Today Rice News Headlines...
·
BPL families set to get subsidized sugar soon
·
USA Rice Outlines 2016 Legislative Priorities
·
APEDA Rice commodity News
·
Educational opportunities at Mid-South Farm
& Gin Show
·
Chhattisgarh develops rice variety to fight
malnutrition, drought
·
Arkansas Crop Production Down For Most 2015
Commodities
·
Three executives and four firms indicted in
fake G-to-G rice deal
·
Top 10 this week: Beltwide, El NiƱo, hybrid
rice, flooding, more
·
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-Jan 14
·
Asia races to find drought-resistant rice
·
Rice millers to be charged over pledging scheme
·
Coming up with right varieties crucial to
tropical Queensland's rice future, Rice Research Australia manager says
·
Brunei Develops Inbred Drought-Tolerant and
High Yielding Rice Variety
·
Commodities Buzz : Vietnam Reduces Rice
Cultivation Area For 2016
·
Rice millers to be charged over pledging scheme
·
Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
·
Seaweed Extract May Boost Rice Production
·
N10billion investment expected in Cross River
rice project
News Detail...
BPL families set to get subsidized sugar soon
Vithika
Salomi | TNN | Jan 14, 2016, 10.38 PM IST
Patna: The Bihar government will soon provide subsidized sugar to BPL
families in the state covered under the National Food Security Act (FSA). State
food and consumer protection minister Madan Sahni said though the modalities
are still to be finalized, every poor family will get about 1.5kg of sugar per
month for Rs 18.50.Addressing a press meet, Sahni said, "Till now, only
subsidized wheat, rice and kerosene were made available to the FSA
beneficiaries. But, very soon, the government will also provide sugar to them,
so that the poor too can prepare sweet dishes."Attacking the opposition
parties for trying to corner the government on paddy procurement, Sahni said,
"We have set a target of 30 lakh tonnes. Till date, about 60,000 tonnes of
paddy have been procured. The figures are better than last year and we will
achieve the target by the end of the procurement season." The government
has also formed a team to look into any irregularities or complaints related to
paddy procurement.The state government had dues outstanding with 2,024 rice
millers. Of them, FIRs have been lodged against 1,197, while 199 have been
arrested, 836 surrendered and speedy trial is underway against 95. "A
total of Rs 1,583.29 crore was due with the millers, of which Rs 241.46 crore
has been paid by 331 millers," Sahni said and added that no work will be
taken from the defaulting millers. "More than 1,800 other millers have
registered this year and offered their services to the government."At
present, about 8.57 crore people in Bihar are covered under the FSA and anyone
whose ration card is yet to be made can get it made at the RTPS (Right To
Public Service) counters across the state.
"We are also working to link the ration card of
beneficiaries with their Aadhaar numbers, besides introducing new PDS control
in the next one or two months to plug all the loopholes in the FSA," state
food and consumer protection secretary Pankaj Kumar said and added that the
ration coupon scheme has been received well by the people.The department will
also distribute Android-based mobile phones to its officials at the block,
district and state level so that they can monitor PDS and update the inspection
inputs in real time.
Refuting the claims that Food Corporation of India
(FCI) has been asked not to procure paddy, Sahni said, "Since farmers are
closely associated with primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS), the
state government has decided that 90% procurement should be done by PACS and
'Vyapar Mandal', while FCI will do the remaining 10% procurement."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/BPL-families-set-to-get-subsidized-sugar-soon/articleshow/50582263.cms
USA Rice Outlines 2016 Legislative Priorities
WASHINGTON, DC -- After nearly a month-long recess, the U.S.
Senate returned to the Capitolon Monday following their counterparts in the House of Representatives who
kicked off their legislative year the previous week.As Congress begins work on
their legislative agenda, USA Rice is finalizing priorities and planning for
the year ahead.Ben Mosely, USA Rice vice president of government affairs,
shared his thoughts on what the industry will focus on in 2016, saying,
"Obviously, protecting the great work we accomplished in the 2014 Farm
Bill will be a strong priority for us.
With such a weak farm economy, the Title I (Commodity
Title) safety net programs built into the Farm Bill are all that's keeping some
producers in business until the markets make a turn for the better."On the
same note, reducing the burden on rice operations that will result from the new
Actively Engaged in Farming regulations will be near the top of our list.
In addition, we are continuously advocating for the Market Access Program and
Foreign Market Development funding that are vital to the industry and have
proven to be well worth the investment by Congress."
In addition to Farm Bill-related legislation,
Mosely mentioned several other priorities for the rice industry: "We
want to ensure that global rice trade is being legitimately regulated by the
World Trade Organization in a fair and legal fashion, and we need to press for
policies that will reverse the trend of U.S. exports losing market share to the
bad actors. USA Rice will remain the leader in calling for a lifting of
the trade embargo between the U.S. and Cuba to help reopen an important rice
market. Keeping in-kind food aid contributions at their current levels is
another battle we're constantly engaged in, especially considering fortified
rice was developed for food aid programs and is currently underutilized.
Also in the trade arena, while it looks as if the much ballyhooed Trans Pacific
Partnership is moving to Congress's back burner and likely won't see action until
after the 2016 elections, USA Rice will continue to monitor the deal and its
implications for U.S. rice."
Other priorities for USA Rice include reducing
the regulatory burden on U.S. agriculture by legislation such as the Waters of
the U.S. (WOTUS) and other overly-duplicative EPA regulations. We will
continue to support the sound tax provisions made permanent in 2015 for Section
179 and bonus depreciation that incentivize equipment and construction
investments and generate jobs on and off farms.
USA rice daily
APEDA
Rice commodity News
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Educational opportunities at Mid-South Farm & Gin Show
Feb. 26-27, Memphis
Jan 13, 2016 | Delta Farm Press
The Mid-South Ag Forum: “Profitability and Stewardship
Together – Through Technology” will be held Friday, Feb. 26, at 1:30 p.m.
Featured speakers include Mike Daniels, environmental management specialist,
University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service;
Bill Robertson, professor, cotton Extension agronomist, University of Arkansas
Division of Agriculture, Newport, Ark.; and Steve Stevens, farmer, Desha
County, Ark.
“At this seminar, you can learn from Extension specialists and
farmers who are seeing results about production techniques that enhance
profitability while protecting and enhancing natural resources,” Price says.
Southern Corn Production Success – 486 bushels per acre and counting!This seminar, to be held at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 27, will
feature Valdosta, Ga., grower Randy Dowdy, the 2015 National Corn Growers
Association corn yield contest winner, who will discuss the production
strategies he follows that focus on maximizing corn yield by minimizing the
stress plants experience throughout the growing season.“His forward-thinking
approach to corn production challenges traditionally accepted practices and
focuses on extracting as much yield as possible from each planted seed,” Price
says. “This seminar will cover Understanding Plant Physiology and Components of
Yield, Capturing Genetic Yield Potential, Alleviating Inevitable Stress a Plant
May Face, Nutrient Uptake: Understanding Timing vs. Availability, and Stepping
Outside Your Comfort Zone.
Special rice marketing seminar: “What a Rice Farmer Needs to Know to Prosper,” will be held
Saturday, Feb. 17, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Milo Hamilton, co-founder and senior
agricultural economist of Firstgrain, Inc., will be the speaker. “The formation
of the rice price in the Delta is not well understood, “ Price says. “Rice
futures are an Americas, not an Asian contract, and a lot of the hype and worry
are misdirected. Climate trends, water, and relative value of rice to other
things will drive the acreage planted in the U.S. and the profitability of
growing rice in Brazil or Arkansas.”All special seminars will be held in the
mezzanine level meeting room of the Cook Convention Center.
Farmers interested in attending these sessions should
pre-register for the show by visiting the Farm and Gin Show website (www.farmandginshow.com).
Click on “Attendee Registration,” complete the form, and print out the
confirmation form. Take that form to the show and staff on-site will help
complete the process and provide a name badge for entry onto the show floor.
Show hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday. More information is available at www.farmandginshow.com.
http://deltafarmpress.com/soybeans/educational-opportunities-mid-south-farm-gin-show
Chhattisgarh
develops rice variety to fight malnutrition, drought
Zinc
Rice-1 is first zinc bio-fortified rice variety in country
R
Krishna Das | Raipur
January
15, 2016 Last Updated at 13:15 IST
Chhattisgarh’s
agriculture scientists have developed a rice variety with high zinc content
that would be of great use to deal with the malnutrition. A team of researchers from Raipur-based
Indira Gandhi Agriculture University (IGAU)-led by Professor Girish Chandel
have explored the two varieties of high zinc rice of which one has been
recently released. The variety had been named “Chhattisgarh Zinc Rice-1”, the
first zinc bio-fortified rice variety in country. “The variety discovered with
the rich zinc content will have a maturity period of 110 days and will be
suitable in adverse climatic condition,” Chandel told Business Standard. Even
in the drought condition, the variety would give a good yield, he said, adding
that the productivity of the paddy is expected to be about 50 quintal per
hectare.
The
proposal had been sent to the Central Variety Release Committee (CVRC) for the
notification of the seed that had already been approved by the state-level
committee facilitating its distribution within the state.The authorities had
distributed seeds to 2,500 farmers across the state of Chhattisgarh for trial
and response from the farmers. After getting the approval, the commercial
production of seed would start for distribution beyond state boundary.
According
to Chandel, the zinc content in the paddy variety would vary from 22-24 parts
per million (PPM) that would be about 8-9 PPM more than the regular variety
available in the country. He added that the rice variety would be helpful for
the government campaign against malnutrition as a small proportion of zinc
content in food makes big difference in the health condition.
Medical
researchers had underlined that zinc is most famous for its immune-boosting perks.
It helps balance body’s response to infection, besides preventing
out-of-control inflammation.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/chhattisgarh-finds-rice-variety-to-fight-malnutrition-drought-116011500347_1.html
Arkansas Crop Production Down For Most 2015 Commodities
Published 01/14 2016 08:50AM
Updated 01/14 2016 08:50AM
LITTLE
ROCK, AR
The National Agricultural Statistics Service of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday issued its Crop Production 2015
Summary and for Arkansas, growers saw decreases in acres harvested, average
yield and total production in corn, cotton, long grain rice and soybeans. In
2014, corn, rice and soybeans all saw record high yield numbers.
By the numbers
CORN -- Arkansas corn production fell almost 20
percent, from about 99.1 million bushels to about 80.5 million. Nationally, the
crop dropped 4 percent from 2014 production numbers. Corn was harvested from
445,000 acres, down 16 percent from last year. Yield was estimated at 181
bushels per acre, down six from the previous year's record high.
COTTON -- Arkansas cotton production dropped 40 percent
to 475,000 bales, a record low. Nationally, cotton production dropped 21
percent from 2014. Acres harvested dropped to 205,000 acres, down 40 percent
from the previous year, and an all-time low. The crop yield was estimated at
1,112 pounds per acre, down 33 pounds from the previous year.SORGHUM - The
state's grain sorghum production experienced a gain of 169 percent to about
43.1 million -reflecting the 167 percent increase in acres planted over 2014 to
440,000. Stiles said that as market prices for grain sorghum have collapsed
over the last year, growers were likely reduce their sorghum acreage back to
2014 levels, when growers harvested 165,000 acres of the grain. Sorghum yield
was pegged at 98 bushels per acre, up one bushel from 2014.
SOYBEANS -- Arkansas soybeans did not meet NASS
forecasts of another record year for yields, fell slightly from 2014 in acres
harvested, average yield and production. Growers produced about 155.3 million
bushels of soybeans, down 2 percent from adjusted 2014 numbers. Nationally,
soybeans production increased slightly. Yield was estimated at 49 bushels per
acre, down a half bushel from the previous year's record high.RICE -- Overall
Arkansas rice production, which includes both long grain and medium grain rice,
fell 16 percent from 2014 numbers to 94.3 million hundredweight. While medium
grain rice increased from 214,000 acres harvested in 2014 to 240,000 acres,
long grain rice dropped about 20 percent from about 1.27 million acres to about
1 million acres harvested in 2015. Nationally, rice production fell 13 percent
from 2014.
Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist for the
division, said that although production has fallen, and U.S. rice stocks are
reportedly the lowest they've been in eight years, the commodity price will
likely continue to remain relatively low, and will not likely change Arkansas
growers' current decisions regarding acreage allocations one way or the
other.
http://www.nwahomepage.com/news/arkansas-crop-production-down-for-most-2015-commodities
Three executives and four firms indicted in
fake G-to-G rice deal
Three executives and four firms
indicted in fake G-to-G rice deal
BANGKOK: — Three executives and
four companies were today (Wednesday) indicted by the Office of the
Attorney-General in the Supreme Court’s criminal division for political office
holders for their alleged involvement in corruption in the rice pledging scheme
of the Pheu Thai-led government.
Named as defendants in the fake G-to-G rice deal with a Chinese
company, Guangdong Stationery & Sporting Goods Corp, are Kitthavee
Yasothorn rice mill limited partnership, Kitthavee Yasothorn Rice Company, KMC
Inter Rice 2002, Jia Meng Company and their three executives namely Mr Thavee
Artsamat, Mr Pakorn Leesirikul and Mrs Prapit Manatunya. Deputy attorney-general Chutichai
Sakhakorn alleged that the seven defendants bought rice from the External Trade
Department for export to the Chinese firm but the rice were not actually
exported and were sold locally instead.
He said that the OAG had sufficient evidences to prove the seven
defendant’ wrongdoings and the damages caused to the state.He also said that
the case against the seven defendants was linked to another case earlier
brought by the OAG against former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and 20
associates and many of the witnesses of the two cases are the same group of
people. Hence, he asked the court
to combine the two cases as one.Regarding the Chinese firm and six Chinese
nationals implicated in the fake rice deal with China, Mr Chutichai said the
case was not completed yet. Moreover, there is a problem of notifying them
about the charges against them because they are living in China.
Source:
http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/three-executives-and-four-firms-indicted-in-fake-g-to-g-rice-deal
http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/three-executives-and-four-firms-indicted-in-fake-g-to-g-rice-deal/128049/
Top 10 this week: Beltwide, El NiƱo, hybrid rice, flooding, more
Jan
14, 2016 | Delta Farm Press
The 'Godzilla' El NiƱo and the flooded Mississippi River
dominated much of the news during the past week. Also popular with Delta Farm
Press readers was information coming out of this year's Beltwide Cotton
Conferences, including a look at the state of the industry and market
prospects. And be sure to check out editor Hembree Brandon's popular blog about
the never-ending conspiracies attached to agriculture.
10. Monster weeds: It’s all a plot by evil chemical companies (not!)
Agriculture has become a fertile ground for conspiracists, who alas, often
include some in the mainstream media who employ misrepresentation or
exaggeration to make a story more dramatic or credible. One can only
wonder if it is not somehow wired into our genetic makeup, the willingness with
which we accept the existence of conspiracies.
8. Growers could see
pricing opportunities for 2016 cotton Jarral Neeper,
president of Calcot Ltd., Bakersfield, Calif., says cotton futures could reach
the low 70s if a stronger El NiƱo reduces production to 96 to 98 million bales
in 2016. Such a reduction could push world ending stocks below 90 million bales
for the first time in years.
6. Strong El NiƱo could reduce U.S. cotton production, exports Under
normal circumstances, Calcot’s Jarral Neeper says he would expect U.S. cotton
acres to increase from last year’s 8.55 million to 9.15 million in 2016. Those
estimates seem to be changing daily, but Neeper believes those who think the
2016 figure could be closer to 11 million acres are way off course.
4. Mississippi River crest pushes through Mid-South As
the Mississippi River crest moved through the Mid-South, it wasn't expected to
cause the devastation once feared. “From what I understand this is the
third-highest volume of water on record,” says Arkansas Rep. Rick Crawford.
“That’s the bad news.
3. ‘Godzilla’ El Nino
could put excitement back in 2016 cotton market How strong will it be? That has
become the question of the year or maybe the decade for folks in the western
half of the U.S. But it could also have a major impact on how much cotton the
world’s farmers produce in the coming year.
2. Cotton industry looking for ways to avoid economic disaster Over the decades, cotton’s leaders
have managed to pull a number of “rabbits out of their hats” just when it
seemed the industry was going down for the count because of a combination of
low prices, pest problems or high input costs. Has the cotton industry done the
impossible again in its efforts to address the economic woes that currently
beset U.S. cotton?
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/top-10-week-beltwide-el-ni-o-hybrid-rice-flooding-more
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-Jan 14
Nagpur,
Jan 14 Gram and tuar prices recovered strongly in Nagpur Agriculture Produce
and
Marketing Committee (APMC) here good seasonal demand from local millers amid
thin supply
from
producing regions. Reports about weak production in this season, fersh rise in
Madhya
Pradesh
pulses and reported demand from South-based millers also pushd up prices,
according to
sources.
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Gram mill quality reported higher in open
market on increased demand from local
traders amid restricted supply from producing
regions.
TUAR
* Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market
here matching the demand and supply
position.
* Watana dal firmed up in open market on
good festival season demand from local
traders amid weak supply from producing
regions.
* In Akola, Tuar New - 8,400-8,700, Tuar dal
New - 13,700-14,300, Udid -
12,600-13,100, Udid Mogar (clean) -
14,800-17,000, Moong -
8,600-8,800, Moong Mogar (clean)
9,800-10,100, Gram - 4,300-4,500,
Gram Super best bold - 5,800-6,200 for 100
kg.
* Wheat, rice and other commodities moved in
a narrow range in
scattered deals, settled at last levels.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market
prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 4,000-4,790 3,800-4,600
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 7,700-9,280 7,700-9,200
Moong Auction n.a. 6,400-6,600
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Gram Super Best Bold 6,000-6,500 6,000-6,500
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 5,700-5,800 5,700-5,800
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 4,750-4,950 4,700-4,900
Desi gram Raw 4,750-4,900 4,750-4,900
Gram Filter new 5,100-5,300 5,100-5,300
Gram Kabuli 5,800-7,800 5,800-7,800
Gram Pink 6,300-7,200 6,300-7,300
Tuar Fataka Best-New 14,100-14,600 14,100-14,600
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 13,200-13,800 13,200-13,800
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 12,500-12,800 12,500-12,800
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 11,000-12,000 11,000-12,000
Tuar Gavarani New 9,000-9,100 9,000-9,100
Tuar Karnataka 9,600-9,700 9,600-9,700
Tuar Black 14,900-15,300 14,900-15,300
Masoor dal best 6,500-6,800 6,500-6,800
Masoor dal medium 6,100-6,300 6,100-6,300
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold 9,600-10,500 9,600-10,500
Moong Mogar Med 9,000-9,700 9,000-9,700
Moong dal Chilka 8,500-9,500 8,500-9,500
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 8,500-8,700 8,500-8,700
Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 15,000-17,500 15,000-17,500
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 12,300-14,800 12,300-14,800
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 9,400-10,700 9,400-10,700
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,700-6,100 5,700-6,100
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,400-4,850 4,400-4,850
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,250-3,400 3,200-3,350
Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,400 3,200-3,400
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,800 3,300-3,800
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 1,675-1,775 1,675-1,775
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,650-1,850 1,650-1,850
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,450 2,100-2,450
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,950-2,200 1,950-2,200
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,600-3,950 3,600-3,950
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,200 3,000-3,200
Rice BPT best New(100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,850 2,600-2,850
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,300 2,100-2,300
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,000 1,800-2,000
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,450 2,200-2,450
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 1,850-2,250 1,850-2,250
Rice HMT best New (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,400 3,100-3,400
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,900 2,600-2,900
Rice Shriram best New(100 INR/KG) 4,400-4,500 4,400-4,500
Rice HMT medium New(100 INR/KG) 3,700-4,000 3,700-4,000
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,800-11,700 9,800-11,700
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,800-8,000 7,800-8,000
Rice Chinnor best New(100 INR/KG) 4,600-4,850 4,600-4,850
Rice Chinnor med. New (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,400 4,000-4,400
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,200 1,800-2,200
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800
WEATHER
(NAGPUR)
Maximum
temp. 29.2 degree Celsius (84.5 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
12.2
degree Celsius (53.9 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity:
Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.
Rainfall
: n.a.
FORECAST:
Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 29 and 13
degreeCelsius respectively.
Note:
n.a.--not available
(For
oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, butincluded in
market prices.)
Asia
races to find drought-resistant rice
Amy Kazmin
The monsoon rains are essential for
growing rice in India, but their inconsistency affects productionHalf of all
people in the world, mostly those living in Asia, depend on rice as a staple
food, eaten up to three times a day.But, compared with other food grains, global production of rice has always been finely balanced
against demand, with little surplus traded on the market. As Asian weather
patterns, especially the distribution of monsoon rains, become more erratic due
to climate change, policymakers are concerned about the stability of global
rice production and the long-term welfare of rice farmers and consumers.
FirstFT is our new essential daily email briefing of the best stories
from across the web
The
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), based in the Philippines, is
working to develop seeds for new rice varieties that will be able to resist the
kind of climate stresses, such as floods, drought and soil salinity, that are
expected to become more frequent due to global warming.
Flood-resistant
rice strains, whose development by the IRRI started in the late 1970s, are
already paying off in India, Bangladesh and Nepal, where millions of farmers
now grow rice varieties that can survive total submergence in water for between
14 and 20 days. Previously popular high-yielding rice varieties would be
destroyed after just four or five days under water.
Uma Shankar Singh, who leads the
IRRI mission in India and Nepal, says researchers are also making progress in
developing drought-resistant rice varieties, which could be available to
farmers within a few years.
“The
world talks about climate change adaptation, but we hardly have anything to
show on the ground,” says Mr Singh, the regional co-ordinator for IRRI’s Stress
Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia (STRASA) project, which is funded by
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “This is a direct example.”
Climatic
stress is acute in South Asia, home to about 37 per cent of the world’s
rice-growing area and prone to floods, drought, salinity, or some combination
of those problems. Floods are increasingly frequent, but so are periods of
severe dryness during monsoon seasons. Many days can go by between rains, a
contrast to the predictable daily downpours that older farmers say they
remember. “It’s not that the total amount of rainfall has changed,” says Mr
Singh. “But its uneven distribution is creating both flood and
drought.”Rice-consuming countries saw the impact of disruptions in the global
supply of rice in 2008, when Bangladesh, the Philippines and parts of west
Africa all suffered food riots triggered by spiralling global rice prices that had jumped 300 per cent, from $300 to $1,200 per ton, over
four months.
Aquaponics: the
future of food?
A warehouse in east London is the scene of a cutting-edge experiment in urban farming
A warehouse in east London is the scene of a cutting-edge experiment in urban farming
Fight against hunger
leaves some behind
800m children are undernourished but campaigners voice confidence
800m children are undernourished but campaigners voice confidence
Edible insect farms
strive for scale
Old production methods are being rethought to increase output
Old production methods are being rethought to increase output
The price spike had several causes,
one of which was the imposition of export
restrictions by
India. Another factor was panic buying by several large rice-consuming
countries including Bangladesh, which was facing a rice shortage after severe
flooding in the summer of 2007 caused damage to 2.2m acres of cropland.In fact,
global rice stocks were not very low at the time and both the panic and prices
subsided after a few months. But it was a warning about the kind of global
ripple effect that could ensue should a shortfall occur. “There is not much
surplus rice for the international trade,” says Mr Singh. “If there is any
serious flood in China or India, no one can supply the rice. What rice is
produced is consumed; the situation is tight.”
IRRI’s
plan to develop rice that can tolerate extreme weather relies on a bank of
seeds from around 127,000 traditionally cultivated rice varieties, known as “landraces”,
as well as on wild rice collected from around the world.Many of the traditional
varieties are disdained by contemporary farmers due to low-yields or poor grain
quality. But, having adapted over centuries in various climactic conditions,
some have evolved to be able to withstand local climactic stresses.Abdelbagi
Ismail, head of the STRASA project, describes IRRI’s seed bank as “a treasure
collected from all over the world, adding: “It has all the diversity and all
the traits we look for in rice.”For decades, IRRI scientists had searched for
rice varieties that could combine the genes required for flood tolerance with
those of other high-yield varieties developed during the Green Revolution of
the 1960s, which transformed wheat and rice farming in irrigated parts of north
India.
Then,
in 2002, researchers identified the precise gene in a landrace from eastern
India that allowed it to survive a submergence of up to 20 days. By 2006, IRRI
had combined that gene with a popular high-yielding rice variety and had
provided 200 grammes of the seed to the Indian government’s own rice research
institute. By 2013, nearly 5m Indian farmers had some fields planted with this
flood-tolerant rice, covering about 1.7 to 2m hectares in total.The institute
is now using similar methods in its effort to develop drought-resistant rice
and the process has been accelerated by recent developments in genetic mapping.
“We are now testing lines that are both drought and flood tolerant,” Mr Singh
says. “We must make a variety that can tolerate any condition.”It’s not
that the total amount of rainfall has changed, but its uneven distribution is
creating both flood and drought
-
Uma Shankar Singh, leader of the IRRI mission in India and Nepal
The
challenge is not merely scientific, but also political and logistical. South
Asian governments must approve new seed varieties, then distribute these seeds
to farmers, who must in turn be educated about their benefits and correct
use.In the past, regional governments have subjected new IRRI seed varieties to
years of additional testing before approving them for use by their own farmers.
But India has shortened the testing period and in 2014 the governments of
India, Nepal and Bangladesh agreed that seed varieties approved for use in one
country will be automatically approved for use in all.
“We
want these new varieties to reach the farmers as fast as possible,” Mr Singh
said. “The biggest challenge we are facing is making seeds locally available to
farmers in remote area and taking information about these new varieties to the
farmers. We have to gear up the whole system to do this.”
Rice
millers to be charged over pledging scheme
KESINEE TAENGKHIAO
THE NATION January 14, 2016 1:00 am
THE
OFFICE of the Attorney-General has resolved to sue seven executives of four
rice mills accused of supporting an alleged “irregularity” involving the
previous government’s rice-pledging subsidy programme.Public prosecutors
yesterday filed their petition with the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for
Political Office Holders against the private-company executives. They were
alleged to have collaborated with former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom
in a rice deal that was claimed to be between the Thai and Chinese
governments.The seven executives bought rice from government stocks, supposedly
to be delivered to China. However, it is alleged that the rice was circulated
in the Thai market, deputy attorney-general Chutichai Sakhakorn told a press
conference yesterday.
"Public
prosecutors will produce evidence to the judges and the public to prove that
damage was done and that there was irregularity involving the four
contracts," he said.The deputy attorney-general identified the rice mills
as Kit Thawee Yasothon, Kit Thawee Yasothon Rice, KMC Inter Rice (2002), and
Chia Meng. The prosecutors also submitted with their petition 300 boxes of
evidence, consisting on 2,280 files of documents containing 85,990
pages.Chutichai said public prosecutors had asked the court to include their
additional petition against the seven Thai executives in the original case
against Boonsong and 21 others.
"The
additional petition aims at showing that state authorities and private-sector
executives worked together in the irregularity in a systematic way," he
said.The additional petition was approved by Attorney-General Pongniwat
Yuthaphanboriparn.The supposed government-to-government rice deal was made
between the Commerce Ministry and China's Guangdong Stationery and Sporting
Goods Imports and Exports Corp.The public prosecutors have yet to sue seven
Chinese entities and individuals involved in the allegedly phoney rice deal, as
they need to collect more conclusive evidence, the senior prosecutor said.
He
said the prosecutors still had time to bring the Chinese nationals involved
under the Thai justice system, adding that this case's statute of limitations
was 20 years.At the same press conference, deputy attorney-general Kitinun
Thatchapramuk said the prosecutors had no concerns about the case, as they had
ample time to build it against the defendants.In a related development, the
Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders is scheduled to
begin tomorrow its first hearing of witnesses in a separate case against former
prime minister YingluckShinawatra, also in connection with the rice-pledging
scheme.Yingluck is required to show up at the trial. She has said that she will
attend it.
The
prosecution's witnesses are Nipon Puapongsakorn from the Thailand Development
and Research Institute and deputy auditor-general
Prachak
Boonyoung.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Rice-millers-to-be-charged-over-pledging-scheme-30276847.html
Coming
up with right varieties crucial to tropical Queensland's rice future, Rice
Research Australia manager says
Updated
Rice
Research Australia (RRA) is studying different rice varieties to determine
which will be most useful for farming in the Mackay region.
Media
player: "Space" to play, "M" to mute, "left" and
"right" to seek.
00:00
00:00
"It
is not used around the rest of the world too much."The rice variety
currently used in the Mackay region is doongara, which has proven successful in
the dry winter and the wet summer.
Mr
Ford said the rice industry would never take over from sugar cane as the
biggest agricultural crop in the Mackay region, since sugar cane was still so
well suited to the environment.
However,
he expected production to grow significantly from its small beginnings last
year
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-14/rice-research-australia-works-on-new-varieties-for-queensland/7085194
Brunei
Develops Inbred Drought-Tolerant and High Yielding Rice Variety
Jan 13, 2016
Brunei's
Department of Agriculture and Agrifood has developed a new inbred rice variety
called "Brunei Darussalam Rice 5 (BDR5)" that is drought-tolerant and
high-yielding, according to the Brunei Times.The new variety is developed by
cross-breeding between laila rice (a modern rice variety) and beras pusu (a
popular traditional rice variety in Brunei). It will be launched soon,
according to an agronomist from the Agriculture Department.The agronomist told
reporters that: "BDR5 can be a replacement for traditional rice varieties
because it has inherited the drought tolerant characteristics of traditional
rice but has the higher yield of modern rice varieties." She also noted
that the BDR5 can produce a yield of 3 to 5 tons per hectare while the yield
from the traditional varieties is only 1 ton per hectare.
She
also noted that the new variety can be planted in areas which are not rain fed
and also do not have proper irrigation facilities. BDR5 faces less risk of
plant dislodging from the soil because it is shorter in height compared to
traditional varieties.“This will create a positive impact on the domestic rice
production because half of the rice production areas in Brunei still do not
have access to proper irrigation infrastructure,” she added.Brunei produces
only 2% of the nation’s domestic annual rice consumption of around 40,000 tons.
Brunei’s
rice production has remained at around 1,000 tons since 2002. Brunei imports
95% of its rice requirement from Thailand. Brunei imported about 23,357 tons of
rice from Thailand in the first eleven months of 2015, according to data from
the Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA). It imported a total of 42,207 tons
of rice in 2014.The USDA estimates Brunei to produce 1,000 tons of milled rice
and import around 40,000 tons in 2015, to meet a consumption demand of around
41,000 tons.
ORYZA
Commodities Buzz : Vietnam Reduces Rice Cultivation Area For
2016
capital market
| Mumbai | January 14, 2016 12:46 IST
Commodities
Buzz : Vietnam Reduces Rice Cultivation Area For 2016
The agricultural sector plans to slash rice cultivation by
100,000 hectares in 2016 to grow other grains used to feed animals, said
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat.About 7.6-7.7
million hectares of land will be set aside for rice cultivation with a total
yield of 44.5 million tonnes, he stated, highlighting that the sector will
enhance quality while reducing costs of rice production by using high-quality
varieties with high value and applying comprehensive cultivating methods. The
Ministry will continue projects on restructuring the rice sector and building
rice trademarks, together with developing such plants as cashew, pepper, tea,
cassava, fruit trees, vegetables and flowers which have good markets.In
addition, the Ministry will enlarge maize planting areas to 1.22 million
hectares, up 22,000 hectares from 2015. A high-yield variety will go into mass
production, with a total expected yield of 5.5 million tonnes.
The Department of Crop Production will submit a national maize
production plan for 2020 to the Ministry for approval, and draw up specific
plans to shift ineffective rice cultivation to growing corn, in line with
natural and socio-economic conditions, in each locality.In 2015, about 157,000
hectares of land were affected by drought, 5,000 hectares of which suffered
from critical loss of crop, and cultivation could not be done in other 36,000
hectares. During the year, localities nationwide converted 34,600 hectares of
inefficient rice cultivation to planting grains and aquaculture.
Powered by Commodity Insights
http://www.indiainfoline.com/article/capital-market-commodity-futures-mid-session-commentary/commodities-buzz-vietnam-reduces-rice-cultivation-area-for-2016-116011400470_1.html
Arkansas Farm
Bureau Daily Commodity Report
Rice
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Rice Comment
Rices prices closed lower again
today. The market remains under pressure following a bearish USDA report
earlier this week. Adding additional pressure to prices today was the export
sales report which showed sales off 15-percent from last week and the 4-week
average. Growing demand from Central America had fueled a rally, if these sales
dry up this arrest could be in trouble as the market continues to look for
demand to utilize some of the large stocks.
http://www.arfb.com/ag-markets-statistics/report/
Seaweed
Extract May Boost Rice Production
This gamma-radiated seaweed extract can increase rice production
by about a third and guard against major pests. Science and Development Network
| January 14, 2016 | In the Lab AsianScientist (Jan. 14, 2016) - by Paul
Icamina - Extracts from seaweeds, with a little tweak of gamma irradiation, can
increase rice production by about a third and guard against major pests.
Scientists at the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) have developed
the carrageenan plant food supplementor (CPFS), which is derived from carrageenan
extracted from red edible seaweeds. Carageenan is widely used for its gelling,
thickening and stabilizing properties in the food industry and as a binder in
toothpaste and shampoo.
In a study published in Radiation Physics and Chemistry, the PNRI
scientists showed that carrageenan-derived polysaccharide, a carbohydrate,
enhances rice growth when degraded through a “very small dose” of gamma
radiation. Plant food supplements are substances that improve the overall
health, growth and development of plants, says lead researcher Lucille Abad,
chief of PNRI’s chemistry research section. The agricultural benefits of
carrageenan are achieved from its building blocks: the long-chain carrageenan
polymer that can be broken down into shorter chain fragments known as oligomers
(“oligo” for few), Abad explains. These oligomers are readily absorbed by the
plant to help their growth and development and also improve their resistance to
diseases. “Using gamma radiation, we were able to cut up the polymer into oligomers
without using chemicals or complicated and expensive processes,” she says.
“CPFS can be made with
nothing more than the organic carrageenan and water processed by gamma
radiation. The product that is formed is not and can never be radioactive. It
is a clean and additive-free method that is safe, non-toxic, environment
friendly and, most of all, effective.” Abad says the CPFS formulations will be
registered with the Philippines’ Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority as soon as
results are verified from field trials in around 37,000 hectares nationwide for
two planting seasons. Once adopted by farmers, the new technology may boost
rice production by at least 30 percent. However, in one experiment in Bulacan
province which is near Metro Manila, results showed a 65 percent increase.
Gil Magsino, a scientist at the National Crop Protection Center
and who headed the field trials conducted in Bulacan, says three bags of
chemical fertilizer per hectare combined with 200 parts per million or 20
milliliters per liter of CPFS yielded higher rice grain weight of 450 grams per
10 hills (mound of soil that is planted with seeds). In contrast, conventional
farmers’ practice of applying nine bags of chemical fertilizer per hectare
yields a grain weight of only 275 grams per ten hills.
Abad and her research team first tested the CPFS in pot
experiments inside greenhouses at PNRI. Various concentrations were sprayed on
the leaves of rice. Results showed rice stems and the length of the panicles
that bear the grains were significantly higher in the test crops compared with
conventional crops. CPFS also induces resistance against rice tungro virus and
bacterial leaf blight, both major rice pests. The CPFS was also sprayed on
Chinese cabbage, mungbean and peanut, resulting in a product yield of as much
as 200-300 percent in the vegetables. “Apparently, spraying the CPFS enhanced
the presence of friendly insects such as ladybird beetles and spiders that help
control harmful insects like the brown plant hoppers and green leaf hoppers,”
Abad notes. The article can be found at: Abad et al. (2015) Characterization of
Low Molecular Weight Fragments from Gamma Irradiated Īŗ-Carrageenan Used as
Plant Growth Promoter.
Source: SciDev.Net; Photo: James Morgan/Panos. Disclaimer: This
article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
Tags: Agriculture, Gamma Radiation, Philippine Nuclear Research Institute,
Philippines, Rice, Seaweed Read more from Asian Scientist Magazine at:
http://www.asianscientist.com/2016/01/in-the-lab/seaweed-extract-boost-rice-production/
http://www.asianscientist.com/2016/01/in-the-lab/seaweed-extract-boost-rice-production/
N10billion
investment expected in Cross River rice project
“We are also in contact with a company in Switzerland that is
building a Rolls Royce category of what a modern rice mill will look like, with
a very high input and throughput rate with a very high return,” he said.The
governor explained the state had decided to go for the high-end technology to
avoid losses during production. He explained that with some of the old rice
mills, 45% losses were recorded from an input of 80% paddy. Mr. Ayade told journalists that as part of the economic reforms
of the state, the Bakassi Deep Sea Port will kick off in a short while.
He said the preliminary works had
been completed and equipment moved to the site.The governor added that
Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA, would soon be concluded.“The project is
real and that is part of what I discussed with Mr. President and the president
has given his commitment that he will support the deep sea port and the
evacuation corridor, which is the 260km super highway,” he said.The governor
also declared support for Mr. Buhari’s anti-graft war, saying it had restored
the business image of the country.
President Muhammadu Buhari welcomes Gov. Ayade of
Cross River in Abuja
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/south-south-regional/196717-n10billion-investment-expected
