Poor rate of Basmati reduces
cultivating area to half
Scientists
say that due to decrease in Basmati cultivation, the area under paddy rice
(Parimal varieties) has increased automatically which is bad news for Punjab
where 102 out of 141 agricultural blocks have already gone dry. This year,
29.26 lakh hectares were dedicated to rice cultivation in the state out of
which close to 24.75 lakh hectares is under paddy (Parimal varieties) and
nearly 4.5 lakh hectares under Basmati. Though Basmati is considered to be a
major alternative to diverting area from paddy, the area is decreasing under
it. In 2014, the area under Basmati was 8.61 lakh hectares before it went down
to 7.63 lakh hectares in 2015 and then again to 4.96 lakh hectares in 2016.
“We
could not go for Basmati due to downfall in the rates of the crop in the last
three to four seasons as Basmati, which fetched around Rs 4,000-5,000 per
quintal in 2013, the rate of the crop went down to Rs 2,000-3,000 per quintal
in 2014, Rs 1,100-1,800 in 2015 and Rs 1,800-2,300 in 2016,” said Jugraj Singh,
a Basmati grower of Madaran village in Jalandhar. Though the rate of Basmati
went up to around Rs 3,600 per quintal this April, farmers had already sold
their crop by then and only traders reaped the benefit, said Satnam Singh, another
farmer of Kapur village.
“Out
of 29.26 lakh hectares area under rice cultivation, around 25 lakh hectares are
under paddy rice which would be a big blow to our ground water as for growing
one kilo paddy, we need at least 4,500 litres of water while half of the water
is required to grow Basmati crop which is short duration and is sown in full
rainy season requiring less groundwater,” said Block AgriculturalDevelopment
Officer, Amrik Singh. G S Mangat, senior rice breeder at Punjab Agricultural
University, Ludhiana, said when the area under paddy is not decreasing, they
are inventing short duration paddy varieties now so that groundwater could be
saved as the new PR-126 variety of paddy takes around 123 days against the
previous rice varieties which took 155-160 days.
Punjab Agriculture Department Director J S
Bains said due to poor rates of the cash crop in the past, farmers now do not
want to take any risk and go for assured crops like paddy instead. More area
under paddy is a cause of concern for underground water but farmers do need a
secure market, he added. Farmers said the government should fix the minimum
support price (MSP) for Basmati so that they can also benefit from the
fluctuation. They said currently there
was no MSP and the rates are fluctuating but small farmers cannot hold the crop
for long by waiting for rates to improve. Punjab needs to bring down its rice
cultivation to nearly 17-18 lakh hectares against 29-30 lakh hectares at
present, said experts.
Choosy Asians
lift Japan’s rice exports to record high
Hong Kong, Singapore lead fan base,
but subsidy policy could hinder growth
Japan still ships out less than 1%
of what the U.S. does. Rice from Akita prefecture.
TOKYO -- Japanese rice exports
climbed 28% on the year to 5,589 tons for the six months ended in June, an
all-time high for the first half, but growth is slowing as often exorbitant
prices drive consumers to cheaper alternatives. The largest share went to Hong
Kong, with shipments up 24% to 1,906 tons, Japanese government data released
Thursday shows. Singapore ranked second at 1,400 tons, a 25% increase.
Exports have grown as Japanese
cuisine has taken off abroad, meeting demand from consumers seeking rice that
is safe and flavorful. Kobe-based Shinmei, the country's largest exporter with
a roughly 30% share, ships around 3,000 tons of rice overseas annually.
Subsidiary Genki Sushi's conveyor-belt sushi restaurants have expanded into
Hong Kong, and the company's high-end Sen-Ryo sushi chain uses Japanese rice.
Japanese rice can cost nearly three
times as much as locally grown rice in China.
Agricultural
cooperative JA Minaho teamed with Shinmei to begin exporting to China this
year. Wholesaler Kitoku Shinryo's rice shipments to China grew 10% on the year
to 690 tons in the first half. The National Federation of Agricultural
Cooperative Associations, better known as Zen-Noh, aims to lift rice exports by
around 60% to 4.5 billion yen ($41.1 million) between this fiscal year and
fiscal 2019. But growth this year trails last year's 51% rise as farmers
shifted their focus to rice for animal feed. And with domestic prices climbing,
it has become tougher to secure rice to send abroad, according to Kitoku Shinryo.
The
Japanese government lumps rice for export and for animal feed together in the
same category. But it subsidizes only the latter, since World Trade
Organization rules forbid direct export subsidies. This money, which can reach
as much as 105,000 yen per tenth of a hectare, has spurred many rice farmers to
prioritize fodder. Another issue is that Japanese rice is pricier than that
grown elsewhere, owing to higher production costs on top of shipping expenses
and fees paid to local wholesalers.
At
one Chinese supermarket, a 2kg bag of locally grown rice is priced at 54 yuan
($8.12), while the same quantity of Koshihikari rice from Japan's Toyama
Prefecture costs nearly three times as much at 148 yuan. Even with rice exports
hitting a record high, Japan still ships out less than 1% of what the U.S.
does. Shinmei President Mitsuo Fujio said "10,000 tons a year is a very
small amount," echoing a common lament in the market. Competing
effectively with major rice exporters such as Thailand and India will require
bringing prices down by cutting production costs.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Japan-Update/Choosy-Asians-lift-Japan-s-rice-exports-to-record-high
Rice basmati
strengthens on rising demand
Rice basmati prices advanced by up to Rs 200 per quintal at the
wholesale grains market today on increased demand from stockists. However,
barley slipped on reduced offtake by consuming industries. Traders said
increased demand from stockists against restricted supplies from producing
belts mainly kept rice basmati prices higher. In the national capital, rice
basmati common and Pusa-1121 variety strengthened to Rs 6,300-6,400 and Rs
4,950-5,025 from previous levels of Rs 6,200-6,300 and Rs 4,800-4,825 per
quintal, respectively. On the other hand, barley fell by Rs 25 to Rs 1,450-
1,460 per quintal. Following are today's quotations (in Rs per quintal): Wheat
MP (desi) Rs 2,100-2,350, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,780-1,785, Chakki atta
(delivery) Rs 1,785-1,790, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 260-300, Shakti Bhog (10
kg) Rs 255-290, Roller flour mill Rs 970-980 (50 kg), Maida Rs 1,010-1,020 (50
kg)and Sooji Rs 1,040-1,045 (50 kg). Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs 10,700, Shri
Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati Rice Rs 9,800, Basmati common new Rs
6,300-6,400, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 4,950-5,025, Permal raw Rs 2,150-2,175, Permal
wand Rs 2,200-2,225, Sela Rs 2,300-2,400 and Rice IR-8 Rs 1,825-1,850, Bajra Rs
1,170-1,175, Jowar yellow Rs 1,400-1,450, white Rs 2,800-2,900, Maize Rs
1,310-1,320, Barley Rs 1,450-1,460.
Bangladesh inks
1m-tonne Thai rice deal, backs FTA
DHAKA:
Bangladesh has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to buy 1 million
tonnes of Thai rice a year, and agreed to start talks with Thailand on forming
a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA),...
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Green revolution poised to boost
agriculture production in Pakistan
Lahore
A declining economy and growing food insecurity in the country, Vice President SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Iftikhar Ali Malik has called for Green Revolution since one of the best solutions would be heightened research and investments in the agricultural sector to boost yields.
He also demanded the government to grant interest free agricultural loans on soft terms and conditions to farmers at their doorsteps besides especial relief in water and power consumption.
Iftikhar Ali Malik, who is also Chairman United Business Group and veteran trade leader, has made this observation in context with the 70th Independence Day during his meeting with a delegation of progressive farmers headed by Muzaffar Ali Sial here at his residence on Friday.
He asked farmers to adopt scientific methods to enhance food grain production and reduce imports by using one-fifth of their farming land to cultivate lentils.
Underlining the greater readiness to take the bold steps needed to build a prosperous future of Pakistan he has given the call for “Green Revolution”, in the country “which implies productivity improvement in perpetuity without ecological and social harm.
He said our farmers are still lagging behind in terms of availability of good quality seeds, adequate water, power, availability of proper price and market for their produce. “We need to deal with not only the way the world produces food but the way it is distributed, sold and consumed, and we need a green revolution that can boost yields by working with rather than against nature,” he added.
He noted that over half of the food produced today is lost, wasted or discarded as a result of inefficiency in the human-managed food chain. “Unless we prepare a balanced and a comprehensive integrated plan, we will not be able to change the lives of farmers,” he added. Stressing the urgent need for use of scientific methods for farming to increase productivity, Iftikhar said it was high time that the country goes for green revolution.
He said the import bill of oil, machinery and food rose 21 per cent year-on-year in the first half year of 2016-17 despite drop in global prices.
He said Pakistan can save over $1.2 billion annually by encouraging the domestic edible oil sector. He was of the view that proper farming, production, processing and marketing of oilseeds can not only reduce dependence on imports but also help earn foreign exchange as Pakistan is located in the food deficient region.
Pitching for ‘per drop, more crop’, he stressed the need for research in the field of agriculture to determine the health of soil and its needs in terms of seeds, water quantity, amount of fertilization etc.
He also emphasised on the need to focus on enhancing food grain production by adopting scientific methods. “Research is important in the agriculture sector. And this cannot happen only in one place. We have to see how can we make our agriculture more scientific and increase productivity and solutions are there for these issues,” he added.
He further stated that to achieve the goal of food security by ending hunger and to promote sustainable agriculture, it is important that in the field of social protection as well as the scientific measures needed for achieving food and nutrition security, we should move from the green to an ‘evergreen revolution’ approach. He said that Guard Rice and Research Division headed by former President Lahore Chamber Shahzad Ali Malik in collaboration with Chinese agricultural scientists is engaged in evolving a new one the best another variety of hybrid rice for bumper crops.
Iftikhar Ali Malik said agriculture, nutrition and health should be brought together in terms of design and delivery systems relating to public health and agriculture production. “Anticipatory research for climate change adaptation and mitigation, participatory research for integrating farmers’ wisdom with modern technology and translational research to fill the gap between knowledge and its application are all important for global food security,” he concluded
www.pakistanobserver.com
http://ricenewstoday.com/?p=117970
Huge
potential for Vietnam’s rice exports to Singapore
Singapore (VNA) – There remains considerable potential for Vietnam to export rice to Singapore, according to a Vietnamese delegation which visited Singapore in early August to seek ways to boost the shipment of agricultural products to this country
The delegation included representatives from the Ministry of
Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the
Vietnam Food Association, along with eight leading rice exporting companies.
They had working sessions with relevant agencies of Singapore such as the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), the International Enterprise Singapore (IES) and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) to learn about the management policy, the export-import situation and the transit mechanism for rice in Singapore.
The Vietnamese delegation also met representatives of local biggest retail chains like NTUC Fair Price, Giant and Sheng Siong to set up relations and learn about ways to directly export Vietnamese goods to these supermarkets, instead of via foreign traders.
Le Xuan Minh, a representative of the Vietnam Northern Food Corporation, said they found that Singapore has great potential and demand for Vietnam’s high-quality rice products, especially fragrant rice.
Meanwhile, the Singaporean side also highly evaluated the quality of Vietnamese agricultural products, noting that a large number of Vietnamese goods such as rice, aquatic products, fruits and vegetables are being sold at their supermarkets.
Vietnam is currently the third biggest rice exporter to Singapore, after India and Thailand, with 80,000-90,000 tonnes of rice worth nearly 80 million SGD each year, making up 20 percent of the local rice market.
Lim Hock Leng, Managing Director of Sheng Siong Group Ltd, said his firm has imported rice from Vietnam since 2010. Its supermarkets are also selling other Vietnamese products such as groceries, fruits and vegetables.
The Singaporean market relatively prefers Vietnamese rice, he stressed, adding that the sales of Vietnamese rice at the Sheng Siong markets have been on the rise. Vietnamese rice has competitive prices and high quality, he added.
According to Singaporean officials and business leaders, to export more rice to the country, Vietnam needs to build its own rice brands while ensuring quality and competitive prices.
They also affirmed their willingness to cooperate with the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and Vietnam’s trade office in Singapore to organise Vietnamese goods fairs or weeks at their supermarket chains.-VNA
They had working sessions with relevant agencies of Singapore such as the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), the International Enterprise Singapore (IES) and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) to learn about the management policy, the export-import situation and the transit mechanism for rice in Singapore.
The Vietnamese delegation also met representatives of local biggest retail chains like NTUC Fair Price, Giant and Sheng Siong to set up relations and learn about ways to directly export Vietnamese goods to these supermarkets, instead of via foreign traders.
Le Xuan Minh, a representative of the Vietnam Northern Food Corporation, said they found that Singapore has great potential and demand for Vietnam’s high-quality rice products, especially fragrant rice.
Meanwhile, the Singaporean side also highly evaluated the quality of Vietnamese agricultural products, noting that a large number of Vietnamese goods such as rice, aquatic products, fruits and vegetables are being sold at their supermarkets.
Vietnam is currently the third biggest rice exporter to Singapore, after India and Thailand, with 80,000-90,000 tonnes of rice worth nearly 80 million SGD each year, making up 20 percent of the local rice market.
Lim Hock Leng, Managing Director of Sheng Siong Group Ltd, said his firm has imported rice from Vietnam since 2010. Its supermarkets are also selling other Vietnamese products such as groceries, fruits and vegetables.
The Singaporean market relatively prefers Vietnamese rice, he stressed, adding that the sales of Vietnamese rice at the Sheng Siong markets have been on the rise. Vietnamese rice has competitive prices and high quality, he added.
According to Singaporean officials and business leaders, to export more rice to the country, Vietnam needs to build its own rice brands while ensuring quality and competitive prices.
They also affirmed their willingness to cooperate with the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and Vietnam’s trade office in Singapore to organise Vietnamese goods fairs or weeks at their supermarket chains.-VNA
http://en.vietnamplus.vn/huge-potential-for-vietnams-rice-exports-to-singapore/116217.vnp
U.S. rice group wants drastic market liberalization in
Japan
33 pm, August 11, 2017
Jiji PressCHICAGO (Jiji Press) — U.S. rice
farmer group leader Elizabeth Ward has urged her country’s government to
urgently start negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement with Japan to
win drastic market liberalization measures for rice.
The USA Rice Federation wants to
see far stronger market-opening measures under the proposed FTA both in quality
and quantity than those that the United States won from Japan through
Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, Ward, federation president and chief
executive officer, said in a recent interview.
Under the TPP treaty signed last
year, Japan promised to set a new rice import quota of 70,000 tons per year for
the United States.
Many U.S. farm industry
organizations backed the TPP. But the USA Rice Federation did not clearly say
whether it supported the deal, as the federation was dissatisfied at Japanese
market-opening measures for rice.
U.S. President Donald Trump
withdrew his country from the regional free trade deal earlier this year.
In the interview, Ward said the
federation’s long-term goal is to obtain free access to the Japanese rice
market.
Rice produced in the United
States is low-priced while it satisfies quality and food safety requirements no
different from those in Japan, she added.
http://www.the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003875659
Rice stocks down 14.08%–PSA
AUGUST 10, 2017
The country’s rice inventory as of
July 1 declined by 14.08 percent to 2.347 million metric tons (MMT), from 2.732
MMT recorded a year ago, according to the latest report of the Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA).
Despite the decline in stocks,
the PSA said the total rice inventory during the period is equivalent to the
rice-consumption requirement of Filipinos for 69 days.
“Stocks in the households would
be enough for 29 days, those in commercial warehouses for 35 days and those in
National Food Authority [NFA] depositories for five days,” the PSA said in its
monthly report, titled “Rice and Corn Stocks Inventory July 2017,” published on
Thursday.
Of the rice inventory as of July
1, the PSA added 42.37 percent were with the households, 51.03 percent were in
commercial warehouses and 6.60 percent were in NFA depositories. Almost 70
percent of NFA stocks consisted of imported rice.
PSA data showed that NFA stocks
during the period reached 154,960 metric tons (MT), while commercial warehouses
accounted for 1.198 MMT. Households accounted for 994,830 MT.
“Compared with the previous year,
rice stocks in the NFA depositories dropped by 83.04 percent,” the report read.
“However, stocks in households
and in commercial warehouses grew by 1.47 percent and 42.83, respectively,” it
added.On a monthly basis, rice stocks across all sectors were lower compared to
their levels in June.
The PSA said stocks in the
households were down by 7.84 percent, while stocks held in commercial
warehouses declined7 percent.
Rice stocks in NFA depositories
declined by almost a quarter, or by 24.49 percent, month-on-month.Data from the
PSA showed that the total rice inventory as of July 1 is 8.75 percent lower
than the 2.572 MMT posted in June.The government periodically monitors rice
inventory to determine whether it would need to import the staple to boost
local stocks.
During the period PSA data showed
that total corn-stock inventory tripled to 683,620 MT, from last year’s record
of 215,920 MT. However, the corn-stock inventory as of July 1 was also 30.16
percent lower than the 978,860 MT recorded in June.
The PSA said the bulk of
corn-stock inventory in July, or 89.71 percent, was in commercial warehouses,
while households accounted for 9.48 percent. NFA depositories accounted for
only 0.81 percent.
Corn stocks in commercial
warehouses amounted to 613,270 MT, 64,810 MT in households and 5,540 MT in NFA
warehouses.
“Corn stocks in all sectors
increased compared with their levels the previous year. Stocks in the
households grew by 36.35 percent, in commercial warehouses by 264.97 percent
and in NFA depositories by 1,487.97 percent,” the report read.
“Month-on-month, corn stocks in
the households in commercial warehouses and in NFA depositories decreased by
29.40 percent, 30.37 percent and 12.96 percent, respectively,” it added
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/rice-stocks-down-14-08-psa/
Bangladesh inks 1m-tonne Thai
rice deal, backs FTA
August 11, 2017
Rice at Or Tor Kor market in
Bangkok. Bangladesh wants to import one million tonnes of Thai rice a
year. SEKSAN ROJJANAMETAKUN
DHAKA: Bangladesh has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)
to buy 1 million tonnes of Thai rice a year, and agreed to start talks with
Thailand on forming a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), which would double
trade value to US$2 billion (66.5 billion baht) by 2021.
Speaking at a Thai-Bangladesh
Joint-Trade Committee (JTC) meeting, Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn said
the countries had agreed to hold negotiations that could lead to an FTA within
the next few years.
On the sidelines of the meeting,
Bangladeshi Food Minister Qamrul Islam also signed an MoU with Ms Apiradi for
Bangladesh to buy 1 million tonnes of Thai rice a year in
government-to-government (G-to-G) contracts to secure its food staple.
“Under the MoU, Thailand agrees
to sell rice through a G-to-G deal of up to 1 million tonnes of all kinds of
Thai rice annually to Bangladesh and Thailand is happy to be the supplier to
Bangladesh,” Ms Apiradi said.
However, a deal for Bangladesh to
buy an additional 200,000 tonnes of Thai rice has yet to be sealed as the two
countries are still negotiating a price.
The proposed FTA is likely to
cover a wide range of fields including agriculture, food-processing, fishery,
construction, energy and tourism.
With a population of 160 million,
Bangladesh has had annual GDP growth averaging 6% a year over the past 10
years.
It is Thailand’s third-biggest
trade partner among South Asian countries after India and Pakistan, with annual
two-way trade with Thailand worth US$1 billion last year, up 10.4% from the
previous year.
Thai exports to Bangladesh were
worth around US$940 million. Major exports are plastic pellets, chemical
products, cement, textiles, steel, tapioca products and cosmetics.
Thailand, meanwhile, imported
covered garments, fertiliser and livestock from Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is not only a
potential trade partner, but due to it sharing a boundary with India, it is
also seen as a gateway to the Middle East and African countries
https://mtnvnews.com/bangladesh-inks-1m-tonne-thai-rice-deal-backs-fta/124761/
Price
of rice still high
12:00
AM, August 11, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 12:35 AM, August 11, 2017
Delay in cutting duty unhelpful
The flash floods in March wiped out 90 percent of the Boro crop
resulting in 1 million tonnes of crops. Then we had the fungal outbreak in some
19 districts which did further damage. Now it is August and the government is
about to sign a deal with Cambodia for import of a million tonnes of rice. What
has come as a shock for the market is that private importers have 7,000 tonnes
of rice imported from India waiting on trucks at Hili in Dinajpur and Benapole
in anticipation of a further cut in duty. That decision is still pending as the
National Board of Revenue has not received any such order.
This is not the way to go about business during a market crisis
where the price of coarse rice per kilo has been hovering around Tk45 for the
last two weeks, which is a rise of more than 40 percent. Yes, we understand
that a slew of agreements are in the making with a number of countries, but why
is there so much confusion about slashing of import duty between the ministry
of food and the government? As we are facing a crisis of rice stocks, is it not
prudent to expedite agreement on import duty so that those trucks can get
moving to wholesale markets and citizens can breathe a little easier with some
form of price stabilisation? We urge authorities to decide quickly on the
import tariff because our public granaries are depleting fast
http://www.thedailystar.net/editorial/price-rice-still-high-1446694
Cambodia fixing
strategy to get BD rice order
Published : 11 Aug 2017, 00:52:24
The Cambodian apex rice industry body has been meeting this week to
discuss ways of nailing down a potentially massive deal with Bangladesh, which
earlier this month inked a memorandum of understanding to purchase 1.0 million
tonnes of Cambodian rice over the next five years.
Bangladesh has been shopping around to fill its silos after
devastating floods earlier this year reportedly wiped out a potential 700,000
tonnes of rice under cultivation, leading to a severe food shortage. Its
government has reportedly discussed import deals with Thailand, Vietnam and
India, but has yet to settle on a supplier.
The Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) convened on Tuesday for a
strategy session aimed at clinching Bangladesh's initial order of 250,000
tonnes of rice, according to a report by phnompenhpost.com.
The shipment calls for 200,000 tonnes of white rice and 50,000
tonnes of parboiled rice to be delivered in October.
CRF Vice President Hun Lak said the federation's board and members
discussed whether Cambodia was capable of filling the large order, and if it
could compete on price.
"According to our members, we have sufficient rice to supply
Bangladesh, but we must first see what the terms and prices are," he said
yesterday. "It's too early to make any conclusions on our [offer] price as
we're waiting to see how prices fluctuate on the international market."Lak
said the CRF was working with state-owned rice exporter Green Trade to prepare
the offer price as well as its terms, with Green Trade to take the lead on
firming up a contract with Bangladesh.
Norng Veasna, director of sales and marketing at Nikoline Rice
Mill, said local millers were ready to supply rice to Bangladesh but would need
support - such as reduced electricity tariffs or logistics costs - to lower
their price
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2017/08/11/79515/Cambodia-fixing-strategy-to-get-BD-rice-order
Anand asks officials to expedite rice procurement
THE HANS INDIA | Aug 10,2017 , 08:41 PM IST
Anand asks officials to expedite
rice procurement
Hyderabad: Commissioner for Civil
Supplies C.V. Anand asked officials to take steps to see that 100% of CMR Rice
is procured before August 31. He said till 9th of this month millers submitted
54% of rice and the remaining 46% should be submitted before the deadline. The
Commissioner conducted video conference with Joint Collectors, DCSO’s, District
Managers, FCI, Rice Millers, NIC Representatives to discuss on Rice
Procurement, E-Pos, Deepam and other issues on Thursday.
Anand said, “In last Kharif season, except
from one rice mill in Jagityal, rice millers submitted 99.94% of rice to
government before deadline; the same spirit should be continued by millers in
this Rabi season also. Now millers cannot go with the excuse of shortage of
space in godowns. On the frequent complaints from millers on space shortage in
FCI, several meetings were held with FCI Officials which was taken to the
notice of Central Government and they made available sufficient space in
godowns to store the procured CMR Rice from Millers. But millers have not
submitted rice to the sufficient space to FCI godowns, they should submit
before the deadline. As per the request of state government FCI godowns will be
open on holidays also, officials should see that rice millers also work in
holidays and submit boiled rice in huge quantities.”
This year in Rabi season 37.16 Lakh
Metric Tons of rice was procured through purchasing centers which was given to
millers, for which they have to submit 25.27 Lakh Metric Tons of CMR Rice to
government. Till 9th of August 13.67 LMTs rice has been handed over to FCI,
which is not sufficient, and more speed is required in rice procurement he
said.
The Commissioner said only 16 days
more are left for the deadline and on average daily only 0.20 Lakh Metric Tons
of rice is submitted to godowns. If 70,000 Metric Tons of rice is procured
daily, then only we can achieve the target, officials and millers should take
necessary steps in this view.
In Medchal, Gadwal, Nagarkurnool,
Mahaboobnagar, Nalgonda, Kothagudem, Khammam districts rice procurement is
going on in full pace. But in Nirmal, Manchiryal, Kamareddy, Medak, Sangareddy
and Peddapally districts, the procurement is slow. Anand said ration dealers
should be supplied rice without shortage. “Action will be taken against godown
incharge and District Managers for any deficiencies. Establishing of weigh
bridges at godowns is in process. Till then, alternate weigh bridges should be
used by paying them rent. Shortage upto 2 to 3 Kgs of rice per quintal is being
reported from ration dealers. This should not be repeated,” the Commissioner
said
http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Telangana/2017-08-10/Anand-asks-officials-to-expedite-rice-procurement/318113
Firm conditions prevail at wholesale grains
market
PTI | Jul 6, 2017, 02.52 PM IST
New Delhi, Jul 6 () Firm
conditions prevailed at the wholesale grains market today as prices of rice
basmati and wheat spurted by up to Rs 200 per quintal on increased offtake.
A few other bold grains also
increased on pick up in demand from consuming industries.
Traders said increased offtake
against tight stocks positions on fall in supplies from producing regions
mainly pushed up rice basmati and wheat prices.
In the national capital, rice
basmati common and Pusa- 1121 variety edged up to Rs 5,700-5,800 and Rs
6,800-7,100 from previous levels of Rs 5,600-5,700 and Rs 6,600-6,900 per
quintal, respectively.
Wheat dara (for mills) also rose
by Rs 15 to Rs 1,740- 1,745 per quintal. Atta chakki delivery followed suit and traded higher by
Rs 20 to Rs 1,750-1,755 per 90 kg.
Other bold grains like bajra and
barley too went up by Rs 20 each to Rs 1,120-1,130 and Rs 1,420-1,440 per
quintal, respectively.
Following are today's quotations
(in Rs per quintal):
Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,100-2,345,
Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,740-1,745, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,750-1,755,
Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 255-290, Shakti Bhog (10
kg) Rs 255-290, Roller flour mill Rs 950-960 (50 kg), Maida Rs 960-970
(50 kg) and Sooji Rs 1,020-1,030 (50 kg).
Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs 10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati Rice
Rs 9,800, Basmati common new Rs 6,800-7,100, Rice Pusa (1121)
Rs 5,700-5,800, Permal raw Rs 2,225-2,250, Permal wand Rs 2,275-2,300, Sela Rs
2,500-2,600 and Rice IR-8 Rs 1,850-1,900, Bajra Rs 1,120-1,130, Jowar yellow Rs
1,450-1,500, white Rs 2,900-3,100, Maize Rs 1,285-1,295, Barley Rs 1,420-1,440.
SUN KPS SRK
Row rice could help Sullivans, others improve rice production efficiency
Father-son team finding furrow-irrigated rice can pay dividends
when Mother Nature serves up lemons.
Management Research Unit at
Arkansas State University have taught him and his son, Ryan, they don’t have to
keep water pumped to the levee gates to grow rice successfully.
That goes against everything Mike
was taught when he first started growing rice in the 1980s. But new practices
such as multiple-inlet rice irrigation, alternating wetting and drying and now
furrow-irrigated or row rice are helping them and other growers save on water
and pumping costs.
Sullivan told farmers attending
the Mississippi County Water Management meeting Tuesday (Aug. 8) that planting
into a lightly-tilled bed, rolling out polypipe and watering the row rice up
proved beneficial in what proved to be a challenging year for pulling
conventional levees in their rice.
http://www.deltafarmpress.com/rice/row-rice-could-help-sullivans-others-improve-rice-production-efficiency
U.S. rice group wants drastic market
liberalization in Japan
Jiji PressCHICAGO (Jiji Press) — U.S. rice farmer group leader Elizabeth
Ward has urged her country’s government to urgently start negotiations on a
bilateral free trade agreement with Japan to win drastic market liberalization
measures for rice.
The USA Rice Federation wants to
see far stronger market-opening measures under the proposed FTA both in quality
and quantity than those that the United States won from Japan through
Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, Ward, federation president and chief
executive officer, said in a recent interview.
Under the TPP treaty signed last
year, Japan promised to set a new rice import quota of 70,000 tons per year for
the United States.
Many U.S. farm industry
organizations backed the TPP. But the USA Rice Federation did not clearly say
whether it supported the deal, as the federation was dissatisfied at Japanese
market-opening measures for rice.
U.S. President Donald Trump
withdrew his country from the regional free trade deal earlier this year.
In the interview, Ward said the federation’s
long-term goal is to obtain free access to the Japanese rice market.
Rice produced in the United
States is low-priced while it satisfies quality and food safety requirements no
different from those in Japan, she added
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/aug/11/in-delta-governor-calms-on-nafta-201708/?f=business
Missouri Rice Field Day to Offer Growers Updates on
Markets, Crop Management, Global Testing
Rice — including market acceptance, varieties for this region, and
research and production in southeast Missouri — will be the focus at the
Missouri Rice Research and Merchandising Council’s Annual Rice Field Day Aug.
24 at the Missouri Rice Research Farm in Glennonville, Missouri.Anyone with an
interest in rice production is invited to this free event. The farm is located
about 10 miles west of Malden, Missouri, on Highway J in northern Dunklin
County.
The day begins with registration at 7:30 a.m. Trailers will
load at 8 a.m., with presentation tours scheduled for 8:30-11:30 a.m. Lunch
will follow.
Featured lunch presentations will be given by Greg Yielding with
the U.S. Rice Producers Association, who will give a U.S. Rice Producers
Association update, and Eric Hover who will present a Missouri Rice Research
and Merchandising Council update.
Various field presentations to be discussed during the tours,
including row rice and market acceptance, mid-season using sensors, rice
varieties for Missouri, rice straw management, weed control, rice markets and
farm program payments, irrigation scheduling of row rice with a crop water use
application, managing rice to reduce chalkiness in grain, rice diseases, and
global agricultural testing of rice products.
Speakers will include Dr. Michael Aide, soil scientist with the
Southeast Department of Agriculture; Samuel Atwell of the University of
Missouri Extension Service; Anserd Foster of Kansas State University; Dr.
Christian De Guzman, rice breeder with the Southeast Department of Agriculture;
David Dunn of the University of Missouri Soil Testing Laboratory; James Heiser
with University of Missouri Weed Science; David Reinbott, agriculture business
program with the University of Missouri Extension, Southeast Region; Matthew
Rhine, University of Missouri agronomy professor; Dr. Gene Stevens from the
University of Missouri Fisher Delta Research Center; Yeshi Wamishe, University
of Arkansas plant pathology; and Ken Cote of Intertek Ag Services.
The Missouri Rice Council will host the Missouri Rice Research
Station Annual Field Day with support from Southeast Missouri State University,
University of Missouri Fisher Delta Research Center and University of Missouri
Extension.
For more information, contact the Southeast Department of
Agriculture at (573) 651-2106
http://news.semo.edu/missouri-rice-field-day-to-offer-growers-updates-on-markets-crop-management-global-testing/
5 lakh smart cards issued, but complaints of
misuse continue
TNN | Updated: Aug 11,
2017, 12:16 PM IST
There are 92351 ration cards in use in Madurai north, including 75320 cards for rice and 2905 antyodaya ration cards, and 588 no commodity cards are in use. Similarly, in the Madurai west zone 118431 cards are in circulation, including 698 police cards and 725 no commodity cards. In Madurai east there are 84875 families benefitting from the system. Also, in the Madurai central zone there are 63490 rice cards, 4050 Antyodaya cards, 11357 sugar cards, 436 police cards, 488 no commodity cards totaling 79821. Melur block as 83488 cards, Peraiyur 62300, Thirumangalam block 66521 cards, Usilampatti block 66269, Vadipatti block 64722 cards, are in use.
The total number of cards used by the people of Madurai district are 851505 which include 707616 rice cards, where people prefer rice along with other commodities and 3287 no commodity cards where people use it for an address proof for documentation process. When the smart card system was introduced it was said that the computerization would have several benefits including abolishing fake cards, duplication of names, and also misuse of the system, where the real beneficiary would not get access to the commodity, but even after all this people still fail to get their due with someone else having received their commodity, which they come to know through surprise SMSs.
Madurai District Supply Officer, V Ponramar said that the district was planning to issue about three lakh cards by the end of this month. The delay was because the consumers had not provided the details like date of birth, Aadhaar card details, change of address and other details or because there were discrepancies.
He said that they had received over 200 complaints in the last four months, about misuse of the system, where the people had received SMSs saying they had purchased goods, when they had not. Enquiries had been conducted and the respective supervisor and salesman of the shops slapped with fines. The fine rates were Rs 25 for each kilogram of rice, Rs 50 for a liter of palmoil, Rs 50 for a kilogram of sugar and Rs 75 for every kilogram of dhals purchased through fake bills.
The DSO said
that the people who had no commodity cards, which they did not use to purchase
goods also had to get their cards upgraded into smart cards, which they could
do by approaching the e-service centres in the district, by the end of this
month
Exports to Russia
increases by 10pc in three months
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's exports to Russia increased by 10 percent in June, 2017 as compared to May 2017, which showed positive sign for enhancing the trade ties between the two countries. Pakistan and Russia have agreed to sign Free Trade Agreement for increasing bilateral trade and improving long term economic ties, said senior official of Ministry of commerce here on Thursday. "Russian President Vladimir Putin during his meeting with then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) offered the agreement, which Pakistan accepted," he added.
He said the trade turnover between Russia and Pakistan has slightly increased and both of the countries have huge potential for economic cooperation in future, he said. He said that Pakistan is exploring Russian markets to boost exports of food products to take advantage of the vacuum created after Moscow banned food imports from European countries.
The official said that Pakistani citrus, rice, potatoes and mangoes are making their way into the Russian market. He said Pakistan had huge opportunity to export fresh meat and poultry, vegetables which include carrot, cabbage and beet-root, and fruits including dates, dry fruits, apple and plum in Russian market. The government is committed to support Pakistani exporters for gaining facilities to increase excess and competitiveness in the Russian markets.
Both sides were also willing to sign Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) before the FTA to get excess to Russian market for enhancing trade facilities to the exporters. The official said that Pakistani citrus, rice, potatoes and mangoes are making their way into the Russian market.
He said Pakistan had huge opportunity to export fresh meat and poultry, vegetables which include carrot, cabbage and beet-root, and fruits including dates, dry fruits, apple and plum in Russian market.
The government is committed to support Pakistani exporters for gaining facilities to increase excess and competitiveness in the Russian markets. Both sides were also willing to sign Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) before the FTA to get excess to Russian market for enhancing trade facilities to the exporters.
http://www.brecorder.com/2017/08/10/364309/exports-to-russia-increases-by-10pc-in-three-months/
Indian Scientists Devise Novel Method to Extract Silver From Paddy
© AP Photo/ Anupam Nath
Researchers claim that as much as
15 mg of silver can be extracted from a kilogram of the Garib-sal variety of
rice which accumulates an unusual quantity of the noble metal in its aleurone
layer.
New Delhi (Sputnik) – Indian scientists have
rediscovered a rice variety that accumulates an unusually high quantity
of silver in the grains. The test conducted by researchers
from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) could become a novel
method of bio-extraction of silver metal.
“Our study of 505 native rice landraces showed that nine
of them accumulate
silver
at a high concentration when grown in the same soil. Among these, a
medicinal rice landrace from West Bengal, Garib-sal was found
to accumulate silver at an especially high concentration in the
grains. Cultivation of Garib-sal rice in three successive years
in Basudha farm in the rice growing period of June–October
confirmed that for the same concentration of silver in the soil
(∼0.15
mg/kg), Garib-sal accumulates it in the
grains to the extent of ∼15 mg/kg,” reads the report published in science journal — ACS Sustainable Chemistry &
Engineering.
“The rice variety has the ability
to accumulate silver about 100 times more than any other rice.
It is possible to extract 14.60 mg per kg of silver from the
rice using a cheap and simple chemical method. This is a unique way
of extracting silver through agriculture. With further research, it
may be possible to find better ways of enhancing the bioaccumulation
of silver,” Prof. T. Pradeep told The Hindu.
To
detect the location of deposition of silver in the grains,
scientists had performed secondary ion mass spectrometry where it is revealed
that silver is concentrated in the aleuronic layer of the rice bran.
Its concentration decreases in the sub-aleurone and becomes negligible
in the endosperm. “Accumulation of silver does not alter the grain
morphology and chemical characteristics. The metal may be extracted
from the bran after milling of the rice, thereby causing no loss
of the foodstuff,” the research paper claims.
Garib-Sal
was once grown in West Bengal and was recommended as a diet
for patients with gastrointestinal infections and the presence
of silver in rice might have had a therapeutic effect by killing
pathogenic microbes in the human gut.
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201708101056341772-indian-scientists-silver/
