Wednesday, December 03, 2014

3rd December (Wednesday),2014 Daily Exclusive ORYZA E-newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Oryza Afternoon Recap – Chicago Rough Rice Futures Rebound Slightly, but Close off of Session High as Selling Increases in Afternoon Trade

Dec 02, 2014
Chicago rough rice futures for Jan delivery settled 4.5 cents per cwt (about $1 per ton) higher at $12.185 per cwt (about $269 per ton). Rough rice futures attempted to mount a bit of a recovery today, following yesterday’s steep decline. The market was up as much as 11.5 cents per cwt (about $3 per ton) during mid-session trading, however the bulls were unable to maintain this price level and an afternoon selloff saw prices dip back closer to where they had begun the day.

 The market has formed an inside day today, as prices were unable to trade beyond yesterday’s trading session, and thus the significance of today’s price direction will be limited and thus the market will likely remain in a technically bearish condition in coming days. The other grains closed sharply lower today; Soybeans closed about 2.1% lower at $9.9575 per bushel; wheat finished about 0.6% lower at $6.0325 per bushel, and corn finished the day about 2.2% lower at $3.8125 per bushel.

 U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday, rebounding from the prior day's drop, as investors considered better-than-expected November sales from Ford Motor, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler. Stocks maintained gains after the Commerce Department reported construction spending rose 1.1% in October. Energy costs were on the retreat again, with crude futures for January delivery falling $1.02, or 1.5%, to $67.95 a barrel. At or near session highs, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 95.65 points, or 0.5%, to 17,872.45. The S&P 500 advanced 12.39 points, or 0.6%, to 2,065.83, with energy pacing sector gains and telecommunications the sole laggard of its 10 major industries. The Nasdaq gained 16.86 points, or 0.4%, to 4,744.21. Gold is trading about 1.5% lower, crude oil is seen trading about 1.8% lower, and the U.S. dollar is seen trading about 0.8% higher at about  1:00pm Chicago time.Monday, there were 1,701 contracts traded, up from 748 contracts traded on Friday. Open interest – the number of contracts outstanding – on Monday increased by 418 contracts to 10,182.

Taiwan Lifts Eight-Year Ban on U.S. Long Grain Rice Imports; Invites Tenders for 3,000 Tons of Long-Grain Brown Rice

Dec 02, 2014
Taiwan has removed the longstanding eight-year ban on U.S. long grain rice imports and has scheduled tender for importing around 3,000 tons of U.S. long grain brown rice for December 10, 2014, according to USDA Post.Taiwan imposed ban on U.S. long grain rice imports in summer 2006 and has not heeded to requests by the U.S. several times. Taiwan's Agriculture and Food Agency (AFA) scheduled two tenders of 1,500 tons each on December 10. According to the Post, this is the first time Taiwan has issued tender for U.S. long grain after it opened its rice market in January 2002.

Taiwan's AFA issued a tender for 1,500 tons of U.S. origin long grain brown rice with amylose content greater than or equal to 24% for delivery between May 1 - June 30, 2014. It issued another tender for 1,500 tons of U.S. origin long grain brown rice for delivery between May 1 - June 30, 2014.According to the Post, Taiwan primarily purchases California-grown short/medium grain rice and high California rice prices are said to have given an impetus to lift the long-standing ban on U.S. long-grain rice imports.

Oryza Overnight Recap – Chicago Rough Rice Futures Remain Under Pressure as Cash Market Remains Quiet Going into Holiday Season

Dec 02, 2014
Chicago rough rice futures for Jan delivery are currently trading 6 cents per cwt (about $5 per ton) lower at $12.080 per cwt (about $266 per ton) during early floor trading in Chicago. The other grains are seen mostly higher: soybeans are currently seen unchanged, wheat is listed about 0.9% higher and corn is noted about 0.5% lower.
 U.S. stocks looked set for a higher open on Tuesday, after oil prices rose and Asian shares closed at multi-year highs. U.S. and Brent crude oil, as well as gold, rallied overnight, following weeks of declines. This helped mining and commodity stocks post strong gains early on Tuesday, with an additional boost coming from reports that the Chinese central bank might cut bank reserve requirements. Reuters reported early on Tuesday that the People's Bank of China might unveil a cut to banks' reserve requirements on the back of recent weak economic data.

 China mainland shares closed at a fresh three-year peak, resuming their gains after snapping a seven-session winning streak on Monday. Official factory activity data earlier this week fell to an eight-month low, prompting talk of further stimulus. No major earnings are due on Tuesday. Economic data out include construction spending for October, which is expected to increase. Gold is currently trading about 1% lower, crude oil is seen trading about 1.5% lower,  and the U.S. dollar is currently trading about 0.5% higher at 8:10am Chicago time.

Vietnam and India Rice Sellers Increase Some Quotes Today; Thailand Rice Sellers Lower Some Quotes Today

Dec 02, 2014
Vietnam rice sellers increased their quotes for 25% broken rice and jasmine rice by about $2 per ton and about $5 per ton respectively to around $355 - $360 per ton and around $530 - $540 today. India rice sellers increased their quotes for 5%, 25% and parboiled varieties by about $5 per ton each to around $395 - $405 per ton, around $350 - $360 per ton and around $380 - $390 per ton respectively. Thailand rice sellers lowered their quotes for Thai Ai Super rice variety by about $5 per ton to around $355 - $365 per ton. Other Asia rice sellers kept their quotes mostly unchanged.
5% Broken Rice
Thailand 5% rice is quoted at around $405 - $415 per ton, about $25 per ton premium on Vietnam 5% rice shown at around $380 - $390 per ton, unchanged from yesterday. India 5% rice is quoted at around $395 - $405 per ton, about $5 per ton premium from yesterday and about $15 per ton premium on Pakistan 5% rice quoted at around $380 - $390 per ton.
25% Broken Rice   
Thailand 25% rice was last quoted at around $350 - $360 per ton, on par with Vietnam 25% rice shown at around $350 - $360 per ton and unchanged from yesterday. India 25% rice is quoted at around $350 - $360, about $5 per ton premium from yesterday and about $15 per ton premium on Pakistan 25% rice quoted at around$335 - $345 per ton.
Parboiled Rice
Thailand parboiled rice is quoted at around $405 - $415 per ton. India parboiled rice is quoted at around $380 - $390 per ton, about $5 per ton premium from yesterday and about $40 per ton discount to Pakistan parboiled rice quoted at around $420 - $430 per ton.
100% Broken Rice
Thailand broken rice, A1 Super, is quoted at around $355 - $365 per ton, down about $5 per ton from yesterday and about $30 per ton premium on Vietnam 100% broken rice shown at around $325 - $335 per ton. India's 100% broken rice is shown at around $300 - $310 per ton, unchanged from yesterday and about $5 per ton discount to Pakistan broken sortexed rice quoted at around $305 - $315 per ton.


Global Rice Quotes
December 2nd, 2014

Long grain white rice - high quality
Thailand 100% B grade          420-430           ↔
Vietnam 5% broken    380-390           ↔
India 5% broken         395-405           ↑
Pakistan 5% broken    380-390           ↔
Cambodia 5% broken             455-465           ↔
U.S. 4% broken           540-550           ↔
Uruguay 5% broken    595-605           ↔
Argentina 5% broken 595-605           ↔

Long grain white rice - low quality
Thailand 25% broken NQ      ↔
Vietnam 25% broken 355-365           ↑
Pakistan 25% broken 335-345           ↔
Cambodia 25% broken           NQ      ↔
India 25% broken       350-360           ↑
U.S. 15% broken         515-525           ↔

Long grain parboiled rice
Thailand parboiled 100% stxd            405-415           ↔
Pakistan parboiled 5% broken stxd    420-430           ↔
India parboiled 5% broken stxd         380-390           ↑
U.S. parboiled 4% broken       580-590           ↔
Brazil parboiled 5% broken    570-580           ↔
Uruguay parboiled 5% broken            NQ      ↔

Long grain fragrant rice
Thailand Hommali 92%          915-925           ↔
Vietnam Jasmine         530-540           ↑
India basmati 2% broken        NQ      ↔
Pakistan basmati 2% broken   NQ      ↔
Cambodia Phka Malis             835-845           ↔

Brokens
Thailand A1 Super      355-365           ↓
Vietnam 100% broken            325-335           ↔
Pakistan 100% broken stxd    305-315           ↔
Cambodia A1 Super   NQ      ↔
India 100% Broken stxd         300-310           ↔
Egypt medium grain brokens NQ      ↔
U.S. pet food 445-455           ↔
Brazil half grain          NQ      ↔
All prices USD per ton, FOB vessel, oryza.com

Oryza U.S. Rough Rice Recap – Prices Hold as Interest in Market Fizzles

Dec 02, 2014
The U.S. cash market was unchanged today as both buyers and sellers continue to be unimpressed with the prices they are seeing. Analysts report that the spread between the bid in the ask was roughly $0.25-$0.50 per cwt (about $6-$11 per ton).
 Buyers contend that there is little to no demand at these levels and they intend to remain hand to mouth as it has worked out well for them this marking year while sellers would prefer hold on to their rice until they are forced to sell rather selling at these levels today.

Thai Commerce Ministry Initiates Business Matching Project to Boost Rice Exports

Dec 02, 2014

Thailand's Commerce Ministry has arranged for a business matching project where nearly 40 rice importers from 15 countries will meet with nearly 100 Thai rice exporters to discuss rice trade for the next few years, according to local sources. 

The project, which is scheduled for December 02-03, 2014, is expected to increase the value of Thai rice exports significantly next year. A wide group of importers from North America, Europe, Latin America and Africa.The Commerce Minister told local sources that importers represent department stores, retail stores, super markets and general traders from various countries and are inclined for purchasing rice and rice-based products as well as food and beverages, household appliances and home decor from Thailand. He noted that importers are guided through Thai rice farms and mills to give them assurance about the quality of Thai rice. He also added that the government is keen on adding newer export markets while retaining the existing ones.

He hinted at a possible government-to-government (G2G) contract with China, which will be signed later this month. China is expected to buy nearly 2 million tons of rice from Thailand starting next year.The Minister added that the Department of International Trade Promotion is planning to release export strategies for various products, including rice, for 2015 by the end of this month. He said the government targets to increase country's next year's exports, including those of rice, by about 4%.
Thailand has exported around 7.56 million tons of rice in the first nine months (January - September) of 2014, up about 15% from around 6.6 million tons exported during the same period in 2013, according to data from Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA).  The TREA is expecting Thailand to export over 11 million tons of rice in 2014.



Tuesday, December 02, 2014

2nd December (Tuesday),2014 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter

Asian rice markets slow due to poor demand

December 02, 2014
RECORDER REPORT
Trading on Asian rice markets was slow this week due to a lack of demand, with prices in Thailand stable but the Vietnamese market hitting multi-month lows after the official floor price was cut, traders said on Wednesday. Buyers may not return to Vietnam until early next year before the country begins harvesting its main crop in March, while traders in Thailand said buyers there were waiting for new sales from the government's huge stocks of an estimated 18 million tonnes. Thailand and Vietnam together account for 40 percent of the world's rice trade. Just a tenth of Thailand's huge stockpiles built up under a government ousted in May is of standard export quality, while the rest is either inedible or deteriorating.

Thai 5 percent broken rice was quoted at $410 a tonne on Wednesday, free on board (FOB), leaving it down 2.4 percent so far this month under pressure from the government stocks. "The government should really focus on selling rice from its stockpiles," one Thai trader said, although he noted that Africa was the only market for the old rice, while countries in the Middle East and Asia always asked for fresh grain. Vietnam's 5 percent broken rice fell nearly 5 percent in the past week to $390-$395 a tonne, the lowest since April 7, after the floor price for the 25 percent broken grain was cut to $380 a tonne. This is the first time in more than three months that Vietnamese prices have dropped below those of Thai grain. Buyers were turning to Pakistan, while China was slowing its purchase from Vietnam, which has added to the downward pressure on Vietnamese prices, traders in Ho Chi Minh City said. 
Vietnam exported an estimated 6.09 million tonnes of rice in the first 11 months of the year, down 1.8 percent from a year earlier, the General Statistics Office said on Wednesday. Its estimate is slightly above that of the agriculture ministry at 6.03 million. Thailand could export 10 million tonnes of rice this year, far ahead of Vietnam's projected shipments of 6.3 million to 6.5 million, according to traders' estimates. Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha will visit Vietnam on Thursday to discuss support measures for rice and rubber with top Vietnamese government officials, the Thai government said on Tuesday. 

Taiwan: Taiwan Lifts Longstanding Ban on U.S. Long Grain Rice and Schedules Tender
December 1, 2014
Attaché Reports (GAIN)
Commodities
Grain and Feed, Rice
Taiwan authorities recently lifted a ban on U.S. long grain rice, in place since 2006. Council of Agriculture authorities scheduled a tender of 3,000 MT of U.S. long grain brown rice for December 10. 


Importers from 15 countries meet Thai exporters

Tuesday, 02 December 2014By  MCOT
BANGKOK, Dec 1 -- Some 40 importers from 15 countries are participating in a business matching project with about 100 Thai exporters and their deals are expected to increase the value of Thai exports by 4 per cent next year.The importers represent department stores, retail stores, supermarkets and general traders from North America, Europe, Latin America and Africa. They are meeting about 100 Thai exporters from today through Wednesday.In the meantime, Chinese state enterprise representatives in Thailand for trade talks last week negotiated a preliminary understanding that will result in Thailand and China signing a government-to-government farm product trade agreement later this month.Under the terms of the agreement, China will buy 2 million tons of rice and 200,000 tons of natural rubber from Thailand.Receiving the overseas buyers from 15 nations to meet Thai exporters beginning today, Commerce Minister Chatchai Sarikulya said trading partners’ product demands were varied and included food and beverages, rice, rice-based products, household appliances and household decor.
The importers are inspecting factories and production lines that meet international standards. The minister hopes their arrival will ensure a bright prospect for Thai exports next year and afterwards.The Department of International Trade Promotion is planning its export strategies for 2015, intending to finish the plan within this month.Despite the unpromising global economy, the department is trying to maintain existing markets and reach new and potential markets so that the value of Thai exports will rise by 4 per cent next year as targeted.
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Payouts for rice farmers expected to help increase GDP by 0.6%
Date : 2 ธันวาคม 2557
BANGKOK, 2 December 2014 (NNT) - The Office of Agricultural Economics has evaluated the government’s 1,000 baht/Rai financial assistance for rice farmers, saying the program helped stimulate the economy by increasing the GDP by 0.6%. Deputy Secretary-General of the Office of Agricultural Economics Khanit Likhitwitthayawut said the office conducted a survey on how the rice farmers in Lop Buri, one in the eight provinces where the rice farmers were paid first, spent their 1,000 baht/Rai payouts. The survey showed that most of the farmers were satisfied with the program and each household received 13,500 baht on average. 68% of them spent the money on factors of production and 17% repaid their debt with it, said the official.

The survey also suggested that the program contributed an increase in the prices of factors of production by 3-5%. The deputy director-general added that the program would help raise Thailand’s GDP by 0.6% or 90 billion baht after all 40 billion baht of the financial assistance was paid to the farmers.


Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu directs paddy farmers to be paid within 48 hours


Tuesday, 2 December 2014 - 10:04pm IST | Place: Hyderabad | Agency: PTI

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday directed state officials to deposit money to be paid to farmers for purchasing paddy from them in their bank accounts within 48 hours after the purchase. Naidu gave this direction during a review of the Civil Supplies Department. Paddy has been cultivated in 2,18,727 hectares during the Kharif season this year and 11,07,197 metric tonne of output is expected, according to an state government release.
The Andhra Pradesh government plans to set up 1,069 paddy purchase centres across the state. About 100 centres have been established in West Godavari district alone until December 1, while 16,973 metric tonne of paddy has been purchased so far.Naidu also suggested that paddy harvesters and dryers be made available at paddy purchase centres. Details of paddy purchases should be posted online and the women self-help groups should be given tablets for the purpose, Naidu said.
The chief minister also told irrigation officials to complete linking Krishna and Godavari rivers expeditiously since the Centre has given importance to the linking of rivers. Naidu, who held a seperate review of irrigation issues also directed that the multi-purpose Polavaram Irrigation project be completed by 2018.Engineers in the state should take this as a challenge and "create history", Naidu said.Bhopal Gas Tragedy: 350 tonnes of waste and factory deaths that no one even counts - See more at:

Bhopal Gas Tragedy: 350 tonnes of waste and factory deaths that no one even counts

  
The abandoned Union Carbide plant in Bhopal. (Source: Reuters)
Written by Anil Sasi | Bhopal/new Delhi | Posted: December 2, 2014 4:09 am | Updated: December 2, 2014 3:53 pm

As one enters old Bhopal’s Arif Nagar area, there are two enduring reminders of the city’s toxic legacy that goes back to a fateful winter night three decades ago, when 30 tonnes of Methyl Isocyanate gas leaked out of the Union Carbide factory.Along Berasiya Road, one of the many leading to the now derelict pesticide plant, the landscape is dotted with the exoskeletons of industrial units that shut down after that night killed and maimed thousands. Then, along the New Bhanpur Bridge road that leads away from the factory site, signboards spring up every 20 metres or so announcing the distance up to the Bhopal Memorial Hospital.

There have been many blips across the country since, including one just 18 km away from Bhopal where 500 tonnes of Basmati rice went up in flames at Mandideep industrial area on June 8 this year.
Victims of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy take part in a candle lit vigil to mark the 30th anniversary of the tragedy in Bhopal on Sunday. (Source: PTI Photo)

Taken together, those blips add up to this number: 1174. That was the total number of documented fatalities from industrial accidents in 2012 in just 11 states — in only the organised sector —according to figures collected by the Labour Ministry’s Directorate General, Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI) from the chief inspector of factories of states and union territories. These official statistics have been updated only till 2012,and there are no credible figures available for the vast unorganised sector, even though ensuring industrial safety will be a crucial factor in making Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ dream become a reality.

Take the accident six months ago near Bhopal, for instance. The fire at Daawat Foods Ltd resulted in an estimated loss of rice worth Rs 180 crore. Fortunately, there were no casualties as the fire happened in the storage area early in the morning.Survivors of Bhopal Gas Disaster take part in candle light vigil to pay tribute to mark the 30th anniversary of Bhopal Gas tragedy. (Source: PTI Photo)

M K Varshney, Principal Secretary in Madhya Pradesh’s Department of Labour, told The Indian Express that incidents take place despite the administration’s best efforts and repeated mock tests on factories and units conducted by senior officers in the state government’s labour and industrial safety wings, including Varshney himself.


Source with thanks: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/350-tonnes-of-waste-and-factory-deaths-that-no-one-even-counts/#sthash.q08rufqL.dpuf


Taiwan Opens Market for U.S. Long Grain Rice 

TAIPEI, TAIWAN -- The American Institute of Taiwan's Agricultural Affairs Office reported that Taiwan authorities have lifted the longstanding ban on U.S. long grain rice.  Taiwan imposed an import ban on U.S. long grain rice immediately after the LibertyLink® incident in August 2006.  Since then, the issue has been raised in several bilateral engagements by the U.S. side, both technically and under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement annual meetings.Taiwan's Agriculture and Food Agency has also scheduled two tenders of U.S.-origin long grain brown rice for December 10, with delivery in the May-June 2015 time frame.  This will be the first U.S. long grain rice tender since Taiwan joined the WTO in January 2002 and opened its market for rice imports.
 One tender (1,500 MT) has a specification for minimum amylose content.  It is presumed this will be destined for making popular local products such as rice noodles and rice cakes. The long grain rice without minimum amylose content specifications will likely be used as table rice."Reportedly, consumer appetites in Taiwan are changing," said Jim Guinn, USA Rice Federation vice president of international promotion.  "They seem to be more accepting of long grain products in addition to the medium and short grain that is traditionally consumed there.  Taiwan also recently purchased southern medium grain rice for the first time in several years."
Contact:  Deborah Willenborg (703) 236-1444
USTR Appeals WTO October COOL Rule   
WASHINGTON, DC -- Last Friday, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) filed an appeal to the World Trade Organization's (WTO) October ruling that the U.S. Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rule was a violation of United States' WTO obligations.  This means that the WTO's appellate body has 60 days to report on the appeal and, based on the outcome of that report, WTO arbitration could begin as early as April 2015 if the United States remains out of compliance and Canada and Mexico continue to seek trade retaliation.

The COOL rule mandates that muscle cuts of meat be labeled for the country of origin where the animal was born, raised, and slaughtered, which foreign meat and livestock suppliers claim treats their goods unfairly.  Canada and Mexico brought a complaint against the United States to the WTO in August 2013. The U.S. decision to appeal the October ruling is another in a series of steps that will have to occur before Canada and Mexico are given permission by the WTO to retaliate against imports from the United States.  At this point, retaliation against U.S. products looks unlikely until the last quarter of 2015, though Canada has already released a list of U.S. products that would face a 100 percent duty, including U.S.-grown rice.

"We are obviously watching this issue very closely because of the potential impact on U.S. rice exports to Canada," said Bob Cummings, USA Rice Federation COO.  "As a member of the COOL Reform Coalition, we are urging the U.S. government to come into compliance with its WTO obligations so as to avoid retaliation."

Source with thanks USA Rice Federation

Taiwan Announces Long Grain Tenders   
Tender Specifications:
1.      Long grain brown rice
2.      Length of kernel: 6.61 mm~7.5mm, the ratio of length to width of whole kernel: ≥3.0.  Method of test for length and shape: randomly sample 30 kernels from sound kernels, measure the length and width of each kernels, then take the average of the measurement. The weight percentage of out of length standard kernels must be under 30 percent and the kernels which length less than 6.2 mm must be under 5 percent.
3.      Amylose content:  ≥ 24 percent (for Tender GF4-103-118 only [1,500 MT])
4.      Quantity: 1,500 mt each


Maximum Limit
Moisture
14.5%
Impurity
0.3%
Broken kernels
6.0%
Damaged kernels
3.0%
Heat damaged kernels
0.3%
Sprouted kernels
0.8%
Immature kernels, include rice screening
Total not to exceed 13%
Chalky kernels
Total not to exceed 13%
Off-type kernels
3.0%
Paddy
0.4%
Well milled kernels
0.0%



Minimum Limit
Degree of freshness (pH)
6.7



Source with thanks USA Rice Federation

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures   
CME Group (Preliminary):  Closing Rough Rice Futures for December 2

Month
Price
Net Change

January 2015
$12.185
+ $0.045
March 2015
$12.450
+ $0.045
May 2015
$12.700
+ $0.050
July 2015
$12.900
+ $0.050
September 2015
$12.150
+ $0.050
November 2015
$12.050
+ $0.050
January 2016
$12.050
+ $0.050
Source with thanks USA Rice Federation

 

Arkansas cotton and rice crops expected to finish strong


Posted: Sunday, November 30, 2014 10:00 am

As the 2014 rice and cotton harvests draw to a close, a mild summer and fall, coupled with heavy rainfall throughout the state, appear to have delivered surprisingly high yields for both rice and cotton.According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Arkansas’ cotton crop was 98 percent harvested, ahead of the five-year average of 93 percent, and rice harvest was complete, just 1 point ahead of the 99 percent five-year average. Soybeans were near completion at 96 percent.Jarrod Hardke, an extension rice agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture based at Stuttgart, said record low temperatures in June, July and August in some areas of the state were a strong force in shaping the 2014 crops.

“That really had a significant impact on our overall rice crop, and ultimately, our yields,” Hardke said. He said significant temperature drops can affect rice crops in different ways depending on when they occur in the plants’ growing cycle.“If those very stressful, low temperatures occur just after mid-season, that’s actually the time when those plants are determining how many grains they’re going to attempt to create to begin with, and how many branches will be on that panicle,” Hardke said. “If those conditions occur when we begin to head, and at pollination, it can affect or inhibit pollination — you have a fertility problem and you can get blanks.

 There will be kernels that don’t pollinate, and don’t fill at all.”The typical window for planting rice throughout the Arkansas Delta region spans from late March until mid-June, although some fields in 2014 were planted as early as March 10 and as late as July 8, Hardke said. Rice harvest is heavily temperature dependent, and can range from mid-August to early October, or even beyond, he said.Despite several periods of unusually low overnight summer temperatures, the ag statistics service has estimated that the state’s 2014 rice yield at 167.3 bushels per acre, just shy of 2013’s record-breaking 168 bushels per acre average. Hardke said final harvest numbers released by NASS in January will reflect any last-minute changes in processing.


Like rice, the state’s cotton crop may also be headed for another record year in 2014. Extension Service cotton agronomist Bill Robertson said harvest throughout the state is nearly 100 percent complete, with a state-wide average yield estimated at 1,137 pounds per acre.“It’s a little surprising,” Robertson said. “We had a rough start, with a cold winter last year, followed by a cool spring, and we got off to a late start.”Robertson said heavy rain throughout some areas of the state early in the season diminished the state’s overall yield, although some fields had produced between 1,500 and 2,000 per acre.“We had an extremely good, kind of dry fall, and that really took away the penalty we usually have for having a late crop,” Robertson said. “A really good fall makes up for a lot of misfortunes through the year.”

Source with thanks: www.magnoliareporter.com

Farmers get relief from rice diseases in 2014

By Louisiana State University December 02, 2014 | 11:35 am EST
Disease in rice was not as big of a problem in 2014 for most growers as in previous years, according to LSU AgCenter plant pathologist Don Groth.“With as much rain as we had, sheath blight wasn’t as bad as it could have been,” he said.The cold winter of 2013-14 could have played a role in the low incidence of disease, Groth said, but the mild disease year can also be attributed to the direct result of breeding efforts that have selected for disease resistance.That selection took place through several years. “We have a lot fewer very susceptible and susceptible lines in our nurseries, and resistance is being increased in the breeding process,” he said.Current high yields would not be possible without disease resistance, he said.
Bacterial panicle blight wasn’t bad in 2014, Groth said, because temperatures were moderate, and blast was not found until late in the growing season. Blast resistance in variety development was increased with the bad outbreak of the disease in 2012, and that eliminated many blast-susceptible lines.Out of the almost 800 advanced lines he evaluated for the disease in 2014, Groth said, only four or five showed signs of severe blast.Many of the lines susceptible to Cercospora have also been eliminated. Groth suspects many farmers are spraying for that disease, even though it may be unnecessary.
It’s likely that fungicide-resistant sheath blight is continuing its spread in south Louisiana, he said. “But we have the tools to manage it.”The main line of defense, Sercadis, should be applied at 6.8 ounces an acre because the lower rate of 4.5 ounces does not last long enough, Groth said. Convoy fungicide also had good activity against both the wild and resistant sheath blight fungi.Groth tested six new fungicides in 2014, and he expects that two could be available by 2015 or 2016. “Some of them look really good,” he said.But the new fungicides only have activity against sheath blight. “We really don’t have any new products for blast, and that has me worried,” he said.
A generic version of Quadris Equation will be available in 2015 because the patent on azoxystrobin, the active ingredient, has expired.Groth will start a study in 2015 to look at the benefit of fungicide use on currently available, moderately susceptible varieties compared with not spraying any of the products. Don Groth, LSU AgCenter pathologist, at right, talks with crop consultant Doug Leonards about disease symptoms during a field day at the Rice Research Station.

“There is a question if early-planted moderately-susceptible rice varieties need to be sprayed,” Groth said. “Somewhere along the line, we need to cut costs in rice production, and fungicide use is one possible area.”Research on rice diseases is supported by funds provided through the rice checkoff program. “This program has paid excellent dividends for 40 plus years and will continue to help the rice industry in the future,” said Steve Linscombe, director of the Rice Research Station and the AgCenter’s Southwest Region.
Source with thanks: Louisiana State University 

Lowcountry Rice Wine Edges Toward a Revival

Carolina Gold, South Carolina's prized heirloom rice, is being revived in restaurants and kitchens around the South. But what about the long-extinct tradition of making wine from it? Hanna Raskin on the first attempts to revive Carolina Gold rice wine.

 rolina Gold rice, a lost-and-found Southern food, has come to stand for all that’s true and good about pre-industrial flavors. So venerated is it in contemporary Lowcountry cooking that James Beard award winning Charleston chefSean Brock famously scooped it into a bowl and included it on a $75 tasting menu. Uptown at The Ordinary, fellow Beard winner Mike Lata turned the rice into pudding and served it after lobster.
But in the days when Carolina Gold was central to the economies of South Carolina and Georgia, creating enormous fortunes for landholders and shaping a slave trade that would forever scar two continents, the long-grain rice wasn’t treated so fastidiously. It was served three times a day in 18th-century plantation households in the form of breads, waffles, soups, fritters, bean salads and seafood stews. Enslaved Africans grew Carolina Gold in their subsistence gardens, using the nutty, chewy rice to pad dishes of trapped game, fish and entrails salvaged from hog butchering sessions.
They also subjected the rice to the same treatment that’s been afforded every grain known to man: They turned it into alcohol.Almost nothing is known about the production methods of South Carolina rice wine—there’s little to no documented history of the stuff, and to cap off the obscurity, the crop itself eventually fell out of favor. When Carolina Gold edged toward extinction in the early-20th century, a victim of crossbreeding and the rage for new, modern rice varieties, Carolina Gold rice wine disappeared along with it. The legendary drink survived only as the inspiration for rice wine spirituals, sacred songs still remembered in remote crooks along the Gullah-Geechee Corridor, which roughly parallels Interstate 95 from Wilmington, N.C. to Jacksonville, Florida.
But last month, Merle Sheperd, a Clemson University etymologist and vice-president of the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation—which supports the repatriation of Carolina Gold and other heirloom grains—came into about 36 bottles of newly made Carolina Gold rice wine. “This may be the first of its kind,” he wrote in an exclamation point-laden e-mail sent to fellow board members.Just as in the 19th century, this rice wine was produced in a make-do spirit (re: by an unlicensed party), cut with Concord grape juice and aged for about six months. And because federal agents can’t always be charmed by historical significance into bending the law, Sheperd doesn’t want to publicly disclose who produced the wine. If the experimental batch impresses the right people, though, he foresees a future of successful commercial sales based upon Carolina Gold’s recent revival.
Glenn Roberts of Anson Mills—the Columbia, S.C.-based company that led the charge to return Carolina Gold, amongst other grains, from a few saved seeds to a viable crop—emphasizes that wine isn’t the only rice-based spirit on the horizon. Since planting his first Carolina Gold rice fields in 1998, Roberts (who created the foundation) has dreamed of jumpstarting a robust culinary culture with rice at its core. He wants to drink not only Carolina Gold rice wine, but Carolina Gold rice beer and Carolina Gold rice whiskey.While half a dozen brewers across the country have started fooling around with sake (Japan’s legendary rice-based wine), only one operation—Austin-based Texas Sake whose Whooping Crane wine medaled twice in competition—announced plans to use locally grown rice, but personal health issues forced the company’s closure in June.
Could Carolina Gold rice provide the push needed to establish a U.S. rice wine industry? Sonoko Sakai, a Japanese food culture advocate and cooking instructor, who first poured the wine for sake experts in Los Angeles, says her peers weren’t persuaded.Sakai points out that the rice prized for sake production in Japan isn’t everyday eating rice, so using Carolina gold rice for wine may be at odds with the goal of mainstreaming the glorified grain. It’s also difficult to judge its suitability for wine without testing different levels of polishing, or the milling down of rice husks that determines sake classification; “that changes the whole equation,” Sakai says. She also suggests taking the grape juice out of the blend. “That threw us off, because you don’t really taste the rice,” she says. “It’s like bad plum wine. But it’s fun; it’s exciting. I just think more experimentation is necessary.”
University of South Carolina professor David Shields, who functions as the Watson to Roberts’ Holmes, says the taste of antebellum Carolina Gold rice wine isn’t addressed by historical record. “But we know what it looked like,” he said at the tasting of the faintly straw-colored, clear wine. “It looked like this,” he said referring to Sheperd’s bottles.
Having grown up in Japan, Shields is a longtime sake aficionado: He collects sake cups, and when work takes him to big cities, he plots his itineraries around sake shop visits. So it makes sense for Shields to structure his expectation around the world’s most enduring rice wine tradition, even if sake’s defining koji mold never touches Carolina Gold grains. The cross-cultural treatment is an enduring reflection of the restless conditions that defined the Lowcountry’s heyday, when ships bound for Europe were pulling out of Charleston harbor daily to make way for schooners laden with Indian spices and Portuguese madeira.
Today, without tasting notes or recipes to guide them, the Carolina Gold rice team can’t exactly replicate the region’s original rice wines in the way that, say, crème de violette and Navy-strength gin have been conjured for the current century. But in the process of playing with flavors, much as the first Carolina Gold rice growers did, they’re forcefully demonstrating the value of an heirloom grain and connecting with the past in a way that brings to life an almost-lost Southern tradition.
Millers to supply superfine rice to hostels
The rice millers have agreed to the Telangana Government’s request to make available superfine quality rice such as “BPT and sona masuri” to all welfare hostels from January 2015.A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting convened by Commissioner of Civil Supplies C. Partha Sarathi with representatives of rice millers’ associations and the general managers of the Civil Supplies Corporation from all districts.Explaining the Chief Minister’s decision to provide superfine variety rice to hostels, the Commissioner requested the rice millers to make available the commodity in required quantities. He enquired from the Civil Supplies Department officials about the allotment and off-take of rice to hostels and the total quantity required per annum.

Odisha mulls incentives to boost rice processing

The state has been producing around 8 million tonne rice every year and roughly 60% of it is processed at domestic mills
BS Reporter  |  Bhubaneswar  
December 2, 2014 Last Updated at 20:30 IST
The Odisha government proposes to provide incentives for setting up of integrated rice processing mills having facilities to produce rice bran oil and rice husk power using surplus rice available in the state.The state has been producing around 8 million tonne (mt) rice every year and roughly 60 per cent of it is processed at domestic mills, while rest are transported to other states, either for onward shipment to other countries or for consumption there.Some portion of the output is processed domestically by households.
To tap the business potential in the rice sector, the government wants to provide incentives to integrated rice millers."There is no specific package for funding the rice mills. However, the provisions mentioned in the Food Processing Policy, 2013 can be applied to investors wanting to set up rice mills," said Panchanan Dash, state MSME secretary.Recently, at an event organised by International Finance Corporation (IFC) to explore investment opportunities in the grain sector, state chief secretary, G C Pati had said, "Odisha has become a rice exporting state and we need technology upgradation in existing mills and new mills in urban areas.
"The state government said, all the benefits would be covered under its food processing policy. The policy ensures five per cent per annum back-ended interest subsidy on working capital loan for first five years from commencement of operation of the units subject to a limit of Rs 5 lakh per year for five years.The move is aimed at developing more rice mills in coastal districts such as Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur and other nearby districts as a latest study found that nearly eight such districts lack milling capacity compared with their annual demand."There is definitely investment scope to establish integrated rice mills (rice processing unit, rice bran oil making unit and bio-mass power unit) in Odisha.
We need to develop container facility at Paradip and Dhamra soon so that home grown rice can also be exported from here, rather than depending upon Haldia and Viskhapatnam ports to do so," said Dillip Kumar Agarwalla, managing director, Sabitri Industries, which has a turnover of nearly Rs 350 crore per year out of its Jajpur rice processing plant.


Source wit thanks:http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/odisha-mulls-incentives-to-boost-rice-processing-114120201450_1.html