Pakistan
may dodge adverse impact of Gulf crisis
: The diplomatic crisis in the Gulf is not expected to impact
Pakistan adversely in the immediate future, business leaders said, but advised
the government to stay neutral to ensure steady trade ties and uninterrupted
import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar.In a dramatic decision earlier
this week, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states broke
off ties with Qatar.
Pakistan State Oil (PSO) confirmed that so far “no disruption in
LNG supply has occurred”. A PSO official said the company was currently
importing 3.75 million tonnes of LNG a year from Qatar. “Qatar continues
supplies to all the countries including those in the Middle East,” he said.
However, he said PSO could float tenders in the case of a shortfall.
With the expected commissioning of second terminal and additional
supplies from diversified sources by Pakistan LNG Ltd in the fourth quarter of
2017, the supply risk would be mitigated, he said.
Zubair Tufail, the president of Federation of Commerce and
Industry, said: “I do not see any serious repercussions on the two-way trade as
Pakistan does not export any significant quantity of goods to Qatar. The
overall trade volume between the two countries is not big.”
He said Pakistan exports small quantities of rice, textile goods
and meat to Qatar, and hoped that the import of LNG from Qatar will continue by
sea.
Qatar has a population of 2.3m, of which 325,000 are Qataris,
150,000 Pakistanis, 615,000 Indians, 260,000 Filipinos, 280,000 Bangladeshis,
200,000 Egyptians and 145,000 Sri Lankans.
According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, LNG imports jumped 129
per cent to cross $1 billion in July-April as compared to $439m a year
ago.Pakistan is importing LNG from Qatar under a multibillion-dollar, long-term
deal signed last year to meet gas shortage and increase power generation. Under
the agreement, Qatar will sell LNG worth $1bn each year to Pakistan.
Chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan Mehmood
Moulvi said trade between the two countries should continue, but advised the
government to remain impartial in the Gulf crisis. Pakistan exports 30,000 to
40,000 tonnes of rice annually to Qatar, he said.President of Karachi Chamber
of Commerce and Industry Shamim Ahmed Firpo said there may be an impact on
trade, but it would not be significant.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1338065
Weedy rice is growing problem for California farmers
Weedy rice was brought to the attention of California rice
growers again in 2016 after it was first discovered in three fields in the
northern Sacramento Valley. Since then it has been identified in at least
10,000 acres across the state's growing region.Weedy rice was
officially documented in California about 2006. Today, it's found on about
10,000 acres of California rice
California rice growers are discovering a challenge in their
fields that some thought was merely herbicide-resistant watergrass.Last year,
newly-hired University of California (UC) Cooperative Extension Rice Advisor
Whitney Brim-DeForest began receiving calls from rice growers about a weed they
couldn’t kill. This led to the quick discovery that watergrass wasn’t the
problem.
Since the beginning of the 2016 growing season, at least 10,000
acres of rice ground in California has been identified with weedy rice, one of
the most damaging weeds of rice worldwide.As growers began reporting the
problem to farm advisors and the California Rice Commission (CRC), UC teamed
with the CRC to help growers understand what weedy rice is and what it's not.
Knowing what it’s not can reassure growers concerned with regulatory
constraints.
Since it is not considered something requiring state or federal
quarantines, growers can be rest assured that “there are no repercussions
because it’s just rice,” she said.The issue is simply one of what markets will
tolerate in terms of contamination in the milled product.
Shortly after assuming her post in 2016 Brim-DeForest was made
aware of the widespread nature of weedy rice in California fields. What was
first thought to be just a “spotty” problem found in a handful of fields in the
northern Sacramento Valley quickly became identified across 10,000 acres of
rice statewide.
Brim-DeForest searched through journals and other publications
on the topic. She quickly discovered that weedy rice, or red rice (known for
this by its color), is of the same genus and species as cultivated rice, albeit
an unwelcome one. Because of this, it does not present a human health risk if
it is mixed with the cultivated rice chain.The challenge is it cannot be
controlled by approved herbicides.
According to UC, it can significantly affect yield and quality.
Yields in the Mid-South have been reduced by 60 percent where this is
present.Brim-DeForest’s study of weedy rice reveals that it was rediscovered in
California in 2006. Historic records show it was present before 1950, but
little was said about it since then.A 2008 survey of rice in the Sacramento
Valley turned up three fields with it. Then the Rice Research Board and CRC set
up a task force to look into the issue, but it quickly “fell off the radar” of
those in the rice industry, she said.
Though some pest control advisers were starting to see something
and were bringing samples into the Rice Experiment Station in Richvale, Calif.,
Brim-DeForest says there was no official mechanism to track weedy rice until
years later when it was beginning to show up as a more widespread problem.
Rice mills surveyed by UC said they’d seen it “for years,” she
said, but reported some confusion in identifying it because there are
red-colored rice bran varieties that the industry purposefully grows for
certain markets.
“A lot of folks thought it was just contamination from colored
rice,” Brim-DeForest said.
Identification and treatment
In cooperation with UC, the CRC produced a website at
http://caweedyrice.com/ to help growers and PCAs identify the problem and
understand what to do if growers think it might be in their fields. Growers can
subscribe on the website for e-mail updates.
UC has now established a set of best management practices for
weedy rice, which propagates itself by shattering easily and leaving seed on
the soil. According to Brim-DeForest, this seed can lay dormant for many years
before germinating.
Weedy rice is easiest to identify at the heading stage, though
it is possible to identify before that. UC rice advisors can help in this
identification. The weedy rice website can also be helpful.
Because weedy rice shatters easily, Brim-DeForest does not
recommend growers or PCAs pull samples themselves and transport them for
identification. Contact the farm advisor’s office to get instructions on how to
have it identified.
Though it’s not easy, weedy rice can be controlled, according to
Luis Espino, UC rice farming systems advisor for Colusa, Glenn and Yolo
counties.
Espino is working with growers to do just that. One grower he
continues to work with fallowed a 15-acre check in his field for two seasons
while employing practices recommended by university researchers.
In this case, the grower fallowed the check, did minimal ground
work including running a disc and roller on the field before flushing the field
with irrigation water to germinate weeds, including the weedy rice.With the
weeds germinated, the grower applied glyphosate to the fallowed field in two
separate applications. Though glyphosate is not a registered product for use in
rice, Espino says its use on fallowed rice ground is permitted.
Glyphosate was applied over two seasons to the fallowed field,
killing many of the weeds present.After two seasons, the grower replanted the
field in rice. When the rice began to head, he hand-rogued the remaining weedy
rice in the field. This appears to have had a positive impact on the grower’s
weed pressure, Espino says.
Burning rice fields after harvest has not proven successful,
though Brim-DeForest thinks a sufficiently hot fire could have an impact.
Because of current air district rules and the spotty effects of rice stubble burning
with respect to weedy rice seed, Espino says UC does not recommend burning as a
control or treatment method.The UC will host meetings later in the growing
season to update growers on weedy rice.
Growers in Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yuba and Butte counties
who suspect weedy rice in fields can contact Brim-DeForest at (530) 822-7515.
Growers in Colusa, Glenn and Yolo counties should contact Espino at (530)
458-0570. Those in San Joaquin County can call Michelle Leinfelder-Miles at
(209) 953-6120
Spies In The
Field: As Farming Goes High-Tech, Espionage Threat Grows
By BRYAN
THOMPSON • 19
HOURS AGO
Scott Deeter, president and CEO of Ventria Bioscience,
says that Chinese theft of his technology could have driven him out of
business.
BRYAN
THOMPSON/HARVEST PUBLIC MEDIA
Originally published on June 8,
2017 2:34 pm
As a group of visiting scientists prepared to
board a plane in Hawaii that would take them back home to China, U.S. customs
agents found rice seeds in their luggage. Those seeds are likely to land at
least one scientist in federal prison.
Agriculture
today is a high-tech business, but as that technology has developed, so has the
temptation to take shortcuts and steal trade secrets that could unlock huge
profits. The FBI calls agricultural economic espionage "a growing
threat" and some are
worried that biotech piracy can spell big trouble for a dynamic and growing
U.S. industry.
Crime in the
lab
On the
western outskirts of Junction City, Kan., just off Interstate 70, sits an
unassuming industrial building. The white lettering on the blue sign out front
reads "Ventria Bioscience," and driving by, it is hard to believe the
nondescript building houses a cutting-edge research facility.
Scientists
at Ventria have developed a way to genetically engineer rice so that it can be
used to grow human proteins for medical uses. The process places a microscopic
piece of synthetic DNA into the rice genome, which tells the growing plant to
make the desired protein as it matures.
Ventria
President and CEO Scott Deeter says the idea goes back 25 or 30 years, but his
company was the first to commercialize it.
"It's
really been the dream of our industry for a long time," Deeter says.
"The challenge has really been that the yield of the target product in the
plant material was never high enough to make it cost-effective."
The company
invested some $85 million in developing the technology, Deeter says, and he
thinks it has the potential to generate upwards of $1 billion in annual
revenue. But that potential could be undermined by foreign piracy.
Former
Ventria rice breeder Weiqiang Zhang is awaiting sentencing in federal court in
Kansas City for conspiring to steal the company's trade secrets. He hosted the
delegation of visiting scientists from a Chinese crops research institute in
whose luggage authorities found the rice seeds in 2013.
Had they
succeeded in stealing the gene-spliced rice, the scientists may have been able
to reverse-engineer it and ultimately undercut Ventria's market. Deeter says it
could have driven his company out of business.
Crime in the
field
In 2011, a
field manager for agribusiness giant Pioneer Hi-Bred International found a man
on his knees in an Iowa field, digging up seed corn.
It was Mo
Hailong — also known as Robert Mo — according to court documents. Hailong, who
is originally from China, pleaded guilty in January 2016 to conspiring to steal
trade secrets involving corn seed developed by Monsanto and Pioneer.
Jason
Griess, the assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, says the
investigation began as a simple matter of a farmer being suspicious about
something he saw and reporting it. Digging up seeds in an open field may be
simple, but it is difficult to put a precise value on the loss in cases
involving trade secrets.
"Without
question, the value of the seed technology in our case was absolutely off the
charts," Griess says. "There's simply no disputing by anyone how
valuable this is."
Intellectual
property is often hard to protect, no matter what form it takes: films, books,
consumer products. The technology used in our food system, however, presents a
unique challenge.
"Where
the commodity in question is grown in open fields, it's sometimes
difficult," Griess says. "And this case is a testament to that."
The court
cases in Kansas and Iowa are the only ones Griess is aware of that have been
criminally prosecuted, but he says there have been a few other investigations.
"There
are countries in this world that are in dire need of this technology, and one
of the ways you go about obtaining it is to steal it," Griess says.
Ties to
China
Theft of
intellectual property costs the U.S. economy hundreds of billions of dollars
each year, according to a recent report from the Commission
on the Theft of American Intellectual Property, a Washington,
D.C.-based ad-hoc panel formed to study intellectual property theft. China, the
authors say, is the biggest offender.
"In the
last five to seven years, the majority of the cases the government has brought
have involved espionage by the Chinese," says Peter Toren, an intellectual
property attorney in Washington, D.C. Toren was not involved in the IP
Commission Report, but as a federal prosecutor in the Computer Crime and Intellectual
Property Section of the Justice Department, he won one of the first cases ever
prosecuted under the Economic Espionage Act of 1996.
It should
come as no surprise, he says, that scientists in China would be interested in
technology related to agriculture.
"Whether
it's in agriculture or any other field, they need access to the
technology," Toren says. "And, certainly, if you have 1.4 billion
people, access to better seeds is something that you're going to be very
interested in."
Ventria's
Scott Deeter hopes that China will crack down on these cases, and that
scientists across the world will respect each other's innovations.
"I
think the world is better off with that, I mean you get more creativity,"
Deeter says. "If you make creativity a commodity and something to be
stolen, and don't respect it, you won't have very much. It will go away. And
that's the risk."
For now,
Deeter says his company has to continue to innovate in order to stay one step
ahead of the thieves.
This story
comes to us from the Kansas News Service, a collaboration covering health, education
and politics across the state
http://wxxinews.org/post/spies-field-farming-goes-high-tech-espionage-threat-grows
Help Improve the
USA Rice Website!
USA Rice is redesigning our website and needs your input. In exchange for your feedback, you'll be entered into a drawing for a $100 Visa gift card!
You have until next Friday, June 16, to complete a brief content sorting exercise where you'll be asked to organize a list of topics into groups that make sense to you.
USA Rice Continues Dialog with Customers in Key Central American
Markets
By Sarah Moran
MIAMI,
FL -- A USA Rice delegation met with leaders of Fecarroz, the Central America
Rice Federation, here this week for wide-ranging discussions on the current
rice market situation and export opportunities, as well as concerns Fecarroz
members wanted to raise with their U.S. counterparts that vary by country.
Fecarroz is the leading organization representing millers and importers from the five Central American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, which together make up the second largest export market for U.S. grown rice.
"This was a great opportunity to meet with some of the most important buyers of U.S. rice in the region," said Todd Burich, chairman of the USA Rice Latin American Trade Policy Subcommittee. "We listened carefully to the concerns raised by the Fecarroz delegation concerning quality, which is a longstanding issue, and something that must be examined by our industry if we want to maintain a stable and growing U.S. rice market in Central America."
To that end, USA Rice's Rice Marketability and Competitiveness Task Force created an elite line evaluation protocol. New rice varieties that are slated for commercial release within the next year or two are submitted to USA Rice and then anonymously sent to various mills for evaluation. Criteria such as chalk and uniformity of length (two traits that Central American customers have specifically mentioned) are collected and relayed back to the rice breeder.
USA Rice members in attendance felt the frank dialog was a resounding success and would lay the groundwork for future discussions and for stronger ties between the Fecarroz and USA Rice organizations.
"While we have our challenges in Central America, they are far outweighed by the opportunity that this region represents as a market for U.S. grown rice," said Hugh Maginnis, USA Rice vice president international. "This meeting allowed USA Rice members to tell our Central American partners directly how much we value their business and how much we appreciate them as customers. Listening carefully so that we can do an even better job to service our customers in the future is a part of this effort.
Fecarroz is the leading organization representing millers and importers from the five Central American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, which together make up the second largest export market for U.S. grown rice.
"This was a great opportunity to meet with some of the most important buyers of U.S. rice in the region," said Todd Burich, chairman of the USA Rice Latin American Trade Policy Subcommittee. "We listened carefully to the concerns raised by the Fecarroz delegation concerning quality, which is a longstanding issue, and something that must be examined by our industry if we want to maintain a stable and growing U.S. rice market in Central America."
To that end, USA Rice's Rice Marketability and Competitiveness Task Force created an elite line evaluation protocol. New rice varieties that are slated for commercial release within the next year or two are submitted to USA Rice and then anonymously sent to various mills for evaluation. Criteria such as chalk and uniformity of length (two traits that Central American customers have specifically mentioned) are collected and relayed back to the rice breeder.
USA Rice members in attendance felt the frank dialog was a resounding success and would lay the groundwork for future discussions and for stronger ties between the Fecarroz and USA Rice organizations.
"While we have our challenges in Central America, they are far outweighed by the opportunity that this region represents as a market for U.S. grown rice," said Hugh Maginnis, USA Rice vice president international. "This meeting allowed USA Rice members to tell our Central American partners directly how much we value their business and how much we appreciate them as customers. Listening carefully so that we can do an even better job to service our customers in the future is a part of this effort.
USA
Rice
Commerce to update buying prices on mobile application for farmers
The Ministry of Commerce will
update rice millers’ buying prices for rice production on a mobile application,
Thai Farmers, so that farmers can check for fairer rice prices before selling
to them.
It also forecasts that the rice harvest season at the remainder
of the year will produce high yields and farmers will fetch higher prices this
year.
This was disclosed at the meeting yesterday between the ministry
and the Thai Rice Millers’ Association to assess the rice situation at the
remainder of the year so as to map out assistance measures for farmers.
The meeting was held as rice production of the next harvest
season is set to be released to the market this October, particularly from the
northeastern provinces.
It was agreed that this year farmers will get good rice yields
from their harvest and receive good prices from selling their rice production.
In order to help farmers access to useful information through
the mobile application “Chao Na Thais or Thai Farmers”, the ministry will
update buying prices of each miller so they could use as guideline whether to
sell or keep their production.
This is apart from the information on existing rice prices and
assistance measures of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.
Through the daily updated buying prices, farmers can check the
information before deciding to sell.
The ministry will also set up a complaint unit to look into
farmers’ troubles so that relevant government agencies could resolve their
problems.
It is now working out measures to raise the standard of rice
mills across the country.
According to the ministry, it has certified 100 rice mills out
of 1,000 mills throughout the country and given them ‘star’ sign so that
farmers will get fairer prices for their selling of their rice production
http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/commerce-update-buying-prices-mobile-application-farmers/
Plastic rice rumours fake news,
says Telangana government
DECCAN CHRONICLE. | L VENKAT RAM REDDY
PublishedJun 8, 2017, 2:05 am IST
UpdatedJun 8, 2017, 2:43 am IST
CSD termed these reports as creation of social media
and urged consumers not to believe in such rumours.
Videos
and pictures have been circulating on social media of the sale of plastic rice
in the city for the last three days, forcing the department to order an inquiry
into the issue.Hyderabad: The civil supplies department on Wednesday rubbished reports
that plastic rice was being sold in the state, especially in GHMC limits. It
termed these reports as ‘fake and baseless’ and a creation of social media and
urged consumers not to believe in such rumours.
Videos and pictures have been
circulating on social media of the sale of plastic rice in the city for the
last three days, forcing the department to order an inquiry into the issue.
Commissioner of civil supplies,
C.V. Anand, said on Wednesday that preliminary tests of the samples collected
from places from where the complaints had been received revealed that there was
no plastic material in the rice.
He said that the tests were
conducted in the laboratory of the civil supplies corporation, but samples have
also been sent to the state food laboratory for more stringent chemical tests
and the department will place all the facts before the public once that report
is received.
Despite this, he said, the civil
supplies department, enforcement officials and vigilance department has been
put on high alert, which will conduct raids on rice mills and godowns across
the state to collect samples and conduct tests. Mr Anand added that the
department has given guidelines to officials and staff through videos on what
plastic rice looks like and how to recognise it if it is mixed with genuine
rice. Rice millers have also been made aware.
Mr Anand said the tests in the
civil supplies laboratory were conducted in the presence of quality control
analyser Osman Mohiuddin, general manager Jayadev Singh, and assistant manager
(technical) G. Saidulu.
The civil supplies enforcement
department collected samples from the mill about which a complaint had been
received by the Meerpet police station on Tuesday, and also from the
complainant.
Both samples were sent for
testing. Physical analysis and D-husk test was first conducted on the samples.
The rice was then soaked in water for some time. If the rice was made of
plastic it should float on water but no signs of floating were observed.
Further, the cooked rice samples became like paste as usually happens when
normal rice is cooked. Later, rice balls were made out of the cooked suspect
rice and when they hit the floor, they bounced like rubber balls, which is
exactly what happened with the normal cooked rice. “Rice from the
complainant and normal rice were cooked at the same time and the result was the
same in both cases. Rice from the complainant and the rice mill from
where the rice was supplied to the dealer were not plastic rice, Mr Anand said
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/080617/plastic-rice-rumours-fake-news-says-telangana.html
Why price of local rice is high
Rice Miller ON JUNE 7, 201712:20 PMIN
NEWSCOMMENTS Rice millers in Kano State have attributed the high cost of
locally-produced rice to the increasing cost of production of the commodity in
the country. Mr Liman Muhammed, spokesperson, Medium and Small Scale Rice
Millers Association in the state, said this during a visit to some rice mills in
Kano on Wednesday. The price of 50kg
locally-produced rice ranges between N20,000 and N22,000 while that of imported
rice is between N12,000 and N15,000. “For locally-produced rice, the cost of
production is high. Our people are used to the imported rice but with
government’s intervention, we are seeing good quality rice.
“Most imported rice have spent more than 10 years
in the storage and are not good enough but the local rice has more nutritional
value. “The number of people consuming local rice is increasing and if
everybody along the rice value chain is empowered, the cost of production will
reduce,’’ he said. He commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor
Borrowers’ Programme, noting that it had empowered rice farmers and millers
across the country. Muhammed called on government at all levels to provide
necessary inputs to rice farmers to boost production in the country.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/06/price-local-rice-high-rice-miller/
Why Price Of Local Rice Is High – Rice Miller
Lake
Rice, locally produced
Rice
millers in Kano State have attributed the high cost of locally-produced rice to
the increasing cost of production of the commodity in the country.Mr Liman
Muhammed, spokesperson, Medium and Small Scale Rice Millers Association in the
state, said this during a visit to some rice mills in Kano on Wednesday.The
price of 50kg locally-produced rice ranges between N20,000 and N22,000 while
that of imported rice is between N12,000 and N15,000.
“For
locally-produced rice, the cost of production is high. Our people are used to
the imported rice but with government’s intervention, we are seeing good
quality rice.“Most imported rice have spent more than 10 years in the storage
and are not good enough but the local rice has more nutritional value.
“The
number of people consuming local rice is increasing and if everybody along the
rice value chain is empowered, the cost of production will reduce,’’ he said.He
commended the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, noting
that it had empowered rice farmers and millers across the country.
Muhammed
called on government at all levels to provide necessary inputs to rice farmers
to boost production in the country
https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2017/06/07/price-local-rice-high-rice-miller/
New Partnership Pursues
Sustainable Rice
“With over 3 billion people
across the globe eating rice every day, rice is critical to global food
security,” said Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director-General. “Ensuring
sustainable rice production is a key contribution to the global goal of ending
hunger. By teaming up with IRRI, already a long-standing partner, we will be
able to scale up, complement and amplify our work towards reaching this goal.”
The stated goals of the FAO are
to eradicate hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition, eliminate poverty while
promoting economic and social progress for all, and sustainably manage and use
natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations. Currently,
two major rice-related FAO efforts are underway. First is the Asia and Pacific’s Regional Rice Initiative, and
second, the Partnership for Sustainable Rice Systems Development in
Sub-Saharan Africa. These are sharing technology, agricultural and
pest management practices, and strategies to increase rice resilience and
production efficiency.
“The world faces very significant
changes over the next few decades to produce the volume and quality of
nutritious food to feed a global population heading for 10 billion people,”
said Matthew K. Morell, IRRI Director-General. “Addressing these issues relies
on global partnerships, and today, IRRI is delighted to be reaffirming through
this Memorandum of Agreement our commitment to work with FAO to enhance
sustainable rice-based production and food systems through awareness raising,
capacity development, knowledge exchange, and evidence-based analyses for
policy support.”
IRRI is a nonprofit research and
educational institute founded by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations and the
Philippine government in 1960. Its goals are to reduce poverty and hunger
through rice science, improve rice farmer and consumer health and welfare, and
ensure the environmental sustainability of rice production. Today, IRRI has
offices in 17 countries and collaborates with a variety of research partners
including the food security research partnership CGIAR. Working with the United Nations Environment, IRRI developed the Sustainable
Rice Platform to
promote resource efficiency, sustainability, and affordability through policy
development and voluntary market transformation initiatives.
By working together, the FAO and
IRRI seek to increase availability and use of improved and adapted rice variety
seeds. To increase nutrition and improve the income of small-scale farmers,
they will develop and commercialize rice by-products. Through farmer field
schools and other forms of outreach, they will better educate farmers in
best-practices, including pest management. They will also work to improve
working conditions for rice farmers and improve women participation and
entrepreneurial opportunities.
https://foodtank.com/news/2017/06/partnership-for-sustainable-rice/
Weedy rice was brought to the attention of California rice
growers again in 2016 after it was first discovered in three fields in the
northern Sacramento Valley. Since then it has been identified in at least
10,000 acres across the state's growing region.
Weedy rice is growing problem for
California farmers
Weedy
rice was officially documented in California about 2006. Today, it's found on
about 10,000 acres of California rice
California rice growers are
discovering a challenge in their fields that some thought was merely
herbicide-resistant watergrass.
Last year, newly-hired University
of California (UC) Cooperative Extension Rice Advisor Whitney Brim-DeForest
began receiving calls from rice growers about a weed they couldn’t kill. This
led to the quick discovery that watergrass wasn’t the problem.
Since the beginning of the 2016
growing season, at least 10,000 acres of rice ground in California has been
identified with weedy rice, one of the most damaging weeds of rice worldwide.
As growers began reporting the
problem to farm advisors and the California Rice Commission (CRC), UC teamed
with the CRC to help growers understand what weedy rice is and what it's not.
Knowing what it’s not can reassure growers concerned with regulatory constraints.
Since it is not considered
something requiring state or federal quarantines, growers can be rest assured
that “there are no repercussions because it’s just rice,” she said
The issue is simply one of what
markets will tolerate in terms of contamination in the milled product.Shortly
after assuming her post in 2016 Brim-DeForest was made aware of the widespread
nature of weedy rice in California fields. What was first thought to be just a
“spotty” problem found in a handful of fields in the northern Sacramento Valley
quickly became identified across 10,000 acres of rice statewide.
Brim-DeForest searched through
journals and other publications on the topic. She quickly discovered that weedy
rice, or red rice (known for this by its color), is of the same genus and
species as cultivated rice, albeit an unwelcome one. Because of this, it does
not present a human health risk if it is mixed with the cultivated rice
chain.The challenge is it cannot be controlled by approved herbicides.
According to UC, it can significantly
affect yield and quality. Yields in the Mid-South have been reduced by 60
percent where this is present.Brim-DeForest’s study of weedy rice reveals that
it was rediscovered in California in 2006. Historic records show it was present
before 1950, but little was said about it since then.
A 2008 survey of rice in the
Sacramento Valley turned up three fields with it. Then the Rice Research Board
and CRC set up a task force to look into the issue, but it quickly “fell off
the radar” of those in the rice industry, she said.
Though some pest control advisers
were starting to see something and were bringing samples into the Rice
Experiment Station in Richvale, Calif., Brim-DeForest says there was no
official mechanism to track weedy rice until years later when it was beginning
to show up as a more widespread problem.
Rice mills surveyed by UC said
they’d seen it “for years,” she said, but reported some confusion in
identifying it because there are red-colored rice bran varieties that the
industry purposefully grows for certain markets.“A lot of folks thought it was
just contamination from colored rice,” Brim-DeForest said.
Identification and treatment
In cooperation with UC, the CRC
produced a website at http://caweedyrice.com/ to help growers and PCAs identify
the problem and understand what to do if growers think it might be in their
fields. Growers can subscribe on the website for e-mail updates.UC has now
established a set of best management practices for weedy rice, which propagates
itself by shattering easily and leaving seed on the soil. According to
Brim-DeForest, this seed can lay dormant for many years before germinating.
Weedy rice is easiest to identify
at the heading stage, though it is possible to identify before that. UC rice
advisors can help in this identification. The weedy rice website can also be
helpful.
Because weedy rice shatters
easily, Brim-DeForest does not recommend growers or PCAs pull samples
themselves and transport them for identification. Contact the farm advisor’s
office to get instructions on how to have it identified.
Though it’s not easy, weedy rice
can be controlled, according to Luis Espino, UC rice farming systems advisor
for Colusa, Glenn and Yolo counties.
Espino is working with growers to
do just that. One grower he continues to work with fallowed a 15-acre check in
his field for two seasons while employing practices recommended by university
researchers.In this case, the grower fallowed the check, did minimal ground
work including running a disc and roller on the field before flushing the field
with irrigation water to germinate weeds, including the weedy rice.
With the weeds germinated, the
grower applied glyphosate to the fallowed field in two separate applications.
Though glyphosate is not a registered product for use in rice, Espino says its
use on fallowed rice ground is permitted.
Glyphosate was applied over two
seasons to the fallowed field, killing many of the weeds present.After two
seasons, the grower replanted the field in rice. When the rice began to head,
he hand-rogued the remaining weedy rice in the field. This appears to have had
a positive impact on the grower’s weed pressure, Espino says.
Burning rice fields after harvest
has not proven successful, though Brim-DeForest thinks a sufficiently hot fire
could have an impact. Because of current air district rules and the spotty
effects of rice stubble burning with respect to weedy rice seed, Espino says UC
does not recommend burning as a control or treatment method.The UC will host
meetings later in the growing season to update growers on weedy rice.
Growers in Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yuba and Butte counties
who suspect weedy rice in fields can contact Brim-DeForest at (530) 822-7515.
Growers in Colusa, Glenn and Yolo counties should contact Espino at (530) 458-0570.
Those in San Joaquin County can call Michelle Leinfelder-Miles at (209)
953-6120
http://www.westernfarmpress.com/rice/weedy-rice-growing-problem-california-farmers
Oil, Rice, Chabahar: India-Iran
trade issues demystified
Economically
tied with high volume trade in crude oil and politically tied with similar
interests for stability in the Middle East, especially Afghanistan, India and
Iran have traversed a long and tumultuous journey to maintain a healthy trade
relationship. In an interview with Hon. Consul General, Hassan Nourian (HN),
Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hyderabad; The Dollar
Business (TDB) explores current issues in the India-Iran bilateral
relationship. Speaking about diverse areas from the ambiguity in payment
settlement mechanisms to problems in basmati rice exports, the diplomat lucidly
explains the dynamics in India-Iran relations.
India-Iran
payments settlement issues
To
ensure smooth trade relations between India and Iran regardless of a series of
international and American sanctions imposed against the middle-eastern nation,
a rupee denominated payment mechanism was in place for years. When economic
sanctions were lifted in 2015, Iran’s preference towards the use of more
convertible currencies like Euro for cross-border trade left its rupee account
depleted. The expiration of this long-running payment system caused some stress
in trade relations between the two countries.
TDB:
How are the unresolved issues in payments settlement between India and Iran
being dealt with?
HN: The
JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) opened banking routes for Iran, and
caused the old payment mechanism to become defunct. Opening up of SWIFT (a
secure exchange network for inter-bank transactions) to Iranian banks has
supplemented current payment methods. Minor issues still exist between Iran and
India, which are in the process of being resolved.
Some of
the Iranian banks have submitted proposals to the RBI asking for permits to
open branches in India, particularly Parsian and Pasargad. Opening up of
branches in India will go a long way in introducing ease in business between
the two countries.
TDB:
Iran seems apprehensive in the use of dollar for foreign trade. Which currency
is being used currently?
HN:
There are different categories of sanctions, some imposed internationally and
others specifically by the government of USA. The newly imposed international
sanctions have been lifted recently by the United Nations Security Council, but
the old American sanctions are not among these international sanctions.
The
government of Iran is interested in diversifying its use of various currencies
for foreign trade. With many countries, transactions are made in their
respective currency, for instance, Yuan with China and Euro with the EU.
Chabahar
Port – India’s key to Central Asia
Within
a few months of the nuclear deal, India made significant headway in furthering
India-Iran partnership by extending support in the development of Chabahar
port. The transport-and-trade corridor project meant to connect the two nations
via Afghanistan is said to halve the costs and time of India’s reach to Europe
and Central Asia for trade purposes. The move is likely to help India bypass
Pakistan (creating an unencumbered trade route to territories beyond the
troubling neighbour) and counter China’s growing influence in Central Asia.
TDB:
What is the strategic significance of Chabahar port for India and Iran?
HN: India,
Iran and Afghanistan signed a tripartite agreement last year, during the visit
of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Tehran, to develop the Chabahar port into a
transit hub. India has committed to a $ 500 million investment for the same.
Until
1947, Iran and India were neighbouring countries. Since the separation of
Pakistan, India has not had a direct trade route connecting it with Central
Asia and Afghanistan. Easy trade access to Central Asia is the prime strategic
reason behind India’s investment in Chabahar port.
Chabahar
is not only an economically beneficial area but also an important strategic
area. Through investments from countries like India, Iran hopes to bring about
the development of many undeveloped villages and cities in the Chabahar region.
TDB:
What is India’s role in bringing stability to Central Asia, weighed down by
terrorism and extremism?
HN: Our
region is suffering from problems of extremism. Afghanistan, due to an unstable
and weak government is a breeding ground for terrorist groups to emerge and
grow. Poverty and a weak economy are the root causes for the emergence of
extremism.
Empowering
business environment and economy in these regions can help secure the region
from growing terrorism, and that is why investment in the Eastern part of Iran
(Chabahar), which will provide a direct link to Afghanistan and Pakistan, may
help empower small groups of people with productive tools of education and
business, cutting off their ties to extremist ideologies. Japan and China have
also expressed interest in investing in the Chabahar region.
India-Iran
trade in Basmati Rice
The
last few months of 2016 saw Indian basmati rice exporters fret over multiple
import barriers and price restrictions imposed by Iran, one of India’s largest
export destinations for basmati rice. A total quantity of 4.05 million tonnes
exported in 2015-16 is expected to drop to 3.8 million tonnes in 2016-17 due to
a drop in the quantity imported by Iran.
“The
India-Iran basmati rice issue is a technical one, not a political one,” the
Consul General said, taking cognizance of India’s basmati rice export concerns.
TDB:
What are the supply-demand statistics of basmati rice in Iran?
HN: The
per capita consumption of basmati rice in Iran currently stands at 37kg – 40kg
annually, or 104 g per day. While Iran’s annual production of basmati rice
averages 1.8 million – 2 million tonnes, the consumption is around 3 million
tonnes. To fill in for this deficit between demand and supply, Iran imports
rice to the tune of 1 million tonne every year, mostly from India.
TDB:
What is India’s share in Iran’s total import of basmati rice?
HN: The
quality of Indian Basmati rice (1121 is Iran’s preferred kind of basmati rice)
is ideal and suitable for Iranian consumption. As much as 700,000 tonnes of the
Iranian annual basmati rice imports is sourced from India. Pakistan, Thailand,
Vietnam and other European and Latin American countries account for the
remaining 30% imports.
Many
other countries are competing for India’s massive share in the pie. India must
keep its prices competitive to secure its edge.
TDB:
Why has the Rice Importer’s Association in Iran capped import prices at $
850/tonne?
HN: A
price hike of 50% in October 2016 caused Indian exporters to demand high prices
($ 950/tonne) for their produce. This compromised affordability for the Iranian
citizen.
Iran
has off-late cut down import tariffs on rice from 40% to 26%, to boost
affordability. With the same objective, the Iranian Government recommends a
price cap of $ 850/tonne for rice imports.
TDB:
Why does Iran temporarily ban rice imports for a few months every year?
HN:
Iran imposes import restrictions not only on rice but on all agricultural
products during their respective domestic harvest season. Averaging 3-4 months,
the temporary barring of imports is a policy common to all of Iran’s
agricultural produce.
TDB:
What are some other concerns regarding basmati rice trade between India and
Iran apart from prices and temporary import restrictions?
HN:
India’s negligence in meeting quality standards raised a few red flags at
Iran’s Health Ministry. Instances of some Indian samples being laced with
arsenic had aroused some quality concerns.
To
override the triple hurdles of quality, price hike and seasonal import
restrictions, a trade delegation from India had visited Iran in January 2017.
During the high-profile visit, India invited Iran for laboratory visits to
perform quality checks.
India-Iran
trade beyond crude
Iran is
the third-largest exporter of crude oil to India after Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
Consistent oil trade over the years has also contributed significantly to
friendly India-Iran relations, despite stringent international sanctions on the
economy. In the first 10 months of the fiscal year 2016-17, India imported
crude worth $ 6.8 billion from Iran, making up for about 12% of India’s total
crude import during the same period.
TDB:
What impact will the oil price rise (due to the OPEC deal) have on India-Iran
trade?
HN:
India, being a fast-developing nation, has a very high demand for energy
(India’s crude oil imports grew 7.6% in quantity from 2014-15 to 2015-16).
Complementing this need, Iran is the most stable and resourceful country in the
region for India to import oil reliably from.
Due to
a drop in global prices of oil, the India-Iran trade volume dropped from $ 13
billion in 2015 to $ 9 billion in 2016, despite an increase in the volume of
oil imports by India from Iran. We do not wish for our economy to rely
excessively on oil exports. With this objective, Iran has adopted the policy of
a resistance economy.
TDB:
India-Iran trade is mostly confined to crude oil. What are some other areas of
focus for increasing bilateral trade between the two nations?
HN:
More than 70% of the India-Iran trade is currently in crude oil. Rice, dal and other
edibles make up for most of the remaining trade volume. Iran would like to go
beyond this traditional trade relationship and engage with India in advanced
sectors like IT, aerospace, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
Hyderabad
has immense potential for both industries, pharma and IT. About 70% of India’s
manufacturing capacity in pharmaceuticals is housed in Hyderabad. In fact,
Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore are three of the Southern IT hubs which fall
under our jurisdiction.
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- JUN 08, 2017
Reuters | Jun 8, 2017, 01.30 PM IST
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices - APMC/Open Market-June 8 Nagpur, June 8
(Reuters) - Gram and tuar prices shot up again in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) auction on good buying support from local
millers amid weak supply from producing belts. Weak supply in other mandi
because of farmers strike and enquiries from South-based millers also boosted
prices. About 1,050 of gram and 1,100 bags of tuar were available for auctions,
according to sources. FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Desi gram recovered in
open market here on good seasonal demand from local traders amid tight supply
from producing regions. TUAR * Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market here
but demand was poor. * Batri dal showed weak tendency in open market on poor demand from
local traders amid good supply from producing belts. * In Akola, Tuar New - 3,900-4,100, Tuar dal
(clean) - 5,400-5,600, Udid Mogar (clean) - 8,200-9,200, Moong Mogar (clean) 6,800-7,200, Gram -
5,400-5,500, 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 APMCauction/open-market
prices in rupees for 100 kg FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close Gram
Auction 4,500-5,460 4,400-5,200 Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction 3,500-4,125 3,400-4,000 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 1,500-1,630 1,500-1,624 Gram Super Best
Bold 7,500-8,000 7,500-8,000 Gram Super Best n.a. n.a. Gram Medium Best
6,700-7,000 6,700-7,000 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a Gram Mill Quality 5,100-5,200
5,100-5,200 Desi gram Raw 5,800-6,000 5,750-5,950 Gram Yellow 7,200-7,500
7,200-7,500 Gram Kabuli 12,300-13,400 12,300-13,400 Tuar Fataka Best-New 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000 Tuar Fataka Medium-New 5,400-5,600 5,400-5,600 Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 5,200-5,500
5,200-5,500 Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000 Tuar Gavarani New
3,850-3,950 3,850-3,950 Tuar Karnataka 4,050-4,200 4,050-4,200 Masoor dal best 5,200-5,500 5,200-5,500
Masoor dal medium 4,600-5,000 4,600-5,000 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 8,500-9,500 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,000-8,000 7,000-8,000
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,200-5,500 5,200-5,500 Batri dal (100 INR/KG)
5,100-5,400 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.
39.6 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 27.6 degree Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST:
Generally cloudy sky with one or two spells or rains or thunder-showers likely.
Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 41 and 27 degree Celsius
respectively. Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded
from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices)
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-
January 09, 2017
Nagpur Soybean, Soyoil, Soymeal Open-January 9 Nagpur, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Linseed oil in non-edible section and coconut KP oil today recovered in Vidarbha region of Western Maharashtra on increased seasonal demand from local traders amid weak supply from producing regions. Fresh rise in overseas oil affected trading activity in major edible oils as traders adopted wait and watch move, sources said Monday.
*****
VIDARBHA MARKETS OILS
* Soyabean, cottonseed, groundnut loose, groundnut refined,
sunflower refined,
rapeseed and castor oils ruled steady here in thin trading
activity.
* Traders expect nearly steady trend in major edible oils here.
SOYMEAL
* Soymeal prices today ruled steady here but demand was poor in
weak trading activity.
SOYABEAN
* Soyabean prices declined in Nagpur Agriculture Produce
Marketing
Committee (APMC) auctions on poor demand from local crushing
plants
amid high moisture content arrival. No taker to soyabean oil
& soymeal, easy
condition on NCDEX and downward trend in Madhya Pradesh soyabean
prices also
affected morale of crushing plants.
About 1,000 soyabean bags reported for auction here, according
to
sources.
Nagpur soybean prices in rupees/tonne:
-----Soybean yellow-----
Soybean black
Available
Previous
Auction price
(Auction price)
Market delivery
25,000-27,700
25,800-28,900
--
(Available price)
Market delivery
25,100-27,800
25,900-29,000
--
(Traders price)
Plant delivery
29,000-30,300
29,300-30,500
--
Soybean yellow arrivals (in 90-kg bags) and prices (in rupees
per tonne) in Vidarbha, according to officials of Agriculture Produce Marketing
Committee and trade sources.
Deliveries
Available prices
Hinganghat
n.a.
n.a.
Akola
400
25,000-27,300
Amravati
n.a.
n.a.
Khamgaon
n.a.
n.a.
Wardha
n.a.
n.a.
Arvi
n.a.
n.a.
Umred
n.a.
n.a.
Chandrapur
n.a.
n.a
Soyabean plant prices at other places in Maharashtra : Adilabad
- n.a.,
Akola -29,700, Washim - 29,200, Dhulia - 29,600, Hingoli -
29,300,
Jalna - 29,300, Koosnoor - 30,300, Malkapur - 29,600, Latur -
29,500,
Nanded - 28,800, Solapur - 30,000, Sangli - 30,200.
Sunflower arrivals (in 50-kg bag), Rapeseed (in 40 Kg bag),
groundnut and Dhaniya arrivals (in 40 kg bag), linseed arrival (90 kg bag),
Dhan arrival (75 kg bag), cotton (100 kg) and prices (in rupees per 100
kilogram) in Nagpur, according to APMC sources:
Deliveries
Available prices
Previous close
Sunflower
n.a.
n.a.
2,400-2,600
Groundnut
n.a.
n.a.
700-900
Linseed
n.a.
n.a.
4,200-4,600
Castor
n.a.
n.a.
3,000-3,200
Rapeseed
n.a.
n.a.
1,520-1,625
Til
n.a.
n.a.
7,500-8,000
Dhaniya
n.a.
n.a.
6,500-7,000
Bajra
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
Gavarani Corn
n.a.
1,200-1,315
1,250-1,400
Dhan
10
1,600-1,964
1,700-1,980
Cotton
154
5,325-5,425
5,300-5,450
Oil prices in rupees per 10 kilograms:
NAGPUR
Monday open Previous close
Soyoil refined crushing plant delivery
754
754
Soyoil solvent crushing plant delivery
714
714
Cottonseed refined
750
750
Cottonseed solvent
730
730
Groundnut oil (loose)
1,060
1,060
Groundnut oil refined (15 Litre)
1,740
1,740
Sunflower oil refined
1,010
1,010
Linseed oil
1,020
1,010
Rapeseed oil (for 15 kg)
1,430
1,430
Castor oil (for 15 kg)
1,280
1,280
Coconut KP oil (for 15 kg)
1,900
1,880
AMRAVATI
Soyoil refined
753
753
Soyoil Solvent
713
713
Cottonseed refined
750
750
Cottonseed solvent
730
730
AKOLA
Soyoil refined
753
753
Soyoil Solvent
713
713
Cottonseed refined oil
750
750
Cottonseed solvent
730
730
DHULIA
Soyoil refined
760
760
AURANGABAD
Soyoil refined
759
759
JALNA
Soyoil refined
760
760
NANDED
Soyoil refined
760
760
Soyoil refined prices at other places in Maharashtra : Adilabad
- 759,
Baramati - 762, Chalisgaon - 760, Pachora - 761, Parbhani - 761,
Koosnoor - 762, Solapur - 760, Supa - 758, Sangli - 760.
Nagpur soymeal prices in rupees per tonne
Monday's open
Previous Close
Soymeal (Nagpur)
23,600-24,100
23,600-24,100
Soymeal prices at other places in Maharashtra : Adilabad -
24,200
Akola - 23,800, Washim - 23,700, Dhulia - 24,200, Hingoli -
23,900,
Jalna - 23,500, Nandurbar - 24,100, Khamgaon - 23,500, Latur -
23,900,
Nanded - 23,600, Parbhani - 23,500, Solapur - 24,200, Supa -
n.a.,
Dharwad - 24,000, Sangli - 24,500 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp.
29.0 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 14.3 degree Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST:
Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 29 and 13
degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport
costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)
Showers bring cheer to paddy growers
Kids enjoy the pleasant weather at Atal Park on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Ravi Kumar
Parveen Arora
Tribune
News Service
Karnal,
June 7
The
nearly two-hour-long rain spell in the district this morning has brought cheer
on the faces of paddy farmers as well as residents as the mercury dipped by 7
degree Celsius, giving the much-needed relief from the scorching heat. As per the information, the maximum temperature was recorded at 37
degree Celsius today, while it was 44 degree Celsius yesterday.
There
is a possibility of light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm in coming two
to three days in the district, say experts.Experts said the rain would prove to
be a boon for the farmers. “The rain will be very beneficial for the farmers as
they have started paddy cultivation,” said Pardeep Meel, Deputy Director,
Agriculture.
“We
have fixed a target of paddy cultivation on nearly 1.72 lakh hectares of land
and nearly 200 hectares have already been covered. After this rain, the
cultivation process will get momentum,” he said.“I have sown paddy, but was
worried due to high temperature as it could hamper my crop. With this rainfall,
I am hopeful that the field will retain some water,” said Karam Singh, a farmer
from Majra Roran village.
Similarly,
the residents of the district who had been facing frequent electricity cuts
also got respite.“The rainfall has lowered the temperature and provided the
much-needed relief from heat wave,” said Rishab Gupta, a resident of the city.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/showers-bring-cheer-to-paddy-growers/418999.html
Thailand
Sells 1.66 Million T of Rice From State Stockpiles
Bangkok. Thailand sold 1.66 million
tonnes of rice worth $49 million from state stockpiles on Wednesday (07/06),
the commerce ministry said.
The amount sold accounted for 90 percent of the amount open for
auction last month.Thailand is the world's second-biggest rice exporter after
India, and still has stocks of about 3 million tonnes left over from the
previous government's rice-buying scheme, which paid farmers well above market
rates.The current military government has been trying to sell off stockpiles
from the scheme through several state auctions since it took power in 2014.
It said it will be able to offload the remaining stock,
including 160,000 tonnes of rice and 2.7 million tonnes of spoiled rice, by
year-end.Thailand officially aims to export 9.5 million tonnes of rice this
year, but the commerce ministry said 10 million tonnes was also achievable.
http://jakartaglobe.id/international/thailand-sells-1-66-million-t-rice-state-stockpiles/
Mekong Delta’s winter-spring rice output falls
Thursday,
06/08/2017, 16:29
The
Mekong Delta region has completed harvesting this year’s winter-spring rice
crop, with the total output reaching 9.62 million tonnes, down 361,000 tonnes
as compared to the same crop last year.According to the Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development, diseases and unfavourable weather were blamed for the
drop in the rice output.The strongest falls were seen in Dong Thap province
(166,000 tonnes), Long An (96,500 tonnes), Can Tho city (59,100 tonnes), and
Kien Giang (50,000 tonnes).
The
prices of rice in the region also dropped slightly in May, ranging between
VND4,400 – 6,300 per kilogramme depending on rice types because the crop’s rice
was not qualified enough for export due to late sowing.
Besides,
several rice import markets face difficulties. The stock levels at processing
and export enterprises remain high
http://english.vov.vn/economy/mekong-deltas-winterspring-rice-output-falls-351235.vov
Vietnam's
top export products in five months
Wood
and timber products, rice, coffee, cashew nuts and vegetables and fruits, each
with a value of more than US$1 billion, are top export products in the first five
months of this year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development.
|
Wood and timber product exports
are estimated at US$2.9 billion in the first five months of this year, up
9.9% against the corresponding period last year.
Seafood exports reached US$618
million in May, bringing the total export revenue in five months to US$2.8
billion, up 10.4%.
Vietnam exported 105,000 tons of coffee in May to get US$233 million, bringing the total export quantity to 693,000 tons valuing at US$1.57 billion in five months, down 15.9% in volume but up 11% in value.
Vegetable and fruit exports hit
US$344 million in May and US$1.38 billion in five months, up 38%.
Vietnam shipped 112,000 tons of
cashew nut in five months to earn US$1.1 billion, down 9.5% in volume and up
12.8% in value.
Rice exports reached 538,000
tons with a value of US$245 million in May, bringing the total rice exports
in five months to 2.3 million tons valuing US$1 billion, up 1.6% in volume
and 1.2% in value
|
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/179877/vietnam-s-top-export-products-in-five-months.html
Asia Rice-Thai
prices hit near 4-year high on strong demand from importing countries
* Vietnamese prices hit highest
in over two years
* Strong demand from Bangladesh,
the Philippines
By Patpicha Tanakasempipat
BANGKOK, June 8 Prices of Thai
rice hit their highest in nearly four years while those of the Vietnamese grain
rose to their strongest in more than two years on strong demand from key
importing countries, traders said on Thursday.Thailand's benchmark 5-percent
broken rice RI-THBKN5-P1 was quoted at $440-$457 a tonne, free-on-board (FOB)
Bangkok, up from $430 last week.
Thai prices have been rising
steadily since March, when traders started loading ships, and reached a level
unseen since August 2013 this week."Ships are still arriving and exporters
are buying supply to fulfil shipments," said a trader in Bangkok.Exporters
are now buying the grain at much higher prices than when deals were struck,
while some have shied away from fresh deals, he added.Thailand has exported
5.09 million tonnes of rice so far this year, up 15.7 percent from the same
period last year, the government said on Wednesday.
In Vietnam, the 5-percent broken
rice RI-VNBKN5-P1 was quoted at $395-$400 a tonne, FOB Saigon, up from $390
last week, and the highest level since November 2014.Prices are expected to
rise further in Thailand and Vietnam, the world's second and third biggest rice
exporters, traders said, given that demand from key importers of the grain has
been strong this year.Bangladesh is set to import 250,000 tonnes of rice from
Vietnam in a government-to-government deal, as part of an effort to build
reserves, which are at 10-year lows, and rein in record-high local prices after
flash floods hit output."The deal is likely to be finalised by next
week," Ataur Rahman, additional secretary at Bangladesh's food ministry,
told Reuters.
As a result, Vietnamese traders
are holding onto stocks to sell later at higher prices."Most private
traders and farmers are still holding grains for higher prices," said a
trader based in Ho Chi Minh City.Bangladesh also plans to increase rice imports
from Vietnam to 500,000 tonnes by end-2017 and to buy 1 million tonnes of
Vietnamese rice annually until 2022.It is also in talks with Thailand and
India.The Philippines has also said it would issue a tender next month to
import 250,000 tonnes of the grain from Thailand and Vietnam, and possibly also
India.
In India, the world's biggest
rice exporter, prices of 5-percent broken parboiled rice RI-INBKN5-P1 climbed
by $2 per tonne to $415-$418, as demand from overseas buyers rose."In the
last few weeks demand has risen from African buyers. The quick rise is
prompting many buyers to increase purchases," said an exporter based at
Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.At current levels, exports are
competitive despite an appreciation in the rupee, he added.
The rupee has risen nearly 5
percent so far in 2017 and trading near its highest level in 21 months. A
stronger rupee trims returns of exporters.India's non-basmati rice exports in
April fell 18.5 percent from a year ago to 475,050 tonnes due to a stronger
rupee. (Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat in BANGKOK, My Pham in HANOI,
Rajendra Jadhav in MUMBAI, and Ruma Paul in DHAKA; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
http://in.reuters.com/article/asia-rice-idINL3N1J53N6
New export markets boost rice sales
Submitted
by Eleven on Thu, 06/08/2017 - 22:42
Writer:
Sithu Aung
Muse
border trade camp, where most rice is exported to China (Photo-Tun Nay Hlaing)
New
international rice export markets mean earnings have tripled to US$117 million
so far this financial year until May 26, compared with last year, according to
Ministry of Commerce.About 400,000 tonnes of rice have been exported by May 26,
a 348-per-cent increase from the same period last year.
Last
year, Myanmar earned only US$40.5 million from the export of rice and broken
rice, about US$77 million less than this year.“Although international rice
prices are low, exports of rice have increased. Last year, we could export to
only 14 countries but now we have extended it to 30 countries. We gained a
greater market share and, at the same time, more rice can be exported this
year. From border trade, nearly US$40 million more was earned than in previous
years. Previously the main route was Muse but we have other routes such as
Lweje, Chin Shwe Haw and Kanpaiktee now. We increased sales to Bangladesh from
the Maungdaw and Sittwe camps,” said an anonymous official from the Trade
Department.
Dr Than
Myint, minister for commerce, said: “The government and the private sector
looked for new markets to export agricultural products. We have good prospects
to increase our export to many countries."In 2015-16, exports of rice and
broken rice were worth US$526 million with 1,493 tonnes, in 2016-17 it was
US$553 million from 1,750 tonnes.
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