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Tuesday, June 06, 2017

6th June,2017 daily rice e-newsletter( global,regional local newsletter )


Sri lanka video showing rice as containing plastic is false ministry
June 05, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce says a Youtube video that has gone viral which shows cooked rice as containing plastic is false.
“The video shows that some basmati rice purchased from Pitakotte outlet of Lanka Sathosa not becoming stale (like other Basmati rice varieties) even after 24 hours of cooking it, and when a ball of such cooked rice is dropped on the floor, the (ball of) rice does not disintegrate,” a statement said.
“The Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Lanka Sathosa wish to stress that this is a false message spread to tarnish the image and brand name of Lanka Sathosa.”
The Basmati rice focused in this viral video is a variety of Basmati imported to Sri Lanka from Pakistan on 15 May, 2017 for Lanka Sathosa.
Slight differences in glutinous texture were identified by Sathosa’s official Food Technology Analyst and consultant on Sunday when a sample of rice from Pitakotte Lanka Sathosa was subjected to a lab test.
According to the analyst, the test showed this rice to be in perfect condition and edible though slightly glutinous in comparison to other Basmati varieties.“The Ministry and Lanka Sathosa also requests all news websites and social media users to refrain from re-sharing such false videos and news items.”
http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/sri-lanka-video-showing-rice-as-containing-plastic-is-false-ministry/

 Basmati rice stock from Pakistan suspended over H&S scare
June 5, 2017   05:26 pm
The chairman of the Sathosa group, P.M.K.B. Tennakoon stated that the sale of Basmathi rice imported from Pakistan, has been suspended. The comments were made during a media briefing held today (5), where a sample of the suspended stock of rice was cooked in the process. He added that samples of the rice have been put forward for a health and safety check, while the stock had been purchased on the 16 of May with approval of the Tender committee. 
He further stated that many attempts have been made t defame the brand name ‘Sathosa’, and that if legal action is to be called for, the company will take the matter to courts
http://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=41126

CPEC opens avenues for agri-exports

 

By Aadil Nakhoda
Published: June 5, 2017

KARACHI: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is expected to significantly improve economic conditions in Pakistan.
The major projects listed on the CPEC portal, developed by the Pakistan-China Institute, include transportation infrastructure, energy production, industrial cooperation and the Gwadar port city.
However, surprisingly, the potential impact of CPEC on the agricultural sector is rarely discussed in major economic forums.Recent media reports on CPEC’s long-term plan, a study by the National Development and Reform Commission and China Development Bank, emphasise that the agricultural sector is a major beneficiary of CPEC. Though regarded as a ‘redundant document’ by government officials, the long-term plan introduces public discourse on the impact of CPEC on the agricultural sector. CPEC will provide a vast transportation network that will connect Khunjerab in the north to Gwadar in the south-west. This will automatically boost the economy of several remote rural towns located on the network as the transportation time to urban centres and markets will shrink considerably.
Furthermore, this network will provide agricultural producers an opportunity to export not only to China, but also to other countries as CPEC improves Pakistan’s trade integration into the global economy.
As rural employment and agro-based industrial output rely heavily on the agricultural sector, it is essential to determine the impact of CPEC on the sector and the existing trading patterns of agricultural products.
Agriculture contributes approximately one-fifth to Pakistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) at constant base prices of 2005-06. About $3.7 billion was generated from food products in FY16. The major contributor was rice, which contributed around $1.8 billion.
Total export receipts from the food product dropped more than 15% between FY15 and FY16. Exports of basmati rice, which contributed 32% to overall rice export receipts in FY16, declined more than 31% in the year. However, exports of other types of rice increased 7%. The textile sector recorded a decline of 5.8% in export receipts between FY15 and FY16. Receipts from raw cotton, which stood at $153 million in FY15, fell more than 49% between FY15 and FY16.
Production linkages
Though total export receipts dipped approximately 8.8% between FY15 and FY16, the agricultural sector reported a greater fall. The total output of the agricultural sector, in constant prices, dropped between FY15 and FY16. Other sectors of the economy reported positive growth rates.
Although export receipts for agricultural products are sensitive to price fluctuations in the world market, it is imperative that the government develops domestic and international production linkages in order to reduce the volatility in total exports and the income earned by farmers.
Agricultural products accounted for less than 8% of the global trade in 2015, but constituted approximately 22% of total exports from Pakistan. Around 43% of the agricultural products exported globally in 2015 were raw material and 42% were consumer goods.
On the other hand, around 53% of the agricultural products exported from Pakistan were consumer products and 29% were raw material.
The agricultural goods produced in Pakistan typically have lower linkages with the manufacturing sector. The lower percentage of agricultural raw material exported from Pakistan indicates that the domestic agricultural producers are not likely to participate in global production linkages.
Unlike manufactured consumer products that may involve substantial value addition through different stages, agricultural consumer products are likely to be of low value and be sensitive to fluctuations in global commodity prices. Given that geographical and climatic constraints may limit diversification of agricultural products, it is important to determine specific products that will increase the integration of the agricultural sector into the global economy.
Trade with China
Approximately 6.5% of agricultural products exported from Pakistan were destined to China. Agricultural products accounted for 15% of total exports to China from Pakistan in 2015.
Approximately 56% of agricultural products exported to China were consumer goods, 29.6% were intermediate goods and 14.7% were raw material. On the other hand, agricultural products accounted for 6.5% of total imports into China in 2015. However, 71.2% of agricultural products imported by China were raw material and 18.1% were consumer goods.
The top three exports of agricultural products to China from Pakistan constitute less than 2% of China’s total world import demand of agricultural products.
Non-tariff barriers
One of the biggest challenges exporters of agricultural products may face are the non-tariff measures, primarily in the form of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and technical barriers to trade (TBT), imposed by destination markets.
Importing countries impose such measures to not only increase consumer awareness of the quality of products imported through proper labelling, marking and packaging, but also prohibit the imports of products harmful for human consumption.
Agricultural products typically face higher incidence of SPS and TBT measures than manufactured products. For instance, exports of rice to China face several measures such as microbiological criteria of final product, certification and testing requirements and geographical risk eligibility that can substantially influence the cost of exporting the agricultural goods.
Without a plan to support the agricultural sector, their exports may further stagnate.
The writer is Assistant Professor of Economics and Research Fellow at CBER, IBA
Published in The Express Tribune, June 5th, 2017
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1427500/cpec-opens-avenues-agri-exports/

Doubling of farmers’ income needs more imagination

THE ASIAN AGE. | PRADEEP S. MEHTA, UJJWAL KUMAR AND ABHISHEK KUMAR
Published : Jun 5, 2017, 5:13 am IST
Updated : Jun 5, 2017, 5:14 am IST
There is enough evidence that increasing productivity does not necessarily result in increase in farm incomes.
 A farmer carries a paddy for transplantation on the outskirts of Guwahati. (Photo: AP)
Many governments have come and gone promising a better future for India’s farmers yet the farming community continues to live in distress around the country. Therefore, there is a good reason to be circumspect about government claims. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of doubling farmers’ income by 2022 thus is a brave claim. He has articulated a target and timeframe to achieve it. It requires courage and gumption to make such a definitive commitment particularly when the task of doubling farmers’ real income requires tonnes of hard work. Based on some estimates extrapolated by researchers from RBI data on Consumer Price Index, it may take 16 years to achieve what the PM has promised in seven.
On the other hand we have a job crisis in the country with increasing youth population. Therefore, expanding opportunities in rural areas in both farm and non-farm sectors to create income generation sources and also curb urban migration  becomes an imperative for the government.
All this means that there is a need to adopt extraordinary measures. A policy paper on doubling farmers’ income by Niti Aayog correctly identifies several fronts on which the battle must be waged. These basically include six areas, four out of which relate to increasing productivity and remaining two are about shifting cultivators from farm to non-farm occupations and improving terms of trade for farmers, respectively.
There is enough evidence that increasing productivity does not necessarily result in increase in farm incomes. Therefore, there is a need to shift the focus from “productivity” to “profitability”. Shifting this frame will open up fresh and out of the box thinking and will create seamless link to non-farm avenues as well. Let’s see how?
First, profit making is central to a business activity. So to begin with, farming must be seen as a business occupation. This should be easy to do as farmer is a natural entrepreneur engaged in the business of producing commodities using land, labour and capital. The problem is our legal framework, for instance, the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee law and regulations whether old or new does not recognise this. It restricts the definition of an agriculturist to farming activities alone. In other words, if a farmer wants to engage into grading business, it would technically make him a “market functionary” thereby subjecting him to plethora of regulations.
Let’s take another example, if a farmer wants to set up a seed plant or a processing unit on his own land, he will have to subject himself again to labyrinth of regulations and inspector raj. Just changing the land use from agriculture to commercial for setting up a business entails upward revision in land price — this unleashes a cycle of corrupt practices which the farmer has to put up with.
Further, a processing unit under proprietary or Hindu undivided family is not given similar operational freedom as has been bestowed upon Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) under the new Model APMC Act to process, pack, brand and sell directly to consumers or retailers. While it is good to promote FPOs, it is difficult to fathom why such relaxations are not available to individual farmers to their households.There is also a need for policy distinction between “agriculture” processing, which involves direct agriculture produce and “food” processing which involves use of two or more items under a recipe such as pickles, biscuits, etc. This is important because two processes are different and hence the product standards and technical requirements will also differ significantly. A distinction would facilitate establishment of small agriculture processing units at source.
Another area that can be seriously looked into for boosting farmers’ income is product differentiation based on agro-diversity. India has several niche commodity markets such as bananas of Tamil Nadu, Punjab’s basmati rice, Bengal’s Govind bhog rice and apples of Kashmir, amongst others. All these commodity markets are also globally competitive. Value of these markets must be realised and they should be promoted further. A proper strategy of product differentiation based on agro-diversity will also ensure sustainability of agriculture and may also create opportunities in other non-farm occupations such as “seed production” for specific geographical region.
Last but not the least, there are new technologies that can reduce cost of farming and running a small business. For instance, awareness on technical issues related to decentralised solar plants is still little amongst farmers. There is a need to educate farmers on basic and advanced awareness on technical and non-technical aspects of clean technologies. This will cut down farmer’s cost in significant ways as reliance on diesel or grid connected electricity will also reduce.
The above are only some of the ideas that start to surface when the frame of reference is changed from “productivity” to “profitability”. Even the PM’s call of doubling farmers’ income is perhaps more closely related to “profitability” and let’s be clear that focus on “profitability” will entail not just farming activities but will also include rural non-farm occupations as well. The examples above only substantiate this further.The writers work for CUTS International, a public policy research and advocacy group
http://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/050617/doubling-of-farmers-income-needs-more-imagination.html
Philippines: Philippines to import 250,000 tonnes of rice in June
The Philippines, one of the world's top rice buyers, plans to import 250,000 tonnes of the grain next month, in order to increase stockpiles before the lean harvest season and offset potential crop damage during the typhoon season.

This has been seen as a good opportunity for rice exporters from Thailand, Vietnam, India and Pakistan. Thailand's National Food Authority (NFA) said will announce the bidding immediately after securing approval from the NFA Council. The first imported rice batches should arrive in late June or early July. The council will also finalise the import terms for up to 805,000 tonnes of rice that local private traders will bring in under an annual quota scheme in order to ensure supply even during the typhoon season.
 The Philippine Government is shifting from buying rice under government-to-government deals to ensure competitiveness and transparency following accusations that some NFA officials were making money from such deals. The Philippines' storm season typically peaks from October to December with the strongest storms landing in, damaging the country's rice crops. Government stockpiles are just enough to cover eight days of national requirements. Meanwhile, the NFA is mandated to maintain a 15-day buffer stock at any given time and a minimum of 30 days during the lean harvest season from July to September.
The Thai government now controls 4.32 million tonnes of state rice stocks and aims to dispose of it all by September this year, given rising rice demand. Of the total, 2.5 million tonnes of low-quality and decaying rice fit only for industrial use will no longer dampen the price of newly harvested rice. If the state succeeds in selling 1.82 million tonnes of quality rice, the state rice stocks will drop sharply to only 2.5 million tonnes. Of the remainder, 2 million tonnes will serve as animal feed and the rest will be used for energy production. The Thai Foreign Trade Department is scheduled to hold an auction for 2 million tonnes in June and another for 500,000 tonnes in July. - VNA 
http://www.world-grain.com/news/news%20home/LexisNexisArticle.aspx?articleid=2767926235





Nathan Reed, left; producer from Marianna, Ark.; Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark.; Andrew Grobmyer, executive director, Ag Council of Arkansas; and Charles Parker, producer from Kennett, Mo., visit prior to Crawford's speech at National Cotton Council Mid-Year Board Meeting in 2016.

Crawford advances excise tax bill to help restart Cuba exports

Arkansas Rep. Rick Crawford's effort to restart trade with Cuba draws criticism from U.S.-Cuba experts.
In a perfect world, the U.S. Congress and the Trump administration would agree the 57-year-old Cuban Embargo hasn’t worked and probably never will and remove all barriers to trade between the U.S. and a nation located barely 90 miles off its coast.
This is no perfect world, of course, and those in Congress who believe U.S. farmers should be able to sell rice and other commodities to Cuba without needless restrictions are once again having to find ways to advance their agenda.
Rick Crawford, who represents the largest rice-growing district in the country in northeast Arkansas, is drafting legislation that could attach a 2-percent excise tax on certain agricultural exports to Cuba. Rep. Crawford has been in discussions with Miami-area Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., about the legislation.
The 2-percent tax would help pay the claims of those who lost property when Fidel Castro came to power in 1959. But Rep. Crawford’s proposal is already drawing criticism from Cuba experts who claim the legislation would make a bad problem worse.
The USA Rice Federation, one of the organizations which has the most to gain – or lose – by changes in the embargo, is supporting the legislation although rice farmers or merchants ostensibly would have to pay the tax when sales were made to Cuba.
2 percent better than nothing
“If that’s what it takes to keep the issue moving forward in Congress, then that’s what it takes, and we’re with Congressman Crawford,” said Ben Mosely, vice president of government affairs for USA Rice. “Paying 2 percent on some trade is better than paying nothing on no trade at all.”
U.S. rice producers made their first sales to Cuba in four decades after Congress passed the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000. But the sales began to diminish and then virtually stopped after U.S. officials required the Cuban government to pay for the rice before it could leave U.S. ports.
Crawford has introduced or co-sponsored several bills to remove some of those restrictions. The excise tax proposal, which would be the latest, has run into criticism from experts with the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council Inc., in New York.
An essay by John S. Kavulich, president of the Council, and a frequent critic of those who want to perpetuate the blockade, claims the 2-percent excise tax legislation is an affront to the “5,913 companies and individuals who have waited 57 years for an equitable resolution to the expropriation of assets” that occurred in 1960.
“Rep. Crawford is not solving a problem; he is making the existing problem worse and creating additional problems,” said Kavulich. “He may believe that his efforts of bipartisan engagement are creating a space for bipartisan dialogue with a goal of closure. He is not. He is solidifying delay and distraction. Rice from Arkansas will not be flooding the Republic of Cuba marketplace because of his efforts.”
Long-term payback
Kavulich said U.S. agricultural commodity and food product exports have reached about $5.3 billion since the first deliveries in December 2001 under provisions of the TSREEA. If the proposed 2 percent had been collected since the first TSREEA-related exports to the Republic of Cuba, the total thus far would be $106 million or 1 percent of the current value of the certified claims.
“United States citizens, owners of privately-held companies, and shareholders of publicly-held companies should not be required to make (reimburse) payments for actions by the government of the Republic of Cuba,” said Kavulich. “Why would the Trump administration, which extols the role of exporters in the United States economy, support creating an additional impediment to the one statutorily-permitted category with the greatest history and greatest potential?”
Rep. Curbelo recently told a Miami-area newspaper he supports the 2-percent tax on sales of agricultural products as a possible means of compensating former owners who lost property when Fidel Castro came to power.
“Although no definitive agreement has been reached, the concept that the victims of Castro’s tyranny may perceive some benefit from U.S.-Cuba transactions deserves to be considered,” he said. “During the previous administration everything was granted to the dictatorship without demanding anything. Now that has to change.”
Other members of the Cuban-American congressional delegation say they are studying the proposal, but have not agreed to support it.  
USA Rice Federation leaders said the recognition of aggrieved “certified claimants” and the proposed method of repaying them in the new legislation is considered a compromise to keep anti-Castro Members of Congress talking about trade normalization.
Door slammed shut?
They say that, despite advances toward normalization of trade between the U.S. and Cuba in recent years, it appeared the door was being slammed shut by hardliners in Congress and the new administration. “Congressman Crawford has wedged his foot in the door to keep it open, and that’s good news,” said USA Rice’s Ben Mosley.
Prior to the U.S. embargo, Cuba was the No. 1 one export market for U.S. rice. However, no U.S. rice has been sold to Cuba since 2008 when the U.S. Treasury Department blocked Cuba from using the letters of credit usually employed in foreign sales.
“U.S. rice is quite popular on the Island due to superior taste, cooking qualities, and logistical advantages over other suppliers, and we believe Cuba could once again become a top market as soon as the many export and financial restrictions that stand in the way are lifted.”
But Kavulich and members of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council claim the legislation is rushing to a solution filled with the potential for unintended consequences.
“In an eagerness to “accomplish” something, the result may be the creation of a statutory template and judicial precedent impacting United States bilateral and multilateral relationships, as well as, complicate the commercial, economic and political landscape from which to resolve other United States-Republic of Cuba issues,” Kavulich said.
“Representative Crawford would be best advised to await 24 February 2018, the inauguration of the next president of the Republic of Cuba, when the bilateral dynamic may well be more… dynamic. Change for the sake of change is not always productive- and can be harmful.”
For more information on the Cuban Embargo, visit http://cuba-embargo.procon.org/.
http://www.deltafarmpress.com/rice/crawford-advances-excise-tax-bill-help-restart-cuba-exports

June brings many challenges to weed control in rice

North Arkansas continues to be wet, making it difficult to properly time preflood nitrogen and herbicide applications in rice.
I am getting the normal calls that “my field was clean last week and there is 4-leaf barnyardgrass everywhere this week and half the field is covered in water!” Welcome to June in rice weed control.
On preflood applications I always assume the grass is big. Often choice of treatments now is more a matter of what you can get sprayed as opposed to what a first or second choice might be.
Where it can be applied, I have recommended a lot of Regiment and Regiment plus Ricestar HT combinations. I have also recommended a lot of Ricestar HT plus Beyond and Regiment plus Beyond in Clearfield rice. Where grasses are larger and there is a mix of species, I prefer mixtures. The Ricestar HT plus Beyond is a stout combination that can be blown toward soybeans.
Sometimes, where it is impossible to get a Newpath or Beyond treatment out because of conventional rice, Regiment alone can be a nice fit if the grass is barnyardgrass.

I have recommended more RebelEX this year than normal — either because I needed a recommendation that could be blown toward corn or the weed spectrum was a mix of grasses, broadleaf and aquatic weeds.

Herbicide drift

Another big story continues to be drift. In rice is a mixed bag of glyphosate, paraquat and Newpath or Beyond on conventional rice. More paraquat or Gramoxone is being used every year because of glyphosate-resistant weeds.
Paraquat by itself often is a burner and rice recovery can be quite rapid. However most of it is being applied with metribuzin in it to increase the effectiveness. In fact I seldom recommend paraquat without a photosynthetic inhibiting herbicide in it. This complicates the drift injury by increasing the severity and making recovery much slower.
I have been admonished several times this year to write about respecting your neighbors when applying herbicides. I do not know what else to say! Most of the drift situations I have walked this year were the result of ground applications. In most cases there was a strong wind blowing right at the injured crop. This is either blatant disregard for a neighbor, overconfidence in the equipment or both.
I am frequently told “you can see right where the spray stopped — I painted a line!” Yes, it painted a line in the vegetation that it took full rates to kill, but the fines from the pattern blew a half mile across the rice field!
You simply cannot apply a herbicide with the wind blowing toward a susceptible crop in an adjacent field without expecting bad things to happen.
The other story in the field continues to be reports of pigweed escapes and off-target issues with dicamba applications in the Xtend crops. If we ever had a year we needed a new technology to get off to a good start, it is this one, and some of the things going on are disappointing. Sound science definitely got disconnected from marketing and regulatory regarding dicamba. Hopefully most of this is correctable but it remains to be seen.
http://www.deltafarmpress.com/rice/june-brings-many-challenges-weed-control-rice



Bangladesh- Big Rice Importer of Vietnam

Recently, in Hanoi, under the authority of the two Governments, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh and Bangladesh Minister of Food Advocate Qamrul Islam officially signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on rice trading between Vietnam and Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s agreement to sign the extension of the MOU on rice trade at the governmental level to continue buying rice from Vietnam, as well as sending the Minister of Food to Vietnam to sign the MOU, has shown respect for the relationship with Vietnam. Bangladesh has highly appreciated the quality, price and prestige of Vietnamese rice enterprises. Therefore, Bangladesh has decided to choose Vietnam as the rice supplier for Bangladesh in the long run.
MOU on rice trading at the Governmental level between Vietnam and Bangladesh was first signed on 18 April 2011 in Hanoi and expired on December 31st 2013. Then, on January 2nd 2014, the two sides renewed to extend the MOU mentioned above until December 31st 2016. Accordingly, in 2011 and 2012, Vietnam exported more than 300,000 tonnes of rice to Bangladesh. In the following years, Bangladesh could supply for themselves so they did not buy rice from Vietnam. However, over the past two years, Bangladesh has been constantly facing many natural disasters, crop failures, resulting in shortages of rice to provide enough for the people in the country.
The new MOU to be renewed will take effect five years from the date of signing, from 2017 to 2022. Accordingly, Vietnam will provide Bangladesh rice depending on demand and world market prices. The amount of rice of all kinds will be up to 1 million tonnes; the two sides have also appointed their focal points to negotiate, sign and execute contracts.
Immediately after the signing of this MOU, the Bangladeshi side announced that Bangladesh would buy 250,000-300,000 tonnes of 5 percent broken white rice from Vietnam. Bangladesh also said they had the desire to buy a total of about 500,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam from now until the end of 2017.
The signing of the MOU on rice trade at the Governmental level is an important milestone in the good tradition between Vietnam and Bangladesh, which will further strengthen and promote trade ties between the two countries. In addition, signing this MOU will continue to maintain a stable legal framework for long-term rice trade between the two countries. Thereby, Vietnam will ensure food security for Bangladesh in the context of difficulty.
Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to the friendship and traditional cooperation with Bangladesh. Economic, trade and industrial cooperation between the two countries have been taking positive steps recently. In 2016, two-way trade turnover reached US$608 million, up 3.1 percent over 2015.
Bangladesh Minister of Food Advocate Md Qamrul Islam said that the Government of Bangladesh always wishes to intensify cooperation and information exchange with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and relevant ministries and branches of the Vietnamese side to further promote the cooperation in specialised fields.
Bangladesh is a market with a large population of over 170 million, with high consumption but low food supply, often facing the loss of crops and natural disasters. In the context of rice production of Vietnam still facing many difficulties in finding outputs for products, the signing of the MOU between the two governments over a period of five years will help the rice industry of Vietnam solve the problem of output, helping farmers to continue their work.

https://www.vietnambreakingnews.com/2017/06/bangladesh-big-rice-importer-of-vietnam/

Sylhet cultivators to start Aus paddy farming


Our Correspondent
Farmers taking care of an Aus seedbed in Golapganj upazila of Sylhet.
FE Photo
SYLHET, June 04: Farmers in the greater Sylhet region are now taking preparation to start Aus paddy cultivation.

However, the DAE earlier revised the division's target from 133,028 hectares to 1176,929 hectares for the season in a bid to recoup the loss of Boro paddy due the repeated and early floods this year, said the Deputy Director of the DAE's Sylhet divisional office Dr. Mamun Ur Rashid this afternoon. About 65 per cent of the new target is achieved yet.

Already the farmers had completed raising seedbeds on 9452 hectares of land against the target of 6772 hectares, the official inforemd. Meanwhile, 110,113 hectares had already been cultivated till today. It includes, 28,686 hectares in Sylhet, 34,922 hectares in Moulvibazar, 35,270 hecatres in Habiganj and 11,235 hectares in Sunamganj district.

Although the farming would continue till the end of June, the seedbed setting is complete.
In the last year's Kharif-1 season Aus paddy was cultivated on 134,024 hectares of land in 4 districts of the division.Meanwhile, under the incentive distribution programme for 28,800 poor and marginal farmers against the last year's 25,700 in 28 upazilas of 4 disteicts had been completed. Each of the farmers is getting the assistance for one bigha land. It would help farming on 28,800 bighas of land. Each of the farmers was given seeds and fertilizers free of cost. The incentive programme cost was taka 35.9 million, the official added.

Of the total, 9300 listed marginal farmers are in Sylhet, 8800 in Moulvibazar and 10,700 are in the district of Habiganj. Upazila level committees, headed by the UNOs distributed the incentives.

The DAE regional office had also sent another proposal for extension of incentive programme for more farmers, the official added
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2017/06/04/72719/Sylhet-cultivators-to-start-Aus-paddy-farming

A 'rice zone' coming up in Palakkad

| Updated: Jun 4, 2017, 12.42 PM IST


PALAKKAD: The state government has initiated steps to implement the first 'rice zone' scheme for the integrated and long-term development of paddy announced in the state budget of 2017-18 with an allotment of Rs 10 crore towards initial expenses. As part of preparing the detailed project in this 'rice bowl' of Kerala, the state planning board vice-chairman P K Ramachandran and board member Ramkumar held discussions with district collector P Marykutty, agriculture department officials and paddy farmers at the Collectorate Conference Hall here on Friday.

The scheme plans to expand the area of paddy cultivation, increase productivity and production, provide high yielding seed, irrigation facilities, soil health card etc. "The scheme aims at a holistic development of paddy cultivation, including its value addition and marketing," said assistant principal agriculture officer P R Sheela.

The six major components of the rice zone are selection of high yielding varieties of seed, soil health, extension activities, availability of labour, modernization and post harvest value addition projects, she said. It also plans development of dairy and horticulture sectors along with paddy cultivation.
For the rice zone scheme, better water management will also be introduced. The irrigation facilities will be improved with deepening of reservoirs, maintenance of canal system and digging of wells to ensure water availability for paddy cultivation.


The scheme also aims at increasing paddy cultivation from 65,000 hectares to 72,500 hectares in the district.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/a-rice-zone-coming-up-in-palakkad/articleshow/58984445.cms



Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- JUN 05, 2017
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-June 5

Nagpur, June 5 (Reuters) – Gram prices firmed up again in Nagpur Agriculture Produce andMarketing Committee (APMC) auction on increased buying support from local millers amid thinsupply from producing regions because of farmers strike in all over Maharashtra. Repeatedenquiries from South-based millers also jacked up prices. Only 550 bags of gram and 1,450 bags of tuar were available for auctions, according to sources.

    FOODGRAINS & PULSES
    
   GRAM
   * Gram varieties suffered heavily in open market here on subdued demand from local
     traders amid profit-taking selling by stockists at higher level. 
  
   TUAR
     
   * Tuar varieties reported down in open market on poor buying support from local
     traders amid good supply from producing regions.

   * Masoor and Udid varieties moved down in open market in absence of buyers amid
     healthy supply from producing regions.
                      
                                           
   * In Akola, Tuar New – 3,600-3,700, Tuar dal (clean) – 5,400-5,600, Udid Mogar (clean)
    – 8,200-9,200, Moong Mogar (clean) 6,800-7,200, Gram – 5,500-5,800, Gram Super best
    – 7,200-7,400

   * Wheat, rice and other commodities moved in a narrow range in
     scattered deals and settled at last levels in thin trading activity.
      
 Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
   
     FOODGRAINS                 Available prices     Previous close  
     Gram Auction                  4,500-5,040         4,500-5,000
     Gram Pink Auction            n.a.           2,100-2,600
     Tuar Auction                3,400-3,776         3,400-3,700
     Moong Auction                n.a.                3,900-4,200
     Udid Auction                n.a.           4,300-4,500
     Masoor Auction                n.a.              2,600-2,800
     Wheat Mill quality Auction        1,500-1,618        1,500-1,605
     Gram Super Best Bold            7,500-8,000        7,700-8,200
     Gram Super Best            n.a.            n.a.
     Gram Medium Best            6,700-7,000        7,000-7,300
     Gram Dal Medium            n.a.            n.a
     Gram Mill Quality            5,100-5,200        5,300-5,500
     Desi gram Raw                5,800-6,000         6,100-6,200
     Gram Yellow                 7,200-7,500        7,500-7,800
     Gram Kabuli                12,300-13,400        12,300-13,400
     Tuar Fataka Best-New             5,800-6,000        6,000-6,200
     Tuar Fataka Medium-New        5,400-5,600        5,500-5,800
     Tuar Dal Best Phod-New        5,200-5,500        5,300-5,500
     Tuar Dal Medium phod-New        4,800-5,000        4,800-5,200
     Tuar Gavarani New             3,800-3,900        3,900-4,000
     Tuar Karnataka             4,000-4,150        4,100-4,200
     Masoor dal best            5,200-5,500        5,400-5,600
     Masoor dal medium            4,600-5,000        4,800-5,200
     Masoor                    n.a.            n.a.
     Moong Mogar bold (New)        7,000-7,500         7,000-7,500
     Moong Mogar Medium            6,500-6,800        6,500-6,800
     Moong dal Chilka            5,500-6,500        5,500-6,500
     Moong Mill quality            n.a.            n.a.
     Moong Chamki best            7,000-8,000        7,000-8,000
     Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 8,500-9,500       8,800-9,800
     Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)    7,000-8,000        7,300-8,300   
     Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)        5,200-5,500        5,400-5,700    
     Batri dal (100 INR/KG)        5,200-5,500        5,200-5,500
     Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)          3,100-3,300         3,100-3,300
     Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)            2,900-3,000        2,900-3,000
     Watana White (100 INR/KG)           3,400-3,600           3,400-3,600
     Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)    4,000-4,500        4,000-4,500  
     Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)        1,950-2,050        1,950-2,050
     Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG)    1,750-1,850        1,750-1,850  
     Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)         2,150-2,350           2,150-2,350        
     Wheat Lokwan new (100 INR/KG)    1,850-2,050        1,850-2,050
     Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)    2,200-2,400        2,200-2,400   
     Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)   1,900-2,100        1,900-2,100
     Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)    n.a.            n.a.
     MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG)    3,100-3,500        3,100-3,500   
     MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)    2,300-2,800        2,300-2,800          
     Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG)        2,900-3,400        2,900-3,400
     Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG)        3,500-4,000        3,500-4,000   
     Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG)        3,000-3,200        3,000-3,200   
     Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG)         2,500-2,800        2,500-2,800
     Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG)       2,300-2,500        2,300-2,500   
     Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG)      2,600-2,800        2,600-2,800  
     Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG)      2,400-2,500        2,400-2,500  
     Rice HMT New (100 INR/KG)        3,600-4,000        3,600-4,000
     Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG)           4,500-5,000        4,500-5,000   
     Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG)        4,100-4,300        4,100-4,300   
     Rice Shriram New(100 INR/KG)           4,800-5,200        4,800-5,200
     Rice Shriram best 100 INR/KG)    6,500-7,000        6,500-7,000
     Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG)    5,800-6,200        5,800-6,200  
     Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)    10,000-14,000        10,000-14,000    
     Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)    6,200-8,500        6,200-8,500   
     Rice Chinnor New(100 INR/KG)        4,600-4,800        4,600-4,800
     Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG)    6,000-6,500        5,800-6,300   
     Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG)    5,500-5,800        5,100-5,300  
     Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)        1,900-2,200        1,900-2,200   
     Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)         1,800-1,900        1,800-1,900

WEATHER (NAGPUR) 
Maximum temp. 43.0 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 30.0 degree Celsius
Rainfall : Nil
FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 43 and 29degree Celsius respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, butincluded in market prices)

Federal govt pro agriculture market

KARACHI: The government is committed to protecting and promoting agro-based industries, particularly ensuring easy and safe accessibility of the relevant goods to the global market.
These views were expressed by Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair on Monday, while talking to a 10-member delegation of Sindh-Balochistan Rice Mills Association, led by Khaildas Kohistani.The Sindh governor said that the federal government has accorded top priority to activate these industries on strong lines.
All needed support is also being provided to the concerned industrialists, he told the delegation that also included Abdul Shakoor Memon, Dr Cheetan Das, Ghagandas Israni, Saamandas, Kanwal Kumar Dhanani, Farooq Chipa, Kishanchan Ikrani, Sanjay Kumar and Thakurdas Jaswani.Responding to a concern registered by the rice millers about implications of power shortage on their business, he said that optimum attention is being paid to the issue.
“It is during the current year that a record 19,000-megawatt electricity is being generated and by next year another 10500-megawatt power will be added to the national grid station enabling the country to meet its needs,” said the Sindh governor.
He said that the country has faced power shortage for past several years and lack of planning, over the years, has exposed the country to the energy crisis like situation.
Sindh-Balochistan Rice Millers Association apprising the governor about different problems faced by them also sought his support in matters related to tax collection and alleged high-handedness of Federal Board of Revenue officials.
The Sindh governor said that the federal government had developed a mechanism for tax collection and strict action will be taken against individuals found violating the arrangement.
The governor, while appreciating that Pakistani rice holds immense demand in the international market, said the government is conscious of problems faced by rice millers and will get this duly addressed.He said completion of economic game changer CPEC will usher a new era of development and prosperity across the country.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/06/05/federal-govt-pro-agriculture-market/
Mexico Market Share on the Upswing 
By Sarah Moran
 
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO -- U.S. rice exports to Mexico in the first four months of 2017 are up an impressive 23 percent over last year, bringing the U.S. market share to 93 percent, the highest since 2013.  According to official Government of Mexico (GOM) sources, total U.S. rice exports to Mexico were 354,000 MT while third country exports were down nearly 60 percent, at 25,000 MT.  

The surge in U.S. paddy exports to Mexico is partly being driven by exports of Mexican milled rice to Venezuela, however there is also an increase in the consumption of U.S. rice in Mexico.   Over the past 15 years, rice consumption has grown 43 percent while the population has only grown 22 percent.  

"While the per capita consumption is still relatively low at 16 pounds annually, it's increasing each year and we expect that trend to continue," says Gaby Carbajal, USA Rice's promotion director in Mexico. 

Competition for U.S. rice comes from both the Latin American region and Asia.
 
"Uruguay maintains a market segment of 'quality' here, but Asia is a somewhat mixed bag," said Marvin Lehrer, USA Rice's market consultant for Mexico.  "There are reports from the market of growing concern and consumer pushback from the stickiness and smell of rice from Viet Nam.  The U.S. benefits from unparalleled food safety standards and a reliable product, which is what customers here are looking for."

Mexico is the largest export market for U.S. rice in both volume and value, and USA Rice conducts nearly 300 promotional activities here each year, ranging from trade shows to consumer seminars.  Recently, USA Rice teamed up with a popular chain, Grupo Los Canarios and their 11 restaurants, to promote the U.S. rice-based dishes.

"In addition to rice dishes developed specifically for the cuisine of each different restaurant, USA Rice will train the chefs, cooks, and kitchen staff on cooking techniques, recipes, and nutritional information," said Carbajal.  "Through these and similar activities, USA Rice continues to promote the usage and consumption of U.S. rice."

Upcoming Rice Field Days 
June 14 - Acadia Parish and Rice Research Station South Farm Field Day
8:00 a.m. -- LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station South Farm, Hwy 13 South, Crowley, LA
Contact:  Jeremy Hebert, jphebert@agcenter.lsu.edu

June 27 - Louisiana Horizon Ag Field Day
4:30 p.m. -- Richard Farms, Kaplan, LA. Crop tour at 5 p.m. followed by dinner.
Contact: Michael Fruge, mfruge@horizonseed.com

June 27 - 43rd Annual Eagle Lake Field Day and Program
4:00 p.m. -- TX AgriLife Research & Extension Center, Eagle Lake, TX
Contact: Dr. Ted Wilson, lt-wilson@aesrg.tamu.edu 

June 28 - LSU AgCenter Rice Field Day
7:30-9:15 a.m. -- field tours; program at 10:45 a.m., and concludes with lunch.
LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station, 1373 Caffey Rd., Rayne, LA
Contact:  Dr. Steve Linscombe, (337) 788-7531 or slinscombe@agcenter.lsu.edu 



Global Rice Bran Oil Market 2017 - Ricela, Kamal, BCL, Vaighai, SVROil

Press release from: Global Market Research

Rice Bran Oil Market report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with Production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer. Additionally, the region-wise segmentation and the trends driving the leading geographical region and the emerging region has been presented in this report.
Download Sample Report @ www.fiormarkets.com/report-detail/55972/request-sample
Global Rice Bran Oil Industry 2017 is an analytical research report that delves into the dynamics of the global Rice Bran Oil industry. It presents an executive-level blueprint of the market with key focus on its operations in globe. In a lucid chapter-wise format, the report presents the historical statistics of the Rice Bran Oil market in addition to studying the competitive landscape. The purpose of this study is to present a comprehensive overview of the market for industry participants. Key findings of this report will help companies operating in the Rice Bran Oil market to identify the opportunities that they can capitalize on to propel growth.

The study analyzes the Rice Bran Oil industry in detail. To begin with, it enumerates the primary market operations, evaluating the nature and specific characteristics of products and services it provides. In the following chapters, the study classifies the Rice Bran Oil market in terms of its varied product types, applications, network of supply chain and geography. Based on the market segmentation, the report analyzes the competitive landscape of the Rice Bran Oil market and lays down the development status of key regions in globally.
The study progresses with a detailed, incisive analysis of the strategies and trends common in the Rice Bran Oil market and how the same is likely to impact the future course of action of players in the market and the growth trajectory of the market. Region-wise market share for the Rice Bran Oil industry is analyzed for the purpose of which the prominent players are profiled and their respective market share is calculated. Growth drivers, restraints and opportunities are studied in detail with the help of industry-leading tools, based on which the report presents insightful growth forecasts for the Rice Bran Oil market. Key findings of the study will help stakeholders gauge the growth prospects and understand the investment feasibility.
Get Full Report With TOC @ goo.gl/qvWlb3
The Rice Bran Oil market research study has been composed using key inputs from industry experts. Furthermore, the extensive primary and secondary research data with which the report has been composed helps deliver the key statistical forecasts, in terms of both revenue and volume. In addition to this, the trends and revenue analysis of the global Rice Bran Oil market has been mentioned in this report. This will give a clear perspective to the readers how the Rice Bran Oil market will fare in globe.
This report also presents product specification, manufacturing process and product cost structure etc. Production is separated by regions, technology and applications. Analysis also covers upstream raw materials, equipment, downstream client survey, marketing channels, industry development trend and proposals. In the end, the report includes Rice Bran Oil new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, investment return analysis and development trend analysis. In conclusion, it is a deep research report on Global Rice Bran Oil industry. Here, we express our thanks for the support and assistance from Rice Bran Oil industry chain related technical experts and marketing engineers during Research Team’s survey and interviews
Fior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.
We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.
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This release was published on openPRhttp://www.openpr.com/news/563465/Global-Rice-Bran-Oil-Market-2017-Ricela-Kamal-BCL-Vaighai-SVROil.html

Basmathi Rice imported from Pakistan suitable for consumption - Ministry

2017-06-04 23:55:21

Ministry of Industry and Commerce said today that the recent consignment of 'Basmathi' rice imported from Pakistan by Sathosa is suitable for consumption. The Ministry was compelled to issue a statement following a campaign launched by social media to defame the state retail super market chain.
In a statement, the ministry said there is a ongoing campaign with vested interests on social media to damage public trust of Sathosa super markets.Meanwhile the Daily Mirror learns that this rice variety was not popular among the consumers due to the news carried by online media calling it ‘Plastic Rice’ .
The statement said 20 metric tons of rice stock has been imported on May 15 this year however it has went through the stipulated protocols of quality assurance tests before it released to the market.It further said, a food technologist has issued a clearance certificate stating that the consignment does not contain any harmful chemical substance which is unfit for human consumption.
The ministry also warned the public the particular imported rice is stickier after it cooked.
Therefore the ministry requested the public not to mislead on such baseless allegations as the ‘Sathosa’ is always committed to give the best products at a lowest rate. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)
http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Basmathi-Rice-imported-from-Pakistan-suitable-for-consumption-Ministry-130208.html

One day in 1937, former Louisiana governor Richard Leche was watching photographers setting up photos to promote local agricultural products, with one shoot featuring a woman in a rice costume. At that moment, he sprang up and shouted, “Let’s have a rice festival!”That October, Acadia Parish’s Rice Carnival was combined with the town of Crowley’s Golden Jubilee — the first ever National Rice Festival.
The streets of the tiny town (population 9,262) were packed with over 35,000 visitors from around Louisiana and beyond. Radio broadcasters described the celebrations as people danced, performed, and coronated a Rice Queen.
The next year, Farm Security Administration photographer Russell Lee showed up for the second holding of the festival, documenting the parades, contests, performances, and excitement of the swelling crowds.
IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
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IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
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The winners of the largest family contest.
IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
A rice eating contest.
IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
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A radio announcer introduces the queen of the festival.
IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
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IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
IMAGE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Basmathi-Rice-imported-from-Pakistan-suitable-for-consumption-Ministry-130208.html
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