USA Rice Exhibits at 100th Food & Nutrition Conference &
Expo
CHICAGO, IL -- Last week, more
than 10,000 dietitians, nutrition science researchers, policy makers,
healthcare providers, and food industry leaders from around the world gathered
here to attend the 100th anniversary of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics'
annual Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE). As an
exhibitor, USA Rice promoted U.S. rice messaging, addressed nutrition and food
safety questions, and distributed educational materials to conference
attendees.
Visitors at the USA Rice booth were able to test
their knowledge on the Think Rice trivia wheel, receive branded USBs containing
recipes and nutrition information, interact with the domestic promotion team,
and experience the difference in feel, smell, and look of various U.S.-grown
rice varieties.
"FNCE is one of the most important trade
shows we attend," said Katie Maher, USA Rice director of strategic
initiatives. "The show provides a great platform for USA Rice to
present itself as the ultimate resource when it comes to all aspects of the
U.S. rice industry from nutrition to sourcing and recipe production."
In addition to the booth's traditional
offerings, surveys were conducted by USA Rice of more than 175 health
professionals to gain insight on rice attitudes and usage. Takeaways from
the survey include 98.2 percent of respondents recommending rice and rice
products as part of a healthy diet with whole grain brown rice, whole grain
brown aromatic rice, and wild rice among the top recommended types.
Respondents also expressed a positive perception
of rice pinpointing the top appealing attributes of rice as versatility
(77.4%), affordability (68.7%), and taste (63%). When asked about health
qualities associated with rice, whole grain (79%), complex carbohydrate (60%),
gluten-free (59%), and a source of energy (53%) were identified as the top
responses. Lastly, respondents were asked about barriers to acceptance
and consumption of rice. Thirty percent identified the carbohydrate
content of rice as the primary barrier, followed by misperception and confusion
on rice cooking times and techniques at 19 percent.
"The conversations we're able to have here
at FNCE are crucial in gaining reliable feedback to better understand consumer
interests and needs, while reiterating our message that U.S.-grown rice is a
central component of a healthy well-balanced diet in both schools and
homes," said Maher.
Also while at the show, USA Rice joined more
than thirty organizations at the USDA MyPlate National Strategic Partner
meeting to learn about new partner research and MyPlate initiatives, and
network with other strategic partners.
Thailand
boosts rice exports to Hong Kong
Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce
has bolstered rice exports to Hong Kong (China) and invited rice importers from
Hong Kong to discuss the import of Thai rice in the coming time, reported Thai
media on November 1 (Photo: Reuters)
Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce has bolstered rice exports
to Hong Kong (China) and invited rice importers from Hong Kong to discuss the
import of Thai rice in the coming time, reported Thai media on November 1.
A delegation of 37 major businesses
led by the Chairman of the Rice Merchants’ Association of Hong Kong arrived in
Thailand last weekend to discuss rice markets.
The delegation held working
sessions with about 100 rice producers of Thailand from October 30 to November
2.
Nearly 760 companies are expected
to sign memorandum of understanding on buying 14,000 tonnes of jasmine rice,
brown rice, organic rice and riceberry rice from Thailand.
Hong Kong is among major rice
export markets of Thailand, with Thai rice accounting for 70 percent of the
market share.-VNA
Did Mexico Sign a Major Trade
Deal With Argentina, In Retaliation Against Trump's Border Wall Plans?
Mexico is in trade talks with Argentina, but no deal has been
finalized; the cost to American farmers would likely be lower than claimed.
780
CLAIM
In retaliation for Donald Trump's border
wall plan, Mexico will soon shift all its imports of corn, rice, soy, and wheat
from the United States to Argentina.
RATING
Mexico is currently in trade negotiations
with Argentina, which a Mexican government minister has said will likely
involve Mexico importing grains from Argentina.
No deal has been finalized, and the catalyst
for the negotiations is the uncertainty caused by Donald Trump's vow to
renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement — not his plan to build a
border wall.
ORIGIN
Two of Donald Trump’s most prominent 2016
campaign pledges were to build a border wall along the Mexican border (or
rather, to reinforce and extend it; a wall already exists along
hundreds of miles of the international border), and to renegotiate the North
American Free Trade Agreement, a 1994 arrangement between
the United States, Canada and Mexico which he called “the
single worst trade deal ever approved in this country.”
In October 2017, left-wing Facebook page
“The Other 98%” posted a widely-shared meme which
claimed that Mexico had — in retaliation for Trump’s border wall plans — signed
a major agricultural trade agreement with Argentina, which would have very
harmful effects on American farmers:
They’re trying to distract us from the fact
that Mexico retaliated against the border wall by establishing an agricultural
agreement with Argentina. Starting next year Mexico will be buying 100% of
their corn, rice, wheat and soy from Argentina duty free. In exchange Mexico
will ship cars to Argentina duty free. This will take away at least $13 billion
annually from American farmers.
As of 1 November 2017, Mexico and Argentina
have not signed an agreement like the one described by “The Other 98%”, but the
two countries have held talks about a more limited (though still significant)
trade deal involving grains and cars. Furthermore, the main catalyst for the
negotiations has been the uncertainty caused by Donald Trump’s vow to renegotiate
NAFTA rather than his plans to build a border wall.
The source cited by “The Other 98%” is a
September 2017 article by Daily Kos, which reported:
Mexico already retaliated against Trump and
his insults earlier this year by establishing an agricultural agreement with
Argentina. Starting next year Mexico will be buying 100% of her corn, rice,
wheat and soy from Argentina duty free. In exchange Mexico will ship cars to
Argentina, duty free. This will taken [sic] away $13 billion annually from
American farmers.
It’s not clear what the source of these
claims is, but a similar meme appeared
online earlier in 2017, which read:
Mexico has retaliated against Trump’s racial
profiling and insistence that Mexico will pay for his border wall. Beginning in
2018, Mexico will be buying its corn, rice, wheat and soy from Argentina. Not
America. American farmers stand to lose $13 billion. The ripple effect will be
even more devastating. The fact that this announcement was made during Trump’s
Made in America week, is just karmic icing.
“Made in America Week” took place from
17-24 July 2017; we found no evidence of any deal between Mexico and Argentina
being announced during that time period. However, talks have been ongoing
between the two countries.
In the spring of 2017, Mexico’s Deputy
Economy Minister Juan Carlos Baker made several comments in interviews about
his country’s negotiations with Argentina and Brazil. On 26 March 2017,
the Financial Times reported:
Mexico, the world’s biggest buyer of US
corn, is considering offering duty-free access to Brazilian and Argentine maize
as an alternative to American imports in a move that could have big
consequences for US farmers worried about Donald Trump’s trade and tax agenda.
[…]
“I am pretty optimistic about the
possibility of having a deal with these countries soon,” Juan Carlos Baker,
Mexico’s deputy economy minister, told the Financial Times in an interview. “We’re
pretty far advanced with Brazil . . . Argentina is a few steps behind,” he
said….
The following month, Baker told Reuters that
a deal with Argentina could be finalized by the end of 2017:
Mexico, seeking closer ties with the rest of
Latin America, expects to finish negotiations on a trade deal with Argentina
involving cars and agricultural products around the end of the year, Mexico’s
deputy minister for foreign trade said in an interview on Tuesday.
[…]
Under the deal, Argentina could gain part of
the lucrative grains market in Mexico, Latin America’s No. 2 economy, Baker
told Reuters. In 2015 Mexico imported $2.3 billion worth of U.S. corn and
$1.4 billion of U.S. soy. But Baker said those numbers will likely decrease
under a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement called for by Trump.
“The potential is there,” Baker said. “The
Argentine exporters could find attractive conditions in Mexico.” Mexico, in
turn, could export cars to Argentina, he said. “We have a very strong
manufacturing industry and Argentina is an important market for us,” Baker
said.
A trade deal between Mexico and Argentina
may be in the works, but it has not yet been announced as of 1 November 2017.
However, assuming a deal goes ahead to shift Mexico’s importation of certain
products from the United States to Argentina, the numbers are significant — but
not as dramatic as they are in the meme.
According to United States Grain Council statistics,
the United States exported $2.5 billion worth of corn to Mexico in 2015 and
2016. In 2015, the United States exported $2.9 billion worth of soy products to
Mexico, according to the U.S. Soybean Export Council (page 19.)
According to Global Agricultural Trade
System statistics for 2016, exports of wheat and rice were
worth $612 million and $274 million, respectively.
This yields a total of $6.3 billion in U.S.
exports to Mexico of corn, rice, wheat and soy — the four products specified in
the above meme. So even if Mexico did decide to stop importing all these
products from the U.S., the likely annual financial cost to the American
agriculture industry would be extremely significant, but still only around half
the $13 billion claimed.
https://www.snopes.com/mexico-argentina-trade-deal-border-wall/
Rice group eyes record exports
Economy
November 02, 2017 01:00
By SOMLUCK
SRIMALEE
THE NATION
UBON
RATCHATHANI
THE THAI Rice
Association is confident that exports of the staple will this year come in at
11 million tonnes, which would mark a record high for overseas shipments.The
optimism is based on strong demand in the market and the government’s barn
rice-pledging programme that has helped to maintain prices, the association’s
president, Pol Lt Charoen Laothamatas, said yesterday.
“We are
confident that rice exports this year will show growth both in terms of volume
and value, as the demand for Thai rice has been strong,” Charoen said after
taking rice importers from Hong Kong on a tour of a Hom Mali rice field in Ubon
Ratchathani province yesterday.
“Prices have
shown double-digit growth from last year, especially for Hom Mali rice that has
been selling for between US$800 and US$860 per tonne this year, up US$200 per
tonne from last year, when the export price was US$600 per tone.”
He said
Thailand exports more than 200,000 tonnes of Hom Mali rice to Hong Kong a year,
with the country’s share of the Hom Mali market in the Chinese territory
reaching 70 per cent. Four years ago, Thailand’s share was 40 per cent.
“Thailand’s
market share for Hom Mali rice in Hong Kong had been as high as 90 per cent 10
years ago, but then Thailand had some policies that impacted the country’s rice
production,” Charoen said.
“We lost
market share, falling to as low as 40 per cent until 2014, when Thailand’s rice
policy changed. These changes led to exports of Thai Hom Mali to Hong Kong
rising to 70 per cent. We expect that to increase to 75 per cent next year.”
Kenneth Chan,
chairman of the Rice Merchants’ Association of Hong Kong, said after visit the
visit to the rice field yesterday that Thai Hom Mali rice was popular in Hong
Kong. In the first nine months of this year Hong Kong imports of Thai Hom Mali
rice totalled 155,000 tonnes.
He expects
that to grow to 200,000 tonnes this year, translating into a 70 per cent share
of the total rice market in Hong Kong, which stands at about 320,000 tonnes a
year.In the Hong Kong market for Hom Mali rice, Thailand is followed by
Vietnam, which has a market share of about 17 per cent, Chan said.Charoen said
the association also has tried to expand the export market with new
destinations such as in the Middle East, including Iran and Iraq, along with
Latin America and Africa. They are considered challenging markets, he said.
Rice gene FZP mutates in nature, can increase
yields by 15%: scientists
2017-10-31 14:09Ecns.cnEditor: Mo Hong'e
(ECNS) -- The Frizzy Panicle (FZP) of rice can
mutate in nature, according to Chinese scientists, with the finding set to help
increase rice yields by 15 percent.
A research team led by Professor
Xing Yongzhong at the College of Life Science and Technology, Huangzhong
Agricultural University, has published a paper in Nature Plants, a subsidiary
of international journal Nature, that explains the close relationship between
rice yields and the FZP gene.
The gene could prevent the creation
of an axillary meristem and help their transition into a floral meristem, Xing
told Shanghai-based The Paper.
FZP is a key developmental gene in
rice, and its encoded protein can't be altered, Xing said. However, scientists
could increase rice yields by controlling the expression contents of FZP. When
the function of FZP is strengthened, rice particles will be bigger while their
number decreases, and vice versa.
In rice samples from some East-Asia
regions, including India and Bangladesh, Xing's team found 18bp fragments of
FZP had mutated in nature and caused copy number variation (CNV). The mutation
connected two 18bp fragments in series, and the improved gene sequence could
help increase yields.
Increasing the grains of each rice
spike was the most useful way to increase production, Xing said, adding that
his research team was still trying to find further ways to maximize rice
yields.
US rice broadens market share in tight South Korean market
KEYWORDS china exports food rice South Korea trade USA Rice
Federation
The U.S. exported about 139,500 metric tons of rice to South Korea in the first eight months of this year, according to data maintained by the USA Rice Federation. That’s about 30 percent more than in the same time period last year and almost triple what the U.S. exported to South Korea in all of 2014, the last year the U.S. had a dedicated, country-specific quota.
The primary reason for the U.S. success, USA Rice officials say, is a strong outreach program to South Korean buyers that is essential now that the country isn’t required under World Trade Organization rules to buy U.S. rice.
Up until January of 2015, South Korea was required to buy at least 50,076 tons of U.S. rice because of the deal the country made when it joined the WTO. That was just part of the overall 408,700-ton quota for total imports. In 2015 the U.S. lost that assured market. The overall quota remained, but countries like the U.S., China, Taiwan and Vietnam had to begin fighting to get a portion of it.
It can be extremely difficult to outbid exporters in those countries that subsidize rice production, and the South Korean government is making it even harder by pushing down domestic prices.
South Korean farmers had a bumper crop last year, producing about 4.2 million tons of rice, according to USA Rice data. In order to support domestic producers, the government is planning on buying 720,000 tons and placing it in storage, contributing to the country’s 2-million-ton surplus.
USA Rice began intense conversations with buyers, promoting the quality of the medium grain rice that’s mostly grown in California. But it wasn’t that simple. About three years ago the group recognized a growing shift in demographics and a sea change in the way that South Koreans ate at home.
“Rice is still a basic commodity that everyone in Korea eats,” said Jim Guinn, director of international promotion programs for USA Rice. “They’re just eating less of it as table rice and we’re seeing a trend of ready-to-eat foods being the preferred source by this new demographic.”
“We’re focusing a lot of our efforts on food manufacturers and food processors, whereas in the past we focused more of our efforts on the retail market,” Guinn said. “About three years ago we started focusing on rice cake manufacturers … and we’ve since expanded that to other products as well.”
Steve Vargas, senior vice president for global rice trade at the California-based Sun Valley Rice, attributed much of the U.S. success to funds from the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development program (FMD) that are run by the USDA to promote and help sell U.S. farm commodities around the world.
Those programs helped USA Rice work with South Korean food manufacturers, who then demanded U.S. rice.
It’s the South Korean government that imports the rice, so U.S. exporters have to have faith that their work with private buyers will spur them to demand U.S. product.
“It’s mostly based on what the government perceives the demand is in the market,” Guinn said. “If the government understands that there’s demand for U.S. medium grain rice in the marketplace, then that’s what they’re going to import.”
And that’s exactly what has been happening, said Vargas, who stressed that the popularity of California’s Calrose rice, together with the extensive promotion efforts, are paying off.
"This is a direct benefit of MAP and FMD,” he said. “It’s government funds well-spent.”
The result of all of that work is completely new “home meal replacement” dishes that are made with U.S. rice and are already popular with shoppers in South Korean grocery stores, said Guinn.
Just this year, a large South Korean manufacturer began selling a new line of the “convenience” foods that include rice cake soup and stir-fried rice dinners that only contain U.S. rice. Another major manufacturer is now gearing up to produce and sell an array of meals that are based on Southern U.S. style cooking and Latin American dishes. Those are scheduled to hit retailers next spring.
“I think this validates our strategy in promoting U.S. rice to food manufacturers (and) processors,” Vargas said in a report generated by USA Rice. “We began this strategy three years ago when our contractor first recognized the demographic trends that have led to this surge in demand for ready-to-eat products. We expect to build on this trend in future years.”
Wheat, rice basmati strengthen on increased
offtake
PTI | Nov 1, 2017, 14:37 IST
New Delhi, Nov 1 () Prices of wheat and rice
basmati strengthened by up to Rs 50 per quintal at the wholesale grains market
today due to increased offtake.
Traders said pick-up in demand from flour mills
mainly kept wheat prices higher.
Rising demand from retailers helped rice
basmati to trade higher, they said.
In the national capital, Wheat MP (desi) edged
up to Rs 2,145-2,375 from previous level of Rs 2,125-2,375, while wheat dara
(for mills) advanced by Rs 20 to Rs 1,855-1,860 per quintal.
Atta chakki delivery followed suit and traded
higher by a similar margin to Rs 1,860-1,865 per 90 kg. Atta flour mills, maize
and sooji too traded higher by Rs 20 each to Rs 1,000- 1,010, Rs 1,030-1,040
and Rs 1,060-1,100 per 50 kg, respectively in line with wheat trend.
Rice basmati common and Pusa-1121 variety also
edged higher by Rs 50 each to Rs 7,750-7,850 and Rs 6,250-6,350 per quintal,
respectively.
Following are today's quotations (in Rs per
quintal):
Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,145-2,375, Wheat dara (for
mills) Rs 1,855-1,860, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,860-1,865, Atta Rajdhani (10
kg) Rs 260-300, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 255-290, Roller flour mill Rs 1,000-1,010
(50 kg), Maida Rs 1,030-1,040 (50kg)and Sooji Rs 1,080-1,100 (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 7,750-7,850, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 6,250-6,350, Permal raw Rs 2,250-2,300,
Permal wand Rs 2,300-2,350, Sela Rs 2,500-2,700 and Rice IR-8 Rs 1,900-1,925,
Bajra Rs 1,160-1,165, Jowar yellow Rs 1,350-1,400, white Rs 2,700-2,800, Maize
Rs 1,300- 1,305, Barley Rs 1,500-1,510. SUN KPS SBT
Punjab procures nearly 140 lakh tonnes paddy
in one month
IANS | Chandigarh Last Updated at November 1, 2017
22:43 IST
SC to Punjab and Haryana: Construct SYL canal firstHisar
records 46.2 degrees; heat wave returns to Haryana, PunjabDera chief case: Home
Ministry apprised of situation by Punjab, HaryanaHaryana, Punjab on edge ahead
of Dera chief sentencingNo fresh talks with Punjab on SYL: Haryana
'Green Revolution' state Punjab has procured nearly 140
lakh tonnes of paddy this season within one month of the procurement process,
while neighbouring Haryana has also procured nearly 60 lakh tonnes, officials
said on Wednesday
The procurement of paddy began in both states on October 1.
The paddy arrival and procurement will continue till the end of November.Heading
towards another bumper crop, both agrarian states have procured nearly 200 lakh
tonne of paddy this season so far, Food and Supplies Department officials said
here on Wednesday.
Punjab Food Secretary K.A.P. Sinha had said on Monday that
Punjab was heading towards an all-time record of procuring over 182 lakh tonne
of paddy this season. 1The state had procured over 168 lakh tonne of paddy in a
bumper crop season last year.
Sinha said payment of over Rs 16,000 crore had already been
made to nearly 7.75 lakh farmers for the paddy procured and the remaining
amount will be disbursed in the coming days. The Reserve Bank of India has
sanctioned an amount of nearly Rs 28,263 crore to Punjab to make payments to
farmers for the paddy procured.The Punjab government, which had sought over Rs
33,800 crore for paddy procurement this Kharif season, has sought another Rs
5,537 crore.
Both states are expecting a bumper crop this year and
officials said that this could be over 230 lakh tonnes this season.Government
agencies have procured 98 per cent of the paddy arriving in grain markets in
Punjab. In Haryana, government agencies have procured nearly 95 per cent of the
paddy arrivals. The rest of the paddy has been procured by rice millers and
traders.
(This story has not been edited by Business
Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/punjab-procures-nearly-140-lakh-tonnes-paddy-in-one-month-117110101544_1.html
Local rice producer
laments threat of smuggling
David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
A rice miller and Chief Executive Officer of Stine
Industries Limited, Amichi, Anambra State, Chief Akai Egwuonwu, has lamented
that the activities of smugglers at Nigerian borders are stiffling the growth
of local rice production. Egwuonwu who spoke recently on the menace of rice
smuggling warned that the trend if not checked, would ruin many of the local
rice industries who may be forced to close shop and lay off their workers.
He noted that it was painful and unimaginable that men of
Customs and Excise could not come out with any water-tight measure to checkmate
the rampaging smugglers. The rice miller was of the opinion that the
Comptroller of Customs should resign if he could no longer contain the ugly
trend of rising smuggling activities.“Porous border is really affecting local
rice producers negatively. That is the major problem we are facing now. Smuggling has been the bane of our upward
movement in this sector. Our production has been stalled and all the rice
millers are operating in an unhealthy environment. Let the Customs close the
borders and man them very well so that we can survive,” Chief Egwuonwu said. He
noted that apart from being economic sabotage, brands of rice brought into the
country are of low quality, comparatively and not quite safe for human
consumption.
“Though prices are beginning to go down because of the
efforts of the Federal Government and Anambra state government under Governor
Willie Obiano who is helping farmers including rice millers, but this needs to
be sustained and complemented with closure of borders. This will make Nigeria a
net rice exporter in the next three years begin to export rice to other
countries,” he submitted.
https://www.nigeriatoday.ng/2017/11/local-rice-producer-laments-threat-of-smuggling/
Wheat, rice basmati strengthen on increased
offtake
PTI | Nov 1, 2017,
14:37 IST
New Delhi, Nov 1 () Prices of wheat and rice basmati
strengthened by up to Rs 50 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today
due to increased offtake.
Traders said pick-up in demand from flour mills mainly kept
wheat prices higher.Rising demand from retailers helped rice basmati to trade
higher, they said.
In the national capital, Wheat MP (desi) edged up to Rs
2,145-2,375 from previous level of Rs 2,125-2,375, while wheat dara (for mills)
advanced by Rs 20 to Rs 1,855-1,860 per quintal.
Atta chakki delivery followed suit and traded higher by a
similar margin to Rs 1,860-1,865 per 90 kg. Atta flour mills, maize and sooji
too traded higher by Rs 20 each to Rs 1,000- 1,010, Rs 1,030-1,040 and Rs
1,060-1,100 per 50 kg, respectively in line with wheat trend.
Rice basmati common and Pusa-1121 variety also edged higher by
Rs 50 each to Rs 7,750-7,850 and Rs 6,250-6,350 per quintal, respectively.
Following are today's quotations (in Rs per quintal):
Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,145-2,375, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs
1,855-1,860, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,860-1,865, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs
260-300, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 255-290, Roller flour mill Rs 1,000-1,010 (50
kg), Maida Rs 1,030-1,040 (50kg)and Sooji Rs 1,080-1,100 (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 7,750-7,850, Rice Pusa (1121)
Rs 6,250-6,350, Permal raw Rs 2,250-2,300, Permal wand Rs 2,300-2,350, Sela Rs
2,500-2,700 and Rice IR-8 Rs 1,900-1,925, Bajra Rs 1,160-1,165, Jowar yellow Rs
1,350-1,400, white Rs 2,700-2,800, Maize Rs 1,300- 1,305, Barley Rs
1,500-1,510. SUN KPS SBT
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/wheat-rice-basmati-strengthen-on-increased-offtake/articleshow/61400616.cms
Over 5
million tonnes of rice exported in ten months
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam shipped 5.05 million tonnes of rice worth 2.25 billion USD in the first ten months of 2017, up 22.3 percent in volume and 21.1 percent in value year on year, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The country earned 206 million USD from exporting 430,000 tonnes of rice in October alone.
From January to October, China remained the biggest importer of Vietnamese rice when it was the destination of 39.3 percent of Vietnam’s exported rice. It is followed by the Philippines (9.6 percent) and Malaysia (8 percent).
According to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), regional countries’ demand for imported rice will rise sharply in the last months of the year. The recent serious flooding in Bangladesh damaged about 1million tonnes of rice in this country, turning the South Asian nation into a big rice importer with a forecast volume of up to 1.5 million tonnes in 2017.
The Philippines’s rice stockpile declined, forcing its Government to step up purchasing rice. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is predicted to import 650,000 tonnes of rice this year, compared to just 60,000 tonnes in 2016. African markets are also recovering their rice import, the association said.
Amid positive signs like a strong increase in the number of contracts registered for export in the remaining months, the VFA raised the rice export target this year from 5.2 million tonnes to 5.6 million tonnes.-VNA
https://en.vietnamplus.vn/over-5-million-tonnes-of-rice-exported-in-ten-months/120448.vnp
33 businesses to join rice
export project
8:00 pm, November 01, 2017
Jiji PressTOKYO (Jiji Press) — Japan’s
agriculture ministry said Tuesday that 33 businesses, including wholesalers and
trading houses, have announced their intention to join its project to export
100,000 tons of rice in 2019.
The overall amount of rice that
the exporters aim to ship that year stands at 125,000 tons, topping the target
set by the government, an official of the ministry’s Crop Production Policy
Planning Division said.
In September, the ministry
announced the project aimed at expanding overseas markets for Japanese rice.
The 33 exporters include major
rice wholesaler Shinmei Co. and Kitoku Shinryo Co., as well as the National
Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations, or JA Zen-Noh, which acts
as a trading house of the whole JA group.
They hope to increase rice
exports particularly to China, Southeast Asia, North America and the Middle
East.
As for production of cheaper rice for export, 181 parties,
mostly agricultural cooperatives, showed their willingness to take part
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0004038856
NOVEMBER 2, 2017 / 2:15 PM / UPDATED AN
HOUR AGO
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- November 02, 2017
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-November 2
Nagpur, Nov 2 (Reuters) – Gram prices recovered strongly in Nagpur
Agriculture Produce MarketingCommittee (APMC) on good demand from local millers
amid weak supply from producing belts.
Notable rise on NCDEX, upward trend in Madhya Pradesh gram prices
and enquiries from South-basedmillers also boosted prices, according to
sources.
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Desi gram firmed up in
open market here on renewed seasonal demand from local
traders amid weak
supply from producing regions.
TUAR
* Tuar varieties ruled
steady in open market but demand was poor.
* Wheat mill quality
reported higher in open market on good demand from local traders
amid weak supply from
producing regions.
* In Akola, Tuar New –
3,950-4,075, Tuar dal (clean) – 5,700-6,000, Udid Mogar (clean)
– 7,700-8,300, Moong Mogar (clean)
6,900-7,200, Gram – 4,700-4,800, Gram Super best
– 7,100-7,300
* Wheat, other varieties
of rice and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in
scattered deals and
settled at last levels in limited trading activity.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC
auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 3,700-4,800 3,600-4,800
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction n.a. 3,500-3,935
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 1,600-1,690 1,600-1,685
Gram Super Best
Bold 7,500-7,800 7,500-7,800
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 6,200-7,000 6,200-7,000
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 5,000-5,100 5,000-5,100
Desi gram Raw 4,800-4,850 4,800-4,850
Gram Kabuli 12,500-13,200 12,500-13,200
Tuar Fataka
Best-New 6,200-6,400 6,000-6,400
Tuar Fataka
Medium-New 5,700-6,000 5,700-6,000
Tuar Dal Best
Phod-New 5,300-5,600 5,300-5,600
Tuar Dal Medium
phod-New 4,750-5,150 4,800-5,200
Tuar Gavarani New 3,750-3,850 3,750-3,850
Tuar Karnataka 4,100-4,400 4,100-4,400
Masoor dal best 4,900-5,400 4,900-5,400
Masoor dal medium 4,500-4,800 4,500-4,800
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold
(New) 6,800-7,400 6,800-7,400
Moong Mogar Medium 6,300-6,600 6,300-6,600
Moong dal Chilka 5,600-6,200 5,600-6,200
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500
Udid Mogar best (100
INR/KG) (New) 8,000-8,500
8,000-8,500
Udid Mogar Medium (100
INR/KG) 6,100-7,100 6,100-7,100
Udid Dal Black (100
INR/KG) 5,200-6,200 5,200-6,100
Batri dal (100
INR/KG) 5,000-5,400 5,000-5,400
Lakhodi dal (100
INR/kg) 2,800-3,000 2,800-3,000
Watana Dal (100
INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000
Watana Green Best (100
INR/KG) 3,400-3,800 3,400-3,800
Wheat 308 (100
INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000
Wheat Mill quality (100
INR/KG) 1,750-1,900 1,700-1,850
Wheat Filter (100
INR/KG) 2,100-2,300 2,100-2,300
Wheat Lokwan best (100
INR/KG) 2,200-2,450 2,200-2,400
Wheat Lokwan medium (100
INR/KG) 1,900-2,150 1,900-2,100
Lokwan Hath Binar (100
INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100
INR/KG) 3,000-3,600 3,000-3,600
MP Sharbati Medium (100
INR/KG) 2,200-2,700 2,200-2,700
Rice BPT best (100
INR/KG) 3,000-3,500 3,000-3,500
Rice BPT medium (100
INR/KG) 2,800-2,900 2,800-2,900
Rice Luchai (100
INR/KG) 2,200-2,400 2,200-2,400
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
Rice Swarna medium (100
INR/KG) 2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400
Rice HMT best (100
INR/KG) 3,600-4,000 3,600-4,000
Rice HMT medium (100
INR/KG) 3,250-3,600 3,250-3,600
Rice Shriram best(100
INR/KG) 4,600-5,000 4,600-5,000
Rice Shriram med (100
INR/KG) 4,200-4,500 4,200-4,400
Rice Basmati best (100
INR/KG) 10,000-14,000 10,000-14,000
Rice Basmati Medium
(100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500
Rice Chinnor best 100
INR/KG) 5,000-5,500 5,000-5,500
Rice Chinnor medium
(100 INR/KG) 4,700-5,000 4,700-5,000
Jowar Gavarani (100
INR/KG) 2,000-2,200 2,000-2,100
Jowar CH-5 (100
INR/KG) 1,800-2,000 1,700-2,000
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 31.9 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 16.3 degree
Celsius
Rainfall : Nil
FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would
be around and 32 and 15 degree
Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery
prices, but included in market prices)
https://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrain/nagpur-foodgrain-prices-open-november-02-2017-idINL4N1N83KO
Wheat, rice basmati strengthen on increased offtake
New Delhi, Nov 1 Prices of wheat and rice basmati strengthened
by up to Rs 50 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today due to
increased offtake.
Traders said pick-up in demand from flour mills mainly kept
wheat prices higher.
Rising demand from retailers helped rice basmati to trade
higher, they said.
In the national capital, Wheat MP (desi) edged up to Rs
2,145-2,375 from previous level of Rs 2,125-2,375, while wheat dara (for mills)
advanced by Rs 20 to Rs 1,855-1,860 per quintal.
Atta chakki delivery followed suit and traded higher by a
similar margin to Rs 1,860-1,865 per 90 kg. Atta flour mills, maize and sooji
too traded higher by Rs 20 each to Rs 1,000- 1,010, Rs 1,030-1,040 and Rs
1,060-1,100 per 50 kg, respectively in line with wheat trend.
Rice basmati common and Pusa-1121 variety also edged higher by
Rs 50 each to Rs 7,750-7,850 and Rs 6,250-6,350 per quintal, respectively.
Following are today's quotations (in Rs per quintal):
Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,145-2,375, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs
1,855-1,860, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,860-1,865, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs
260-300, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 255-290, Roller flour mill Rs 1,000-1,010 (50
kg), Maida Rs 1,030-1,040 (50kg)and Sooji Rs 1,080-1,100 (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 7,750-7,850, Rice Pusa
(1121) Rs 6,250-6,350, Permal raw Rs 2,250-2,300, Permal wand Rs 2,300-2,350,
Sela Rs 2,500-2,700 and Rice IR-8 Rs 1,900-1,925, Bajra Rs 1,160-1,165, Jowar
yellow Rs 1,350-1,400, white Rs 2,700-2,800, Maize Rs 1,300- 1,305, Barley Rs
1,500-1,510
It’s a story of rice to riches for Kerala farmer
Against the grain: Praseed Kumar with his
children in his progressive farm at Sulthan Bathery. When others moved to cash crops to cut
losses, he brought Gujarat and Punjab varieties to WayanadIndia’s traditional
rice diversity has brought riches to a farmer in northern Kerala.Praseed Kumar
from Thayyil at Sulthan Bathery went against the tide, when his peers in the
loss-hit farming community in Wayanad switched to cash crops such as plantain
and arecanut a few years ago.
The 43-year-old progressive farmer got a small
packet of rice seeds from a friend in Gujarat, which stood out with its violet-coloured
chaff. He decided to propagate this variety. Initially, it was on just one cent
of land, but later, it was expanded to one hectare.
Mr. Kumar has been conserving the ‘Krishna
Kamod’, a basmati rice variety from Gujarat known for its taste, colour and
aroma on one hectare for the past seven years.
Last year, he harvested nearly 2,500 kg of this
paddy and sold it as seeds to farmers at ₹ 200 a kg, rather than in the open market.
“While farmers procure the rare rice variety as
seed, others buy it as a gift, or keep it in their pooja rooms and offer it to
temples,” Mr. Kumar said.Fights drought, pests
He spent ₹ 85,000 as costs and earned ₹ 5 lakh.
The Agriculture Department, which finds the rice attractive, chipped in with ₹18,000
as incentive.“It seems quite suitable for Kerala and its pest and drought
resistance are plus points,” said M.K. Mariyumma, Agricultural Officer, Krishi
Bhavan, Nenmeni. Many farmers coming under Krishi Bhavan are eager to cultivate
it.
The farmer has become famous for growing 15
varieties of rice. These include Mahamaya, a hybrid with an average yield of
4.3 tonnes an acre, Ramli, a traditional Punjab rice, Navara and Rakthashali,
with medicinal properties, Black Jasmine, a violet medicinal Assamese type, two
basmati variants from Jammu and Kashmir, besides Valichoori and Adukkan, both
indigenous varieties.Mr. Kumar is looking at rented land now, to grow even more
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/its-a-story-of-rice-to-riches-for-kerala-farmer/article19957655.ece
Iran issues tender to buy 30,000 tonnes
rice from India - trade
HAMBURG (Reuters) - Iran’s state
grains buyer GTC has issued an international tender to buy 30,000 tonnes of
rice to be sourced from India, European traders said on Wednesday.A farmer
winnows rice in a field on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India, November 4, 2016.
REUTERS/Amit Dave/Files
The tender closes on Dec. 12.The
rice is sought in three consignments of 10,000 tonnes for shipment in early
2018, they said.
https://in.reuters.com/article/iran-rice/iran-issues-tender-to-buy-30000-tonnes-rice-from-india-trade-idINKBN1D14RV
Basmati exporters reap rich dividends
Register 25% more returnsThanks to high basmati
prices in the overseas market, exporters have registered a better realisation
in the first six months of the current fiscal as compared to the previous year.
While the export of basmati has risen marginally by 3% during the period, the
realisation was 26% more per tonne in dollar terms in the current year. As per the Agricultural and Processed Food
Products Export Development Authority
(APEDA) data, basmati exports during April-September (2017-18) was 21.32
lakh tonne as compared to 20.67 lakh tonne during the corresponding period
previous year.Further, in the current fiscal, the per-tonne realisation was
$997 as compared to $789 in the corresponding period last year.The total export
value during the period was $2,126 million (Rs 13,690 crore) in 2017-18 as
compared to $1,631 (Rs 10,923 crore). Gurnam Arora, Joint MD, Kohinoor Foods,
said, “Basmati exports have been encouraging because of demand from Iran in the
first four months of the current fiscal. As far as realisation is concerned, it
was due to high price of the commodity in the domestic market and better price
in the overseas market.”On being asked about the outlook for the current year,
he said, “It is very difficult to predict at this moment as Iran has again
discontinued the import of basmati rice from India. So, resumption of import by
Iran will decide the fate of exporters and volume.” He, however, said Iran
might resume the import by this month. “Rating agency, ICRA expects the demand
concerns in the form of Iran import ban and sluggishness in other countries
would be overcome and export volumes in FY2018 to be around 4.1 million MT i.e
4% higher than FY2017. It also added that higher paddy prices in the last
procurement season and current procurement season are expected to push up the
average realisations in FY2018.Arora said basmati production this year is down
by 7-8% and total production would be anywhere between 90 and 95 lakh tonne. In
the current season, there has been rainfall deficit in the key basmati
producing states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. These factors can translate into
lower paddy production in the current crop season, and thus the paddy prices
are likely to open firm in the upcoming procurement season.
Author Name: http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/business/basmati-exporters-reap-rich-dividends/490976.html
Iran issues tender to buy 30,000 tonnes rice
from India: traders
Iran's state grains buyer GTC has issued an
international tender to buy 30,000 tonnes of rice to be sourced from India,
European traders said on Wednesday.The tender closes on Dec. 12.The rice is
sought in three consignments of 10,000 tonnes for shipment in early 2018, they
said.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/business/2017/nov/01/iran-issues-tender-to-buy-30000-tonnes-rice-from-india-traders-1689315.html
Vietnam shipped 5.05 million tonnes of rice
worth US$2.25 billion in the first ten months of 2017, up 22.3% in volume and
21.1% in value year on year, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development.The country earned US$206 million from exporting 430,000 tonnes of
rice in October alone.From January to October, China remained the biggest
importer of Vietnamese rice when it was the destination of 39.3% of Vietnam’s
exported rice. It is followed by the Philippines (9.6%) and Malaysia (8%).
According to the Vietnam Food Association
(VFA), regional countries’ demand for imported rice will rise sharply in the
last months of the year. The recent serious flooding in Bangladesh damaged
about 1million tonnes of rice in this country, turning the South Asian nation
into a big rice importer with a forecast volume of up to 1.5 million tonnes in
2017.The Philippines’s rice stockpile declined, forcing its Government to step
up purchasing rice. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is predicted to import 650,000 tonnes
of rice this year, compared to just 60,000 tonnes in 2016. African markets are
also recovering their rice import, the association said.Amid positive signs
like a strong increase in the number of contracts registered for export in the
remaining months, the VFA raised the rice export target this year from 5.2
million tonnes to 5.6 million tonnes
Harvesting
rice by using a combine harvester (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam shipped 5.05 million
tonnes of rice worth 2.25 billion USD in the first ten months of 2017, up 22.3
percent in volume and 21.1 percent in value year on year, said the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development. The country earned 206 million USD from
exporting 430,000 tonnes of rice in October alone. From January to October,
China remained the biggest importer of Vietnamese rice when it was the
destination of 39.3 percent of Vietnam’s exported rice. It is followed by the
Philippines (9.6 percent) and Malaysia (8 percent).
According to the Vietnam Food Association
(VFA), regional countries’ demand for imported rice will rise sharply in the
last months of the year. The recent serious flooding in Bangladesh damaged
about 1million tonnes of rice in this country, turning the South Asian nation
into a big rice importer with a forecast volume of up to 1.5 million tonnes in
2017. [Vietnam to reform rice production, improve exports] The Philippines’s
rice stockpile declined, forcing its Government to step up purchasing rice.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is predicted to import
650,000 tonnes of rice this year, compared to just 60,000 tonnes in 2016.
African markets are also recovering their rice import, the association said.
Amid positive signs like a strong increase in the number of contracts
registered for export in the remaining months, the VFA raised the rice export
target this year from 5.2 million tonnes to 5.6 million tonnes.-VNA
https://en.vietnamplus.vn/over-5-million-tonnes-of-rice-exported-in-ten-months/120448.vnp
Four varieties top national rice competition
Four varieties of premium fragrant rice and one
variety of fragrant rice have come out on top at a national rice competition
held yesterday and will be representing the kingdom in this year’s World’s Best
Rice Competition later this month in Macau, China.
he chosen premium fragrant rice varieties were
Phka Rumduol, Phka Rumdeng, Somaly and Phka Knhei, while the fragrant rice was
Sen Kra Oub.Twelve premium fragrant rice varieties, eight brands of fragrant
rice and three types of long grain white rice were entered in the competition,
vying for the title of best rice in Cambodia.The 20-member judge panel was
composed of representatives from the Cambodia Chef Association, the Cambodia
Rice Federation (CRF), the Cambodia Agricultural Research and Development
Institute and a number of other international rice experts, who sampled the
rice for external appearance and taste.
Millers and agricultural communities from
across the nation sent samples of their grain to the competition, said CRF
vice-president Hun Lak.“The competition is very important because it has given
us the opportunity to choose Cambodia’s best rice,” Mr Lak said.
“Now we have a strong contender for the title
of world’s best rice. If we win, our rice will attain even more international
recognition.”The winners of yesterday’s competition will receive their
certificates in an annual rice forum that will take place in mid-November.
CRF president Sok Puthyvuth
applauded the fact that agricultural communities entered the competition,
saying it represents progress for the rice sector.“We are proud this year’s
contest has drawn in agricultural communities, which means they also want their
rice and their millers to be recognised nationally and internationally,” Mr
Puthyvuth said.Cambodian rice variety Phka Rumduol, often called Phka Malis or
Cambodia jasmine rice by millers and traders, won the international competition
from 2012 to 2014, but lost its crown in 2015 to a rice variety from
California.“I cannot say whether or not Cambodia will win the international
contest this year, but I can tell you that, as a sector, we have improved in a
variety of areas, including production efficiency, quality of rice and quality
of packaging,” Mr Puthyvuth said.
Phou Puy, the president of Green
Rice Miller in Battambang province, said participating in the international
contest alone will enhance the reputation of the Cambodian grain.“It is an
important contest and can make our brands be known internationally,” Mr Puy
said.
Mr Puy said purchases of Cambodian
rice will increase following the competition, whether a Cambodian brand comes
out on top or not.“Whether we win or lose, we can expect more orders from
international buyers, as the competition will serve as a window to showcase our
products,” he said.From January to September 2017, Cambodia exported 422,000
tonnes of milled rice, a 16 percent increase compared with the same period a
year earlier.
|
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter
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November
1,2017
Vol 9 Issue XI
|
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Monitor Latest Updates on
www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com
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Rice
News Headlines...
·
Growth in food exports
·
Increasing trade: Govt contemplating FTA with
South Pacific countries
·
Nigeria Customs impounds N5 million poultry
products, 300 bags of rice
·
University researchers collaborate overseas
·
Why North is shifting from groundnut pyramid to
rice pyramid
·
Govt must increase NFA’s buying price
·
Government policies still worry EU businesses
·
N. Korea's grain imports from China dives in
September
·
Korean food imports to UAE reach Dh1.1b in 2017
·
Sleep protein discovery could spark more research
·
Govt avails 300t rice to encourage BVR uptake
·
Prosecutors to seek review of two acquittals in
rice-pledging case
·
4.28 lakh MT paddy lifted
·
USDA Announces Enrollment Period for Safety Net
Coverage in 2018
·
Rice basmati, wheat up on uptick in demand
·
Meera Sodha’s recipe for vegan autumn pilau with
squash, cavolo nero and smoked garlic
·
Autumn pilau with squash, cavolo nero and smoked
garlic
·
World Market Price Meeting Takes Full Advantage of
Capital Setting
·
Album: Chinese agriculture experts in Africa
·
Surface ozone is damaging wheat and rice crops
across the country: StudyPhilRice Negros showcases farm tech in
‘LakbayPalay’
·
Arkansas rice industry unveils new mural on Main
Street Little Rock
·
THAI COMMERCE MINISTRY BEGINS NEW RICE SALE WITH
HIGH HOPES
·
Summer-autumn crop yields 11.5 million tonnes of
rice
·
Rice millers owe 7,500 crore to Punjab
·
Farmers ask FG to maintain ban on rice importation
·
Late rice enters harvest season in Liuzhou, south
China
·
NSW Rice Marketing Board elections announced
·
Summer-autumn crop yields 11.5 million tonnes of
rice
·
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- November 01, 2017
·
Rice millers owe 7,500 crore to Punjab
·
Sri Lanka closes 200,000 Metric Tons int’l rice
tender
·
In a first, India to export rice to Bangladesh as
neighbouring country hit by shortfall
·
Rice to be imported thru' 3 more customs stations
·
Traders urge radical steps to reduce Pak-Afghan
tension
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News Detail... New
blended fertilisers double crop yields – research
By: MICHEL
NKURUNZIZA
·
PUBLISHED: November 02, 2017
·
News
·
Print
·
Email
·
Tweet
·
+1
Uwizeyimana, one of the farmers whose yields increased, shows
how one rice plant has more ears with grains than the other without blended
fertilisers. (Michel Nkurunziza)
More in News
New
blended fertilisers composed of micro-nutrients of Sulphur, Zinc, Boron and Copper
added to NPK have potential to increase average yields of rice to 7 tonnes per
hectare from the current average of 5 tonnes per hectare, research
has shown.
The
results from the research, which started in 2014, were observed during field
tour of farms on which blended fertilisers trials were carried out in Cyunuzi
marshland on 460 hectares in Kirehe District.
The
marshland is owned by 3,222 farmers in Kirehe and Ngoma districts.
The
farmers used to harvest 2,667 tonnes of rice but now expect more produce once
new blended fertilisers start to be applied, according to Patrick Maniraguha,
head of a farmers cooperative COOPRIKI.
The
research is being conducted on rice, Irish potatoes and maize gardens.
It will
be extended to wheat, soya beans and beans, officials said. The exercise is
supported by OCP-Africa, a Moroccan company committed to the development of the
agricultural ecosystem in Africa.
Jeanne
Uwizeyimana, one of the farmers whose pieces of land serve as demonstration
farm, explained the difference between using only NPK and new blended
fertilisers.
“I
used the same rice variety and grew one acre on one side with only NPK and
produced only 60kg while the side where I used the new blended fertilisers
produced 80 kilogrammes of rice,” she said.
Now in
the current plantation where I used only NPK, one plant has ten stems and less
while where I used blended fertilisers, a rice plant has over 20 stems each
with ear of grains,” she told the media and researchers at Cyunuzi marshland.
John
Kayumba, one of the researchers of Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) working on
the project, said that by using new blended fertilisers and urea briquettes,
farmers get additional 2.2 tonnes of rice yields per hectare to the current
average of 5.2 tonnes per hectare.
He said
the cost of new formula is $268.3 per hectare while the current cost without
using new fertiliser formula is $225 per hectare.
This
means that a farmer only needs additional $43.3 (about Rwf30,000) per hectare.
“Additional
cost of investment of Rwf30,000 per hectare by adapting new blended
fertilisers is very little money considering that it helps to add a profit of
up to 2.2 tonnes per hectare,” he explained.
Soil testing and mapping
Telesphore
Ndabamenye, the Head of Crop Production and Food Security Department at RAB,
explained that researchers had to test soil to know the causes of low yields
per hectare and then carry out research on blended fertilisers suitable for
each selected crop and each type of soil in different agro-ecological zones across
the country.
“We
first carried out a test on why crop yields are still low considering that
potential yields per hectare even fall to between two and five tonnes per
hectare. We realised that although we use fertilisers of NPK, there is
micronutrients deficiency in plants due to intensive cultivation and imbalanced
application of fertilisers,” he noted.
He said
they started carrying out research on fertiliser formulas from which the ‘
best recommended blended fertilisers’ were selected which, together
with good varieties of rice seeds and irrigation, increase to even over 8
tonnes per hectares.
He said
the experiment was also carried out in Kanyonyombya and Bugarama marshlands
with rice growing.
“After
successful results from the research, we have to extend to farmers who will be
getting new blended fertilisers on a subsidy scheme. We will soon have a
factory that produces such blended fertilisers in Rwanda,” he said.
He said
a local plant producing fertilisers will reduce cost on imported fertiliser. RAB
imports fertiliser worth over Rwf6.3bn per year.
Peter
Simon Bwire, an agronomist and soil scientist from OCP Africa, who is part of
the research team, said they have been dealing with soil mapping, setting up
fertilisers blending plant, fertiliser formula development, irrigation.
He
said, with new blended fertilisers, they realised that Irish potatoes yields
reached 40 tonnes per hectare while the current average is 25 tonnes per
hectare.
editorial@newtimes.co.rw
http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/222857/
Rice Marketing Board election: Ricegrowers compete for board
The Weekly
Times
November 2,
2017 4:09am
SEVEN rice growers are vying for the
three available directorships on the Rice Marketing Board.
The RMB holds the vesting rights over export rice, and its
objective is to ensure rice growers receive the best return from monopoly
marketing rights managed by SunRice.
And the successful candidates will also serve on the board of
export company SunRice.
Incumbent directors John Braford, from Blighty, and Gillian
Kirkup, from Yanco, are standing for re-election, as well as Numerka organic
mill owner Paul Kayess, Tocumwal grower Ted Hatty and Leeton grower Debbie
Buller.
Former SunRice director Alan Walsh, who lost his bid to retain
his SunRice directorship in August 2015 and is SunRice’s sixth-largest
shareholder, is also a candidate.
Another candidate is rice research and development committee
chairman Ian Mason, who farms between Finley and Jerilderie.
Mr Mason said he was standing for the role because he believed
his involvement in rice research, which includes a decade in his current role
with the rice research body, would be an asset for the RMB.
“(Rice) faces increased competition, that’s why research and
development, marketing and building markets is important,” he said.
“Water is getting more valuable and more scarce, we have to make
sure we have to make rice a profitable crop for growers.”
Paul Kayess is a former rice grower, who has run Organic Harvest
rice mill in Numurkah for the more than 20 years.
And 16 years ago was a loggerheads with the RMB when the
marketing board exercised its power to compulsorily acquire organic rice grown
on his family’s Griffith farm and wouldn’t allow it to be sent to Numurkah to
be processed.
Mr Kayess said he is now licenced to buy rice out of NSW by the
RMB which he said was an “an unnecessary thing” and “organic wheat growers
traders don’t have such restrictions”.
He said he was standing for the RMB board to agitate for
improvements across the industry and “give the board a wider breath of
experience.
“I’ve been in the organic industry for a while and I think there
are people out there that might need to understand it better,” Mr Kayess said.
Ted Hatty at Tocumwal said he would bring his experience on the
NSW Irrigators Council, and as Southern Riverina Irrigators Chair to the RMB.
“I believe we should make sure we are increasing paddy (rice)
price to rice growers and to do that we need to target our marketing,” he said.
“I think I will bring a new perspective and fresh ideas, which I
can bring to the board, (and) add value to the marketing program.”
John Bradford, who was elected two years ago following a vacancy
created when Gerry Lane stepped down, said he found the time on the RMB board
so far “very fulfilling”.
“I’ve been a strong advocate for the rice industry. It’s one of
the best stories to tell in agriculture,” he said.
Mr Bradford who was a staunch opponent of Spanish company Ebro
Food’s takeover bid of SunRice in 2011, said younger growers in the industry
considering the profitability of growing rice rather than other crops.
“(Farmers) use to grow rice because it’s the right thing to do,
but now if the numbers don’t stack up people won’t grow it,” he said.
“There is a competition for water, rice has really good nice
markets and we need to push high end rice markers, and this will make the it
the summer crop of choice.”
The remaining four RMB board members are nominated by the NSW
Minister for Primary Industries.
Voting is by postal ballot and closes on November 20. If growers
do not receive their ballots in the next week they can contact the NSW
Electoral Commission on 02 9290 5924
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/agribusiness/cropping/rice-marketing-board-election-ricegrowers-compete-for-board/news-story/7d1f717f10350961ee2c24c51528769dBurning
issue: Fire as a field prep tool for rice growers
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STUTTGART– Following harvest season, it’s not uncommon to see
plumes of smoke rising in the flatness of the Arkansas Delta. Many of the fires
are intentional with the flames used as a production practice by rice and other
crop producers, said Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist for the
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“Contrary to many beliefs out there, burning of crop residue is
a recommended crop management practice,” Hardke said.
Because crop residue can serve as an effective wintertime
shelter for insects, weeds and disease, “there is a need to burn crop residue
as a means of pest management,” he said. “In addition, hard-to-control weed
species can be eliminated by burning residue. This practice is another tool in
the toolbox for growers to effectively manage their farms.”
Burning is used by rice, wheat, soybean and corn growers. Rice
growers use it the most, with about 25 percent of Arkansas rice fields being
burned. Fire isn’t always necessary, but it’s especially helpful in rice to
manage problematic residue.
“Rice residue can be slow to break down,” Hardke said. “To
prepare the field for the next season, it can be very beneficial to remove
residue by burning, because tillage alone is not always sufficient to remove it
for fall field preparation.”
Waiting on the residue to break down over winter can be a
gamble. Winter conditions can slow breakdown and result in increased tillage
and delayed planting, resulting in increased production costs and lowered
yields in some cases. In fields that cannot rotate to crops other than rice,
excessive remaining residue in the field can be detrimental to the
establishment of the next rice crop.
There are many factors that can affect a burn and the amount of
smoke it produces, including the length of time and weather conditions since
harvest and the way the residue has been managed with tillage equipment. In
many rice fields only 30-40 percent of residue — mostly loose straw — may be
burned. Where the residue has been laid flat to the soil, about 80 percent may
be burned. The amount of moisture or still-green matter left in plant residue
can impact the amount of smoke produced from a burn.
Burning in crop fields can mimic what nature does to prairie
land and other ecosystems, Hardke said.
“If we weren’t here and this was all still prairie, it would
burn and regrow every few years,” he said. “Fire is nature’s way of reducing
residue in some systems and we can continue to use it to our advantage.”
However, burning is not a necessity in every case.
“Nutrients are tied up in residue and some of these can be lost
if residue is burned,” Hardke said. “So, where there is not a definable benefit
for burning, it’s advised to avoid the practice.”
Residue burning has attracted criticism because of its potential
effects on air quality. There are online petitions seeking to end the practice
of burning, and when smoky haze appears around cities and communities,
speculation in social media often points to rice fields.
“To be clear, there are many sources of haze and even low-lying
smoke during different parts of the year,” Hardke said. “In production
agriculture, most farmers make a legitimate effort not to affect any neighbor
when they need to burn a field. However, winds change and inversion conditions
can set in without warning. These are not excuses, just acknowledgement that
sometimes even the best intentions can be overturned by unpredictable
conditions.”
Hardke also said that while research and extension can improve
practices and timing over time,
farmers still need to be able to burn crop residue to
effectively manage their land in many situations.
“We need to work together on solutions in this and many other
agricultural matters today,” he said.
To learn more about effective farmland management, contact your
local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s
mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting
trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural
Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of
Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic
land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the
University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas
and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers
all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race,
color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion,
age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other
legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity
Employer.
http://www.pbcommercial.com/news/20171101/burning-issue-fire-as-field-prep-tool-for-rice-growers
