Chef
Erkan Bektas Wins USA Rice Cooking Competition in Istanbul
Behind the scenes
ISTANBUL, TURKEY -- Chef Erkan Bektas of the Marriott Hotel in
Istanbul was named the winner of the USA Rice Federation's wild rice recipe
competition. Five competitors from
around the country entered more than 80 recipes in the wild rice mix category.USA
Rice collaborated with the Istanbul Chefs Association, and FoodinLife Magazine
to promote the contest in print and via the internet to foodservice
professionals, encouraging them to enter economical, practical, and creative
recipes featuring U.S. wild rice and wild rice mixes.
A panel of judges, including Fikret Özdemir, a national celebrity
chef, whittled the submitted menu entries to five finalists. During the hands-on competition, each
contestant had 90 minutes to prepare a menu using U.S.-grown rice. Winners were selected based on originality
and reproducibility of the menu, plate presentation, and how well the menu
featured U.S. wild rice and U.S. medium-grain rice.
Contact: Eszter Somogyi, 011-49-40-4503-8667
Crawford
to Lead House Commodities and Risk Management Ag Subcommittee
Japan Announces 5th SBS Tender in FY 2014
Announcement: 19 December 2014
Tender:
14 January 2015
Offer details:
Total
30,000 MT
Whole-kernel
(brown or milled) 27,000 MT
Broken
(milled)
3,000 MT
Shipping period: 15
July 2015
CME
Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
CME Group (Prelim): Closing
Rough Rice Futures for December 19
|
DECEMBER 18, 2014 5:06 PM
ET
Sugar,
coffee, fruit juice for babies, oil and salt inside a market subsidized by the
government in Havana on July 11, 2013.
Enrique De La Osa/Reuters/Landov
As you've probably heard — or seen, if you've traveled to Cuba —
food (and, at times, the lack thereof) remains one of the most striking emblems
of Cuba's dysfunctional economic system.
Let's just say that the agreement between Obama and Cuban
President Raul Castro will probably eventually mean big changes for the food
supply in Cuba.But if you're picturing Cubans sipping Frappuccinos at Starbucks
in Havana, or a Carnival cruise ship full of American tourists unloading in the
port and filing into a gleaming new McDonald's, hold your horses.
Such massive changes are, in theory, more possible than they
were on Tuesday, but not before our two governments work out a huge number of
issues embedded in our super complex trade relationship, analysts say.Obama and
Castro's speeches were significant and expansive, says John Kavulich, president
of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, but "the
details are what matter. What people tend to forget is it's not what the U.S.
wants to do to or for Cuba. It's about what Cuba feels is in its
interest."Most Cubans depend on monthly rations (limited amounts of deeply
subsidized food) of rice, beans, coffee and a few other staple foods for their
sustenance.
There's also athriving black market for
food, supplying the wealthy and the foreigners with gourmet items like blue
cheese and smoked salmon smuggled in by suitcase. (I traveled to Cuba in 2003
and 2007, first on a person-to-person license and then on a freelance
journalist visa. Like so many other American visitors, I was utterly bewitched
by the people, the music, the rum. But I lost weight there — probably because
candy bars and other snacks were so hard to come by.)
Of course, Cuba is far more food secure than many of
its similarly impoverished neighbors in Latin America like Honduras and Haiti.
But animal (and fish) protein is in extremely limited supply, and to buy food,
Cubans have to wrestle with a "jigsaw puzzle" —
different markets and currencies for different food products.
Cuba imports about 80 percent of its food, according to
the World Food Program.
That costs the government $2 billion a year, and since 2000, a solid chunk of
the imports have come from the U.S. In 2013, American firms sold $348 million
worth of agricultural goods to Cuba, according to the U.S.-Cuba Trade and
Economic Council. The top three products? Frozen chicken, soybean meal (for
animal feed) and corn.
Wednesday's announcement was not the end of the embargo, of
course. But Obama'snew approach to
Cuba includes "expanded sales and exports of certain goods and services
from the U.S. to Cuba." That includes agricultural products, from
commodities like rice and beans to butter.
Banana growers at a market on the outskirts of
Havana, Cuba, on Sept. 30, 2013. Cuba currently imports few fruits and
vegetables from the U.S., but the American Farm Bureau says the change in
relations may allow for new trade opportunities.
Ramon Espinosa/AP
And for U.S. agricultural producers, the most important part of
Wednesday's announcement was Obama's call to lift restrictions on financial
transactions for food products, says David Salmonsen, a trade specialist with
the American Farm Bureau.Currently,
any agricultural producer who wants to sell to Cuba has to get cash upfront
from the Cuban government before shipping, and the money exchange must be
handled through a third-party bank, which means all kinds of extra transaction
costs.
If the Treasury Department and Commerce Department go along with
Obama's order, then those producers will now be able to do business more
directly with the Cuban government and its banks, says Salmonsen.
Without those extra transaction costs, certain U.S. producers
that don't currently sell to Cuba — like fruit and vegetables producers — may
finally be able to offer the Cuban government a competitive price. Or rice from
the Southeast U.S.: Cuba used to buy it, until we were out-competed by Brazil
and Vietnam.Cargill,
for one, says it's optimistic about the opportunities. So is the American Soybean Association."Depending
on how it develops, it could put our producers back into a more normal trading
relationship with Cuba, so that the whole supply chain evolves, and demand
rises as barriers are reduced and eliminated," says Salmonsen.But as
Kavulich points out, food isn't necessarily Cuba's biggest priority:
Investments in
infrastructure may be more desperately needed.Still, "there are
opportunities" for food companies, he says, but what happens when the
"Cubans say, 'That's all well and good, but we need help with financing?'
The risk of doing business with the Cuban government is huge."Cuba's
government has considerable trade deficits with other nations, but little with
the U.S. If American businesses want to sell more to Cuba, they might find
themselves waiting a while to get paid, he says.
The big trade picture aside, the outlook for Cuban cuisine is
also a bit murky. As Ireported in
2012, Cuban chefs haven't been able to incorporate many modern cooking
techniques, or exotic ingredients. (I don't think sous vides machines can get
past the embargo.) So chefs may have to wait a while before they can import some
of the American ingredients they covet.As Sanchez wrote, Wednesday's
announcement "is just the beginning." It's tempting to get excited
about the future of Cuban food, but "keep the corks in the bottles,"
she says.
China, Thailand boost ties with
deals for rail and rice
BY AMY SAWITTA LEFEVRE AND PAIRAT
TEMPHAIROJANA
BANGKOK
(Reuters) - China will build a rail network in Thailand and buy two million tonnes of its rice
in deals agreed on Friday that signal a strengthening of relations as ties with
the West remain on ice after a May coup in the Southeast Asia country.Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, the most high-profile foreign
leader to come to Thailand since the military seized power, also
announced China would next year double its imports of
Thai agricultural produce, mainly rubber and rice, which the kingdom has been
struggling to shift.
The two countries signed two memorandums of understanding (MoU) on
the sidelines of a regional summit in Bangkok that will see China construct two dual-track rail lines
covering a combined 867 km (542 miles) and buy two million tonnes of rice.The
rice deal could ease pressure on a junta struggling to shift a 17 million ton
stockpile amassed under a controversial buying scheme by the government it
overthrew, a policy that won electoral support but caused the country losses
estimated at $15 billion."This cooperation shows the tight friendship of
the two nations and will help farmers," Li told a news conference during
the two-day Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) summit.
Li's presence in a country now shunned by Western leaders offers
reassurance to a junta seeking international and domestic legitimacy.Some
Western nations imposed sanctions and downgraded ties with Thailand in response to the coup, and
Beijing's charm offensive provides a counterbalance to a tougher U.S. stand
toward its oldest regional ally. Under the junta, Thailand has stepped up engagement with China at a time when Beijing boosts its
influence in Southeast Asia with loans and infrastructure plans expected to
further entrench its economic clout in the region.
China has ambitious
plans to construct rail links from Kunming through Laos to Thailandand the deal agreed in
principle on Friday would include a standard-gauge dual track railway from
Thailand's northeastern Nong Khai to its industrialized eastern
seaboard."China will be
responsible for the construction and development of the rail network
andThailand will take part in
preparing the groundwork for construction,"
Thai Transport Minister Air Chief Marshal Prajin Junthong told reporters.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who led the May putsch,
said Thailand would reclaim its former position as
the world's number one rice exporter in 2015 and the stockpile, only a tenth of
which is of standard quality, would be sold within the next three
years.(Additional reporting by Aukkarapon Niyomyat; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing
by Robert Birsel)
Prime minister
admits 1 million tonne goal is unlikely for rice sector
Fri,
19 December 2014
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday admitted that the government
target of reaching 1 million tonnes of rice exports by 2015 is likely to fail
due to a lack of milling capacity and funding.Speaking at the graduation
ceremony for students at the National Institute of Education yesterday, Hun Sen
said this year’s rice export figure clearly proves that achieving the 1 million
tonne target next year is unlikely.“From January to November, Cambodia exported
only around 330,000 tonnes of rice, very far behind the 1 million tonnes we
planned to achieve,” he said.
The Cambodian government set the target in 2010.The PM blamed
the failure on a lack of investment in rice milling and paddy storage
facilities.“Our rice production has overtaken rice milling capacity. Most of
the rice millers do not have capital to buy paddy and then stock it for export,
which results in Cambodia losing value-added gains for the rice industry,” he
said.
“We cannot ban farmers from selling their paddy to traders as we
do not have the capital to buy paddy for stock,” he added.Citing a report from
the Council Development for Cambodia (CDC), which allegedly shows a number of
approved investments in rice milling facilities, the premier said he was
optimistic that Cambodia’s export capacity would improve in the coming years.
Sok Puthyvuth, president of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF),
and also the son-in-law of Hun Sen, agreed that Cambodia was unlikely to reach
the 1 million tonne target. He said the uncontrollable offloading of rice stock
to buyers had made it a tough year.“There have been problems in funding, which
have left rice millers and exporters unable to stock paddy in large amounts. We
could have achieved a higher export target for this year, but our members are
not confident in entering big deals because of the lack of stock,” he said.
Puthyvuth said the CRF is working to improve infrastructure in
the Kingdom’s rice sector, and is also considering taking out additional loans
to buy paddy to stock in large amounts for export.“With the plan and the loan,
we will hopefully be able to bring the export figure closer to the target next
year,” he added.Last month, the Post reported that the Chinese government had
approved in-principal a $300 million to build a series of warehouses aimed at
assisting the Kingdom’s rice industry with its storage woes.
The loan is to be used to build more than 10 warehouses equipped
with dryers capable of storing at least 1 million tonnes of Cambodia’s paddy.
The facilities will be located along key rural production areas, urban markets
and ports along the country’s value chains.People behind rice scheme will be sued to cover
losses, Prayut says
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/prime-minister-admits-1-million-tonne-goal-unlikely-rice-sector
The Nation December 20, 2014
1:00 am
Puts damage at Bt680 billion, with figure rising by Bt2 billion
a month
The government will take legal action against people deemed
responsible for the Bt680 billion in estimated losses from the rice
price-pledging scheme, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday.The PM
said that even after the remaining 17 million tonnes of rice in the government
stockpile were sold, losses would amount to some Bt680 billion."Legal
action will be taken, particularly involving the Public Sector Anti-Corruption
Commission. Both criminal and civil action will be taken, and compensation for
damages will be sought," Prayut said.He said the Commerce Ministry would
calculate the final amount of damages. "We don't know the exact figure now
because the Commerce Ministry is [still] selling the rice in the government
stock.
"The prime minister said that of the 17 million tonnes of rice
remaining when the post-coup administration started, only 2.35 million were up
to standard. About 700,000 tonnes was in a bad condition while the remainder
was of poor quality.Prayut spoke to the media after chairing a National Rice
Policy Committee meeting.He said the government would attempt to sell all rice
in the stockpile within three years but he was concerned that many prospective
buyers might not be interested. He said the government was aware that
expediting rice sales could lead to a price decrease.
The government is spending more than Bt2 billion a month renting
warehouses to store rice bought under the scrapped pledging scheme, he said.But
the government would attempt to maintain Thailand's status as the world's No.1
rice exporter, following Vietnam's announcement earlier this week of its plan
to become the top exporter. "We will not focus on quantity only - there
must be quality too," he said. "We aim to sell at high prices. All
the parties involved must work together."Yesterday, Thailand and China
signed a memorandum of understanding at Government House for the sale of two
million tonnes of Thai rice to China.Meanwhile, the National Anti-Corruption
Commission is expected to decide early next year whether to pursue a case
against former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom over alleged irregularities
involving the sale of rice, NACC President Panthep Klanarongran said.
Panthep said he had urged the investigation committee, chaired by
Vicha Mahakun, to expedite its work on the case so that a probe report can be
completed before the year-end. "But the NACC is unlikely to decide within
this year. This case is likely to be forwarded to the NACC for a decision early
next year," he said.In a related development, Democrat Party politician
Warong Dechgitvigrom urged the government to review plans to sell rice from its
stock in large lots. He said that by selling rice of different quality
together, prospective buyers would attempt to push down prices and corrupt
officials would benefit from helping buyers prepared to pay bribes get rice at
low prices.
Only
2.35 million of 17 million tonnes of government rice pass standard checking
December 19, 2014 2:57 pm
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said only 2.35 million out of 17
million tonnes of rice in the government stockpile bought under the
rice-pledging scheme passed the standard quality checking.But the rest of rice
was not rotten, Prayut said. He said about 13 million tonnes were still usable
but their quality need to be improved first.Prayut was speaking to reporters
after chairing a meeting of the rice-policy administration committee.
The Nation
Thailand says
China to buy 2 million tonnes of its rice
20140921-reuters-korearice.jpg
BANGKOK - China will buy two million tonnes of rice
from Thailand, the Thai prime minister said on Friday, easing pressure on a
military government struggling to shift a giant stockpile amassed under its
predecessors'controversial buying scheme.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed during
the two-day Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) summit that started in Bangkok on
Friday. Further details would be discussed during the meeting, Prime Minister
Prayuth Chan-ocha told reporters.Thailand, for decades the world's top rice
exporter, has around 17 million tonnes in stockpiles. Only a tenth of this is
of standard quality, according to a state audit. The stocks were accrued under
the state-buying programme of ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's
government.
The scheme caused as much as US$15 billion (S$19.7 billion) in
losses. Farmers were paid well in excess of the market value, pricing Thai rice
out of export markets.There had been several claims by the previous government
of sales to China, none of which were confirmed by the Chinese side. But
China's premier on Friday confirmed a deal had been signed."Both sides
witnessed the signing of the MoU in regards to agricultural produce,"
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told a news conference in Bangkok.Mr Prayuth said
Thailand would reclaim its former position as the world's number one rice
exporter in 2015. The 17 million tonnes currently in stock would be sold within
the next three years, he added.
The government plans to increase domestic rice sales through new
markets for farmers nationwide, he added, without elaborating.Thailand's 5-per
cent benchmark broken rice was at $413 to$415 a tonne on Friday. Vietnam's
asking price was at US$390 to US$395 a tonne.
Democrats
cleared of 2009 rice allegations
Published: 19 Dec 2014 at 18.23
Online news: General
Writer: Online Reporters
Former prime minister and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva
walks in a paddy field in Sukhothai during the 2011 election campaign. (Photo
by Thiti Wannamontha)
The anti-graft body had been investigating allegations of
irregularities against former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, former deputy
premier Trairong Suwannakhiri and former commerce minister Porntiva Nakasai.Mrs
Porntiva had been accused of selling government rice cheaper than market prices
in 2009 and refusing to sell rice to two bidders, Wutthikawee Co and
Singtothong Rice Corporation, that had offered higher quotations.
Former commerce minister
Porntiva Nakasai
Other allegations were made against Mr Abhisit in his capacity as
chairman of the National Rice Policy Committee, Mr Trairong as the deputy
chair, Mrs Porntiva as head of a rice release committee, and Manas Soiphet,
former director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, who headed a rice
release working group.They were accused of inviting exporters with substantial
rice orders to buy government rice instead of calling bids. As well, they
allegedly approved rice sales cheaper than market prices.Mr Trairong and Mr
Manas were also accused of releasing government rice secretly.
As well, Mrs Porntiva allegedly had connections with MT Centertrade
as Veerasak Jinarat, an assistant to the former commerce minister, placed a
25-million-baht cashier's cheque as a guarantee for the company to seal a rice
purchase contract with the Marketing Organisation for Farmers.The cashier's
cheque came from Mr Veerasak's Northeastern Polytechnic College in Ubon
Ratchathani.
The NACC found that bids were not called because doing so would
have had a negative impact on local and international rice prices and could
thus affect the government's sales.Direct invitations to exporters with
substantial orders had been applied in 2003 and had been approved by the
National Rice Policy Committee and the cabinet, the NACC said. The
qualifications of those exporters and the rice orders were required to be
verified.The NACC also found that selling prices were lower than market prices
because buyers were allowed to deduct their rice transport costs and a
depreciation allowance from their quotations. In any case, the prices agreed
were still higher than the median price the government had set.
After the rice sales were approved, it said, information on rice
releases as well as the amounts and prices were kept secret only to protect
prices. The NACC also said it had not
found any evidence to link Mrs Porntiva with the case of Mr Veerasak. However,
it said it would continue to look into the issue and reach a conclusion
soon.The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has cleared senior Democrat
Party figures of wrongdoing in connection with rice sales made in 2009 when the
party led the government.
UN: Rice exports 'near record
high'
Thai
rice exports are expected to reach 10.2 million tonnes by year-end, just
500,000 tonnes shy of 2011's all-time high. Sales from state stocks and the
end of the rice pledging scheme have helped the country to regain its position
as the biggest exporter, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO)."A development dominating the international rice trade this year has
been the resurgence of Thailand as a leading rice exporter, an advance made
possible by key policy changes regarding government market intervention, namely
the suspension of the paddy pledging programme and public stock sales,"
the FAO said Thursday in its last quarterly Rice Market Monitor report of 2014.
"The ensuing restoration of its
competitive edge has permitted Thailand to recapture much of the market share
lost to India and Vietnam over the past two years."The report said
Thailand's rice shipments were expected to surge 54.2% this year from 6.6
million tonnes last month, moving the country past India as the biggest
exporter.The report predicted rice deliveries from India would fall by 5% to 10
million tonnes this year, depressed by a combination of heightened competition
and a reduction in demand for Basmati output.The export outlook is also bleak
for Vietnam, where official deliveries are now projected to remain similar to
2013's depressed level of 6.6 million tonnes.Vietnam is out-priced in Africa
and rivalled by Thailand in important Far East markets such as the Philippines,
Indonesia and Malaysia.
Global paddy production is expected to
drop by 0.2% to 745 million tonnes in the 2014-15 season after a weak monsoon
delayed planting in India, the FAO said.Thailand's paddy production, meanwhile,
is estimated at 37 million tonnes, down by 2.9% from 2013.The global
rice trade is likely to surpass 40 million tonnes this year, primarily on
higher imports by Bangladesh and Guinea.The FAO expects world rice trade of
40.5 million tonnes in calendar 2015 on the continued rise in imports by
countries in Africa, South America and the Caribbean.
By contrast, deliveries are seen falling in
North America and Europe and stabilising at high levels in Asia.In terms of
suppliers, Thailand is expected to dominate the market with deliveries climbing
to new heights.Cambodia, China, Guyana, Myanmar, Pakistan, Paraguay and the US
are also expected to ship more, while deliveries by Argentina, Australia,
Brazil and especially India could be undermined by less attractive prices.
Bangkok Post
What's
new in business news: December 19, 2014
Published: 19 Dec 2014 at 13.33
Online news: At Work
Writer: Jon Fernquest
Resurgence of Thailand as leading rice exporter (free report),
Bangkok 10th most popular for New Years worldwide & Emporium shopping
complex reopens after 3 billion baht makeover. Farmers in Phrom Phiram district
in Phitsanulok province bring in their harvest in September. The Food and
Agriculture Organisation forecasts rice exports from the kingdom to surge next
year. (Post Today photo).
AGRICULTURE
UN: Resurgence of Thailand as a leading rice exporter
Thailand's rice shipments are expected to surge 54.2% this year,
moving the country past India as the biggest exporter. Rice deliveries from
India are expected to fall by 5% to 10 million tonnes, depressed by increased competition and falling demand for
India's Basmati variety of rice. The export outlook is also bleak for Vietnam,
with deliveries projected to remain similar to 2013's low level of 6.6 million
tonnes. Vietnam is out-priced in Africa and rivalled by Thailand in important
Far Eastern markets such as the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. Cambodia,
China, Guyana, Myanmar, Pakistan, Paraguay and the US are also expected to ship
more, while deliveries by Argentina, Australia, Brazil and especially India
could be undermined by less attractive prices.
Global paddy production is expected to drop by 0.2% to 745 million
tonnes in the 2014-15 season after a weak monsoon delayed planting in India.
This year will see higher imports by Bangladesh and Guinea as well as countries
in Africa, South America and the Caribbean whereas deliveries are expected to
fall in North America and Europe and stabilise at high levels in Asia.
Rangpur farmers preparing for
Boro seedling transplantation
RANGPUR, Dec 18 (BSS): The farmers have been taking preparations with
huge enthusiasm to start transplantation of Boro seedlings from January next in
the northern region, officials in the Department of Agricultural Extension
(DAE) said.Meanwhile, they have already started transplantation Boro seedling
in the low-lying lands, beels, haors flood-prone and riverine areas to complete
harvest before commencement of the next rainy season.Horticulture Specialist of
the DAE Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam said the farmers have been continuing
preparation of Boro seedbeds to begin transplantation in full swing in the main
land from middle of January next.
According to the DAE sources, the government has fixed a record target
of producing over 18.9 million tonnes of clean Boro rice from 0.47 million
hectares of land in the country during the current season.The government
through the DAE and concerned agriculture-related departments and organisations
has been providing all necessary assistance to the farmers in making the fixed
Boro cultivation programme successful.Under the programme, 3.16 million tonnes
of hybrid variety Boro rice will be produced from 0.67 million hectares land,
15.71 million tonnes high yielding variety rice from 4.06 million hectares and
10,300 tonnes of local variety Boro rice from 5,000 hectares land this season.
The government, however, has fixed a target of producing over 6.36
million tonne of Boro rice, 33.56 per cent of the fixed national production
target, for the northern region, commonly known as the country's food granary,
this season,The farmers will bring over 1.59 million hectares land under Boro
cultivation in the northern region to attain the fixed farming target and they
have already started preparing seedbeds of Boro rice in full swing everywhere.
Of them, over 1.06 million tonnes hybrid Boro rice will be produced
from more than 0.22 million hectares land, 5.28 million tonnes high yielding
variety rice from over 13.65 hectares and 21,813 tonnes local variety rice from
10,589 hectares land in the northern region.The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture
Development Corporation, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Bangladesh
Agriculture Research Institute, Barind Multipurpose Development Authorities,
Teesta Barrage Project and other organisations have taken steps to make Boro
cultivation programme successful.
Rangpur Regional Acting
Additional Director of the DAE Zulfiquer Haider said comprehensive and well-
coordinated steps have been taken for delivering of the latest technologies to
the farmers for enhancing Boro rice production at lower costs.
KPR 1, 2 variety of paddy is suitable to Kodagu'
Gonikoppa, Dec 19, 2014, DHNS
Ponnampet Agricultural Research
Station has been conducting research on varieties of paddy developed by
Directorate of Rice Research, Hyderabad, This year, it has conducted test on
184 varieties of paddy.
The station has been conducting research on paddy that
are suitable for cultivating using water from canals, Malnad, Plateau region. The Directorate of Rice Research
conducts study on paddy which are suitable for various climate and recommends
for its cultivation. The Ponnampet Research Station through its research have
found that KPR 1 and KPR 2 variety of paddy are suitable to hilly region and
rain-fed farming in Kodagu.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, senior subject expert B
Manjunath said that scientists were recommending Thunga variety for Kodagu. As
as alternative to Tunga, KPR 1 and KPR 2 varieties have been developed.
These two varieties have resistance to 'paddy blast' or 'benki roga.' The
varieties will be released during next June. KPR 1 variety grows 110 to 115 centimetre
long. Farmers can harvest within 145 days of harvest. The yield per
hectare is 55 to 60 quintal.
On the other hand, KPR2 is a small paddy variety. The
rice is known for its aroma. The paddy grows 90 cm long. There is good demand
for this fragrance paddy. Progressive farmers like Suju Karumbaiah, S C
Thimmaiah, K M Poovaiah, K M Dali Changalla have cultivated this variety in
Kodagu. “The centre has been guiding the farmers on new paddy varieties
and its cultivation. The centre also guides farmers in dairy farming,
pisciculture, piggery, and pepper cultivation by taking up extension
activities,” said
Arkansas Rice, Poultry Industries
May Benefit From Obama’s Cuba Policy
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS / In this handout photo provided by Jill
Zuckman, Alan Gross, facing camera, is hugged by Tim Rieser, an aide to Sen.
Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.,
upon his arrival from Cuba. Gross's wife Judy is at left, Rep. Jim McGovern,
D-Mass. is at right. (AP Photo/Jill Zuckman)
By
Peter Urban
Stephens Washington Bureau purban@stephensmedia.com
WASHINGTON
— President Barack Obama’s move to normalize relations with Cuba could prove to
be an economic boon to Arkansas’ rice and poultry industries.Although a
longstanding U.S. economic embargo on Cuba can only be lifted by Congress,
Obama plans to expand economic ties with the island nation that sits 90 miles
off the Florida coast, including easing financial regulations that proved a
roadblock to agricultural exports that otherwise have been permitted for more
than a decade.
“Certainly,
there is a great deal of interest in the details of this proposal,” said Ben
Noble, director of the Arkansas Rice Federation.Cuba was a top importer of
U.S.-grown rice before the 1962 embargo. American rice growers resumed trade in
2000 after Congress passed legislation permitting food and drug exports to
Cuba, and by 2004 the U.S. was exporting more than 176,000 metric tons of rice
there annually. That trade came to an end after the Bush administration
tightened trade financing rules that were cost prohibitive.
The
White House on Wednesday said it would do away with the Bush-era financing
restrictions and go back to the system that had allowed U.S. agricultural goods
to be sold to Cuba.“I believe that American businesses should not be put at a
disadvantage, and that increased commerce is good for Americans and for
Cubans,” Obama said in a televised address Wednesday. “So we will facilitate
authorized transactions between the United States and Cuba. U.S. financial
institutions will be allowed to open accounts at Cuban financial institutions.
And it will be easier for U.S. exporters to sell goods in Cuba.”Noble said rice
growers have been seeking a legislative fix for nearly a decade in the hopes of
restoring a potentially important export market.
“With
Cuba being a very large consumer of rice and being so close to Arkansas, it
could be a significant trading partner,” he said.Arkansas could add nearly $80
million annually to its economy through trade with Cuba, according to Eric
Wailes, a professor of agricultural economics at the University of Arkansas at
Fayetteville.“It is a significant development,” he said.
Cuba
imported more than 400 metric tons of rice last year, mostly from Vietnam as
well as Brazil. The United States should reasonably be expected to secure a
quarter of the Cuban import market, or 100 metric tons, Wailes said. That would
provide about $80 million in direct, indirect and induced benefits to the
Arkansas rice economy.Rick Bransford, president of the Agricultural Council of Arkansas,
said he hoped the president’s announcement will lead to more open trade with
Cuba.
“Cuba
could and should be a major export market for Arkansas produced agricultural
goods. While we are still learning about the full impact of the recently
announced agreement between the U.S. and Cuba, we believe we are one step
closer to more normalized trade with this important market for Arkansas rice
and other Arkansas commodities,” Bransford said.
Sen.
John Boozman, R-Ark., welcomed Obama’s effort to normalize relations with
Cuba.“What we have done for decades simply hasn’t worked,” Boozman said. “When
we have trade and commerce, we also trade ideas. And, to be consistent, we
trade now with a lot worse when it comes to human rights.”Boozman said the
easing of trade restrictions would be a particular benefit to Arkansas, noting
that Cuba would be a significant market for rice as well as poultry raised in
Arkansas.http://swtimes.com/news/state-news/arkansas-rice-poultry-industries-may-benefit-obama-s-cuba-policy
Source with thanks: http://swtimes.com/news/state-news/arkansas-rice-poultry-industries-may-benefit-obama-s-cuba-policy#sthash.xYeg8t6k.dpuf
Rice millers’ problems to be
solved on Dec 29’
PATNA: Chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Wednesday said the
longstanding problems of the rice millers would be solved at the entrepreneurs
(udyami) panchayat scheduled for December 29.Speaking at a conference of Bihar state rice millers association at the S K Memorial
Hall, Manjhi promised to solve their problems instantly, but finance minister
Bijendra Prasad Yadav said the announcements with financial implications can't
be implemented instantly.
The CM said he solved the problems of homeguards and the policemen on a single day and gave instant instructions to the officers regarding their longstanding demands. He said Bihar has 3,000 rice mills, yet the state imports rice from Punjab and Haryana. "The government proposes to procure 24 MT of rice from next year against 18 lakh MT this year. The state food corporation's godowns have the storage capacity for only 11 MT. This has to be increased," the CM said. He asked the industrialists to create job opportunities in Bihar itself so that local youths do not need to go outside Bihar in search of employment. He assured government assistance to the entrepreneurs.
The CM said he solved the problems of homeguards and the policemen on a single day and gave instant instructions to the officers regarding their longstanding demands. He said Bihar has 3,000 rice mills, yet the state imports rice from Punjab and Haryana. "The government proposes to procure 24 MT of rice from next year against 18 lakh MT this year. The state food corporation's godowns have the storage capacity for only 11 MT. This has to be increased," the CM said. He asked the industrialists to create job opportunities in Bihar itself so that local youths do not need to go outside Bihar in search of employment. He assured government assistance to the entrepreneurs.
Source with
thanks: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Rice-millers-problems-to-be-solved-on-Dec-29/articleshow/45553894.cms
Fin Min asks states to clear CCL
dues before seeking loans for foodgrains
Decision taken after a meeting with
representatives of PSBs, states, primarily Punjab, FCI and RBI
Anindita Dey | Mumbai
December 18, 2014 Last Updated at 13:58 IST
This cash credit limit has been
sanctioned in favour of State of Punjab with a direction to clear the pending
dues of previous cash credit limits first. Further the ministry has also sought
data from all states during non closure previous cash credit limit account for
credit given for off take of foodgrains.Normally, the paddy procurement is done
by two routes that is Customed Milled Rice (CMR) and through Levy route. For procurement through Levy
route, levy rice limit has been restricted up to maximum 25% of the rice
purchased or processed or held by the millers/dealers all over the country with
effect from 1st October 2014 onwards.
Levy rice means the paddy purchased by
a rice miller with his own resources and as per the current policy, 25% of the
total rice processed will be procured by the procurement agencies.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/fin-min-asks-states-to-clear-ccl-dues-before-seeking-loans-for-foodgrains-114121800456_1.html
