APEDA COMMODITY NEWS FROM INDIA
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2015
USA Rice Outlook Conference Early Bird Registration Closing; Contest Winner
Announced
ARLINGTON, VA- Early bird registration for the 2015 USA Rice Outlook
Conference ends Friday, but that won't matter to Louisiana's A.J. Sabine who
is this week's winner and the Grand Prize recipient of the
#USARiceOutlook hashtag contest. Sabine will receive free registration to the
2015 USA Rice Outlook Conference in New Orleans for his active participation
in the social media contest.
The month-long #USARiceOutlook
contest encouraged members to use the designated hashtag to share promotional
content about the highly-anticipated annual USA Rice Outlook Conference. The
successful initiative resulted in more than 40 uses of the hashtag and nearly
200 interactions on social media platforms.
"I think the thing that
draws me to the USA Rice Outlook Conference year after year is the diversity
of issues the conference addresses," said Sabine, a member of the
2014-2016 Rice Leadership Development program. "From international trade
policy to rice cooking classes, the USA Rice Outlook Conference offers the
ultimate in education on our industry. That, combined with the camaraderie of
catching up with growers, marketers, and industry leaders-who are just as
passionate about rice as I am, in my home town-well, you just can't beat that
kind of experience!"
Weekly winners Mark Isbell, Sean
Doherty, and Paul Johnson will receive rice "swag bags" for their
participation in the #USARiceOutlook contest. Members are encouraged to
continue using the #USARiceOutlook hashtag throughout the conference.
Contact: Colleen Klemczewski (703) 236-1446 |
Kroger Dietitians Enjoy Healthy Competition
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"The NRM recipe contest was
a fun, creative way to educate employees at stores throughout the country
about the versatility and health benefits of rice," said Katie Maher,
USA Rice director of domestic promotion. "Kroger has 80,000 employees
and we reached them in a way that keeps rice top of mind when making
recommendations to customers and of course, they are shoppers too."
Throughout NRM, Kroger's
corporate dietitian used social media to post cooking tips, USA Rice recipes,
and nutrition facts about rice while promoting the contest through the
company's employee portal. One post read, "When you eat US rice, you're
eating a sustainable grain! US rice farmers protect & preserve natural
resources. Remember to post your #ricecreations photo for a chance to win
$100 and a rice cooker."
More than 100 entries were
received and the contest was so successful that the company extended the
promotion for an additional two weeks. Winners for the five best entries were
awarded prizes of gift cards and rice cookers.
"Encouraging families to
cook with U.S.-grown rice is beneficial in every way, and our associates
really enjoyed this messaging," said a Kroger corporate dietitian.
"We saw creative dishes and the exchange of ideas through our internal
social media platform. All in all, this promotion was a success for everyone
involved."
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CCC Announces Prevailing World
Market Prices
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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). Rough rice prices decreased $0.07 per cwt for long grain
and $0.08 per cwt for medium/short grain.
This week's prevailing world market prices and MLG/LDP rates are based on the following U.S. milling yields and the corresponding loan rates:
The next program announcement is scheduled for November 11, 2015 |
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CME
Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
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CME Group
(Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for November 4
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Farmers suffer losses
as paddy prices crash
A farmer sits on his paddy sacks at the new grain market in Karnal. Tribune photo: Ravi Kumar
Tribune Reporters
Rohtak, November 4
Paddy-growing farmers of the region have
suffered massive losses with the price of their produce recording a sharp
decline over the past three years. Paddy growers lamented that 1509
variety of paddy, which used to fetch up to Rs 4,200 per quintal in 2013, was
purchased at around Rs 3,000 in 2014. This year, the minimum support price
(MSP) of this variety has been fixed at Rs 1,450 a quintal by the government,
which shows steep fall in paddy prices.Farmers said while the 1509 variety of
paddy which was being purchased at Rs 1,450 per quintal, the 1121-basmati
variety was also fetching a low price in the range of Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,800 per
quintal.“We are in dire straits. The cost of farm inputs is much more than the
returns we get in the form of the price of our produce. Thanks to the price
crash, natural calamities and disease-attacks, an average paddy farmer is
suffering losses to the tune of Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 per acre,” maintains
Rajbir of Sanghi village and Balwan of Bahu Jamalpur village.A visit to the
local grain markets by The Tribune revealed that most of the paddy-growers have
brought 1121-basmati paddy, which is being purchased by rice-millers for Rs
1,500 to Rs 1,800 per quintal.The farmers, however, maintained that the 1509
variety is being procured by the government agencies at the MSP of Rs
1,450. The paddy-growers, who have brought their produce to the Rohtak
grain-market, lament that farmers who have taken land on contract for farming
are the worst sufferers as their input cost is much higher as compared to those
who have their own agricultural land.Their views are echoed by Devender of
Kheri Sadh and Karambir of Dhandhlan village. Amit of Achhej Paharipur village
in Jhajjar district, who has brought his produce to the Rohtak grain market,
rues that the government has increased water charges supplied for irrigation.Prem
of Chamaria village says due to a disease-attack on his crop, he could have
produced only five quintals from his three acres of land. Ramesh of Bayyanpur
Ladhaut says 1121-basmati variety fetches Rs 1,600 to Rs 1,800.
Millers-agencies nexus deny MSP to farmers
Sirsa: Farmers as well as
traders alleged that an unholy alliance of rice millers, procurement agencies
and officials of the market committees were fleecing farmers by buying their
crop on a lesser price.“The modus operandi is quite simple. When a farmer comes
to us with his crop, he finds no takers for it for four to five days. When he
approaches millers, they quote price ranging from Rs 1,200 to 1,300 per quintal
for his crop. Harried farmers are left with no other option than selling their
crop in distress. Once farmer sells his crop, the millers who already have a
connivance with the procurement agencies, get it entered in their records to
claim payments as per the MSP,” explained Dinesh Mehta, a trader in Sirsa grain
market.Jagsir Singh, a trader from Kalanwali grain market and a former
president of Kalanwali Municipal Committee, said the fleecing of farmers does
not end here.“They cut 3 kilograms per quintal in the name of Jhaarh (cleaning)
and often, a further cut of 3 kilogram per quintal by telling farmers that the
moisture contents in his paddy are more than 17 per cent,” alleged Jagsir.He
said farmers had locked the Kalanwali grain market against this loot last week,
but no action was taken by the authorities concerned in this regard.As per
rules, procurement agencies buy farmers’ paddy and give it to millers for
custom milling, millers rule the roost in procurement as they have tacit
understanding with agencies and government officials responsible for
safeguarding farmers’ interests. Swaran Singh Virk, state vice-president of the
Haryana Kisan Sabha alleged that his organisation had given several memorandums
in this regard, but all had fallen to deaf ears of the authorities concerned.
Survival of farmers’ paddy, bajra at stake
Faridabad/Palwal: “The survival of
paddy and bajra crops was at stake and we need to consider an alternative for
the next time,” said Hare Kishan, a farmer of Mindkola village of Palwal
district.Irked at poor rates and improper paddy procurement, he said almost all
farmers suffered irreparable losses and were unable to recover even half of the
production cost.Tej Singh, a farmer of Jorkhera village, said it was for the
first time that farmers had suffered losses on such a large scale.Ranbir Singh
of Deegot village said no one has procured the common variety of grade- A also
known as “mota chawal” at the MSP of Rs 1,450 per quintal, he said he was among
those who had to dispose it off at a rate of Rs 1,200.Blaming the government
machinery, Sunil Bisla of Dayalpur village claimed that he had to suffer a loss
of at least Rs 9,000 per acres due to poor rates in the market. He had grown
1121 variety of Basmati rice on several 20 acres and over 100 quintals of Bajra
grown by him had no buyer at respectable rates, he claimed, adding that Bajra
was being sold almost at Rs 200 less than the MSP.District Food and Supply
Controller (DFSC) Ram Avtar said various agencies had procured around 13,604
Metric tonnes of paddy in Faridabad. He said official agencies procure only
grade- A while others, including the Muchhal and 1121 paddy, were procured by
mill owners.
Farmers, Agents on a collision course
Ambala farmers face price cut in the name of moisture
Ambala: Farmers in Ambala
district who had sown non-basmati varieties of paddy are facing huge price cuts
in the name of ‘high moisture content’ even as the government continued to look
the other way. A visit to various grain markets of the district revealed that
that while farmers were being issued receipts of Rs 1,450 per quintal, which is
the MSP fixed by the government, they were paid only Rs 1,200 per quintal as
the government agents imposed price cuts ranging between Rs 70 to Rs 140. Vinod
Kumar of Sambhalkha village, who faced a price cut of Rs 80 per quintal of his
produce, said agents use a hand-held device to measure the moisture content. He
said the agents never showed him the exact readings, but told him that moisture
content was 24.50. — TNS
Commission agents blame farmers for current situation
Kurukshetra: Farmers have been expressing their
resentment over lesser MSP for their produce. Suresh Kumar, a farmer from
Jyotisar, said: “About 15 days ago, I sold 90 quintals of PR variety for Rs
1,375 to Rs 1,425 a quintal but I was given the receipts of Rs 1,450 per
quintal, the MSP. The commission agent said that the moisture content was
on the higher side.” On the other hand, the commission agents blame farmers for
the situation. A commission agent wishing anonymity said: “Every year, farmers
get instructions that they must bring their produce after drying and cleaning,
but they don’t do so.” He said: “In such a situation, millers don’t agree to
accept the paddy on the MSP. A cut of Rs 15 per quintal gets imposed on every
per cent of extra moisture and it is done with the consent of farmers.” —TNS
(With inputs from Sunit Dhawan, Sushil Manav, Manish
Sirhindi, Nitish Sharma and Bijendra Ahlawat)
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/farmers-suffer-losses-as-paddy-prices-crash/154602.html
Govt. to procure 36 lakh MT of kharif
paddy; MSP set at Rs. 1,450 per quintal
If the
overall procurement of the State is in excess of the total allocation of the
State made by the Centre, under TPDS or OWS, such excess quantity shall be
treated to be outside the Central Pool.The government shall hold with itself
the stocks of Custom Milled Rice (CMR) thus procured under proper scientific
storage for distribution under TPDS or OWS as per allocation made by the Centre
at prices notified. It would have to restrict availing credit facility from RBI
for the estimated stocks of paddy to be procured for the Central Pool only. If
the Stocks of the Rice procured by the government exceeds its allocation under
TPDS and other Welfare Schemes, such excess stocks shall be handed over to the
FCI by the government.However, the FCI shall have the option to specify whether
such excess rice that would be handed over to FCI for Central Pool by the State
shall be in the form of raw rice or parboiled rice to meet the overall
consumption requirement of the country under TPDS, OWS and type of rice milled
in the State.The A.P. State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd.(APSCSCL), the
government’s agency, shall procure paddy on a large scale to protect the MSP by
opening as many paddy procurement purchase centres as required through Women
Self Help Groups (SHG), Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS),
District Cooperative Marketing Societies (DCMS) etc.The millers may purchase
paddy of FAQ at a price not less than the Minimum Support Price. They shall
invariably make payment to the farmers through A/c payee cheques / RTGS / NEFT
transfer. For sale of preferred varieties of rice within the state, no release
certificate is required by the miller. For sale of rice outside the State, the
miller shall take release certificate consequent on sale of 2 unit of rice
within the state for sale of 1 unit of rice out side the State.A.P.S.C.S.C.L
all make necessary arrangements for opening as many paddy purchase centres
(PPC), identifying PPCs and tagging of rice mills to the Paddy Purchasing
Centres (PPCs) for custom milling. Transport arrangements for immediate
shifting of paddy to the rice mills or to the intermediary godowns, if
necessary.
Joint team of FCI, govt. to oversee
procurement and attend to complaints
Farmers to be paid online through RTGS
/NEFT money transfer
If total quantity of CMR falls short of
allocation, the Centre will meet the deficit
Non-preferred varieties to be sold
without permit or certificate
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/govt-to-procure-36-lakh-mt-of-kharif-paddy-msp-set-at-rs-1450-per-quintal/article7843814.ece
Hutchinson urges
Cuba credit sales
By Scott Morris
This article was published November 4, 2015 at 2:09 a.m.
PHOTO BY BLOOMBERG NEWS / NOAH FRIEDMAN-RUDOVSKY
The
MS Simon tanker sails past fishermen at the Port of Havana in June.
Congressional leaders were urged Tuesday to allow Cuba to finance the purchase
of U.S. commodities in a letter from Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday urged congressional
leaders to allow Cuba to finance the purchase of American commodities.Hutchinson,
who led a three-day trade mission to Havana in September, has said previously
that the current ban on credit sales to Cuba should be lifted as an early step
toward improvements in relations between the two countries."The current
cash-in-advance requirement limits a potential market of nearly $40 million for
Arkansas products alone," Hutchinson wrote in a letter to the majority and
minority leaders of Congress.Hutchinson urged passage of legislation by Sen.
John Boozman and Rep. Rick Crawford, which would lift the credit restrictions
on the sale of agricultural commodities to Cuba. Arkansas' rice, pork and
poultry producers are particularly eager to sell their products to Cuba.Boozman,
R-Ark., said in a telephone interview that he was "working hard" to
repeal the credit ban but noted that it would be difficult because of the
vehement opposition of lawmakers from Florida, which has a large Cuban-American
population, and other conservatives who say the Cuban government should be
punished for human-rights abuses. He said the U.S. trade embargo had failed to
force political change in Cuba and that the exchange of goods and ideas was
more likely to lead to greater freedoms for Cubans.Boozman said the best chance
for passing his legislation would be to attach it to another bill."We'd
like to find a must-pass piece of legislation before the end of the year to tag
this on," he said.Boozman said the omnibus spending bill that will put
into effect the recently approved budget deal was the most likely vehicle.
Lawmakers face a Dec. 11 deadline to pass that bill.Crawford, R-Ark., said
separately that he couldn't predict when the House might act on his bill but
said the next step likely would be a mark-up and hearing before the House
Agriculture Committee. He noted that the committee chairman, K. Michael Conaway,
R-Texas, is a co-sponsor of the bill."It's easy to see that Cuba has the
potential to be a significant export market for U.S. agriculture, and I hope my
colleagues see this legislation in the context of jobs and economic
impact," Crawford said in an emailed statement.The United States and Cuba
restored diplomatic relations this year after decades of Cold War hostility,
and President Barack Obama has called on Congress to lift the trade embargo.
Even with the embargo in place, U.S. companies export hundreds of millions of
dollars' worth of food, health care products and agricultural commodities to
Cuba. But the credit ban makes it difficult for U.S. businesses to compete with
producers from countries such as Vietnam, which allows Cuba to finance purchases
for up to two years, and overall U.S. trade with Cuba has declined. Some Cuba
experts question whether Raul Castro's government is committed to changing that
trend.In his letter, Hutchinson said he had voted to maintain the embargo while
he was a member of Congress."However, I don't believe that lifting the
embargo is an all-or-nothing matter," Hutchinson wrote. "Congress,
under your leadership, can undertake efforts that would benefit Americans while
maintaining political pressure on a regime that has violated human rights for
more than 50 years."The governor's letter went to House Speaker Paul Ryan,
R-Wis.; House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.Meanwhile,
Dan Hendrix, president and chief executive officer of the Arkansas World Trade
Center, which helped organize Hutchinson's trip, said another trade mission was
being planned for March or April. Hendrix said he was optimistic at least a few
of the companies that sent representatives with Hutchinson would make deals
with Cuba before then."I think we will see some momentum and positive
activity between now and March or April of next year," he said.Hendrix
said he could not identify the companies that might be close to striking deals.
Business on 11/04/2015
Print Headline: Hutchinson urges Cuba
credit sales
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/nov/04/hutchinson-urges-cuba-credit-sales-2015/?f=business&utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+November+4%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
Iran Comes to
Rescue of Indian Rice Farmers as Curbs Eased
(Updates shares in final paragraph.)
Iran’s decision to end curbs on
imports is set to boost demand for basmati rice, the aromatic grain used
in biryani and pilaf dishes, and send its prices soaring, according
to KRBL Ltd., a rice miller and exporter based at Noida, near New
Delhi. Exports to Iran may increase for the first time in two years, the company
said.Basmati rice prices plunged more than 50 percent in the past two years
after Iran cut purchases and Indian farmers boosted planting. The easing of
international trade sanctions on Iran sees the country having access to more
supplies at a time when Thailand is looking to dispose of its near-record state
stockpiles. The scrapping of the import ban, imposed to protect domestic
farmers during the harvest, may lead to fresh purchases, according to the All
India Rice Exporters Association.“Basmati rice prices will increase in the
domestic market and overseas buyers will also need to increase their offers,”
Anil Kumar Mittal, KRBL’s chairman, said by phone on Tuesday. “Looking at our
prices, Iran will increase its purchases.”Plunging PricesPrices of some basmati
rice in India slumped to about $700 a ton from as high as $1,600 a ton in 2013
as Iran reduced imports, said Mittal, who has been trading rice for three
decades at the family-owned company founded in 1889. Iranians will prefer
Indian basmati rice over white rice from the U.S., he said.Indian basmati rice
exports to Iran dropped 35 percent to 935,567 tons in 2014-15 and Saudi Arabia
replaced it as the largest buyer. Iran’s total rice imports are seen at 1.6
million tons in 2015-16, up from 1.5 million tons a year earlier, according to
U.S. Department of Agriculture data.Iran will probably issue new import
licenses in December or January, according to R. Sundaresan, executive director
of the All India Rice Exporters Association. Exports may climb 6.9 percent to
about 1 million tons in the year through March, Mittal said.India is the
world’s largest exporter of basmati rice and ships half of its output of about
8.7 million tons to countries including Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab
Emirates and Iraq. Basmati rice, preferred over other varieties for its length,
aroma, taste and texture after cooking, is mainly grown in India and Pakistan.KRBL
and other mills retailing packaged rice in India will be able to increase
prices and that’ll boost their profit, Mittal said. Shares of KRBL and LT Foods
Ltd. have more than doubled this year, while Kohinoor Foods Ltd. jumped 16
percent, on prospects of better earnings.-
-With assistance from Manish Modi
in New Delhi.
THE WASHINGTON POST
Iran Comes to Rescue of Indian Rice Farmers as Curbs Eased
Updated on November 4, 2015 — 2:20 PM PKT
Rice farmers and mills in India are banking on Iran to end
a two-year slump in prices.Iran’s decision to end curbs on imports is set to
boost demand for basmati rice, the aromatic grain used in biryani and
pilaf dishes, and send its prices soaring, according to KRBL Ltd.,
a rice miller and exporter based at Noida, near New Delhi. Exports to Iran
may increase for the first time in two years, the company said.Basmati rice
prices plunged more than 50 percent in the past two years after Iran cut
purchases and Indian farmers boosted planting. The easing of international
trade sanctions on Iran sees the country having access to more supplies at a
time when Thailand is looking to dispose of its near-record state stockpiles.
The scrapping of the import ban, imposed to protect domestic farmers during the
harvest, may lead to fresh purchases, according to the All India Rice Exporters
Association.
“Basmati rice prices will increase in the
domestic market and overseas buyers will also need to increase their offers,”
Anil Kumar Mittal, KRBL’s chairman, said by phone on Tuesday. “Looking at our
prices, Iran will increase its purchases.”
Plunging
Prices
Prices of some basmati rice in India slumped to about
$700 a ton from as high as $1,600 a ton in 2013 as Iran reduced imports, said
Mittal, who has been trading rice for three decades at the family-owned company
founded in 1889. Iranians will prefer Indian basmati rice over white rice from
the U.S., he said.Indian basmati rice exports to Iran dropped 35 percent to
935,567 tons in 2014-15 and Saudi Arabia replaced it as the largest buyer.
Iran’s total rice imports are seen at 1.6 million tons in 2015-16, up from 1.5
million tons a year earlier, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
Iran will probably issue new import licenses in December
or January, according to R. Sundaresan, executive director of the All India
Rice Exporters Association. Exports may climb 6.9 percent to about 1 million
tons in the year through March, Mittal said.India is the world’s largest
exporter of basmati rice and ships half of its output of about 8.7 million tons
to countries including Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Iraq.
Basmati rice, preferred over other varieties for its length, aroma, taste and
texture after cooking, is mainly grown in India and Pakistan.KRBL and other
mills retailing packaged rice in India will be able to increase prices and
that’ll boost their profit, Mittal said. Shares of KRBL and LT Foods Ltd. have
more than doubled this year, while Kohinoor Foods Ltd. jumped 16 percent,
on prospects of better earnings.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-04/iran-comes-to-rescue-of-indian-rice-farmers-as-import-ban-ended
In distress, paddy farmers learn harsh lessons
Posted at: Nov 4 2015 1:55AM
Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service
Sirhind/Chandigarh, November 3
Call it export crunch or “non-existent
demand”, basmati growers of Punjab are forced into distress sale. Sample this:
PUSA-1121 variety of basmati has fetched Rs 1,750-1,800 per quintal. Last year,
the price hovered around Rs 2,800 per quintal. The going rate for the less
preferred 1509 variety is anywhere between Rs 1,250 and 1,400 a quintal against
last year’s Rs 2,500 a quintal.Farmers have decided not to opt for basmati
cultivation next season. “Sowing basmati has cost us heavy. After suffering
losses between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 per acre crop, we have decided not to
repeat our mistake,” said Sher Singh, a farmer from Jalbera village of
Fatehgarh Sahib.The “basmati chaos” has reportedly been created by a
considerable rise of supplies in the Indian market and an almost static export
of the crop.“Punjab has registered 40 per cent rise in arrival of basmati at 39
lakh metric tonne as compared to just 22 lakh metric tonne in 2013-14. But the
annual Indian basmati export quotient has been static at 13 lakh metric tonne
in the past three years. This has led to a huge pileup with exporters. We are
advising farmers against cultivating basmati. They will fetch good price only
if annual basmati arrival in the markets remain around 20 lakh metric tonne,”
said Ravinder Singh Cheema, president of the Punjab Arhtiya Association and
vice-chairman of the Punjab Mandi Board.He said the only way out before the
Punjab Government was to either support basmati growers with a Minimum Support
Price or come up with export and milling policies. “The major problem is that
basmati growers of Punjab solely depend on private players,” said Pushpinder
Singh Khinda, a farmer based in Sultanpur Lodhi of Kapurthala district.A major
reason for an almost nil growth in the crop export was the reported lack of
interest of North America, Europe and Australia due to high pesticide content
in it. “Indian basmati demand is limited to gulf countries only,” Cheema said. http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/community/in-distress-paddy-farmers-learn-harsh-lessons/154297.html
Official
denies Iran ban on rice import lifted
Wed Nov 4, 2015 11:39AM
Iran needs about 3
million metric tons of rice a year, with the deficit bought from abroad.
“Although there is need for
imports to adjust domestic market, no authorization has been issued yet
for rice imports,” director general of the grains and basic crops of the
ministry Kaveh Khaksar said on Wednesday.The rebuttal came after another
official was quoted as saying that the import ban had been lifted as of
November, prompting a surge among Indian rice shippers.Khaksar said local
farmers had produced 1.8 million metric tons of rice in the current crop year
although harvest was not complete yet.Iran needs about 3 million metric tons of
rice a year, with the deficit bought from abroad.Khaksar said 400,000 metric
tons had been already imported in the first six months of the current Iranian
year which ends on March 20, 2016.“The rice prices are going up and given the
ban of over a year, it seems there is need for new imports,” he said.On Tuesday,
Deputy Agriculture Minister Ali Qanbari was quoted as saying the ban on rice
imports was lifted on Oct. 23 and Iran’s Government Trading Corporation (GTC)
had launched an international tender to purchase rice. Quoted by the
Reuters news agency, Qanbari also said lifting sanctions would help bring the
cost of imported wheat down by as much as 30%.The removal of sanctions imposed
on the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) would sharply slash the
costs of transportation, he was quoted as saying on the sidelines of a
conference in Dubai."We are hoping that by the lifting of sanctions,
especially on IRISL, the costs would fall by 20 to 30 percent," said
Qanbari, who is also the chairman and CEO of GTC.
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/11/04/436271/Iran-agriculture-rice-wheat-imports
By GNA
New Edubiase (A/R), Nov 05, GNA - The Association of Rain-fed lowland rice farmers under the Ministry of food and Agriculture (MOFA), has called for increased capital injection through public-private partnership (PPP) to scale up the production of the local staple.
Mr Maxwell Adu - Opoku, the coordinator in charge of the sustainable rain-fed rice production project in the Ashanti Region, speaking on behalf of the Association told the Ghana News Agency that the sector supporting the lives of about 1,396 farmers and their dependents, could reduce the country's rice import bills substantially."But farmers need to have access to consistent credit facilities and new technology to improve per hectare yield to make this happen" he added.This he said could be done through public-private partnership (PPP) to attract young farmers to sustain and revamp the rice industry as the average 55-60 life expectancy of most of its farmers already in the 55 age bracket, threatens the survival of the industry.Mr Adu-Opoku who was speaking in an interview at New Edubiase, stressed the need for intensive research, technology innovation and soft credit facilities to ensure the sustainability of the jobs of these farmers whose fate now hangs in a balance for lack of financial assistance.'It is so sad that returns on investment for rice farmers was far better than any crop currently grown in Ghana, yet financial and other support to the sector was minimal', he added.The situation, he said, worsened with the indiscriminate sale of wetlands to illegal miners whiles Ghana's food import bill for rice continued to rise with more than half of the population living in abject poverty in remote areas.Mr Adu-poku warned that if this trend continued, the availability of food in Ghana in the near future will depend on imports making the country vulnerable to outcomes of external catastrophic events and shocks that negatively affects food production from external sources.The sustainable rain-fed lowland rice production project was a bilateral technical cooperation jointly initiated by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and other partners in 2009 with the objective to increase rice produce and profit margins of rice farmers in the Ashanti region.However, he said, years of neglect without any continuous [G1] assistance from government, in the provision of equipment and credit facilities to sustain the operations of the rice farmers, had stalled the project.
https://www.modernghana.com/news/653831/1/rice-farmers-call-for-ppp-to-boost-production.html
Thai junta turns to populist subsidies to ease farmer tensions
POSTED: 04 Nov 2015 14:10
Thailand's
junta has approved US$1.3 billion (843 million pounds) in rural subsidies, akin
to the populist policies of the government it ousted, to appease disgruntled
and politically powerful farmers who are struggling with record low commodity
prices and weak exports.
BANGKOK: Thailand's junta has approved US$1.3 billion
(843 million pounds) in rural subsidies, akin to the populist policies of the
government it ousted, to appease disgruntled and politically powerful farmers
who are struggling with record low commodity prices and weak exports.The rural
hartland of Thailand's deposed leader Yingluck Shinawatra and her exiled
billionaire brother Thaksin is hurting as a result of the military government's
economic policies, stirring discontent and the threat of protests.The military
government had pledged to wean farmers off expensive subsidies used by the
previous government which it ousted in a 2014 coup.
But last week it approved measures worth around US$1
billion to help rice farmers and on Tuesday gave the greenlight to US$365
million to help rubber farmers who had threatened to rally in defiance of a ban
on political gatherings."In a situation of economic difficulty they have
to stimulate consumption and what they think is: give grassroots people money
and it will circulate," said Gothom Arya, an advisor to the Institute of
Human Rights and Peace Studies at Bangkok's Mahidol University."Though the
junta's action is exactly the same as previous governments, they claim that
this time money will not leak," said Arya.Such measures would have been
unthinkable immediately after the coup which ushered in a junta pledging to
"clean up" Thailand and move the country away from corruption
associated with politicians and their populist policies.But seventeen months
on, incomes in rural areas, where more than 34 million Thais live, have
collapsed and farmers in the world's second-biggest rice exporter and top
rubber exporter have been calling for the re-introduction of subsidies.
JUNTA FALLING TO SOOTHE TENSIONS
Thailand's farmers have been at the centre of a decade of
political turmoil. Military attempts to disperse 10 weeks of protests by
Thaksin's "red shirt" supporters in 2010 left scores dead and sparked
the worst violence in modern Thai history.The subsidies are the latest in a
raft of measures, including soft loans through village funds, by newly
appointed Finance Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, one of the architects of the
Shinawatra's populist policies, to appease farmers and boost the economy.But
while aid is rising, farmers remain critical of the junta, which has not
guaranteed crop prices as farmers demand, and their measures are far from the
scale of Yingluck's schemes."Rubber prices drop. We make less money. I
would rather see the government help raise rubber prices," said Samai
Sribang, 58, a rubber farmer.A Yingluck rice programme which paid almost 50
percent above global market prices, cost around US$14 billion, and fuelled
criticism of vote-buying. She also spent US$620 million building rubber
stockpiles under a price support programme.In January, a military-appointed
legislature impeached Yingluck for negligence over the rice scheme that
distorted markets and built up massive rice stockpiles.(Additional reporting by
Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Aukkarapon Niyomat; Editing by Michael Perry)
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/thai-junta-turns-to-popul/2237738.html
Thai junta turns to
populist subsidies to ease farmer tensions
BANGKOK |
A man
works inside a rubber factory at Raman district in the southern province of
Yala, Thailand, November 4, 2015.
REUTERS/SURAPAN BOONTHANOM
Thailand's junta has approved $1.3 billion in rural
subsidies, akin to the populist policies of the government it ousted, to
appease disgruntled and politically powerful farmers who are struggling with
record low commodity prices and weak exports.The rural heartland of Thailand's
deposed leader Yingluck Shinawatra and her exiled billionaire brother Thaksin
is hurting as a result of the military government's economic policies, stirring
discontent and the threat of protests.The military government had pledged to
wean farmers off expensive subsidies used by the previous government which it
ousted in a 2014 coup.But last week it approved measures worth around $1
billion to help rice farmers and on Tuesday gave the greenlight to $365 million
to help rubber farmers who had threatened to rally in defiance of a ban on
political gatherings."In a situation of economic difficulty they have to
stimulate consumption and what they think is: give grassroots people money and
it will circulate," said Gothom Arya, an advisor to the Institute of Human
Rights and Peace Studies at Bangkok's Mahidol University."Though the
junta's action is exactly the same as previous governments, they claim that
this time money will not leak," said Arya.Such measures would have been
unthinkable immediately after the coup which ushered in a junta pledging to
"clean up" Thailand and move the country away from corruption
associated with politicians and their populist policies.But seventeen months
on, incomes in rural areas, where more than 34 million Thais live, have
collapsed and farmers in the world's second-biggest rice exporter and top
rubber exporter have been calling for the re-introduction of subsidies.
JUNTA FALLING TO
SOOTHE TENSIONS
Thailand's farmers have been at the center of a
decade of political turmoil. Military attempts to disperse 10 weeks of protests
by Thaksin's "red shirt" supporters in 2010 left scores dead and
sparked the worst violence in modern Thai history.The subsidies are the latest
in a raft of measures, including soft loans through village funds, by Deputy
Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, one of the architects of Shinawatra's
populist policies, to appease farmers and boost the economy.But while aid is
rising, farmers remain critical of the junta, which has not guaranteed crop
prices as farmers demand, and their measures are far from the scale of
Yingluck's schemes."Rubber prices drop. We make less money. I would rather
see the government help raise rubber prices," said Samai Sribang, 58, a
rubber farmer.A Yingluck rice program which paid almost 50 percent above global
market prices, cost around $14 billion, and fueled criticism of vote-buying.
She also spent $620 million building rubber stockpiles under a price support
program.In January, a military-appointed legislature impeached Yingluck for
negligence over the rice scheme that distorted markets and built up massive
rice stockpiles.
($1 = 35.5200 baht)
(The story was
refiled to correct the title of the minister in paragraph 10)
(Additional
reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Aukkarapon Niyomat; Editing byMichael Perry)
Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
|
High
|
Low
|
|
|
Long Grain Cash Bids
|
- - -
|
- - -
|
|
Long Grain New Crop
|
- - -
|
- - -
|
|
|
||
|
Futures:
|
|
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Rice
Comment
Rice
futures gapped higher for the second time in three days. Global production
problems have helped support the market since the summer. Traders will begin
rolling out of November contracts soon to avoid delivery as the contract
expires. January completed a 62% retracement on Thursday to $11.55 and has
bounced off support at that level and has put 90 cents back on the market in
only five sessions.
http://www.arfb.com/ag-markets-statistics/report/
Fact Sheet:Regional Partner: West and Central African
Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD)
REPORT
Published on 03 Nov 2015
Objective:
Conduct, coordinate and disseminate research on agriculture practices and improved seeds to member states and national research centers.
Conduct, coordinate and disseminate research on agriculture practices and improved seeds to member states and national research centers.
Support from USAID/West
Africa:
2002 to Present
2002 to Present
Linked Programs:
CORAF partners with USAID’sWest African Seed Program.
Geographic Focus:
22 member states: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.Description
The West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD) was created in 1987 to “improve the efficiency and effectiveness of small-scale producers and to promote the agribusiness sector.” It focuses on developing new technologies and innovations to benefit farmers in the region and on collecting and dispensing agricultural data. It also strengthens and coordinates the existing regional agricultural systems, as well as giving policy options to its member states that can encourage agricultural growth.CORAF/WECARD is one of the main implementers of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) Pillar 4, which had the goal of 6 percent agricultural growth by 2015. To date, nine countries have exceeded this target (Angola, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tanzania) and another four have achieved growth of between 5 and 6 percent. In June 2014, the African Union extended this mission, setting a new goal of doubling agricultural productivity by 2025
USAID Support
USAID support to CORAF/WECARD has strengthened its capacity to build a solid base of research information in West Africa. CORAF/WECARD’s work increases farmer access to information on food and farming systems, natural resource management, markets and trade, climate change adaptation and biotechnology. It also focuses on scaling up agricultural technologies to strengthen the link between research and the farm so farmers can improve productivity and increase profit. One example of this is in Benin, where CORAF/WECARD discovered that, if farmers precede rice cultivation with cowpeas, they will get the same yield from the rice with half of the usual amount of mineral fertilizer. CORAF/WECARD disseminates thousands of such best practices that have an enormous impact on the labor to profit ratio of farming in the region.USAID support to CORAF/WECARD also includes improving the production and availability of quality-certified seeds for farmers in the region through the West African Seed Program, thus improving farmers’ yields and crop quality.Activities Supported by USAID/West Africa in 2013
• Baseline studies on agricultural research and post-harvest research for five value chains including maize, rice, millet, sorghum and livestock.• Trials on high-yielding varieties of rice, maize and sorghum resistant to major biotic and abiotic stresses.• Tests to improve the market quality of targeted cereal and traditional meat processed products. • Capacity building for producers and agro-processors.Key CORAF/WECARD Technologies and How They are Being Scaled Up 1) Climate-smart crop varieties like submergence-tolerant rice, drought-tolerant sesame and maize, heat tolerant and high-yielding millet and sorghum. Scaling up methods include demonstration plots and engaging all value chain actors, from plant breeders to private sector partners, to encourage commercializing new varieties of seeds.2) Integrated Soil Fertility Management includes crop and site-specific fertilizer recommendations, best practices to rehabilitate degraded land and preserve soil fertility, and urea deep-placement (UDP) of fertilizer to maximize efficiency. These best practices are dispersed through demonstrations of deep placement of fertilizer and training agro-dealers so they can educate customers on how to most efficiently use fertilizer
3) Post-Harvest Quality Management through improved storage containers and post-harvest practices to reduce aflatoxin levels, which in large amounts can cause fungus growth. Promotion of storage container use and demonstrations of small-scale grain harvest machinery (stripper, thresher, and winnower) are dramatically reducing waste.
CORAF/WECARD and the
Presidential Feed the Future Initiative
Feed the Future is focused on creating sustainable improvements in agriculture by building the capacity of West African organizations that can take ownership of agricultural work in the region. CORAF/WECARD’s work targets every step in the value chains of staple crops and thus improves every aspect of West African small farmers’ livelihoods: better yields, more efficient and sustainable inputs, better access to markets and market data, and less wasteful processing. CORAF/WECARD’s strategy aligns with the mission of Feed the Future: holistic and long-term efforts to eliminate food insecurity in West Africa.
http://reliefweb.int/report/world/fact-sheetregional-partner-west-and-central-african-council-agricultural-research-and
