Rice News Headlines...
1.
How smugglers hamper rice policy,
frustrate investor
2.
Asia Rice-Prices gain in Vietnam,
Thailand following supply deal
3.
Cambodian Rice Millers Begin
Cracking US Market
4.
Japan mulls extra proposal for
U.S. rice imports to help clinch TPP
5.
China sets 2016 wheat, corn, rice
and cotton import quotas -NDRC
6.
The Origins Of Black Rice Plant
biologists have solved the ancient mystery of the origins and spread of black
rice
7.
More rice imports next year as El
Niño lingers
8.
DA-12 looking at alternative palay
areas in preparation to El Niño
9.
Big data on 3,000 rice genomes
made available on cloud
10. Odisha to procure 30 lakh tonnes paddy this year
11. Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
12. Warshaw Testifies on Importance of In-Kind Contributions in Food
Aid Programs
13. LUIS ESPINO: ARMYWORMS INVADE RICE
14. Jeremy Zwinger to discuss rice outlook for U of A webinar
15. Study concludes added enzyme makes phosphorus in rice
co-products more digestible for pigs
16. Abraham Recognizes Rice in House Floor Speech
17. CCC Announces Prevailing World Market Prices
18. CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
19. No ban on export of basmati rice: Government
News Detail...
How smugglers hamper rice policy, frustrate investor
Posted By: Chikodi Okereochaon: September 30, 2015
Apparently to halt the yearly loss of N360
billion to rice importation, the Federal Government came up with a policy aimed
at achieving self-sufficiency in local production in 2013. It has a plan to ban
rice importation by the end of this year. But, the policy is threatened by
smuggling, which has also put investors in the rice value chain under
intense pressure. The investors fear their multi-billion naira investment might
go down the drain, unless measures are taken now to stem smuggling, writes
Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA.
The objective is to cut down on daily rice import
bill, estimated at N1 billion, encourage local production of rice and offer
investors in the rice sub-sector incentives to invest.It (policy) is directed
at saving the country the embarrassing paradox of a nation that boasts of more
than 60 per cent arable land and manpower to support local rice production, but
spends N360 billion to import rice.“Our target is that we should produce enough
rice locally to feed our people and ultimately become a net exporter of rice,”
President, African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina said at the
launch of the policy during his tenure as the Minister of Agriculture
& Rural Development.
Expectedly, many investors bought into the policy in
the rice sub-sector and encouraged by a combination of patriotism and
anticipation of a highly rewarding investment, investors across the entire rice
value chain including farmers, processors/millers, importers, and marketers
embraced the policy.Apart from Pearl Universal Impex, which was importing
350,000 metric tonnes of rice annually, but decided to invest in local
production to aid the government’s self-sufficiency target in rice production,
Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) has also thrown its hat into the rice
production ring.
DIL President Alhaji Aliko Dangote, recently announced
in Abuja, the investment of $1 billion (about N165 billion) on rice production
and processing in five states of Edo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara and Niger.The
Nation learnt that DIL has acquired 150,000 hectares of land in
those states for the project, which when developed, will be the largest single
investment in rice production in Africa.The project, seen as a shot in the arm
of government’s on-going reforms of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda
(ATA), which was launched in 2011, followed the signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between DIL and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development.
According to the MoU, the indigenous multinational will
establish two state-of-the-art mills with a capacity to process 120,000 metric
tons of paddy each, bringing the combined capacity to 240,000 metric tons, with
plans to double the capacity in two years. The rice plant is estimated to
produce 960,000 metric tons of milled rice, representing 46 per cent of
imported rice.Olam Nigeria Limited, another major investor, has unveiled plans
to increase its stake in the rice industry. Specifically, the company,
according to its General Manager, Mr. Reji George, will begin the processing
of 200,000 metric tonnes of paddy rice in Doma Local Government Area
of Nassarawa State this year. He said his firm’s integration plan will
aid local rice production and job creation.
The
plan came on the heels of the introduction of the company’s locally-produced
rice to the Nigerian market in Lagos. Olam’s Business Head for Rice, Anil Nair,
explained that the company is into commercial rice production with 6, 000
hectares in two cities. The 12,000 hectares would definitely assist in bridging
the demand and supply gap.According to him, Olam’s involvement in local rice
production will assist Nigeria in becoming self-sufficient in rice
production.
Spanner in the works
However, palpable fear and apprehension has gripped
investors over the fate of their investments following the rising wave of rice
smuggling into the country.The latest figures made available by the Patriotic
Rice Association of Nigeria (PRAN), show that 80,000 metric tonnes of rice are
smuggled into the country through the porous land borders with Benin Republic
every month, with the revenue loss hitting N10 billion.In the conservative
estimate given by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), the economy lost over N27
billion to rice smuggling through the land border with Benin Republic in the
last four months.
According to reliable sources, thousands of metric
tonnes of rice from India, Thailand, Singapore and other Asian countries berth
at the ports of Benin Republic and Cameroun for onward dumping in the country.The
President, Rice Millers Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria
(RiMIDAN) and Chairman, Rice Investors Group, Mr. Tunji Owoeye, echoed the
frustrations of investors when, at a meeting with the Presidential
Committee on Trade Malpractice in Abuja, he lamented that while the local
rice producers are working hard to aid government’s self-sufficiency plan, some
importers are taking advantage of the free trade zones to import rice and deny
the country of much needed revenue.Owoeye alleged that neighbouring countries
are taking advantage of the disconnect in the rice policy to exploit Nigeria.
“They
ship in quite a large number of parboiled rice into Benin Republic and
Cameroun, but we know that the rice is destined for Nigerian markets and
government has taken note of that,” Owoeye told the Committee, claiming that
the country loses $1 billion daily on rice smuggling.
Why smugglers hold the ace
Apparently to achieve self-sufficiency in local
production, the Federal Government increased the tax on imported rice from 50
to 110 per cent in January 2013. That was a 60 per cent increase. The tax was
to encourage locally produced and processed rice and significantly trim down
import, that has been gulping N360 billion annually in foreign exchange before
a total ban this year.
However, government’s solution in form of a higher
tariff regime on importation became the problem. The tariff imposed on the
commodity and the consequent higher market prices opened the floodgate for
smugglers to push large volumes of rice into the local market with zero duty, a
development that is now making the self-sufficiency target in rice production
to hang in the balance. Also at stake are the multi-billion investments of by
private investors in local production.
Some
industry operators told The Nation that as soon as Nigeria
announced the tariff hike, some
neighbouring countries such as Benin, Niger, Cameroon,
Chad and Gabon, among others, pulled a fast one by quickly lowering their own
tariffs on rice. The duty differentials between Nigeria and itsWest African
neigbours encouraged smuggling from all parts of the globe.For instance, in
response to Nigeria’s 110 per cent tariff on imported rice, the Republic of
Benin and Cameroun are said to have crashed their import duty on rice to as low
as 30 per cent. Some unscrupulous Nigerian businessmen also relocated their
businesses to Benin and Cameroon, a development that is further fuelling
smuggling.
Benin and Cameroon have become the destinations of
choice for rice imports meant en route the Nigerian market.
For these neighbouring countries, Nigeria’s large market size of 170 million
people and over 300 entry points are too tempting to ignore. Through such
illegal entry points, shipments diverted to neighboring countries by major rice
exporters from South and Southeast Asia found their way into the country.The
illegal routes are located in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Cross River, Rivers,
Taraba, Borno, Adamawa, Kastina, Sokoto and Zamfara states.With the influx of
cheaper rice through these routes, local rice producers and processors have
been losing sleeps because they cannot compete with the prices of smuggled
rice.
Globally,
Nigeria ranks next to China in rice importation, consuming between 5.5 million
metric tonnes and six million metric tonnes of rice yearly at an estimated
value of N360 billion, according to Dr. Olusegun Aganga, the former Minister of
Industry, Trade & Investment.While 1.8 million metric tonnes are produced
locally, the country imports 3.7 million metric tonnes annually. More than 50
per cent of this 3.7 million metric tonnes that find their way into the country
are said to be smuggled in through the land borders and other unapproved
routes.
Presently, local rice production accounts for less than
50 per cent of the country’s total consumption, leaving a huge demand gap for
polished/milled rice imported from India, Thailand and Brazil.The Chairman of
Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Vicky Haastrup, puts
the local production capacity at 30 per cent.
“It is a fact that local production cannot match local
demand, which creates a recipe for smuggling,” she said.According to her, “our
neighbouring countries are profiting from the policy by dropping their own
tariffs on rice, and because they are benefitting, they give tacit support to
these smugglers.”She said that rather than encourage local production, the 110
per cent policy will stifle it because of the high smuggling rate.To Haastrup
and other stakeholders, the nation’s chances of achieving the rice
self-sufficiency target by this year will continue to getting slimmer unless
government stems cross-border smuggling.
The country is already in the last quarter of the year
and the anti-smuggling campaign has not gathered enough steam for the
realisation of the target.Beyond cross-border smuggling, which has been a pain
in investors’s neck, the consumption preference of Nigerians for imported rice
to the detriment of locally-produced rice has not helped matters.The market boasts
of high-quality and well-packaged Nigerian rice such as Quarra Rice, Umza Rice,
Ebony Super Rice, Eko Rice, Mikap Rice, Ashi Rice, Queen of the Niger, Ofada
Rice, Abakaliki Rice and Mama’s Pride, among others, which are more nutritious
than foreign brands. But, partly because of their penchant for foreign-made
products, and partly because of the price difference between the local and
foreign brands, many Nigerians still prefer imported rice.
However, rice investors insist that they have the
capacity to meet local demand for rice if the right policy and investment
climate are put in place to de-emphasize massive importation of the commodity,
which in turn breeds smuggling. The investors are therefore of the view that
government should assist rice farmers to boost the rice value chain by helping
them secure arable land for rice cultivation and providing other inputs such as
pesticides, fertilisers, and high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties, among
others.“We, as Nigerian investors have made sacrifices by paying higher duties
for the importation of rice through the official channels, while some of our
members have begun the backward integration process for rice value-chain. We
cannot allow smugglers to keep destroying these investments,” said Bunmi Owolabi,
a local rice farmer in Kogi State.
Economy, investors hurting
The
Chairman of PRAN, an association of local growers and legal importers of rice,
Alhaji Habilu Maishinkafa, is livid. He said a bleak future is steering
investors in the face because of the upsurge in the activities of rice
smugglers.He lamented that the rate of smuggling of the commodity remains quite
high, with concomitant effects of loss of investment, market share, job losses,
revenue and increase in youth unemployment. The PRAN chair said large scale
investments in farming and milling industries by private businesses are being
jeopardised by the free reign of rice smugglers.
Explaining
the process of rice production, experts say the farmers must plant rice and
produce paddy (raw) rice, sell the paddy rice to the processors, who turn the
rice into finished products.
They lamented that the processors no longer buy paddy
from the farmers in sufficient quantities because the price is not attractive
for business.Noting, for instance, that local rice farms and milling plants
have been unable to impact on host communities as they are supposed to
following the ugly development, Maishinkafa expressed fears that the rice
policy is gradually being eroded in view of the unrestrained activities of economic
saboteurs, illegal importers and smugglers. He appealed to the Federal
Government to tighten the porous borders.
Against
the backdrop of the Buhari administration’s avowed commitment to boost the
nation’s agricultural sector, PRAN appealed to the government to help its
members contribute to the realisation of the dream of self-sufficiency in rice,
stating that it was ready to partner with the administration to realise the
dream.The rice dealers added that there is the need to sustain the synergy earlier
formed between the Federal Government and the organisation to achieve the
production and supply value chain on rice.According to them, the new rice
policy of backward integration was a step in the right direction, which should
not be reversed by the current administration, the group observed that for the
first time, the government was making conscientious efforts to jump-start local
production and shield investors from the onslaught of international importers
and daring smugglers.
Asia Rice-Prices gain in Vietnam, Thailand following supply deal
on Sep 30, 2015
We, as Nigerian
investors have made sacrifices by paying higher duties for
Rice farmer Boonhome Suaydee, 57, gestures in Khon Kaen,
Thailand, on Sept. 14. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
HANOI - Rice export prices in Vietnam and Thailand went up this
week following a supply deal both signed with the Philippines even though
markets were relatively quiet, traders said on Wednesday.Vietnam and Thailand won a tender at mid-month to
supply 750,000 tons of 25 percent broken rice to the Philippines at $426.60 a
tons between November and March 2016.Also, Indonesia plans to import up to 1.5
million tons of rice from Thailand and Vietnam next month."The news from
the Philippines and Indonesia has boosted prices," said a trader at a rice
exporting firm in Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnam's rice exports in the
January-September period would drop 10 percent from a year ago to an estimated
4.48 million ton, bringing the nine-month revenue down 15.7 percent, the
Agriculture Ministry said last week.In Thailand, the world's second-biggest
rice exporter after India, the market was relatively quiet in thin trade as
well."We shipped about 10 containers last week but we haven't been
shipping at all this week," said a rice trader in Bangkok.Thai 5 percent
broken grain <RI-THBKN5-P1> edged up to $342-$352 per ton, from $340-$348
a week earlier, FOB Bangkok."Prices slightly rose, but I think it's mainly
because it's been a while since it has increased," the trader said.
http://www.agweek.com/news/nation-and-world/3850438-asia-rice-prices-gain-vietnam-thailand-following-supply-deal
Few takers for PB-1509 paddy in mandis
30 2015 12:38AM
Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service
Sirsa, September 29
Facing financial losses due to
inclement weather, poor crops and pest infestations for the past two crops,
farmers in the state are in for another jolt as there are no buyers of PB 1509
basmati variety in the grain markets.Once hailed as a profitable alternative to
other varieties due to its high yield and shorter duration, PB 1509 that
fetched farmers a price of Rs 4000 per quintal in 2013, sold for nearly Rs 2500
per quintal last year has is now selling for only Rs 1250 now. .Even the state
government’s announcement to purchase if for a MSP of Rs 1450 per quintal has
not worked because millers, who are otherwise on warpath with the government
for their demands, are not ready to mill this variety due to high percentage of
broken grains after milling.
“Despite the government’s orders not
a single grain is being purchased in the grain markets,” said Surinder
Minchnabadi, president of Sirsa Grain Market Traders’ Association.“This variety
is used for mixing in other varieties. Since existing stocks were sufficient to
meet the industry needs, there were hardly any buyers, he added. Gurjeet Singh
Mann, a progressive farmer from Kirpal Patti village, who has grown PB 1509,
said the crop coming to the market these days are of early varieties, which, he
said, were of an inferior quality.
Agriculture scientists had been advising farmers repeatedly
to transplant PB 1509 varieties only after July 15 because the rice grains that
mature during the hot weather are of inferior quality, lose aroma and develop a
tendency to break during milling.“Though the prices will always be driven by
market forces, the PB 1509 varieties which are arrive by the end of October
will of a better quality,” he added.Diwan Chand Sharma, DFSC, said once the
impasse between the government and the rice millers ends, government agencies
would start purchasing it on MSP.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/few-takers-for-pb-1509-paddy-in-mandis/139413.html
Cambodian Rice Millers Begin Cracking US Market
Khmer Times/May Kunmakara
Wednesday, 30 September 2015
PHNOM PENH (Khmer Times) – Domestic rice millers are preparing
to compete against their Thai rivals for a share of the US market as the
European Union market becomes increasingly competitive, they say.The move,
which will see the Kingdom’s premium rice competing with Thai jasmine rice,
which dominates rice imports by the US, is part of an overall strategy to
diversify export markets, rice exporters say.
Song Saran, president of Amru Rice (Cambodia), a leading milled rice exporter, told Khmer Times that exports to the EU and other markets were not increasing fast enough due to intense competition and the fact that these markets are not growing.“The EU market has already reached its peak and there is little room to expand there. But we see plenty of room for growth in the US market. We need to increase our competitiveness to expand fast,” Mr. Saran said. Mr. Saran said Amru will export 1,000 tons of rice to the US this year and plans to double this amount next year. Although the US places no import tax on Cambodian rice, its price is similar to that of Thai jasmine rice due to the lack of competitiveness in the value chain here. “We have to compete on brand, price and quality,” he said. Thailand has been exporting rice to the US for more than 25 years and has established a strong brand there, he added.
Khan Khunthy, CEO of BriCo – a domestic rice miller that exports fragrant and jasmine rice to the EU and US – is also planning to expand exports to the US. BriCo began exporting to the US about one year ago, he said.Mr. Khunthy said his company has exported about 6,000 tons of rice in the first nine months of this year to the EU and the US. The amount is three times what it exported in the same period last year, he added. “My company has been in the [US] market for nearly a year. The market is really big, but Thai rice dominates the market,” he said. “If you talk about jasmine everyone there knows Thai rice because they have been marketing and branding it for nearly 20 years.”
Mr. Khunthy also noted that Thailand’s government has had a budget for marketing its rice globally, but Cambodia does not. “The US market has great potential and is huge, but to get a share of this premium market requires us to have clear branding and marketing,” he added. Economist Srey Chanthy agreed that domestic rice millers will face immense challenges competing with Thai rice in the US market. It is “very difficult to compete with Thailand,” he said. “Maybe Cambodian [exporters] should capture a niche market, like organic rice, or conduct aggressive marketing campaigns and target Cambodian communities as a start,” he said.
Cambodia’s Jasmine rice has been named “The World’s Best Rice” for three years in a row, since 2013, but Mr. Khunthy said this has not appeared to benefit domestic exporters. “We don’t have any branding yet,” he said. “We were named ‘World's Best Rice’ for three straight years. We should do branding based on that, but we don’t have a national strategy to do this,” he said. “We [companies] do a lot of branding, but it is not synchronized. We need better [industry] leadership.”
Over the first nine months of the year Brico exported about 500 tons of rice to the US and will export another 500 tons by the end of this year, said Mr. Khunthy.Data from the Agriculture Ministry shows Cambodia exported 342,136 tons of milled rice over the first eight months of this year, up 40 per cent over the same period last year. The export price of Cambodian rice is estimated to be about $800 a ton. About 70 per cent of the total went to the EU. Just 1,197 tons were exported to the US. Cambodia’s share of the global rice export market was just 1.1 percent last year, compared to 22 percent for Thailand, according to export tracking website World’s Top Exports. Although Cambodia’s exports were small, they rose at the fastest pace of any exporter last year, the website said.
Japan mulls extra proposal for U.S.
rice imports to help clinch TPP
ATLANTA —
Japan is considering making an additional proposal for U.S. rice
imports in pursuit of reaching a Pacific free trade agreement that would create
one of the world’s biggest free trade zones, a source close to the matter says.With
talks ongoing since Saturday between chief negotiators from the United States,
Japan and 10 other countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal in
Atlanta, the two countries appear to remain at odds over rice, Japan’s heavily
protected staple food.Japan has already proposed to newly set a 70,000-ton
tariff-free annual import quota for U.S. rice under the trade pact talks, but
that is still far short of the 175,000 tons demanded by the United States.
Tokyo is now looking at an additional proposal of allocating
50,000 tons within an existing 770,000-ton quota for rice imports set under an
earlier multilateral trade agreement to medium-grain rice, which is mainly
grown by American farmers, the source said.Japan currently imposes 778 percent
tariffs on rice to protect local farmers. But following the Uruguay Round of
global trade talks under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade framework
through 1994, it set up a 770,000-ton tariff-free “minimum access” rice import
quota. U.S. rice accounted for some 360,000 tons of the 770,000 tons in fiscal
2014.U.S. farmers are likely to make up most of the 50,000 tons that would be
allotted to medium-grain rice, which would boost American rice imports while
squeezing allocations for other countries such as Thailand, China and
Australia.
The suggestion came under consideration as the Japanese minister
in charge of TPP negotiations prepares to attend ministerial talks from
Wednesday in Atlanta.Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Akira Amari, who is in
charge of the TPP talks for Japan, told reporters ahead of his departure from
Narita airport that an agreement has to be reached at the meeting to keep negotiations
from further dragging on.He reiterated that a final agreement could be put off
for years if the talks are not concluded this time.Some countries see a need
for striking a deal ahead of the general election in Canada next month and
before the national focus in the United States shifts later this year to the
2016 presidential election.
Such political events will make it hard for politicians in those
countries to concentrate on TPP issues, political analysts said.Major sticking
issues such as intellectual property protection, market access and automotive
trade blocked ministers from wrapping up negotiations in the previous round in
Hawaii in July.The TPP negotiations were launched in 2010 involving the United
States, Australia, Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
Malaysia, Mexico, Canada and Japan joined the talks later.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/japan-mulls-extra-proposal-for-u-s-rice-imports-to-help-clinch-tpp
China sets 2016 wheat, corn, rice and cotton import quotas -NDRC
Wed Sep 30, 2015 11:25am GMT
BEIJING, Sept 30 (Reuters) - China has set 2016 low-tariff rate import quotas for
wheat, corn, rice and cotton, the National Development and Reform Commission
(NDRC) said on Wednesday, with volumes the same as this year.The quota for
wheat has been set at 9.636 million tonnes, for corn 7.2 million tonnes, and
rice 5.32 million tonnes.The cotton quota has been set at 894,000 tonnes, the
NDRC said on its website www.ndrc.gov.cn.
(Reporting by Chen Aizhu; Editing by Pravin Char)
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFB9N10E02Q20150930
The Origins Of Black Rice Plant biologists have solved the ancient
mystery of the origins and spread of black rice.
Asian Scientist Newsroom | September 30, 2015 | In the Lab Read
more from Asian Scientist Magazine at:
http://www.asianscientist.com/2015/09/in-the-lab/origins-black-rice/
The Origins Of Black Rice Plant biologists have
solved the ancient mystery of the origins and spread of black rice. Asian Scientist
Newsroom | September 30, 2015 | In the Lab AsianScientist (Sep. 30, 2015) -
Japanese scientists have traced the genetic origins of black rice to natural
crossbreeding. Their work has been published in The Plant Cell. Black rice has
a rich cultural history; called ‘Emperor’s rice’, it was reserved for the
Emperor in ancient China and used as a tribute food. In the time since, it
remained popular in certain regions of China and recently has become prized
worldwide for its high levels of antioxidants.
Despite
its long history, the origins of black rice have not been clear. Black rice
cultivars are found in locations scattered throughout Asia. However, most
cultivated rice species (Oryza sativa) produces white grains, and the wild
relative Oryza rufipogon has red grains. The color of rice grains is determined
by which colored pigments they accumulate (or fail to accumulate, in the case
of white rice). For instance, the pro-anthocyanidins that give wild rice grains
their characteristic red color are not produced in white rice due to a mutation
in a gene controlling pro-anthocyanidin biosynthesis. The color in black rice
is known to be due to anthocyanin pigments, but how these came to be made in
the grains was not known.
The authors of the paper answered the
long-standing question of how black rice became black and, moreover, traces the
history of the trait from its molecular origin to its spread into modern-day
varieties of rice. Researchers from two institutions in Japan, National
Institute of Agrobiological Sciences and Forestry and Fisheries Research
Center, collaborated to examine the genetic basis for the black color in rice
grains. They discovered that the trait arose due to a rearrangement in a gene
called Kala4, which activates the production of anthocyanins. They concluded
that this rearrangement must have originally occurred in the tropical japonica
subspecies of rice and that the black rice trait was then transferred into
other varieties (including those found today) by crossbreeding.
“The birth and spread of novel agronomical
traits during crop domestication are complex events in plant evolution,” said
Dr. Izawa Takeshi, lead scientist of the study. This new work on black rice
helps explain the history of domestication of rice by ancient humans, during
which they selected for desirable traits including grain color. The article can
be found at: Oikawa et al. (2015) The Birth of a Black Rice Gene and Its Local
Spread by Introgression. ——— Source: American Society of Plant Biologists;
Photo: storebukkebruse/Flickr/CC. Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily
reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff. Tags: Agriculture, Japan,
National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences Japan, Rice Read more from Asian
Scientist Magazine at: http://www.asianscientist.com/2015/09/in-the-lab/origins-black-rice/
http://www.asianscientist.com/2015/09/in-the-lab/origins-black-rice/
More rice imports next year as El Niño lingers
(The Philippine Star) | Updated October 1, 2015 - 12:00am
Earlier,
the NFA Council approved the importation of 1.8 million metric tons of rice
this year, including the 500,000 MT bought from Thailand and Vietnam in the
first quarter. Another 250,000 MT of the approved volume were meant for the
lean season, while 250,000 MT were set aside for reserves. Philstar.com/File
MANILA, Philippines - The government plans to import more rice in
the first half of 2016 due to the adverse effects of the prolonged dry spell in
some rice-producing provinces.Socioeconomic
Planning Secretary Arsenio
Balisacan said yesterday preparations are being made to ensure the country has
enough rice buffer to cushion the impact of the El Niño phenomenon which is
expected to last until next year.Balisacan is part of the National Food Authority’s
council, the only agency allowed by law to bring in rice shipments from abroad. “This
early, we are prepositioning our level of imports.
We already decided to
import more rice this year and we have already provisioned more import volumes
for the first two quarters of next year,” Balisacan said at the Philippine
Economic Briefing.However, he declined to disclose the volume of rice imports
the government has been planning to order.“We don’t know the exact numbers (for
the imports) yet but we have some provisions already,” he said, noting the data
on the areas that are expected to be adversely affected by the dry spell, and
the farmers’ intention to plant, among others, have yet to be gathered. “What I’m trying to say is we know
there is going to be a shortfall so we are making the minimum buffer that we need
to have to ensure there would be no sharp increases in the prices of rice,”
Balisacan said.
Earlier, the NFA Council approved the importation of 1.8 million
metric tons of rice this year, including the 500,000 MT bought from Thailand
and Vietnam in the first quarter. Another 250,000 MT of the approved volume
were meant for the lean season, while 250,000 MT were set aside for reserves.
The remaining 805,200 MT were private sector imports under the
government’s minimum
http://www.philstar.com/business/2015/10/01/1505673/more-rice-imports-next-year-el-nino-lingers
DA-12 looking at
alternative palay areas in preparation to El Niño
ByMindanewson September 30 2015 4:32 pm
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 30 Sept) – The Department of
Agriculture (DA) in Region 12 is working on the opening of “alternative” palay
production areas in a bid to offset the projected reduction in local harvests
due to the impact of the looming strong El Niño Phenomenon.Amalia
Jayag-Datukan, DA Region 12 executive director, said they are currently
evaluating some irrigated farm areas in parts of Sultan Kudarat and North
Cotabato provinces for the planting of palay within the next few weeks.She said
the targeted farmlands are located in portions of the Liguasan Marsh that are
covered by the two provinces.
“We’re continuously looking for other alternative production areas
so we can sustain our production targets,” she said.Based on the DA-12’s
forecasts, the region’s palay harvests could drop by a total of 98,473 metric
tons (MT) this year as a result of the onslaught of the El Niño, which was
predicted to begin next month and last until February next year.It expects the
area’s total palay harvests to reach 1,316,809 MT by yearend or about seven
percent lower than its 1,415,282 MT target under its Food Self-Sufficiency
Program.In terms of palay production area, the agency expects a reduction of
17,679 hectares or from its target of 358,567 hectares to 340,888 hectares due
to the El Niño.
Despite such projection, Datukan said they are not expecting any
rice shortage in the region in the coming months.She said the region remains
rice self-sufficient and they anticipate enough rice supplies in the local
markets during the El Niño period.“We will still be 120 percent rice
self-sufficient so that will not likely affect the availability of rice
supplies in the markets,” she said.In 2014, Region 12 produced a total of 1.364
million MT of palay and a self-sufficiency rating of 128 percent.Such figure
was equivalent to 31.68 percent of Mindanao’s rice production and 7.1 percent
of the entire country.Based on rainfall data released to DA-12 by the
Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration,
some parts of the region already posted “way below normal” levels as of the end
of August.
It said the rainfall level in the provinces of South Cotabato,
Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato will drop to below normal and in Sarangani to
way below normal starting the end of the month.Datukan said the provinces of
Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato will experience dry spell this
month that will intensify to drought from October to February.She said North
Cotabato will experience dry condition starting this month until January and
dry spell by February.Dry spell was described as three consecutive months of
below normal or 21 to 60 percent reduction from average rainfall conditions or
two consecutive months of way below normal or more than 60 percent reduction
from average rainfall conditions.Drought was defined as consecutive months of
way below normal or more than 60 percent reduction from average or five
consecutive months of below normal or 21 to 60 percent reduction from average
rainfall condition
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2015/09/30/da-12-looking-at-alternative-palay-areas-in-preparation-to-el-nino/
Big data on 3,000 rice genomes made available on cloud
By
eGov Innovation Editors | 2015-09-30
This new 3,000 Rice Genomes Project (3K RGP) data analysis
set is massive at 120 terabytes, which is well beyond the computing capacities
of most research institutions. However, these new results are now publicly
available online, as an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Public Data Set. Accessing
the data is free, and use is governed by the stipulations for data analysts and
users from the Toronto Statement.“The dataset provides access to millions of
genetic markers that can be used to design sustainable crops for the future,
that is, ones that are high-yielding and more nutritious while at the same time
requiring less water, fertilizer, and pesticides,” said. Dr. Rod Wing, director
of the Arizona Genomics Institute at the University of Arizona and a pioneer in
rice genome sequencing.
Dr. Kenneth McNally, senior scientist in IRRI’s T.T. Chang
Genetic Resources Center and a project team member, added that the data set
also comes with tools to help researchers visualize and analyze genetic
information. Data access and analysis tools are being made available for
the 3K RGP dataset through the International Rice Informatics Consortium(IRIC) ), which promotes collaboration in
bioinformatics analysis of rice data and provides computational tools to
facilitate rice improvement via discovery of new gene-trait associations and
accelerated breeding.
One of the tools, the SNP-Seek database, is
designed to provide user-friendly access to a type of genetic marker called
single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified from this data. Another tool
in SNP-Seek, the JBrowse genome browser, displays chromosome-specific SNP data
derived from the set.“The 3K RGP dataset is a powerful tool that will unite
researchers from around the world to help drive the next green revolution,” Dr.
Wing said.The International Rice Genebank of the T.T. Chang Genetic Resources
Center at the IRRI contains more than 127,000 rice varieties and accessions from
all over the world. These accessions hold a virtually untapped reservoir
of genes/traits that can be used to make rice cultivation more sustainable,
with a smaller environmental footprint. Traits targeted for improvement include
higher nutritional quality; tolerance of pests, diseases, and environmental
stresses, such as flood and drought; and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Odisha to procure 30 lakh tonnes paddy this year
By Indo Asian News Service | IANS India Private Limited/Yahoo India News
Bhubaneswar, Sep 30 (IANS) The
Odisha cabinet on Wednesday approved the state food and procurement policy for
kharif marketing season (KMS) 2015-16 that targets to procure 30 lakh tonnes of
paddy in kharif and rabi seasons.An initial target of 30 lakh tonnes of paddy
has been fixed for kharif season 2015-16 by the government procuring agencies,
said Chief Secretary G.C. Pati.As much as 23 lakh tonnes in kharif and 7 lakh
tonnes in rabi season would be procured from the farmers in the state, Pati
said. Government agencies would be allowed to procure paddy from the Regulated
Market Committee yards (mandis).
Payment to the paddy farmers by
government agencies would be through on-line transfer in 160 Paddy Procurement
Automation System (P-PAS) blocks and through cheques in non-P-PAS blocks, said
the chief secretary.P-PAS was implemented earlier in 60 high procuring blocks
of the state during the kharif season 2014-15 and it has been extended to
another 100 blocks.The cabinet also approved the revival of a medical college
and hospital in Kalahandi district.The state government has taken over the
ailing medical college and would induct a suitable private partner through
public-private partnership framework for ensuing the revival and sustainable
operationalisation of the medical college.
"The state government decided
to transfer 124 students pursuing degree course in the medical college in the
last two years to private medical colleges in Bhubaneswar. We have sought
Medical Council of India (MCI) approval," said development commissioner
U.N. Behera.Citing lack of infrastructure and adequate faculty, the MCI had
withdrawn recognition to the college that was developed by Western Odisha
Development Council and a private educational trust.The chief secretary said
the Orissa High Court has directed all concerned, including the MCI, to take
necessary steps for the smooth functioning of the medical college.The cabinet
also accorded nod for loan assistance of $51.20 million (Rs.312.37 crore) by
International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) for infrastructure and
livelihood development of particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTG) in the
state.
The state government would avail of
external assistance from IFAD for implementing the Empowerment and Livelihood
Improvement Programme in 1,019 villages, where the PVTG reside.While the total
project cost is Rs.795.41 crore ($130.39 million), the state's share would be
Rs.464.73 crore ($76.18 million).The project to enable improved livelihood,
food and nutrition security for 32,091 PVTG households and several other
scheduled castes and scheduled tribes living in the villages would be
implemented from 2015-16 to 2022-23.
https://in.news.yahoo.com/odisha-procure-30-lakh-tonnes-paddy-114404830--finance.html
Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
A comprehensive daily commodity market report for Arkansas
agricultural commodities with cash markets, futures and insightful analysis and
commentary from Arkansas Farm Bureau commodity analysts.
Noteworthy benchmark price levels of interest to farmers and
ranchers, as well as long-term commodity market trends which are developing.
Daily fundamental market influences and technical factors are noted and
discussed.
Soybeans
|
High
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Low
|
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Cash Bids
|
909
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829
|
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New Crop
|
909
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834
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Riceland Foods
|
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Cash Bids
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Stuttgart: - - -
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Pendleton: - - -
|
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New Crop
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Stuttgart: - - -
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Pendleton: - - -
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Futures:
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Soybean Comment
Soybean prices closed slightly high today however
this is disappointing given the bullish stocks report which had stocks less
than 200 million bushels. Soybeans remain under pressure from large global and
US supplies forecasted for this coming year. While prices have hopefully put in
their contract lows they still nee d help from export market to show demand
remains robust for soybeans.
Wheat
|
High
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Low
|
|
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Cash Bids
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492
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492
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New Crop
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511
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409
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Futures:
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Wheat Comment
Wheat prices closed higher today as the market
finally got som supportive fundamental news. Today stocks report was lower than
most analyst estimates providing some much-needed fundamental support for
prices. Longer-term wheat will need to see additional demand before prices can
make any kind of significant rally.
Grain Sorghum
|
High
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Low
|
|
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Cash Bids
|
399
|
331
|
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New Crop
|
399
|
373
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Corn
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High
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Low
|
|
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Cash Bids
|
399
|
346
|
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New Crop
|
379
|
351
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Futures:
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Corn Comment
Corn prices close slightly lower today. While today's
stock report was mostly neutral for prices, corn remains under harvest
pressure. Most traders expected today report to show stocks tighter than USDA
reported, this is evident in the sharp decline following the report. Corn
prices remain near resistance at $4.00 however prices also have strong
supporter 360 range. Look for corn to continue sideways pattern until supplies
for this year become clear.
Cotton
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Futures:
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Cotton Comment
December cotton charted a bearish key reversal today,
suggesting that another leg down is possible. At least for today, though, the
market found support at the contract low of 59.70 cents set last week.
Hurricane Joaquin could provide some price support as harvest is delayed and
cotton quality is impacted.
Rice
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High
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Low
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Long Grain
Cash Bids
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- - -
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- - -
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Long Grain
New Crop
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- - -
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- - -
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Futures:
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Rice Comment
Rice futures have rallied to their highest level in
14 months in the nearby contract, but turned a bit lower today on profit
taking. Reports of disappointing yields across the south coupled with smaller
acreage has fueled the recent rally. Concerns about Asian production are also a
factor, as an El Nino weather pattern has caused drought in major production
areas. November continues to find resistance at $13.39.
Cattle
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Futures:
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Live Cattle:
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Feeders:
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Arkansas Prices
Conway Livestock Auction
Pocahontas Livestock Auction
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City - Weekly Weighted Average Summary Wednesday
Cattle Comment
Cattle prices remain under pressure today as both
live and feeder cattle markets closed down sharply. Last weeks frozen stocks
report continues to dominate the market as traders remain worried about demand.
Continued strength in the dollar and worries about the overall economy remain a
negative factor for cattle prices.
Hogs
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Futures:
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Hog Comment
Shell Eggs
National
Turkeys
Delmarva
Broilers
Warshaw Testifies on Importance of In-Kind Contributions
in Food Aid Programs
Jamie Warshaw
WASHINGTON, DC -- Earlier today, the U.S. House of Representatives
Agriculture Committee held a public hearing on U.S. International Food Aid
Programs. USA Rice Food Aid Subcommittee
Chairman Jamie Warshaw testified, along with five other witnesses representing
various private volunteer organizations (PVOs) and commodity groups. "Unfortunately, despite all the efforts
of the United States and other countries, there is still a significant number
of people across the world that are food insecure," said Warshaw during
his opening remarks. "Therefore, I
appreciate efforts by USAID and various members of Congress who are looking for
ways to make food aid programs more effective, but I have serious concerns
about many of the policy proposals and reforms that have been laid on the
table."
Several of the proposals seek to reduce or eliminate the use of
in-kind contributions to food aid and replace them with a cash or voucher
system. Warshaw highlighted recent World
Food Programme and Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that
emphasized the lack of oversight and diversion of aid when cash or vouchers
were used.
Congressman Rick Crawford (R-AR) commented on the new fortified
rice developments for food aid and questioned whether the rice industry would
be able to provide this product now.
Warshaw enthusiastically replied that the rice industry can provide a
fortified product and in fact has been providing enriched rice to the domestic
market and some export markets for decades.
Responding to Congressman Ralph Abraham's (R-LA) question about the
food safety checks for U.S. rice versus other countries, Warshaw stated that
the U.S has one of the world's safest food supplies.
"In many other rice exporting countries, there are issues with
water quality, storage and farming practices, unregulated pesticide and
herbicide use, and little to no third party oversight of the safety of the food
product. The U.S. has a strong system of
objective checks that ensure the quality and safety of our products."
Warshaw continued, "The U.S. rice industry has invested
significant capital, time, and effort in being a timely and reliable supplier
of food aid. Looking forward, we are
developing fortified rice and rice products aimed to reduce global hunger and
malnutrition, particularly in women and children. We have had great success so far but global
food insecurity is a challenge we're still facing. The continued delivery of in-kind food aid is
necessary to help avoid many of these potentially serious consequences of program
reforms."
Contact: Sarah Moran (703) 236-1457
LUIS ESPINO: ARMYWORMS
INVADE RICE
By Charmayne
Hefley, Associate Editor
Larva of the armyworm, Mythimna
unipuncta.
Photo by Jack Kelly Clark, UC IPM.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2015
“Heading” occurs when the rice plant prepares to enter its
reproductive phase. The first sign, called the ‘booting’ stage, is when the
leaf stem that conceals the developing panicle bulges. Then the tip of the
developing panicle emerges from the stem and continues to grow. Rice is
said to be at the ‘heading’ stage when the panicle is fully visible. Flowering
begins a day after heading has completed. As the flowers open they shed
their pollen on each other so that pollination can occur. Flowering can
continue for about 7 days. (Source: Rice
Development, Ricepedia.)
“The second infestation
usually occurs in mid- to late-August when the rice is heading out,” Espino
said. “At that time, armyworms can feed on the panicles, [causing the
kernels to dry before filling], resulting in blanks [without kernels
to harvest] on the panicles and broken panicle branches. That’s when armyworms
are more important.”Espino said that the first infestation this year was
relatively large, making it harder for the treatments to control the armyworms
as they devastated the rice fields. “There were some areas in fields where
the rice was down to the waters,” Espino said. “so all the foliage was
consumed, and sometimes only a little stem was left standing.”
During the second armyworm
infestation, however, Espino said the rice fields were not as badly affected as
they had been in the first attack. “We did see some fields
with armyworm injury,” Espino said,“ and some farmers had to
treat their fields. The numbers were just so big that the treatments
were not controlling them.”
Resources:
http://californiaagtoday.com/armyworms-invade-rice/?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+September+30%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
Jeremy Zwinger to discuss rice outlook for U of A webinar
Sep 30, 2015Delta
Farm Press
His (Jeremy Zwinger's) skills were honed during his early career
as an analyst for The Rice Trader. With his 2007 speech predicting prices to go
past USD $1,000-per-ton levels, Zwinger’s analytical skills became well
regarded. As always, he looks forward to contributing more insights about the
future of the commodity market, hoping to make yet another accurate assessment
of the future to aid the audience.
In recent years, his interests have expanded to water trading,
grower finance, international trade and effecting branding.He has chaired the
World Rice Conference since its inception in 2009, being a regular participant
at the World Rice Commerce series and has over the years contributed to some
extensive analysis of rice markets by adding inter-commodity analysis (wheat, corn,
soybeans, sugar, coffee, etc.) as well as how currency and oil prices impact
the rice market.His skills were honed during his early career as an analyst for
The Rice Trader. With his 2007 speech predicting prices to go past USD
$1,000-per-ton levels, Zwinger’s analytical skills became well regarded. As
always, he looks forward to contributing more insights about the future of the
commodity market, hoping to make yet another accurate assessment of the future
to aid the audience.
For more information on the Food and Agribusiness Webinar
series, visithttp://www.uaex.edu/farm-ranch/economics-marketing/food-agribusiness-webinars/.
Study concludes added enzyme makes phosphorus in rice co-products
more digestible for pigs
Sep 29, 2015
Rice is the third most widely grown cereal grain worldwide with
over 700 million tons produced per year. Co-products from the processing of
rice for human consumption are an abundant feed source for livestock. Research
conducted at the University of Illinois is helping producers make the most of
these ingredients.
"Most of the phosphorus in rice co-products is hard for
pigs to digest because it's bound to phytate," explains Hans H.
Stein, a U of I professor of animal sciences. "About 84 to 88% of the
phytate is in the bran layer so rice bran is a good source of phosphorus if we
can get it into a form that pigs can absorb."Microbial phytase, an enzyme
produced by specially engineered microbes such as bacteria or yeast, breaks the
bonds holding phosphorus to phytate. Microbial phytase has been used for years
to improve phosphorus digestibility in U.S. swine diets based largely on corn
and soybean meal. Stein, along with Ph. D. student Gloria Casas, set out to
test its effects on the digestibility of phosphorus in rice co-products fed to
pigs.
First, they fed a group of growing pigs diets containing rice
co-products with no added phytase. The standardized total tract digestibility
of phosphorus was greatest in broken rice at 75.6%. The digestibility of
phosphorus in FFRB, rice mill feed, brown rice and DFRB ranged from 26.4
to 33.1%.Adding phytase greatly improved phosphorus digestibility in some of
the rice co-products. When phytase was added to the diets, the digestibility of
phosphorus increased to 64.5% in brown rice, 41.3% in FFRB, and
46.7% in rice mill feed. The digestibility of phosphorus in broken rice
and DFRB was not increased by the addition of phytase.
"Broken rice contains no bran so it has less phytate-bound
phosphorus, but also much less phosphorus overall than co-products with
bran," Stein says. "Using microbial phytase in combination with brown
rice, rice mill feed or full fat rice bran makes these ingredients
valuable sources of phosphorus in diets for growing pigs."He
adds that with the use of microbial phytase, producers can also decrease
the amount of phosphorus excreted by pigs. "So this not only reduces the
cost of adding supplemental phosphorus to the diets, but it also has benefits
for the environment."The paper, "Effects of microbial phytase on the
apparent and standardized total tract digestibility of phosphorus in rice
co-products fed to growing pigs" was published in a recent edition of the Journal of Animal Sciences. The
full text is available online.
http://nationalhogfarmer.com/nutrition/study-concludes-added-enzyme-makes-phosphorus-rice-co-products-more-digestible-pigs?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+September+30%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
Abraham Recognizes Rice in House Floor Speech
Rep. Abraham gives U.S. rice
a big hand
Contact: Julie Vieburg (703) 236-1467
CCC Announces Prevailing World Market Prices
|
WASHINGTON, DC -- The Department of Agriculture's
Commodity Credit Corporationtoday announced the
following prevailing world market prices of milled and rough rice, adjusted
for U.S. milling yields and location, and the resulting marketing loan gain
(MLG) and loan deficiency payment (LDP) rates applicable to the 2015 crop,
which will become effective today at 7:00
a.m., Eastern Time (ET). Prices are unchanged from
the previous announcement.
This week's prevailing world market prices and MLG/LDP rates are based on the following U.S. milling yields and the corresponding loan rates:
The next program announcement is scheduled for October 7, 2015. |
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CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
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No ban on export of basmati rice: Government
By PTI | 30 Sep, 2015, 06.42PM IST
The
ministry said it has come to the notice that rumours are being spread by
certain elements that the government has banned export of basmati rice. "The
Government of India most emphatically clarifies that there is no truth in such
rumours and the Government is not even considering any proposal to ban export
of Basmati rice," the statement added. The export of basmati rice is
allowed subject to registration of contracts with the Agricultural and
Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). There is no
change in the policy and exports of basmati rice which are continuing unabated,
it added. During the period between April-August, basmati rice exports grew by
17 per cent in quantity terms as compared to the corresponding period during
the previous year. In view of softening of commodity prices, the realisation of
basmati rice has gone down as has happened with many other commodities. It is
expected that a good flow of export orders is likely and the government also
expects the present trend of growth in the export of basmati rice to continue,
the statement added.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/no-ban-on-export-of-basmati-rice-government/articleshow/49170015.cms
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