News Headlines...
§ Rice exports post sharp decline of 27 percent in
1MFY
§ Export of basmati rice hit by competition with
India: National Assembly body told
§ Monsoon deficit to hit paddy crop output hard
§ Barter rice for energy with Iran
§ Ministry Offers Daily Breakfast Ideas to Boost Rice
Consumption
§ Early Arkansas rice yields down 10-15 percent
§ What to expect from the 2015-2016 DROUGHT
§ Pakistan Planning to Barter Rice for Energy with
Iran
§ SunRice invested in NQ future
§ Vietnam: Weaker yuan presses Vietnam's rice price
down
§ Enugu registers 22, 000 rice farmers
§ Govt allows private players to procure rice in
eastern states
§ Fewer rice traders show interest in govt auction
§ News shared by USA Rice Daily
§ Crop Progress:
2015 Crop 35 Percent Harvested
§ CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
§ APEDA Commodity News from India
§ IRRI DG visits BRRI in Gazipur
§ Floods bring losses to farmers in 29 districts
§ Rice millers should pay the farmers
§ Recipe: Roast duck with pomegranate molasses &
rice pilaf
News Detail...
Rice exports post sharp decline
of 27 percent in 1MFY
September 08, 2015
RECORDER REPORT
Pakistan's rice exports posted a sharp decline of 27 percent
during the first month of this fiscal year mainly due to declining price trend
in the world market. Pakistan exported rice amounting to $91 million in July
2015, compared to $125 million in July 2014, depicting a decline of 27.24
percent or $34 million. Major drop has been witnessed in the export of Basmati
Rice, which registered a 30 percent decline to $34 million exports during the
period under review. While, non-Basmati exports stood at $57 million in July
2015, down by 25 percent. Rice exports in July are even some 31 percent less
than June 2015, in which Pakistan exported rice amounting $133 million. Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan
(REAP) has shown serious concern over the massive decline in rice exports and
urged the government for relief measures to support the rice trade.
Rafique Suleman, Chairman, and Mian Mohsin Aziz, Senior Vice
Chairman have drawn the attention of government authorities towards the
alarming crisis in rice export trade. They said that during the last fiscal
year Pakistani exporters managed to keep the rice exports at $1.9 billion
level, however in the international market scenario, "now it is difficult
for the rice exporters to maintain exports," they added. "Rice export
faced a lot of challenges during last fiscal year and we are afraid of that
current fiscal year will be very tough for all stakeholders of rice trade if
corrective measures not taken by the federal government," said Rafique
Suleman.
Chairman REAP elaborated that due to low demand on international
market, prices of rice have been declined sharply, which resulted into heavy
losses to all rice stakeholders. He informed that prices of Basmati rice had
been declined to $850 per ton from $1,200 per ton in the world market, while
price of non-Basmati rice stood at some $310 per ton, down $60-70 per ton. REAP always request the federal
government to facilitate the growers in bringing the cost down in the larger
interest of farmers, consumers and exporters.
However, government always
prefer indirect subsidy. "REAP has suggested the federal government for
free supply of seeds, fertilisers and water to farmers to reduce their input
cost, and enable rice exporters compete the heavily subsidised rice industry of
neighbouring country," he added. REAP
requested the government to stop subsidy on gas to fertiliser sector as he
believed that they are not passing the entire benefit of this subsidy to the
farmers. "Although, Iran government agreed to lift ban on rice import from
Pakistan against the backdrop of gradual removal of international sanctions and
rice export to Iran will start from October 2015; however there is need to take
some measurers domestically to take benefits from this export," he added.
He said previously, Pakistan was the largest exporter of rice to
Iran, while presently India is penetrating in Iranian markets, adding that
currently, Iran was importing almost 90 percent of rice from India despite that
fact that import from Pakistan was more economical. "Non-availability of power and
lack of research and development are also serious challenges to rice export
trade and quick measurers are required to address these issues," he said.
Many important industrial areas particularly Hawksbay Industrial area is facing
heavy loadshedding due to which several rice mills/exporters failed to meet
their export targets.
In addition, REAP had series of meetings with NIBGE, Faisalabad,
Pakistan Agricultural Research Centre (PARC) Islamabad and requested them to
work towards introducing new Basmati variety for the revival of rice export
trade. However, domestic Rice Research Institutes are failed to provide any new
and good quality seed of Basmati rice during the last 15 to 20 years. He
demanded that rice mills should be exempted from gas and electricity
load-shedding during October 2015 to February 2016, so that we can achieve our
export targets. REAP has appealed the Prime Minister, Federal Commerce
Minister, Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research and Federal
Finance Minister to intervene in the matter to survive the rice export trade.
Export of
basmati rice hit by competition with India: National Assembly body told
September 08, 2015
The Ministry of Commerce on Monday
told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Government Assurances that the
export of non-basmati rice to Iran had increased as compared to basmati rice.
The committee, which met here with Muhammad Afzal Khokhar in the Chair, was
briefed by the ministry about rice export. The ministry told that there was a
decline in export of basmati rice due to competition with India. It said
that efforts were being made to increase the export of fine quality rice to
Iran. However, the committee expressed concern over the decrease and emphasised
the need to arrest the recent declining trend in the export of basmati rice.
The committee was also told that
the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) in consultation with the
Interior Ministry and National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), had
submitted an operational plan to register one million unregistered
Afghans. It may be mentioned here that during the 25th Tripartite
Commission meeting, bilateral consultations were held between Afghanistan and
Pakistan on March 10, 2015, where both sides agreed to document unregistered
Afghans in Pakistan with technical support from Nadra and verification by the
Afghan authority. Moreover, Nadra has submitted a Letter of Intent for a mutual
agreement with Safron, which is being considered by the Interior Ministry.
The committee was also told that
the registration of Afghan refugees, which was to start in August 2015, could
not be initiated and awaiting approval from the Interior Ministry. An
official of the interior ministry said that the ministry was optimistic that
the process would be completed within two to three months. The committee
directed the interior ministry that matters pertaining to issuance of
computerised national identity cards (CNICs) to Afghan nationals and other
aliens should be stopped.
Business Recorder
Monsoon deficit to hit paddy crop
output hard
Panaji: A rain deficit in August and September, during
crucial stages in paddy growth, may have hit the crop and production is likely
to show a decline of 10-20%.The total rainfall for the season so far has
crawled to 2101.9mm, as against a normal of 2778.6mm, taking the deficit to 24%
on Monday. For paddy, it is grain-formation time in some areas, panicle phase
in others, and critical growth stage in late-sown fields.The dry conditions are
worrying farmers and agriculture department officials. "If there is no
rainfall for three more days, the crop will start drying. Some yellow patches
can already be seen," said Ulhas B Kakode, director of agriculture.
Dry conditions affect paddy as the crop is a water-guzzler. "Most of the paddy crop in the state is in the panicle-initiation stage, which is followed by the formation of milk and grain. If there is moisture, the plant can take nutrients from the soil," said N P Singh, director, ICAR-CCARI, Old Goa complex.H R Prabhudesai, former subject matter specialist (agronomy), ICAR-CCARI, explained, "During this last phase, also called the milky stage, dough stage and grain-formation stage, any water stress results in empty earheads (pol) and low yield."Prakash Raut, zonal agricultural officer, Valpoi, agreed, "The dry conditions should not prolong, as the crop is in the grain-formation stage." A total of 400 hectares in Sattari is under paddy crop.
Dry conditions affect paddy as the crop is a water-guzzler. "Most of the paddy crop in the state is in the panicle-initiation stage, which is followed by the formation of milk and grain. If there is moisture, the plant can take nutrients from the soil," said N P Singh, director, ICAR-CCARI, Old Goa complex.H R Prabhudesai, former subject matter specialist (agronomy), ICAR-CCARI, explained, "During this last phase, also called the milky stage, dough stage and grain-formation stage, any water stress results in empty earheads (pol) and low yield."Prakash Raut, zonal agricultural officer, Valpoi, agreed, "The dry conditions should not prolong, as the crop is in the grain-formation stage." A total of 400 hectares in Sattari is under paddy crop.
The dry spell is likely to hit the newly-planted saplings of cashew, mango and other horticulture crops too. "Natural watering boosts growth as compared to manual irrigation," Raut pointed out.
Prabhudesai said the production picture could be grim with poor rainfall during the crucial stages of the crop. "If you look into the physiology of crop and rainfall pattern, a reduction of 20-25% (in yield), especially in upland (morod) areas, is likely," he stressed.
Published: September 8, 2015
Food security ministry holds
discussion, decision to be taken soon. PHOTO: APP
ISLAMABAD: Members
of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) are pressing the
government to make arrangements for rice export to Iran in exchange for the
money Pakistan has to pay for electricity import.
A senior
official of REAP, while talking to The Express Tribune, said they
had proposed to the government to allow the export of surplus rice to Iran by
transferring the amount due against the government to the exporters until a
proper currency transfer arrangement and an effective, efficient and reliable
formal banking channel were restored.“Yes, we have requested the authorities to
devise a mechanism for rice export to Iran and pay the outstanding bills for
Iranian electricity supply to the exporters,” said a REAP representative on
condition of anonymity because the proposal was at an early stage.“If the
Pakistan and Iranian governments agree, the exporters will soon export one
million tons of basmati rice,” he said. Prior to the economic sanctions imposed
on Iran by western countries, Pakistan had been exporting about 700,000 tons of
basmati to Iran annually and it was the largest market for Pakistani rice.
At present,
Pakistan has four million tons of surplus rice, of which 3.2 million tons are
non-basmati and 700,000 tons are basmati. Pakistan owes more than $100 million
to Iran for electricity import.An official of the Ministry of National Food
Security and Research confirmed that the proposal had been received. “Our
ministry is in discussion at the highest level and a decision will be taken
soon,” he said.Meanwhile, a statement issued by REAP Chairman Rafique Suleman
and other members has drawn the government’s attention to the sharp drop in
rice exports.
Citing the
export figures for July received from statistics section of the Trade
Development Authority of Pakistan, Suleman said shipments fell 14% in terms of
quantity and 27% in value.He pointed out that rice exports faced a lot of
challenges during the last fiscal year and if corrective measures were not
taken by the government, the current year would also be very tough.The
exporters have, however, welcomed the decision of the Iranian government to lift
the ban on rice imports from Pakistan in the backdrop of a gradual removal of
international sanctions. Rice exports will restart from October this year.
However,
Suleman believes that the decision will prove ineffective until a proper
currency transfer arrangement and an effective and reliable formal banking
channel is put in place.At present, almost 90% of rice is imported from India
even though imports from Pakistan are more economical.Owing to low demand in
the international market, rice prices were declining to a critical level that
was inflicting heavy losses.
Published in The Express
Tribune, September 8th, 2015.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/952598/barter-rice-for-energy-with-iran/
Ministry
Offers Daily Breakfast Ideas to Boost Rice Consumption
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has been
sharing breakfast recipes by e-mail since March to promote healthy eating and
rice consumption. Some 62,300
people have signed up for the meal ideas, which are simple and nutritious and
feature rice. The recipes are
available to view athttp://www.rice-museum.com. Those who are interested can
sign up at the site for e-mails that go out every weekday at 2 p.m. "Breakfast provides energy for
the brain and boosts concentration," said Jeon Han-young, an official at
the ministry. "It also helps prevent obesity. We expect that the service
will help parents spend less time preparing meals while boosting rice
consumption."
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/09/08/2015090801048.html
Early Arkansas rice yields down 10-15 percent
Hardke says a few farmers have made some mistakes in the last
couple of weeks with harvest aids. Farmers should not apply harvest aids “when
rice moisture is above 25 percent or below 18 percent. Above 25 percent you may
stop some kernels from finishing out and below 18 percent you will cause
moisture to fall out too fast and shattering will begin to occur.“On a somewhat
related note — if applying harvest aids to fields adjacent to rice, be very
careful,” says Hardke. “Questions about glyphosate as a harvest aid on grain
sorghum near rice — best bet is to consider rice only completely safe when it’s
in the combine.”For more updates from Hardke on the current Arkansas rice crop
including the current effects of weather and how to calculate harvest loss,
download Arkansas Rice Update 9-5-15.
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/early-arkansas-rice-yields-down-10-15-percent
What to expect from the 2015-2016 DROUGHT
M.A.P. Insights
Rolando T. Dy
A new forecast from the Climate Prediction Center of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) claims that the present El Niño episode is “strengthening,” and could become very strong and may even rival the strongest on record, since the El Niño 1997-1998. It only happened twice since meteorologists started monitoring conditions in the tropical Pacific: 1982-1983 and 1997-1998.
NOAA claims El Niño episodes usually span nine to 12 months, some events may continue for years. They usually begin to form between June and August, peak between December and April, and then diminish between May and July of the following year.NOAA claims two things in mind throughout this discussion of potential impacts.First, El Niño is not the sole driver of the atmosphere at any time. Day-to-day variability in the weather pattern and other factors all work together with El Niño to determine the overall weather over the time-frame of a few months.
Second,
no two El Niños are exactly alike. The intensity matters for impacts.What will
be the impact on Philippine agriculture if a similar intensity affects the
country? Let us look back at the 1982-1983 and 1997-1998 episodes.
During the 1997-1998 drought, Philippine agriculture output contracted by -6.4% in 1998, far higher than the -3.5% during 1982-1983.Overall crops headed south with a 12.5% cut in 1998 from -7.4% in 1982-1983. The major crops posted double digit declines in 1998.Rice contracted by 24%, sugarcane -20.7%, coconut -11.9%, and corn -11.7%. Other crops posted -5.3%. Rain-fed rice was hit harder than irrigated rice in both drought episodes.Poultry production fell in 1998 due to prolonged heat that led to slow growth and high mortality. Thus far, this is not yet happening with tunnel-ventilated houses.
During the 1997-1998 drought, Philippine agriculture output contracted by -6.4% in 1998, far higher than the -3.5% during 1982-1983.Overall crops headed south with a 12.5% cut in 1998 from -7.4% in 1982-1983. The major crops posted double digit declines in 1998.Rice contracted by 24%, sugarcane -20.7%, coconut -11.9%, and corn -11.7%. Other crops posted -5.3%. Rain-fed rice was hit harder than irrigated rice in both drought episodes.Poultry production fell in 1998 due to prolonged heat that led to slow growth and high mortality. Thus far, this is not yet happening with tunnel-ventilated houses.
Livestock was least affected. The decline in fishery in 1998 was due to drying up of ponds, creeks, and rivers that affected aquaculture. (See Table)
For 2015, the outlook for agriculture will be slow growth of less than one%. It was reported to have grown by only 0.7% in the first half. For 2016, the first half output will be severely hit if the 1983 and 1998 record will be the pattern.The contraction in supply may affect food prices.Already, the 2016 estimate for palay production is flat at about 18.4 million tons (an equivalent of less than 12 million tons of rice).The National Food Authority has approved imports of 805,000 tons of rice as of June 2015. The United States Department of Agriculture has estimated that the Philippines may import 1.7 million tons in 2015, up 42% from 1.2 million tons in 2014.In 1998, the consumer price index rose by 9.2% from 6.6% average during 1995-1997. The data for 1983 may not be comparable as there was an economic crisis starting in 1983. Nevertheless, inflation in 1983 was 10%, lower than the 13.8% in 1980-1982.
What
now?
2016 is an election year.High food prices hit the poor greatly that they can fall below the poverty threshold. This was shown by the increase in poverty incidence in 2014 when rice prices spiked due to the delay in rice imports.There are challenges in responding to El Niño.Farmers can plant non-water intensive, short-term crops. Cloud seeding can be tried.But long-term solutions include: building water impounding ponds, research into drought-tolerant crops and semi-arid food crops, and water-conserving irrigation techniques such as drip irrigation or pipe irrigation.
Rolando T. Dy is the Vice-Chair of the M.A.P. AgriBusiness and Countryside Development Committee, and the Executive Director of the Center for Food and AgriBusiness of the University of Asia & the Pacific.
Pakistan Planning to Barter Rice
for Energy with Iran
TEHRAN
(FNA)- Members of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) are
pressing the government to make arrangements for rice export to Iran in
exchange for the money Pakistan has to pay for electricity import.
A senior official of REAP said they
had proposed to the government to allow the export of surplus rice to Iran by
transferring the amount due against the government to the exporters until a
proper currency transfer arrangement and an effective, efficient and reliable
formal banking channel were restored, the Express Tribune reported on
Tuesday.“Yes, we have requested the authorities to devise a mechanism for rice
export to Iran and pay the outstanding bills for Iranian electricity supply to
the exporters,” said a REAP representative on condition of anonymity because
the proposal was at an early stage.
“If the Pakistan and Iranian
governments agree, the exporters will soon export one million tons of basmati
rice,” he said. Prior to the economic sanctions imposed on Iran by western
countries, Pakistan had been exporting about 700,000 tons of basmati to Iran
annually and it was the largest market for Pakistani rice.At present, Pakistan
has four million tons of surplus rice, of which 3.2 million tons are
non-basmati and 700,000 tons are basmati. Pakistan owes more than $100mln to
Iran for electricity import.An official of the Ministry of National Food Security
and Research confirmed that the proposal had been received. “Our ministry is in
discussion at the highest level and a decision will be taken soon,” he
said.Meanwhile, a statement issued by REAP Chairman Rafique Suleman and other
members has drawn the government’s attention to the sharp drop in rice exports.
Citing the export figures for July
received from statistics section of the Trade Development Authority of
Pakistan, Suleman said shipments fell 14 percent in terms of quantity and 27
percent in value.He pointed out that rice exports faced a lot of challenges
during the last fiscal year and if corrective measures were not taken by the
government, the current year would also be very tough.
The exporters have, however,
welcomed the decision of the Iranian government to lift the ban on rice imports
from Pakistan in the backdrop of a gradual removal of international sanctions.
Rice exports will restart from October this year.However, Suleman believes that
the decision will prove ineffective until a proper currency transfer
arrangement and an effective and reliable formal banking channel is put in
place.At present, almost 90 percent of rice is imported from India even though
imports from Pakistan are more economical.Owing to low demand in the international
market, rice prices were declining to a critical level that was inflicting
heavy losses.
FARS News Agency
SunRice invested in NQ future
08
Sep, 2015 04:00 AM
SunRice
has invested significantly in the Brandon Mill, with the company stating that
the upgrades are important steps in the development of the North Queensland
rice industry. Photo: SunRice.
FURTHER cementing its commitment
to building a sustainable Queensland rice industry, SunRice has invested
significantly in the last financial year to improve manufacturing productivity
and quality of locally grown rice at the Brandon Mill, which it purchased in
November 2014.Key developments have seen a weighbridge installed to enable
growers to directly deliver paddy to the mill. A new software system is also
being investigated to improve the management of incoming and outgoing rice
stocks. The mill’s drying facilities,
which were previously not in use, have been upgraded and connected to four
silos to allow paddy, which is delivered at up to 22 per cent moisture, to be
milled at the optimum level of 12.5pc moisture, so as to improve product
quality and milling throughput.Plans are also underway to install a new packing
line at the mill, which will be capable of producing 20 kilogram packs of
branded North Queensland rice. These large packs will be tailored to service
growing demand from SunRice’s foodservice customers.
SunRice General Manager, Grower
Services, Mike Hedditch said the upgrades to the Brandon Mill were an important
step in the development of a vibrant and productive North Queensland rice
industry.“We’re in an exciting phase of establishing and growing a sustainable
rice industry in North Queensland, which will also help to strengthen the local
economy and the region’s farming communities,” Mr Hedditch said.SunRice is also
in the process of establishing a ‘Growers Services’ office at the Brandon Mill
to strengthen the existing agronomic support the company provides to local
growers.
The new office, which includes a
lab for testing rice samples, will also be used by SunRice’s research and
development subsidiary, Rice Research Australia Pty Ltd (RRAPL), which is
running a number of rice variety trials across the region to maximise local
growing options.To make it easier for North Queensland growers to incorporate
rice into their cropping systems, SunRice recently purchased a three metre John
Deere 1590 Box Drill seeder from Vanderfields in Mackay, which is now available
for hire for growers in Mackay and Proserpine
Vietnam:
Weaker yuan presses Vietnam's rice price down
9/8/2015
Thai News Service
Thai News Service
As predicted, importers have tried to lower Vietnam's rice
price after the Chinese government's devaluation of the yuan.VnExpress quoted
the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) as reporting that the rice price and sales
may fall significantly because of the yuan depreciation.Chinese enterprises,
which have to pay 4 percent more for rice import contracts with the payments in US
dollars, are trying to force the price down to offset the loss they incur due
to yuan depreciation.This coincides with Reuters' prediction made in mid-August
that Vietnam's rice export price would decrease on the yuan and
dong devaluation and the abundant supply.
VFA then announced the lower floor export price of $330 per ton, a 2.9 percent
decrease, for 25 percent broken rice.The decision was released in the context
of the sharp fall of 8.8 percent decrease in exports in the first seven months of the
year.Le Thanh Danh from Vinafood 1 confirmed that Chinese have asked to
renegotiate the prices, reasoning the yuan devaluation, which has made
Vietnamese exporters suffer.Danh said on Nong Nghiep that
Vietnam now bears pressure as India and Pakistan are offering rice at
relatively low prices.Therefore, Vietnam's exports to China have seen the price decrease
significantly to $340 per ton of 5 percent broken rice and $330 per ton of 15
percent broken rice. The price levels represent a $7-8 per ton decrease
compared with some months ago.The price of rice exported through unofficial channels - across
the border gates - has also fallen. Every kilo of rice sold across the northern
border has seen the price fall by VND300.Some businesses in the Mekong River
Delta estimated that over 1 million tons of rice have been exported to China this year across the border.
Nguyen Van Don, director of Viet Hung Rice ExportCompany, warned that hinese importers may cut the volume of rice to buy from
Vietnam and buy from Thailand and Myanmar instead.As the export price decreases, the rice price in the
domestic market has also gone down. VFA said the price of 5 percent broken rice
in Mekong River Delta has decreased by VND100 per kilo over the week
before.Analysts warned that not only rice but other farm produce will also
suffer from the weaker yuan, because China is a big consumer of Vietnamese
produce.China alone consumed 38.1 percent of Vietnam's 3.72 million tons of
rice exports so far.
It consumes 25 percent of Vietnam's rubber and 13
percent of Vietnam's cashew nut output. The country consumed 90 percent of 2.89
million tons of cassava sold in the last seven months of the year. – VOV
http://www.world-grain.com/news/news%20home/LexisNexisArticle.aspx?articleid=2439636074
Enugu registers 22, 000 rice farmers
http://thenationonlineng.net/enugu-registers-22-000-rice-farmers/
Govt allows private players to procure rice in
eastern states
The purpose of
bringing private players into rice procurement operations is to improve
efficiency in transportation, packaging and storage of grain
The purpose of bringing private players into rice procurement
operations is to improve efficiency in transportation, packaging and storage of
grain
In a bid to increase the outreach of minimum support price (MSP)
operations among farmers, the food ministry has decided to allow private
players to purchase rice in some eastern states from the next marketing season,
which commences from October 1.Sources told FE that private firms will be
allowed to procure paddy from farmers in Assam, Bihar, easternUttar Pradesh,
Jharkhand and West Bengal, where the Food Corporation of India (FCI) does not
have a robust procurement mechanism, which often forces farmers to go for
distress sale.As per the new policy, private parties would be engaged in
procurement of paddy from farmers in a cluster, identified by the respective
state government and they would deliver custom milled rice (CMR) at the FCI or
state government-owned agency godowns.
“Private parties would be allowed to procure paddy from farmers
in those areas where FCI and state government-owned agencies do not have
significant presence,” a food ministry official said.Sources said the private
sector will be allowed in only those clusters where there is possibility of
procurement of one lakh tonne of rice equivalent of paddy. Besides, the policy
allows the private parties to open as many purchase centres as possible in the
allotted cluster, subject to a cluster covering a minimum 500 to 1000
hectare.“Private parties would be engaged in procurement operations after
e-tendering and the parties would be short-listed on the basis of acquisitions
cost, including incidentals such as packaging, transportation and storage of
grain quoted by agencies,” the official said.
The official added that the purpose of bringing private players
into rice procurement operations was to improve efficiency in procurement,
transportation, packaging and temporary storage of grain.“On the delivery of
CMR to FCI or state-owned corporations, the private players would be reimbursed
the MSP) and statutory charges paid by them upon production of proof of
payment, besides the incidentals quoted in the tender document,” an official
said.The policy follows recommendation by the high level committee (HLC) headed
by former food minster Shanta Kumar earlier this year. The HLC had suggested
that FCI should move on to help those states where farmers suffer from distress
sales at prices much below MSP, and which are dominated by small holdings, like
eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, etc.
“This is the belt from where the second green revolution is
expected, and where FCI needs to be pro-active, mobilizing state and other
agencies to provide benefits of MSP and procurement to a larger number of
farmers, especially small and marginal ones,” the panel had stated.Recently,
the food ministry had set a target to procure 30 million tonne of rice during
the next kharif marketing season (2015-16) starting from October 1.
Punjab, the biggest contributor to the central pool, would
procure 8.2 million tonne while Chhattisgarh would purchase 3.6 million tonne
from farmers.The key contributors to the central pool include Odisha (2.8
million tonne), Uttar Pradesh (2.7 million tonne), Haryana (2.3 million tonne),
Andhra Pradesh (2 million tonne) and Telangana (1.8 million tonne).The
government has announced an MSP for common and grade A varieties of paddy at Rs
1,410 and Rs 1,450 per quintal respectively for the 2015-16 season.
First Published on September 08, 2015 12:09 am
http://www.financialexpress.com/article/markets/commodities/govt-allows-private-players-to-procure-rice-in-eastern-states/131957/
Fewer rice traders show interest in govt auction
PETCHANET
PRATRUANGKRAI
THE
NATION September 8, 2015 1:00 am
FEWER TRADERS have shown interest in joining the government's
latest rice auction after it has gradually released rice to the market, a trade
organisation says. The Commerce Ministry on August 31 invited rice traders to
apply to take part in the sixth rice auction of the year, this time for 732,806
tonnes. But only 33 have applied for qualification checks, compared with 58 who
joined the last auction. The bidding will open today.Chookiat Ophaswongse,
honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said there was less
interest this time as the market has acknowledged that the government will
continue to release rice from its stockpiles, so they do not have to purchase
rice immediately.
Moreover, with prices dropping in the world market, rice traders
may slow down their purchases as they expect even lower prices in the future,
he said.During the past week, the price of 5 per cent Thai white rice decreased
slightly to US$360-$370 per tonne, while Vietnamese rice was quoted at
$320-$330 per tonne.Foreign Trade Department director-general Duangporn
Rodphaya said this auction should still be able to draw a good number of
traders as it is outside the rice-harvest season, so they will still enjoy high
demand for the grain.The ministry will consider opening another auction soon to
clear out more rice stocks, she added
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Fewer-rice-traders-show-interest-in-govt-auction-30268328.html
News shared by
USA Rice Daily
Mexican
Imports of U.S. Milled Rice on Rise -- Packers Returning to U.S. Origin
U.S. rice back on top
MEXICO
CITY, MEXICO -- One of the top rice packers in Mexico is beginning to shift
purchases back to U.S. rice from Uruguay and other origins thanks to better
prices, logistics, and quality."The packer has a premium brand that can
command a top price. Back in 2011, they
shifted almost exclusively to Uruguayan milled rice," said Marvin Lehrer,
USA Rice's representative in the region.
"Recently, a large price spread between Uruguay and the U.S. has
shifted origin preference back to the United States.
"The packer notes that he prefers to buy from the U.S.
because of logistic advantages and is seeking higher quality U.S. rice. The shift from Uruguayan origin back to the
U.S. is expected to be gradual but steady."We are also hearing from the
trade that there has been consumer rejection of Vietnamese rice, especially
from supermarket buyers," Lehrer continued. "We're told that supermarkets and, in
turn, packers are getting returns of Viet rice due to 'stickiness,' and other
quality concerns by consumers."The U.S. already enjoys a significant
quality, logistic, and name recognition advantage in Mexico, especially against
Asia.
The
latest problems for rice from Vietnam could push the origin to bottom end,
non-branded segment of the market, where Lehrer says they could gain a
foothold. However, he says U.S. milled
rice usage, especially properly promoted, will lead in Mexico for years to
come.Mexican imports of rice are still dominated by paddy rice, but a shift has
been taking place. Paddy, once 95 percent of imports, now make up about 75
percent, with milled rice making up the remaining 25 percent. "We're paying attention to both
segments, and we are supporting the local trade in both paddy and milled rice
-- just so long as the origin is the United States," says Jim Guinn, vice
president of USA Rice's international promotion programs.
Contact: Sarah Moran (703)
236-1457
USA Rice to Sponsor
Premier Culinary Event in Mexico Next Month
Camera ready rice
MEXICO
CITY, MEXICO -- Last week, USA Rice participated in a press conference
announcing the upcoming Vallarta-Nayarit Gastronomica, the premier gastronomic
event and trade show in Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit, from October
4-7. USA Rice is a sponsor of this
important culinary event targeting the professional food service industry, and
will offer specialized rice workshops in addition to exhibiting at the trade
show.Sixty members of the press and 80 special guests attended the press
conference at the Spanish Embassy here.
The
media received specialized press kits containing USA Rice cookbooks,
information about U.S.-grown rice, and a wide range of brochures and
invitations to future USA Rice events.At the press conference USA Rice
displayed several gourmet rice dishes, including a variety of sushi, California
rolls, coconut rice with white chocolate liquor, and an upscale healthy rice
salad. In addition, a winner from a
local USA Rice student chef competition prepared her winning dish, Rice
Cheesecake."Our booth drew a lot of attention," said Gaby Carbajal
who manages USA Rice's promotions programs in Mexico. "The media was very engaged with our
delicious presentation, took lots of photographs and video, and requested more
information. There was a lot of 'buzz'
around next month's trade show and it promises to be a great opportunity for
USA Rice to make key contacts in the media and the professional food service
industry."U.S.-grown rice enjoys an excellent reputation in Mexico (see
prev
Crop Progress: 2015 Crop
35 Percent Harvested
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WASHINGTON, DC --
Thirty-five percent of the nation's 2015 rice acreage is harvested, according
to today's U.S. Department of Agriculture's Crop Progress
Report.
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CME Group/Closing Rough Rice
Futures
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IRRI DG
visits BRRI in Gazipur
12:00 AM,
September 08, 2015 / LAST MODIFIED: 03:14 AM, September 08, 2015
Director
General of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Robert S Zeigler
visited Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) yesterday in Gazipur, said a
press release.BRRI Director General Jiban Krishna Biswas welcomed the IRRI team
and discussed areas of collaboration between the two institutes at a
meeting.BRRI Director (administration and common service) Shahjahan Kabir,
Director (research) Answer Ali, Coordinator for Advanced Studies and Research
Abu Saleque, Editor-in-Chief of IRRI's publication Rice Today Gene P Hettel and
IRRI Representative in Bangladesh Paul Fox were present among others. http://www.thedailystar.net/city/irri-dg-visits-brri-gazipur-139717
Floods bring losses to farmers in 29 districts
12:00
AM, September 08, 2015 / LAST MODIFIED: 12:00 AM, September 08, 2015
Sohel
Parvez and Abdul Wahed
Floods
have destroyed crops on nearly 2.75 lakh hectares of land in 29 districts,
causing losses to thousands of farmers, according to the Department of
Agricultural Extension.About 95 percent of the affected crops are aman, with
some farmers saying that losses from the floods would be huge.Bangladesh
experienced more rains than usual this year after two consecutive dry monsoons,
according to the weather office.The monsoon-based aman is the second biggest
rice crop after boro, accounting for 38 percent of the country's annual rice
production of 3.44 crore tonnes.DAE Director General Md Hamidur Rahman has a
different forecast that the damage would not affect the overall production of
aman rice.
The
yield is forecast to be higher this year for proper distribution of
rainfall.Except for the submergence-tolerant varieties, the other high-yielding
varieties of aman will not survive being under floodwater for more than five
days, said Tamal Lata Aditya, chief scientific officer and head of plant
breeding division of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute.But farmers can grow photoperiod-sensitive
HYVs such as BR 22, BR 23 and BRRI Dhan 46, she said.The DAE is aiming to
ensure aman acreage on 52.6 lakh hectares of land to produce 1.34 crore tonnes
of rice this season.There will be scope for transplantation if water recedes
from land by September 10, according to Rahman. “I think the farmers will try
to utilise that opportunity.
”However,
many farmers like Ruhul Amin do not have such scope due to a dearth of
seedlings and incapacity to make fresh investments for aman cultivation.“My aman
and sweet potato crops have gone under water from the Dharla river. All are
damaged. I have no scope of replanting,” said Amin, a 25-year-old resident of
Mogalbasha in Kurigram, one of the worst affected districts.Amin planted aman
on 1.2 acres of land and sweet potato on 66 decimals. He now plans to cultivate
early mustard after the floodwater ebbs.Floodwaters began to decline from
yesterday in Kurigram. Abu Bakar Siddique, another farmer from Kurigram, also
plans to sow mustard, or pulse.He spent Tk 38,000 for transplanting aman on
four acres of land but the paddy field has been damaged for inundation of water
for the last 20 days.
The
DAE and other government agricultural agencies have prepared aman seedlings on
100 acres of land and the seedlings would be handed over to farmers in the
affected areas once the floodwater recedes, Rahman said.Apart from aman, a
portion of aus rice crop and vegetables have also been affected by heavy
rain-induced floods that began to inundate crops and homesteads, mainly in the
north, from the third week of August.During July, heavy shower and Cyclone
Komen caused crop losses on 39,000 hectares of land. The damage was higher in
the southern coastal districts at that time.The agricultural extension office
also advised farmers to go for winter crop on those lands from where crops
cannot be recovered.
Farmers
in Bangladesh depend on the monsoon rains for irrigating summer crops including
aman rice.Seasonal rains swell rivers and recharge water bodies, underground
water reserves and aquifers.Poor rains force farmers to go for additional
irrigation to ensure good yields. But torrential rains, like the recent ones,
damage crops by causing flash foods and water logging. http://www.thedailystar.net/business/floods-bring-losses-farmers-29-districts-139558
Rice millers should pay the farmers
Dear
Editor,
Some
rice millers here on the Essequibo Coast have turned a number of rice farmers
into beggars for their money. I never believed that I would one day live to see
farmers protesting on the road crop after crop for their own money. I was a
rice farmer cultivating 10 acres of paddy twice a year, and for decades I knew
the sacrifices these farmers are going through to cultivate their crops without
being paid for months, and in some instances, years. The shortest variety of
paddy is rustic, and it takes 110 days to ripen. The longest one is 30-3 which
takes 130 days to harvest. When a farmer cultivates his rice crop, the risks
are high; he can lose the entire field because of a number of disasters like
floods, prolonged droughts and unpredictable weather patterns.
Rice
farming is no bed of roses; the farmer has to wake up before daybreak and walk
a long distance to tend to his crop. He will leave his field late at night, and
this is his daily routine until he harvests his crops. If the dam is in a
deplorable condition while transporting his paddy in bulk, and it capsizes into
a canal or on the dam, he could lose the fruits of his entire labour. The risks
are too high for a rice farmer, and no miller should dare try to rob him of his
hard sweat, or have him waiting for his money for months without interest. I
would like to congratulate those millers who saw it fit to pay off rice farmers
after purchasing their produce.
The
thing that really amazed me is that some unscrupulous millers received a
bailout from both governments and still owed the farmers millions of dollars.
It’s my firm belief that these millers used the bailout money to modernize and
extend their rice mills. Nothing is wrong in upgrading the mills, but they
should do it at their own expense and not hold the poor farmers to ransom.
Hundreds of Essequibo farmers are now left unpaid. Recognizing the many
challenges of non-payment, government, the GRDB and the Ministry of Agriculture
should make interventions and see that the farmers are paid. The Rice Act can
play a very important part in taking the delinquent millers to court.
Some
millers received debt write-offs from GNCB long ago at the instigation of the
Jagdeo government, but they continue to owe farmers. I firmly believe that they
are playing a hide and seek game with the farmers and the government. The other
millers who have paid off their farmers promptly, see the farmers as an asset
to their own survival if they are to stay in the rice business and expand their
operations. Let it be known that the rice industry is the most integrated of
all sectors.
Defaulting
millers must understand that farmers depend on their money to feed their
families and send their children to school. Without money they cannot produce
paddy, which the millers then process. The suppliers and banks will not provide
the farmers with loans and agro-inputs if the millers continue to owe them. As
a matter of fact, small farmers were forced to rent out or sell their lands
when they became indebted; the banks often times foreclosed on their assets and
they had to go and find employment elsewhere in the gold bush. It is the duty
of the new coalition government, the GRDB and the Ministry of Agriculture to
see that these farmers receive their outstanding payments for their
paddy.Harvesting of the present crop has commenced in Region Two and it will be
the first crop under the new coalition government.
Yours
faithfully,
Mohamed
Khan
http://www.stabroeknews.com/2015/opinion/letters/09/08/rice-millers-should-pay-the-farmers/
Rice
Recipe
Recipe:
Roast duck with pomegranate molasses & rice pilaf
Cooking a duck like this
means that it can be cooked a day ahead and portioned at your leisure.
Kieran Scott
Cooking a duck like this means that it can be cooked a day ahead
and portioned at your leisure.
Serves: 5
For the duck
INGREDIENTS
1.6kg duck
1 carrot, 1 small onion, both unpeeled and roughly chopped
1 stick celery, roughly chopped
4 cloves unpeeled garlic, chopped
5cm piece unpeeled ginger, chopped
Zest of 2 lemons
500mls beef stock
750mls water
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Prepare the duck by removing the
head, wing tips and feet, and make a 'V' section cut in the tail area to
completely remove the parson's nose and the oil glands, which can give an
unpleasant gamey flavour to the duck. Rinse the duck inside and out and dry
with paper towels.
2. Place the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, ginger and the zest of
1 of the lemons into a roasting pan and put the duck on top, breast side down.
Pour the stock and water around the duck and place in the oven. Roast for 1
hour, then turn the duck on to its back and roast for another hour until very
tender and well browned. Remove from the oven.
3. Remove the duck from the pan. Strain the stock and reserve;
discard the vegetables. Leave duck until it is cold enough to handle, or cool
completely and refrigerate until needed.
4. When you decide to proceed, cut the duck in half lengthways on
either side of the backbone, which you discard. Cut each half into 2 portions
so that you have 2 breasts and wings and 2 whole legs.
5. Remove and discard the thick layer of fat from the stock.
Reserve the stock; you should have about 2 cups.
6. To serve the duck, put the 4 portions into a roasting pan, skin
side up, with the stock and place in a hot oven for about 20 minutes until the
duck is very hot and the skin crispy.
7. Remove the duck to a warm serving platter. Put the stock into a
deep frying pan over high heat and add the pomegranate molasses and sugar.
Bring to the boil and boil until syrupy. Pour the sauce over duck portions and
sprinkle on the zest of the other lemon.
For the rice pilaf
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods, flattened slightly
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
11/2 cups well-washed basmati rice, soaked for 10 minutes in plenty
of cold water then well drained
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup chopped pistachios
1/4 cup sultanas
12 dried apricots, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups chicken stock
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