Wednesday, June 10, 2015

10th June (Wednesday),2015 Daily Exclusive ORYZA Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Oryza U.S. Rough Rice Recap - Prices Seen Stable ahead of USDA WASDE Report

Jun 09, 2015
The U.S. cash market was unchanged today ahead of the USDA’s World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate report due out Wednesday morning.Analysts note that most market participants believe there will be little to no changes made to the U.S. balance sheet; however, some contend that the price direction will likely be guided by the report’s impact on the grain complex.

Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan Rice Sellers Lower Some of Their Quotes Today

Jun 09, 2015
Thailand rice sellers lowered their quotes for parboiled rice by about $5 per ton to around $360 - $370 per ton today. Vietnam rice sellers lowered their quotes for Jasmine rice by about $5 per ton to around $475- $485 per ton. Pakistan rice sellers lowered their quotes for 5% broken rice by about $5 per ton to around $390 - $400 per ton. India rice sellers kept their quotes unchanged today.
5% Broken Rice
Thailand 5% rice is indicated at around $355 - $365 per ton, about a $5 per ton premium on Vietnam 5% rice  shown at around $350 - $360 per ton. India 5% rice is indicated at around $375 - $385 per ton, about a $15 per ton discount to Pakistan 5% rice shown at around $390 - $400 per ton, down about a $5 per ton from yesterday.
25% Broken Rice
Thailand 25% rice is shown at around $340 - $350 per ton, about a $10 per ton premium on Vietnam 25% rice shown at around $330- $340 per ton. India 25% rice is indicated at around $360 - $370, about $10 per ton premium on Pakistan 25% rice shown at around $350 - $360 per ton.
Parboiled Rice
Thailand parboiled rice is indicated at around $360 - $370 per ton, down about a $5 per ton from yesterday. India parboiled rice is indicated at around $355 - $365 per ton, about a $55 per ton discount to Pakistan parboiled rice shown at around $410 - $420 per ton.
100% Broken Rice
Thailand broken rice, A1 Super, is indicated at around $315 - $325 per ton, on par with Vietnam 100% broken rice shown at around $315 - $325 per ton. India's 100% broken rice is shown at around $280 - $290 per ton, about a $15 per ton discount to  Pakistan broken sortexed rice shown at around $295 - $305 per ton.

Vietnam Rice Exports to African Destinations More than Double in April 2015

Jun 09, 2015
Vietnam exported around 71,993 tons of rice to Africa (about 11% of total April 2015 exports), over two times more from around 34,545 tons exported in March 2015, and down about 29% from around 101,779 tons exported in April 2014, according to USDA. The increase is attributed to export promotion strategies implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) in the African countries.Vietnam has exported around 668,177 tons of rice in April 2015, about 9% more from around 613,164 tons exported in March 2015, and up about 24% from around 538,623 tons exported in April 2014. While share of Vietnam's rice exports to Asia declined in April 2015, its share of exports to Africa, Americas, Europe and Australia increased during the month.
Asia accounted for around 520,386 tons (about 78% of total rice exports by Vietnam in April 2015) in April 2015. Month-on-month, Vietnam's rice exports to Asian destinations declined about 3% from around 536,838 tons exported in March 2015. Year-on-year, they increased about 47.5% from around 352,778 tons exported in April 2014.Vietnam exported around 67,757 tons of rice to American destinations (about 10% of April 2015 exports), up about 82% from around 37,255 tons exported in March 2015, and down about 5.5% from around 71,693 tons exported in April 2014.
Description: Description: http://oryza.com/sites/default/files/field/image/150609vietnamriceexp1.jpgVietnam's exports to Australia (about 0.7% of April 2015 exports) increased about 3 times to around 4,729 tons in April 2015 from around 1,618 tons exported in March 2015 and declined about 2.8 times from around 1,713 tons exported in April 2014.
Vietnam's exports to Europe and CIS countries (about 0.5% of total April 2015 exports) accounted for around 3,312 tons, about 14% more from around 2,908 tons exported in March 2015 and about 69% below from around 10,660 tons exported in April 2014.In terms of grade, 5% broken rice exports accounted for around 196,338 tons (or, about 29% of total April 2015 exports); Jasmine rice exports accounted for around 132,322 tons (or, about 20% of total April 2015 exports); 15% broken rice exports accounted for around 94,750 tons (or, about 14% of total exports in April  2015); 25% broken rice exports accounted for around 92,878 tons (or, about 14% of total exports in April 2015); glutinous rice exports accounted for around 48,484 tons (or, about 7% of total April 2015 exports); and 10%, 100% and other varieties accounted for around 103,405 tons (or, about 15% of total exports in April 2015).

IRRI Promotes Stress-Tolerant Rice Varieties in Cambodia and Nepal

Jun 09, 2015
Description: Description: http://oryza.com/sites/default/files/field/image/150609cambodia.jpg
The Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is promoting the use of stress-tolerant rice varieties in Cambodia and Nepal under a USAID-financed project as part of efforts to help farmers to adapt to climate change challenges, according to Cambodia news sources.The project will last three years and about $3 million is allocated to each of the two countries.
 It will basically support both the countries to adapt to drought and flooding problems by training farmers, seed companies and farmers' associations to use better quality seeds for their crops.The IRRI representative in Cambodia launched the project in the country's capital on June 8, 2015. Around one thousand farmers will be selected across the country and provided with sample seeds. The IRRI representative told local sources that presently most of the farmers use their own seeds from previous crop or import from Thailand or Vietnam. The project will encourage for production of quality seeds within the country as well as create awareness among farmers to use quality seeds to increase yields.
Nearly one million hectares of farmland in Cambodia is reportedly damaged by the drought and floods between 2011 and 2013, according to the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.USDA estimates Cambodia MY 2014-15 (January 2015 - December 2015) paddy rice production at around 7.344 million tons (around 4.7 million tons, milled basis), slightly down from around 7.383 million tons (around 4.725 million tons, milled basis) in MY 2013-14. It estimates Cambodia to export around 1.1 million tons of rice in 2015, up about 10% from an estimated 1 million tons in 2014

Oryza Afternoon Recap - Chicago Rough Rice Futures Continue to Trek Higher but Now Face Overhead Resistance at $10.000 per cwt

Jun 09, 2015
rice futures for Jul delivery settled 3.5 cents per cwt (about $1 per ton) higher at $9.980 per cwt (about $220 per ton). The other grains finished the day mostly higher with only corn dipping slightly by the ringing of the closing bell; Soybeans closed about 0.8% higher at $9.5150 per bushel; wheat finished about 0.8% higher at $5.3225 per bushel, and corn finished the day about 0.1% lower at $3.6500 per bushel.U.S. stocks traded mixed as investors eyed recovery in bond yields and growing support for a rate hike in September. Gains were muted, with the Dow Jones industrial average remaining in negative territory for the year. It fell into the red on Monday.
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed 5.376 million job openings in April, the highest since December 2000. Wholesale inventories showed an increase of 0.4% in April, above expectations of a 0.2% rise. U.S. small business confidence increased to a five-month high in May of 98.3, the highest since December, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. In the absence of major economic reports this week, analyst focus remains on Thursday's retail sales report. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded up 16 points, or 0.09%, at 17,782. The S&P 500 traded up 2 points, or 0.09%, at 2,081, with consumer staples leading six sectors higher and information technology the greatest decliner.
The Nasdaq traded down 16 points, or 0.32%, at 5,002. The index has not closed below 5,000 since May 13. Gold is trading about 0.3% higher, crude oil is seen trading about 3.4% higher, and the U.S. dollar is seen trading about 0.1% lower at about  1:00pm Chicago time.Monday, there were 506 contracts traded, down from 720 contracts traded on Friday. Open interest – the number of contracts outstanding – on Monday decreased by 15 contracts to 11,762.

Thailand Considers to Sell Stockpiled Rice to Consumers Directly

Jun 09, 2015
The government of Thailand is considering to sell stockpiled rice directly to consumers as part of efforts to reduce rice stocks in the country as soon as possible, according to local sources.The Prime Minister reportedly instructed the Ministry of Commerce to urgently sell rice via various channels in order to reduce storage costs as well as reduce losses associated with deterioration of the stocks.The Commerce Minister told local sources that the Ministry is planning to set a working team to consider selling stockpiled rice directly to consumers in small packs. He noted that the Ministry will discuss the plan with the Public Warehouse Organisation, Marketing Organisation for Farmers, Foreign Trade Department and Internal Trade Department and estimate the appropriate amount of rice that can be sold to consumers.
The Minister also stated that of the 16-17 million tons of stockpiled rice, only 2 million tons are of good quality and the government may consider selling that to consumers directly as packaged rice. He added that the remaining rice would be sent for upgradation before selling to consumers.Some experts have warned the government to ensure that the decision would not distort the market mechanism and hurt existing traders as the supply of packaged rice increases in the market. They also suggested that the price should be close to the market price in order to ensure that farmers and traders are not disadvantaged.
The Ministry will auction 1.06 million tons of rice on June 15. It sold It had sold about 1.88 million tons of rice from six auctions raising around 25.58 billion baht (around $785.2 million) since it seized power in May 2014. It also reportedly sold one million tons of rice under government-to-government contracts. It aims to sell about 10 million tons of stockpiled rice this year and about 7 million tons next year.Separately, the Rice Department is planning to restructure the rice production system in order to reduce costs and increase yields. The Department has collaborated with the local governments to improve the rice production system, according the Director-General of the Rice Department.

Pakistan Basmati Rice Export Prices Decline for Third Consecutive Month in May 2015

Jun 09, 2015
Pakistan basmati rice prices have declined for third consecutive month in May 2015 after increasing continuously for two months, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).Though the decline has not been so much pronounced in March and April this year, it can be attributed to better rice growing prospects due to adequate availability of irrigation water in major rice growing areas, increased distribution of certified seeds and increased allocation of institutional credit over last year.
Description: Description: http://oryza.com/sites/default/files/field/image/150609pakistanbasmatiriceprices.jpgAccording to a recent report by the country's Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA), the government has fixed a target of 7 million tons, basis milled, (around 10.35 million tons, basis paddy) from an area of around 2.8 million hectares. In May 2015, Pakistan's basmati rice export prices have declined by about 9% to around $895 per ton from around $980 per ton in April 2015, and down about 34% from their year-ago levels of around $1,350 per ton.
In terms of local currency, average Pakistan basmati rice prices in May 2015 declined by about 9% to around PKR 90,887 per ton (using historical exchange rates) from around PKR 99,617 per ton in April 2015, and down about 31% from around PKR 131,328 per ton in May 2014.Average Pakistan basmati rice prices stood at around $943 per ton in the first five months of 2015 (January - May), down about 31% from around $1,361 per ton recorded during the same period last year.
Average basmati rice prices increased between August and September 2014 and peaked to around $1,450 per ton in September 2014 due to fears of a fall in production as floods affected large area of basmati rice acreage in Punjab.  However, the overall production of basmati rice has not been significantly affected by floods.Currently, Pakistan basmati growers have been urging the government to provide adequate support to increase competitiveness of Pakistan's basmati rice in the global market.
Global Rice Quotes

June 10th, 2015

Long grain white rice - high quality
Thailand 100% B grade   365-375                ↔
Vietnam 5% broken        350-360                ↔
India 5% broken               375-385                ↔
Pakistan 5% broken        385-395                ↓
Myanmar 5% broken      415-425                ↔
Cambodia 5% broken     430-440                ↔
U.S. 4% broken                 465-475                ↔
Uruguay 5% broken        565-575                ↔
Argentina 5% broken     555-565                ↔

Long grain white rice - low quality
Thailand 25% broken      340-350                ↔
Vietnam 25% broken      330-340                ↔
Pakistan 25% broken      350-360                ↔
Cambodia 25% broken   410-420                ↔
India 25% broken             360-370                ↔
U.S. 15% broken               455-465                ↔

Long grain parboiled rice
Thailand parboiled 100% stxd     360-370                ↔
Pakistan parboiled 5% broken stxd          410-420                ↔
India parboiled 5% broken stxd                 355-365                ↔
U.S. parboiled 4% broken             555-565                ↔
Brazil parboiled 5% broken          570-580                ↔
Uruguay parboiled 5% broken    NQ         ↔

Long grain fragrant rice
Thailand Hommali 92%   840-850                ↔
Vietnam Jasmine             475-485                ↔
India basmati 2% broken              NQ         ↔
Pakistan basmati 2% broken       NQ         ↔
Cambodia Phka Mails     820-830                ↔

Brokens
Thailand A1 Super            315-325                ↔
Vietnam 100% broken   315-325                ↔
Pakistan 100% broken stxd          295-305                ↔
Cambodia A1 Super        350-360                ↔
India 100% broken stxd                 280-290                ↔
Egypt medium grain brokens      NQ         ↔
U.S. pet food     365-375                ↔
Brazil half grain NQ         ↔
All prices USD per ton, FOB vessel, oryza.com

Oryza Overnight Recap – Chicago Rough Rice Futures Continue Noted Slightly Higher as Market Approaches Overhead Resistance at $10.000

Jun 09, 2015
Chicago rough rice futures for Jul delivery are currently seen trading 1.5 cents per cwt (about $0.33 per ton) higher at $9.960 per cwt (about $220 per ton) during early floor trading in Chicago. The other grains are seen trading higher; soybeans are currently seen trading about 0.8% higher, wheat is listed about 0.9% higher and corn is currently noted about 0.7% higher.U.S. stocks traded in a narrow range on Tuesday as investors sought further insight on the timing of a rate hike from economic data.
Analysts are watching a support level of 2,070 on the S&P 500 after the index closed below its 100-day moving average on Monday. The S&P and Dow Jones industrial average attempted gains in early trade. Energy rose 0.6%, boosted by gains in oil, to lead sector advancers in the S&P. The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey is expected at 10:00 a.m. ET and should show continued strength in the labor market, which would further solidify the case for a September short-term interest rate hike. U.S. small business confidence increased to a five-month high in May of 98.3, the highest since December, according to the National Federation of Independent Business.
However, analysts are more focused on Thursday's retail sales report in the absence of major economic reports this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded up 24 points, or 0.13%, at 17,789. The S&P 500 traded up 2 points, or 0.10%, at 2,081, with energy leading eight sectors higher and information technology and consumer discretionary the only laggards. The Nasdaq traded down 4 points, or 0.08%, at 5,017. Gold is currently trading about 0.5% higher, crude oil is seen trading about 2.8% higher,  and the U.S. dollar is currently trading about 0.1% higher at 8:45am Chicago time.

Government Sales and Subsidies Under G2G Contracts May Push Up Thai Rice Exports in Second Half of 2015, Says USDA Post

Jun 09, 2015
USDA Post forecasts Thailand to export around 11 million tons of rice in 2015. It is expecting Thai rice exports to accelerate in the second half of the year due to an increase in the sales of government rice stocks and government-to-government (G2G) contracts as the government has decided to resume public tenders for 2 million tons of stockpiled rice in June and July. It reportedly suspended sales of rice stocks during the seasonal harvest of off-season rice in April and May.
The Post also reports that on May 6, 2015, the Thai government has finalized another G2G deal to export 2 million tons of white rice from the new crop for delivery in 2015 an 2016. This will consist of 1 million metric tons of new-crop white rice and 1 million metric tons from government stocks, according to the Post. The government is expected to complete the shipping of about one million tons to China by August 2015 under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in April 2014.
Major part of the shipments under the G2G contracts were subcontracted to rice exporters as the government had only old-crop in its rice stocks. Eligible exporters have been offered subsidies of around $10-20 per ton which was paid in form of rice from the government stocks.The Post reports that rice will not be traded in the Agricultural Futures Exchange of Thailand (AFET) after it is merged with the Thailand Futures Exchange PLC (TFEX), a subsidiary of the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), reports the Post.
According to a field survey conducted by the Post in May 2015, total planted area of the second off-season crop in the central plains and the lower northern regions stood at around 2.2 million rai (around 380,000 hectares), including around 1.7 million rai (around 300,000 hectares) in the central plains and around 0.5 million rai (around 80,000 hectares) in the northern region.

 The Post forecasts MY 2014-15 (January - December 2015) milled rice production at around 19.4 million metric tons, slightly down from an estimated 20.46 million tons in MY 2013-14 due to minimal drought damage so far in the second off-season rice crop. The Post reports that as of May 22, drought damaged areas of the off-season rice crop remains stood at around 1.2 million rai (200,000 million hectares).According to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD), the rainy season officially began on May 22, 2015 and will end by mid October. It expects normal precipitation in major rice growing areas during June to August.

9th June (Tuesday),2015 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Rice price remains unaffordable to masses

Despte 400,000 MT of imports
By Ding Cervantes
Jun 09, 2015
ANGELES CITY- The government is set to import 150,000 metric tons (MT) from Vietnam on top of the earlier approved importation of 250,000 MT, with an option to purchase another 100,000 MT purportedly to secure rice stocks in the coming lean months.Despite this, the price of rice has continued to be out of reach of poor folk in the rural areas amid reports that in urban areas, rice prices went down, Anakpawis partylist Rep. Fernando Hicap said yesterday.“Just recently the National Food Authority (NFA) awarded Vietnam through government- to-government trade deal scheme 150,000 MT.
Also it got an approval for the procurement of another 250,000 MT and has an option to buy another 100,000 MT ostensibly to secure stocks of rice in the coming lean months from July to September.But despite the massive volumes of rice imports, the price of commercial rice in the local market continues to be put out of reach of ordinary consumers” noted Hicap.Hicap cited NFA as claiming that the price of rice went down in the market in the past months. Well milled rice went down from P39.02 to P38.57 per kilo while regular NFA rice dropped from P35.76 to P35.35 per kilo. Average commercial well milled rice on the other hand went down from P 42.12 to P41.72 per kilo while regular milled rice also cut its price from P38.47 to P37.97 per kilogram.But the party list lawmaker said that this downward trend was limited to some major cities and towns. The lower rice price is not felt nationwide. “Even these lowered prices are not readily affordable to the masses.
The P15 wage increase is not even enough for transport fares for work,” Hicap added.Hicap noted Food Security and Agricultural Modernization Sec. Francis Pangilinan’s admission that 26 percent of NFA rice goes to the poor and about 74 percent either goes to waste or illegally converted to commercial rice by some traders.“Now we are wary that the additional rice imports of 250,000 MT plus the 805, 000 MT coming from the traders which the government allowed to be delivered in the 3rd quarter of this year will be used to manipulate the prices of rice in the market just like what happened in the past” Hicap said.
“The NFA policy of continuing massive rice importation not only undermines the development of our local rice industry but is also sending a very wrong signal that importation is the only answer to rice shortage.In fact it is using the sorry state of the local rice industry to further advance the interest of few players in the industry and continuing subservience to one sided agreements in the World Trade Organization particularly in the agricultural sector.The only way to secure affordable and sufficient locally produced rice supply would mean the implementation of genuine agrarian land reform on top of getting our agriculture out of the WTO” Hicap also said.
http://punto.com.ph/News/Article/22822/Volume-8-No-88/Headlines/Rice-price-remains-unaffordable-to-masses-br-span-style-color-rgb-255-0-0--Despte-400-000-MT-of-imports-span

NFA-Kalinga buys 16,000 bags of palay from farmers

 June 09, 2015  Larry Lopez
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TABUK CITY, Kalinga, June 9 (PIA) - - The National Food Authority (NFA) provincial office  had bought 16,000 bags of palay  from farmers in the last harvest season (April-May)under its procurement program.
NFA-Kalinga Asst. Manager Ric Baliang reported that   the agency has not been so aggressive in its procurement activity in the past due to higher prices offered by traders until the last harvest when  their  buying  rates were  lower than NFA’s P17/kg. The situation however lasted for just  a short time.Meanwhile, NFA provincial office had assured enough stock of rice for the province in the leans starting June up to September.Based on its latest inventory, NFA-Kalinga has 54,000 bags of imported rice from Vietnam to meet the province’s rice requirement for the period.Following NFA’s mandate to provide sufficient supply of quality cheap buffer in the country, the rice shall be distributed to target areas in the province through accredited bigasan outlets, Baliang reported. NFA sells its rice at P27-32/kg but allows  bigasan outlets in remote areas to make reasonable add-on to defray transportation cost. (JDP/LL-PIA CAR, Kalinga)
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/181433727048/nfa-kalinga-buys-16-000-bags-of-palay-from-farmers#sthash.AMDzCuCr.dpuf
Govt to sell low-price rice to low-income people
The Nation June 9, 2015 2:16 pm
The government plans to sell low-price rice to low-income people via special channels, Con Winthai Suvari, spokesman of the National Council for Peace and Order said Tuesday.The plan was discussed during a joint meeting of the NCPO and the Cabinet. NCPO chief and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered government agencies concerned to find channels to distribute low-price rice to help low-income people, the spokesman added. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Govt-to-sell-low-price-rice-to-low-income-people-30261926.html
Gen. Chatchai: More study needed before selling stockpiled rice to the public

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Date : 9 มิถุนายน 2558
BANGKOK, 9 June 2015, (NNT) - Commerce Minister General Chatchai Sarikalya told news media that further deliberation is needed before the government can greenlight selling stockpiled rice to the public. The minister had been referring to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s recent idea to sell stocked rice at affordable prices. He stressed that the proposal is in its infancy, and more careful study and discussions with related agencies are required. These agencies include the Public Warehouse Organization, the Market Organization for Farmers, and other agencies under the ministry of Commerce. He reiterated that the ministry would only sell good quality rice to the public, of which there are two million tons in government silos.
http://thainews.prd.go.th/centerweb/newsen/NewsDetail?NT01_NewsID=WNECO5806090010003#sthash.AFFBwQ24.dpuf

Program aims to boost rice resilience to climate change

Tue, 9 June 2015
As climate change increases the severity of droughts and floods across the Kingdom, a push is being made for farmers to adopt more resistant rice varieties.The Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute launched a USAID-financed project in Phnom Penh yesterday in a bid to “accelerate the adoption of stress-tolerant rice varieties by smallholder farmers”.The project will last three years and be implemented in both Cambodia and Nepal, with each country allocated $3 million.“Drought and flood are the two biggest constraints to rice production,” IRRI representative Dule Zhao told the Post yesterday.“Now that we have a lot of flooding problems, if the [seed] variety we are using is not stress tolerant then the damage will be much bigger.”The project will aim to train farmers, seed companies, and farmers’ associations to use better quality seeds for their crop.One thousand farmers will be selected across the country and given a small amount of seed free of charge, with one of the main goals being in-house production of quality Cambodian seeds.
“Most of the farmers, they use their own stored seed – they just use their seed from the previous crop,” Zhao said.Thy Sokhun, secretary of state at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, said at the project’s unveiling in Phnom Penh yesterday that over one million hectares of farmland were damaged by drought and floods from 2011 to 2013.“Considering the potential impacts of global warming and climate change, damage attributable to floods and droughts is expected to become more severe,” he said.Despite the increasing impact of such factors, Cambodian farms remain vulnerable due to a lack of quality seed production and dissemination, according to Sokhun.“The primary reasons for the rather slow pace of advancement of the production and marketing of rice seed are that these are relatively unprofitable activities that are unattractive to private investors”, he said.
Abdelbagi Ismail, principal scientist at the IRRI, said that Cambodia’s initial advantage in overcoming a lack of seed varieties was its open economy and strong links to Thailand and Vietnam, which respectively rank as the second and third largest exporters worldwide.But Ismail said that as farmland gets gobbled up by construction projects and Cambodia’s population continues to increase, the Kingdom’s rice fields need to become more productive to compete.“Cambodia has to develop its own markets, and Cambodia has to develop its own brand.”Although Cambodia is the world’s fifth-largest rice exporter, the country’s average rice yield per hectare stands at a relatively low 3.2 tonnes, while neighbouring Vietnam’s is at around 5 tonnes, according to the Agriculture Ministry. The Cambodian government plans to export one million tonnes of rice this year, a massive increase from the less than 400,000 tonnes that were exported in 2014.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/program-aims-boost-rice-resilience-climate-change
Viet Nam wins Philippines' rice supply deal
Accordingly, 150,000 tonnes of rice, of which 25 per cent is broken white rice, from Viet Nam will be shipped to the Philippines on July 15. — File Photo
HA NOI  (VNS) — Viet Nam won a bid for rice supply to the Philippines late last week, with an offer of US$410.12 per tonne, according to the Philippines' National Food Authority (NFA).Accordingly, 150,000 tonnes of rice, of which 25 per cent is broken white rice, from Viet Nam will be shipped to the Philippines on July 15. Earlier, the NFA invited Cambodia, Thailand, and Viet Nam to take part in bidding for 250,000 tonnes of rice supply to the country in accordance with intergovernmental contracts. Cambodia did not participate in the bidding.Bilateral deals allow the Philippines to import rice from Thailand, Viet Nam, and Cambodia under intergovernmental contracts.Last year, the Philippines imported 1.5 million tonnes of rice. — VNS
http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/271451/viet-nam-wins-philippines-rice-supply-deal.html

El Nino data point toward 1997 pattern: Australia

All five Nino indices are at least plus 1.2 degrees Celsius above-normal, says Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology
Countries that are vulnerable to an El Nino-related inflation outbreak include India, Indonesia and the Philippines, according to an analysis by Citigroup. Photo: PTI
El Nino warming Pacific, data point toward 1997-98 pattern: Australia
Melbourne: The El Nino developing in the Pacific keeps sending signs reminiscent of the most severe event in 1997-98, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, which said that recent data point toward a pattern that’ll last all year.The 2015 El Nino, the first since 2010, continues to develop and models suggest further warming of the tropical Pacific is likely, the bureau said on Tuesday in a fortnightly update. Sea-surface temperatures are forecast to remain above El Nino thresholds for the remainder of the year, it said.

Description: Description: El Nino data point toward 1997 pattern: Australia “All five Nino indices are at least plus 1.2 degrees Celsius above-normal,” the bureau said. “It is unusual to have such a broad extent of warmth across the tropical Pacific; this has not been seen since the El Nino event of 1997-98.”The 1997-98 event was the strongest on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which described the impact of that event as spectacular, stretching from Indonesia to Chile and the US. The weather patterns can scorch Asia as temperatures rise, hurting crops from rice to coffee and palm oil, while crimping the hurricane season in the Atlantic and bringing cooler, wetter summers to the US.All five sea-surface indexes in the tropical Pacific exceeded plus 1 degree Celsius, the Australian bureau said in the last update on 26 May, adding that that’s the first time it’s occurred since the 1997-98 El Nino.
Food costs
El Ninos are caused by periodic warmings of the Pacific, and they can spur turmoil as farmers contend with drought or too much rain. Their impact can drive faster inflation across Asia as food costs rise, and may also extend to metals markets.Countries that are vulnerable to an El Nino-related inflation outbreak include India, Indonesia and the Philippines, according to an analysis by Citigroup Inc. In India, forecasters said this month that the event may hurt this year’s monsoon, potentially undermining farm output. That could damage the country’s demand for gold, according to ABN Amro Group NV.All eight international models indicated the central Pacific will warm further, the Australian bureau said. The models indicated El Nino thresholds may be exceeded at least until the end of the year, it said.A sea-surface temperature map for the week to 7 June clearly showed the pattern in the Pacific, with a warm tongue extending from the South American coastline, the bureau said. The tongue extended past the international dateline, it said. Bloomberg

India, Iran to boost trade in agricultural-commodities

Tuesday, 9 June 2015 - 7:58pm IST | Place: New Delhi | Agency: PTI
India and Iran have agreed to enhance cooperation in the agriculture sector and promote trade in farm commodities, including rice, wheat and oilseeds.
Description: Description: http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/06/09/344848-wheat-rice-getty.jpgIndia and Iran have agreed to enhance cooperation in the agriculture sector and promote trade in farm commodities, including rice, wheat and oilseeds.On Monday, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh met his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Hojjati on the sidelines of the Food and agriculture (FAO) conference in Rome.It was agreed that efforts would also be made to put in place an institutional framework to improve cooperation in the field of agriculture between the two countries, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement today.
"During the meeting, the two sides agreed to make efforts to enhance cooperation in field of agriculture particularly to boost trade in various commodities of mutual interest including rice, wheat, oilseeds etc," the statement added.The ministers of both countries have also decided to cooperate in agricultural research, mutual capacity building, technical collaboration in fisheries, cooperation in seed and fodder development etc.In a separate meeting, Singh also called on FAO Director General Jose Graziano da silva, and shared with him measures being taken by the government to improve conditions of the Indian farmers.FAO also agreed to participate and provide technical assistance in conservation and promotion of indigenous cattle breeds through India's Gokul mission, the statement added. 
http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report-india-iran-to-boost-trade-in-agricultural-commodities-2093984

Iraq recaptures some grain silos seized by Islamic State

LONDON |  
Jun 9, 2015 12:21pm EDT
Iraq has re-taken control of some grain silos previously seized by Islamic State, but most of the grain held cannot be used as militants aim to destroy sites when retreating, a senior grain official said on Tuesday.Islamic State, the breakaway al Qaeda group, which declared an Islamic caliphate across parts of Syria and Iraq last summer, has seized fertile areas and controls territory that normally produces significant quantities of Iraq's wheat crop.
Saad al Hamdinee, general manager, Grain Board of Iraq, told Reuters the Iraqi government had taken control of grain facilities in areas including the town of al-Alam, which produced 60,000 tonnes, and a site in the northern Iraqi city of Samarra, which produced around 120,000 tonnes of grain."When the terrorists leave any area they try to destroy the infrastructure there," he said on the sidelines of a grains conference in London."All the wheat in the silos - we could not make any use of it because they are destroyed," he said via a translator.
Hamdinee said Iraqi authorities aimed to salvage facilities whenever it was possible."For example a silo in Tikrit has been destroyed in a way we can't rebuild it again," he said.Al-Alam is close to Tikrit, which was the home city of executed former president Saddam Hussein.Hamdinee had no data on the total amount of grain Islamic State had under its control."We have several provinces that are beyond the control of the government under the control of a terrorist organization. We shall take over them," he said.
WHEAT PRODUCTION
He said Iraq expects to produce 3.5 million tonnes of wheat this year as the country attempts to boost output."This year in particular our expectation of local production of wheat is 3.5 million tonnes," Hamdinee told the International Grains Council (IGC) conference.He said this was "in accordance to our plans put in place over the last two years."Hamdinee said Iraq still expected to import 1 million tonnes of wheat this year, in line with the previous year, which will be blended with domestic production.
"We need to import because the bread they use to bake in Iraq needs high gluten. Our wheat is low gluten," he said.The IGC has forecast Iraq's wheat imports in the 2015-16 season at 3.4 million tonnes, versus 2.7 million in 2014-15. The IGC forecast wheat production at 2.0 million tonnes in 2015/16 versus 3.0 million in 2014-15.The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) put consumption at 6.3 million tonnes in 2015/16, down slightly from 6.5 million in 2014/15.Hamdinee said its production numbers did not "represent all provinces of Iraq" due to the control of areas by Islamic State. "When we re-control these areas, the figures will be up," he said.Hamdinee said Iraq's grain board normally imported wheat from the United States, Australia, Canada, Russia and Romania, while it imported rice from South America, the United States, India, Pakistan and Thailand.
(Editing by David Evans and Veronica Brown)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/09/us-iraq-grains-idUSKBN0OP1XX20150609

Goodyear Reaches Supply Agreements for Rice Husk Ash Silica

Published: June 9, 2015 9:00 a.m. ET
 0New Source of Silica Will Debut in Fuel Max Tire for the Chinese Market
AKRON, Ohio, June 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber CompanyGT, +1.50% has reached a supply agreement with Yihai Food and Oil Industry in China for silica derived from rice husk ash. Goodyear will begin using the silica this year in a consumer tire that will be manufactured in its factory in Pulandian, China, and sold in China.Goodyear has tested silica derived from rice husk ash over the past two years at its Innovation Center in Akron and found its impact on tire performance to be equal to traditional sources."Sustainability is a cornerstone of Goodyear's innovation efforts," said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard J. Kramer.

"This new silica benefits the environment in many ways: It reduces waste going into landfills; it requires less energy to produce; and it helps make tires more fuel efficient."Each year, more than 700 million tons of rice are harvested worldwide, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, and disposing of the rice husks is an environmental challenge. As a result, husks often are burned to generate electricity and reduce the amount of waste shipped to landfills. While this ash has been converted to silica for several years, only these most recent processes created a silica of a high enough grade to use in tires.Silica is used as a reinforcing agent in tire tread compounds. Compared to carbon black, a traditional reinforcing agent for tires, silica reduces rolling resistance.

Lower rolling resistance, in turn, improves a car's fuel economy. It also can have a positive impact on a tire's traction on wet surfaces.In addition to the agreement with Yihai, Goodyear is negotiating agreements with additional suppliers. Financial details of the agreements are not being released.To learn more about Goodyear's commitment to the environment, visit its corporate responsibility website at http://www.goodyear.com/responsibility.Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs approximately 67,000 people and manufactures its products in 50 facilities in 22 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/goodyear-reaches-supply-agreements-for-rice-husk-ash-silica-2015-06-09

Community nurseries likely solution for paddy farmers if rains are delayed

By Sutanuka Ghosal, ET Bureau | 9 Jun, 2015, 05.23AM IST
Monsoon rains, which started a little late in Kerala on June 5, are yet to arrive in eastern India, the main area for rice cultivation.


Description: Description: Description: Monsoon rains, which started a little late in Kerala on June 5, are yet to arrive in eastern India, the main area for rice cultivation.KOLKATA: Paddy farmers in the country may have to opt for community nurseries and direct seeding in case of insufficient rains by June 15, said Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI). Monsoon rains, which started a little late in Kerala on June 5, are yet to arrive in eastern India, the main area for rice cultivation. To review the crop situation, a team from the agriculture ministry will meet agricultural department officials of the seven eastern states that come under the Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI) scheme on June 11 to prepare a contingency plan if rains are delayed or insufficient for preparing paddy nurseries and transplantation of saplings.

West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh come under the BGREI scheme, under which they produce an average 55 million tonne, or over half the rice produced in the country. The average was 42.6 million tonne before the scheme was introduced. "It is true that monsoon has been delayed this time, raising concerns among the farming community.But the situation can improve any moment if rains lash the paddy-growing regions of the country that are particularly rain-fed," said Trilochan Mohapatra, director, CRRI. "For instance, in places like Punjab and Haryana, farmers have started preparing nurseries as they generally depend on irrigation for farming purpose.
" According to Mohapatra, farmers start preparing paddy nurseries from the end of May and the exercise continues till middle of June. Transplantation of saplings starts from the first week of July. But this may not be so this year, as most parts of the paddy-growing areas have not received good rains. "That is why we are asking farmers to prepare community nurseries rather than going in for individual nurseries that will require more water. If there are some irrigation facilities available, they should join their hands and raise nurseries there," he said. Mohapatra suggested "direct seeding", which requires less water. Directly seeded paddy tends to mature faster than transplanted crop. In this method, plants are not subjected to stress.

With FTA talks set to start, EU seeks to tap Indian middle class


EU director general for trade Jean-Luc Demarty wants more access for the bloc’s automobiles and wines
Commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Photo: Pradeep Gaur/Mint
The European Union (EU) is targeting the rich Indian middle class for enhanced market access in automobiles, wines and spirits, and cheese as Brussels and New Delhi kickstart stalled negotiations for a free trade agreement in goods, services, investment and public procurement.“We want market access for our automobiles and wines and spirits,” said Jean-Luc Demarty, the EU’s director general for trade.After attending a bilateral meeting between EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom and Indian commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Paris on 4 June on the margins of the annual Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) meeting, Demarty said the stage is now set for a senior-level officials meeting between the two sides.
Description: Description: Description: With FTA talks set to start, EU seeks to tap Indian middle classMalmstrom and Sitharaman have directed their senior officials present at the meeting to start talks on all outstanding issues in the free trade agreement.The talks will begin after the new Indian commerce secretary-designate,Rita A. Teaotia, takes over from her predecessor Rajiv Kher, who retired at the end of this month, Demarty said.Negotiations for the trade agreement talks began in 2007 when the then commerce minister Kamal Nath and his EU counterpart Peter Mandelsondecided to embark on a comprehensive deal covering all areas in goods, services and public procurement in both the markets.But the negotiations stuck many dead ends on both sides due to differences on issues of market access in goods and services as well as the demands made by Brussels in areas such as intellectual property rights, trade and environment, and trade and labour.
Close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to France and Germany, there is a renewed push from New Delhi to close the gaps to ensure that the agreement could act as a launching pad for investment in various ‘Make in India’ initiatives, analysts said.The EU reckons India as an important trade partner and is now eyeing a “sizeable and growing market of more than 1 billion people,” said a former Indian government official, who asked not to be quoted.The two-way trade between the EU and India was estimated at around €72.5 billion in 2014 while the EU’s investment stock in India was €34.7 billion in 2013. Trade in commercial services quadrupled during the last 10 years, increasing from €5.2 billion in 2002 to €23.7 billion in 2013, according to an EU official release.
The EU wants auto and auto-parts import tariffs, which are placed in a select sensitive list in India, to be brought into an open list with very low or nil import duty. Brussels had also proposed “zero-for-zero” duties for auto parts.The Indian domestic industry in auto parts is concerned about reducing the tariffs to zero. India had rejected the EU’s zero-for-zero demand because of the harmful impact it would have on the Indian domestic auto-parts producers.India had maintained that it will not reduce the import tariffs below the current applied level of close to 10%, the official said.The EU also wants substantial access for wines to serve the rising middle-class consumers in India. New Delhi had agreed to give a tariff rate quota for guaranteed access at a minimum rate. But Brussels is not satisfied with the minimum price as it wants access at the actual price at which wines are sold in European markets.On brown spirits, too, the EU wants the same treatment, namely, market access in the Indian market at actual European prices.Effectively, the EU’s demands on wines and spirits amount to foregoing huge customs revenue, said another former Indian official.In services, the EU wants liberal access in insurance, banking, and retail trade.
With the Modi government’s latest insurance sector reforms, Brussels’ concerns are almost adequately addressed, the former Indian official said. But in banking there will be a demand for a higher level of participation in the Indian banking sector, according to the official.The EU also wants easy access for legal services professionals, a no-go area for India.On the other hand, despite its ambitious market-opening demands for access in capital-intensive services in India, the EU is not so forthcoming to provide liberal access to Indian short-terms services providers in Mode 4 or even in Mode 1 involving supply of services from one country to the other.
The EU also wants India to agree to a higher level of protection for intellectual property rights over and above the minimum standards in the World Trade Organization’s trade-related intellectual property rights agreement (TRIPS).The EU, for example, wants data exclusivity for its pharmaceutical producers to ensure that when the patent protection expires after the requisite protection period of 20 years, the generic companies generate their own data before they market those off-patented drugs.Brussels is also demanding a higher level of compliance in line with its Geographical Indication notifications and registration of wines and other products. The EU has also demanded substantial access for its cheese products but is unwilling to provide the same treatment to Indian sugar, basmati rice and mangoes, the official said.
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Jun 09
Nagpur, June 9 Gram and tuar prices recovered in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and
Marketing Committee (APMC) here on good demand from local millers amid weak supply from
producing regions. Notable hike on NCDEX, weak overseas arrival and repeated enquiries from
South-based millers also jacked up prices, according to sources.

               *            *              *              *

    FOODGRAINS & PULSES
    GRAM
   * Gram varieties ruled stead in open market here but demand was poor.

     TUAR
   * Tuar gavarani firmed up in open market here on increased demand from local traders
     amid thin supply from producing regions.     

   * Batri dal reported strong in open market here on increased seasonal demand from
     local traders amid weak supply from producing belts.
                                                                                            
   * In Akola, Tuar - 7,300-7,700, Tuar dal - 10,100-10,500, Udid at 9,100-9,600,
     Udid Mogar (clean) - 10,700-11,100, Moong - 9,000-9,200, Moong Mogar
    (clean) 10,700-11,100, Gram - 4,200-4,500, Gram Super best bold - 6,100-6,300
     for 100 kg.

   * Wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market in poor trading
     activity, according to sources.
       
 Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg

     FOODGRAINS                 Available prices     Previous close  
     Gram Auction                   3,600-4,525         3,500-4,500
     Gram Pink Auction            n.a.           2,100-2,600
     Tuar Auction                6,000-7,380         6,000-7,300
     Moong Auction                n.a.                6,000-6,300
     Udid Auction                n.a.           4,300-4,500
     Masoor Auction                n.a.              2,600-2,800
     Gram Super Best Bold            6,200-6,500        6,200-6,500
     Gram Super Best            n.a.               
     Gram Medium Best            5,800-6,000        5,800-6,000
     Gram Dal Medium            n.a.            n.a.
     Gram Mill Quality            5,500-5,650        5,500-5,650
     Desi gram Raw                4,500-4,600         4,500-4,600
     Gram Filter new            6,000-6,100        6,000-6,100
     Gram Kabuli                5,400-6,900        5,400-6,900
     Gram Pink                6,400-6,600        6,400-6,600
     Tuar Fataka Best             10,500-10,800        10,500-10,800
     Tuar Fataka Medium             9,900-10,300        9,900-10,300
     Tuar Dal Best Phod            9,500-9,700        9,500-9,700
     Tuar Dal Medium phod            8,800-9,300        8,800-9,300
     Tuar Gavarani New             7,400-7,500        7,350-7,450
     Tuar Karnataka             8,000-8,100        8,000-8,100
     Tuar Black                 10,900-11,200           10,900-11,200
     Masoor dal best            8,000-8,200        8,000-8,200
     Masoor dal medium            7,500-7,900        7,500-7,900
     Masoor                    n.a.            n.a.
     Moong Mogar bold               10,800-11,000       10,800-11,000
     Moong Mogar Medium best        10,000-10,500        10,000-10,500
     Moong dal Chilka            9,500-9,800        9,500-9,800
     Moong Mill quality            n.a.            n.a.
     Moong Chamki best            9,600-9,900        9,600-9,900
     Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG)    11,400-11,700       11,400-11,700
     Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)    10,500-10,800        10,500-10,800
     Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)        8,800-9,100        8,800-9,100
     Batri dal (100 INR/KG)        4,200-4,400        4,100-4,300
     Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)           3,300-3,350         3,300-3,350
     Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)        3,400-3,500        3,400-3,500
     Watana White (100 INR/KG)        3,100-3,150         3,100-3,150
     Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)    3,600-4,500        3,600-4,500
     Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)        1,400-1,600        1,400-1,600
     Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG)    1,550-1,750        1,550-1,750
     Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)        1,400-1,600           1,400-1,600
     Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)    2,200-2,450        2,200-2,450
     Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)    1,800-1,950        1,800-1,950
     Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)    n.a.            n.a.
     MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG)    3,100-3,700        3,100-3,700
     MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)    2,800-3,000        2,800-3,000
     Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG)        1,400-1,500        1,400-1,500
     Wheat Best (100 INR/KG)        2,000-2,200        2,000-2,200    
     Rice BPT New(100 INR/KG)        2,700-2,850        2,700-2,850
     Rice BPT (100 INR/KG)               3,000-3,200        3,000-3,200
     Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG)        1,600-1,850        1,600-1,850
     Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG)      2,200-2,450        2,100-2,450
     Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG)      2,500-2,800        2,500-2,800
     Rice HMT new(100 INR/KG)        3,100-3,600        3,100-3,600
     Rice HMT (100 INR/KG)               3,800-4,200        3,800-4,200
     Rice HMT Shriram New(100 INR/KG)    4,100-4,500        4,100-4,500
     Rice HMT Shriram old (100 INR/KG)    4,500-5,000        4,500-5,000    
     Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)    8,200-10,200        8,200-10,200
     Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)    6,000-7,200        6,000-7,200
     Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG)    4,700-4,900        4,700-4,900
     Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG)        5,500-6,000        5,500-6,000
     Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)        2,200-2,450        2,200-2,450
     Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)        2,500-2,600        2,500-2,600

WEATHER (NAGPUR) 
Maximum temp. 402.6 degree Celsius (108.7 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
28.9 degree Celsius (84.0 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.
Rainfall : nil
FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky. Rains or thunder-showers likely towards evening or night. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 41 and 29 degree Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)

Bankruptcy feared: Rice millers seek TCP's, Passco's intervention

June 09, 2015
Mills Association (PRMA) on Monday urged the government to direct Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) and Pakistan Agriculture Storage Service Corporation (Passco) to intervene in the market by purchasing rice from rice-shellers to enable them to repay their bank loans. Mukhtar Ahmed Khan Baloch, Chairman PRMA, while speaking at a press conference said that 75 percent of mill owners had purchased rice by using loans from banks at high mark-up rates. "In case the government does not intervene in the market till June 30, 75 percent of rice mills would become bankrupt," he says. 
He said the government needed to bailout sinking rice sector, otherwise rice-shellers would be unable to purchase paddy from farmers in the next season. Due to current situation the future of thousands of rice mill workers and their families was at stake as owners had no money to pay their wages, he said. Baloch said 75 percent of rice mills had failed to sell rice in last two years as a result they were unable to clear their bank liabilities and were unable to pay high mark-up to the banks. "The government needs to declare rice-shellers a sick industry and direct all banks through State Banks of Pakistan (SBP) to waive off the bank interest and direct TCP and Passco to purchase rice from them.
 The government should direct the TCP to co-operate with the millers by making all the necessary arrangements to export rice, thus enabling the millers to repay their bank loans and other liabilities," he said. Baloch said that due to the government's poor policies, over 0.4 million tons of super kernel baamati rice was still lying in different warehouses across the country. He said they had purchased rice at Rs 2,600 per maund in 2013-14. "After polishing and processing, the cost came to Rs 5,500 per maund.  However, nobody is willing to purchase the rice at that price," he said. He said the situation was turning against Pakistan and in favour of India which had introduced its own brand. Indian rice was cheaper due to hidden subsidies, as a result Pakistan had lost Iranian and Middle Eastern markets, he said. He also urged the government to increase rice exports to Iran. 

http://www.brecorder.com/agriculture-a-allied/183/1194300/
USA Rice's Whole Grain Wins Excellence in Publishing Award  ARLINGTON, VA

Description: Description: Apex Logo The 27th Annual APEX Awards for Publication Excellence have been announced, and the USA Rice Federation's quarterly tabloid Whole Grain has been named a winner. The APEX awards are a highly competitive business communications contest sponsored by the editors of Writer's Web Watch and the Writing that Works Archives."APEX 2015 awards were based on excellence in graphic design, editorial content and the success of the entry-in the opinion of the judges-in achieving overall communications effectiveness and excellence," the contest sponsors said in a release. "Each year, the quality of entries increases. Overall, this year's entries displayed an extraordinary level of quality.
The APEX judges saw only the most promising publications that professional communicators could enter. From them, they had the truly difficult task of selecting the award-winning entries." This year's contest saw more than 1,850 entries across 11 major categories and 100 subcategories. There were 390 entries in the magazines, journals, and tabloids category and nonprofit grand award winners included the Civil War Trust's fall edition of Hallowed Ground and Ruffed Grouse Society Magazine."Being recognized by writing and design professionals from amongst so many high level entrants is very gratifying," said Michael Klein, USA Rice's vice president of marketing and communication.
Klein said Whole Grain was conceived last year as a replacement for USA Rice's annual report, but has quickly grown in scope and reach."In addition to covering USA Rice programs and activities, we're pursuing original reporting and developing feature content," he said. "We also grow our subscriber base with each issue. We sent out more than 22,000 copies of the May Whole Grain to rice farmers, landowners, mills, and others in all six rice-producing states."If you would like to receive hard copies of Whole Grain, or to learn about advertising opportunities, email USA Rice's communications team.  



CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures   
CME Group (Prelim):  Closing Rough Rice Futures for June 9
Month
Price
Net Change

July 2015
$9.980
+ $0.035
September 2015
$10.255
+ $0.045
November 2015
$10.515
+ $0.035
January 2016
$10.770
+ $0.035
March 2016
$10.965
+ $0.035
May 2016
$10.965
+ $0.035
July 2016
$10.965
+ $0.035

The Difference between Brown Rice and White Rice
When it comes to rice, looks are deceiving. Chefs and food stylists like the attractive, photogenic qualities of fluffy white rice. Brown rice, however, when compared to white rice, wins as the superior choice for a number of other reasons. Much research concludes that color is not the only factor that separates these two types of rice. Brown rice and white rice are different in some very important ways that can affect your health.


White Rice: Diabetic Risks
Description: Description: http://www.gbcghana.com/kitnes/cache/images/800x/0/1.4332072.jpg
Diabetics are often warned about the link between eating white rice and bringing on a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. The message is that if you are a diabetic or are at risk, stay away from white rice. Medical experts advocate replacing white rice with brown rice if you have diabetes.

Brown Rice: Fiber Advantages

Brown rice has more fiber than white rice, and the difference is due to the way both types are processed. White rice is brown rice that has gone through some changes in the milling process. With brown rice, only the husk is removed. White rice is polished and pre-cooked or parboiled. The bran is also removed. The bran is kept intact in brown rice, and that bran gives you a healthy dose of fiber.Brown rice contains nutrients like magnesium, manganese and zinc. White rice has less amounts of these nutrients, but is fortified with iron and some B vitamins. Brown rice is the only form of the grain that contains vitamin E.

Global Call for Brown Rice

The difference between brown rice and white rice is taking on global importance, because aid agencies have become more aware of nutrition deficiencies in poorer nations where rice is often a diet staple. Research groups and aid agencies are saying that, in these countries, the consumption of brown, or as they call it, whole-grain rice instead of white rice should be encouraged.

Casting Your Vote

No matter what more is said about the wholesome goodness of brown rice, you may still find times when white rice is your preference over brown rice. White rice is, after all, versatile in that it easily accommodates the flavors of other ingredients in a recipe, whereas brown rice has a distinctive nut-like flavor that may overpower rather than blend in with other ingredients. If you are otherwise healthy, feel free to eat modest portions of white rice occasionally. If you have days where you suffer bloating or indigestion, you may find that you can digest white rice more easily than brown rice, because of the latter's fiber-rich density.Cooking times vary between brown and white rice, so convenience may be another advantage for white rice. Preparation of the white variety takes about 15 to 20 minutes to cook. Whole-grain brown rice takes a bit longer and requires more water in the pot.

Source: fitday.com
http://www.gbcghana.com/1.4332781

Hunted in China, once abundant bird species could be wiped out like passenger pigeons

June 9, 2015 09:55 BST
Description: Description: RICE BIRDThe Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola was once distributed over vast areas of Europe and Asia, its range stretching from Finland to Japan. But unsustainable rates of hunting, principally in China, have contributed to not only a catastrophic loss of numbers, but also in the areas in which it can now be found.Massive hunting, mostly in China, has driven populations of a bird species down by 90% and has shrunk their range drastically.The yellow-breasted bunting, called the rice bird in China, was once Eurasia's most abundant bird species with a range stretching from Finland to Japan.

The unsustainable rate of hunting has retracted its range by 5000kms since 1980 a new study shows. It could well end up wiped out like the passenger pigeons, which were hunted out early last century."The magnitude and speed of the decline is unprecedented among birds distributed over such a large area, with the exception of the Passenger Pigeon, which went extinct in 1914 due to industrial-scale hunting", said Dr Johannes Kamp from the University of Münster, the lead author of the paper. "High levels of hunting also appear to be responsible for the declines we are seeing in Yellow-breasted Bunting.
"The birds breed north of the Himalayas and spend their winters in warmer southeast Asia, passing through eastern China where they have been hunted for more than 2,000 years, according to BirdLife International.The songbird, which nests on the ground in open scrubs, is distinctive in its yellow underparts.During migration and on the wintering grounds, they gather in huge flocks at night making it easy for hunters to trap them in large numbers.The bird, which was of "least concern" until 2004, was classified in 2013 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as an "endangered" species.
Hunting of the species was banned in China since 1997 but millions of yellow-breasted buntingsand other songbirds continue to be killed for meat and sold in the black market as seen a couple of years ago.Once restricted to a small area of southern China, hunting of the bird has now become more widespread and popular owing to increasing affluence, and hunters now travel widely to find sufficient birds, according to IUCN.Rather than the poor it is the wealthy who are feasting on the rice bird. "They have become a fancy dish among comparatively wealthy people," the researchers said.
The Convention on Migratory Species has agreed to develop an international action plan for the recovery of the yellow-breasted bunting throughout its range by 2017."To reverse these declines we need to better educate people of the consequences of eating wildlife. We also need a better and more efficient reporting system for law enforcement", said Simba Chan, senior conservation officer at BirdLife International. Chan believes that growing numbers of birdwatchers in China can be enlisted to curb the hunting.
Published in the journal Conservation Biology the study suggests that the story of the yellow-breasted bunting is evidence of wider problems for common Asian birds, calling for more studies.However, a new agreement between China, Japan, Republic of Korea and Russia is a first step in developing a coordinated monitoring of migratory birds across the region.The yellow-breasted bunting Emberiza aureola species has all but disappeared from Eastern Europe, European Russia, large parts of Western and Central Siberia, and Japan.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/hunted-china-abundant-bird-species-could-be-wiped-out-like-passenger-pigeons-1505147


Cornell Researchers Awarded $1.3M NSF Grant to Study Genetics of Rice Traits

Jun 09, 2015
 | 
NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Researchers from Cornell University have received a $1.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to identify and study DNA sequences responsible for key traits in rice in order to facilitate their use in crop improvement.Despite the growing availability of new DNA analysis technologies, identifying quantitative trait loci — key determinants of crop productivity — remains a key challenge facing the agrigenomics space, according to the grant's abstract.To address this, Cornell researcher Adam Bogdanove and colleagues aim to isolate rice DNA sequences associated with three key crop characteristics — disease resistance, disease susceptibility, and tolerance to acid soils — and examine their effects when transferred into rice varieties that show low levels of these traits.
The effort will combine existing genotypic and phenotypic data, computational methods, and recently released genome sequences for 3,000 rice accessions, with genome editing to functionally evaluate isolated genetic polymorphism in new genetic backgrounds, the abstract states. "Co-variation will also be examined for each trait to test for genetic background effects on allele viability, and in the case of disease susceptibility and resistance, allelic variation in pathogen-targeted genes will be queried for evidence of purifying or positive selection."Findings from the four-year grant, which began on May 1, are expected to improve the overall understanding of plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, assist in developing new methods to enhance such resistance, and add to the growing body of data stemming from the NSF's Plant Genome Research Program.
https://www.genomeweb.com/research-funding/cornell-researchers-awarded-13m-nsf-grant-study-genetics-rice-traits

India is one among the 15 leading exporters of agricultural products in the world with significant exports of cotton, rice, meat, oil meals and sugar. But crop yield woes pose major threat to the farm sector.
09 Jun 2015
Commodity Online


Sustaining an overall agricultural growth rate of about 4 percent over long years is a major challenge India has to confront in the face of stagnating productivity levels. The problem is aggravated by increasing abiotic and biotic stresses which constrain crop yields.
 Radha Mohan Singh, Union Agriculture Minister, said India need to focus on research products that can provide the country with break through in yields which can be made accessible and affordable for different categories of farmers and for this purpose there is an urgent need to further strengthen the CGIAR institutions to generate technology innovations that can be further up-scaled by national agricultural research systems. 
Description: Description: http://www.commodityonline.com/images/14842065381433821355.jpg
Agriculture continues to be a vital component of India’s economy contributing over 16 per cent of India’s GDP in 2014-15 and providing employment to the majority (55%) of its population. Indian agriculture has achieved self sufficiency and today takes pride in not only meeting the needs of our population but also playing a major role in agricultural trade. India is one among the 15 leading exporters of agricultural products in the world with significant exports of cotton, rice, meat, oil meals and sugar. Export competitiveness has also been developed in specialized agricultural products like basmati rice, guar gum and castor. “India has to support 17% of the world’s population on just 2.4% of its geographical area and we are conscious of our need for sustainable agricultural development keeping the interest of future generations in mind,” the minister said.

APEDA News (India)

Price on: 09-06-2015
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
Garlic
1
Chinese first grade granules, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
2100
2
Chinese Grade A dehydrated flakes, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
2000
3
Chinese powdered, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
1800
Ginger
1
Chinese sliced, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
4600
2
Chinese whole, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
5100
3
Indian Cochin, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
3000
Guar Gum Powder
1
Indian 100 mesh 3500 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
4780
2
Indian 200 mesh 3500 cps basis, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
2200
3
Indian 200 mesh 5000 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
3300
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 09-06-2015
Domestic Prices
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Rice
1
Cachar (Assam)
Other
2000
2500
2
Kheda (Gujarat)
Other
1725
3310
3
Aroor (Kerala)
Other
3100
3300
Wheat
1
Amirgadh (Gujarat)
Other
1250
1900
2
Bonai (Orissa)
Other
1450
1600
3
Hajipur(Bihar)
Other
1550
1650
Mousambi
1
Aroor (Kerala)
Other
3200
3400
2
Nabha(Punjab)
Other
2500
4000
3
Mechua(West Bengal)
Other
2400
3000
Cauliflower
1
Aroor (Kerala)
Other
3000
3200
2
Bonai (Orissa)
Other
3000
4000
3
Satara(Maharashtra)
Other
1000
2000
Source:agra-net
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 09-06-2015
Product
Market Center
Price
1
Mysore
401
2
Nagapur
372
3
Namakkal
379
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package
Price on 09-06-2015
Product
Market Center
Origin
Variety
Low
High
Potatoes
Package: 50 lb cartons
1
Atlanta
Colorado
Russet
23.50
23.50
2
Chicago
Idaho
Russet
19
21
3
Detroit
Wisconsin
Russet
19
19.50
Source:USDA


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