Govt to try it out
Matia tells discussion, urging experts, officials to take direct-seeded technology to farmers
Staff Correspondent
The
government has decided to give a new water-saving farming technology a try so
that farmers can grow Boro rice using half the volume of water they use now for
irrigating paddy fields.Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury yesterday told a gathering of several hundred agricultural scientists, experts and extension officials that since 2009 she had discouraged Boro considering its huge impact on groundwater depletion but she is now ready to give the new rice farming technology a try as it promises cutting water use by half.
Dr Md Moshiur Rahman, an agronomy professor of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), who pioneered the direct-seeded rice technology in Boro season, was invited to give a talk on the water conservation merits of the new production system in the auditorium of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) in the capital.
In a power-point presentation Dr Moshiur explained how the direct-seeded technology not only helps saving water used for irrigation, but also saves diesel and electricity used for running irrigation pumps.
"I had said back in 2009 that we can't have the luxury of growing Boro at the cost of 3,200 litres of water for each kilogramme of rice. And I began encouraging farmers to grow wheat, maize, vegetables, oilseeds and pulses instead," said Matia.
She appreciated the BAU team's effort in developing the less water-intensive rice farming technology and urged for taking it to the farmers' field and see if there were any challenges.
Agriculture Secretary Md Moinuddin Abdullah asked officials and extension workers to take the technology to the fields so that farmers get relief from high irrigation and Boro production costs.
Unlike traditional puddle transplanted rice technology, seedlings are not grown in nurseries in direct-seeded technology; seeds are soaked and incubated for two to three days and then sowed in the paddy fields.
BARC Executive Chairman Abul Kalam Azad, heads of agricultural research organisations, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) and host of other agriculturalists, experts, also participated in the discussion.
They emphasised putting in place better weed management as direct-seeded crops are susceptive to weeds and remaining careful about cold injuries to seeds and heat strike in case of late harvesting of Boro.
http://www.thedailystar.net/city/govt-try-it-out-1237357
Why the Gates Foundation is flooding a new rice variety with funding
Swarna-Sub1, a flood-tolerant rice variety,
helps ease the burden of women farmers in Bangladesh. Photo by: IRRI /
CC BY-NC-SA
When Bill and Melinda Gates traveled to Bihar,
India, one of the most flood-prone regions in the country, they
saw how a new form of rice that can survive underwater is helping
farmers adapt to the consequences of climate change.While normal rice wears
itself out in floods, eventually dying and leaving a brown field of stubs, this
“scuba rice” as it is often called goes dormant in floods, waiting out the high
water before stretching its green stems toward the sky.The submergence tolerant
rice is emerging as one of the more powerful examples of the two major pillars
that form the Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation’s strategy for agricultural research and
development: more productivity and less risk. When combined, they can enhance
farmers’ resilience to shocks like floods. The investment the co-chairs have
made in ensuring that this technology gets into smallholders’ hands in Asia and
Africa says a lot about the approach the foundation takes to innovation.
“The thing about innovation is it has a
catalytic power that brute forcing your way through a problem does not,” said Rob
Horsch, who leads the agricultural research and development team at the
Gates Foundation, and was formerly the leader of international development
partnerships at agrochemical company Monsanto.
“And even though we have a huge amount of money available at the foundation, it
is way too small for brute forcing the work.”Agricultural development is one of
the largest initiatives of the Gates Foundation, the wealthiest charitable
foundation in the world, with $2
billion committed to the program to date. The foundation, which is
increasingly known for its investments in crop improvements, made one of its
first big investments in this area in Stress
Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia, or STRASA.
The project began in 2007 with a goal of
delivering improved varieties of rice tolerant to stresses including drought,
salinity, iron toxicity, cold, and submergence to 18 million farmers on the two
continents over next 10 years. After funding the first two phases of the STRASA
project with $20 million each, in 2014 the foundation issued a third grant of
$32.7 million through 2017.
STRASA is coordinated by the International Rice Research Institute, a
nonprofit research and education center based in the Philippines, in
partnership with the Africa Rice Center.
Both of these are members of the CGIAR consortium,
a worldwide partnership addressing agricultural research for development.“When
the Gates Foundation started focusing on poverty alleviation in the developing
world, the co-chairs realized that agricultural productivity was going to be a
very important part of the process of getting people out of absolute poverty,”
said Gary Atlin, who works with Horsch at the Gates Foundation, and was
previously a rice breeder at IRRI.
“They started to see that the CGIAR centers
were key sources of technology and support for in particular getting new
varieties to smallholder farmers,” Atlin added.The Gates Foundation is
looking into data suggesting that the submergence tolerance trait may
help farmers in years with and without flooding.“Because farmers know
they’ve lowered their risk of farming loss, they invest more in these rice
fields, so you also get a higher yield year after year,” Horsch said,
emphasizing that this is preliminary data that will require further testing. In
the absence of a flood, the Sub1 trait does not add any value for the crops.
But when farmers expect they might lose their rice in a flood, they may be less
likely to invest time and money in their fields. When they have confidence in
their crops, they may improve their practices, investing in agricultural inputs
such as fertilizer.
Horsch also cited research that the harvest
that results from reducing the risk during a more stressful time is more
valuable to farmers unit per unit than the harvest that results from increasing
the productivity during a less stressful time. He first came across this
argument from Robert Paarlberg, author of “Starved for Science: How
Biotechnology Is Being Kept Out of Africa.”So while most of the areas where the
foundation works suffer from not enough water, versus too much water,
supporting some of the most marginalized farmers in the world who have been
pushed onto this relatively small area of flat and floodable land has a huge
return on investment, Horsch said. In Asia, where most of the world’s rice is
grown, submergence stress causes annual losses of $1 billion. As demand for
this staple crop for more than half the global population grows, so too will
the frequency of flooding. But the STRASA investment also reflects the way the
Gates Foundation prioritizes smallholder farmers as part of its work in poverty
alleviation.
“It’s not a criticism of it, but we’re not a
mountain of food strategy,” Horsch said. “We’re a lots of small farmers
productivity strategy. Now, that can also help you create a mountain of food,
but by focusing on a huge number of smallholder farmers, you get more benefits
than if you just, say, went into large-scale mechanized farming to grow food
for people.” When Bill Gates read Joe Studwell’s “How Asia Works,” he was
struck by one of the three major reasons some Asian countries developed rapidly
and others did not: creating conditions for small farmers to thrive. In a post on
his blog where he asked whether the Asian miracle could happen in
Africa, he said he would take steps to look at ways to redistribute land more
equitably among the farming population as part of the foundation’s strategy
along with better seeds, fertilizers, and farming practices.
David Mackill, the scientist who first
discovered a low yielding Indian rice variety that could survive flooding for
two to three weeks with little or no problem, met with Devex in Davis,
California, he works as a plant science manager for the food company Mars.
When he was a rice breeder for IRRI, he
discovered that a single gene called Sub1 makes rice resilient to submergence.
But it occurred in a traditional rice variety that did not yield as much, nor
taste as good, as more popular varieties such as Swarna.Mackill worked with
plant molecular biologists at the University of California, Davis to isolate
the Sub1 gene, developed genetic markers for it, then used marker assisted
selection to improve the precision of conventional breeding methods and over the
course of two and a half years transfer the gene into the Swarna variety.
Mackill emphasized that scuba rice is not the
result of genetic modification, as compared to the development of golden
rice the Gates Foundation is supporting as a way to address vitamin A
deficiency, and said that there are no varieties of genetically modified rice
available for human consumption.Swarna-Sub1 made the switch from tanks in
research labs to fields in Africa and India at a much faster rate than is
usually required for technological innovations to result in real-life
improvements for low-income farmers.
“It’s one of the first instances, particularly
from a public sector research program, of a project going all the way from this
basic genetic analysis to a product that works really well for farmers in
certain conditions,” Atlin said.This is due to a range of factors, from the way
Mackill improved upon an existing variety already used widely among farmers, to
the way STRASA worked at the policy level to reach 5 million farmers in five
years in South Asia. “We are evolving along with this project as we are
learning which approaches are more or less effective,” Abdelbagi Ismail, who
coordinates the STRASA program, told Devex.
While South Asian governments have been willing
partners, both conducting demonstrations and providing Swarna-Sub1 at no cost
to farmers, the STRASA team is running up against barriers as it aims for the
same rate of dissemination in Africa.“Most of our issues are not science, not
information, not technology, but it's resources to deliver this technology to
where you want it to go.” said Umesh Singh, STRASA coordinator in South Asia. “We
need an enabling environment that will allow other players to come in.”
With the support of the Gates Foundation,
STRASA is also exploring how to combine these stress tolerant traits with
higher yield potential in favorable years in order to drive adoption in areas
where the frequency of flooding is not high. In each agricultural development
grant the Gates Foundation makes, the aim is to provide the biggest investor in
agriculture, the farmer, with high leverage tools that help them get more out
of the investment of time and money they put into their fields.
“That is why things like STRASA are so
exciting, because they just multiply the brute force that people are going to
put in anyway,” Horsch told Devex.
#WaterWindow is
an online conversation to amplify the discussion on flood resilience. Devex,
together with its partners the Global Resilience
Partnership and Zurich
Insurance Group, aims to shine a light on innovative solutions
to tackle the issues faced by communities worldwide. Join
us.
About the author
Catherine Cheney covers the West Coast global
development community for Devex. Since graduating from Yale University, where
she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in political science, Catherine has
worked as a reporter and editor for a range of publications including World
Politics Review, POLITICO, and NationSwell, a media company and membership
network she helped to build. She is also an ambassador for the Solutions
Journalism Network and the Franklin Project at the Aspen Institute.
https://www.devex.com/news/why-the-gates-foundation-is-flooding-a-new-rice-variety-with-funding-88095
N. Korea launches 'weeding campaign' following rice-planting drive
2016/06/09
15:47
SEOUL, June 9 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has just
launched a weeding campaign in rice paddies following a month-long drive to
plant rice as part of a nationwide effort to boost the country's grain
production.In an editorial, the North's main newspaper Rodong Sinmun called on
the people to make a concentrated effort to root out weeds in the rice fields
as required by the country's ruling Workers' Party. It said such measures are
critical to increase rice production this year.
The country has ended the spring rice planting
season in the wake of the rare congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK)
last month. In the seventh WPK congress, the North announced various economic
projects aimed at improving economic conditions in the impoverished country.
The newspaper, an organ of the WPK, claimed the
country has aggressively entered the weeding campaign following a successful
rice planting in the first year of the nation's five-year economic development
plan.
The newspaper said that farmers, agricultural
workers and volunteers all have a strong will to attain the goal of a high crop
yield that can solve the country's food shortage problem.
"We will devote all our wisdom and
energies to solving the food problem under the guidance of the WPK and finish
the rice production as required by the Juche (self-reliant) method of farming
and attain the goals of grain production for this year under any circumstances,"
the paper said.
In its previous editorial last month, the
Rodong Sinmun called for the people to concentrate all their efforts on the
rice-planting campaign to gain a breakthrough in grain production. The paper
likened rice farming to a "battle" that must be won.
Reflecting the country's renewed interest in
farming, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a machinery exhibition in his
first inspection since he was appointed the chairman of the WPK early last
month.
He showed interest in the agricultural
machinery and equipment during the inspection tour, according to the North's
media report.
Grain output numbers have gained more urgency
as the country has been slapped with the toughest sanctions yet by the U.N. for
its fourth nuclear test earlier this year. Pyongyang's provocations have,
moreover, hurt the inflow of food aid from abroad that can pose serious
challenges for the country down the road.
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/northkorea/2016/06/09/0401000000AEN20160609006400315.html
Researchers in Assam developed two rice variants, Ranjit Sub-1 & Bahadur Sub-1, for submerged areas
10-JUN-2016
Researchers at Assam Agricultural University
have developed two rice varieties, namely Ranjit Sub-1 and Bahadur Sub-1. These
rice varieties were developed to get better yields under submerged conditions
in state mainly Barak Valley.
Most parts of the state including Barak valley
is prone to periodical flash floods particularly during the monsoon season.
About these two rice varieties
• These are ideally suited for such submerged
areas in the khariff season.
• These new rice variants are improved forms of
the Ranjit and Bahadur varieties which the farmers of the state have been using
for years.
• An additional gene has been incorporated in
the new variants which ensure productivity even if the crops remain submerged
during flash floods.
Now get latest Current Affairs on mobile, Download # 1 Current
Affairs App
MANILA -
Filipino farmers should diversify beyond rice and focus on other high-value
products, incoming socio-economic planning secretary and National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA) director-general Ernesto Pernia said on Friday.Pernia said the Philippines has "no comparative advantage" over other rice-producing countries like Vietnam and Thailand, which sell rice at a cheaper price.
The Philippines is the world's No. 3 rice buyer and regularly imports more than a million tons a year to meet demand from its growing population.
In the first quarter of the year, the country imported some 500,000 tons of rice from Vietnam and Thailand.
The Duterte camp earlier said it will aim to make the country self-sufficient in rice production within one to two years, but will still allow imports until the goal is achieved.
But, according to Pernia, the country should focus not only on rice self-sufficiency, but also on food security.
“'Yung rice productivity naman natin can be increased by adequate irrigation facilities and farm-to-market roads. Tutukan natin na dapat mga farmers, mag-diversify sila sa planting nila ng crops,” he told dzMM.
Ernesto Pernia File Photo
He said small
farmers should focus on high-value products which the country has a comparative
advantage, such as coffee, cacao, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, and coconuts.As incoming NEDA chief, Pernia said he will prioritize investing in agriculture in regions outside Metro Manila.
“Kulang yata ang attention na nabigay sa regions outside Metro Manila kaya mahina 'yung performance ng agrikultura natin,” Pernia said.
"Sa investments in agriculture, dapat umaangat ang income ng mahihirap especialy the small farmers, para maalis sila sa poverty," he added.
El Niño downs crops production in Q1 of 2016
Thursday, June 09, 2016
THE El
Niño phenomenon took its toll and caused adverse effects in the region's
economy affecting particularly the agriculture, labor and employment sectors.In the regional economic situationer forum Thursday, June 9, Engineer Cecilio Clarete, chief Economic Development Specialist of the National Economic and Development Authority-Northern Mindanao (Neda) said production of major crops such as palay, rice, and corn decreased.
The palay production dropped by 5.8 percent to only 170,185 metric tons in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2015.
Four of the five provinces in both irrigated and upland areas recorded a reduced in production, except for Misamis Occidental which posted a 12 percent increase for rain-fed areas.
Clarete said it noted "lesser plantings" in Lanao del Norte as irrigation water was cut off from October to November of 2015 due to insufficient rainfall while the average harvest yield in Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental provinces also declined.
Despite the drop, the value of palay produced increased by 1.11 percent reaching P3.356 billion as farm gate price increased by 7.3 percent.
The rice sufficiency level also dropped significantly for this year's first quarter, only at 74.1 percent, 6.2 percent points lower than that of last year.
Also, corn production in the region went down by 19 percent in the first quarter of this year to only 249,121 metric tons compared to 307,848 in the same period last year.
The province of Bukidnon noted a 23.5 percent decrease in production as some yellow corn areas were greatly damaged by the drought.
In Misamis Oriental, some corn areas were instead planted with pineapple and cassava since the corn cannot stand with the intense heat.
But in Lanao del Norte, corn production increased as high yielding variety of corn seeds were planted.
Clarete said Northern Mindanao's average corn yield went down from 2.9 metric tons per hectare in the first quarter of 2015 to 2.5 metric tons/hectare this year.
The value of yellow corn production also decreased by 4.7 percent and white corn production by 23.7 percent despite increases in gate prices.
For the net corn sufficiency level, the region also posted a deficit of 135,309 kilograms in the first quarter of 2016.
Coconut production was also affected by the drought, with matured nuts down by 1.9 percent and green nuts decreased by 1.07 percent.
The decrease was mainly caused by Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental, the largest contributors when a 14.3 and 1.39 percent decreases were recorded, respectively.
As the production dropped export of coconut commodities also went down in terms of volume and by nine percent in sales reaching only to US$125.355 million from US$130,804 last year.
Coconut chemicals and coco oils export sales were also down by 6 percent and 40 percent than that of the previous year.
Despite the drop in vegetables and root crops, the volume of combined production of major crops still managed to increase by 106 percent as fruit and industrial crops posted increases.
Banana and pineapple contributed the greatest bulk of total fruit production especially in the areas of Bukidnon.
Employment rate dropped
The Neda likewise reported a drop in the employment rate in the region from 94.8 percent in January 2015 to 94.6 percent in January this year.
"The decline in employment rate, amidst a decline in the labor force, resulted to a 5.5 percent reduction in the total employment in the region," Clarete said.
The significant reduction, Clarete said, was caused entirely by the agriculture sector where employment was reduced by 23 percent mainly due to El Niño
ww.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2016/06/09/el-nino-downs-crops-production-q1-2016-478586
Thai NLA approves draft law on rice reserves
NLA approves draft law on rice reservesBANGKOK, 10 June 2016 (NNT) – The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) has given a nod to a bill that would allow for the establishment of a regional organization on rice reserves in Thailand.
NLA members today convened their meeting to deliberate a draft law in support of operations of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve Secretariat which had earlier been passed by the vetting committee. The draft law mandates that the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve Secretariat be set up in Thailand as proposed by the country.
The main objective of the bill is to build reserves of rice for consumption in times of emergency and for distribution within the ASEAN Plus Three grouping as part of humanitarian assistance, thereby ensuring food security within the region. If enacted, the draft law would also provide convenience for related officials who are foreigners in traveling in and out of Thailand while performing their duties. After deliberation, 178 members of the legislature voted for the bill while four others abstained
http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/thai-nla-approves-draft-law-on-rice-reserves/144935/
El Niño downs crops production in Q1 of 2016
Thursday, June 09, 2016
THE El
Niño phenomenon took its toll and caused adverse effects in the region's
economy affecting particularly the agriculture, labor and employment sectors.In the regional economic situationer forum Thursday, June 9, Engineer Cecilio Clarete, chief Economic Development Specialist of the National Economic and Development Authority-Northern Mindanao (Neda) said production of major crops such as palay, rice, and corn decreased.
The palay production dropped by 5.8 percent to only 170,185 metric tons in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2015.
Four of the five provinces in both irrigated and upland areas recorded a reduced in production, except for Misamis Occidental which posted a 12 percent increase for rain-fed areas.
Clarete said it noted "lesser plantings" in Lanao del Norte as irrigation water was cut off from October to November of 2015 due to insufficient rainfall while the average harvest yield in Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental provinces also declined.
Despite the drop, the value of palay produced increased by 1.11 percent reaching P3.356 billion as farm gate price increased by 7.3 percent.
The rice sufficiency level also dropped significantly for this year's first quarter, only at 74.1 percent, 6.2 percent points lower than that of last year.
Also, corn production in the region went down by 19 percent in the first quarter of this year to only 249,121 metric tons compared to 307,848 in the same period last year.
The province of Bukidnon noted a 23.5 percent decrease in production as some yellow corn areas were greatly damaged by the drought.
In Misamis Oriental, some corn areas were instead planted with pineapple and cassava since the corn cannot stand with the intense heat.
But in Lanao del Norte, corn production increased as high yielding variety of corn seeds were planted.
Clarete said Northern Mindanao's average corn yield went down from 2.9 metric tons per hectare in the first quarter of 2015 to 2.5 metric tons/hectare this year.
The value of yellow corn production also decreased by 4.7 percent and white corn production by 23.7 percent despite increases in gate prices.
For the net corn sufficiency level, the region also posted a deficit of 135,309 kilograms in the first quarter of 2016.
Coconut production was also affected by the drought, with matured nuts down by 1.9 percent and green nuts decreased by 1.07 percent.
The decrease was mainly caused by Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental, the largest contributors when a 14.3 and 1.39 percent decreases were recorded, respectively.
As the production dropped export of coconut commodities also went down in terms of volume and by nine percent in sales reaching only to US$125.355 million from US$130,804 last year.
Coconut chemicals and coco oils export sales were also down by 6 percent and 40 percent than that of the previous year.
Despite the drop in vegetables and root crops, the volume of combined production of major crops still managed to increase by 106 percent as fruit and industrial crops posted increases.
Banana and pineapple contributed the greatest bulk of total fruit production especially in the areas of Bukidnon.
Employment rate dropped
The Neda likewise reported a drop in the employment rate in the region from 94.8 percent in January 2015 to 94.6 percent in January this year.
"The decline in employment rate, amidst a decline in the labor force, resulted to a 5.5 percent reduction in the total employment in the region," Clarete said.
The significant reduction, Clarete said, was caused entirely by the agriculture sector where employment was reduced by 23 percent mainly due to El Niño
MAPCO plans new share offering to raise capital
Myanmar Agribusiness Public Corporation (MAPCO) is planning to issue new shares to existing shareholders over the next few weeks, to raise money ahead of its scheduled listing on the Yangon Stock Exchange.Capital raised through the rights issue will be used to expand the business across various sectors, U Thura, the company’s head of investor relations told The Myanmar Times.
Around 1.62 million new shares will be sold at K10,000 each, from June 10 to July 5. The company’s shareholders can buy new shares up to the value of their current holdings, according to a company announcement. MAPCO currently has 1444 investors holding shares worth K16.4 billion. The company has so far received requests for new shares worth K3.4 billion, it said.
If there is not enough demand among existing investors, the remaining securities will be sold to the public from July 5. “Our directors have decided to raise capital for many projects this year,” U Thura said.
These projects include providing services for Thilawa Port and funding chemical fertiliser plants in Thilawa special economic zone, expanding agribusiness and building rice mills and warehouses.
MAPCO has also agreed with the Mandalay Region government to set up a new bank called Mandalay Development Bank, and is expected to contribute capital to Myanmar National Telecom Holding Public, an 11-member local joint venture tipped to receive the country’s fourth telecoms operator licence, through a joint venture with Vietnam’s Viettel.
The company plans to list on the Yangon Stock Exchange by the second week of August, becoming the fifth company to list after Myanmar Citizens Bank and First Private Bank launch shares on the exchange in July. First Myanmar Investment and Myanmar Thilawa SEZ Public became the first two companies to trade their shares on the exchange earlier this year
http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/business/20799-mapco-plans-new-share-offering-to-raise-capital.html
S.Korea buys 70,556 T rice for Sept-Feb
Details of the purchase are as follows:
TONNES(M/T)GRAIN TYPE SUPPLIER ORIGIN PRICE
15,000 Brown Short Posco Daewoo Corp China 866.70
14,445 Brown Short Posco Daewoo Corp China 866.30
16,111 Brown Short DNB co. Australia 861.20
3,000 Milled Short The Ground Korea Vietnam 888.90
10,000 Milled Medium Singsong Food Corp USA 704.87
10,000 Milled Medium Singsong Food Corp USA 715.98
2,000 Milled Long Singsong Food Corp Thailand 511.21
SourcE:
Reuters (Reporting by Jeong-eun Lee; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/s-korea-buys-70556-t-rice-for-sept-feb/
Paddy sowing down 10% pulses area falls 37%
this kharif season Total area sown under paddy is lower by 10 percent so far in
this kharif season at 5.75 lakh hectares, while pulses acreage is down 37
percent mainly due to delay in onset of monsoon | 1 Comments Paddy sowing down
10% pulses area falls 37% this kharif season Total area sown under paddy is
lower by 10 per cent so far in this kharif season at 5.75 lakh hectares, while
pulses acreage is down 37 per cent mainly due to delay in onset of monsoon.
Farmers have sown pulses in 1.46 lakh hectares so far in the ongoing kharif
season of the 2016-17 crop year as against 2.32 lakh hectares in the same
period last year. "Preliminary reports of crop coverage in the kharif
season have started coming in. The total sown area as on 10th June, as per
reports received from the states, stands at 71.24 lakh hectare as compared to
76.65 lakh hectare at this time last year," an official statement said.
After a delay of almost seven days, southwest monsoon hit Kerala on June 8.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has projected an "above normal"
rainfall this year. According to Agriculture Ministry data, paddy acreage is
5.75 lakh hectare so far this Kharif as against 6.42 lakh hectare in the
corresponding period of last year.
Area under coarse cereals is also down by 47
per cent at 2.01 lakh hectares so far compared with 3.82 lakh hectares in the
year ago period. In non-food grains category, oilseeds acreage is lower at 0.72
lakh hectares so far as against 1.22 lakh hectares in the same period last
kharif. Cotton sowing is also lagging behind by 31 per cent at 9.87 lakh
hectares compared with 14.30 lakh hectares in the year-ago period. However,
sugarcane area is up at 44.38 lakh hectares so far against 41.01 lakh hectares
in the same period last year. With the onset of South-West monsoon, the
government expects sowing operations to gain momentum. "The monsoon is
arriving at almost the same time as IMD predicted. We are hopeful and
optimistic that there will be higher sowing and a very good production this
year. Overall, this will be good year for agriculture," Agriculture Secretary
Shobhana K Patnaik had said earlier this week. India's foodgrains production
stood at around 252 million tonnes (MT) during the 2015-16 and 2014-15 crop
years (July- June) due to two consecutive drought year.
Rice price soars
The price of rice continues to soar as the domestic market remains in short supply, reports Nesma NowarCheaper rice can be found in government-owned supermarkets
The price of rice has skyrocketed in recent weeks amid shortages in the local market.
One kilogram of rice now sells at around LE8 instead of LE4.5, while higher quality rice now sells at LE10 per kg.Commodity prices usually soar ahead of the holy month of Ramadan when family gatherings are a main feature. However, the prices of rice have been seeing a remarkable increase for the last two months.
Many people have been struggling to buy rice, a
main food staple. “Rice is a main item in our daily meals, but it won’t be for
much longer because of its soaring prices,” said Doaa Adel, a mother of two,
adding that she had not been able to find rice at government stores selling
subsidised food items.
Rana Essam, a government employee, had also
been struggling to buy rice at a reasonable price. “I found rice at LE4.5 per
kg at one supermarket, but the quality was so bad that I got rid of it,” Essam
said.
Minister of Supply Khaled Hanafi said last week that the government had contracted for 20,000 tons of local rice that would be sold at government outlets and that it would send mobile stores to densely populated low-income areas to sell rice at LE4.5 per kg.However, despite these efforts the problem is ongoing. The hikes have been partly blamed on local traders who tend to hoard rice causing shortages and pushing up prices.
Basha Idris, head of the Agricultural Crops
Division at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, said the problem lay in the fact
that the government did not purchase enough rice from farmers, allowing some
traders to hoard rice and opening the door to opportunistic price hikes.
He said the government should not lift its ban
on rice exports unless the local market was fully covered and it had a
sufficient strategic supply of rice.
The ban on rice exports was imposed on 4 April
in order to provide the domestic market with its needs and bring stability for
consumers. Rice exports were also banned on 1 September, but due to a decline
in the prices paid to farmers at the beginning of the 2015/2016 rice season the
ministry issued a decree that permitted exports for six months starting in
October 2015 and ending in April 2016.
The ban on rice exports has been imposed and
lifted several times since 2008 with the aim of ensuring that production meets
domestic needs. The longest ban lasted for four years and ended in October
2012.
When there is a surplus the government lifts
the ban on exporting rice. Before the ban on rice exports in 2007, annual
exports reached 1.3 million tons and Egyptian rice was exported to 56
countries.
The average annual surplus of rice is almost
one million tons. Total local consumption is estimated at three to 3.3 million
tons, while annual production reaches 4.2 million tons, according to figures
from the Rice Division of the Federation of Egyptian Industries.
Idris said that when the government lifted the
export ban last year, only 40,000 tons of rice were exported, while some
180,000 tons were smuggled abroad by some traders to get round the export levy
which amounts to LE2,000 per ton.
“Smuggling is a real problem because it allows
large quantities of rice to go abroad unnoticed causing shortages in the local
market,” Idris told Al-Ahram Weekly, adding that the government should deal
firmly with smuggling and keep the export ban in place.
He said rice prices could be expected to
stabilise when imports had provided the market with sufficient quantities of
rice.
It is not yet clear when this will happen, however, since the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) cancelled an international tender to import rice last month. A tender for domestic supplies on 19 March was cancelled because of high prices.
Idris said the government should sit down with
farmers and local chambers of commerce before the start of the rice season to
discuss ways to prevent the shortages that are crippling the market and causing
price hikes from happening again.
Because the market is still short of rice,
prices are continuing to soar with people still struggling to buy rice, he
said.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/16543/18/Rice-price-soars.aspx
Rice farmers at Tono cry for combined harvesters
About
four thousand metric tonnes of rice ready for harvesting at the Tono Irrigation
site at Navrongo in the Upper East Region is likely to go waste as a result of
the lack of combine harvester machines.In all, 2000 farmers in the area who
used to do tomato farming in the dry season, diversified their activity to rice
cultivation this year, due to lack of market for the tomatoes they used to
produce.All together they cultivated about 1,000 hectares of rice and have got
a good yield of about 4,000 metric tonnes which is ripe and ready for
harvesting but there are no combined harvesters to do the work.
The smallholder farmers at the scheme site used to cultivate small plots which they harvested manually, but went in for a larger acreage, as they were convinced the rice harvest would be good this year and given the assurance that they would get machines to harvest the crop if they produced on a larger scale.Moreover, as the rains have now set in, there is the likelihood that the ripe rice on the farms will get destroyed.The desperate farmers besieged the residence of the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Navrongo Central Constituency, Mr Mark Woyongo, to plead with him to help them get the machines to harvest their produce.The MP promptly conveyed the farmers’ request to the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Alhaji Mohammed Limuna Muniru, but was told the Ministry did not have any combine harvester machines at the moment.
The MP suggested to the Ministry to contact the Afefe Irrigation Project and other private sectors for the machines.The sector Minister assured the MP that MOFA would explore all possible means to get combine harvesters to support the farmers.Speaking to the Media, the MP said commercial rice farming was in line with the government’s policy to promote local rice production, and assured the farmers that everything possible would be done to help them out of their current plight.
He said as a vast majority of farmers were
drifting from tomato cultivation to rice farming, there was the urgent need for
MOFA to provide combine harvesters at all the irrigation scheme sites in the
Region to avert such situations in the future.The Project Manager of the Tono
Irrigation Project, Mr Sebastian Berjena, said the farmers had invested a lot
of money on their farms and would lose massively if the government did not come
to their aid.“The farmers have a bumper harvest this year due to the good
agronomic practices they adopted, and stand to make good profit since there is
a ready market and good price for the produce”, he said.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Rice-farmers-at-Tono-cry-for-combine-harvesters-446363
Monsoon delivers normal to excess showers in South
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JUNE 10 :
The
monsoon may have been in circulation for only three days after a delayed onset
but it has already delivered rain equivalent to, if not more than what the
first 10 days of June normally generate. As on Friday, the seasonal rains have
covered Kerala, Tamil Nadu, most parts of Karnataka, parts of Rayalaseema and
South Coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Monsoon push
It has
delivered normal rain in Kerala and South interior Karnataka but dumped excess
rain over Tamil Nadu, Rayalaseema, and coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Conditions
are favourable for its progress mainly over the peninsular seas over the next
three to four days, an India Met Department update said. Meanwhile, satellite
pictures on Friday noon suggested that the West coast was bracing for a big
monsoon push as banks of clouds hung off the Goa-Mangaluru coast in the North
and Kochi-to-Nagercoil in the South.
The Met
has forecast heavy to very heavy rain at a few places over coastal Karnataka,
South interior Karnataka, Konkan-Goa, and Kerala later today.
Cloud coverage
Clouds
had penetrated into the interior of the peninsula and were hovering above
Panjim, Belgavi, Hubli and Bellari in Karnataka; Kolhapur, Vijayapura, Solapur,
Satara, Beed, Pune, and Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra; and Anantapur, Kadapa,
Vijayawada, Guntur, Bhimavaram and Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh.
The US
Climate Prediction Centre sees the rain advancing across the peninsula during
the week ending June 15.
Heavy to
very rain has been forecast by the US agency for Konkan-Goa and the
northeastern states along with parts of Gangetic West Bengal during this phase.
Flare-up seen
The week
that follows (June 16 to 22) would once again witness a monsoon flare-up over
coastal Karnataka, followed by Konkan-Mumbai, according to extended forecasts
by the agency.
An expansive
run of the monsoon during the week would push rains into Central and East India
(Central and East Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar)
and even North-West India (Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand,
Himachal Pradesh and North Rajasthan).
Rains
are, however, forecast to be normal over Bihar, Jharkhand and parts of
Chhattisgarh during this phase. The rest of the areas mentioned above should
see above normal rains.
(This article was published on June 10, 2016)
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/monsoon-openstwo-flanks-along-west-coast-for-fresh-push/article8713954.ece
World Rice Production 2016/2017
June 2016
This month the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that the World Rice Production 2016/2017 will be 480.72 million metric tons,
around 0.01 million tons more than the previous month's projection.
Rice Production last year (*) was
470.89 million tons. This year's 480.72 estimated million tons could represent
an increase of 9.83 million tons or a 2.09% in rice production around the globe.
Rice Production by Country
(Values in Metric Tons)
China: 146,500,000
India: 105,000,000
Others: 41,553,000
Indonesia: 36,600,000
Bangladesh: 34,550,000
Vietnam: 28,500,000
Thailand: 17,000,000
Burma: 12,500,000
Philippines: 12,000,000
Brazil: 8,500,000
Japan: 7,680,000
United States: 7,335,000
Pakistan: 6,900,000
Cambodia: 4,700,000
Korea, South: 4,000,000
Egypt: 4,000,000
Sri Lanka: 3,400,000
Next Update will be July 12, 2016. https://www.worldriceproduction.com/?Referer=Newsletter
Seed facility nears completion as Rice Expo approaches
Special to The Commercial
STUTTGART — The University of
Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is preparing to open its new Foundation
seed facility for operation in early August.The $8.6 million facility will be
part of the Rice Research and Extension Center at Stuttgart. Glenn Bathke,
program director at the center, said the new facility will be key in making
varieties of rice, soybean and wheat foundation seeds, developed by Division of
Agriculture researchers, available to seed companies for purchase.“This is a
giant leap forward from our original seed processing facility, which was built
in 1951,” Bathke said. “It’s much safer and efficient.”The facility will manage
the certified foundation seeds produced by the Division of Agriculture, which
require inspections throughout the entire process, from the field to the point
of sale, Bathke said. The facility will be capable of processing as much as 250
bushels of seed an hour, including pre-cleaning, cleaning, sizing and other
steps in ensuring the high quality of as many as 25 varieties of seed each
year.
“We’ll be able to handle more
varieties as well, so we can keep our seed portfolio updated much more effectively,”
Bathke said.Bathke said technicians for machinery involved in the seed handling
process are currently onsite to help manage the installation process. There is
still plenty of work to be done before the scheduled Aug. 9 ribbon-cutting
ceremony, he said, but things are moving according to plan.Tours of the
facility will be included as part of the 2016 Arkansas Rice Expo, taking place
Aug. 10, based at the Grand Prairie Center in Stuttgart.
For more information about the
2016 Arkansas Rice Expo, contact the Rice Research and Extension Center at
870-673-2661, or a local Cooperative Extension Service
agenthttp://pbcommercial.com/news/area-digest/seed-facility-nears-completion-rice-expo-approaches
Commercial Counsellor at Kenya: REAP urges ministry to extend service tenure
June 10, 2016
Rice Exporters Association of
Pakistan (REAP) has urged the Ministry of Commerce to extend the service tenure
of Commercial Counselor deputed at High Commission of Pakistan, in Kenya.
Chairman REAP Chaudary Muhammad Shafique in a letter sent to Federal Commerce
Minister Engr Khurram Dastgir Khan has made a request for extending the service
tenure of Amir Mohyuddin, Commercial Counsellor at High Commission of Pakistan,
in Nairobi, Kenya for his commendable performance, enhancing Pakistani exports,
particularly rice export.
The Chairman REAP said that Amir is one of the most competent persons committed to his mission for increasing trade between Pakistan and Kenya plus other East African countries. "However, we have come to know that the Ministry of Commerce has transferred Amir Mohyuddin and asked him to report to Islamabad by 30th June 2016," he maintained.
Kenya is a very important market for Pakistani rice as $188,326,419 rice was exported in the fiscal year of 2015, he said. "Amir has several achievements on his credit particularly for rice sector during his tenure as Commercial Counselor which is also beneficial for our beloved country as well," he observed.
Rice exports to Kenya and surrounding countries, which were $209 million in 2013, has been increased to $332 million during his tenure. Amir had made untiring efforts for release of more than 1500 stuck up rice containers at Kenyan ports. In addition, Rs 250 million demurrages on Pakistani rice exporters had been waived off due to his co-ordination and close follow up with top Kenyan authorities.
He also played a vital role for cost neutral conversions of Grade III, diamond mark certificate converted into Grade I certificate, besides waiving off 15 percent. "In this regard, we humbly request your good self to kindly look into the matter personally and instruct the officials concerned of Ministry of Commerce to extend the service tenure of Amir Mohyuddin for the interest of the country, rice growers and exporters," he added. Noman Ahmed Shaikh, Senior Vice Chairman, has also made the same request to the Ministry of Commerce.
http://www.brecorder.com/agriculture-a-allied/183/55418/
Food scientists say they’ve found a way to make gluten-free bread taste delicious at last
Written by
Gluten-free bread that tastes good has been a
long time coming. (Reuters/Charles Platiau)
Share
Written by
Gwyneth Paltrow, Miley Cyrus and
the clean-eating bloggers of Instagram have all helped propel gluten-free foods
out of health-food stores and into the aisles of Whole Foods and Wal-Mart. But
anyone who’s gotten curious about the craze and sampled gluten-free bread or
cake from the grocery store has probably discovered what sufferers of Celiac
disease have long known: it doesn’t taste very good.
The problem is a structural one.
Gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, is unique in its ability to
form an “elastic network” when we combine it with water and knead or mix the
dough. It’s what makes our brioche springy and gives cakes their delicate
crumb. Cereals and grains like rice and buckwheat, which are often milled into gluten-free
flours, lack this important component.
Now two inventors and food
scientists from the land of pizza, pasta, and pastries may have come up with a
quality gluten substitute at last. Italian scientists Virna Cerne and Ombretta
Polenghi were honored this week at the European Inventor Awards in Lisbon for
their isolation of a protein called zein that is found in corn. Under
the right conditions including temperature, moisture, and pH, zein forms an
elastic network similar to gluten.
“Today the gluten-free products
include a lot of fiber but the fiber cannot be really elastic,” says Cerne.
“Once the zein protein is isolated, it can be added to different gluten-free
flours like rice or corn flour and it solves the problem of no elasticity.”
Zein-infused products are still in
the research and development phase. But the hope is that because the protein is
found in corn, which is widely and cheaply cultivated, it will provide more
affordable gluten-free alternatives.
Cerne and her co-inventor Polenghi,
who are both employed by the Italian-based food company Dr Schär, say that
their focus is on people who have serious medical reasons to avoid gluten. An
estimated 1% of people worldwide suffer from Celiac disease, and other medical
conditions may also be associated with gluten
sensitivity. But industry analysts say the growing market for
gluten-free products is largely driven by lifestyle
choices rather than
medical necessity. A
report published by
the industry researcher Tech Navio in December highlighted wellness culture,
demand from millennials and robust marketing around gluten-free foods as main
drivers of this trend.
This gluten-free craze has come as
a surprise to Cerne, who has been researching gluten for 20 years. Both
inventors say there is no scientific basis to avoid gluten if you are not
celiac or diagnosed with gluten sensitivity. “In the past only people who
really need the gluten-free diet buy our products,” Cerne says. “Today there
are people that don’t need it but they want to change the taste of their food,
or they think it’s healthier.”
But the two Italians are invested
in helping people who must avoid gluten enjoy their carbs—and they’re committed
to ensuring their pasta, cakes, and loaves of breads up to par.
“We taste gluten-free products 10
times a day,” says Polenghi. “We are very organized in terms of what we call
‘sensory evaluation,’ with a panel of ten taste-tasters who give an objective
evaluation of our products’ softness, crunchiness of crust, dimensions, cereal
aroma, sourness, saltiness, and sweetness. We want people to enjoy our food.”
06/10/2016 Farm
Bureau Market Report
Soybeans
|
High
|
Low
|
|
|
Cash Bids
|
1188
|
1108
|
|
New Crop
|
1172
|
1123
|
|
|
||
Riceland Foods
|
|
||
|
Cash Bids
|
Stuttgart:
|
Pendleton:
|
|
New Crop
|
Stuttgart:
|
Pendleton:
|
|
|
||
|
Futures:
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Soybean Comment
Soybeans closed higher today though well off
of infraday highs. After an intial spike in soybean prices following today's
USDA report which forecast higher exports and lower stocks both this year and
next provided further support for prices. The USDA continues to forecast
bullish demand forecasts which continue to support the current rally. Soybeans
continue to post one of the strongest bull rallies in history, which has pushed
prices into oversold territory, and could begin to pressure prices in coming
days. While weather will remain the dominate factor for prices volatility, look
for additional focus to turn to the acreage numbers that the USDA will release
later this month. If the recent rally attracted significantly more acreage
soybeans could come under significant pressure.
Wheat
|
High
|
Low
|
|
|
Cash Bids
|
530
|
485
|
|
New Crop
|
500
|
475
|
|
|
||
|
Futures:
|
|
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Wheat Comment
Wheat saw a sharp sell off as traders got a
reminder of just how burdensome wheat supplies are in today's USDA report. U.S.
Wheat supplies were increased as stocks rose to 1.05 billion bushels this
month. The USDA did the best it could to minimize wheat stocks as they increase
U.S. Wheat exports and domestic demand in an effort to offset the 79 million bu
increase in production. The market will be close.y watching wheat demand in the
coming weeks as current sales do not support the strong demand currently
forecast. The wheat market will remain closely tied to corn and soybeans as we
move through the summer.
Grain Sorghum
|
High
|
Low
|
|
|
Cash Bids
|
392
|
391
|
|
New Crop
|
379
|
340
|
|
|
||
Corn
|
High
|
Low
|
|
|
Cash Bids
|
437
|
407
|
|
New Crop
|
434
|
419
|
|
|
||
|
Futures:
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Corn Comment
Corn prices closed lower today after a
relatively up exciting USDA report. While today's report forecast lower stocks
for both this year and next year, both were within trade expectations and have
likely been factored into prices in the gains earlier in the week. After sharp
increases leading up to the report the market remains ripe for a correction,
but continued strength in soybeans remains supportive of corn prices. Outside
our borders, the USDA is forecasting tighter stocks and improved demand verses
thier forecast last month. While this report helped soften prices today, the
market will remain focused on weather and if dry conditions start to develop
further gains could be possible.
Cotton
|
Futures:
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cotton Comment
Cotton prices ended the week closing lower
today after the USDA forecast weaker cotton mill use in the U.S. The USDA
continues to forecast U.S. Cotton stocks at more than 4 million bales this year
and next. Global demand remains sluggish despite a 1.7 million bale decline in
global stocks primarily caused by a 2 million bale decrease in China cotton
stocks, which were the result of lower production forecast not increased
demand.
Rice
|
High
|
Low
|
|
|
Long Grain Cash Bids
|
||
|
Long Grain New Crop
|
||
|
|
||
|
Futures:
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rice Comment
After a mostly neutral to bearish USDA
report, rice prices managed a higher close today. Today's USDA report did show
a increase in in short and medium grain rice exports, but also forecast an
increase in long grain rice imports. With forecast for another big crop in
2016/17, rice needs to see additional demand develop as we approach the fall.
The USDA is forecast sharp increases next year verses the current year however
export sales have yet to show signs of this strength. For the week, rice prices
ended down just 2-cents after a volatile week.
Cattle
|
Futures:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Live Cattle:
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Feeders:
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cattle Comment
Cattle prices closed lower today as live
cattle ended 45-cents lower compared to last week and feeders were down $1.12
from last week. While the market got some support from improved beef prices
today and stronger retail prices, cattle prices were unable move higher today.
Demand for cattle remains weak across many markets; however, when the are
trading they maintaining a good premium to futures prices. The cattle market
continues to search for some bullish demand renews to help pull prices out of
thier current sideways pattern.
Hogs
|
Futures:
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
USA Rice Trade Mission to
Colombia: Part One
By Sarah
Moran
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA -- This week, USA Rice is leading a trade mission
of U.S. rice farmers, millers, and merchants to meet with the trade and with
the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service here to talk about the Colombian market
and the positive effects of the Free Trade Agreement which moved Colombia from
our 51st largest export market in 2011 to our third largest in 2015. Ambassador
Kevin Whitaker also spoke to the group about Colombia being one of the highest
capacity and strongest partners for the U.S in the Americas.
"It is really heartening to see what a well-executed free trade agreement can do for our industry," said Kevin McGilton of Riceland Foods, who is traveling with the mission. "But there are still challenges that remain in this market and we are here to hopefully make some progress."
"It is really heartening to see what a well-executed free trade agreement can do for our industry," said Kevin McGilton of Riceland Foods, who is traveling with the mission. "But there are still challenges that remain in this market and we are here to hopefully make some progress."
The group met with Fedearroz, the rice growers association of
Colombia, to discuss production in both the U.S. and Colombia, the effects of
the "emergency decree" of up to 200,000 MT this year, and the U.S.
industry's appreciation of the Colombian market. A review of the limits
placed on imports of paddy rice due to the fungusTilletia horrida, and
the slow progress on completing a survey of the local rice production areas for
the presence/absence of the fungus, and restrictions on the timing of import
license auctions and delivery periods are also being discussed on during the
mission.
|
|
|
|
|
USA Rice members where else -
in the rice
aisle
|
The USA Rice delegation visited an in-store demonstration at
Jumbo, a Chilean hypermarket with eighty stores in Colombia. This is the
first time USA Rice has conducted in-store demonstrations in Colombia and they
are designed to help familiarize consumers here with the different types of
U.S. rice on store shelves. The demo chef shared a variety of recipes and
explained cooking characteristics, texture, and preparation techniques.
The delegation then went to a Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional (HRI) sector culinary training event sponsored by USA Rice where seventy attendees learned the history of rice, methods for cooking rice, and received a hands-on demonstration.
The delegation then went to a Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional (HRI) sector culinary training event sponsored by USA Rice where seventy attendees learned the history of rice, methods for cooking rice, and received a hands-on demonstration.
At the same time, Sabor USA, a USDA program that promotes U.S
products, was filming a TV show about the four young chefs who won a USA Rice
competition last year (see USA Rice Daily June 29, 2015, "USA Rice Co-Sponsors Cooking Seminars in Colombia," and
October 28, 2015, "USA Rice at Miami Trade Show"). The show will be
broadcast in Colombia on Channel 13 in two weeks and also available
on YouTube.
"This trade mission has been very helpful in gaining a better understanding of the opportunities and demands of the Colombian market as well as giving us the opportunity to observe our new promotional program in this burgeoning market," said USA Rice Chairman Dow Brantley.
"This trade mission has been very helpful in gaining a better understanding of the opportunities and demands of the Colombian market as well as giving us the opportunity to observe our new promotional program in this burgeoning market," said USA Rice Chairman Dow Brantley.
WASDE Report Released
WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. 2015/16 rice ending stocks are lowered
500,000 cwt this month to 42.9 million on a 1-million-cwt increase in exports
which is partially offset by a 500,000-cwt increase in imports. The larger
exports are based on a faster-than-expected pace of sales of southern medium-
and short-grain rice to North Africa and the Middle East. Exports for 2016/17
are lowered 1 million cwt to 112 million, with reductions for medium- and
short-grain, due to tightening supplies. Ending stocks for 2016/17 are raised
500,000 cwt to 50.9 million, and are the largest ending stocks since the
mid-1980's.
The 2015/16 all rice season-average price is lowered $0.10 per cwt
on both the high and low ends of the range. The 2016/17 all rice price is
raised $0.30 per cwt at the midpoint based on stronger-than-expected forward
prices for long-grain rice and strengthening prices in international markets.
Global rice supplies are raised fractionally for both 2015/16 and
2016/17. The largest
change is a 500,000-ton increase in 2015/16 India production to
103.5 million on updated government data. Only slight changes are made this
month to global trade, use, and ending stocks for both the 2015/16 and 2016/17
marketing years.
Read the entire report here.
APEDA
AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1492
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Fire at rice mill destroys stock worth 80 lakh
THE HANS INDIA | Jun 11,2016 , 01:27 AM
IST
.
Nellore: In a fire mishap Rs 80 lakh worth
paddy, rice and equipment gutted in rice mill at Santhinagar in Kovur on
Thursday night. Officials said the accident was due to electric short circuit
in Dhanalakshmi rice mill and machinery and material stocked in the mill caught
on fire.Locals who noticed fire from the mill informed to fire personnel. Fire
fighters arrived on the spot and doused flames.
http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Andhra-Pradesh/2016-06-11/Fire-at-rice-mill-destroys-stock-worth-80-lakh-/234236
Seed facility nears completion as Rice Expo approaches
STUTTGART — The University of Arkansas System Division of
Agriculture is preparing to open its new Foundation seed facility for operation
in early August.
The $8.6 million facility will be part of the Rice Research and
Extension Center at Stuttgart. Glenn Bathke, program director at the center,
said the new facility will be key in making varieties of rice, soybean and
wheat foundation seeds, developed by Division of Agriculture researchers,
available to seed companies for purchase.
“This is a giant leap forward from our original seed processing
facility, which was built in 1951,” Bathke said. “It’s much safer and
efficient.”
The facility will manage the certified foundation seeds produced
by the Division of Agriculture, which require inspections throughout the entire
process, from the field to the point of sale, Bathke said. The facility will be
capable of processing as much as 250 bushels of seed an hour, including
pre-cleaning, cleaning, sizing and other steps in ensuring the high quality of
as many as 25 varieties of seed each year.
“We’ll be able to handle more varieties as well, so we can keep
our seed portfolio updated much more effectively,” Bathke said.
Bathke said technicians for machinery involved in the seed
handling process are currently onsite to help manage the installation process.
There is still plenty of work to be done before the scheduled Aug. 9
ribbon-cutting ceremony, he said, but things are moving according to plan.
Tours of the facility will be included as part of the 2016
Arkansas Rice Expo, taking place Aug. 10, based at the Grand Prairie Center in
Stuttgart.
For more information about the 2016 Arkansas Rice Expo, contact
the Rice Research and Extension Center at 870-673-2661, or a local Cooperative
Extension Service agent
http://pbcommercial.com/news/area-digest/seed-facility-nears-completion-rice-expo-approaches
Annual field day features rice geneticist
A leading rice geneticist will
speak at the annual field day June 29 at the LSU Agricultural Center H. Rouse
Caffey Rice Research Station at 1373 Caffey Road in Rayne.
The day will begin with field tours
from 7:15 a.m. until 9 a.m. More research will be presented at a session until
10:30 a.m., and the indoor program begins at 10:45 a.m.
Speakers will discuss their latest
research on rice breeding, weed control, insect and disease management, hybrid
development and agronomy.
Susan McCouch, of the Cornell
University department of plant breeding and genetics, will talk about the
potential for advances in rice breeding.
McCouch developed the first
molecular map of the rice genome in 1988. She has conducted extensive studies
of rice to help breeders identify genetic markers for rice traits, including
disease resistance, maturity, yields and drought tolerance.
http://theadvocate.com/news/16032080-148/baton-rouge-new-orleans-lafayette-area-business-briefs-for-june-12-2016
Annual field day features rice geneticist
A leading rice geneticist will
speak at the annual field day June 29 at the LSU Agricultural Center H. Rouse
Caffey Rice Research Station at 1373 Caffey Road in Rayne.
The day will begin with field tours
from 7:15 a.m. until 9 a.m. More research will be presented at a session until
10:30 a.m., and the indoor program begins at 10:45 a.m.
Speakers will discuss their latest
research on rice breeding, weed control, insect and disease management, hybrid
development and agronomy.
Susan McCouch, of the Cornell
University department of plant breeding and genetics, will talk about the
potential for advances in rice breeding.
McCouch developed the first
molecular map of the rice genome in 1988. She has conducted extensive studies
of rice to help breeders identify genetic markers for rice traits, including
disease resistance, maturity, yields and drought tolerance.
http://theadvocate.com/news/16032080-148/baton-rouge-new-orleans-lafayette-area-business-briefs-for-june-12-2016
Two rice varieties developed by LSU AgCenter show potential
DAILY REPORT
STAFF
JUNE 10, 2016
An LSU AgCenter rice researcher says two new
varieties of rice released last year by the AgCenter are receiving good reviews
from mills and companies.Steve Linscombe, rice breeder and director of
the LSU AgCenter’s H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station, told farmers and
consultants in a rice and soybean field day in Mamou on Thursday that both the
CL 153 long-grain Clearfield variety and the medium-grain CL 272 variety will
be available for commercial production after a year of seed production,
according to an AgCenter news release.CL 153 has been touted for less
chalk and better disease resistance than CL 151, another long-grain rice
developed by the AgCenter several years ago.
“Seven mills have looked at it, and all of them
have said this would be package rice for them,” Linscombe says of CL 153.Meanwhile,
CL 272 has better yield potential than any other long-grain rice variety, which
is a quality favored by Kellogg’s, Linscombe says.“They have given us a
very favorable response,” he adds.Also at the field day, AgCenter
entomologist Mike Stout stressed that the South American rice miner has been
much more active this year after only isolated occurrences in past years.“This
year by far, it’s been the most widespread,” Stout said.
