16th August,2016 daily global,regional and local rice e-nesletter by riceplus magazine

TCP scraps rice tender

August 15, 2016

RIZWAN BHATTI

Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) scrapped rice procurement tender for China, as the successful bidder agreed for conditional supply. State-run grain trader finalised a deal for procurement of 10,000 tons of Long Grain White Rice (Irri-6) for China on August 11, and accordingly the contract was awarded to lowest bidder namely M/s Chappal Traders at Rs 41,392/-per metric tons on Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF) basis as its bid was response and competitive.The rice was being procured for China's flood-hit masses as a gift from the people of Pakistan.

However, the successful bidder, after getting contract award letter imposed some conditions for supply of Long Grain White Rice (Irri-6). According to TCP officials, despite submitting bid for supply of 10,000 tons rice, the M/s Chappal Traders refused to supply complete quantity and agreed only for supply of 5,000 tons of rice.Secondly, the successful bidder asked TCP not to procure remaining quantity (5,000 tons) above the price that it has quoted in the tender and thirdly, it was seeking additional time for the supply of rice. The bidder was seeking about 30 days excluding Saturday and Sunday for supply of rice, they added.

In this situation, the state-run grain trader decided to scrap first rice tender for China and accordingly issued a fresh tender for procurement of rice. Fresh bids have been invited under the Rule 42(c)(v) of the Public Procurement Rules 2004 as the government has declared emergency for the instant procurement and TCP is making efforts to ensure shipment in first week of September 2016.Sources said that the TCP is also considering action against the first lowest bidder as it has regretted after the issuance of contract award letter.The second rice tender for China will be opened on Monday August 15, 2016 for procurement of 10,000 tons rice. However, as the Long Grain White Rice (Irri-6) is short in the market, the TCP has asked for procurement of Long Grain White Rice (PK-386).

State-run grain trader has invited sealed bids (under Public Procurement Rules, 2004) on CIF basis from companies/partnership/sole proprietors dealing in exports of rice for export of 10,000 metric tons Long Grain White Rice (PK-386) to China in shape of containerised bagged cargo packed in 50-kg polypropylene (PP) woven bags as per specification provided by TCP.However, the companies that are blacklisted by any government department/ agency or have defaulted with TCP or failed to perform their contractual obligations with TCP will not be eligible to participate in the tender unless they clear their dues along-with applicable penalties or fulfil their contractual obligations with TCP, as the case may be, before tender opening date.

As per tender tern and conditions, the bids will be submitted by a bidder for a minimum quantity of 2,000 per metric tons or multiples therefore with a maximum quantity of 10,000 metric tons Long Grain White Rice (PK-386). Previously, in the first tender minimum quantity for the submission of bid was 5,000 metric ton.
It is expecting that Long Grain White Rice (PK-386) may be 5 to 10 percent costly as compared to Long Grain White Rice (Irri-6). It may be mentioned here that the TCP opened the first rice tender for China tender on Wednesday August 9, and received poor response as only three parties participated in the bidding process. In response to TCP's rice import tender some three companies/traders submitted their offers and quoted price ranging between Rs 41,392 per metric ton to Rs 44,920 per metric tons for the supply of Irri-6 rice.

The M/s Chappal Traders was the lowest bidder, which offered to supply 10,000 tons Irri-6 rice at a price of Rs 41,392 per metric ton on CIF basis.

M/s Garib Sons offered to supply 10,000 tons of Irri-6 rice at Rs 44,625 per metric ton. The third bidder M/s BABA Enterprises quoted Rs 44,920 per metric ton for 5,000 tons rice.After bid evaluation, first lowest bid was declared responsive and accordingly TCP awarded contract to M/s Chappal Traders for supply of Irri-6 rice to China.

http://www.brecorder.com/market-data/stocks-a-bonds/0/75223/

 

 

Govt should take steps to stop fall in rice exports

By: APP

15-Aug-16

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF) President Mian Zahid Hussain expressed concern on Monday over falling rice exports terming it damaging for the economy.He said that the government should take steps to stop the fall in rice exports as soon as possible otherwise it would have bad impacts on the economy of the state, a press release here said. Rice exports have witnessed a fall of 8.60 per cent during financial year of 2016 by fetching 2.035 billion dollars which should be a matter of concern for the stakeholders, he added.
Zahid expressed worries over the future of the country's rice exports as some major markets have been lost while some others are under threat. Pakistan has missed annual rice export targets for five years necessitating government intervention before it is too late as 3,861,406 metric tonnes of rice was exported in 2016 as compare to the corresponding period in which 4,262,216 metric tonnes of rice was exported, he said.
He noted that the highest shipments recorded took place in 2009-10 when earnings from rice exports stood at $2.2bn. Since then, the exports have remained almost stagnant and now it is going down. Government must come forward to save the second highest foreign exchange earning sector and provide incentives to growers many of whom are switching to other crops while enabling exporters to regain their competitiveness in the international market, he demanded.
He said that all the major stakeholders including rice growers, traders, millers and exporters have suffered because of the low demand of Pakistani rice in the international market therefore all should be facilitated.
Rice farmers deserve all the facilities rival nations are offering to their farmers including affordable seeds, pesticides, electricity, water and dryers while they should be given direct subsidy as indirect subsidies are less effective. Our competitors were able to raise their exports by benefitting from market-oriented or demand-driven research, he said

http://dailytimes.com.pk/business/15-Aug-16/govt-should-take-steps-to-stop-fall-in-rice-exports

 

 

Rice cultivation in Southeast Asia: Five years of lessons learned by LEGATO

August 15, 2016

A view of the Kinakin rice terraces, Luzon, Philippines. Credit: Pavel Stoev

Five years of irrigated rice cultivation research reached its pinnacle at the Final LEGATO Conference, which took place from 6 to 11 August 2016 in Banaue, Philippines. LEGATO is a BMBF (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research) funded project, coordinated by the Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Germany.
The international team of scientists presented results from dedicated studies covering a wide range of rice cultivation aspects in Southeast Asia, ranging from the influence of Silicon availability in soils on rice production and the contribution of pollinators and soil organisms to biodiversity and nutrient provisioning, towards discussing the importance of the socio-cultural context for sustainable development or ecotourism in the study regions.
Rice is an important crop and staple food in the Southeast Asian region; however, the growing pressures of our changing world pose difficulties on its production. LEGATO research focuses on providing guidelines for optimising rice ecosystem functions and services given the local socio-cultural conditions and their stabilisation under future global and particular land use change, which will particularly affect South and Southeast Asia.
As an important contribution to rice cultivation studies, research on the effects of Silicon (Si) was able to highlight the benefits of this element for the health of rice crops. Having tested the effects of Si fertilization on Si uptake and growth of rice and on decomposability of the produced straw in Northern Vietnam, LEGATO researchers demonstrated, that Si application to the soil increased Si uptake by rice and has the potential to improve rice yields.
Recommendations on the impacts of decomposition driven by invertebrates in tropical rice ecosystem as well as management strategies for farmers and practitioners were provided. The scientists also presented studies on the effects of regional environmental drivers and landscape complexity on species composition in rice-dominated agroecosystems.
Important part was also reserved for the socio-cultural aspects relevant for ecosystem services in LEGATO rice agroecosystems. Results have shown that achieving a shared understanding of the role of ES within the social-ecological context can already be beneficial for the decision-making process.
"LEGATO research has aimed to take into account a complexity of factors that might influence achieving sustainable rice production in the region, while at the same time taking into account protecting biodiversity and natural resources," explains LEGATO Co-ordinator Prof. Josef Settele, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ).
"Our researchers explored rice production in the region from a variety of angles, leading to recommendations for policy makers and practitioners alike, taking into consideration not only the ecological and economic aspects, but also the socio-cultural landscape in the region."

http://phys.org/news/2016-08-rice-cultivation-southeast-asia-years.html

Higher pulses acreage, good monsoon drive up kharif sowing

Our Bureau

Strong domestic prices a big factor; decline in cotton cultivation also plays a role

New Delhi, August 12:  

Sowing of pulses in the ongoing kharif season has outstripped last year’s planting by a wide margin as the area under all crops till August 12, at 954.15 lakh hectares (lh), is a 6.5 per cent increase over sowing in the same period last year at 895.91 lh.Acreage under pulses increased 33 per cent to 130.17 lh, while the area under rice rose 7 per cent to 326.08 lh; coarse cereals increased by 6 per cent to 173.56 lh and oilseeds posted a rise of 5.13 per cent to 172.25 lh, according to data collated from States and released by the Agriculture Ministry.

High prices of pulses

While some of the increase in acreage of pulses could be attributed to the fall in cotton sowing, the high domestic prices of all varieties, especially arhar, has also acted as a favourable factor.

Total sowing of all kharif crops, including rice, pulses, cotton and cereals, so far, is already 90 per cent of the normal sown area of 1,062.52 lakh hectares. “With good monsoons, the normal area is likely to get sown by the end of the season this month,” a government official told BusinessLine. Monsoon this year has delivered a surplus of 3 per cent, so far, and about 93 per cent of the areas spanning 33 meteorological sub-divisions have received normal-to-excess rains. Rains have been deficient in three sub divisions: Kerala, Assam and Manipur among others.

Cash crops lose

Cotton sowing at 99.03 lh was 9 per cent lower than last year’s acreage in the same period, at 108.67 lh. The entire decline could be attributed to the decline in sowing of Bt cotton to 82 lh (99.5 lh).

Sowing of non-Bt cotton, on the other hand, increased to 17 lh from 9.15 lh in the same period last year.

Sowing of sugarcane, too, declined to 45.54 lh (49.51 lh). The acreage under jute and mesta, at 7.56 lh, was marginally lower than the 7.73 lh sown in the same period last year.

Pulses, Rice

Among pulses, tur or arhar has registered a 51 per cent increase in area this kharif, so far, at 48.87 lakh ha against corresonding last year's 32.31 lakh ha. Similarly, urad bean has registered a 27 per cent increase at 31.56 l ha (24.78 l ha last year) and moong bean at 30.15 l ha (22.05 l ha), an increase of 36.73 per cent.

In rice, the main kharif cereal crop, the increase in acreage is mainly on account of higher coverage in states such as Madhya Pradesh (6.37 lakh ha), West Bengal (5.38 l ha), Assam (4.11 l ha) and Bihar (3.90 l ha). On the other hand, Odisha (2.01 l ha) and Telangana (1.12 l ha) have registered a drop in acreage.

(This article was published on August 12, 2016)

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/bihar-gets-time-till-monthend-to-enroll-farmers-under-pm-crop-insurance-scheme/article8981746.ece

Rice harvest achieves new record

Stephen Mudd
15 Aug 2016, 10:30 a.m.

 Rice growers who took advantage of on-farm efficiency techniques have delivered a bumper crop for the season. Griffith irrigator Clinton Brill delivered a whopping 15.2 tonnes per hectare, a result previously unseen in the area.
According to the Ricegrowers’ Association, favourable seasonal conditions helped with the great yields but the uptake of new techniques improved productivity despite a season of high water prices.The results have led to a positive outlook among rice growers.

http://www.therural.com.au/story/4095915/rice-harvest-achieves-new-record/Vietnam cuts 2016 rice export forecast to 4.75 mln tons: newspaper

Vietnam cuts 2016 rice export forecast to 4.75 mln tons: newspaper

Updated : 08/15/2016 11:24 GMT + 7

HANOI, Aug 15 - Vietnam's rice exports could fall 27 percent in 2016 from last year to 4.75 million tonnes, the lowest since 2008, due to less overseas demand and rising supplies from Thailand, a local newspaper said on Monday.

It cited the Vietnam Food Association as revising down its forecast for the second time this year, from 5.7 million tonnes as projected in June. A lack of demand from key markets in Asia and Africa, along with Thailand's sales from state stockpiles would drive the fall, the Vietnam Economic Times newspaper quoted an official at the Ho Chi Minh City-based association.Officials at the association could not be reached for comments."Buyers will pay attention to Vietnamese rice only if prices fall significantly, while the adjustment of the annual export forecast does not raise any interest," said a trader at a foreign firm in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam's 5-percent broken summer-autumn rice eased to $350-$353 a tonne on Monday, free-on-board basis, from $355 last week, but overall demand remained week, traders said.The association now projects rice exports in the second half of 2016 at 2.1 million tonnes, after first-half shipments have dropped 2 percent in the year-ago period to 2.65 million tonnes, the newspaper said.The projected annual volume excludes sales across the land border to top buyer China, the report said.Vietnam is the world's third-largest rice exporter after India and Thailand.Thailand's military junta has sold more than 5 million tonnes of rice in a series of auctions since taking power in a coup in May 2014. It plans to clear the stockpiles, now totalling around 9 million tonnes, by the end of 2017.

http://tuoitrenews.vn/business/36501/vietnam-cuts-2016-rice-export-forecast-to-475-mln-tons-newspaper

UPDATE 1-Vietnam cuts 2016 rice export forecast to 4.75 mln T - newspaper

Mon Aug 15, 2016 2:40am GMT

HANOI Aug 15 (Reuters) - Vietnam's rice exports could fall 27 percent in 2016 from last year to 4.75 million tonnes, the lowest since 2008, due to less overseas demand and rising supplies from Thailand, a state-run newspaper said on Monday.It cited the Vietnam Food Association as revising down its forecast for the second time this year, from 5.7 million tonnes as projected in June.
A lack of demand from key markets in Asia and Africa, along with Thailand's sales from state stockpiles would drive the fall, the Vietnam Economic Times newspaper quoted an official at the Ho Chi Minh City-based association.
Officials at the association could not be reached for comments.
"Buyers will pay attention to Vietnamese rice only if prices fall significantly, while the adjustment of the annual export forecast does not raise any interest," said a trader at a foreign firm in Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnam's 5-percent broken summer-autumn rice RI-VNBKN5-P1 eased to $350-$353 a tonne on Monday, free-on-board basis, from $355 last week, but overall demand remained week, traders said.
The association now projects rice exports in the second half of 2016 at 2.1 million tonnes, after first-half shipments have dropped 2 percent in the year-ago period to 2.65 million tonnes, the newspaper said.
The projected annual volume excludes sales across the land border to top buyer China, the report said.
Vietnam is the world's third-largest rice exporter after India and Thailand.
Thailand's military junta has sold more than 5 million tonnes of rice in a series of auctions since taking power in a coup in May 2014. It plans to clear the stockpiles, now totalling around 9 million tonnes, by the end of 2017. (Reporting by Ho Binh Minh; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)

http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N1AW17D

PHL rice inventory good for 81 days–PSA

by Jasper Y. Arcalas - August 15, 2016

The country’s rice inventory at the start of the lean season for palay reached 2.73 million metric tons (MMT), which would be enough for 81 days, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
PSA data showed that the total rice inventory as of July 1 was 6.44 percent higher than the 2.57 MMT recorded in the same period last year. However, it is 15.51 percent lower than last month’s inventory of 3.24 MMT.
“Stocks in the households would be good for 29 days, those in NFA depositories for 27 days, and those in commercial warehouses for 25 days,” the PSA report read.
Of the rice inventory as of July 1, the PSA said nearly 36 percent were with the households, 30.68 percent in commercial warehouses and 33.42 percent in NFA depositories. Nearly 84 percent of NFA stocks consisted of imported rice.

PSA data showed that NFA stocks during the period reached 910,000 metric tons (MT), while commercial warehouses accounted for 840,000 MT. Households
accounted for 980,000 MT.

“Compared with last year, rice stocks in the households and in NFA depositories grew by 2.97 percent and 17.95 percent, respectively. However, stocks in commercial warehouses decreased by 0.23 percent,” the report read.
On a monthly basis, rice stocks in all sectors were lower compared with their levels in June. The PSA said stocks in the households dropped by 16.05 percent, in commercial warehouses by 15.67 percent, and in NFA depositories by 14.76 percent.
The lean season for palay is from July to August—a period when the country does not harvest rice.
During the same period, PSA data showed that total corn-stock inventory reached 215,920 MT, 21.6 percent lower than last year’s record of 275,400 MT.
“Corn stocks in all sectors dropped compared with their levels last year. Stocks in the households decreased by 8.47 percent, in commercial warehouses by 24.47 percent, and in NFA depositories by 64.31 percent,” the report read. The PSA said 77.82 percent of total corn-stock inventory in July was in commercial warehouses, 22.02 percent was with the households and 0.16 percent in NFA depositories.
Corn inventory in NFA warehouses reached 35,000 MT, commercial warehouses accounted for 168,040 MT, while corn in households amounted to 47,540 MT.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/2016/08/15/phl-rice-inventory-good-for-81-days-psa/

Rice taskforce created, again

Mon, 15 August 2016

Cheng Sokhorng

 

The Ministry of Rice is harvested from a field using a small harvest machine in Tbong Khmum province earlier this year. Heng Chivoan

Commerce set up a new taskforce on Friday to address challenges faced by the Kingdom’s struggling rice industry and assess demands made by members of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), who have decried the ineffectiveness of an earlier taskforce set up by the ministry.Moul Sarith, CRF secretary, said the new taskforce will comprise 13 members from the Ministry of Commerce and 11 members from the CRF. The ad hoc working group will seek to address six separate points brought forward by CRF President Sok Puthyvuth during a meeting with Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak on Friday.
One of the key demands by the CRF is to obtain shared responsibility with the Minister of Commerce to attribute Certificate of Origin status to rice exporters.
“We want the right to check and approve the certificate of origin of any rice exporter in order to strengthen and control rice quality and prevent false product labelling,” Sarith said. “And as we are working to promote the rice sector, we wish to have a substantial role in the interactions that take place between the Chinese rice association and Cambodia.”
Former minister of commerce Sun Chantol created the first taskforce last March to study threats to the sustainability of the country’s rice industry. Its goals at the time were to formulate urgent measures aimed at stemming the flood of illegal rice imports and facilitating the offer of $20-$30 million in soft loans to struggling rice millers.
However, the new taskforce will not replace the previous one, but rather address separate issues, according to Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Soeng Sophary.
“The work of the new taskforce is to address the six points raised by the CRF and it will only exist temporarily to resolve these new emergencies,” she said. “The previous taskforce was created to solve the issues faced by the sector as a whole and will continue working as normal.”
Tang Chhong Ngy, marketing manager of rice miller LBN Angkor (Kampuchea), said the first taskforce had been highly ineffective and the second working group was created after the same issues were raised again by the CRF.“We saw many procedures at the national level but none that actually went into operation,” he said.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/rice-taskforce-created-again

Vietnam rice exports shrink to seven-month low in July

By Bui Hong Nhung   August 12, 2016 | 03:52 pm GMT+7

Rice export volume collapsed by 118 percent on-year. Data from the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) showed rice exports in July fell to their lowest point in 2016 at 270,000 tons, down 118 percent against the same month last year.Export value also dived 95 percent to $122 million.The VFA explained that the slowdown started in April when orders from big markets like China, Indonesia and Philippines dried up. Other importers have shifted their attention to Thai products, which are of medium quality but competitively priced.

Lam Anh Tuan, head of Thinh Phat Food Company, said that the global rice market is facing a gloomy picture with Thailand ready to sell off its massive inventory, causing rice traders to take a cautious approach before making a deal.However, some traders say they’ve heard of information that the Philippines and Indonesia are making plans to increase their imports. If this is true, Vietnam could benefit as the average export price of Vietnamese rice is lower than its rivals.

On the global market, five-percent broken rice from Vietnam is traded at $370-380 per ton, while Thailand and other countries set the price at $400 or more.Vietnam exported nearly three million tons of rice over the first seven months for $1.27 billion, down 12.7 percent in volume and seven percent in value from a year ago.

The VFA predicts that the country will export a total of 5.7 million tons in 2016, falling by 14 percent on-year following the worst drought and salinity to hit the Mekong Delta in a century, which accounts for 50 percent of Vietnam’s rice exports every year.

http://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/markets/vietnam-rice-exports-shrink-to-seven-month-low-in-july-3451651.html

Rice export turnover reduces sharply

Vietnam only exported over 270,000 tons of rice in July, reaching at US$ 120 million of Free on Board (FOB) and US$ 122 million of cost insurance and freight (CIF), according to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA).The rice export decreased at over 118 percent for output and 95 percent of FOB in comparison with the same period last year. In July alone, the rice export in volume and value reduced sharply. However, rice export accumulation of the country in the first seven months of this year approximated 2, 928 million tons; and its free on board was US$ 1, 266 billion which decreased at 12, 7 percent of rice output and seven percent of FOB value in comparison with same period last year.

The low growth during the first seven months have affected by rice purchase demand from main markets like Indonesia, the Philippines and China. Additionally, Vietnam’s rice price also has been impacted by El Nino phenomenon, and competitive price between rice export countries that caused many businesses hesitate and not sign new export contracts.However, Vietnam Food Association (VFS) said the Philippines and Indonesia businesses are planning to buy rice in Vietnam upcoming time. With the rice import demand, Vietnam will take advantaged chances because its rice price is lower than the regional export country. According to the VFS, this year’s rice export in the country will approximate 5, 7 million tons, reducing 14 percent over last year.

http://www.sggpnews.org.vn/Business/2016/8/120124/

Joint Working Group for Rice

The Ministry of Commerce and the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) on Friday set up a joint working group to provide immediate relief to the Kingdom’s beleaguered rice sector, where rice millers are currently struggling to stay afloat in a market flooded by cheap imports from Vietnam.According to a Ministry of Commerce press release on Friday, the joint working group will comprise experts from the ministry and CRF with a mandate to seek “immediate solutions” and work with the Kingdom’s development partners, to help Cambodia’s ailing rice sector.“Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak agreed to the formation of this joint working group and from this week, the group will begin its important work,” said Soeng Sophary, the Commerce Ministry’s spokesperson.

The specter of insolvency looms large over the businesses of rice millers in Cambodia as they struggle to recover from the aftereffects of a severe drought. To make matters worse, they are also facing stiff competition from low-grade rice flowing into the country from Vietnam.In March, rice millers and exporters wrote to the government urging intervention due to stiff competition in export markets as well as domestic ones. In the letter, they said they were facing a cash crunch due to a flood of low-grade rice from Vietnam while stressing that bankruptcy was widespread among farmers, millers and exporters alike.

 The letter said Vietnamese companies were snapping up high-quality Cambodian paddy for export from Vietnam and flooding the Cambodian market with low-grade rice. This, the letter said, was driving domestic millers out of the market.“The working group will discuss all issues troubling the rice sector,” said Sok Puthy Vuth, the president of CRF.

“The issues would also include an independent monitoring of milled rice exports, the trademark registration of Malis [fragrant] rice and the use of the word ‘Tonle Sap’ to geographically indicate Cambodia’s milled rice,” said Mr. Vuth.Mr. Vuth said the working group would also follow up on the application for a $300 million loan from the Chinese government, to build large silos to store rice for milling.The CRF has been urging the government to build silos for storing paddy rice in order to boost rice exports and the $300 million loan was to build 10 large silos, which could store a total of 1.2 million tons of paddy rice to ensure both millers and exporters had a continuous supply of the commodity.

Aun Pornmoniroth, Economy and Finance Minister, said in a meeting with CRF in late June that Cambodia would not totally stop importing rice from neighboring countries, including Vietnam. However, he said the government planned to reduce the export duty of milled rice.According data from Ministry of Agriculture, Cambodia’s rice exports fell about six percent from 283,825 tons in the first six months of last year to about 268,190 tons in same period this year.

http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/28455/joint-working-group-for-rice/

Rice production expected to decrease in 2016-17

Sun Online Desk     15th August, 2016 07:49:42

In market year 2016-17, production of Bangladesh rice is forecast to fall to 34.51 million tonnes from an estimated 11.7 million hectares on reduced planting of its summer rice and increased winter rice production, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Services (FAS) said in an Aug. 5 report. Summer rice production was estimated lower at 2.4 million tonnes due to decreased acreage against the initial expectation due to insufficient irrigation. 

Field sources said many farmers switched from producing summer rice to jute, maize and vegetable cultivation due to higher returns. Bangladesh’s notification for mandatory use of bulk burlap bags for five agricultural commodities is driving demand for jute and farmers have responded by increasing jute cultivation, which is expected to be more profitable than summer rice. However, winter rice production was forecast marginally higher and was revised up to 18.8 million tonnes, according to the FAS. The forecast for wheat production for market year 2016-17 remained unchanged at 1.33 million tonnes assuming normal weather conditions during the planting and crop season, it said.

The market year 2016-17 rice import forecast was lowered to 0.15 million tonnes on expectation of strong import protection policy impact. On June 2, Bangladesh increased tariffs from 10% to 25% and removed 10% regulatory duty on rice imports in place since December 2015, the FAS said. The added 25% tariff on rice imports further affected import prospects.

In addition, Bangladesh imposed a 15% value added tax (VAT), an advance income tax (AIT) of 5%, and an additional advanced trade VAT (ATV) of 4%. The tariff was raised and other taxes were added to stop cheaper Indian rice imports that generally constitute the largest share of the import market, according to the FAS.

Market year 2015-16 rice imports were revised marginally lower to 0.22 million tonnes based on the latest customs data, the FAS said. Market year 2016-17 wheat import forecast was raised to 4.4 million tonnes on expected strong domestic demand and lower international prices. Based on the current pace of imports, the report’s market year 2015-16 wheat import estimate was revised up to 4.2 million tonnes on competitive prices, the report said.

In the budget fiscal year 2016-17, Bangladesh withdrew the VAT for imported wheat and rice milling equipment and parts. In the budget, Bangladesh raised custom duty of wheat starch from 10% to 15%, the FAS said. For fiscal year 2016-17, Bangladesh extended the export ban on non-fragrant rice. Bangladesh may allow aromatic or fragrant rice exports, pending permission from its Ministry of Commerce, according to the report.

http://daily-sun.com/post/159352/Rice-production-expected-to-decrease-in-201617

Rice harvest: Kebbi now haven to millers, buyers

By Ismail Adebayo, Birnin Kebbi | Publish Date: Aug 15 2016 5:00AM

Given the bountiful  harvest that is being recorded by farmers during this year’s dry season rice farming, Kebbi State has become a new haven to conventional, local millers and rice traders from Sokoto, Kano, Zamfara, EbonyI, Lagos, Maiduguri, Niger and other parts of the country. Also it has continued to witness the influx of rice buyers from Niger Republic, Benin and other neighbouring countries.   Because of this the price of paddy rice has jumped up. Farmers now charge between N10,000 to N12,000 for a bag of paddy rice in the state. Under the Anchor Borrowers arrangement, government is expected to buy a bag of paddy rice from the registered farmers at the rate of N113,000 per ton. However, they are now selling to the third buyers at the rate of N10,000 to N12,000 per bag.    

When our correspondent visited some rice farms around Birnin Kebbi, Augie, Bunza, Argungu and Yauri areas of the state, some of the farmers who spoke to us could not hold their excitement while narrating their success story. Alhaji Sahadi Augie is the Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association in the state. In words laden  with excitement, he said “Do you know that from  April to this time millers and other rice traders from Sokoto, Kano, Zamfara, Ebony, Lagos, Maiduguri, Niger and others have been coming in trucks and trailers to buy rice here. The good thing is that our farmers are still on the field planting rice, so the harvest will continue till October this year. Given this unprecedented success recorded in this year’s harvest across the state, Kebbi would not only meet the rice needs  of the country, but within a short time that of West Africa.”

He added “We are lucky the weather was favourable, the input that was given to the farmers was effective , and it has assisted greatly in raising the yield during this year’s harvest. I must say that the harvest was very good for us. It has never been like this before. I am very optimistic that we will surpass the 1 million metric tons target very soon. This is because this year we harvested rice in Kebbi in the way we have never harvested it before. It was really a bumper harvest. You realize that under the Anchor Borrowers programme 70,000 farmers were engaged to produce rice in the state.

Each of them was given the required inputs to cultivate one hectare of rice farm. Under the scheme there was a programme carved out for rice millers like Labana and Humza from Kano, to engage an additional eight thousand farmers, so in all 78,000 farmers were engaged at small scale level to produce rice for the state. These are not the only rice farmers that we have. Kebbi has over 300,000 rice farmers, even though they are not captured under this programme, they are also producing rice on their own.”

 The federal government has invested N15 billion on this year’s rice/wheat farming in Kebbi State. Apart from the 78,000 small-scale rice producers in the state, there are other 1,700 large scale ones that were not captured under the rice production programme.  Speaking in the same vein a rice farmer in Argungu, Muhammed Abdullahi said the  huge harvest being recorded by the farmers was expected. “More than before, everybody is now involved in rice farming. Don’t forget the entire River Niger valley area in Kebbi North is 11,600 kilometer square of irrigable land. It was estimated to be about 120,000 hectares of irrigable land along the river Niger valley ,and Kebbi has over 500,000 hectares of Fadama land. We have over 250 members of the water user’s association who are entirely farmers along the flood plain area.

The Anchor Borrowers scheme has really improved our rice farming, and it might not be long before we start feeding the other West African countries.”Augie explained that the initial agreement between government and farmers was that once they are given the loan, fertilizer, generator and pumping machines, they are to pay back by selling rice to government. “However, the influx of buyers, local and conventional millers from all over the country, in large numbers  and buying in large quantities, has brought about high increase in the price of paddy rice. With this development, farmers felt they would be shortchanged should they sell to government at the initially agreed price. This made us to change our agreement. Now farmers have the option  of either paying back to government in cash or  by paddy rice.

This is to safeguard them from being shortchanged and as well defaulted. Under the Anchor Borrowers arrangement government is buying from farmers at the rate of N113,000 per ton, but farmers could sell to the third buyers at the rate of N9,000 to N10,000 per bag. We cannot give the exact number of tons of rice that we have produced now because harvesting is still going one,but between 1.1 to 1.2 million tons is our possible target.”  He continued “I can hardly find a word to commend facilitators of this rice programme. For several years before now we had been importing rice into this country at the rate of one billion naira per day, whereas we could produce it within the states.

 We were making farmers of other countries to make money while we are poor. Before now there were moves to do something like this, but the policies were inconsistent.But this time we are lucky both the president and our governor are determined to address the issue.We will also go all out to make sure this programme on rice production succeeds. We can’t quantify the kind of economic advantage it has brought to many farmers and rice traders in the state.” Alhaji Muhammed Garba Dandiga is the Commissioner for Agriculture and Chairman of the Committee on Agricultural Programme in the state. He said “Suru area alone is about 40 kilometres in spread. Some farmlands there are over 15,000 hectares. We have locations like that in more than 10 places where we are doing irrigation farming.

This has greatly boosted this year’s rice harvest in the state. It is not our effort but it is that of God and those of the federal government and Central Bank of Nigeria who gave us the opportunity. If we reach our climax, we will not only feed Nigeria but the entire West Africa.”   While telling her story, Hajiya Hadiza Abdullahi, one of the women farmers in the Argungu area said “This is my tenth year in rice farming. Before my husband died we were doing this together, I was helping him in the farm, but now the responsibility is mine. Rice farming is now much better than it was in the past. I was able to achieve a lot in this year’s harvest. The incentives given to me have helped to increase my yield and production capacity. I farm on 5 hectares of land and with this harvest I am expecting over 600 bags of rice.  When I was to start, government gave me  a generator, fertilizer, pumping machines, faro 44 seeds and money.

You can see I am getting old, I am being assisted on the farm by my three children but it has been good. It is a bumper harvest for me this year.” Her farmer friend, Halimatu Muhammed said “I started rice farming about 14 years ago. The farming method has changed now, compared to how we used to do it in the past. What we are witnessing in rice farming now in Kebbi has never happened before. During this year’s dry season farming I harvested over 200 bags of rice. If I get more money I could produce more than 1,000 bags of rice.”  Bashiru Hassan is one of the farmers excited by the bumper  harvest.

“I just finished harvesting my rice. I am so happy over the yield and I have started preparing for another planting season. The rice I just harvested was on three hectares of land. I am expected to get over 100 bags of rice from it, but I got 60 bags due to the problems I encountered on the varieties of seeds that I planted. Some did well while some did not. But I thank the Almighty it was a good yield after all. I think the little problem I had was because of my inexperience in rice farming. This was my first time of planting rice even though I started farming in 1982. I was planting groundnut, maize and millet before I ventured into rice farming, but I have learnt well now. The next farming season would be different. I planned to give Labana Mills 30 bags, government 20 bags and I will sell the remaining 10 bags to private buyers. I was told the price is now between N9,000 to N10,000.

This price may soon go up because there are many buyers and millers from other states and neighbouring countries, and many of them are presently in Kebbi. We really thank government for closing the border to rice importation. It will help to boost rice production and everybody will be happy.” Hajiya Hauwa Usman is one of the women rice farmers at Harasawa rice farm area in Birnin Kebbi “This is my first time of venturing into rice farming. I was into Cassava farming. When I was growing up I used to follow my parents to the farm, because that was what they were doing. So when I got married I still feel the urge to farm. When my son decided he wanted to go into rice farming I decided to back him. We were given this farm land to grow rice, and today we are happy.

 We thank God for making the harvest a success. As you can see we are still harvesting but it is with joy. If we can get another land we would love to do more than this, though we had problem with the seeds we were given initially. While some take four months, others take six months to harvest. I planted on one hectare of land and we are expecting nothing less than 15 to 20 bags of rice in this harvest. I would love to do rice farming again, but my fear now is that the person who leased this land to me might also want to use it for farming, because everybody is now going into rice farming.”  Another rice farmer, Bashir Muhammed Nasarawa said “This harvest means a lot of things to me.

 I ventured into rice farming this year. I did the registration to participate in the Anchor Borrowers programme in 2015 through the Bank of Agriculture. With this harvest I realize I can no longer rely on anybody again. I can rely on myself doing the rice farming. I am more than happy doing it. After this harvest I will continue rice planting immediately. I am expecting over 25 bags of rice in this harvest. I now have the experience .I believe I will do a lot better in the next farming season. I just hope to get a bigger land, at least about five hectares to plant rice

http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/feature/rice-harvest-kebbi-now-haven-to-millers-buyers/158968.html.

Vietnam cuts 2016 rice export f'cast to 4.75m tonnes

15 Aug 2016 at 11:28 2,975 viewed0 comments

WRITER: REUTERS

HANOI - Vietnam's rice exports could fall 27% in 2016 from last year to 4.75 million tonnes, the lowest since 2008, a state-run newspaper reported.It cited the Vietnam Food Association as lowering its forecast for the second time this year.A lack of demand from key markets in Asia and Africa, along with Thailand's sales from state stockpiles would drive the fall, the Vietnam Economic Times newspaper quoted an official at the Ho Chi Minh City-based association as saying.Officials at the association were not immediately available for comments.

Crop Busters: Greenpeace Mocks Nobel Laureates in Fool's Crusade Against GM Rice

While genetically modified golden rice could help alleviate famine and save thousands of children from malnourishment and visual impairments, this simple solution is strongly opposed by Greenpeace, which has initiated two misleading campaigns, two Swedish researchers wrote in an opinion piece.The environmental watchdog Greenpeace has recently landed in trouble for its fierce opposition to the application of modern genetic engineering in agriculture, which could become a lifesaver in poor, underfed parts of the world. On top of strictly scientific issues, Greenpeace was censured for its failure to discourage or distance itself from "environmental activists" who harass scientists and engage in violent crime.

 

Last month, 110 Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry and or medicine wrote an open a letter addressed to Greenpeace, the UN and governments worldwide. The letter accused Greenpeace and its supporters of having misled the public about the risks, benefits and importance of biotechnology, as well as having supported criminal activity directed against research projects. The letter particularly emphasized Greenpeace's campaign against golden rice, condemning the group's activity by concluding: "How many poor people in the world must die before we consider this a crime against humanity?"

Ever since Greenpeace stopped focusing on campaigning against nuclear pwer in the 1990s, they have been using GM crops as both a focus for campaigns and a cash cow. This way was mapped out by Greenpeace's former chief, Lord Melchett, who declared in his address to the House of Lords that his organization "will remain opposed to GM crops, regardless of any scientific risk assessments."

According to Torbjörn Fagerström, Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Ecology at Lund University, and Jens Sundström, Associate Professor of Plant Physiology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Greenpeace has since used tangible ways undermine and sabotage scientific data they oppose."Greenpeace has provided support to researchers working to confirm the organization's preconceived opinions," Fagerström and Sundström wrote in an opinion piece in the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, citing "infantile propaganda" on Greenpeace's part.

Consequently, Greenpeace denied that their incessant campaigning has delayed the introduction of golden rice. Moreover, the environmental watchdog censured the Nobel laureates' appeal with an absurd questioning of their skills. Ironically, the Greenpeace-funded organization GM Watch, which the Swedish professors rejected as "one of those self-appointed representatives of the public interest," concluded that the Nobel Prize laureates didn't offer "relevant expertise." The dismissal was later imitated by Food and Water Watch, another self-proclaimed expert panel without academic qualifications.

Golden rice is a genetically engineered strain of rice which has been enriched with a beta-carotene substance which converts to vitamin A in the human body. In countries where rice is the staple food, vitamin A deficiency is a widespread problem, due to the lack of natural beta carotene. A lack of vitamin A causes chronic visual impairment and may result in blindness. According to the World Health Organization, this affects hundreds of thousands of children annually. The golden rice project aims to target the lack of vitamin A through prioritized distribution among farmers with low incomes. The golden rice, which produces up to 23 times more beta carotene than its ordinary counterpart, was labeled by Greenpeace as a "Trojan horse," aimed at increasing the acceptance of GM crops."If farmers and consumers were given the opportunity to experience the benefits of modern plant breeding, they would realize that the environmental movement, spearheaded by Greenpeace, have bet their campaign money on the wrong horse — be it Trojan or not," Sundström and Fagerström concluded

http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160815/1044279966/greenpeace-golden-rice-campaign.html

Rice cultivation in Southeast Asia: 5 years of lessons learned by LEGATO

Posted By News On August 15, 2016 - 10:44pm

Five years of irrigated rice cultivation research reached its pinnacle at the Final LEGATO Conference, which took place from 6 to 11 August 2016 in Banaue, Philippines. LEGATO is a BMBF (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research) funded project, coordinated by the Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Germany.The international team of scientists presented results from dedicated studies covering a wide range of rice cultivation aspects in Southeast Asia, ranging from the influence of Silicon availability in soils on rice production and the contribution of pollinators and soil organisms to biodiversity and nutrient provisioning, towards discussing the importance of the socio-cultural context for sustainable development or ecotourism in the study regions.
Rice is an important crop and staple food in the Southeast Asian region; however, the growing pressures of our changing world pose difficulties on its production. LEGATO research focuses on providing guidelines for optimising rice ecosystem functions and services given the local socio-cultural conditions and their stabilisation under future global and particular land use change, which will particularly affect South and Southeast Asia.

A view of the Kinakin rice terraces, Luzon, Philippines. Credit: Pavel Stoev

As an important contribution to rice cultivation studies, research on the effects of Silicon (Si) was able to highlight the benefits of this element for the health of rice crops. Having tested the effects of Si fertilization on Si uptake and growth of rice and on decomposability of the produced straw in Northern Vietnam, LEGATO researchers demonstrated, that Si application to the soil increased Si uptake by rice and has the potential to improve rice yields.
Recommendations on the impacts of decomposition driven by invertebrates in tropical rice ecosystem as well as management strategies for farmers and practitioners were provided. The scientists also presented studies on the effects of regional environmental drivers and landscape complexity on species composition in rice-dominated agroecosystems.
Important part was also reserved for the socio-cultural aspects relevant for ecosystem services in LEGATO rice agroecosystems. Results have shown that achieving a shared understanding of the role of ES within the social-ecological context can already be beneficial for the decision-making process.
"LEGATO research has aimed to take into account a complexity of factors that might influence achieving sustainable rice production in the region, while at the same time taking into account protecting biodiversity and natural resources," explains LEGATO Co-ordinator Prof. Josef Settele, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ).
"Our researchers explored rice production in the region from a variety of angles, leading to recommendations for policy makers and practitioners alike, taking into consideration not only the ecological and economic aspects, but also the socio-cultural landscape in the region.

http://www.sciencecodex.com/rice_cultivation_in_southeast_asia_5_years_of_lessons_learned_by_legato-188276

PM O’Neill: No Monopoly in Rice Industry

16/08/2016 Jack Lapauve Jnr.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill today brushed aside rumours of the 40 per cent price increase of rice in the domestic market.

PM O’Neill told parliament despite an increase in importing rice, control measures are in place for the population to afford the retail price.

“We have a desire to grow more rice in our country and we need to work hard at this,” the Prime Minister said after the issue was raised in parliament today.

“As a country we rely too much on rice imports, from Australia and from Asia that is sold in Papua New Guinea. We want to have a large scale and commercially viable rice production sector in our country that will meet the demands of our people.“Maintaining food security is of great importance for all countries around the world and Papua New Guinea must not be dependent on rice imports.“We have had enough experimenting, we want to grow rice in Papua New Guinea now, and we will create an environment were rice will be grown here,” the Prime Minister said.

“We have a quota system in our country and this is being managed by the Department of Agriculture. Cabinet has not made a firm decision on any revision to the quota system but it is clear what must be done.“Rice companies must know that if they do not grow rice in our country you will not get quota.“If these companies do not invest in rice production they will not get a quota.“We are developing a fair and level playing field in which we can have a competitive rice production industry,” he said.The Prime Minister made this statement following questions raised by Northern Governor, Gary Juffa, over rumours of a new developer partnering the government to produce rice.

http://www.emtv.com.pg/news/2016/08/pm-oneill-no-monopoly-in-rice-industry/

Cambodia Asks East Timor to Import Rice, Sugar

Cambodia is seeking to export milled rice and sugar to East Timor, according to the Ministry of Commerce, with experts saying it will expand markets for the Kingdom’s agricultural products.Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak on Friday asked East Timor’s Ambassador to Cambodia Felicidade de Sousa Guterres to check the possibility of East Timor importing milled rice and sugar from Cambodia.

Mr. Sorasak made the proposal as East Timor is in high demand of the products, according to a post on the ministry’s Facebook page.Ministry spokeswoman Soeung Sophary said it was just a proposal for East Timor to consider importing milled rice and sugar from Cambodia.“We just proposed that East Timor import from us because we have seen that East Timor imports milled rice and sugar from Cambodia’s neighbors,” Ms. Sophary said. “If they can import from us, it is good because we can expand the market for our products.”

She added that neither the amount to be imported nor a price had been reached.Cambodia has failed to grab the market for milled rice in the Philippines and Indonesia as Cambodia’s milled rice is more expensive than that of Thailand and Vietnam.Hun Lak, vice president of the Cambodia Rice Federation, applauded the government’s proposal in seeking more markets for the country’s rice which will boost exports. But he said the Kingdom’s rice sector needed a lot of support from the government, development partners and relevant parties due to competitiveness in foreign milled rice markets.

East Timor is a new market and more studies are needed to identify the varieties of rice that East Timor demands. “If East Timor needs fragrant rice, Cambodia hopes to grab this market compared to white rice,” he said.Mr. Lak, however, expressed concerns over the high cost of rice production, saying it will limit exports and be difficult to compete with other rice-exporting countries.Sam Saroeun, president of the Cambodia Sugar Association in Kampong Speu province, welcomed the proposal saying the move would open markets for palm sugar.

“If they allow us to export, it will benefit Cambodian farmers,” Mr. Saroeun said. “When we have more markets to export to, our farmers will have more jobs.”

http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/28511/cambodia-asks-east-timor-to-import-rice--sugar/

Rice Importers in PNG must invest in in Rice Production to Maintain Market Quota

Papua New Guinea Prime Minster,  Peter O’Neill  has warned rice importing companies that unless they invest in rice production in Papua New Guinea they will find their market access increasingly limited.PM O’Neill said becoming self-sufficient in rice production is a matter of high national importance.“We have a desire to grow more rice in our country and we need to work hard at this,” the Prime Minister said after the issue was raised in Parliament today.“As a country we rely too much on rice imports, from Australia and from Asia that is sold in Papua New Guinea.

“We want to have a large scale and commercially viable rice production sector in our country that will meet the demands of our people.“Maintaining food security is of great importance for all countries around the world and Papua New Guinea must not be dependent on rice imports.“We must overcome shortages and be self sufficient as is the situation in many Asian countries.”The Prime Minister said the key element in advancing rice production is for rice importers to invest in the local industry.“We have had enough experimenting, we want to grow rice in Papua New Guinea now, and we will create an environment were rice will be grown here,” the Prime Minister said.

“We have a quota system in our country and this is being managed by the Department of Agriculture.

“Cabinet has not made a firm decision on any revision to the quota system but it is clear what must be done.

“Rice companies must know that if they do not grow rice in our country you will not get quota.“If these companies do not invest in rice production they will not get a quota.“We are developing a fair and level playing field in which we can have a competitive rice production industry.”The Prime Minister further rejected claims by members of the Opposition that there would be a steep increase in the price of rice.“The price of rice is controlled and prices will not rise as high as the opposition claims,” PM O’Neill said.

“Rice is a price controlled item and this is undertaken in a careful manner.

http://news.pngfacts.com/2016/08/rice-importers-in-png-must-invest-in-in.html

Importers spend N2.29t on textile, rice, fish others

Posted By: Oluwakemi Daudaon: August 16, 2016

Importers of textile materials, rice, fish, wheat and sugar spend close to N2.29 trillion to bring the commodities to Nigeria, yearly, The Nation has learnt.A senior official of the Federal Ministry of Finance, who spoke on condition of anonymity, condemned the high rate of smuggling of the items into the country. The official said textile materials’ importers spend close to N1.29 trillion annually to ferry the items into the country.The official, who described those involved in smuggling as economic saboteurs, said smuggled textile materials have continued to flood the markets despite the efforts of the Nigeria Customs Service to curb the menace.He said: “From Lagos to Ibadan, Kano, Kaduna and Katsina,  the smuggled textile materials are there. The smugglers are not only undermining the local industry, they also deprive the Federal Government of the needed revenue.

“Anybody that is involved in smuggling of textile materials, agricultural produce and other items are guilty of economic sabotage. Smuggling is inimical to the national interest, economic growth and rapid development. “With the huge number of casualties suffered so far by the Nigeria Customs Service, it shows that smugglers have not only become more aggressive, but creative and determined to continue with their illicit business and that is why Nigerians need to support Customs in its war against smugglers by giving them useful information,” the official said.

Also, the Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Prof. Baba Abubakar, said rice, fish, wheat, fish and sugar importers spend N1 trillion annually.Abubakar, who was represented by the Acting Director, Partnership and Linkages Programme, Yarama Ndirpaya, disclosed this during a seminar on Agricultural Biotechnology in Abuja.

He said Nigeria was the largest importer of US hard red and white wheat to the tune of N635 billion yearly; world’s number two importer of rice at N356 billion; spends N217 billion on sugar and N97 billion on fish imports every year.This, he said, was unacceptable. “Nigeria spends over N1 trillion on the top four food imports annually. And farmers have limited capacity and use techniques that adversely affect soil fertility, water and biodiversity. Human-induced climate change compounds the issue,” he said

http://thenationonlineng.net/importers-spend-n2-29t-textile-rice-fish-others/

This is what students eat for lunch around the world

August 14, 2016 BY Web Desk

US restaurant chain Sweetgreen released early last year a set of photos documenting the foods kids around the world eat to keep their focus up in maths class.
The collection highlights the world’s eclectic cultures, and will definitely make you hungry. Whether you enjoyed your school dinners or not.

Popcorn chicken, mashed potatoes, peas, fruit cup, chocolate chip cookie.

Steak, carrots, green beans, cheese and fresh fruit.

Sausage borscht, mashed potatoes, cabbage, and a syrniki dessert pancake.

Fish soup, tofu over rice, kimchi, fresh veg.

Pork mixed with vegetables, rice and black beans, bread, and baked plantains.

Pea soup, beetroot, carrot salad, bread, and pannakkau dessert pancakes with fresh berries.

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Fish on salad leaves, pasta with tomato sauce, a caprese salad, and bread and fruit.

Sauteed prawns, brown rice, gazpacho, peppers, and an orange.

And finally, the UK. Fish cakes, Brussels sprouts, rice and peas, cabbage, yoghurt with granola.

COURTESY: Business Insider

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2016/08/14/entertainment/this-is-what-students-eat-for-lunch-around-the-world/

U.S. rice futures surge most in 5 years on Louisiana flooding

Mon Aug 15, 2016 8:37pm GMT

By Michael Hirtzer
Aug 15 (Reuters) - U.S. rough rice futures surged the most in five years on Monday as floodwaters submerged mature fields in the South and farmers and millers braced for crop losses, rice traders and specialists said on Monday.
More than 2 feet (61 cm) of rain fell in three days in southern Louisiana, overwhelming rivers and forcing thousands to leave their homes, before the storms and flooding threat moved west to Texas.
It will be days before the extent of the damage from the unprecedented flooding is known. At least seven people have been killed and U.S. President Barack Obama declared a disaster in Louisiana.
Rice fields that were ready to be harvested were saturated while winds also knocked down plants, likely causing "sprouting," when grain germinates in the field, according to Steve Linscombe, director of Louisiana State University's rice research center near Crowley, Louisiana.
"This is the highest I've ever seen the waters," Linscombe said, adding that he has worked in the rice industry for 30 years.
Louisiana is the No. 3 U.S. rice producing state, after Arkansas and California, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Rice futures on the Chicago Board of Trade surged 6 percent, or 59 cents, to $10.25 per cwt, a three-week high. The daily gains were the biggest since July of 2011, and the two-day rise of roughly 10 percent were the largest jump since 2003.
"All you have to do is look on TV. It's all the flooding that's doing a number on a lot of rice fields in southern Louisiana," Price Futures Group analyst Jack Scoville said.
CBOT rice was rebounding from roughly 14-month lows reached earlier this month, before the flooding forced investors to exit bearish bets. Prices have been under pressure from USDA outlooks for record-large U.S. stockpiles.
The rice harvest in Louisiana was 55 percent complete and 13 percent finished nationwide as of Sunday, USDA said.
"I don't think we'll know anything for 24 hours," said Milo Hamilton, analyst at Firstgrain, an advisory in Texas. (Reporting by Michael Hirtzer in Chicago; Editing by David Gregorio)

http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL1N1AW1F5?sp=true

Rice harvest: Kebbi now haven to millers, buyers

By Naija247news

Given the bountiful  harvest that is being recorded by farmers during this year’s dry season rice farming, Kebbi State has become a new haven to conventional, local millers and rice traders from Sokoto, Kano, Zamfara, EbonyI, Lagos, Maiduguri, Niger and other parts of the country. Also it has continued to witness the influx of rice buyers from Niger Republic, Benin and other neighbouring countries.Because of this the price of paddy rice has jumped up. Farmers now charge between N10,000 to N12,000 for a bag of paddy rice in the state. Under the Anchor Borrowers arrangement, government is expected to buy a bag of paddy rice from the registered farmers at the rate of N113,000 per ton. However, they are now selling to the third buyers at the rate of N10,000 to N12,000 per bag.

When our correspondent visited some rice farms around Birnin Kebbi, Augie, Bunza, Argungu and Yauri areas of the state, some of the farmers who spoke to us could not hold their excitement while narrating their success story. Alhaji Sahadi Augie is the Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association in the state. In words laden  with excitement, he said “Do you know that from  April to this time millers and other rice traders from Sokoto, Kano, Zamfara, Ebony, Lagos, Maiduguri, Niger and others have been coming in trucks and trailers to buy rice here. The good thing is that our farmers are still on the field planting rice, so the harvest will continue till October this year.

Given this unprecedented success recorded in this year’s harvest across the state, Kebbi would not only meet the rice needs  of the country, but within a short time that of West Africa.”
He added “We are lucky the weather was favourable, the input that was given to the farmers was effective , and it has assisted greatly in raising the yield during this year’s harvest. I must say that the harvest was very good for us. It has never been like this before. I am very optimistic that we will surpass the 1 million metric tons target very soon. This is because this year we harvested rice in Kebbi in the way we have never harvested it before. It was really a bumper harvest. You realize that under the Anchor Borrowers programme 70,000 farmers were engaged to produce rice in the state. Each of them was given the required inputs to cultivate one hectare of rice farm.

Under the scheme there was a programme carved out for rice millers like Labana and Humza from Kano, to engage an additional eight thousand farmers, so in all 78,000 farmers were engaged at small scale level to produce rice for the state. These are not the only rice farmers that we have. Kebbi has over 300,000 rice farmers, even though they are not captured under this programme, they are also producing rice on their own.”
The federal government has invested N15 billion on this year’s rice/wheat farming in Kebbi State. Apart from the 78,000 small-scale rice producers in the state, there are other 1,700 large scale ones that were not captured under the rice production programme.

Speaking in the same vein a rice farmer in Argungu, Muhammed Abdullahi said the  huge harvest being recorded by the farmers was expected. “More than before, everybody is now involved in rice farming. Don’t forget the entire River Niger valley area in Kebbi North is 11,600 kilometer square of irrigable land. It was estimated to be about 120,000 hectares of irrigable land along the river Niger valley ,and Kebbi has over 500,000 hectares of Fadama land. We have over 250 members of the water user’s association who are entirely farmers along the flood plain area. The Anchor Borrowers scheme has really improved our rice farming, and it might not be long before we start feeding the other West African countries.”

Augie explained that the initial agreement between government and farmers was that once they are given the loan, fertilizer, generator and pumping machines, they are to pay back by selling rice to government. “However, the influx of buyers, local and conventional millers from all over the country, in large numbers  and buying in large quantities, has brought about high increase in the price of paddy rice. With this development, farmers felt they would be shortchanged should they sell to government at the initially agreed price. This made us to change our agreement. Now farmers have the option  of either paying back to government in cash or  by paddy rice. This is to safeguard them from being shortchanged and as well defaulted.

Under the Anchor Borrowers arrangement government is buying from farmers at the rate of N113,000 per ton, but farmers could sell to the third buyers at the rate of N9,000 to N10,000 per bag. We cannot give the exact number of tons of rice that we have produced now because harvesting is still going one,but between 1.1 to 1.2 million tons is our possible target.”

He continued “I can hardly find a word to commend facilitators of this rice programme. For several years before now we had been importing rice into this country at the rate of one billion naira per day, whereas we could produce it within the states. We were making farmers of other countries to make money while we are poor. Before now there were moves to do something like this, but the policies were inconsistent.But this time we are lucky both the president and our governor are determined to address the issue.We will also go all out to make sure this programme on rice production succeeds. We can’t quantify the kind of economic advantage it has brought to many farmers and rice traders in the state.”

Alhaji Muhammed Garba Dandiga is the Commissioner for Agriculture and Chairman of the Committee on Agricultural Programme in the state. He said “Suru area alone is about 40 kilometres in spread. Some farmlands there are over 15,000 hectares. We have locations like that in more than 10 places where we are doing irrigation farming. This has greatly boosted this year’s rice harvest in the state. It is not our effort but it is that of God and those of the federal government and Central Bank of Nigeria who gave us the opportunity. If we reach our climax, we will not only feed Nigeria but the entire West Africa.”

While telling her story, Hajiya Hadiza Abdullahi, one of the women farmers in the Argungu area said “This is my tenth year in rice farming. Before my husband died we were doing this together, I was helping him in the farm, but now the responsibility is mine. Rice farming is now much better than it was in the past. I was able to achieve a lot in this year’s harvest. The incentives given to me have helped to increase my yield and production capacity. I farm on 5 hectares of land and with this harvest I am expecting over 600 bags of rice.When I was to start, government gave me  a generator, fertilizer, pumping machines, faro 44 seeds and money. You can see I am getting old, I am being assisted on the farm by my three children but it has been good. It is a bumper harvest for me this year.”

Her farmer friend, Halimatu Muhammed said “I started rice farming about 14 years ago. The farming method has changed now, compared to how we used to do it in the past. What we are witnessing in rice farming now in Kebbi has never happened before. During this year’s dry season farming I harvested over 200 bags of rice. If I get more money I could produce more than 1,000 bags of rice.”Bashiru Hassan is one of the farmers excited by the bumper  harvest. “I just finished harvesting my rice. I am so happy over the yield and I have started preparing for another planting season. The rice I just harvested was on three hectares of land. I am expected to get over 100 bags of rice from it, but I got 60 bags due to the problems I encountered on the varieties of seeds that I planted. Some did well while some did not. But I thank the Almighty it was a good yield after all. I think the little problem I had was because of my inexperience in rice farming.

This was my first time of planting rice even though I started farming in 1982. I was planting groundnut, maize and millet before I ventured into rice farming, but I have learnt well now. The next farming season would be different. I planned to give Labana Mills 30 bags, government 20 bags and I will sell the remaining 10 bags to private buyers. I was told the price is now between N9,000 to N10,000.This price may soon go up because there are many buyers and millers from other states and neighbouring countries, and many of them are presently in Kebbi. We really thank government for closing the border to rice importation. It will help to boost rice production and everybody will be happy.”

Hajiya Hauwa Usman is one of the women rice farmers at Harasawa rice farm area in Birnin Kebbi “This is my first time of venturing into rice farming. I was into Cassava farming. When I was growing up I used to follow my parents to the farm, because that was what they were doing. So when I got married I still feel the urge to farm. When my son decided he wanted to go into rice farming I decided to back him. We were given this farm land to grow rice, and today we are happy. We thank God for making the harvest a success. As you can see we are still harvesting but it is with joy. If we can get another land we would love to do more than this, though we had problem with the seeds we were given initially. While some take four months, others take six months to harvest. I planted on one hectare of land and we are expecting nothing less than 15 to 20 bags of rice in this harvest. I would love to do rice farming again, but my fear now is that the person who leased this land to me might also want to use it for farming, because everybody is now going into rice farming.”


Another rice farmer, Bashir Muhammed Nasarawa said “This harvest means a lot of things to me. I ventured into rice farming this year. I did the registration to participate in the Anchor Borrowers programme in 2015 through the Bank of Agriculture. With this harvest I realize I can no longer rely on anybody again. I can rely on myself doing the rice farming. I am more than happy doing it. After this harvest I will continue rice planting immediately. I am expecting over 25 bags of rice in this harvest. I now have the experience .I believe I will do a lot better in the next farming season. I just hope to get a bigger land, at least about five hectares to plant rice.”

http://naija247news.com/2016/08/rice-harvest-kebbi-now-haven-millers-buyers/

400,000 rice farmers to benefits from FG’s dry season incentives

The Federal Government says 400, 000 rice farmer will benefit from its dry season farming incentives under its 2013/2014 Growth Enhancement Support Scheme.Dr Andrew Efisue, Technical Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) on Rice Value Chain Agenda, announced the incentives when he met with stakeholders in Bauchi on Friday.

Efisue said the beneficiaries would be drawn from the 19 participating states, adding that the farmers would be supported with inputs to help boost their production capacity.He said each farmer would receive three bags of fertiliser at 50 per cent discount and 25 kg improve rice seeds for free.“The farmers will also get water pumps at 75 per cent discount. Those in Bauchi and Gombe States, in particular, will receive 80 (3HP) water pumps each.“The pumps will serve 13,000 farmers whose data have been captured in the states.

“Thirteen (7HP) water pumps will also be distributed to farmers in Bauchi, while those in Gombe will get 12 (7HP) water pumps.“This effort produced more than one million tonnes of rice last year in dry season farming alone, with just over 200,000 farmers drawn from 10 states.“We intend to double or even triple the production this year,” he said.Efisue explained that the incentives would be distributed between Dec. 9 and Dec. 14, noting that it was part government’s efforts to stop rice importation by 2015.He advised the farmers to utilise the inputs to expand their production capacity, pointing out that the problems of processing and marketing had been taking care off through value chain initiative.

He said 15 integrated rice mills had been established in Kano, Lagos, Benue, Kebbi, Jigawa, Anambra, Imo, and Niger.

According to him, the mills have a combined capacity to process 850,000 tonnes of rice.“The Federal Government in collaboration with USAID, is also planning to establish rice collection centres across the federation for easy evacuation of paddy by the millers.“Plan is also underway to increase tariff for the importation of rice by 110 per cent in a bid to make foreign rice very expensive.“I assure you that the government is doing everything possible to make rice farming profitable,” he said. In his remark, Alhaji Mohammed Yusuf, the Federal Director of Agriculture in Bauchi, called on stakeholders to monitor the distribution exercise to ensure that only genuine farmers received the inputs.

He said with the current attention given to the agriculture sector, oil would no longer play major role in the revenue generation of this country.The Chairman, Bauchi State Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Dr Yahaya Yusuf,  commended the Federal Government for the effort.Yusuf said with the support, rice farming had become lucrative with farmers harvesting more bags of paddy per hectare.“With the current price of rice of between N5,000 and N6,000 per bag, our farmers are now smiling to the bank.“This is a clear indication of the profitability of the business,’’ Yusuf said. (NAN)

http://naija247news.com/2013/11/400000-rice-farmers-benefits-fgs-dry-season-incentives/

Bangladesh rice production expected to decrease in 2016-17

August 15, 2016 - by Holly Demaree

Market year 2015-16 rice imports were revised marginally lower to 0.22 million tonnes based on the latest customs data.

WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S. — In market year 2016-17, production of Bangladesh rice is forecast to fall to 34.51 million tonnes from an estimated 11.7 million hectares on reduced planting of its summer rice and increased winter rice production, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Services (FAS) said in an Aug. 5 report. Summer rice production was estimated lower at 2.4 million tonnes due to decreased acreage against the initial expectation due to insufficient irrigation.Field sources said many farmers switched from producing summer rice to jute, maize and vegetable cultivation due to higher returns. Bangladesh’s notification for mandatory use of bulk burlap bags for five agricultural commodities is driving demand for jute and farmers have responded by increasing jute cultivation, which is expected to be more profitable than summer rice. However, winter rice production was forecast marginally higher and was revised up to 18.8 million tonnes, according to the FAS.
The forecast for wheat production for market year 2016-17 remained unchanged at 1.33 million tonnes assuming normal weather conditions during the planting and crop season, the FAS said.The market year 2016-17 rice import forecast was lowered to 0.15 million tonnes on expectation of strong import protection policy impact. On June 2, Bangladesh increased tariffs from 10% to 25% and removed 10% regulatory duty on rice imports in place since December 2015, the FAS said. The added 25% tariff on rice imports further affected import prospects.
In addition, Bangladesh imposed a 15% value added tax (VAT), an advance income tax (AIT) of 5%, and an additional advanced trade VAT (ATV) of 4%. The tariff was raised and other taxes were added to stop cheaper Indian rice imports that generally constitute the largest share of the import market, according to the FAS.
Market year 2015-16 rice imports were revised marginally lower to 0.22 million tonnes based on the latest customs data, the FAS said. Market year 2016-17 wheat import forecast was raised to 4.4 million tonnes on expected strong domestic demand and lower international prices. Based on the current pace of imports, the report’s market year 2015-16 wheat import estimate was revised up to 4.2 million tonnes on competitive prices, the FAS said.
In the budget fiscal year 2016-17, Bangladesh withdrew the VAT for imported wheat and rice milling equipment and parts. In the budget, Bangladesh raised custom duty of wheat starch from 10% to 15%, the FAS said. For fiscal year 2016-17, Bangladesh extended the export ban on non-fragrant rice. Bangladesh may allow aromatic or fragrant rice exports, pending permission from its Ministry of Commerce, according to the FAS

http://www.world-grain.com/articles/news_home/World_Grain_News/2016/08/Bangladesh_rice_production_exp.aspx?ID=%7B32BC5C86-5264-46DB-9BAD-424EB2B16D68%7D&cck=1

2017 Tender Schedule for Colombia Announced  

By Bob Cummings 

ARLINGTON, VA-- Earlier this month the COL-RICE board adopted a schedule for open tenders for 2017 in connection with U.S. rice exports to Colombia.  Exporters of U.S. rice will have the opportunity to sell 98,448 metric tons (milled rice equivalent, MRE) next year under terms of the U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement.  This amount, called a tariff rate quota (TRQ), is 4.5 percent higher than the 2016 level. 

"Colombia has emerged as a significant export market for U.S. rice, and the trade agreement is the primary reason," said Carl Brothers, vice chair of the COL-RICE board and COO of Riceland Food, Inc., Stuttgart, AR.

Shipments of U.S. rice under the TRQ are not assessed Colombia's 80 percent import duty.  Exporters bid for duty-free import certificates, and half of the net revenue from the tenders is returned to the six state rice research boards to fund basic rice research. 

"COL-RICE returned $17.8 million in research funds to the states last year," said Brothers. The other half of net revenue is returned to Fedearroz, Colombia's association of rice producers.

"While our growers, millers and exporters continue to benefit from this trade agreement, the U.S. COL-RICE members continue to push the Colombian and U.S. governments and our partners in Colombia for a more even distribution of tenders throughout the year so that we can consistently make deliveries to Colombia each day of the year," said Brian King, chairman of USA Rice and USA Rice's Western Hemisphere Promotion Subcommittee.

Colombia Rice Export Quota, Inc. (COL-RICE) 2017 Tender Schedule

Bid Date	Quantity Available (MRE)	Percentage of Annual Quota	Shipping Period
January 30	68,940 mt	70.0%	February 1-June 30
June 1	14,331 mt	14.5%	July 1-October 12
October 12	15,197 mt	15.4%	October 13-Decembe

             

            Image:U.S. rice is a popular commodity

USA Rice Daily, Monday, August 15, 2016

RBI questions banks for lending Rs 5,262 cr to REI Agro

As many as 21 banks had extended loan of Rs 5,262 crore to REI Agro Ltd, a basmati rice trading firm, and the RBI has sought a detailed clarification from these banks after the fraud was detected, sources said. | 1 Comments RBI questions banks for lending Rs 5,262 cr to REI Agro RBI has questioned the decision of a 21-bank consortium led by UCO Bank to extend a staggering Rs 5,262-crore loan to Kolkata-based rice trading firm REI Agro which was found to be involved in fraudulent activities.

 As many as 21 banks had extended loan of Rs 5,262 crore to REI Agro Ltd, a basmati rice trading firm, and the RBI has sought a detailed clarification from these banks after the fraud was detected, sources said. The clarifications were sought in the light of RBI's master circular on fraud, sources said, adding that there seems to be violation of its directions on fraud. Out of 21 banks, 20 banks reported the account as fraud and one bank had sold the account to Asset Reconstruction Company. The consortium led by UCO Bank alleged that the company had defrauded them through conspiracy, cheating and forgery and handed over the case to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) 8 months ago.

CBI too in their enquiry found that the REI Agro was involved in fraudulent activities. As per the RBI master circular on frauds, banks are required to put in place a framework for loan frauds directing early detection and necessary corrective action by introducing Early Warning Signals (EWS) and Red Flagged Accounts (RFA) for loan of Rs 50 core or more There is also provision of incentive for prompt reporting, staff accountability exercise within six months. There also has to be a nodal officer for filing all complaints and penal measures for fraudulent borrowers.

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/rbi-questions-banks-for-lending-rs-5262-cr-to-rei-agro_7274141.html?utm_source=ref_article

08/15/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report

Rice

	High	Low
Long Grain Cash Bids	- - -	- - -
Long Grain New Crop	- - -	- - -

Futures:

ROUGH RICE High Low Last Change Sep '16 1026.0 966.0 1024.5 +59.0 Nov '16 1038.5 984.5 1034.0 +52.0 Jan '17 1061.0 1025.5 1059.0 +53.5 Mar '17 1081.0 +54.0 May '17 1101.0 +54.0 Jul '17 1118.5 +54.0 Sep '17 1111.5 +54.0

Rice Comment

Rice futures exploded to the upside today as the market reacts to heavy rains in Louisiana and other areas of the Delta and the potential impact that will have on the crop there. The condition report released this afternoon showed 65% rated good to excellent. Louisiana farmers have harvested 55% of the crop there. The weather will certainly delay harvest and could result in disease pressure and quality issues as well. Last week’s production report showed a reduction due to a decreased yield projection. The average yield was decreased to 7,659 pounds per acre, down from 7,680 pounds in the July report.

A decrease in production, beginning stocks and import projections resulted in a decrease in the ending stocks estimate, which is now 54.7 million cwt. Exports and domestic use were unchanged. Recent price losses resulted in the average farm price estimate down 80 cents on either end to $10.40-$11.40. November has an upside objective of $10.66 which is the 38% retracement level=2E