Thursday, January 15, 2015

14th January(Wednesday),2015 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Rice coalition eyes Cuba



Posted: Wednesday, January 14, 2015 12:00 am
For Tri-County Newspapers

The USA Rice Federation has joined with more than 25 prominent U.S. food and agriculture associations and companies to form a coalition that seeks to advance trade relations between the United States and Cuba.The U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba formally launched at an event in Washington D.C. on Thursday that was attended by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, a bipartisan group of members of Congress, and Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon.The purpose of the USACC is to re-establish Cuba as a market for U.S. food and agriculture exports and address liberalizing trade between the United States and Cuba.The coalition will work to end the embargo and allow for open trade and investment.

"We know the Cuban market for rice is not theoretical. It is real, it is large, and it is compelling," said Betsy Ward, president and CEO of USA Rice, in a statement. "With rice imports valued at more than $300 million, Cuba is the second largest importer of rice in the Americas. And there was a time when Cuba was our number one export market — we look forward to a return to those days."The U.S. rice industry has been advocating for open trade and travel with Cuba since the mid-1990s and was the first U.S. commodity back in Cuba in 2001, exhibiting at the Havana Trade Fair, which led to the first U.S. rice sale to Cuba in more than 40 years.Throughout the last decade, USA Rice has sponsored numerous trade missions, led and participated in many forums, here and in Cuba, and participated in eight Havana International Fairs.Consequently, by 2004, U.S. rice sales to Cuba were valued at $64 million.

However, U.S. government policy changes reversed that trend, and by 2009, sales fell to zero, where they remain.
"We applaud the Obama Administration for their recent actions, and ask our leaders in Congress to normalize trade with this nation that we believe will once again become a major market for U.S. rice," Ward said. "Open trade with Cuba would be an enormous boon for U.S. rice farmers, and we look forward to working with the Cuban rice industry so together we may supply the Cuban people with high-quality, delicious rice."


Japan skips food wheat purchase tender this week

Tue Jul 1, 2014 8:11am GMT

TOKYO, July 1 (Reuters) - Japan's Ministry of Agriculture skipped buying food quality wheat via a regular tender this week. Since July has 5 weeks, the ministry decided to skip a tender this week and planned to start a regular tender from the following week, an official at the bureau said on Tuesday.Japan, the world's sixth-biggest wheat importer, keeps a tight grip on imports of the country's second most important staple after rice and buys the majority of the grain for milling via tenders typically issued three times a month. (Reporting by Michio Kohno; Editing by Anupama Dwivedi)
Thai govt aims to sell 17m tonnes of stockpiled rice over 2 years
BANGKOK, Jan 13 (Reuters): Thailand's government plans to sell around 17 million tonnes of rice over the next two years from stockpiles built up under the previous administration's failed buying programme, the commerce ministry said on Tuesday, announcing a new series of tenders.
Thailand was the world's top rice exporter for decades until its grain became uncompetitive under the buying scheme brought in by ousted former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra after she won election in 2011.The scheme paid farmers well above market rates for their crops and the Finance Ministry, in its most recent estimate, said it caused losses of more than $15 billion to the state, although that would be reduced if grain is sold.

"We have set up a plan to sell 17.8 million tonnes of rice within a two-year timeframe," Chutima Bunyapraphasara, permanent secretary at the ministry, told reporters.The aim is to sell 10 million tonnes this year and 7 million in 2016, she added.Terms of reference for a tender for 1 million tonnes would be announced on Jan. 20, she said, adding that the ministry would hold two or three tenders from January to March.The authorities have held four, smaller tenders since the military seized power last May and have sold 681,740 tonnes for around 6.36 billion baht ($194 million), Chutima said.
Government-to-government deals have been done for larger amounts, of which 570,000 tonnes had so far been shipped or was about to be shipped this month, she added.An audit conducted after the military seized power in May suggested that only 10 per cent of the grain in the stockpiles was of standard export quality. The buying scheme effectively lapsed in early 2014 when political turmoil meant Yingluck's government was unable to pay farmers for their grain.Thailand's parliament began an impeachment hearing against Yingluck on Friday over her role in the subsidy programme. Critics denounced it as a wasteful handout to supporters of Yingluck and her brother Thaksin Shinawatra, another former premier ousted by the military.
The country exported around 10.8 million tonnes of rice in 2014, a record high, according to the commerce ministry.Its previous record of 10.4 million tonnes was reported in 2011, after which India took over as top exporter.Thailand is experiencing drought in eight provinces, which will cut its 2015 off-season crop output by more than 30 per cent, according to the latest report from the Office of Agricultural Economics.The smaller harvest is unlikely to have a big impact on global prices, which are still under pressure from Thailand's stockpiles and bumper output in rival exporters India and Vietnam.

Officials prepare for rice exports to China

Published on Wednesday, 14 January 2015 16:15
To facilitate rice exports to China, the China Certification & Inspection Group (CCIC) will open an office in Yangon.
The Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) will send a list of 10 rice exporting companies and other 
documents to China. The CCIC will hold talks between the Myanmar government, COFCO Group and the companies that signed the memorandum of understand with the MRF over rice trading."Tasks for starting rice exports are currently on our plate. A meeting will be held this month.
Wewill assist in opening the CCIC office, too," said Ye Min Aung, general secretary of MRF.At the invitation of China early this month, delegations from MRF, the Rice Millers' Association, Myanmar Rice & Paddy Traders Association, the Agriculture and Irrigation Ministry and the Commerce Ministry talked with their Chinese counterparts about rice trading agreements proposed in 2014 and finalised the deal.Negotiations between the Myanmar Agriculture and Irrigation Ministry and China's Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine have also taken place.Myanmar is thriving to export its world-class quality rice to China.
Current exports are of mediocre quality.  World Bank studies claimed the price of rice in Myanmar is the most unstable among Southeast Asian rice exporting nations.The studies explained the 40-per cent hike in Myanmar rice prices as the result of weak market structures, poor accessibility of information, limited product variety and costly storage charges.In the 2013-14 fiscal year, Myanmar’s exports of 1.1 million tonnes of rice earned US$400 million; in 2014-15, Myanmar is expected to reap $500 million from 1.5 million tonnes in rice exports.

Iraq submits a tender for the purchase of 30 thousand tons of rice

Photo Credit:Reuters/Ajay Verma
The Iraqi Ministry of Trade announced on Tuesday launching a tender to process the ministry with an amount of 30 thousand tons of rice to cover the requirements of the ration card, while economists justified it and said that production would not fill the growing need for several conditions.
Iraq is one of the major importers of grain in the region to cover the ration card program that has been applied since the nineties of the last century.
The Ministry of Trade stipulated that the origins must be from America, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Vietnam and Thailand with the specifications of " White Grain."The ministry said in a statement reported for "Shafaq News" that " offers will be open up to 29/1/2015 but the presentations must be accompanied by an initial insurances by a bank guarantee or a check certified for the General Company for Grain Trade in the ministry.Analysts and economists believe that Iraq's move towards the global market is to meet the needs of its population of grain for many economic conditions.
The economist , Falah Hassan told "Shafaq News" that "Iraq has a great potential in the production of agricultural crops, but the conditions experienced in the country affected local production significantly."He explained that "local production in Iraq began to diminish year after a year due to economic factors as well as political factors , although it has recently improved, but of course still modest in spite of the many possibilities that exist in Iraq."Hassan added, "there has been a clear deficit in the coverage of such crops as wheat barley and rice, so that Iraq covers domestic demand through imports .. For example, rice needs large amounts of water while Iraq is going through a crisis in irrigation projects and this is a big challenge due to lower levels of Tigris and Euphrates rivers by the impact of upstream countries "Turkey and Syria.
© Shafaq News 2015
Nigeria: Govt Alleges Sabotage of Rice Policy By Investors
By Femi Adekoya
FOREIGN investors who have exceeded their preferential allocation quotas for imports thereby incurring N36.56 billion debts payable to the nation's treasury are sabotaging the new rice policy, the Federal Government said yesterday.According to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, the Federal Government may also wield its big stick on importers who were re-bagging locally produced rice as imported one while receiving waivers for such.Besides, the Federal Government noted that it had concluded plans to establish and manage a National Domestic Rice Production Fund (NDRP Fund) that would be used to support farmers and millers in expanding production and milling operations in the relevant states of previously intended investments by defecting investors.
The Fund is expected to be generated from recalled bonds from any of the 26 investors who defaulted from their investment plans while enjoying preferential allocation quotas under the Domestic Rice Production Performance Bond amounting to $195 million or N35.3 billion.Already, the ministry, citing data from Nigerian Customs, identified Popular Farms and Mills as well as other importers as responsible for exceeding their import quotas under the new policy.
Furthermore, the ministry identified three other companies including Conti-Agro, Central Trading and Export and African firms as having imported 98,285 metric tonnes of rice without approved quotas, thereby owing the treasury N8.16 billion.A statement from the ministry stated that the companies without waiting for determination of the supply gap by the inter-ministerial committees or issuance of quotas had imported 634,270.16 metric tonnes of finished rice. This represents 56 per cent of the total imported finished rice under the new policy as at December 3, 2014.
Adesina was quoted as saying: "Nigeria cannot lose any revenue due to the economy. All companies who have imported rice above their allocated quotas must pay fully the amounts due to the treasury. With the devaluation of the Naira, all hands must be on deck to ensure that all leakages are blocked. Nigeria is not for sale."I will not be intimated, bought or corrupted. I will not sell my country to any foreign company. The President has given us a clear matching order to make Nigeria self-sufficient in rice and we will fully achieve this. All who owe the Federal Government must pay what they owe and Nigeria must lose no single naira. No amount of malicious representation will derail the new policy.
"According to the Customs, the importers agreed to pay any duty and levy differential if their eventual quota allocation turned out to be lower than what they have imported."As at December 3, 2014, Popular Farms and Mills had exceeded their approved quota by 300,204.53 metric tonnes and Olam by 110,163.63 metric tonnes, a combined total of 410,368.16 metric tonnes."
According to the new rice policy, Popular Farms and Mills owes N19.379 billion in unpaid levies while Olam's indebtedness is N9.02 billion. Together, the two Asian companies owe the federal Government about N28.39 billion.
"Rather than pay the levies owed, the two firms wrote letters to the Minister asking for a revision of their rice import quotas; Olam asked for 400,000 metric tonnes rice import quota, to cover the quantities of rice that they had gone ahead to import (or still desire to import) without any approved quotas or Domestic Rice Production Plans (DRPP) as required, but a mere agreement with Nigerian Customs that they would pay the duties due once the quota allocations are out", the statement read in part.
The ministry expressed optimism of the national supply gap of import grade rice declining from the present 1.5 million metric tonnes to one million this year, with a further projected decline of 0.3 million MT in 2016 and zero in 2017 when the country is expected to become self-reliant in rice production and when rice mills purchased by investors become operational.
The ministry explained that the new rice policy had stated that importation of brown or polished rice should be limited to the national supply gap for import-grade rice to be determined by an inter-ministerial committee chaired by the Agriculture Ministry, with membership drawn from the Ministries of Finance, Industry, Trade and Investment and the National Planning Commission.
It added that rice import quotas were issued on a conditional basis to guarantee that the DRPPs are met to achieve Federal Government's goal of rice self-sufficiency."Specific qualifying criteria to receive the quotas were stipulated and they include: applying companies must be a registered firm in the country and a member of relevant trade association; only new investors officially known to the Ministry via submission of a DRPP will be allocated a quota; applying companies must have a minimum planned investment in rice production and processing of $10 million.
"Basically, in order to qualify for a final quota allocation, all qualifying companies had to deposit a Domestic Rice Production Performance Bond ("the Bond") as a means of demonstrating a clear commitment to domestic investments in rice production and processing. For each investor, the Bond value will be equivalent to 30 per cent of the value of the quota received. This Bond must be secured at a qualifying bank approved by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
"Investors' rice investment plans will be strictly monitored against key milestones. Failure to execute on these plans will lead to a 'call' on the Bond by the Ministry."The goal is to turn importers into local producers and that is being achieved. No one is hoodwinking anybody. A detailed assessment of existing rice millers, importers and new rice investors has also been undertaken", the ministry explained.
However, when The Guardian tried to reach some of the identified investors who have overshot their quotas, they stated that the Nigerian Customs was yet to communicate their financial obligation to them in terms of the excess imports, adding that they continue to await Customs' response to them.

Major Grant Awarded to Rice Industry, DU for Habitat Conservation Efforts

From left:  LA rice farmer John Owen,
USA Rice CEO Betsy Ward, and
NRCS Chief Jason Weller
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced approved grants from the first round of proposals to the new Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The USA Rice Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Inc. (DU), and more than 40 collaborating partners are pleased that the "Rice Stewardship Partnership - Sustaining the Future of Rice" project was selected for support.
This project will help rice producers conserve natural resources such as water, soil and waterfowl habitat, while having long-term positive impacts on their bottom line.
 The RCPP application process was very competitive; less than half of all applications were awarded funding, and no proposal was fully funded.  However, the USA Rice and DU national request was deemed to have significant merit, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) - the agency responsible for administering RCPP - awarded the partnership a grant of $10 million, one of the largest awards given under the program.
"The Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Texas' and Louisiana's Gulf Coast, and California's Central Valley are critical landscapes for waterfowl and therefore ranked as some of DU's top priorities for habitat conservation," said DU President and Arkansas rice producer George Dunklin.A 2014 study conducted by DU scientists for The Rice Foundation demonstrated that rice agriculture provides 35 percent of the food resources available to migrating and wintering dabbling ducks in the regions where rice is grown in the United States.
"U.S. rice farms are valuable, not just for the nutritious commodity they produce and their positive impact on the economy, but also as important contributors to the entire ecosystem, and today's announcement from NRCS and USDA recognizes that fact," said USA Rice Federation Chairman Dow Brantley, an Arkansas rice farmer.  "Wildlife and waterfowl depend on our farms as much as any of us do."
 Across the board
Established in the 2014 Farm Bill, the RCPP competitively awards funds to conservation projects designed by collaborating partners."The USA Rice Federation, Ducks Unlimited, and all of our partners commend the USDA for their vision in creating partnership-driven conservation initiatives, and we especially appreciate each of the six state NRCS offices who were instrumental in crafting a competitive proposal," said Betsy Ward, President and CEO of USA Rice. "This is a giant step forward for conservation in ricelands with many more steps to come."
"We applaud the many rice producers who integrate extra conservation measures into their rice production to maintain water quality and provide much-needed waterfowl habitat," said USDA NRCS Chief Jason Weller.
  "The partnership between DU, USA Rice, and USDA offers increased technical and financial assistance to help producers accomplish these goals on their land, and the tangible benefits to farmers, the environment, and all Americans will be felt for a long time."The Arkansas NRCS has scheduled a meeting Friday, January 16, to announce the state's RCPP project participants, and to invite local rice farmers to an informational session with RCPP Project Sponsors. All 50 states and Puerto Rico received NRCS funding for conservation projects and have scheduled similar events in the coming week.
Contact:  Michael Klein (703) 236-1458
Louisiana Rice Receives RCPP Funding    

From left: Donald Berken, Kevin Norton, Jeff Durand and Randy Jemison

BATON ROUGE, LA - The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced four new conservation projects today, two of which will directly benefit the state's rice producers."We set out to deliver conservation programs that would work on rice, waterfowl, water quantity, quality, and sustainability, and we've done just that," said Kevin Norton, the NRCS State Conservationist for Louisiana. "This is quite special, bringing big new resources to Louisiana that will translate into real conservation."
 The state received approximately $1.5 million for the three state conservation programs, and Norton says the lion's share is going to the Rice Stewardship Program in Southwest Louisiana, proposed collaboratively  by Ducks Unlimited, the Louisiana Rice Growers Association, and others.  That region represents about 70% of rice growing in the state, but rice producers in other areas of the state will be eligible to participate in Description: Description: Ducks in Rice Fieldthe national USA Rice-DU RCPP program (see lead story above)."Rice is good for ducks and conservation is critical," said Alicia Wiseman, Rice Stewardship Program Coordinator for Ducks Unlimited Southern Region. "These programs will help feed people, support families, and provide habitat for waterfowl."
 "This is a good day for Louisiana rice producers who are excellent stewards of the land, and play an important role in our state's economy and in helping to feed us all sustainably," said Jeff Durand, a Louisiana producer and co-chair of USA Rice's Conservation Stewardship Partnership who spoke at the event.The programs are continuing to take shape and develop and all rice RCPP programs are expected to be major areas of discussion at state meetings next month.

Contact: Michael Klein (703) 236-1458
California Rice Commission Secures State-Specific RCPP Funding  
  SACRAMENTO, CA - In a separate conservation proposal, the California Rice Commission (CRC) received an RCPP grant of $7 million. This program will support many of the same practices offered by the highly successful Waterbird Habitat Enhancement Program and efforts to develop a viable nesting cover crop system for idled ricelands."Having these additional resources should provide a big boost to our industry's longstanding wildlife conservation efforts," said Paul Buttner, Manager of Environmental Affairs for the CRC. "California ricelands provide habitat to nearly 230 wildlife species - millions of birds that fly along the Pacific Flyway, and the value of winter waterfowl habitat in California Rice is estimated at $2 billion."

Contact: Deborah Willenborg (703) 236-1444 

Western Rice Belt Conference and Texas Rice Council Annual Meeting set for Jan. 21


PRESS RELEASE
Posted: Wednesday, January 14, 2015 4:00 am
PRESS RELEASE
The annual Western Rice Belt Production Conference will be held on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at the El Campo Civic Center. The conference will begin with an Early Bird Session on Precision starting at 7:30 am. Registration for the conference will begin at 8:00 a.m., with the remainder of the program to follow. After a catered lunch, provided by area agribusiness sponsors, the program will conclude around 2:00 pm.

This joint effort of local rice committees, The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, U.S. Rice Producers Association, and Texas A&M AgriLife Research will offer growers and others the opportunity to hear presentations from the top Extension and Research scientists from Texas and Louisiana as well as respected individuals from the rice industry. Topics and speakers will include: Rice Policy Update, Dr. Joe Outlaw; Rice Market Update, Dennis Delaughter; Localized Effect of Carryover Rice, Jay Davis; Rice Disease Mgmt Update, Dr. Don Groth; Pesticide Laws and Regs Update, Greg Baker; Groundwater Update, Neal Hudgins; and Insect Management in Rice, Dr. Mo Way.

 The Texas Rice Council will also conduct their Annual Meeting in conjunction with the 2015 Western Rice Belt Conference. The Texas Rice Council will conduct their producer elections during the lunch hour, following the announcement of the Rice Poster Contest.For more information, contact the Texas AgriLife Extension office in Matagorda County 979-245-4100 or Wharton County 979-532-3310, or go tohttp://wharton.agrilife.org and click on Events to view a flyer for the Rice Conference. 2 CEU’s (1 L&R and 1 IPM) for TDA Pesticide Applicators will be awarded at this event. CCA hours have been applied for and will be offered pending approval.

Compete on quality

India should not oppose Pakistan's bid to call its rice basmati
Business Standard Editorial Comment  |  New Delhi  
January 13, 2015 Last Updated at 21:38 IST
India's bid to protect its basmati-rice growers through getting a geographical indications (GI) registration has come up against formidable hurdles. These come not just from basmati growers in Pakistan, but also Madhya Pradesh, which it did not list among traditional basmati-growing regions. TheAgricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) wants to thwart other countries from selling their scented rice as basmati globally. Many attempts have been made in the past by foreign rice-trading companies to confuse consumers by using similar-sounding names, such as Jasmati and Kasmati. 

Apeda has spent crores of rupees on court cases abroad to preserve the basmati epithet for the typical Indian long-grained, non-sticky aromatic rice. The GI registration at home would strengthen its case in international litigation.Apeda's woes are rooted in the fact that it has sought the GI status for basmati grown only in the contiguous region spanning Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, and parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Madhya Pradesh's rice industry has claimed that its state is also located in the Indo-Gangetic belt, part of which is suited for basmati cultivation.

Pakistan's Punjab and adjoining regions, especially the foothills of the Himalayas, are well known for producing basmati rice - which, in fact, is the main competitor of the Indian basmati in the international market. The Geographical Indications Registry, which grants the GI status, had observed in an order issued in December 2013 that it was duty-bound to guard the interests of producers of all the areas from where a product came. Apeda is, however, now contesting this plea in the Chennai-based Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB).

Technically, the GI label is meant to set apart a product whose quality, reputation and other traits are attributable to its geographic origin. This definition applies perfectly only to the desi basmati, such as Basmati 370, whose photosensitive nature allows it to be grown only in a region having a particular day-length during the basmati-growing season. That limits basmati cultivation to only the northwestern part of undivided India. However, the new evolved basmati types, including the high-yielding dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties, are, by and large, not photosensitive and can, thus, be grown in areas outside the traditional basmati belt as well.

 These varieties have now almost totally replaced the desi basmati in the domestic and export markets. It would, therefore, be unfair to deny them basmati status irrespective of where they are grown.It was indeed Pakistan's folly that it did not accept India's offer in the past to jointly seek global GI registration for basmati. Now that Pakistan's basmati industry has, on its own, come forward for similar cooperation, Apeda should not drag its feet. India can compete with Pakistan in the global basmati bazaar on the basis of quality. A denial of Islamabad's claims may not, in any case, withstand the scrutiny of the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Source with thanks:The Business Standard

Buffalo meat beats basmati rice in export market


Ajay Modi       Last Updated: January 14, 2015  | 17:08 IST
Buffalo meat exports have overtaken those of basmati rice for the first time. Both fall in the category of agriculture/processed exports, with the latter dominating the scene for the last several years.  According to Commerce Ministry data, India exported buffalo meat worth $3.22 billion in the April to November period of the ongoing financial year [2014/15], up over 16 per cent from corresponding period of last year (2013/14).In the same period, the figure for basmati rice remained unchanged at $2.96 billion. Basmati rice exports in 2013/14 was $4.87 billion as compared to buffalo meat's $4.35 billion.
Buffalo meat exports saw a phenomenal growth of 31 per cent in quantity and 36 per cent in value last year (2014).Among the top export destinations were Vietnam, Malaysia, Egypt, Thailand and Saudi Arabia.Russia has recently opened up its market for Indian buffalo meat and four plants have been certified by Russian authorities.

It is interesting to note that all this has happened within the first year of Prime Minister Narendra Modi tenure.As BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate prior to the elections last year, Modi, in his election campaigns, had attacked the then Congress-led UPA government for promoting a 'Pink Revolution' by encouraging meat exports.
Description: Description: Buffalo meat beats basmati rice in export marketNaturally, there was a fear among meat processors that exports will take a hit if the BJP-led NDA coalition came to power. This, however, has not happened. The government has made no hostile move towards this sector and exports continue to boom.The country has successfully built an enviable reputation of being a reliable and competitive exporter of buffalo meat. So far, there has been no incidence of livestock-related diseases such as foot and mouth disease from any of the importing nations. 

Source with thanks:Business Today

Rural India slowdown threatens Modi's promise of "better days"

Description: Description: Rural slowdown poses threat to promise of 'achhe din'Rajendra Jadhav, Nivedita Bhattacharjee and Suvashree Chaudhury    Mumbai/New Delhi/Padali   Last Updated: January 15,
Sugarcane grower Nilesh Kadam has abandoned plans to buy a tractor. He doesn't have enough money, like many farmers hit by erratic weather and sliding prices for the cotton, soybean and rubber they produce. Tougher times in rural communities spell bad news for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who swept to power last May with a promise of "better days" - new jobs and development to lift hundreds of millions of Indians out of poverty.
"I was expecting a hike in cane prices this year, but mills are paying 20 per cent less than last year. I don't have enough money to buy even a motorcycle, let alone a tractor," says the 29-year-old Maharashtrian farmer.It's not just the weather gods and capricious markets that are to blame for the hardship besetting Kadam's village of Padali, 280 kilometres south of Mumbai. A shift in government spending ordered by Modi is also hitting rural consumers and the industries that serve them."Rural consumption was one of the pillars holding up growth," said Aditi Nayar, senior economist at Icra, the Indian arm of ratings agency Moody's.

She expects weak demand in rural areas to have contributed to a slowdown in economic growth in October-December from 5.3 per cent in the previous quarter.Tractor maker Mahindra & Mahindra is idling its factories for a few days a month after sales slid by nearly a third towards the end of last year. Consumer goods firms and auto makers have also reported weak sales.More than 800 million of India's 1.25 billion people live in the countryside, accounting for 35 per cent of the economy. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faces the verdict of voters towards the end of this year in Bihar, a large state in the Hindi belt where many of the rural poor live. West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are among major states that go to the polls in 2016.

WELFARE CUTBACKS
Seeking to woo rural voters, the last government raised grain purchase prices, bailed out indebted farmers and promised 100 days paid labour a year to anyone who wanted it.The measures boosted the spending power of rural consumers and cushioned business from a fall in urban demand after the 2008 financial crisis. Eventually, though, they stoked inflation and forced the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to hike interest rates.To cap inflation and state borrowing, Modi has limited rises in farm support prices to below the inflation rate and scaled back the jobs scheme.

He wants to invest savings in infrastructure and skills to boost India's long-term growth.While inflation has eased with these policies, firms that profited from booming rural demand are struggling due to the sudden slowdown.Rajesh Jejurikar, chief executive of the farm equipment and two-wheeler division at Mahindra & Mahindra, said delayed rains, poor crops and reduced disposable incomes had hit tractor sales at the market leader.Trends show a striking divergence between town and country sales of two-wheelers: motorcycles - more popular in the countryside - fell 3.5 per cent in December while scooters, ridden mainly by city dwellers, leapt 24 per cent from a year earlier, industry figures show.

GLOBAL COMMODITIES FALL
Modi's shift from policies that support demand to ones boosting investment and productivity have also coincided with a steep fall in global prices of farm commodities, making imports cheaper and hitting Indian exports."Exports of many commodities have become less lucrative and in some cases unfeasible," said Faiyaz Hudani at Kotak Commodity Services.The government's ability to ramp up spending on roads, railways and irrigation projects that would benefit rural India is, meanwhile, hobbled by budget constraints.

Aides to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley have advised him to loosen fiscal deficit targets in next month's budget to create room to invest. It's not clear, though, whether he will do so as that could delay a growth-boosting interest rate cut by the central bank.Since his general election triumph, the BJP has racked up a series of gains in state polls - including in Maharashtra. But Kadam, who voted for a rival party, isn't convinced and says the patience of rural voters is being tested.
"During the campaign, Modi was saying better days are coming. Where are the better days?" the young Maharashtrian farmer asks. "He has made things worse for us."
(Reuters)

Functional and healthy GM foods have large market potential


By Nathan Gray+Nathan GRAY
14-Jan-20152015-01-14T00:00:00Z
Last updated on 14-Jan-2015 at 14:55 GMT2015-01-14T14:55:10Z
 potential, says new research.
The new data, published in Nature Biotechnology, suggests that while the majority of developments in genetically modified crops provide no additional health benefit to the consumer, those that do have good market potential.Led by Hans De Steur of Ghent University, the team behind the research said various GM crops with health benefits have been developed – with notable examples including rice enriched with pro-vitamin A (also known as 'Golden Rice') and folate-enriched rice, developed at Ghent University.
“Fifteen years after the development of 'Golden Rice', which was the first GMO with health benefits, the developers of such transgenic biofortified crops have little reason to celebrate,” said the team. “To date, none of these GMOs are approved for cultivation, unlike GMOs with agronomic traits.” Despite these regulatory hurdles, six major staple crops have been successfully biofortified with one, or more, vitamins or minerals.Now the research team has ‘convincingly demonstrated’ that there is a strong market potential for such products – showing that consumers are willing to pay more for GM food with health benefits, with premiums ranging from 20% to 70%.
“This differs from GMOs with farmer benefits, which are only accepted by consumers when they are offered at a discount,” said the team.Experts from the Infant Nutrition Council (Aus-NZ), Malaysian Dieticians Association and Euromonitor will discuss how Apac countries differ in their infant formula needs, and how to best market their products within Asia’s strict regulatory framework.The team added that although GM foods with health benefits ‘are not a panacea’ for eliminating malnutrition, they do offer a complementary and cost-effective alternative when other strategies are less successful or feasible.
Source: Nature Biotechnology
Voume 33, Pages 25–29, doi:10.1038/nbt.3110
 "Status and market potential of transgenic biofortified crops"
Authors: Hans De Steur, et al



CCC Announces Prevailing World Market Prices
WASHINGTON, DC -- The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation today announced the following prevailing world market prices of milled and rough rice, adjusted for U.S. milling yields and location, and the resulting marketing loan-gain (MLG) and loan deficiency payment (LDP) rates applicable to the 2014 crop, which became effective today at 7:00 a.m., Eastern Time (ET).  Prices are unchanged from the previous announcement.

World Price
MLG/LDP Rate

Milled Value ($/cwt)
Rough ($/cwt)
Rough ($/cwt)
Long-Grain
16.76
10.63
0.00
Medium-/Short-Grain
16.19
10.90
0.00
Brokens
10.11
----
----

This week's prevailing world market prices and MLG/LDP rates are based on the following U.S. milling yields and the corresponding loan rates:

U.S. Milling Yields
Whole/Broken
(lbs/cwt)
Loan Rate
($/cwt)
Long-Grain
55.83/12.59
6.50
Medium-/Short-Grain
62.39/7.92
6.50

The next program announcement is scheduled for January 21
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures   
CME Group (Prelim):  Closing Rough Rice Futures for January 14
Month
Price
Net Change

January 2015
$10.985
- $0.255
March 2015
$11.150
- $0.295
May 2015
$11.405
- $0.280
July 2015
$11.635
- $0.275
September 2015
$11.210
- $0.275
November 2015
$11.290
- $0.070
January 2016
$11.590
- $0.040
March 2016
$11.590
UNCH



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