Hyderabad: Rice
millers from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have come forward to reduce the price
of rice supplied to the country's famous Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams from Rs
36.5 to Rs 35 a kg for three months from July 1. This
will help the temple save Rs 5 lakh per month on the grain.The temple needs 5.1
lakh kgs of rice every month.Temple Trust Board chairman Ch Krishna Murthy, who
held talks with representatives of the rice millers from both the Telugu states
to cut their rates in view of the slash in the rice prices in the market. AP
rice millers association president G Venkateswara Rao agreed to supply 3.06
lakh kgs per month while Telangana Association vice-president Rajeswara Rao
agreed to supply 2.04 lakh kgs. http://www.bangaloremirror.com/news/india/Millers-subsidy-for-Tirumala-temple/articleshow/47885135.cms
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