Monday, March 16, 2015

16th March (Monday) , 2015 Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

ICCBS, Chinese institute to work on rice research
 our correspondent
Saturday, March 14, 2015
From Print Edition
Karachi 
Description: Int’l Centre for Chemical & Biological Sciences, China institute sign MoU on rice researchA Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for rice research was signed between the KU’s International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) and the China National Rice Research Institute (CNRRI) of Hangzhou on Thursday.The objective of the agreement is to conduct research for developing new high-yielding and disease resistant varieties of rice and any such other areas the two parties may agree upon.

The MoU was signed at a ceremony held at Dr Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD), said a spokesperson of the ICCBS.Chinese officials, including CNRRI Deputy Director General Dr Peisong Hu, Dr Liyong Cao, Dr Xinhua Wei, Aijuan Ge, ICCBS Patron-in-Chief Professor Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, ICCBS Director Professor Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary and other faculty members attended the ceremony.Prof Dr Rahman said the agreement would further promote collaborative research between the two countries and termed the MoU a positive sign for research on rice.Dr Choudhary said the centre was engaged in research and development of various fields of chemical, biological, biomedical and genomic research.

“The Chinese institution will train scientists from ICCBS in the field of rice breeding and production of high quality hybrid rice seed,” he added.As per the MoU, both institutions will work together in the field of agricultural biotechnology and both have agreed to enhance relations and develop academic exchange in the area of research.Dr Hu said the CNRRI focused on basic and applied researches with priority on solving significant scientific and technical problems in rice production.http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-306708-ICCBS,-Chinese-institute-to-work-on-rice-researchHome / Science & Technology / Science / Int’l Centre for Chemical & Biological Sciences, China institute sign MoU on rice research



Int’l Centre for Chemical & Biological Sciences, China institute sign MoU on rice research

KARACHI: An MoU on rice research was signed between International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences and China National Rice Research Institute (CNRRI) of Hangzhou, China.
The objective of the agreement is to conduct research for developing new high yielding and disease resistant varieties of rice and such other areas as the two parties may agree upon.

The MoU was signed in an official ceremony held at Dr Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD), University of Karachi.Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, on behalf of ICCBS and Deputy Director General CNRRI Dr Peisong Hu on behalf of his institute signed the agreement.Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Atta-ur-Rahman said that this was the positive sign that Pakistani and Chinese scientists were jointly carrying out research on rice.

Dr Iqbal Choudhary informed that the Chinese institution will train the scholars from ICCBS in the field of rice breeding and production of high quality hybrid rice seed.As per the agreement, both the institutions have agreed to enhance relations between the two institutions and to develop academic exchange in the area of research,” he said.Dr Peisong Hu said that CNRRI focused on basic and applied researches with priority on solving significant scientific and technical problems in rice production.

Dr Swaminathan wants special package for state

MS Swaminathan in Chandigarh. Tribune photo: S Chandan
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 13
Former Director-General of International Rice Research Institute and one of the pioneers of the Green Revolution, Dr MS Swaminathan today said that Punjab should be declared a special agriculture zone and should be given a special package to maintain food security.Regarding amendments in the Land Acquisition Act, he said without specifying the objective, agriculture land should not be acquired by the government. “A sizeable chunk of land was acquired for special economic zones, many of which failed to take off and have now become real estate sites,” he said.
No land should be acquired without consulting farmers and without declaring the need for acquiring the land, he said. “While acquiring land, three factors—food security, security of farmers and purpose for which land is to be acquired—should be kept in mind. Preserving land is a must as 90 per cent of food for humanity comes from the soil and only 10 per cent comes from other resources such as the ocean,” he said.
Cropping pattern
On the crisis in the farm sector, he said Punjab farmers should adopt a three-year cropping pattern. In the first two years, they should grow wheat and in the third, leguminous crops or green fodder to invigorate the soil.Description: Dr Swaminathan wants special package for stateLikewise, farmers should grow paddy (rice), especially basmati, for two years and shift to pulses the third year, he said. Dr Swaminathan said that it would be in the national interest if farmers in Punjab continued to grow paddy and wheat. He said there was a need to move to “evergreen revolution” which meant making farming viable for small and marginal farmers, ecological sustainability and maintaining soil health.
On the Shanta Kumar committee report regarding FCI restructuring, he said before taking a decision, there should be an informed debate on the issue among all stakeholders. He said the policy of MSP and grain procurement could not be abandoned. “Implementing the report without a debate could pose a threat to the country’s food security,” he claimed.“ I have only recommended a 50 per cent margin for the farmers whereas some pharmaceutical companies earn profit up to 500 per cent,” he said.
On need for MSP
There has been a hue and cry across the country over the non-implementation of Dr Swaminathan’s recommendations regarding the MSP. The BJP, that had promised to implement the recommendations on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections, has backed off. Dr Swaminathan suggested that this could be done in phases — announcing a 10 per cent increase in the first year, a 20 per cent increase the second year and ultimately a 50 per cent rise in the third year. “Saving small and marginal farmers is a must to save the farm sector as the survival of 60 per cent of the population depends on it,” Dr Swaminathan said.
Value addition in the farm produce and starting allied ventures was the need of the hour, said Dr Swaminathan. He said he was for a single agriculture market in the country. Along with technical upgradation of technology, there was a need to improve the labour efficiency to ensure inclusive growth in the farm sector.
On climate change
On climate change, he said there was a need for anticipatory research to counter the effect of climate change. More money needed to be pumped into agriculture research for coming out with weather-resistant varieties of wheat. With the increase in temperature (up to 2 degree Celsius) there could be a huge fall in food production in Punjab, he warned. He said soil health cards would not serve any purpose if the panchayats were given help in maintaining soil health. He said after ensuring food security, there was a need to raise the nutritional value of foodgrain.
Need for insurance

There is a need to introduce insurance for the farm sector, said Dr MS Swaminathan. This would ensure stability in the farm sector and ensure food security. He said there was no harm in growing genetically modified crops. He said foreign direct investment (FDI) could prove beneficial for the farm sector. It would be a win-win situation for farmers as well as investors, he said.

Rice is not bad after all, says study

Eating rice may do more good and less harm if you watch your portions, suggests a new campaign that aims to promote guilt-free rice consumption. Best Foods Limited, which owns the label ‘Best Rice’, seeks to reinstate rice as staple diet as part of its ‘I Love Rice’ campaign. The company engaged market research firm TNS India to discern new-age myths surrounding rice consumption. The findings showed thatHyderabadi s love rice dishes, but a majority (73 per cent respondents), fear the cereal is fattening.
City-based nutritionist B. Janaki, who sought to bust myths on Friday, said rice’s high glycemic index, which has earned it the reputation of being a fattening food, is actually lowered by its combination with other components of an Indian meal. Glycemic index is the effect of a food on blood glucose level.“Rice is seldom taken by itself. Though it has a high index, when mixed with dal, vegetable or meat, it does not dramatically influence blood glucose levels. Most importantly, unlike wheat, rice does not contain any gluten. So it does not cause stomach bloating. If consumed in moderate quantities as required by the body, it becomes the main source of nutrients,” Dr. Janaki said.
Myths
Description: http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02341/13HYRPL01-Rice__hy_2341025e.jpgOther myths that discourage people from eating rice, the research revealed, included rice having low-fibre content and being bad for diabetics.Dr. Janaki said eating brown rice and less polished rice could make available higher fibre content and also stressed that diabetics could consume rice if they adhere to regular eating hours and restricted portions.The research found that people from the city regularly cooked an average of 12 rice dishes, higher than other metros where the research was conducted.Best Foods CEO Ayushman Gupta said rice was the only food that could change form easily even after cooking.The respondents were married women aged 25 to 45, and hailed from higher income families. Two hundred and fifteen of them were from Hyderabad.

Commodities Slump Close to Ending as Hackett Says Buy Rice

1:44 AM PDT 
March 15, 2015
Coffee beans are prepared for roasting at the Cafe Primavera facility in Itapira, Brazil. Arabica coffee slipped 37 percent as Brazil’s weak real currency encouraged exports, adding to supplies. Photographer: Paulo Fridman/Bloomberg
(Bloomberg) -- The slump in commodities is close to ending and prices for wheat, rice and coffee should rebound because demand is close to supplies, according to Shawn Hackett, president of Hackett Financial Advisors in Florida.The Bloomberg Commodity Index of 22 raw Description: Sugar Productionmaterials closed Friday at a 12-year low, and is almost 30 percent lower than this time last year. Wheat, rice and coffee supplies are the lowest relative to demand and trade in 50 years, Hackett said. The Brazilian real should stabilize in the next 30 days, helping coffee prices to rebound, he said.“Immense opportunity exists when panics occur as they are now,” Hackett said in an e-mailed report on Saturday.The Bloomberg Commodity Index climbed 0.1 percent by 12:16 p.m. in Dubai on Monday after falling 3.2 percent the past two weeks.Wheat dropped 28 percent in the past 12 months and rice fell 32 percent. Arabica coffee slipped 37 percent as Brazil’s weak real currency encouraged exports, adding to supplies.

Description: Coffee BeansCocoa prices have dropped 3.2 percent this year and are still “an incredible short,” or likely to fall more, Hackett said. “Should underlying support break as I expect it will, the cocoa crash should be epic.”In livestock, hogs are “getting cheap while cattle remain overvalued,” he said. Live cattle futures climbed 6.1 percent in the past year, the only item in the Bloomberg Commodity Index to gain over the period. Lean hogs slumped 41 percent.Hackett also recommended selling milk futures for September through December delivery where prices are above $17 per hundredweight. “It is important to keep emotions under control and remain focused on the prize of buying when there is ‘blood in the streets’,” Hackett said. “Those that did that in 2008-2009 and bought commodities are retired now.”To contact the reporter on this story: Claudia Carpenter in Dubai atccarpenter2@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nayla Razzouk atnrazzouk2@bloomberg.net John Deane, Bruce Stanley

Local researchers find anti-obesity properties in rice bran

 

Updated: 2015-03-16 16:26:26 KST


About 500,000 tons of rice bran is produced every year in Korea after rice is polished.
Thirty percent of the residue is used in cosmetics or livestock feed, while the rest is discarded.
But a group of local researchers has recently discovered evidence that special properties in rice bran could be beneficial in preventing obesity.They released the results early this month.The researchers conducted a test in which a control group of mice was fed high-fat foods, while an experimental group was fed high-fat foods and given an injection of rice bran extract.After six weeks, the mice in the control group gained 44 percent more weight, but the group that was given the rice bran injections showed a significant difference in weight gain of only 33 percent.( , Korean)

"The mice given the rice bran extract injections gained significantly less weight and there was a reduction in the amount of fat in the liver cells."The difference was also noticeable in the size of fatty tissues and cells. The mice in the high-fat control group had enlarged cells, but the mice in the rice bran group saw no change in their fatty tissues.The researchers discovered that certain bioactive components in rice bran helped decrease the proportion of fat in the body.( , Korean)

"Through animal testing, we've proven that rice bran is effective in fighting obesity. It could be used to make health-functional food or medicine."After confirming the effectiveness and safety of rice bran in humans, the researchers anticipate the results will transform the unused raw material into a high-value product while tackling the oversupply of rice in the country.
Sohn Jung-in, Arirang News.

Drastic fall in paddy cultivation in Karimnagar

Description: http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02342/15HYMRR4-PADDY-_hy_2342861e.jpgKarimnagar district, which emerged as the rice bowl of Telangana, now faces a bleak future as the area under paddy cultivation has declined drastically, causing concern among farmers and others. Severe drought condition, a depleting groundwater table and poor inflows into the irrigation projects are cited as reasons for diminishing area under paddy cultivation in the rabi season. Since 2006, Karimnagar began to find a place on the paddy cultivation map as it registered good production. The area of paddy cultivation increased from 1.38 lakh hectares to 2.98 lakh hectares.But this rabi season, paddy cultivation came down drastically due to deficit rainfall and poor inflows into the major irrigation projects of SRSP and the Lower Manair Dam. In-charge Joint Director (agriculture) Shatru Naik told The Hindu that paddy cultivation came down to 90,850 hectares compared to 1.38 lakh hectares.In the usual course, paddy cultivation would have been taken up in over 2 lakh hectares had the district received good rains.
The agriculture official said that poor rainfall would certainly impact production. He said 40 per cent of the paddy produce was meant for producing seed, 20-25 per cent for sale while the remaining is consumed by farmers.S. Komuraiah, a farmer from Chenjarla village of Manakondur mandal, said that he had cultivated paddy only in one acre of land for domestic use as the water in the well had depleted. He had to leave the remaining four acres idle. He said he was facing hurdles in watering the crop due to depletion of the groundwater table.Annamaneni Sudhakar Rao, director of Karimnagar district rice millers association, said that the drought had cast its shadow on the rice mills as well with several of them having closed down in the district.People who had purchased harvesters to eke out a living are also at the receiving end due to low production of paddy, he added.

VN plans greener rice cultivation
Viet Nam plans to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from rice cultivation alone by 14 per cent by 2030.
This was announced in Ha Noi on Tuesday by an official from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment at a conference.Pham Hoang Yen, an expert involved in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, said in the last few years, the country had chased the goal of a 20 per cent reduction in GHG in the overall cultivation sector by 2020.What the country has been doing includes preparation for National Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) and other policies developing countries adopted to control global GHG at a UNFCC conference in Bali eight years ago.In addition, Viet Nam has also carried out a programme of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).In June last year, the country had 253 CDM projects and had registered 11 programmes of activities.


This move earned it 10.7 million certified emission reduction (CEF) credits granted by CDM Executive Board through CDM activities, Yen said.The total GHG emissions reduction from the 253 CDM projects was 137 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.Viet Nam ranks fourth in the world in term of the number of CDM projects and ninth in terms of granted CEF certificates.In the near future, many projects would be started to lower methane emissions in rice cultivation in a number of localities, Yen said.The agricultural sector also applied Good Agricultural Practices and cultivation methods that economise the use of fertiliser, pesticide and water in order to limit methane emission on rice fields, she said.

According to the 2010 National Greenhouse gas inventory, there will be an increase in emissions on both livestock and farm land.In livestock breeding sector, GHG emissions are expected to grow from 18.03 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2010 to 24.95 million tonnes in 2020 and 29.32 tonnes in 2030.In agriculture, GHG emissions are expected to increase from 23.81 million tones of carbon dioxide in 2010 to 33.94 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2020 and 37.4 tonnes in 2030.The industrial process had an GHG emission growth, but it was still small compared with the total of emissions, Yen said.It is predicted that Land use, Land use Change and Forestry activities in Viet Nam will absorb 42.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2020, and 45.3 million tonnes in 2030. The main source of emissions and absorption will be forest and cultivated land.The workshop was organised by the Research Programme on Climate change, Agriculture and Food Security and its partners



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16th March (Monday) , Daily Exclusive ORYZA Rice E_Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Red Yeast Rice as Alternative to Diabetes-Causing Statins?

Mar 13, 2015
A new study by researchers in Finland shows that cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may significantly increase a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes – in fact, it may increase a person’s risk by as much as 50%!
What’s a person to do when faced with a choice between high cholesterol or increased risk of type 2 diabetes?
Rice to the rescue once again!  Red yeast rice has been a controversial product – especially in the West.  In fact, Switzerland doesn’t even allow its sale in the country.  However, it’s popularly used in Asia for a variety of health benefits, including lowering cholesterol and improving blood circulation.On the back of a study showing that statins, which millions of people around the world (and especially in the West) take daily, can increase the risk of another chronic disease, perhaps scientists should consider investing research into red yeast rice so that we can finally reach a conclusion about its efficacy in treating cholesterol.  If it is found to be scientifically effective, it could prevent millions of people from developing type 2 diabetes every year.

Oryza Afternoon Recap - Chicago Rough Rice Futures Unable to Resist Pressure as Surging US Dollar Weighs on US Grain Prices

Mar 13, 2015
Chicago rough rice futures for May delivery settled 10 cents per cwt (about $2 per ton) lower at $10.580 per cwt (about $233 per ton). The other grains also closed lower; Soybeans closed about 1.7% lower at $9.7400 per bushel; wheat finished about 1% lower at $5.0200 per bushel, and corn finished the day about 2.1% lower at $3.8050 per bushel.
U.S. stocks traded 1% lower on Friday as investors eyed weak inflation data amid renewed dollar strength and sharply lower oil prices. The U.S. dollar rose more than half a percent to a new 52-week high, on track for its first close above 100 since April 2003. The euro extended losses to fall below $1.05. The Dow fell more than 250 points before recovering slightly as the major indices extended losses, with nearly all blue chips declining and all S&P 500 sectors in the red. The U.S. Producer Price index for February showed a decline of 0.5%, missing estimates of a 0.3% gain. Consumer sentiment data showed a preliminary read of 91.2 in March versus 95.4 in February.
The Federal Open Market Committee meets next week, with all eyes on whether or not "patient" remains in the statement. Quarterly options also expire. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded down 240 points, or 1.34%, at 17,654. The S&P 500 traded down 22 points, or 1.08%, at 2,043, with industrials leading all ten sectors lower. The Nasdaq traded down 46 points, or 0.94%, at 4,847. Gold is trading about 0.2% higher, crude oil is seen trading about 4.2% lower, and the U.S. dollar is seen trading about 0.9% higher at about  1:00pm Chicago time.Thursday, there were 610 contracts traded, up from 322 contracts traded on Wednesday. Open interest – the number of contracts outstanding – on Thursday increased by 18 contracts to 8,979.

New Board Game Teaches Historical Rice Trading

Mar 13, 2015
Ever wondered what it was like to be a rice trader 400 years ago?  A new game on Kickstarter called Fujian Trader can show you (well, kind of).  Fujian Trader is a trading game based on an actual 17th century map used by an actual Chinese trading family.  The game appears to be similar to the popular Settlers of Catan but is historically factual.  Players work trade routes on the gameboard to move their “ships” from port to port, fighting for control of ports and negotiating trades along the way.
  And rice is one of the resources players can trade!  The game mimics reality, where “ports” farther from the Chinese mainland see higher prices for rice than “ports” closer to the mainland.  It would be a good way to teach older children about history and trade at the same time.If you’re interested in the game, a donation through Kickstarter can get you a printable game board – but you’ll have to wait until December to get your hands on the real thing, complete with carved wooden game pieces to maintain its historical accuracy.So what are you waiting for?  Now you can trade rice for fun, not just for work!

Description: oryza white rice indexWeekly Recap: Rice Exports Quotes Continue Lower on Supply Pressure

Mar 13, 2015
The Oryza White Rice Index (WRI), a weighted average of global white rice export quotes, ended the week at about $419 per ton, down about $3 per ton from a week ago, down about $1 per ton from a month ago and down about $35 per ton from a year ago.
The USDA forecasts all rice exports in MY 2014-15 to reach 4.72 million tons, up about 11% from last year.
Thailand
Thailand 5% broken rice is today shown at about $400 per ton, down about $5 per ton from a week and a month ago and down about $15 per ton from a year ago.
In January 2015, Thailand exported about 610,504 tons of rice, down about 59% from December 2014 and down about 12% from January 2014.
Thailand received bids for about 780,000 tons of rice on March 6.  The government had hoped to auction off one million tons.
Thailand and China have sorted out the details of a deal signed between the two countries in December.  Under this deal, China agreed to buy about 2 million tons of rice and 200,000 tons of rubber from Thailand.
India
India 5% broken rice is today shown at about $395 per ton, unchanged from a week ago, down about $5 per ton from a month ago and down about $30 per ton from a year ago.
The government has decided to sell excess rice stocks in the open market starting April 1.
The Federation of Indian Exports Organization (FIEO) and the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) expect Iran to resume basmati rice imports from India once the new financial year begins in April.
The Chief Minister of the South Indian state of Telangana is urging the government to reconsider its decision to end the levy rice procurement system starting from the 2015-16 (October-September) kharif marketing season.
Chinese plastic rice, made of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and Chinese polymer, is turning up in consumer rice products in India.  The plastic rice can cause gastritis and other digestive problems and is causing the Indian government to consider instituting a system to check imports of rice into the country.
The rice sector in Bangladesh is facing severe trouble amidst continuing political unrest and rising imports.
Vietnam
Vietnam 5% broken rice is today shown at about $370 per ton, down about $5 per ton from a week ago, up about $10 per ton from a month ago and down about $5 per ton from a year ago.
Vietnam exported about 421,202 tons of rice in the first two months of 2015, a decrease of about 34% from the first two months of 2014.  Average rice export price so far this year is about $452 per ton (FOB), up about 5% from the same time last year.
The Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade is optimistic that rice exports, which declined about 4% y/y to 6.4 million tons in 2014, will rebound in 2015 as a result of increased demand from China and lower export prices.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam plans to develop specialized large-scale rice growing areas in the Mekong River Delta region to cater to the growing needs of local and international market.
Pakistan
Pakistan 5% broken rice is today shown at about $355 per ton, up about $5 per ton from a week and a month ago and down about $50 per ton from a year ago.
Basmati rice prices have seen a reversal and increased sharply in February 2015 after declining consistently since September.  The increase is likely due to concerns over an anticipated reduction in 2014-15 production.
The Chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan forecasts that Pakistan may miss the rice export target of 3.8 million tons in FY 2014-15 due to falling demand.
Central & South America
Brazil 5% broken rice is today shown at about $550 per ton, unchanged from a week ago, up about $10 per ton from a month ago and down about $115 per ton from a year ago.
Brazil’s National Grains Supply Company (Conab) estimates 2014-15 paddy rice production will be about 12.152 million tons, slightly up from 2013-14.
The Brazilian paddy rice index maintained by the Center for Advanced Studies on Applied Economics (CEPEA) reached around 36.02 real per 50 kilograms as of March 09, 2015, down about 0.3% from around 36.13 real per 50 kilograms recorded on March 02, 2015.  In terms of USD per ton, the index reached around $232 per ton on March 09, 2015, down about 8% from around $252 per ton recorded on March 2, 2015.
Five percent broken rice from Uruguay and Argentina is today shown at about $580 per ton, down about $20 per ton from a month ago and down about $45 per ton from a year ago.
In 2014, Argentina exported around 510,707 tons of rice, down about 5% from the same period in 2013, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
The government of Guyana has secured a deal with Venezuela to export about 260,000 tons of paddy and rice in 2015, according to the Agriculture Minister.
U.S.
U.S. 4% broken rice is today shown at about $485 per ton, unchanged from a week and a month ago and down about $100 per ton from a year ago.
The ongoing drought in California is leading some experts to anticipate global medium-grain rice prices will stay firm for the near future.
After staying flat early in the week, Chicago rough rice futures for May delivery saw a spike in prices Wednesday, when they reached a high of $10.740 per cwt (about $237 per ton).  Futures then dropped slightly to finish the week at $10.615 per cwt (about $234 per ton).
The U.S. cash market for rough rice was quiet and mostly unchanged this week, despite a relatively bullish WASDE report that projected a 1 million cwt (45,359 tons) increase in U.S. long grain exports.
Other Markets
 Cambodia 5% broken rice is today shown at about $430 per ton, down about $5 per ton from a week and a month ago and down about $25 per ton from a year ago.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates 2014-15 rice imports for Japan to reach around 700,000 tons.
The UN’s FAO estimates Indonesia’s rice imports will reach about 1.2 million tons in 2014-15 (April-March), due to a reduction in 2014 aggregate rice production.  Meanwhile, the Indonesian President has ruled out rice imports, despite continuing price hikes.
For the third consecutive month, rice stocks in the Philippines continue to decline, according to the Bureau of Statistics.  As of February 1, stocks were around 2.35 million tons, down about 12% from last month, but up about 17.5% from the same period last year. Meanwhile, the Philippines Chief Economist is urging the government to remove quantitative restrictions on rice imports in order to stabilize rice prices in the country. Separately, the National Food Authority Council of the Philippines has approved the government-to-government deals of Vietnam and Thailand, with Vietnam supplying about 300,000 tons of rice and Thailand supplying about 200,000 tons of rice by May 31.
South Korea’s state-run Agro Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation is looking to buy about 58,897 tons of non-glutinous rice in international tenders for delivery between June 30 and September 30, with bidding occurring on March 24.
About 631,058 tons of Italian paddy crop has been sold as of March 3.  This represents about 64.82% of total Italian 2014-15 (September-August) paddy crop, and is about 11% more sold than during the same period last year, according to the Ente Nazionale Risi.
China has sold about 15,268 tons or 1.2% of 1.4 million tons of late-harvest rice from reserves.

Oryza Overnight Recap – Chicago Rough Rice Futures Higher Overnight as Market Continues to Trade in Sideways Range

Mar 13, 2015
Chicago rough rice futures for May delivery are currently listed 6.5 cents per cwt (about $1 per ton) higher at $10.700 per cwt (about $237 per ton) ahead of floor trading in Chicago. The other grains are seen trading mostly lower this morning: soybeans are currently seen about 0.7% lower, wheat is listed about 0.7% higher and corn is currently noted about 0.1% lower.
U.S. stock index futures indicated a slightly lower open on Friday as uncertainty over the timing of an interest rate rise lingers after a bumpy week. Stocks ended in the green on Thursday following a rough few days, as mixed economic data indicated to some investors that the Federal Reserve will not raise interest rates as early as anticipated. Friday looks set to be a quiet day on the earnings front, with retailers Ann and The Buckle among the companies due to report before the bell. The U.S. Producer Price index for February showed a decline of 0.5%, missing estimates of a 0.3% gain. Consumer sentiment data comes at 10 a.m. ET. Gold is currently trading about 0.5% higher, crude oil is seen trading about 1.8% lower,  and the U.S. dollar is currently trading about 0.2% higher at 8:00am Chicago time.

Rice: It's Not for Goats!

Mar 13, 2015
Go ahead and eat all the rice you want, but please keep it away from any goats you have.  Recently, five goats distributed in India under the welfare scheme all died mysterious deaths.  Post-mortem autopsies showed the goats had eaten significant amounts of rice, a food staple that’s not typically part of a goat’s diet.  Animal Husbandry officials speculate the rice caused “abnormal secretion of gastric fluids” like acid which led to the animals’ sudden deaths.However, veterinarians maintain that white rice can be a good food substitute for other pets, like cats and dogs, when they have upset stomachs.  Just don’t let your goats near it!

Drought Might 'Make It Rain' for California Rice Farmers

Mar 13, 2015
Rice farmers in drought-stricken California might finally have something to look forward to: the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has offered up to $71 million for farmers to ship their water to the Los Angeles area in southern California.  As much as 115,000 acre-feet of water, or more than 37 billion gallons, could be sold.According to the Sacramento Bee, some farmers may actually make more cash from selling their water than they would from selling their rice!  Last year, when Sacramento Valley water districts shipped their water down south they were getting $500 an acre-foot.  This year prices are around $700 an acre-foot.  (An acre foot is 326,000 gallons and will supply roughly two Southern California households for about a year.)
So far, nine irrigation districts have made tentative deals with the Water District to ship some of their water.This news might decrease rice acreage in California even further; in 2014 rice acres in California decreased by 140,000 acres due to drought, and about one-fourth of the crop didn’t get planted.  Most rice farmers in the Sacramento Valley region make around $1,000 to $1,500 an acre profit when they plant rice.  Idling an acre of rice would save about 3 acre-feet of water, or more than $2,100 at this year’s rates.  However, many growers take a long-term approach and recognize the importance of supporting the rice industry as a whole; most farmers will likely still grow some rice – the question is how much?

FAO Says Vietnam Main Season Rice Planting Delayed, but Overall Prospects Are Favorable

Mar 13, 2015
Description: Description: vietnam rice farmerRice harvesting of the 2014-15 main crop (winter-spring) is currently going on in Vietnam and will continue until the end of July. Below average rains from mid-January to late February, delayed planting in main rice producing area, according to FAO. In the organization’s latest official estimates planting has been completed on about 2.39 million hectares as of mid - February, down about 8% from last year. However, FAO notes that overall prospects for current paddy crop is expected to remain favorable due to near average rainfall and adequate irrigation water supply for the remainder of the season.
Meanwhile, FAO says that Vietnam is expected to export about 6.9 million tons rice in 2015, up about 7% from last year. Vietnam exported about 515,000 tons of rice in first two months of 2015, down about 30% from same period last year, according to the General Statistic Office of Viet Nam (GSO).For 2014, FAO estimates total paddy rice production in Vietnam is expected to reach a record level of 45 million tons in 2014, up about 2% from about 44.04 million tons produced in 2013, due to higher yields amid favorable weather conditions.
In Vietnam, wholesale prices of rice decreased in February due to ample existing supplies and new crop harvest. Meanwhile, the Vietnam's Government has approved the purchase of 1 million tons of rice from the winter-spring crop to support domestic prices. The procurement program began on 1 March, 2015 and will continue until 15 April, 2015.

Asia Rice Quotes Unchanged Today

Mar 13, 2015
Asia rice sellers kept their quotes mostly unchanged today.

5% Broken Rice
Thailand 5% rice is indicated at around $395 - $405 per ton, about a $30 per ton premium on Vietnam 5% rice  shown at around $365 - $375 per ton.

India 5% rice is quoted at around $390 - $400 per ton, about a $40 per ton premium on Pakistan 5% rice quoted at around $350 - $360 per ton.

25% Broken Rice 
Thailand 25% rice is shown at around $370 - $380 per ton, about a $30 per ton premium on Vietnam 25% rice shown at around $340- $350 per ton.                                                                                                                                                                                          
India 25% rice is quoted at around $360 - $370, about a $45 per ton premium on Pakistan 25% rice quoted at around $315 - $325 per ton.

Parboiled Rice
Thailand parboiled rice is indicated at around $400 - $410 per ton.
India parboiled rice is quoted at around $380 - $390 per ton, about $15 per ton discount to Pakistan parboiled rice quoted at around $395 - $405 per ton.

100% Broken Rice
Thailand broken rice, A1 Super, is quoted at around $320 - $330per ton, about a $15 per ton premium on Vietnam 100% broken rice shown at around $305 - $315per ton.

India's 100% broken rice is shown at around $275 - $285 per ton,  about a $15 per ton discount to  Pakistan broken sortexed rice quoted at around $290 - $300 per ton.

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