26th September,2016 daily global regional and local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine

Basmati GI and TM issues need to be resolved promptly

The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has urged the Intellectual Property Organisation (IPO) and the registrar Trade Marks (TM) to expedite the protection law on geographical indications and the trademark ownership of basmati to settle both the issues promptly.President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver regretted that both the issues of GI and TM of basmati rice are lingering since years and it is high time the matter is resolved so that Pakistan's GI rights are protected and saved from the mischief of our competitors who are not acknowledging and recognising our rights despite the fact that our basmati rice has inherited features and characteristics of basmati rice because of aroma, length and look and of course the best cooking ability as it elongates when cooked.

It is very unfortunate that the Indian court dismissed our case on grounds of lack of evidence. Actually our representatives should not have gone in the first place without complete homework and that too in a competitors country not at all friendly.If we have our GI protection law in place such rulings will not affect us. Now that the draft is ready it should be placed before the cabinet and the national assembly promptly. 

Thaver also urged the registrar of trade marks to grant or declare the ownership rights of basmati rice in favour of Pakistan government who may assign it to the ministry of commerce or agriculture as it deems fit and under no circumstances it must go to any trade body or association. 

It belongs to Pakistan and it is national property and heritage.It is pertinent to note that some vested interest is trying to acquire the ownership of Pakistani basmati rice on the grounds that it is grown by them. It must be noted that the entire supply chain are the stakeholders and the growers, shellers, processors and exporters and local merchants are all the rightful owners.

REAP to hold 'Biryani Festival' in Indonesia

September 24, 2016

RECORDER REPORT

profile delegation of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) will visit Indonesia to market Pakistani rice. REAP has also planned a grand Biryani Festival in Indonesia, in which different rice dishes will be made with Pakistani rice for the participants to promote the Pakistani rice. Indonesia is a very potential market for Pakistani rice as it imports approx one million metric tons rice annually from various regions.

During August, a high profile delegation from Indonesia visited Karachi and had meetings with the representatives of REAP and Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP). Various matters related to increase the bilateral trade were discussed during the meetings. In this regard, recently a REAP delegation led by Abdul Rahim Janoo met with Chairman TCP and other senior officials of TCP to develop a strategy for rice promotion in the Indonesia. On the occasion, Noman Ahmed Shaikh Senior Vice Chairman REAP, Rafique Suleman Ex-Chairman REAP and Abdul Rauf Chappal newly elected MC Member REAP were also present.

During the meeting, various proposals were discussed to increase the rice exports from Pakistan to Indonesia and it was mutually decided to send a high profile REAP delegation along with TCP to Indonesia in the October, 2016.

It was also decided that during the visit, a grand Biryani Festival will be organized and different rice dishes made by Pakistani rice will be presented on the occasion to the participants to promote the Pakistani rice. Rafique Suleman, former Chairman REAP, toldBusiness Recorder that previously, REAP has successfully organised such Biryani Festivals in 14 countries of the world, as this is very instrumental to introduce the Pakistani rice among the people of buying countries.

"This is one of the main reasons that rice exports from Pakistan which were only $300 million have been surged to about $2 Billion annually and such growth has never seen in any other commodity in the history of Pakistan," he added. REAP delegation, during the visit of Indonesia, along with Chairman TCP will also have meetings with the top officials of various ministries and government departments particularly with the officials of BULOG, the state owned department, he informed.

As currently only government to government (G to G) trade is being done by Indonesia and efforts will be made to export Pakistani rice through exporters, he said. REAP will also sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indonesian importers for export of rice. "We are hopeful that after the visit of this delegation, rice exports from Pakistan to Indonesia will be increase with a remarkable ratio," Rafique said.

http://www.brecorder.com/agriculture-a-allied/183/87600/

Public urged: Consume brown rice

• September 24, 2016
• Elsa S. Subong

ILOILO CITY, 24 Sept. (PIA6)—The Department of Agriculture is urging the public to consume brown rice for health, and to help attain rice self-sufficiency.In its current promotion dubbed #Brown4good Challenge, the DA and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said that consumption of brown rice can help solve undernourishment, hunger and low income among farmers.
Brown rice is locally known as pinawa and is the whole grain of rice, since only the outer shell called hull is removed.

The intact bran gives it a distinct brown or tan color, nutty taste and chewy nature, with higher contents of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants than milled white rice.

According to DA and health experts, the nutritional contents of brown rice help in the prevention of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

DA Regional Director Remelyn Recoter encouraged all sectors – the academe, farmers, consumers, farmers and government employees, to support the #BROWN4good Project, where one can order brown rice in restaurants or cook it at home, then post a picture with the hashtag #BROWN4good#Region6 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
 Hide original message

“Every post is equivalent to one cup of brown rice donated to charities in Western Visayas,” Recoter said.

The #BROWN4good Challenge was launched last August 30 and will run until October 31, 2016.

Brown rice is available for P36-P37 per kilo, and P1,800 to P1,850 per sack at the Iloilo Rice Processing Complex in Pototan, Iloilo. (JSC/ESS/PIA6 Iloilo

 http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/911474610225/-public-urged-consume-brown-rice-#sthash.RRaOEF1O.dpuf

Punjab Rice Millers threaten to boycott paddy procrurements

Press Trust of India  |  Fatehgarh Sahib (PB)  September 24, 2016 Last Updated at 21:28 IST

Punjab Rice Millers Association today threatened to boycott paddy procrurements till October 5 protesting recovery notices by government procurement agencies. "No miller will store paddy in their mills and will boycott procurements till October 5," association president Tarsem Saini said. Government agencies are "intentionally ruining" millers by "exploiting" them, he alleged, adding agencies had issued notices for recoveries related to the 2001-02 crop year, which was not justified. The general house of the association will soon meet at Jagraon and decide the next line of action, he informed. The industry is already on the verge of collapse due to "anti-trade" policies of government, alleged senior association member Nikesh Jindal.(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/punjab-rice-millers-threaten-to-boycott-paddy-procrurements-116092400695_1.html

NFA mulls importation of another 250k MT of rice in November

by Madelaine B. Miraflor
September 26, 2016

After securing 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice imports from Thailand and Vietnam earlier this month, the National Food Authority is now mulling to tap the half of its standby authority to secure country’s grains requirement in the first few months of 2017.NFA Officer in Charge Tomas Escarez said the NFA Council will meet today (Tuesday) to evaluate whether the government has to buy another 250,000 MT of rice abroad right away.

M FILE – Workers arranges sacks of NFA rice at a warehouse in Visayas Ave, Quezon City.
(Mark Balmores/ Manila Bulletin)

“We already imported 250,000 MT but then we think more is needed because between January to February are lean months. So we recommended to the council based on the standby authority of 500,000 MT, even if we already imported 250,000 MT, we are allowed to import another 250,000 MT. We are just awaiting the instruction of the nfa council,” Escarez told reporters.
“We plan to have the G2G [government-to-government] earlier but its really up to the council but most probably the importation would happen around November. Most likely we will be allowed to import before December because it takes how many days to take the procurement process,” he further said.
Lean season in the Philippines usually starts in July and ends in September but with the threats of La Niña, more imports must be tapped immediately.
While assuring the public that there is more than enough stocks for now, Escarez said the country must prepare for La Niña.
Forecasted to hit the country this year, La Niña is a weather phenomenon expected to bring heavy rains in most parts of the country.
In September 1, NFA awarded the import contracts, covering 250,000 MT of 25-percent broken well-milled rice at $424.5 per MT, to Thailand and Vietnam.
The NFA noted that the price was 0.15 percent lower than the reference price of $425 per MT.
Escarez said earlier that 40 percent of the rice shipment is expected to be delivered by the end of this month, while the remaining 60 percent will reach the country by the end of October.
“This will give NFA sufficient lead time to preposition the stocks nationwide in time for the season of tropical storms and typhoons which usually occur during the end of the third quarter until the fourth quarter,” Escarez said then.
NFA Council earlier allowed the government to tap 500,000 MT of rice import as “standby authority” to fill an estimated gap of five percent of the national production as the result of the El Niño phenomenon

http://www.mb.com.ph/nfa-mulls-importation-of-another-250k-mt-of-rice-in-november/#cZgifpc5T0PCrdbE.99

Crisis Shows Weakness in Cambodia’s Rice Sector

The Cambodian government last week gave the green light to the Rural Development Bank (RDB) to disburse loans totaling $27 million to millers to buy paddy rice from farmers at 840 riel ($0.21) per kilogram, in a bid to stabilize falling prices. But problems abound, with farmers still offered low prices for their harvests and millers complaining of poor quality paddy rice from the fields. Khmer Times’ Chea Vannak sat down with Phou Poy, president of the Green Rice Miller in Battambang and also chairman of the Rice Bank, to discuss issues surrounding the current predicaments of both rice millers and farmers.

KT: How much did you ask from the RDB to buy paddy rice from farmers at a price of not less than 840 riel per kilogram?

 Mr. Poy: The Rice Bank and a few millers joined hands together to purchase rice at a higher price from farmers, after complaints that they were receiving low prices for their paddy rice. We have been using our own funds to buy paddy rice at 840 riel per kilogram from farmers, even before the emergency loan package was announced.
 

We still have funds in the Rice Bank. But how long they will last is a good guess. We still have not made any requests for the loan. A few millers are waiting for their own funds to run out before they make their loan requests to the RDB.

KT: By using your own funds, up to today, how many tons of paddy rice have you bought from farmers?
 

Mr. Poy: With our limited funds, we could not make very large purchases of paddy rice. Also bear in mind that some of the rice fields are in very remote areas of Battambang province. Because of that, our teams could not get access to farmers there to buy their paddy rice at 840 riel per kilogram. So farmers in those areas had no choice but to sell the rice harvest to traders who were offering 720 riel ($0.18) per kilogram.

 

One important factor that affects the price of paddy rice, is its quality. Farmers often do not dry their harvested paddy rice well enough. Quality is lost if their paddy rice is still damp, and traders have no choice but to offer them lower prices.
 

The Rice Bank buys milled rice directly from the millers, so that they will have funds to buy another batch of paddy rice from farmers. So far, the Rice Bank has purchased 7,000 tons of milled rice from the millers. The Bank also buys paddy rice directly from farmers. We purchase close to 900 tons of paddy rice a day. That 900 tons is milled and processed for export, though some is supplied to local markets.

KT: How can help be given to farmers who have not been able to sell their rice at 840 riel per kilogram?
 

Mr. Poy: For farmers who missed selling their paddy rice to our teams, there is still hope. We have informed all community centers in Battambang province to contact rice farmers and tell them to prepare for the forthcoming harvest. The key message is that paddy rice not dried properly will only fetch low prices from the rice traders. Famers can still sell to us, by bringing their paddy rice directly to our warehouses in Battambang. But the paddy rice has to be dried properly. That can be a problem now because of the end of the wet season, where the rains are heaviest.
 

KT: What do think of the emergency funds from the government to help stabilize rice prices for farmers?
 

Mr. Poy: This is a good direct intervention to prevent rice prices from tumbling further. Without the 840 riel per kilogram government price, the price of rice might go into a free fall. But the $27 million is only a short-term measure.
 

We have to take into account the capacity of rice millers to store paddy rice in their warehouses and sell milled rice at a time when there is surplus rice in the market. If there is good market demand for their milled rice, and if they have the capacity to store paddy rice in their warehouses, then $20 million to $30 million is enough. But if the market is not there due to the influx of cheap quality rice from neighboring countries, then this $27 million will not go a long way. Then it’s just a band aid measure for the rice millers.
 

KT:  What do you think caused the current crisis in the country’s rice sector?
 

Mr. Poy: Farmers have been affected by climate change. Wet season planting started late this year because of the delayed rains. Farmers only started planting in July, and due to the late wet season they also decided to plant fragrant jasmine rice together with other rice varieties.

 This created a surplus in paddy rice harvest during the harvest period between 15 to 18 September. The farmers then found themselves in a tight corner ‒ unable to sell their harvested crop at prices to make ends meet.Due to poor and limited storage facilities, farmers must sell whatever extra rice they produce immediately after harvest. With the oversupply of rice in the market, farmers have little bargaining power to negotiate the selling price. In addition to this, the quality of the rice has decreased, representing an added cost to farmers.

The Rice Bank and provincial officials then held emergency meetings to find ways to deal with plunging rice prices. We decided to buy paddy rice directly from the rice fields at 840 riel per kilogram. There were reports that the rice traders were buying farmers’ rice crop at less than 720 riel per kilogram.

KT: What do you think about the future of Cambodia’s rice sector? Will we weather this crisis?
 

Mr. Poy: As for poor rice farmers that are hardest hit by falling prices, immediate intervention by government, development partners, and civil society organizations is needed. We need a medium- to long-term strategy that involves enhancing competitiveness in rice export through the promotion of production technology, improvement of rice processing quality, and provision of short- and long-term credits for rice millers and exporters.
 

A major constraint for Cambodian millers is the quality of paddy rice sent for milling. The combination of poor drying techniques, open storage systems, high relative humidity, and high temperatures reduces seed and grain quality during the storage period. Most rice traders have little or no capital to invest in storage. The government should encourage the private sector to improve processing capacities for paddy and processed rice as well as milling capacities by giving soft loan incentives or by seeking developing partners.Yes, we will weather this crisis. But it has also shown the structural weakness in the country’s rice sector.

Indonesia Needs Cheaper Rice

Indonesia would consider buying more rice from Cambodia if the price was more competitive, the Indonesian ambassador to Cambodia told reporters after the Indonesian Trade and Tourism Promotion 2016 expo in Phnom Penh on Friday.

Ambassador Pitono Purnomo said that Cambodia and Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding in 2012 for the annual export of about 100,000 tons of milled rice and have been in continuous talks since.He added that so far, negotiations had yet to provide enough incentive to increase imports as the price of Cambodian rice was too high. He said Indonesia was one of the world’s biggest rice consumers and needed rice not only for consumption but also for stock stabilization.

 “The price of Cambodian rice is high, you have to make it lower to compare with your competitors like Thailand and Vietnam. Indonesia is one of the biggest rice consumers,” Mr. Purnomo said.“If you make the price more competitive compared to Vietnam and Thailand, Indonesia will of course consider Cambodian rice. We are not going to import premium rice as we are importing it for the average citizen. We don’t need high grade as we also want to use it for stock purposes,” he added.

Mr. Purnomo said the ball was now in Cambodia’s court, adding that if the price was reduced, Indonesia would make appropriate considerations. “As far as I know, we’re only stuck on the price. I understand the price is a bit higher since you have higher-quality rice and logistics are high.”Commerce Minister Pan Sorasak said at the rice purchasing and export workshop that Indonesia has been working with the Ministry of Commerce to purchase about 400,000 tons of rice and just needed to agree on the price and type of rice.

 

“Indonesia demands white rice with more than 15 percent broken rice to deliver to average people. It is not a premium rice. Indonesia wants to purchase low-grade rice,” he said. “We are now working with Indonesia, but we want our rice exporters to consider low-quality rice for export.”

 Song Saron, president of Amru Rice of Cambodia, told Khmer Times that his company had yet to export to Indonesia because the price for logistics was higher than neighboring countries and added that Indonesia’s market was for white rice. “In my opinion, we cannot talk about export [to Indonesia] at the moment. We must first make our price more competitive,” he said.

Mr. Saron added that Cambodian rice would be more competitive if electricity, logistics and port costs were reduced as well as other administrative procedures for rice millers and exporters. He said Cambodian white rice costs about $425 per ton while that in Thailand and Vietnam was $380 and $360 respectively, about $40 to $65 higher per ton.   “Production costs should be under $30 per ton. Generally, our production costs are about $100 from rice paddy. If it is $40 to $60 per ton we could do it,” Mr. Saron said. “If logistics, electricity, and port costs are high, how can we compete with neighboring countries?”

In 2015, according to figures from the Indonesian embassy, Indonesia exported $435 million in goods to the Kingdom while Cambodia exported only $15 million to Indonesia. Indonesia’s exports included garments, spare parts, chemicals, medicine and tobacco while Cambodia mostly exported garments and food

Indonesia to sign rice import deal with Myanmar

Nilar | Myanmar Eleven/ANN | Naypyidaw
Sun, September 25 2016 | 05:50 pm

Workers carry sacks of rice on their shoulder in State Logistics Agency's (Bulog) warehouse in Jakarta.(JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)

Myanmar is due to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indonesia to export 500,000 tons of rice a year until 2019, according to Myanmar’s Commerce Ministry.“There is a new minister of commerce in Indonesia and it has requested to postpone the deal for the time being. We are scheduled to visit Indonesia this month to sign the agreement,” said assistant secretary of the ministry Khin Maung Lwin as quoted by Myanmar Eleven on Sunday.
About 90 percent of rice exports currently go overland to China, but the Myanmar Rice Federation is looking to increase sales to Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan.
The Indonesian government initiated a plan to import rice from Myanmar in December 2015, saying that importing rice from Myanmar would serve as backup in case rice imports from Vietnam and Thailand were not adequate to stabilize local prices.
In May 2016, the Indonesian Agriculture Ministry reported that 15,000 tons of Myanmar rice had entered Indonesia, but was halted at Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya, West Java. Then-trade minister Thomas Lembong refused to comment on the problem behind the rice import initiated by the State Logistics Agency (Bulog).(ags)

P3.3-T budget up for deliberation

Lower House begins today scrutiny of ‘pork-free’ gov’t fund

by Charissa Luci
September 26, 2016

The House of Representatives will begin today its plenary deliberations on the Duterte administration’s first proposed national budget of P3.35 trillion for 2017.Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, will sponsor and defend the proposed 2017 P3.35-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

FIELD OF DREAMS – In what is called ‘Paddy Art,’ a rice field is embellished with the image and moniker of President Rodrigo R. Duterte at the University of the Philippines campus in Los Baños, Laguna. The DU30 paddy art was made with inbred rice variety developed at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
(Jansen Romero/Manila Bulletin)

“We will begin the two-week marathon deliberations [from Monday to Friday] on the national budget to approve this (on third and final reading) by the third week of next month and transmit this to the Senate,” he said.Nograles is expected to defend the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte will sponsor the Department of Finance (DOF) and its attached agencies and defend the budget of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and the Government Commission for Government-owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs).Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, who served as chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations in the past Congress, will defend the budget of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and its attached agencies.

The proposed budget for 2017 is 11.6 percent higher than last year’s P3.002 trillion.It reflects the Duterte administration’s priorities next year as it intensifies efforts to combat crime, illegal drugs and corruption, enhance economic growth through regional development, and bring about other reforms, Nograles said.“We will have a budget responsive to the people’s needs and in support of President Duterte’s thrusts, priorities and call for change,” he said.

House Majority Floor Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo “Rudy” Fariñas, another stalwart of the PDP-Laban, said they are set to ratify the proposed 2017 General Appropriations Act on December 14, 2016.

“We will pass the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) in time for the President to sign it into the General Appropriations Act (GAA) on or before we adjourn on December 14. This will be the first National Expenditure Program (NEP) of President Rody and we will see his priorities for his first year in office,” he said.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez maintained that President Duterte’s first national budget is not littered with “pork” allocations.

“There is no pork barrel, it has been declared illegal by the Supreme Court. I do not intend to violate it and (Budget) Secretary (Bejamin) Diokno will not allow it,” Alvarez said.He said lawmakers were already stripped of their power over lump sum congressional allocations, recognizing that they will only court cases if they will revive the old pork barrel system

http://www.mb.com.ph/p3-3-t-budget-up-for-deliberation/#lhMbKJTewh3LCldB.99

Campaign highlights brown rice benefits

September 25, 2016

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Iloilo City — The Department of Agriculture is urging the public to eat brown rice because it is healthy and helps the country attain rice self-sufficiency.In its promotion campaign, #Brown4good Challenge, the DA and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said that consumption of brown rice can help solve undernourishment, hunger and low income among farmers.

Brown rice is locally known as pinawa and is the whole grain of rice, since only the outer shell called hull is removed.  The intact bran gives it a distinct brown or tan color, nutty taste and chewy nature, with higher contents of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants than milled white rice.DA and health experts say the nutritional contents of brown rice help prevent diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.DA Regional Director Remelyn Recoter encouraged the public to support the #BROWN4good Project by ordering brown rice in restaurants or cooking it at home, then posting a picture with the hashtag #BROWN4good#Region6 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Brown rice (Photo courtesy of en.wikipedia.org)

http://www.mb.com.ph/campaign-highlights-brown-rice-benefits/#Z0Iu4GeUYl6Lz527.99

23rd September,2016 daily global,regional and local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine

Belarusian machinery to be introduced in Pakistan

By Veronika Buta: MAZ and Amkodor are ready to enter the market of Pakistan’s Punjab province. The prospects of joint projects, such as establishing the enterprises’ trade missions and assembly plants, have been discussed in Minsk today.

Last year saw a breakthrough in Belarus – Pakistan relations. In May 2015, the Belarusian President paid the first official visit to Pakistan in order to give impetus to mutual cooperation, which resulted in contracts worth tens of thousands of dollars. A return visit paid by Pakistan’s Prime Minister in the late summer of 2015 was reflected in a cooperation roadmap, the two countries agreeing to make every effort to reach a trade turnover of a billion dollars.

Pakistan is Belarus’ promising partner in South Asia. The most significant part of Belarusian exports is tractors, 4,000 equipment units exported per year.

Last year, the mutual trade turnover between the two countries amounted to slightly less than 60 million dollars. In addition to tractors, Belarus exports potash fertilisers, synthetic yarn, tyres, newsprint and baby food to Pakistan and imports rice, foodstuffs, leather products, textiles and sporting equipment.

Each visit of Pakistan’s delegations adds new items to the list. MAZ and Amkodor are preparing to enter the country’s market, as proposed by Pakistan’s Punjab province representatives during their visit to Belarus.

Punjab is the largest industrial region in the South Asian country, its share in Pakistan’s GDP making up about 60 %. Punjab is home to about 200,000 small and over 600 large-scale enterprises. As planned by the country’s authorities, Pakistan’s economy will be actively developing for the next 20 years, therefore the country needs road construction machinery and passenger transport. The first batch of Belarusian equipment has already been delivered to Karachi, and new contracts are expected to be signed. The Pakistani side insists on the opening of Belarusian companies’ trade missions.

Last year saw the opening of an MTZ assembly plant in Karachi, a similar project is expected to be implemented in the Punjab province.

There are a lot of opportunities for Belarus to increase its industrial presence in Asia. The involvement of third countries in the joint projects is being discussed. 

http://www.tvr.by/eng/news/ekonomika/belorusskaya_tekhnika_poyavitsya_v_pakistane/

 

Research necessary to compete globally in rice production

By Mansoor Ahmad

September 23, 2016

LAHORE: Shahzad Ali Malik was awarded Sitar-e-Imtiaz for introducing hybrid rice in Pakistan that gave more than double the per acre yield of IRRI (coarse rice) in the country in two decades. He says that during the same period, the productivity of basmati rice declined by 40 percent as its research was in the hands of state rice research institutes. Here are excerpts from his interview with The News.
Q. What is the reason for sustained export growth in coarse rice?
A. Exports of coarse rice produced in Sindh were not affected even when global commodity rates were very low. Only the exports of basmati rice are declining. Coarse rice exports survived bad times because its productivity has more than doubled from 40 maunds per acre to over 80 maunds per acre. We introduced Chinese hybrid rice seeds in Pakistan in late 19990s.
Later the technology was transferred by the Chinese to our company. We established our research centre that is run by Chinese scientists along with Pakistani PhDs. Our researchers introduced high yielding seeds that produce 120 maunds of rice per acre. This is higher than even the productivity in China. In fact our Chinese principles have started importing some of our high yield hybrid rice seeds. High yield has reduced the cost of production of the farmers and their produce is competitive globally. This is the reason that coarse rice exports are on rise. Our productivity in coarse rice is higher than that of India.
Q. What are the reasons of decline in Basmati rice exports?
A. As far as basmati is concerned, the government rice research institutes did a commendable job in the 80s to introduce many high yielding varieties. In view of this, the private sector left the research on basmati to the government sector. However, during the last two decades, not a single basmati variety has been introduced. The last variety, introduced more than 20 years back, is losing its productivity, as its yield has declined from 50 maunds per acre to 25-30 maunds per acre.
The Indians in the meantime introduced many high yielding long grain rice varieties that look like basmati. The per acre yield of their best long grain variety exceeds 50 maunds per acre. The Indian thus are more competitive than Pakistan in long grain rice variety. Five years back, when our per acre yield of long grain basmati rice was higher, we quoted $100-150 per maund less than the Indians, now it is reverse.
Q. Is the Indian long grain rice not basmati?
A. Basmati is a combination of two words ‘bas’ that means aroma, and ‘mati’ which means soil. Basmati is the aromatic rice of the soil around our central Punjab rice belt. Long grain rice otherwise is produced in many countries. Iran for instance also produced long grain rice so does the United States. Those addicted to basmati with its peculiar aroma do not buy other long grain rice that lacks this aroma. This is the reason that despite high price, basmati exports is still on. We have however lost market to Indians where consumers are not concerned with aroma but simply want long grain rice.
Q. What should be done to further enhance coarse rice exports?
A. The government should strictly regulate the import of hybrid seeds. There are 54 suppliers of hybrid rice seeds in Pakistan, including four or five reputable multinationals. But there are many importers that supply substandard seeds that result in crop failures and huge loss to the farmers. The hybrid rice has alleviated poverty in Sindh and substandard seeds sales, if not checked would bring back poverty for some farmers.
The farmers must be encouraged to go for hybrid varieties as the yield of non-hybrid seeds is very low. The average of our rice hybrid seed is 120 maunds per acre. The yield of other hybrids, imported or locally produced, is 80-100 maunds per acre. The more we grow the higher will be our exports.
Q. How can the basmati exports increase?
A. We have little expectations of high yield basmati varieties being introduced by the public sector research institutes, since they are not active. On the other hand, research in private sector has just started, and it will take some years before high yielding varieties are introduced. The best chance to boost exports now is to include rice in the five products that Iran will allow at zero duty in the upcoming FTA with Iran.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/151838-Research-necessary-to-compete-globally-in-rice-production

Climate change hits Thailand jasmine rice exports to Qatar

September 22 2016 11:25 PM

Joey Aguilar

Thailand’s jasmine rice exports to Qatar decreased from 1770.3 tonnes (worth$1.72mn) to 1335.5 tonnes ($1.12mn) in the first half of 2016 compared to the same period last year due to climate change, the Thai embassy in Doha has said.“While climate change directly affected rice productivity in Thailand, the global economic recession also contributed to a decline in demand,” Thai ambassador Soonthorn Chaiyindeepum told Gulf Times.

The El Niño phenomenon has severely affected agricultural lands in many Southeast Asian countries since last year, particularly Thailand, the second largest rice exporter in the world.Chaiyindeepum also cited many emerging rice exporting competitors but stressed that Thai farmers and their government will continue to offer high-quality jasmine rice to the world at a reasonable price.These include Qatar, which ranks 42nd as Thailand’s jasmine rice export destination.Thailand is also ready to exchange expertise with Qatar in the field of agriculture to help in ensuring food security in the country, according to the envoy.

As one of the leaders in high quality agricultural production in the world, Chaiyindeepum said Thailand can provide technical assistance and capacity building to Qatar in areas such as rain making, hydroponics farming technology, and aquaculture.He pointed out that geographical diversity in Thailand, together with “New Theory (of Agriculture)” initiated by the King of Thailand, led to the development of their technical know-how on sustainable farming.Such knowledge and technology, he added, can contribute to Qatar’s food security.
Chaiyindeepum noted that Thailand also has experts in the field of molecular plant breeding, developing plants that have high tolerance to drought and extreme weather.

“We are pioneers in artificial rain production by cloud seeding technique (Royal Rainmaking Project) — patented by the European Patent Office to the King of Thailand,” he explained.Thailand is also ready to help and co-operate with Qatar on “technical exchange and investment” in the medical field, the envoy said.
Known as a medical hub of Southeast Asia, he noted that they have many internationally certified hospitals, renowned doctors, and state-of-the-art medical technologies.Besides jasmine rice exports, figures from the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand showed that total trade volume in the first half of 2016 had decreased by 31.08% compared to the same period last year.“Qatar is Thailand’s 29th trading partner with two-way trade amounted to $1.4bn in the first half of 2016,” it said.

“The exports from Thailand to Qatar amounted to $178.74mn while imports from Qatar was $1.2bn.
“However, this corresponds with the global trend of Thailand’s trade with all countries.”The envoy said that Thailand’s main imports from Qatar are petroleum products, especially LNG while Thailand’s major exports include food, automobiles, and electronics goods.
http://www.gulf-times.com/story/514760/Climate-change-hits-Thailand-jasmine-rice-exports-

India asks China to import agri-products like rice, sugar

PTI

| New Delhi | 23 September, 2016

Seeking greater cooperation in agriculture trade, India on Friday asked neighbouring China to import a wide range of items from it such as rice, sugar, maize and dried grapes.Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh met his Chinese counterpart Qui Dongyu on the sidelines of BRICS agri-meet here and asked China to consider importing these products from India."I am looking forward for more and more cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors between the two countries leading to further strengthening of bilateral relations," Singh said in a statement.

He said China can explore the possibility of importing agricultural items including live plants, coconut, cashew nuts, banana, pepper, shorghum, coconut oil, oil cake, which India has a potential to export.Singh also expressed satisfaction over the progress made in finalising a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China on sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) issuesHe said the MoU is "inching towards finality".In 2015-16, India's export to China stood at USD 875.13 million, while imports were at USD 284.18 million.India exports agri-items such as fish, prawns, shrimp, cotton and castor oil, and imports kidney beans, apples, pears and bamboos.

www.thestatesman.com/news/business/india-asks-china-to-import-agri-products-like-rice-sugar/166839.html#RMhJpr70cWZt4G7y.99

Kharif sowing acreage surpasses average of last five years

Our Bureau

New Delhi, September 23:  

Total sowing in the ongoing kharif season so far has surpassed both last year’s acreage and the normal area — the average of total sown area in the previous five years. Sowing of rice, pulses, coarse cereals and oilseeds have exceeded last year’s acreage by significant margins, while sugar, cotton and jute are lower, according to figures supplied by States and compiled by the Centre.

“The total sown area as on September 23 stands at 1,067.53 lakh hectares compared to 1,030.89 lakh hectares at this time last year and total normal area of 1,062.50 lakh hectares,” an official release stated.

Rice sowing has been done on 387.04 lh compared to 377.35 lh in the same period last year. Pulses acreage has expanded to 145.84 lh (112.93 lh). Sowing of coarse cereals, too, gained to 189.58 lh (183.59 lh), while oilseeds acreage increased to 189.16 lh (183.71 lh).

Cotton acreage has gone down to 102.55 lh so far this year against last year’s 115.98 lh. Sugarcane acreage is lower at 45.77 lh (49.60 lh).

(This article was published on September 23, 2016)

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/kharif-sowing-acreage-surpasses-average-of-last-five-years/article9141190.ece

No decision yet on rice import restrictions

Posted on September 24, 2016

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is yet to come up with its decision on whether it will maintain or remove restrictions on rice imports as the country seeks to comply with a World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement to lift trade barriers on the staple food.

“There’s no decision yet. We are doing consultations nationwide starting next week with the stakeholders,” Segfredo R. Serrano, Agriculture undersecretary for policy and planning revealed to reporters on Wednesday.

The consultation aims to come up with the best possible recourse the country can undertake in terms of lifting or retaining the so-called quantitative restriction (QR) on rice imports, which limits the volume of rice that can enter the Philippines every year. The QR serves as cushion to prevent the influx of cheap rice imports and protect local farmers.

The Philippines, one of the world’s biggest rice importers, has enjoyed this preferential treatment on rice imports since 1995 when it joined the WTO. In 2014, the country secured WTO approval to keep the import restrictions for three more years to June 2017 after the country agreed to lift the annual import volume from 350,000 tons and cut the tariff from 40%.

“Hindi pa na-consult si Presidente about the issue (We haven't consulted the president about the issue)," said Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol in an interview with reporters on Wednesday. "Siyempre explain ko sa kaniya na hindi ganyan ka-simple iyon. Hindi porke ni-lift yung QR bababa ang presyo ng bigas (We need to explain to him that it’s not that simple -- that just because the QR has been lifted, the price of rice will go down.)... It’s a very speculative market,” he said.

The DA is moving to renegotiate an extension of the QR to 2019, the Duterte administration’s targeted year to attain rice self-sufficiency.

Mr. Serrano noted that an extension is “possible” if the cabinet team permits, but reminded that the maintenance of the special treatment on rice may create concessions other countries may seek to have a freer flow of their commodities into the Philippine market.

It took more than two years for the country to secure the approval from nine WTO country-members to extend until 2017 the QR on rice, which was supposed to end in 2012. In change for the approval, the country agreed to increase the minimum access volume (MAV) of rice to 805,200 metric tons from 350,200 and at reduced tariffs. MAV refers to the minimum quantity of farm produce permitted to enter a market destination bound at lower tariff rates.

Other concessions to retain the special treatment on rice included slapping a lower tariff duty on a handful of other commodities.

Some members of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s economic team opposed the extension of the QR policy. Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia for one cited the QR as one of the protectionist policies that could cloud prospects for the country’s inclusion in trade deals.

“Time for competition to pressure our farmers to be more productive with government backing,” Mr. Pernia said in an earlier report.

Regardless of opposition from other economic managers, Mr. Piñol said he will strive to push the extension of the QR to 2019.

“Their perspective is that of economic managers. My perspective of how things should be is the perspective of a farmer-leader,” Mr. Piñol said. -- Janina C. Li

FAO forecasts higher harvest prospects for maize, wheat and rice

Staple food prices rose in August even as grain prices fell and the outlook for global cereal production improved. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 165.6 points in August, up 1.9% from July and almost 7% from a year earlier. The monthly jump was mostly driven by cheese and palm oil quotations, while those for wheat, maize and rice all fell. Russia is poised to become the world's largest wheat exporter in 2016/17, overtaking the European Union, where wet weather has hampered this year's crops. Rice production is expected to hit a new record owing to favorable weather conditions in much of Asia and on more U.S. farmers shifting to the crop

 FAO raised considerably its world cereal production forecast for 2016 to 2.566 million tons, up 22 million tons from July projections. FAO's Cereal Supply and Demand d Brief, attributed the increase primarily to anticipation of a record global wheat harvest this year and a large upward revision to this year's maize crop in the United States.The expected increase in grain output is forecast to boost inventories and push up the global stock-to-use ratio to 25.3%, an ”even more comfortable (supply and demand) situation than predicted at the start of the season,” FAO said.

Coarse grain global output for 2016 should be around 1 329 million tons, 2.1% higher than in 2015, buoyed by higher forecast maize output in several countries, in particular the U.S.The wheat output forecast was also raised to 741 million tons, driven by large upward revisions to projections for Australia, North America, India and the Russian Federation. Russia is poised to become the world's largest wheat exporter in 2016/17, overtaking the European Union, where wet weather has hampered this year's crops.Rice production is also expected to hit a new record this year at almost 496 million tons, owing to favorable weather conditions in much of Asia and on more U.S. farmers shifting to the crop as a result of its more attractive relative price.

FAO did not materially change its forecast for world cereal utilization in the coming year, which is expected to grow by 1.6%, led by maize - and to some extent lower-quality wheat supplies - used as animal feed. The FAO trade forecast for cereals in 2016/17 has been scaled up by almost 9 million tons on the back of abundant export availabilities of wheat and coarse grains.

http://en.mercopress.com/2016/09/22/fao-forecasts-higher-harvest-prospects-for-maize-wheat-and-rice

Rice steams ahead

22 Sep 2016

NSW Department of Primary Industries rice research and development team members, Brian Dunn, Tina Dunn and David Troldahl are supporting rice growers with new production guides for the coming season. With the rice season set for a stellar start following impressive spring rain, growers now have access to the latest information to support their management decisions with the release of three new NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) rice production guides.DPI research agronomist, David Troldahl, said rice variety, crop protection and growing guides for the 2016-2017 rice season were available from DPI, Local Land Service (LLS) and Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia (RGA) offices and online.

“The DPI rice team worked with Murray LLS and RGA Rice Extension to deliver new information on critical sowing times for current varieties,” Mr Troldahl said.“Given the success of delayed permanent water crops last season, new herbicide strategies are available to extend weed control until permanent water is applied in mid-December.“The crop protection guide alerts growers to plant back guidelines they should be aware of for new winter crop chemicals.“And a welcome feature in the new guide includes images to aid identification of pests and weeds.”

Mr Troldahl said growers could use new variety guide information for Topaz, Koshihikari, YRM70 and YRK5 to fine-tune agronomy and nitrogen management.“Growers should take advantage of the free NIR Tissue Testing Service at panicle initiation to determine nitrogen fertiliser requirements for topdressing,” he said.“We recommend growers consider using imagery, yield maps or cut and fill maps to target sampling in different zones of their crops.“Feedback from growers is welcome to inform and improve variety and production information.”RGA Rice Extension, funded by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, DPI and LLS will continue to work with rice growers and advisers to deliver up-to-date advice

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/about-us/media-centre/releases/2016/rice-steams-ahead

Peru is top consumer of rice in Latam

September 22, 2016
Alvaro Tassano

According to the research project Brazilian Rice, the average annual consumption of rice per capita in Peru is 54kg.

(Photo: Facebook/Andina)
Peru has become the top consumers of rice in Latin America, reaching an average annual consumption of 54 kilograms per capita, according to the project, Brazilian Rice.
According to the research firm, one of the main reasons for this demand is the lower price of corn and the increase in Peruvian population.
They reported that in 2012 the total export of rice to Peru was 28,900 tons (worth 17.4 million dollars) in 2015 that total reached 65,000 (31.9 million) and by August we had already surpassed 43,400 tons.
“Although all 19 regions in the country produce rice, the local production is not enough to cover the large demand, for this reason the Peruvian market is increasingly attractive for rice exporters,” said Mario Pegorer, president of Abiarroz.
Brazil is one of the largest producers of rice in the world, with an annual output of 12 million tons, and it considers Peru as one of its main markets to take advantage off.
The report also noted that the two main varieties of rice exports to Peru are: long grain white rice, which occupies 70% of exports and parboiled rice (pre-cooked) with the remaining 30%.

http://www.peruthisweek.com/news-peru-is-top-consumer-of-rice-in-latam-110500

09/23/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report

Rice

	High	Low
Long Grain Cash Bids	- - -	- - -
Long Grain New Crop	- - -	- - -

Futures:

ROUGH RICE High Low Last Change Nov '16 979.0 963.0 965.0 -1.0 Jan '17 1003.5 988.0 989.5 -1.0 Mar '17 1014.5 -1.0 May '17 1034.5 -1.0 Jul '17 1054.5 -1.0 Sep '17 1054.5 -1.0 Nov '17 1054.5 -1.0

Rice Comment

Rice prices closed lower again today. The market remains under pressure from large supplies. For the week, rice prices ended down 16-cents. The market needs demand to develop to help support rice prices

Leadership Class Gets Up Close in California

By Chuck Wilson

SACRAMENTO, CA -- Last week, the 2015/17 Rice Leadership Development Class completed Session Three of the program, a comprehensive tour of California's Central Valley rice country.The week-long program consisted of farm and mill visits, observation of water systems here, and meetings with representatives of the California Rice Commission, California Rice Research Station, and Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District, as well as a close look at rice harvest.

"As a California producer, it's my privilege to show my fellow class members around our region," said Greg Van Dyke.  "Touring the unique growing regions here lets them see first-hand both the rewards and difficulties of farming in California."

"The diversity of crops that are planted so close to each other is amazing to me," said Mississippi's Nat McKnight.

"I was impressed by the water districts in California rice country," said Arkansas producer Hudgens Jeter.  "While they currently have a serious issue with supply, their delivery infrastructure ensures that what is available can be moved where it is needed.  I would like to see something similar in the mid-south as we work to ensure sustainable water for the future."

"This session was very insightful on the complexity of issues the local rice industry faces," said Paul Johnson, a Louisiana producer. "From water and air quality issues, to wildlife preservation, to water availability, and increased cost of production for producers, California has a delicate political and regulatory balance of which everyone along the supply chain was cognizant."

Class members also got to experience rice harvesting at Montna Farms after traveling to Lundberg Family Farms to observe their operation.  Sun Valley Rice Company showed the class how they process brown sprouted rice, and a tour of PGP International demonstrated the many ways rice is used as an ingredient.

Members of the class are producers Nicole Creason, Jonesboro, AR; Greg Van Dyke, Pleasant Grove, CA; Paul Johnson, Welsh, LA; Nat McKnight, Cleveland, MS; Hudgens Jeter, Stuttgart, AR; and industry-related members Dr. Dustin Harrell, Rayne, LA with the LSU Ag Center; and Collin Holzhauer, Harrisburg, AR with Southern Rice & Cotton.

The Rice Leadership Development Program is sponsored by John Deere Company, RiceTec, Inc., and American Commodity Company through The Rice Foundation and is managed by USA Rice.

Rice Farmers In Abia State Seek Government’s Support To Boost Yield

Channels Television.
Updated September 23, 2016

Rice Farmers at Ndi Oji Abam in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State are calling on the government to provide adequate conducive environment to enable them cultivate more rice that would assist in cushioning the effect of economic recession on food security.The farmers, who have been growing rice for more than two decades, feel alienated from the government agricultural programme and lament lack of adequate rice seedlings during planting season, fertilizers, pesticides, milling machines and cost of transporting the rice from the farm to the village due to the deplorable state of Ndi Oji Abam Road infrastructure.

However, the state government has sympathised with them and hinted that the roads would receive attention as soon as possible while the Agriculture Anchor Programme would ensure that they get all the necessary facility to enable them cultivate rice with ease.Large hectares of rice farm located at Ndi Oji Abam are being cultivated by these farmers who are saddled with the challenges of trekking long miles as vehicles often get stuck in the mud due to the impassable road while underage boys take up the task of chasing the birds away to stop them from feeding on the rice.

Although there seem to be a kind of rehabilitation on some portions of the road, the bad sections are still not passable by vehicles. Only motorcycles which still need to manoeuvre the red muddy road use the road.

Rice farmers process rice in the most crude ways in most rice farm sites

At the Rice mill, out of the three shanty mill house, only one mill is functioning and the miller has to accommodate customers that want to mill their rice in the small space with no windows to let out the dust from the machine when it is working.Under this condition, more than 100 bushels of rice covered with skin is being milled to edible form daily for consumption.On what the government is doing to assist, the Commissioner of Agriculture, Uzo Azubike, told reporters that the implementation of the Agricultural Programme and Integrated Rice Mill would take care of the challenges.

He assured them that they would get all the necessary assistance during planting and harvesting period.Meanwhile, the rice farmers may have to endure for a while until the implementation of the Agriculture Programme that would ensure they get all the necessary assistance and a one million Naira profit for a hectare of rice cultivated.In Nigeria today a bag of rice is over 17,000 Naira (over $46) and the cereal is the most consumed staple food by Nigerians.The Nigerian government, through the Central Bank, is empowering rice farmers through an Anchor Borrower Scheme to boost yield and meet a 2019 sufficiency target.

The government had in June set up  a National Rice and Wheat Task Force to set up targets that would yield comprehensible and self-evident results in rice and wheat production.

At the inauguration of the Task Force on Tuesday Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said: “What we are trying to achieve is that agriculture is our main stay and we are trying to evolve a strategy for our economy, a strategy for employment and a strategy for feeding our people”.Professor Osinbajo said that feeding the nation’s population was the focus of the Buhari administration.“Rice and wheat is our main focus, and making sure that in one year we can show the world that we are serious,” he stressed.Emphasising on the need to develop strategies to rejuvenate the whole value chain, he gave terms of reference to the panel.The panel is to set up production targets for rice and wheat in the participating states, determine the scope and particulars for government support needed towards the attainment of the set targets and consider and proffer the best off-take and marketing arrangements that will encourage maximum effort among farmers  and millers.

https://www.channelstv.com/2016/09/23/rice-farmers-abia-state-seek-governments-support-boost-yield/

Rice in the time of Duterte: Will more imports be good?

As of August 2016, Filipinos are paying more than twice for a kilo of rice compared to their Thai and Vietnamese counterparts

JC Punongbayan

Published 11:00 AM, September 24, 2016

Updated 11:00 AM, September 24, 2016

Although national attention is currently focused on the war on drugs, the Duterte administration is quietly making gains in another policy area – rice policy.

Recently the Duterte Cabinet, led by its economic team, agreed to lift restrictions on the importation of rice by 2017. This would usher in greater volumes of rice imports that the government has been trying to put off for more than two decades now.

On the one hand, local rice farmers are naturally worried. They say that this policy will hurt them in the same way that other farmers have been hurt by the influx of cheap imported agricultural goods (like onions).On the other hand, some say that this policy will help promote competition, lower prices, and benefit several millions of Filipino rice consumers.

Some groups are already hailing the Cabinet’s rice policy as one of its first major economic reforms. To appreciate how exactly this policy can benefit the country in general, it may help to step back and look at key facts about rice consumption and production in the Philippines.

How affordable is rice in the PH?

Figure 1 shows that the Philippines has always had some of the highest rice prices in Southeast Asia. As of August 2016, Filipinos are paying more than twice for a kilo of rice compared to their Thai and Vietnamese counterparts.

Figure 1. Source: FAO (Food Price Monitoring and Analysis Tool). Period covered: January 2000 to August 2016. PH data refer to regular-milled rice; Thai and Vietnamese data refer to the 25% broken variety.

These high rice prices harm poor Filipino households more than anyone else. Based on recent data, while the poorest households spend around 20% of their income on rice alone, the richest households spend just under 5% (Figure 2).

Rice prices are harmful not only when they are high, but also when they are volatile. Figure 3 shows that since 1991 we experienced three major spikes in rice prices: 1995 (a 45% increase in price prices), 2008 (60% increase), and 2014 (20% increase).

Figure 3. Period covered: January 1990 to July 2016. Trend displays growth in the price of regular-milled rice, which mimics the trend for other types of rice.

Such significant jumps in rice prices can have devastating impacts on the poor. A 2015 study found that at the height of the 2008 rice crisis, the inflation rate faced by the poorest 30% of the population was about twice the inflation rate faced by the general population. This significantly eroded the purchasing power of the poor and led more households into hunger and poverty.

Some studies also show that poor rice farmers are, in fact, net consumers (rather than net producers) of rice, meaning that they consume more rice than they produce. Hence, poor farmers are hurt by high rice prices as well.

What makes rice extra expensive for Filipinos?

High and volatile rice prices in the Philippines are borne by a myriad of factors, but largely geography and policy.

On the one hand, the Philippines has a relative disadvantage when it comes to rice production because of our peninsular geography. Unlike Vietnam and Thailand, we do not enjoy as much vast, uninterrupted rice plains and access to natural irrigation at the scale of, say, the mighty Mekong River.

On the other hand, expensive rice is also due to government policies, particularly the National Food Authority’s (NFA) status as the sole importer of rice in the country.

Every year the NFA decides how much rice to import in a given year based on forecasts of domestic rice demand and supply. This heavy-handed tinkering with the market, however, can occasionally lead to disaster when planning becomes faulty.

Specifically, the NFA may at times fail to import sufficient quantities of rice, leading not only in smuggling (which is really a manifestation of a large unmet demand for rice) but also in catastrophic shortages and price spikes.

Our last two rice crises attest to this. In 1995 and 2008, erroneous supply forecasts, external factors, and badly-timed imports led to massive rationing and queues. These were relieved only through belated importation of massive amounts of rice.

In the aftermath of these events, a select number of private agents have been allowed to import rice, but with a collective limit of 805,000 metric tons per year and levied with 35% tariff rates.

It is these import restrictions that the Duterte Cabinet is seeking to abolish by next year. By allowing more private agents to import rice, the NFA need not second-guess domestic demand and supply conditions, thus avoiding over- or under-importation of rice in any given year.

More importantly, this policy also means more competition in the domestic market that could lead to lower and less volatile prices, as well as food security for the vast majority of Filipinos.

This is not to say, however, that the NFA no longer has any significant role to play. For instance, it could focus on maintaining a buffer stock of rice to prepare for emergency shortfalls and provide immediate relief to avoid events like the violent Kidapawan protests last March. The NFA could also maintain a small tariff from which it can earn revenues to support farmers adjusting to this new era of freer rice trade.

RICE IMPORTS? The government tries to balance between keeping rice farmers happy and keeping prices low for consumers. AFP file photo

Conclusion: Good rice policy as a low-hanging fruit

The Duterte Cabinet’s proposal to lift rice import restrictions promises to benefit millions of Filipino rice consumers, especially the poor.However, rice producers have already protested the Cabinet’s recent pronouncements. There are even renewed calls to reestablish the NFA’s status as the sole importer of rice. Hence, the Duterte Cabinet’s success in bringing rice policy reforms is yet to be ensured.Such policy could arguably enjoy more success if it found support in the President himself. After all, there are about 101 million rice consumers in the country. In contrast, there are just 1.8 million drug users in the country as of 2015. Hence, shifting even a bit of attention away from drug policy and into rice policy can potentially benefit a far greater number of Filipinos.

Of course, it seems that the current drug war is here to stay. But given the potential benefits, here’s hoping that the present leadership brings at least as much interest and enthusiasm into rice policy. In the vast tree of social policies, this could very well be one of the lowest-hanging fruits out there. – Rappler.com

The author is a PhD student at the UP School of Economics. His views are independent of the views of his affiliations. Thanks to Kevin Mandrilla (UP Asian Center) and Ammielou Gaduena (UP School of Economics) for valuable comments and suggestions

http://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/147136-rice-duterte-more-imports

Basmati exports on credit banned

An Apeda official forecast India's basmati exports would rise 5 per cent by volume in 2016-17

Dilip K Jha  |  Mumbai  September 22, 2016 Last Updated at 00:03 IST

Basmati exports are likely to be affected temporarily by a ban on their shipment on credit. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) under the commerce ministry has restricted exporters from shipping basmati on credit, known as document against acceptance in trade parlance.

However, exports covered either by bank guarantee or Export Credit Guarantee Corporation can be executed

Indian exporters used to export basmati in good faith after negotiating a final price. But importers have sometimes refused to accept the consignments, leading to re-negotiated prices. Apart from that, payment was sometimes inordinately delayed," said Gurnam Arora, joint managing director, Kohinoor Foods. Apeda estimates India's basmati rice exports jumped 10 per cent to 1.55 million tonnes during April-July from the same quarter a year ago. In value terms, however, exports fell to $1.21 billion (Rs 8,140.06 crore) from $1.32 billion (Rs 8,399.39 crore).

Earlier importers demanded shipment of basmati on credit, a facility they enjoyed with Pakistan, the other major exporter of the aromatic rice. An Apeda official forecast India's basmati exports would rise 5 per cent by volume in 2016-17. Apeda has ordered registration of exporters for shipment of basmati

Indian exporters used to export basmati in good faith after negotiating a final price. But importers have sometimes refused to accept the consignments, leading to re-negotiated prices. Apart from that, payment was sometimes inordinately delayed," said Gurnam Arora, joint managing director, Kohinoor Foods. Apeda estimates India's basmati rice exports jumped 10 per cent to 1.55 million tonnes during April-July from the same quarter a year ago. In value terms, however, exports fell to $1.21 billion (Rs 8,140.06 crore) from $1.32 billion (Rs 8,399.39 crore).

Earlier importers demanded shipment of basmati on credit, a facility they enjoyed with Pakistan, the other major exporter of the aromatic rice. An Apeda official forecast India's basmati exports would rise 5 per cent by volume in 2016-17. Apeda has ordered registration of exporters for shipment of basmati

India asks China to import agri-products like rice & sugar

By PTI | Sep 23, 2016, 07.59 PM IST

"I am looking forward for more and more cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors between the two countries," Radha Mohan Singh said.NEW DELHI: Seeking greater cooperation in agriculture trade, India today asked neighbouring China to import a wide range of items from it such as rice, sugar, maize and dried grapes. Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh met his Chinese counterpart Qui Dongyu on the sidelines of BRICS agri-meet here and asked China to consider importing these products from India. "I am looking forward for more and more cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors between the two countries leading to further strengthening of bilateral relations," Singh said in a statement. He said China can explore the possibility of importing agricultural items including live plants, coconut, cashew nuts, banana, pepper, shorghum, coconut oil, oil cake, which India has a potential to export. Singh also expressed satisfaction over the progress made in finalising a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China on sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) issues

He said the MoU is "inching towards finality". In 2015-16, India's export to China stood at USD 875.13 million, while imports were at USD 284.18 million.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/india-asks-china-to-import-agri-products-like-rice-sugar/articleshow/54484920.cms