Climate change
likely to hit agriculture
Asia Rice-Prices steady in India, Thailand before Thai auction
* India's prices steady ahead of Thai tender
* Thai 5 pct broken rice steady at $418-$439/T
* Vietnam's 5 pct broken prices ease to $358-$368/T
* China is back seeking Vietnam's broken rice
By Ho Binh Minh
HANOI, June 15 Rice prices in India and Thailand stood steady this week ahead of a major auction in Thailand, while the export quotations softened slightly in Vietnam as buyers were absent, traders said on Wednesday.
Rice prices have eased from multi-month highs hit in May as drought brought by El Nino cut output in Asia's top growers.
India, Thailand and Vietnam, the world's biggest exporters, shipped a combined 66 percent of global rice trade in 2015, according to U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization data.
India's 5 percent broken parboiled rice prices were steady at $382-$392 per tonne, free-on-board (FOB) basis, this week as demand was softening ahead of Thailand's auction, traders said.
"Demand has fallen as some buyers are trying to secure rice at lower price from the auction," B.V. Krishna Rao, managing director at Pattabhi Agro Foods Pvt Ltd, India's leading non-basmati rice exporter, told Reuters.
Thai government aims to sell 2.24 million tonnes at a rice auction on Wednesday.
India's domestic prices have been rising due to dwindling supplies and after the government raised the minimum purchase price by 4 percent, Rao said.
India mainly ships non-basmati rice to African countries and premier basmati rice to the Middle East.
In Thailand the 5 percent broken rice RI-THBKN5-P1 were almost steady at $418-$439 a tonne, FOB Bangkok, against $418-$437 last Wednesday, mainly due to low supply and thin demand, traders said.
Drought has damaged 1.82 million tonnes of rice in Thailand since October 2015, according to agriculture ministry's data.
Another trader said a possible depreciation of the Thai baht could allow lower prices.
"The weakening of the baht will earn us more money, so we could afford to lower our dollar prices," he said.
Kasikornbank forecast on Wednesday the baht could drop to 37 per dollar by the year end, or 2.8 percent down from the end of 2015.
In Vietnam, export quotations weakened on thin buying demand, even though China -- the top buyer of Vietnamese rice -- has returned after a while, seeking small quantity, traders said.
The 5 percent broken rice, using winter-spring grain, widened to $370-$375 a tonne, FOB Saigon, from $375 last week, while the same grade with summer-autumn grain dipped to $360-$365 a tonne, from $365 last Wednesday.
"China is back this week, asking for the 100 percent broken rice in small volumes, but no deals have been heard," a Vietnamese exporter in Ho Chi Minh City said. (Reporting by Ho Binh Minh; Additional reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat in BANGKOK and Rajendra Jadhav in MUMBAI; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)
http://in.reuters.com/article/asia-rice-idINL4N19739M
Does India's
gloomy exports scenario have a silver lining?
June 15, 2016 09:44 IST
An obvious and easy
explanation for India’s exports debacle is that petroleum products constitute
the single-largest category in the country’s exports basket, notes A K
Bhattacharya, Editor, Business Standard
A closer look at these disturbing
numbers, however, reveals interesting trends that the government must carefully
assess so that it can draw the right lessons from them and frame appropriate
policy responses to revive exports.
Does the gloomy exports scenario
have a silver lining?
An analysis of the last two years’
exports numbers from this perspective would be instructive.
An obvious and easy explanation for
India’s exports debacle is that petroleum products constitute the
single-largest category in the country’s exports basket.The argument,
therefore, is that with the international crude oil prices falling
significantly in this period, India’s exports would inevitably suffer.And they
did suffer with earnings from petroleum product exports falling by 46 per cent
to $30 billion in 2015-16.Petroleum products accounted for almost 18 per cent
of India’s total exports in 2014-15 and thanks to the falling crude oil prices,
their share dropped to about 12 per cent in 2015-16.
What would be the likely scenario
for petroleum product exports in 2016-17?
International crude oil prices have
already risen by around 80 per cent in the last four months.
Brent crude oil prices are hovering
at around $50 a barrel, compared to $28 a barrel in January this year.
If the trend continues and the
international crude oil prices hover around $50-55 a barrel, its impact on
India’s petroleum product exports would not be insignificant.
But the recovery may not take place
on its own.It would require some careful planning to expand the market for
India’s petroleum products.At present, over 41 per cent of India’s total
petroleum product exports are accounted for by just six countries -- the United
Arab Emirates, Singapore, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Japan and the
Netherlands.As petroleum product prices improve in the current year, it would
make sense for India’s oil marketing companies to explore newer markets and
expand the existing ones. Domestic oil refining capacity is comfortable at
present and this can be put to good use by earning more dollars at a higher
margin.The story of India’s drugs exports has hardly received much attention.
But consider this.
In a year, when India’s total
merchandise exports fell by 15 per cent, its drugs exports went up by about 10
per cent.And this growth came despite the many battles the Indian drugs
industry has been fighting with regulators in some developed markets including
the US over the quality and safety of its products.The significance of this
increase lies in the fact that in 2014-15, drugs exports grew by less than four
per cent.
It is, therefore, time the
government took note of the surge in drugs exports and explored what steps
needed to be taken to sustain this growth and make a champion exports sector
out of an industry that has huge potential, but seems to be constrained by many
regulatory handicaps both at home and abroad.The textiles sector does not have
a similar story, but its resilience has not yet been fully appreciated in the
current gloomy situation.In 2014-15, textiles exports grew by 14 per cent to
about $31 billion.
But in the following year, they
suffered their worst debacle with a three per cent fall.Yet, it will be
important to recall that overall merchandise exports in 2015-16 fell by 15 per
cent.While the drugs industry is a clear winner, the textiles sector has
managed to limit its damages to a small drop in exports. The government cannot
sit idle and must take steps to stop the rot.There are issues with regard to
allowing flexible employment to meet seasonal surges in demand from importers
and improving the available infrastructure particularly for the readymade
garments sector.A focused approach is needed to extricate the textiles sector
from its current woes.A three per cent drop in exports can be reversed with
some policy intervention and infrastructure support.In the engineering sector,
where exports have taken a big hit, motor vehicles have been growing their
annual despatches to overseas markets.
The growth has slowed down with
exports at $6.7 billion last year, but the fact is that this segment of the
engineering sector has held off the forces of deceleration in global trade and
continued to grow even though at a slower rate.
This is a sector where higher
exports coupled with increasing domestic sales can improve India’s status as a
manufacturing hub with a huge potential for jobs growth not only in factories
but in the tertiary sector.If the Modi government’s Make In India campaign has
to succeed and bear fruit for the Indian economy, the automobile sector and its
exports will hold the key to achieving such a transformation.
Finally, there is evidence of early
signs of green shoots of exports recovery.A report prepared by the Directorate
General of Foreign Trade has noted that commodities like chemicals, cotton
yarn, basmati rice, metals, dyes and paint have begun seeing a rise in volume
exports.Their exports value declined in 2015-16, but their volumes have risen
by varying margins ranging from four per cent to 47 per cent. If the
commodities cycle is seeing an upturn, rising export volumes would suggest that
an exports recovery is likely soon in those goods at least.
However, due caution must be
exercised so that complacency does not set in and the industry uses the rising
commodity prices as an opportunity to monetise the volume gains.
And the government should provide
better infrastructure and policy support to help the exports sector realise
that goal.
http://www.business-standard.com/
More border routes likely to be
opened: Mehbooba
Uri-Muzzafarabad and Poonch-Rawalkot are the
only two trade routes that is allowed along the LOC.
Written by Arun Sharma |
Jammu | Updated: June 15, 2016 9:37 am
Nearly a decade after the Uri-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakot
routes were reopened for trade and travel by people on both sides of the Line
of Control in Jammu and Kashmir,
a few more routes are likely to be opened as part of additional
confidence-building measures between India and Pakistan.
“When I met the Union Home Minister the last time, he had hinted
at opening some more routes,’’ Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said Tuesday. “I
told him that the Suchetgarh route should be opened.” Suchetgarh is on the
international border in R S Pura tehsil in Jammu, and across the border is
Sialkot district of Pakistan.“Many routes came up for discussion — Suchetgarh,
Nowshera-Jhanghar, Kargil-Skardu, Turtuk-Thapalu, among others. But he (Home
Minister Rajnath Singh) said that we can consider opening one or
two roads at the moment. If I am asked about two roads which need to be opened
immediately, I will name Suchetgarh and Kargil-Skardu,’’ Mehbooba said while
addressing a function on the occasion of signing of an MoU between Jammu
Development Authority and the Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation
Limited, Ahmedabad, for management consultancy and technical assistance for
development of the Tawi riverfront in Jammu.
R S Pura tehsil is considered the rice bowl of India’s fine
basmati rice, and Mehbooba said “our basmati goes there (to Pakistan), adding
that there is lot of hardware industry in on the Indian side, while Pakistan
manufactures very little, and additional border routes would mean many items
can be exported to Pakistan. The state will benefit the way Punjab has
benefitted from Wagah boder, she said.
Recalling the “teamwork” between former CM Mufti Sayeed and
Deputy CM Nirmal Singh for the Tawi river beautification project, Mehbooba said
Mufti always had a soft corner for the people of Jammu and used to call them
“truly secular’’, as they not only accommodated lakhs of Hindu and Muslim
migrants from Valley but also shared their land, water and electricity with
them
Monsoon set to extend coverage
over India, says Australian met bureau
Thiruvananthapuram, June 14:
Increase
in cloudiness and rainfall during the next seven days will drive the Indian
monsoon further north and spread it over much of the subcontinent, says the
Australian Bureau of Meteorology. This would be overseen by a passing
Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) wave across the Indian Ocean this week, the
Australian Bureau said in its latest update.
The
India Met Department has already indicated the possibility of the monsoon, now
in a ‘switch-off’ mode along the West Coast, reviving over the weekend.
The
Madden-Julian Oscillation wave has been associated with formation of
low-pressure areas, cyclones and even the onset of the monsoons.
MJO wave influence
The last time it had crossed the Indian Ocean from West to East, the wave had triggered the formation of cyclone Roanu which brought the monsoon along with it to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The last time it had crossed the Indian Ocean from West to East, the wave had triggered the formation of cyclone Roanu which brought the monsoon along with it to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
If the
Madden-Julian Oscillation wave moves across the Indian Ocean and thereafter
into the Maritime Continent (Indonesia, Philippines et al), tropical activity
will also be enhanced across the North-West Pacific region in the coming
fortnight.
The
western North Pacific Ocean is typically the most active oceanic basin for
tropical cyclones.
However,
in the year so far, tropical cyclone activity has been well below average.
The
coming weeks are likely to be a period when there is an increased risk of
tropical cyclone activity across this basin as well as over the Bay of Bengal.
Cyclone watch
Coincidentally, the IMD has put out a watch for a cyclonic circulation over the West-central and adjoining North-West Bay of Bengal by Friday. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts pointed to the possibility of the system taking shape close to the Andhra Pradesh coast.
Coincidentally, the IMD has put out a watch for a cyclonic circulation over the West-central and adjoining North-West Bay of Bengal by Friday. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts pointed to the possibility of the system taking shape close to the Andhra Pradesh coast.
This is
expected to rev up the monsoon flows over the Bay of Bengal but the European
Centre did not see the system intensifying to any significant strength
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/monsoon-set-to-extend-coverage-over-india-says-australian-met-bureau/article8728814.ece
Rice, grain prices responding
to U.S., global central bank policies
Tomorrow's Fed meeting could set tone for
futures for remainder of 2016
Jun 14, 2016 | Delta
Farm Press
The markets are awaiting Federal Reserve
Chairman Janet Yellen’s comments after their Federal Open Markets Committee
(FOMC) meeting tomorrow (June 15). The question is will Fed monetary guidance
be bullish or bearish for rice, cotton, grain and other commodity markets?
I expect guidance to be more supportive allowing
market fundamentals a turn at directing commodity price strength or weakness,
which near term would be neutral to bearish for commodities having shown price
strength and neutral to bullish for commodities just starting to show price
strength.
On May 25, U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Janet
Yellen indicated near term future Fed Monetary Policy Activity would likely be
increasingly hawkish with all indications of a Feds Fund Rate increase sooner
rather than later, possibly as soon as the Fed’s June 14-15 meeting.
This, I expect, was due to building global
inflationary forces, being driven by continuous injections of stimulus from
fiscal and monetary policy intervention, from the European Union, Japan, China
and others. These activities – especially since late-February – have been
supportive to bullish for rice, cotton, grains, and oil prices.
Next, the following Friday, June 3rd,
after market participants digested the news of the “Lowest Nonfarm Payroll in
Over 5 Years,” few market participants now expect a U.S. Fed Fund Rate increase
on June 15. The expectation is forward guidance will be:
- First, the FOMC committee remains data dependent; and
- Second, do not rule out a July Fed Funds Rate increase on July
27th.
Presently, the need for a rate increase is
huge, but market psychology is lacking.
Thus near term given dollar chart structure I
see a dollar more likely sideways channel bound and a potentially bullish
environment for U.S. Treasuries.
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/rice-grain-prices-responding-us-global-central-bank-policies
GMO Golden Rice is a 'dud',
despite 24 years of research and breeding
Tue, 14 Jun 2016 00:00 UTC
GM golden rice falls short on promises
As the GMO industry seeks to expand its grip
over the global food system, it has targeted developing countries and the
problems they face in in crop production. Drought and pest damage are two
issues that Monsanto and its cohorts see as opportunities for unleashing their
patented, genetically modified (GM) crops.
Nutrient deficiency is another problem in developing countries that GMO corporations insist should be addressed with their products. One high-profile example is vitamin A deficiency, which especially affects the Global South, increasing risks of infection, disease and other ailments such as blindness.
Golden Rice was supposed to be the GMO industry's great solution.
In 2000, Time magazine trumpeted Golden Rice—a genetically modified crop commercially licensed by Syngenta—as a way to save the lives of millions of people in the Third World. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which strongly advocates for GM crops everywhere, has long supported Golden Rice by funding the International Rice Research Institute.
However, after 24 years of promises and propaganda campaigns against GMO critics, Golden Rice is turning out to be a dud. It is nowhere close to field introduction and is likely to fall short of its purported health benefits, according to a new study from Washington University in St. Louis.
Lead author Glenn Stone, a recognized expert in global agricultural trends and humanitarian issues, used to think we should give Golden Rice a chance. But a frank analysis of the situation now leads him to a different conclusion.
Nutrient deficiency is another problem in developing countries that GMO corporations insist should be addressed with their products. One high-profile example is vitamin A deficiency, which especially affects the Global South, increasing risks of infection, disease and other ailments such as blindness.
Golden Rice was supposed to be the GMO industry's great solution.
In 2000, Time magazine trumpeted Golden Rice—a genetically modified crop commercially licensed by Syngenta—as a way to save the lives of millions of people in the Third World. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which strongly advocates for GM crops everywhere, has long supported Golden Rice by funding the International Rice Research Institute.
However, after 24 years of promises and propaganda campaigns against GMO critics, Golden Rice is turning out to be a dud. It is nowhere close to field introduction and is likely to fall short of its purported health benefits, according to a new study from Washington University in St. Louis.
Lead author Glenn Stone, a recognized expert in global agricultural trends and humanitarian issues, used to think we should give Golden Rice a chance. But a frank analysis of the situation now leads him to a different conclusion.
"Golden Rice was a promising idea backed
by good intentions," Stone said. "In contrast to anti-GMO activists,
I argued that it deserved a chance to succeed. But if we are actually
interested in the welfare of poor children — instead of just fighting over GMOs
— then we have to make unbiased assessments of possible solutions. The simple fact is that after
24 years of research and breeding, Golden Rice is still years away from being
ready for release."
GMO researchers seek to increase the amount of
beta carotene by inserting genes into existing rice strains, which they say
will increase available vitamin A in the edible grain.
But they still have not been able to produce strains that yield as well as non-GM strains. Stone points out that Golden Rice "has not been successful in test plots of the rice breeding institutes in the Philippines, where the leading research is being done."
Little is known about how well the beta carotene will hold up in storage between harvests, or when cooked using traditional methods in remote rural areas. It is not even known whether the Golden Rice beta carotene can be converted to vitamin A in badly undernourished bodies.
Despite these realities, GMO proponents push hard for Golden Rice, and have suggested that critics are prolonging the misery of poor people with vitamin A deficiencies. Monsanto and their propaganda outlets like the GMO Literacy Project say that activists are responsible for the inability of Golden Rice to become a viable solution.
This too is debunked by the study.
But they still have not been able to produce strains that yield as well as non-GM strains. Stone points out that Golden Rice "has not been successful in test plots of the rice breeding institutes in the Philippines, where the leading research is being done."
Little is known about how well the beta carotene will hold up in storage between harvests, or when cooked using traditional methods in remote rural areas. It is not even known whether the Golden Rice beta carotene can be converted to vitamin A in badly undernourished bodies.
Despite these realities, GMO proponents push hard for Golden Rice, and have suggested that critics are prolonging the misery of poor people with vitamin A deficiencies. Monsanto and their propaganda outlets like the GMO Literacy Project say that activists are responsible for the inability of Golden Rice to become a viable solution.
This too is debunked by the study.
"Golden Rice is still not ready for the
market, but we find little support for the common claim that environmental
activists are responsible for stalling its introduction. GMO opponents have not been
the problem," said Stone.
Comment: Golden Rice has been called a 'Trojan horse', that will not only fail to stop malnutrition, but will expand the very destitution, poverty, and helplessness that causes malnutrition in the first place. Introducing this GE crop threatens biological diversity, puts corporate profits over food sovereignty, and would result in loss of livelihoods for small-scale farmers. Proponents of Golden Rice suggest rice farmers replace their profitable crops with genetically modified rice that will treat only one of many vitamin and mineral deficiencies they may or may not potentially suffer from, deficiencies that could be easily solved through other methods.
https://www.sott.net/article/320217-GMO-Golden-Rice-is-a-dud-despite-24-years-of-research-and-breeding
There is no food in
Nigeria, open the borders for rice importation – Sultan begs Customs
By Seun
Opejobi on June 14, 2016
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar
III, has appealed to the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, to consider the plight
of Nigerians and open the borders to allow for the importation of food.
Speaking
in his palace in Sokoto, when he played host to the Comptroller-General of the
Service, Col. Hameed Ali (retd) yesterday, the Sultan said the closure of the
border has brought about hardship as food community are scarce in the country.He
said, “The policy should be revisited with a view to make amends and ameliorate
the suffering of Nigerians.“There is no food in the country hence the need for the borders to be reopened for rice importation.”Commending the effort of the Federal Government at boosting the domestic production of rice, the Monarch assured that the traditional institution would continue to sensitize the people on the need to support the policies of government at all levels
http://dailypost.ng/2016/06/14/there-is-no-food-in-nigeria-open-the-borders-for-rice-importation-sultan-begs-customs/
Rice exports lower than last
year
Submitted by mthan on Wed, 06/15/2016 - 16:50
Rice sacks are unloaded at Wartan Jetty.
(Photo-Aung Kyaw Htet/EMG)
Rice exports dropped in the first two
months of this fiscal year due to the low demand from China, according to the
Myanmar Rice Federation.A total of 127,570 tonnes of rice were exported between
April and June 3, earning over US$84 million. This is markedly lower than
346,000 tonnes exported and $119 million earned in the same period last year.“Only
between 3,000 and 5,000 tonnes of rice are shipped per month. But we have to
export 20,000 tonnes of rice to the EU market in June, so exports will rise
again,” said Lumaw Myint Maung, the joint-general secretary of the federation.
Myanmar rice is exported to China, Japan,
India, Singapore, Italy, Indonesia, Spain, Belgium, the Philippines, France,
Malaysia and Canada.Border exports to China are most active at the Muse gate
http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/business/rice-exports-lower-last-year
Cost of rice increasing due to smuggling:
supply minister
Wed, 15/06/2016 - 12:26
The ministry, according to Hanafy, has been trying to control the situation by offering huge amounts of rice in the domestic market at LE4.5 per kilo, pumping 1,500 tons into the market daily.“Some information shows that traders have smuggled rice to Libya and Sudan at US$800 per ton,” he added.The rice market has been unstable since October, when the government started exporting rice, causing a rise in local prices. The current market price for rice in Egypt ranges between LE6.5 and LE8.Further increases are expected as consumption doubles in the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
The minister also said that annual subsidies for bread and other food supplies totals LE22, with the top priority of the system being an end to queues for bread at subsidized outlets.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/cost-rice-increasing-due-smuggling-supply-minister
Could Subsurface
Drip-Irrigated Rice Work?
June 15, 2016 03:32 PM
“This effort could serve as a model for other
farms and potentially save hundreds of thousands of acre feet of water in
California if widely adopted.”
“This effort could serve as a model for other farms and potentially save hundreds of thousands of acre feet of water in California if widely adopted,” he says.
The project seeks to see if subsurface drip irrigation can effectively grow rice via a series of pipes that deliver water directly to the plants’ root zone, according to Bryce Lundberg, vice president of agriculture for Lundberg Family Farms.
The subsurface drip irrigation pilot project is being tested on a 100-acre plot. Project participants all hope to see yield improvements, despite reducing overall water use. Tsakopoulos says farmers should take responsibility and make measures to conserve water where possible.
“We need to continue to conduct research and develop methods to use the water most efficiently for crops while also conserving critical wildlife resources,” he says.
Jonathan Rosenfield, a conservation biologist with San Fransico-based Bay Institute, told the Sacramento Bee in March that flooded rice fields have undeniable benefits to waterfowl and other area wildlife, but drip irrigation might end up being a savvy conservation move as well, protecting several fish species native to the Sacramento River.
“If drip irrigation in this pilot project is going to reduce demand on water and be able to keep rice farmers going and reduce impacts to critically endangered fish populations, then that sounds like a good thing,” he says.California is the third-largest rice-producing state behind Arkansas and Louisiana, with 385,000 total acres planted in 2015
http://www.agweb.com/article/could-subsurface-drip-irrigated-rice-work-naa-ben-potter/
Boosting a Single Protein
makes for a 50% more Productive Rice
15/06/2016
Rice is one of the major crops in the world, along with corn and wheat (also under the microscope of science to increase food security).
As a crop that feeds almost 50% of the world’s population, it is more than understandable that scientists are interested in improving rice. Previous work in this area include the now famous GMO initiative for ‘golden rice’, as well as projects to make it more productive and eco-friendly.
Rice plants have problems too – here’s a
close-up for empathy (Source: Pixabay)
Now,
researchers from the John Innes Centre (UK)
and Nanjing Agricultural University (China) may have found another
important part of the puzzle to turbo-charge rice.
Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, their
work shows that the overexpression of a
particular protein could boost production yield by up to 54%.For
rice, one of its major challenges is to get the right balance of nitrate or
ammonium ions from the soil. These ions are the source of nitrogen –
the chemical element essential to synthesize aminoacids and then proteins.Upsetting this balance affects the pH of plant cells – too much ammonium and plant cells become alkaline, too much nitrate and they become acidic. Inadequate pH means the plants have a harder time getting nutrients and growing.
Fig. 1: An overview of the nitrogen metabolism
of plants, including uptake of nitrate and ammonium, and their incorporation in
aminoacids glutamate (Glu) and glutamine (Gln).
The
research team studied a gene involved in the transport of
nitrate in plant cells, OsNRT2.3. This gene makes two slightly different
versions of the protein (OsNRT2.3a and OsNRT2.3b).In a part of the rice, the cellular production of the OsNRT2.3b version was boosted by inserting copies of a gene directly coding for this protein (with cDNA, a sort of reverse template for any protein) in the cell plant. These plants turned out to be much better at controlling the pH in their cells, by switching nitrate transport on or off.
With this new pH switch, the plants are able to take up much more nitrogen, iron and phosphorus – so they grow faster.
Fig. 2: Rice plants O1 to O8 overexpresses
OsNRT 2.3b protein (as seen with ‘bolder’ bands in the Western blot results, a
method that identifies proteins) and grows faster than the normal, wild type
rice (WT).
The
study was funded by the BBSRC (also
backed projects like the epigenomics of wheat and oil-producing yeast) and the Chinese Government (which is
also eyeing one of the few players in agrochemicals through
state-owned ChemChina).The resulting new technology has been patented by PBL, a technology transfer company with the John Innes Centre, and 3 companies are already working in 6 different crops overexpressing OsNRT2.3b.
Such a yield increase in such a staple food is pretty crazy. While it still has to be brought to the fields, the speedy transition to the industry should speak for the excitement around this new crop technology.
Feature Image Credit: Pixabay
Figure 1 Credit: Luo et al.
(2013) Nitrogen metabolism of two contrasting poplar species during
acclimation to limiting nitrogen availability. Journal of Experimental Botany (doi: 10.1093/jxb/ert234)
Figure 2 Credit: Fan et al.
(2016) Overexpression of a pH-sensitive nitrate transporter in rice
increases crop yields. PNAS (doi: 10.1073/pnas.1525184113)
http://labiotech.eu/boosting-a-single-protein-makes-for-a-50-more-productive-rice/
Farmers' Rice Cooperative Names
New CEO
Excerpt from press release
SACRAMENTO, CA -- Farmers' Rice
Cooperative (FRC) announced yesterday that Rick Rhody has been named as the new
chief executive officer. Rhody will replace Kirk Messick, who has been serving
as the interim CEO.
"We are pleased with how Kirk
led FRC during this time of transition and know that his 28 years of FRC
experience will set up the new CEO for success," FRC Board Chairman Herb
Holzapfel said. "The rice industry faces a lot of
challenges right now. We know that for FRC growers to be successful we
need the right leadership at the top. We are confident that Rick brings
that leadership to FRC."
Prior to joining Farmers' Rice Cooperative, Rhody had the
opportunity to help build Sun Valley Rice from the ground up where he served in
almost every position from field staff to CFO. He is a Sacramento Valley
native and currently resides in Yuba City. A Chico State graduate he also
holds an MBA from Saint Mary's College and is a recent graduate of the
prestigious California Agricultural Leadership Program. Rhody has a
lifetime connection to the rice industry beyond Sun Valley Rice, from his youth
in Rio Oso to summer college jobs working on a rice farm and hay ranches just
outside of Chico.
Cuba and Rice Spotlighted During Ways and Means Trade
Hearing
Several other Members and witnesses shared their support for
normalizing trade with Cuba and seconded the rice industry's leadership role in
working to reopen the Cuban market.
Nigeria will become self
sufficient in rice, wheat production soon – Bagudu
Abubakar Atiku Bagudu
The
governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, has disclosed that Nigeria will become
self sufficient in rice and wheat production very soon. Speaking to State House Correspondents after the inauguration of the Presidential Committee on Rice and Wheat Production by the acting president, Yemi Osinbajo, recently, Bagudu, who is the chairman of the committee, said that he is optimistic that the committee will achieve its target within the shortest possible time.According to him, the task force will help in identifying all that the country needs in order to become self sufficient in rice and wheat and step up current efforts to produce those commodities in Nigeria.
He pointed out that the disconnect between farmers and millers needs to be addressed, adding that the two bodies in the value chain need to be mobilised for maximum results. “His Excellency, the Vice President, invited few state governors – governors of Kano, Kebbi and Ebonyi– the minister of state for agriculture, the president of Wheat Farmers Association, and president of the Rice Farmers Association, and inaugurated a Presidential Committee/Task Force on Rice and Wheat. This committee will help in identifying all that we need to do in order to make Nigeria self sufficient in rice and wheat and step up current efforts to produce those commodities in Nigeria.
“That’s part of the assignment, but we are optimistic that given the current efforts in place across the country, industry of our farmers and increasing interest in investing in agriculture by many well meaning Nigerians we should be able to achieve the target within a short time that will lead to our national aspirations. There has been significant achievements in that respect as seen in this last season when the governor of Kano and myself supported our farmers to produce more wheat and wheat farmers have signed an agreement with the flower millers by which the flower millers agreed to obtain all that the wheat farmers are able to provide.
“We are seeing increasing interest in rice and many millers are now willing to work with farmers’ groups,” Bagudu said
Prevailing World Prices and
Loan Deficiency Payment Rates for Rice
WASHINGTON, May 4, 2016-The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation today announced the following prevailing world market prices of milled and rough rice, adjusted for U.S. milling yields and location, and the resulting marketing loan gain (MLG) and loan deficiency payment (LDP) rates applicable to the 2015 crop, which will become effective today at 7:00 a.m., Eastern Time (ET). Rough rice prices are unchanged from the previous announcement.
To access the complete News Release, click here.
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/economic-and-policy-analysis/food-grains-analysis/rice-reports/2016/prmay042016
Rice Prices
as on :
15-06-2016 08:10:19 PMArrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Gadarpur(Utr)
|
1032.00
|
102.35
|
113544.00
|
3025
|
2250
|
89.06
|
|
Devariya(UP)
|
80.00
|
-15.79
|
1485.00
|
2120
|
2110
|
4.95
|
|
Junagarh(Ori)
|
74.20
|
-19.13
|
1707.24
|
2100
|
2100
|
-4.55
|
|
Saharanpur(UP)
|
70.00
|
-1.41
|
5544.00
|
2340
|
2280
|
8.84
|
|
Kalahandi(Dharamagarh)(Ori)
|
62.10
|
10.54
|
1143.08
|
2100
|
2100
|
-4.55
|
|
Ghaziabad(UP)
|
50.00
|
NC
|
3105.00
|
2350
|
2350
|
9.30
|
|
Gazipur(UP)
|
47.00
|
4.44
|
2046.00
|
2030
|
2030
|
1.00
|
|
Bazpur(Utr)
|
44.50
|
-82.75
|
44188.56
|
2150
|
1869
|
16.22
|
|
Jaunpur(UP)
|
35.00
|
-30
|
1585.00
|
2020
|
2015
|
0.25
|
|
Diamond Harbour(South 24-pgs)(WB)
|
20.00
|
NC
|
1023.50
|
2200
|
2200
|
2.33
|
|
Kaliaganj(WB)
|
12.00
|
-25
|
747.00
|
2250
|
2150
|
-6.25
|
|
Champadanga(WB)
|
11.00
|
83.33
|
960.00
|
2550
|
2550
|
NC
|
|
Alappuzha(Ker)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
90.00
|
3975
|
3900
|
6.00
|
|
Raiganj(WB)
|
10.00
|
-9.09
|
883.50
|
2200
|
2200
|
-12.00
|
|
Chengannur(Ker)
|
7.00
|
7.69
|
599.50
|
2300
|
2300
|
-8.00
|
|
Fatehpur(UP)
|
6.50
|
8.33
|
296.70
|
2190
|
2180
|
0.46
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
5.60
|
-30.86
|
1237.30
|
2450
|
2450
|
-
|
|
Khairagarh(UP)
|
5.00
|
-44.44
|
415.00
|
2180
|
2150
|
8.46
|
|
Mirzapur(UP)
|
4.00
|
-11.11
|
1344.10
|
1975
|
1970
|
-0.50
|
|
Darjeeling(WB)
|
2.70
|
-22.86
|
86.10
|
2800
|
2800
|
3.70
|
|
Sardhana(UP)
|
1.00
|
-16.67
|
85.30
|
2315
|
2290
|
9.20
|
|
Kasipur(WB)
|
1.00
|
-9.09
|
37.70
|
2200
|
2200
|
10.00
|
Rice Prices
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Bangalore(Kar)
|
2340.00
|
11.16
|
126799.00
|
4150
|
4100
|
NC
|
|
Bhivandi(Mah)
|
1900.00
|
-40.25
|
6819.00
|
2050
|
2100
|
20.59
|
|
Gadarpur(Utr)
|
1062.00
|
2.91
|
114606.00
|
2310
|
3025
|
44.38
|
|
Pilibhit(UP)
|
350.00
|
-
|
350.00
|
2200
|
-
|
-
|
|
Bangarpet(Kar)
|
305.00
|
-15.75
|
8160.00
|
1850
|
1850
|
1.09
|
|
English Bazar(WB)
|
210.00
|
NC
|
3245.00
|
2000
|
2000
|
-
|
|
Birbhum(WB)
|
166.00
|
-2.06
|
2983.00
|
2180
|
2170
|
15.96
|
|
Siliguri(WB)
|
155.00
|
-6.06
|
6032.00
|
2600
|
2600
|
-
|
|
Sitapur(UP)
|
148.00
|
-18.68
|
7684.00
|
2200
|
2190
|
5.77
|
|
Shahjahanpur(UP)
|
123.50
|
1135
|
40865.70
|
2240
|
2250
|
11.44
|
|
Basti(UP)
|
120.00
|
5.73
|
5083.00
|
1990
|
1980
|
3.92
|
|
Kalipur(WB)
|
92.00
|
8.24
|
6333.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
17.95
|
|
Rampurhat(WB)
|
90.00
|
NC
|
1089.00
|
2120
|
2120
|
-
|
|
Aligarh(UP)
|
85.00
|
NC
|
3790.00
|
2250
|
2260
|
20.00
|
|
Sealdah Koley Market(WB)
|
75.00
|
2.74
|
701.40
|
3150
|
3100
|
31.25
|
|
Thodupuzha(Ker)
|
70.00
|
NC
|
3010.00
|
2700
|
2650
|
-6.90
|
|
Jangipur(WB)
|
63.00
|
0.8
|
692.50
|
2165
|
2145
|
-6.88
|
|
Ghaziabad(UP)
|
60.00
|
20
|
3165.00
|
2350
|
2350
|
9.30
|
|
Rampur(UP)
|
56.00
|
12
|
726.50
|
2300
|
2290
|
10.05
|
|
Pandua(WB)
|
52.00
|
NC
|
2358.00
|
2700
|
2700
|
3.85
|
|
Samsi(WB)
|
50.00
|
NC
|
16160.00
|
3000
|
3000
|
-
|
|
Gazipur(UP)
|
49.00
|
4.26
|
2095.00
|
2030
|
2030
|
1.00
|
|
Achalda(UP)
|
35.00
|
-88.33
|
3907.50
|
2245
|
2250
|
-0.22
|
|
Dadri(UP)
|
32.00
|
NC
|
2143.00
|
2315
|
2300
|
-0.22
|
|
Coochbehar(WB)
|
32.00
|
-58.97
|
1727.00
|
2150
|
2150
|
4.88
|
|
Cachar(ASM)
|
30.00
|
-25
|
2150.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
-7.41
|
|
Mekhliganj(WB)
|
23.00
|
-4.17
|
780.00
|
2150
|
2100
|
16.22
|
|
Lohardaga(Jha)
|
22.00
|
37.5
|
1064.00
|
1650
|
1780
|
-17.50
|
|
Karimganj(ASM)
|
20.00
|
NC
|
1720.00
|
2150
|
2150
|
-6.52
|
|
Dhekiajuli(ASM)
|
20.00
|
-13.04
|
1068.60
|
2000
|
2000
|
5.82
|
|
Kolaghat(WB)
|
18.00
|
NC
|
667.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
4.55
|
|
Tamluk (Medinipur E)(WB)
|
18.00
|
NC
|
704.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
9.52
|
|
Kaliaganj(WB)
|
15.00
|
25
|
762.00
|
2250
|
2250
|
-6.25
|
|
Champadanga(WB)
|
14.00
|
27.27
|
974.00
|
2550
|
2550
|
NC
|
|
Falakata(WB)
|
13.50
|
-3.57
|
370.30
|
2040
|
2020
|
-0.49
|
|
Divai(UP)
|
13.00
|
-7.14
|
279.50
|
2060
|
2060
|
47.14
|
|
Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah)
|
12.00
|
-20
|
1907.00
|
3750
|
3750
|
-
|
|
Firozabad(UP)
|
11.00
|
-21.43
|
665.00
|
2180
|
2200
|
7.39
|
|
Raiganj(WB)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
893.50
|
2200
|
2200
|
-12.00
|
|
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
|
8.80
|
-4.35
|
1512.70
|
1900
|
1900
|
-
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
7.00
|
25
|
1244.30
|
2450
|
2450
|
-
|
|
Bobbili(AP)
|
6.20
|
-
|
6.20
|
4250
|
-
|
-
|
|
Karanjia(Ori)
|
5.50
|
-8.33
|
288.80
|
2600
|
2600
|
4.00
|
|
Buland Shahr(UP)
|
5.00
|
25
|
435.50
|
2065
|
2065
|
1.47
|
|
Islampur(WB)
|
4.00
|
33.33
|
296.90
|
2350
|
2350
|
11.90
|
|
Rajam(AP)
|
3.00
|
-
|
3.00
|
2900
|
-
|
-
|
|
Alibagh(Mah)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
126.00
|
4000
|
4000
|
23.08
|
|
Murud(Mah)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
198.00
|
3000
|
3000
|
87.50
|
|
Siyana(UP)
|
2.50
|
-16.67
|
95.50
|
2065
|
2065
|
1.23
|
|
Moreh(Man)
|
1.30
|
-7.14
|
2.70
|
3200
|
2900
|
-
|
|
Thoubal(Man)
|
1.30
|
30
|
80.10
|
2900
|
2900
|
3.57
|
|
Shillong(Meh)
|
1.20
|
50
|
56.60
|
3500
|
3500
|
NC
|
|
Mangaon(Mah)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
35.00
|
2800
|
2800
|
12.00
|
|
Jambusar(Guj)
|
0.90
|
-97.18
|
1070.95
|
3500
|
3400
|
|
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article8736733.ece
06/15/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
|
Arkansas Farm Bureau
|
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