Thursday, July 09, 2015

8th July(Wednesday),2015 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine


GOOD BYE TO QRC FOREVER

 Jul 9, 2015 |  Thaver
The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) appreciated the bold and positive steps taken by the Ministry of Commerce (MINCOM) through the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to disband the Quality Review Committee (QRC) and serving one months final notice to the staff with golden handshake. The notice period expires on 6th August 2015 and it will be an end to the faulty system created by vested interest several years ago. Rice exporters will be free to export their rice without PSI by QRC.
President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said the committee had become futile and also a hurdle in the export of branded rice. The rice exporters needed a free hand to export rice under their own brands with basmati and other superior varieties of rice which is non basmati.Besides it was against the concept of pre-shipment inspection (PSI) which is always by a third party. The QRC was abused by its former managers who used it as a tool to subdue their competitors and MINCOM realized this fact and shifted the premises of QRC to an independent location and also took the management under their control to make it independent, transparent and impartial. Nevertheless the system was challenged and caused embarrassment to the law makers. PSI is the prerogative of the buyer and it is always the buyer who nominates the PSI company.
 If the buyer trust his shipper he will not insist on PSI but usually in bulk shipments it is considered safe for the buyer to nominate an inspection company of repute.Pakistani rice exporters have regular buyers and the exporters visit their buyers frequently. UNISAME however advised the SME rice exporters to take great care and improve their quality and packing and create their own brand image with good in house quality control system. Pakistani rice is considered tasty and even our 1121 which is non basmati has an aroma and for this reason Pakistani 1121 rice is sold at a premium as compared to Indian 1121 rice.
Of course our basmati rice is the best in the world and elongates on cooking and is tasty and has a special flavour with aroma. Every effort must be made to maintain its distinguished position.He called upon the Pakistani PSI companies to facilitate the SME rice exporters by offering them concessional rates for PSI and also for evaluation of samples and production guidance.He also called upon the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) to upgrade the rice industry and improving the supply chain.UNISAME is thankful to Hamid Malhi the managing director of Basmati Rice Growers Association of Pakistan for advocating the case for GI registration in the international forum.Thaver called upon the leading rice millers, processors and exporters to accommodate the QRC staff by offering them employment.
He said UNISAME has no complaints against the staff members except that they were influenced by the former managers, it was only against the system of PSI which was a mockery of PSI which UNISAME always pointed out to the authorities and various forums.Even the Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) never enrolled it as a PSI because it did not meet their requirements.
A PSI company has to be a joint stock company and must be qualified and eligible to conduct PSI and equipped with a laboratory and having an insurance cover to pay claims due to errors or mistakes in assessment or evaluation.He felt really sorry for the employees of QRC and said it would have been better if MINCOM would have transferred them to the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) rather than leaving them in a lurch after 15 years of service.Thaver thanked the print and electronic media, the committee and patrons of UNISAME who stood behind him in the cause of disbandment of QRC and facilitating the rice exporters.

Indigenous ‘rice chips’ to revolutionize rice breeding

Indian scientists have developed a high-density microarray chip that could speed up development of new varieties of rice

Among its many applications, the chip can be used to quickly identify rice types, how they can affect yield and how disease-resistant they are. Photo: Bloomberg
New Delhi: Scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) have developed a high-density microarray chip with more than 50,000 DNA markers that could speed up the development of new varieties of rice by at least five years.Among its many applications, the chip can be used to quickly identify rice types, how they can affect yield and how disease-resistant they are.These single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chips can scan all DNA from a rice variety and analyse the genetic variation in that particular variety, speeding up the breeding process. SNP is the most abundant form of DNA sequence variation present in plant genomes and has revolutionized plant breeding recently.

Description: Indigenous ‘rice chips’ to revolutionize rice breedingWith the ICAR rice chip, researchers can carry out evolutionary and genetic diversity studies of cultivated and wild rice seeds and tissues. Indian scientists designed their own DNA chip as the only other such chip, developed at the Cornell University in the US, was not available for research in India. While the Cornell chip has 44,000 SNP markers, the ICAR chip has 50,051 SNPs from 18,980 genes spanning all the 12 rice chromosomes.
In a paper published in Nature Scientific Reports on 26 June, scientists have written about the efficiency of the chip in analysing background recovery in “submergence tolerant” versions of popular rice varieties developed through marker-assisted breeding. The chip has also proved useful for quality control and regulating the rice seed business by monitoring the spread of new rice varieties and checking the purity and variety of rice seeds.
A major application of this chip will be in marker-assisted back cross-breeding, explains T.R. Sharma, co-author of the study and project director at the National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology. With marker-assisted back cross-breeding, scientists can identify the plant variety with the highest recurrent parent genome more efficiently and thus increase the yield, he said. “Usually, individual plants have to be planted for each variety and then genes of each variety are observed. With the gene chip, this process will take six to seven years instead of 12-15 years,” explained Sharma.
The chip was developed over five to six years at a cost of Rs.50-60 lakh. “The ICAR rice chip will help identify new useful genes from our vast genetic resources of wild rice and traditional rice varieties to face the twin challenges of growing population and climate change,” said a press release from ICAR.However, scientists say that for the chip to be used extensively, basic infrastructure has to be developed across the country.

“World over, many companies and universities are patenting similar SNP chips and we have to pay heavily to use them. So if ICAR has developed a chip for our traditional varieties of rice, then that will be a huge help to researchers,” said S. Robin, head of the department of rice at the Centre for Plant Breeding and Genetics, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.“For widespread and extensive use of this resource, it is important to develop basic infrastructure in multiple labs as there are so many researchers in this field,” he added.
Taste, cost prompt return of folk rice
PTI
Kolkata, | 08 July, 2015
Description: title=Having lost the race to high- yielding varieties after the green revolution, a number of indigenous varieties of rice are now making a comeback due to their aroma, taste, low input cost and resilience to climate change."More and more consumers are asking for the folk varieties these days as the taste is better. Farmers are also showing lot of interest in these varieties, which they had once forgotten," M C Dhara, joint director of agriculture, rice research station, Chinsurah, told PTI.The yield per hectare was lower in traditional varieties, but it was offset by the lower cost of production and the higher price it fetches in the market.
Experts say hundreds of farmers in rice growing areas of Burdwan, South and North 24 Parganas, Midnapore, Nadia, Howrah etc have now left the modern high-yielding varieties, which were popularised during the 1960s and 70s.Among the folk varieties, premium variety of aromatic rice Gobindobhog is the most popular and is now grown over 30,000 hectares in Burdwan district, the rice bowl of West Bengal."The cost of production is lesser than the modern varieties as it requires less fertiliser and pesticide," said Anupam Paul, Assistant Director of Agriculture.At the Agriculture Training Centre in Nadia district's Fulia, he has around 300 such folk varieties of rice in his collection, out of which 51 were aromatic.They have been trying to popularise indigenous varieties since the last few years before the seeds get lost forever.
When it comes to fragrant rice, farmers prefer to go the organic way because any use of chemical fertilisers or pesticides dilutes the natural aroma of the folk product, Paul said.Besides Gobindobhog, other old varieties of scented rice like Radhatilak, Kalonunia, Kalojeera, Tulsimukun etc are also gaining popularity slowly.Many of the folk varieties are getting attention as they are more resilient to the vagaries of nature.Farmers, particularly in the islands of Sundarbans spread across North and South 24 Parganas, are favouring flood tolerant varieties like Bhasamanik and Bhadoi as they have been hit hard by rising water levels due to global warming.Nonabokra variety has also been a hit due to its ability to tolerate salinity.
In the laterite zones of Bankura, Birbhum and Purulia, drought resistant ones like Bhutmuri and Kalash variants are gaining a foothold among the farming community.West Bengal Biodiversity Board's chairman Dr Ashok Sanyal said the biodiversity management committees at the block level are encouraging seed banks to store folk seeds, which were getting lost."We are trying to conserve such seeds in regions where they are depleting in numbers. We have now two seed banks in Ramnagar and West Midnapore," he said.In West Bengal alone, over 5,500 varieties were recorded to have existed until the seventies."Crop diversity allows a farmer to grow food in a variety of environments characterised by different soil and qualities, temperature and rainfall regimens, topographies, and exposure to diverse pests and pathogens," says eminent rice conservationist Debal Deb, in a research report.Some varieties of rice are also known to be high in iron content, which could benefit anaemic women and children

Read more at http://www.thestatesman.com/news/bengal/taste-cost-prompt-return-of-folk-rice/74370.html#Zh2mluXSLeOzUz8Q.99

Analysts predict increased rice price on CBN import restriction

 Filed under: Company News |  Josephine Okojie    
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s exclusion of rice importers from accessing foreign exchange from Nigerian markets could stoke up rice prices in the country, according to analysts.CBN defended its action, saying the denial of foreign exchange access was to encourage local production, create jobs and cut down the undue pressure on the country’s almost depleted foreign reserves.But industry watchers have said that the move by the apex bank will lead to price increase of rice in the short- run since import substitution will take time. But they add that the policy will also accelerate local production of the commodity and improve the lives of local farmers in the long run.
“Local production has seen significant increase in the past few years although it has been insufficient in meeting the huge demand,” Ibrahim Buwanhot, Head, Business Development, Novus Agro, said in an email response to questions.“These difficulties might result in slight increase in the cost of importing rice. I expect that consumers will have to bear the brunt, this will likely lead to increase in prices,” he said.Buwanhot stated that increase in price of imported rice could inevitably result in an increase for locally produced long grain rice, where local producers see significant increase in profits and are encouraged to produce more,” he said.
Statistics from Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shows that Africa’s biggest economy consumes about five million metric tonnes of rice annually.Nigeria importers imported 1.1 million metric tonnes of rice valued at N73.5 billion in H2 2014, according to data from the Nigerian Customs Service. A Lagos based rice importer, who spoke to BusinessDay on the ground of anonymity, said: “By diverting demand away from interbank, the parallel market is expected to increase as this will lead to increase in demand of dollars in this market. Thus spread between open market and interbank is expected to increase.”“As imports substitution will take time, cost of rice is expected to increase leading to higher inflation,” the rice importer adds. Analysts expect rice importers to experience some difficulties in adjusting to the restrictions from forex.
It may also stoke inflation if importers are forced to pay more for dollars.The CBN’s External Sector Development Report for Q4 2014 shows that total sectoral utilisation of foreign exchange increased by 28 per cent year-on-year to $17.5 billion. However, food products and agriculture’s proportion of the total declined from 17 per cent to 15 per cent.The naira trades at N230 per dollar in the black market as at the time of writing, showing 16 per cent above the official rate of N197 per dollar.Nigeria’s rice import is expected to drop by 3.3 per cent to 2.9 million tonnes this year, according to a report released in April by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

Experts pinpoint gene for better rice

 

Fu said rice breeders have found it challenging to simultaneously improve grain yield and quality.
Description: iol scitech jan 26 rice paddyParis - Scientists said they had pinpointed variants of a gene to improve the quality and yield of rice, a staple starch for billions of people.
Working in two separate groups, researchers from China discovered that mutations in a specific gene resulted in longer, more slender grains with less chalkiness, and better harvests.Breeders can now combine versions of the gene with others known to affect quality to breed better and more productive strains, they said.“Rice is the key source of dietary calories for over half the world's population and a substantial improvement of yield potential will be required to feed a growing human population,” Fu Xiangdong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a co-author of one of the studies, told AFP.Fu said rice breeders have found it challenging to simultaneously improve grain yield and quality.There is a genetic tradeoff in plant breeding, meaning that it is hard to make gains in both areas at the same time.
Fu and a team crossed two rice varieties -- one a widely-grown but mediocre hybrid variety and the other a better but less prolific type, to locate the genetic variant responsible for the difference in quality.They then used this to develop experimental high-yield, better rice strains.A separate team used similar methods to pinpoint variants of the same gene, called LOC_Os07g41200.The two papers were published in the journal Nature Genetics
http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/news/experts-pinpoint-gene-for-better-rice-1.1881949#.VZ0K6flViko

131 quintals of PDS rice seized; three held

 July 08,2015, 03.31 AM  IST | | THE HANS INDIA
  Hyderabad: Three persons were arrested and about 131 quintals of rice meant for Public Distribution System (PDS) was seized from three illegal godowns during  surprise raids conducted at Chandanagar, Lingampally and Yacharam under Cyderabad limits by Special Operations Team (SOT) sleuths on Tuesday.The accused persons identified as Vijay Singh, 42, and Evidar Sadhasiv, 26, of Chandanagar were arrested and 110 bags each containing 50 kg of rice and two mini goods vehicle were seized from their rented godown. Similarly, Ram Singh, 40, was arrested from Lingampally and 280 bags each containing 25 kg or rice was seized from his possession. 

In another raid, the sleuths arrested Kandhe Kumar, 30, from Yacharam and 12 bags each containing 50 kg of rice was seized. Acting on a tip-off, a special team under the supervision of Additional DCP, SOT, E Ramachandra Reddy, raided the godowns and found the PDS rice illegally stocked. 
“Efforts are afoot to nab Jagan, who is absconding,” Reddy said. After preliminary enquiry, it was found that the accused used to purchase PDS rice for cheaper rates and would sell to rice millers of other districts and wholesale brokers for higher rates with an intention to make easy money. Cases were filed against them under Essential Commodities Act.
http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/2015-07-08/131-quintals-of-PDS-rice-seized-three-held-162053
News shared by APEDA India


Price on: 07-07-2015
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)
4560 
2
Indian 200 mesh 3500 cps basis, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
1980
3
Indian 200 mesh 5000 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
3080
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 07-07-2015
Domestic Prices
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Rice
1
Bonai (Orissa)
Other
2000
2200
2
Jhagadiya (Gujarat)
Other
1980
3050
3
Solapur (Maharashtra)
Other
2100
5440
Wheat
1
Amirgadh (Gujarat)
Other
1300
1450
2
Gumla (Jharkhand)
Other
2000
2500
3
Bonai (Orissa)
Other
1450
1600
Pine Apple
1
Aroor (Kerala)
Other
2800
3000
2
Sirhind (Punjab)
Other
1500
2200
3
Nagpur (Maharashtra)
Other
1000
2400
Brinjal
1
Aroor (Kerala)
Other
2200
2400
2
Bargarh (Orissa)
Other
1100
1300
3
Gumla (Jharkhand)
Other
1800
2200
Source:agra-net
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 07-07-2015
Product
Market Center
Price
1
Pune
350
2
Chittoor
353
3
Hyderabad
320
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package
Price on 06-07-2015
Product
Market Center
Origin
Variety
Low
High
Onions Dry
Package: 40 lb cartons
1
Atlanta
Georgia
Yellow
24
26
2
Chicago
California
Yellow
32.50
32.50
3
Dallas
Mexico
Yellow
25
25
Cucumbers
Package: cartons film wrapped
1
Atlanta
Canada
Long Seedless
8
9
2
Chicago
Canada
Long Seedless
8
10
3
Miami
Mexico
Long Seedless
12
13.50
Grapefruit
Package:  7/10 bushel cartons
1
Atlanta
California
Red
26
27
2
Dallas
California 
Red
24
24
3
Philadelphia
California
Red
22
22
Source:USDA
Brown Rice Video Takes Top Spot in MyPlate Video Contest
He'd like to thank his agent
ARLINGTON, VA -- The "Check Out MyPlate Video Contest," co-sponsored by USA Rice and other MyPlate National Strategic Partners, garnered more than one hundred entries from kids around the country in several categories.  Nine videos were recognized for awards, and seven-year-old Hamilton Brewer of Winona, Minnesota took first place in the "2 - 10 Age Category" for his video featuring him preparing a brown rice dish he calls "Healthy Stir-Fry."
 Hamilton's video starts in the kitchen.  "Today I'm going to make a healthy stir fry with vegetables, brown rice, my favorite steak, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and garlic," he says.  When he's finished cooking, Hamilton sits at the table with his younger sister to enjoy the meal and then he's off to play outside.  "Because I eat healthy, I have a lot of energy to play my favorite sport - soccer!"
 "My mom told me it is very hard to get some little kids to eat healthy, and I did it," said Hamilton, referring to his sister enjoying the healthy dish he prepared.  "I think I will cook it again," he promises. Top Chef Hamilton plans to spend some of his $1,000 prize money on a gift for his younger sister as a thank you for being in his video and also treat himself to a new soccer ball.  The remaining money will go into a savings account for either college or culinary school.
 "The goal of the contest was to get kids thinking about eating healthy using MyPlate, and get moving with their favorite physical activity," said Katie Maher, manager of domestic promotion.  "But it did more than that -- this contest empowered young people to take action to lead a healthy lifestyle and encourage their peers to do the same.  We were so impressed with the clear understanding of MyPlate and the hard work and creativity that went into each video."
 Maher added that participation in MyPlate promotions like this gives USA Rice a larger platform to demonstrate the role of U.S.-grown rice in healthy diets for children and that having such high level of support from MyPlate and Let's Move! is invaluable for rice.  You can see Hamilton's full video, and other winners on the MyPlate Video webpage.

Contact:  Deborah Willenborg (703) 236-1444
CCC Announces Prevailing World Market Prices
WASHINGTON, DC --The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporationtoday announced the following prevailing world market prices of milled and rough rice, adjusted for U.S. milling yields and location, and the resulting marketing loan gain (MLG) and loan deficiency payment (LDP) rates applicable to the 2014 crop, which will become effective today at 7:00 a.m., Eastern Time (ET).  Prices are unchanged from the previous announcement.

World Price
MLG/LDP Rate

Milled Value ($/cwt)
Rough ($/cwt)
Rough ($/cwt)
Long Grain
14.59
9.45  
0.00
Medium/Short Grain
14.21
9.57  
0.00
Brokens
  8.80 
----
----

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

U.S. Milling Yields
Whole/Broken
(lbs/cwt)
Loan Rate
($/cwt)
Long Grain
57.21/12.55
6.64
Medium/Short Grain
61.89/8.83
6.51

The next program announcement is scheduled for
 July 15, 2015.  

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures   

CME Group (Prelim):  Closing Rough Rice Futures for July 8
Month
Price
Net Change

July 2015
$10.765
 + $0.120
September 2015
$11.010
+ $0.115
November 2015
$11.280
+ $0.110
January 2016
$11.550
+ $0.110
March 2016
$11.705
+ $0.065
May 2016
$11.710
+ $0.070
July 2016
$11.710
+ $0.070

 

GI dispute : Patiala growers join legal tussle at IPAB

The association says the GI should be allowed based on the geographical area where basmati grows naturally
BS Reporter  |  Chennai  
July 8, 2015 Last Updated at 22:31 IST

Description: http://bsmedia.business-standard.com/_media/bs/img/article/2014-05/21/full/1400690867-0792.jpgThe ongoing legal battle between growers and traders of basmati rice in Madhya Pradesh against the government authority and some other farmer associations in and out of the country on its Geographical Indication (GI) has seen a new party, the Basmati Growers Association- Patiala, from Punjab, joining the fight.
The Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) allowed this association to implead itself on Wednesday, adding no further impleading petition would be entertained on the matter. They are contesting the MP growers' claim.When the matter came up for hearing in the IPAB on Wednesday, P V Yogeswaran, counsel appearing for the association, informed the Board that it has filed a petition to implead in the case to submit its arguments against allowing the Geographical indication to Madhya Pradesh and said that he will not repeat the contentions of the other parties.
The IPAB bench consisting of Chairman Justice K N Basha and Technical Member (Trade Marks)Sanjeev Kumar Chaswal admitted the miscellaneous petition allowing the association to implead in the matter, considering the undertaking. The matter has been posted on a later date for final hearing.Sanjay Gandhi, the counsel appearing for New Darpan Social Welfare Society, which argues in favour of a GI tag for basmati produced from Madhya Pradesh, opposed allowing the impleading of the new party at this stage, stating that it would affect national interest. The Patiala-based association, in its application to be impleaded, said that the test for protection and right under the Act should not be for areas where basmati rice is cultivatable, but for areas where the rice has been traditionally cultivated, considering its geographical origin and it is traditionally cultivated in the area specified within the boundary of Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand) in east, Firozepur (Punjab) in west, Chamba (Himachal Pradesh) in north and Auraiya (Uttar Pradesh) in South.
The cultivation of basmati rice within the area specified have special quality from the peculiar characteristics of soil and climate, and it is not possible to produce the same quality in any other geographical area, it argues.Last year, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) has approached the IPAB against the order of Geographical Indications (GI) Registry, asking them to amend its application for GI registration of basmati rice to include the uncovered area, including certain area in Madhya Pradesh.Apeda has earlier application for registration of basmati as GI in class 30 under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999, without including area in MP.The appeal was against the order of assistant registrar of the GI Registry, issued on December 31, 2013, which allowed the opposition by various parties, including the department of farmer welfare and agriculture the development of MP, Madhya Kshetra Basmati Growers Association Samiti based in Raisen district among others against the application of Apeda.
The dispute emerged as Apeda filed an application with the GI Registry to register the name basmati for rice covering Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and a part of Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, while not covering MP.The rice growers and producers claimed the rice produced in MP, particularly Morena, Bhind, Gwalior, Sheopur, Datia, Shirpur, Guna, Vidisha, Raiben, Sehore, Hoshangabad, Jabalpur and Narsinghpur, has the required characteristics of rice variety mentioned in the application of Apeda.The Basmati Growers Association from Pakistan, formed to protect Basmati's GI in Pakistan, also challenged the APEDA's move in the IPAB claiming that " 'Basmati' is a name for a slender, aromatic and long grain variety of rice grown in the specific geographical area at the foothills of the Himalayas in Pakistan."
Business Standard

S.Korea buys 44,104 T rice for Oct-Dec

Wed Jul 8, 2015 6:02am GMT
 July 8 (Reuters) - South Korea's Agro-Fisheries & Food
bought a total of 44,104 tonnes of non-glutinous brown rice for
arrival between October and December via tenders that closed on
July 2, according to the agency's website (www.at.or.kr).
    Details of the purchase are as follows:
    TONNES   TYPE     SUPPLIER             ORIGIN     PRICE/T
    18,000   Medium   Daewoo Int'l Corp    China      $849.00
     5,000   Medium   Seomok Trading Inc   U.S.       $840.67
     5,352   Medium   DNB Co               U.S.       $843.80
     9,000   Medium   Daewoo Int'l Corp    U.S.       $833.96
     6,752   Long     Hyolim Int'l Co Ltd  Thailand   $438.34
    
    * Notes: Shipments will arrive at South Korean ports
including Incheon, Busan and Donghae.
 
 (Reporting by Hooyeon Kim; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N0ZO2IJ20150708

MSU, Farm Bureau to host 2015 rice meeting/field day

Jul 7, 2015
Rice growers and consultants will be able to cross two meetings off their lists on one day: July 30.Mississippi State University and the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation will sponsor a summer meeting and field day at the MSU Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, Miss.
The Farm Bureau summer rice grower meeting will begin with lunch at noon in the Capps Center, followed by a program at 1 p.m.The Rice Field Day will begin at 3:30 p.m. with a field tour of research plots.Guest speakers for the meeting include Betsy Ward and Ben Mosley of the USA Rice Federation.Field day topics include emerging herbicide technologies, rice disease identification and management, insect management and the benefits of rice seed treatments, utilization and benefit of Side Inlet Max in Mississippi production systems, and a breeding program update and potential releases on the horizon.
For more information on the Rice Field Day, contact Bobby Golden at 662-769-0274 orbgolden@drec.msstate.edu.
For more on the Farm Bureau meeting, contact Justin Ferguson at 601-720-4238 orjferguson@msfb.org.
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/msu-farm-bureau-host-2015-rice-meetingfield-day

How to get the most from rice fungicides

Jul 8, 2015Yeshi Wamishe, Arkansas Extension Rice Plant Pathologist | Delta Farm Press
Fungicides work best in well-managed fields and in less susceptible varieties.
Description: Rice field Mississippi JuneIntegrated disease management is the best approach to keep major rice diseases under control, i.e., varietal resistance, best cultural practices and chemical products.Varietal resistance is the best and most user friendly disease control measure. However, host resistance is not always available to all diseases.Cultural management strategies are beneficial to reduce some rice diseases. However, at times yield potential may be compromised.Routine fungicide application may be practiced, but it increases the likelihood of fungicide resistance and is rarely economically feasible. Besides, the available fungicides do not fully suppress/control the most prevalent diseases of rice.Therefore, the integrated approach is inevitable. Fungicides work best in well-managed fields and in less susceptible varieties.
Tips to benefit the most from fungicide applications
• Fungicides applied at recommended timing and rate work best and maximize their benefit.
• Well-managed fields benefit better from fungicide application.
• Fungicides mixed in adequate volume of water provide better coverage, particularly to fungicides applied on foliage.
• If tank-mixing is required, check for the compatibility of the chemistries.
• To target more than one disease that require protective products, combination fungicides (Triazole + Strobi) work better (for instance, kernel smut, false smut and neck blast).
• To reduce resistance to fungicides, rotate chemistries with different modes of action.
• To cut expenses and also reduce resistance to fungicides, avoid automatic application. Apply fungicides when and where needed (scouting, previous knowledge of field history and variety resistance help to make the right decisions).
• To reduce fungicide cost, products with different modes of action can be tank-mixed by adjusting rates as required.
• To get maximum performance from fungicides, higher rates are usually preferred.
• Scouting for sheath blight in particular can help determine fungicide rate, timing and necessity.
Research by Dr. Rick Cartwright includes: Stratego at 16 oz provided 14-17 days control, whereas the 19 oz for 21-24 days. Quadris at 6.4 oz provided 10-14 days control while 9 oz for about 21 days. But the full rate 12.5 oz provided 28 days of control. Moreover, his research indicated Azoxystrobin (Quadris) to be somewhat more effective on sheath blight than Trifloxystrobin (GEM)–but the difference was just slight.
• To suppress minor leaf and sheath diseases, fungicide application may not be warranted. Broad spectrum fungicides such as strobilurins, if applied for major diseases such as sheath blight and blast, should provide control for minor diseases.
PhilRice develops method to detect infections in rice before symptoms appear
 July 09, 2015
QUEZON CITY, July 9—The Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday that with the support of its Biotechnology Program, the Philippine Rice Research Institute is developing a fast, efficient and accurate method to detect viruses in rice.This method aims to enable farmers know if their crops are in danger of damage or loss even before any virus symptoms appear.Initiated in August 2012, the project is expected to be completed within the year or early next year. The method is known as loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and its procedure is known to be user friendly and relatively faster that previous biotechnological methods employed to detect rice viruses.
Conventionally, assessment of rice virus disease incidence is done by visually inspecting the plants for symptoms, which happen when the disease is already prevalent. Conventional assessment is not very reliable because symptoms are, in some cases, due to other factors such as nutrient or water deficiency.
Preliminary LAMP results have been very promising with the outcomes showing that rice viruses can be detected a day after inoculation (DAI), strongly contrasting the three DAIs required for virus symptoms to appear.
Many stakeholders are already waiting for the final results of the study which could mean reduced misdiagnosis of rice diseases and timely delivery of pest management systems for farmers that would eventually translate to the reduction of costs from misuse and expenditure of pesticides. (DA)
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/3001436345349/philrice-develops-method-to-detect-infections-in-rice-before-symptoms-appear#sthash.bJtTLgCl.dpuf

FAO Ups Global Rice Trade To 42 Million Tonnes

By Minggu Simon Lhasa

BANGKOK, July 8 (Bernama) -- The forecast of global rice trade in calendar year 2015 was raised to 42 million tonnes, nearly 700 000 tonnes above April projections, according to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).However, the project was still some 800 000 tonnes short of the volume traded in 2014.A predicted contraction in exports will affect mainly India and Vietnam, according to its second 2015 Rice Market Monitor Report (RMM).Hiroyuki Konuma, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia-Pacific, said due to increasing domestic needs and lower production in 2014, it was likely that India's export market will tighten while stiff competition may see Vietnam's official shipments slide as well.
"As a result, and notwithstanding the relatively poor production results, it is likely that Thailand will regain its Number One export position in 2015, even though its exports remain steady at around 10.9 million tonnes year-on-year," he said.While the global paddy production in 2015 is forecast to recover slightly from 2014, a year also marked by 'climatic setbacks', Asia's three major rice exporting countries, Thailand, India and Vietnam, are already stressed by a lack of precipitation.—BERNAMA


http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/bu/newsbusiness.php?id=1151199     
Phu Yen rice crop faces drought risk
A sad-looking farmer in Phu Yen Province squats over his parched rice crop. — Photo laodong.com.vn
Description: http://vietnamnews.vn/thumbnail/450/web11-phu-yen-rice-drought.jpg?url=Storage/Images/2015/7/8/web11-phu-yen-rice-drought.jpgPHU YEN (VNS) — Phu Yen Provinces agricultural department said thousands of hectares of the summer-autumn rice crop would face a water shortage if theres no rain in the coming days.The department in the central coastal province said fighting drought would be one of its key tasks till the end of August.Rice seeds have been sown and rice seedlings transplanted on 24,200ha for the summer-autumn crop in the province. Of these, the Dong Cam Agricultural Irrigation Co., Ltd, an irrigation company that provides water to paddy fields, manages 17,650ha.Director of Dong Cam Tran Tien Anh said at present 970ha of the rice fields located downstream from the irrigation canals managed by the company were thirsting for water.He said the water levels in the rivers and reservoirs the company exploited for feeding irrigation canals had dropped by 0.15m to 8m. In addition to eight pumping engines, each of which is working at a capacity of 1,000cu.m per hour, the company has installed 11 more pumps that can pump 500cu.m to 1,000cu.m per hour each.The company is working with local authorities to dig wells to get more irrigation water.
However, Tien Anh said these were only short-term measures."If there is no rain in the upstream areas, the area of drought-hit rice crops will increase," he said.The provincial authority has set aside VND23 billion (US$1.6 billion) to help the rice fields fight drought.They have also ordered the lower authorities to guide farmers on thrifty watering" methods, which means watering a rice field while leaving the adjacent one dry or alternating the watering.As the receding water table makes way for the encroaching sea water, the provincial authority has instructed pumping stations to closely follow the tide schedule and to regularly check the level of salt in the groundwater they pump to irrigate rice crops. — VNS

Heavy rain expected to boost rice growing

As Thailand braces for a drop in rice production owing to rainfall shortage because of the El Niño effect, officials say that Cambodia is less likely to be affected by the weather pattern as they expect rainfall to cover the Kingdom this week, encouraging the planting of rice.Chan Yutha, spokesperson of the Ministry of Water Resource and Meteorology, said a dry spell owing to effects of El Niño wouldn’t have the same impact on the start of Cambodia’s rice planting this year, with rainfall, once it begins this week, expected to extend until September.“The rainfall is expected to be even better than last year.
This year, the dry spell which usually happens in July is also expected to not happen and heavy rain will start to fall throughout Cambodia from this week till September,” he said.Whereas, the Thai government has asked farmers to postpone the planting of rice until August and is expecting production from the main season – the crop planted during the rains – to fall by 2 per cent, according to the Bangkok Post.El Niño is caused by warmer-than-average temperatures in the Pacific Ocean causing changes in weather patterns and can lead to flooding, affect fishing populations and, in the case of the Mekong region, droughts.
According to a Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology notice in early April, average rainfall was expected to begin from April to June, but a revised estimate in May, pushed back the date for heavy rains to July.According to Ngin Chhay, director of the Rice Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, 30 per cent of Cambodia’s more than 2 million hectare cultivation has already planted the rice crop.“The ministry is pushing to increase rice cultivation area this year, and with enough rainfalls, we hope to receive better amount of rice output from last year,” he added.The two per cent shortfall in Thai rice output was unlikely to have an impact on global rice prices, given the Thai government’s stockpiling of rice over the last year, said Kann Kunthy, CEO of Battambang Rice Investment Co.“Thailand still has a stock of around 16 million tonnes of rice, of which they plan to release 10 million tonnes this year and another 6 million next year,” he said.“I expect a stable price this year and even if it will increase, it will not increase much,” he added.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/heavy-rain-expected-boost-rice-growing

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-July 08

Nagpur, July 8 Gram and tuar prices showed weak tendency in Nagpur Agriculture
Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) here on poor buying support from local millers amid
release of stock from stockists. Fresh fall in Madhya Pradesh gram prices, increased overseas
tuar arrival and release of stock from stockists also pushed down prices, according to sources. 
 
               *            *              *              *
 
    FOODGRAINS & PULSES
    GRAM
   * Desi gram raw reported down in open market here poor demand from local traders amid 
     good supply from producing regions.
 
     TUAR
   * Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market here on subdued demand from local traders 
     amid ample stock in ready segment.          
 
   * Udid varieties zoomed up again in open market on good demand from local traders amid 
     weak supply from producing belts.
                                                                                    
   * In Akola, Tuar - 6,900-7,100, Tuar dal - 9,700-9,900, Udid at 9,500-9,900, 
     Udid Mogar (clean) - 11,000-11,400, Moong - 7,000-8,000, Moong Mogar 
    (clean) 9,800-10,100, Gram - 3,900-4,100, Gram Super best bold - 5,500-5,700 
     for 100 kg.
 
   * Wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market in thin trading 
     activity, according to sources.
       
 Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
 
     FOODGRAINS                 Available prices     Previous close   
     Gram Auction                   3,600-4,300         3,600-4,400
     Gram Pink Auction            n.a.           2,100-2,600
     Tuar Auction                6,200-7,230         6,200-7,320
     Moong Auction                n.a.                6,000-6,400
     Udid Auction                n.a.           4,300-4,500
     Masoor Auction                n.a.              2,600-2,800
     Gram Super Best Bold            5,800-6,000        5,800-6,000
     Gram Super Best            n.a.                
     Gram Medium Best            5,600-5,700        5,600-5,700
     Gram Dal Medium            n.a.            n.a.
     Gram Mill Quality            5,150-5,350        5,150-5,350
     Desi gram Raw                4,300-4,400         4,300-4,400
     Gram Filter new            5,700-5,900        5,700-5,900
     Gram Kabuli                5,600-7,100        5,600-7,100
     Gram Pink                6,500-6,700        6,500-6,700
     Tuar Fataka Best             10,000-10,200        10,000-10,200
     Tuar Fataka Medium             9,700-9,900        9,700-9,900
     Tuar Dal Best Phod            9,400-9,700        9,500-9,700
     Tuar Dal Medium phod            8,800-9,300        8,800-9,500
     Tuar Gavarani New             7,150-7,300        7,200-7,350
     Tuar Karnataka             7,800-7,900        7,800-7,900
     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               10,000-10,400       10,000-10,400
     Moong Mogar Medium best        9,400-9,800        9,400-9,800
     Moong dal Chilka            8,700-9,350        8,700-9,350
     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)    11,300-11,800       11,200-11,700
     Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)    10,500-10,900        10,400-10,800
     Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)        9,100-9,600        9,000-9,500
     Batri dal (100 INR/KG)        4,400-4,800        4,400-4,800
     Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)           3,300-3,400         3,300-3,400
     Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)        3,100-3,350        3,100-3,350
     Watana White (100 INR/KG)        3,100-3,200         3,100-3,200
     Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)    3,700-4,500        3,700-4,500
     Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)        1,400-1,500        1,400-1,500
     Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG)    1,600-1,700        1,600-1,700
     Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)        1,300-1,500           1,300-1,500
     Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)    2,150-2,400        2,150-2,400
     Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)    1,800-2,050        1,800-2,050
     Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)    n.a.            n.a.
     MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG)    3,000-3,600        3,000-3,600
     MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)    2,500-2,850        2,500-2,850        
     Rice BPT New(100 INR/KG)        2,750-2,900        2,750-2,900
     Rice BPT (100 INR/KG)               3,050-3,300        3,050-3,300
     Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG)        1,600-1,750        1,600-1,750
     Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG)      2,200-2,450        2,200-2,450
     Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG)      2,500-2,700        2,500-2,700
     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)    4,200-4,500        4,200-4,500
     Rice HMT Shriram old (100 INR/KG)    4,500-5,100        4,500-5,100     
     Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)    8,000-10,000        8,000-10,000
     Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)    7,000-7,500        7,000-7,500
     Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG)    4,500-4,800        4,500-4,800
     Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG)        5,100-5,500        5,100-5,500
     Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)        2,100-2,350        2,100-2,350
     Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)        2,400-2,500        2,400-2,500
 
WEATHER (NAGPUR)  
Maximum temp. 35.2 degree Celsius (95.5 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
24.5 degree Celsius (76.1 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 36 and 25 degree Celsius respectively.
 
Note: n.a.--not available
 
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)
http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/07/08/nagpur-foodgrain-idINL3N0ZO3KG20150708
Thailand and Malaysia agree on $30 bn trade goal by 2018
Erich Parpart
The Nation July 8, 2015 1:00 am
Thailand and Malaysia agreed at their Joint Trade Committee meeting in Bangkok at the end of last month to work together to boost two-way trade to US$30 billion (Bt1 trillion) by 2018.To expand trade between the two countries, measures would be taken to lower trade barriers via the easing of some regulations and to facilitate cross-border trade. A Joint Thai-Malaysia Border Trade Committee has been set up to implement the policy.A trade festival will be hosted by the two countries each year. Malaysia was asked to buy more Thai rice and allow for the grain to be shipped to Malaysia via road, not just by water transport.
Thai rice imports
"Malaysia has acknowledged our request to increase imports of Thai rice and they promised that they will provide us with an answer soon," Weerachon Sukhondha-patipak, a deputy government spokesman, said after the Cabinet meeting yesterday. Malaysia clarified the criteria that are lacking and are required for Thailand to meet to export more products to Malaysia while the Thai government revealed the industries that will be concentrated in the special economic zone that will be set up at Sadao in the border province of Songkhla.The promoted businesses are value-added rubber products, furniture, automobile parts, apparel, processed seafood, Halal food and industrial estates.
Malaysia is Thailand's fourth-largest trading partner globally and the largest in Asean. Border trade accounts for 60 per cent of the total between the two countries.The Cabinet also approved the amendments to cross-border regulations, so Thailand will begin to allow Cambodian workers with a border pass to stay for up to 30 days within a province instead of a district at the border.Laotians with a border |pass will also be allowed to |work in the Thailand via the "back and forth" model. The time they can stay here will be extended from three days and two nights to seven to 15 days, he added.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Thailand-and-Malaysia-agree-on-$30-bn-trade-goal-b-30263975.html

Basmati exports could rise by 10%: APEDA

TOMOJIT BASU
Description: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/multimedia/dynamic/02466/BL09RICE_2466166f.jpg
Based on steady demand, increase in rice acreage and expectations of normal rainfall
NEW DELHI, JUNE 8:  
After initial concerns arising out of reduced Kharif sowing, rice acreage increased by about one per cent, as per data released by the Agriculture Ministry last week.While it’s still early in the season, it is expected that last year’s output of 102.5 million tonnes (mt) will be matched if rainfall continues to steady, particularly across eastern India. The Central Rice Research Institute expected transplantation of rice saplings to pick up over the first half of JulyBasmati rice exports, as a result, are likely to register an increase of about 10 per cent over the 3.7 mt recorded during the previous fiscal, according to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
“For the 2015-16 fiscal, we are projecting exports of at least 4 mt. It’s the expected growth of the product for which there is steady demand. So, one can expect around 10 per cent growth,” said AK Gupta, Director, Basmati Export Development Foundation, APEDA.As of April, there was a shortfall in exports primarily because of Iran scaling back its imports due to surplus domestic availability, a situation that Gupta said “has stabilised now”. The country had imported 0.9 mt in 2014-15, as compared to 1.44 mt in the earlier fiscal.Saudi Arabia became the top basmati export destination last fiscal, importing 966,931 tonnes, worth $1,188 million.
“There was a shortfall of about 10,000 tonnes as of April, but we expect this to pick up in the next round of data that will be published by the Centre this month. Some of the Iran shortfall was compensated by Saudi Arabia,” said Rajen Sundaresan, Executive Director, All India Rice Exporters Association.
Non-basmati

A combination of external factors should also help non-basmati 5 per cent parboiled and 100 per cent broken parboiled varieties achieve higher sales abroad. Thailand’s situation due to its earlier ‘paddy pledging scheme’ has resulted in a massive glut of almost 18 mt, of which, six mt is unfit for consumption.“The quality of Thai rice is suspect, which will benefit India since there’s good quality white rice, parboiled rice and 100 per cent brokens. There are numerous varieties that keep us competitive. We are flexible in pricing, so exports should remain steady unless the rupee strengthens or there’s Government intervention,” said Tejinder Narang, a grains trade analyst.Also, with China’s demand rising by almost one mt each year, Indian exporters can expect to cover the African and West Asian markets since Thailand and Vietnam service the 130-140 mt market.
(This article was published on July 8, 2015)
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/basmati-exports-could-rise-by-10-apeda/article7400003.ece

UN sees smaller rice harvest as El Nino parches crops

WRITER: BLOOMBERG NEWS
ai farmers walk across a dried-out field in Bang Pla Ma district, Suphanburi province on July 2. Thailand's vital rice belt is being battered by one of the worst droughts in living memory, forcing impoverished farmers deeper into debt and heaping fresh pain on an already weak economy. (AFP photo)
Description: Description: C:\Users\RPM\Downloads\UN sees smaller rice harvest as El Nino parches crops _ Bangkok Post_ business_files\c1_617072_150708163616_620x413.jpg The global rice harvest will increase less than previously estimated because of a strengthening El Nino, reducing stockpiles for a second year, the United Nations said.Milled output will reach 499.3 million tonnes this year, compared with 499.9 million tonnes forecast in April, the UN's Food & Agriculture Organization said Wednesday. That would be higher than a revised 494.7 million tonnes in 2014.Reserves carried into 2016 will drop to 169.4 million tonnes, 1.6 million tonnes less than estimated, as consumption for food, feed and industrial use will increase to 507.2 million tonnes.Slower output growth and smaller inventories may support Thailand's export price, an Asian benchmark, which declined to a seven-year low in June. Prices fell as the top shipper started to auction record inventories, accumulated under the previous government's rice-pledging scheme.El Nino may parch crops in top suppliers including Thailand, India and Vietnam, the Rome-based FAO said in its quarterly report.
"The revision mainly takes account of adverse weather conditions in several countries, in the form of belated arrival and insufficient rainfall, often associated to the prevalence of an El Nino," the FAO said. The weather pattern may persist into next year, the agency said.The price of Thai 5% broken white rice dropped to US$373 a tonne in June, the lowest level since December 2007. Futures in Chicago sank in May to $9.25 per 100 pounds, the lowest level since 2006.
Thai harvest
While Thailand may harvest 34.7 million tonnes this year, about 2 million tonnes below the 2009-2013 average, shipments are forecast to remain around 10.9 million tonnes, unchanged from last year, the FAO said. Sales from state stockpiles, which are estimated at 10.6 million tonnes, will help Thailand maintain the lead over other exporters.The forecast for shipments from India was raised by 700,000 tonnes to 10 million tonnes and exports from Vietnam may reach 6.3 million tonnes, according to the report.
Global rice trade is estimated at 42 million tonnes, about 700,000 tonnes above the April forecast, the FAO said. That would still be 2% short of a record in 2014, it said.Inventories in 2016 will drop by 7.8 million tonnes, marking the second consecutive year of drawdowns after nine years of uninterrupted accumulation, the FAO said. The stocks-to-use ratio is forecast to drop to 32.8% in 2015-2016 from 34.9% the previous year, it said.


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Wednesday, July 08, 2015

8th July(Wednesday),2015 Daily Exclusive ORYZA Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Global Rice Quotes
July 7th, 2015
Long grain white rice - high quality
Thailand 100% B grade   385-395                ↑
Vietnam 5% broken        345-355                ↔
India 5% broken               380-390                ↔
Pakistan 5% broken        375-385                ↔
Myanmar 5% broken      415-425                ↔
Cambodia 5% broken     425-435                ↔
U.S. 4% broken                 450-460                ↔
Uruguay 5% broken        565-575                ↔
Argentina 5% broken     555-565                ↔
Long grain white rice - low quality
Thailand 25% broken      350-360                ↔
Vietnam 25% broken      325-335                ↔
Pakistan 25% broken      330-340                ↔
Cambodia 25% broken   410-420                ↔
India 25% broken             350-360                ↔
U.S. 15% broken               440-450                ↔
Long grain parboiled rice
Thailand parboiled 100% stxd     385-395                ↑
Pakistan parboiled 5% broken stxd          415-425                ↔
India parboiled 5% broken stxd                 365-375                ↔
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%   825-835                ↔
Vietnam Jasmine             490-500                ↑
India basmati 2% broken              NQ         ↔
Pakistan basmati 2% broken       NQ         ↔
Cambodia Phka Mails     835-845                ↔
Brokens
Thailand A1 Super            315-325                ↔
Vietnam 100% broken   315-325                ↑
Pakistan 100% broken stxd          285-295                ↔
Cambodia A1 Super        350-360                ↔
India 100% broken stxd                 280-290                ↑
Egypt medium grain brokens      NQ         ↔
U.S. pet food     350-360                ↔
Brazil half grain NQ         ↔
All prices USD per ton, FOB vessel, oryza.com

Italian Rice Sector May Not Benefit Much from New Agriculture Bill

Jul 07, 2015
A new bill from the Italian Ministry of Agriculture is expected to help national agriculture and reorganize domestic market but may be little useful to the rice sector, say local sources.
The Italian rice sector consists of several rice varieties and it cannot be considered as a single product, according to a document by the Senator Stefano Candiani. In the document, which was approved by the Italian Parliament, the Senator confirms that in one year about 120 varieties of rice have been traded, for about 32,000 tons a week. He noted in the document that the government has to "consider the peculiarities of Italian rice growing sector, preserving rules and quotations modalities" to support domestic rice production, thus saving still five grain exchanges.
Currently, rice is traded in nine exchanges in Italy, including those in Vercelli, Mortara, Novara, Pavia, Milan, Bologna, Verona and Mantua. However, it is expected that the new Agriculture Bill will restrict to the first five.
The Bill is expected to introduce for most of the national sectors a Unique National Commission (CUN), which would fix a common price for commodities across the country through telematic exchanges. But, this may not be possible for rice due to the presence of a number of varieties

Brazil Paddy Rice Index Increases Slightly from Last Week

Jul 07, 2015
Description: http://oryza.com/sites/default/files/field/image/150707brazilriceindex.jpgThe Brazilian paddy rice index maintained by CEPEA reached around 33.76 real per 50 kilograms as of July 7, 2015, up about 0.57% from around 33.57 real per 50 kilograms recorded on June 29, 2015.In terms of USD per ton, the index reached around $215 per ton on June 22, 2015, up about 0.43% from around $214 per ton recorded on June 29, 2015.

Chinese Researchers Identify Genes to Improve Rice Quality and Yield

Jul 07, 2015
Two groups of Chinese researchers have identified a gene called LOC_Oso7g41200 that can be altered to simultaneously improve the quality as well as yield of rice, according to two studies published in the journal Nature Genetics.
One team of researchers crossed two rice varieties, one a widely-grown but mediocre variety and other a better variety but less abundant, to find a genetic variant that could be altered to improve the quality of grains. They found that by replacing the LOC_Oso7g41200 gene with a variant called GW7, the size of the rice grains can be improved without impacting yield. Researchers noted that grains became long and slender due to an increased cell division in the longitudinal direction and decreased cell division in the transverse direction. Manipulation of these two genes can simultaneously improve rice yield and grain quality, they said.
Another team of researchers found that when the same gene LOC_Oso7g41200 is supplemented by another gene variant called GL7, the length of the grains as well as appearance can be improved without sacrificing yield.
Rice genecists have welcomed the research as it had been challenge for researchers to simultaneously improve both quality and yield of rice grains.
The current research is expected to ensure a steady supply of quality rice to meet the global demand.

Oryza Afternoon Recap - Chicago Rough Rice Futures Continue to Show Strength despite Negative Results for Other Grains

Jul 07, 2015
Chicago rough rice futures for Sep delivery settled 8 cents per cwt (about $2 per ton) higher at $10.895 per cwt (about $240 per ton). The other grains closed lower today; Soybeans closed about 2.9% lower at $9.8575 per bushel; wheat finished about 1.7% lower at $5.8525 per bushel, and corn finished the day about 0.8% lower at $4.2325 per bushel.
U.S. stocks pared earlier losses on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 briefly trading back in positive territory after falling below its 200-day moving average, as investors awaited developments in the Greece debt crisis. The S&P 500 fell below that key level for its first time since October 20, joining the Dow Jones industrial average in negative territory for the year. The blue chip index is about 1% lower for the year and briefly traded positive after falling more than 200 points. Euro zone leaders held an emergency summit in Brussels to discuss Greece.
The European Union later said all 28 of its heads of state will convene to discuss Greece's situation on Sunday. Greece will submit a new aid proposal to European creditors "maybe" on Wednesday, euro zone officials said, with Athens' European partners convening in Brussels for emergency talks. However, the government's latest proposals differ only slightly from previous versions, German media reported. In U.S. economic data, May international trade numbers showed that the U.S. trade deficit widened, fueled by a drop in exports. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded down 103 points, or 0.58%, at 17,581. The S&P 500 traded down 8 points, or 0.4%, at 2,060, with information technology leading six sectors lower and utilities and consumer staples leading advancers. The Nasdaq traded down 50 points, or 1%, at 4,941. Gold is trading about 1.1% lower, crude oil is seen trading about 2.4% lower, and the U.S. dollar is seen trading at about 0.6% higher at about  1:00pm Chicago time.
Monday, there were 2,154 contracts traded, up from 1,082 contracts traded on Thursday. Open interest – the number of contracts outstanding – on Monday increased by 270 contracts to 9,520.

Italy Rice Expo Highlights Great Challenges Faced by Mankind, Says U.S. Agriculture Secretary

Jul 07, 2015
The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack who visited the Italy Rice Expo in Milan on July 4, the U.S. Independence Day, said the Expo has been focusing on the great challenges mankind must face: the right to food, to correct nutrition, the problem of climate changes. That's why, it is important to be in this place, he added.
He met the Italian Agriculture Minister Maurizio Martina with the U.S. delegation. After the official meeting the U.S. delegation were honored with an exhibition of dance and music, a parade marching in Decumano, the central alley of Expo and a concert by the Nasty Granny’s Blues Band.

Oryza Overnight Recap – Chicago Rough Rice Futures Maintain Upward Momentum Despite Faltering Grain Prices Overnight

Jul 07, 2015
Chicago rough rice futures for Sep delivery are currently seen paused 6.5 cents per cwt (about $1 per ton) higher at $10.880 per cwt (about $240 per ton) ahead of floor trading in Chicago. The other grains are seen trading lower this morning; soybeans are currently seen trading about 0.4% lower, wheat is listed about 1.6% lower and corn is currently noted about 1.7% lower.U.S. stock index futures indicated a higher open on Tuesday, recovering some of the previous day's decline as investors waited to see how the crisis in Greece unfolds.
May international trade numbers showed that the U.S. trade deficit widened, fueled by a drop in exports. JOLTs job openings data comes at 10 a.m., and May consumer credit figures at 3 p.m. Wall Street shares closed lower on Monday amid heightened fears of a Greek exit from the euro zone after voters in the country rejected creditors' bailout terms in a referendum on Sunday. Euro zone finance ministers meet later on Tuesday to discuss the crisis. European shares also reversed to trade trade lower in early trade, while in Asia, Japan's blue-chip Nikkei closed 1.3% higher and volatility continued to mark trade in Chinese stocks. The benchmark Shanghai Composite fell more than 1% amid doubts that steps taken by Beijing in the past week would shore up battered stock markets. Gold is currently trading about 0.7% lower, crude oil is seen trading about 0.9% lower,  and the U.S. dollar is currently trading about 0.8% higher at 8:15am Chicago time.

IFAD Receives Award for Promoting Food Security at Italy Rice Expo

Jul 07, 2015
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has received an award for the "best sustainable development practices for food security" at the Italy Rice Expo in Milan.
IFAD has been specially recognized for promoting the system of rice intensification (SRI) in African countries and helping them attain food security.
SRI is an agro-ecological methodology for increasing the productivity of irrigated rice by altering the management of plants, soil, water and nutrients. It is based on the cropping principles of significantly reducing plant population, improving soil conditions and irrigation methods for root and plant development, and improving plant establishment methods. It helps to substantially increase rice production and reduces water consumption by an average of 40% and in some cases as much as 85%. It is relatively cheaper technique compared to conventional methods of rice cultivation in irrigated lands.
The SRI was first started in Madagascar in 1983 by a French Jesuit Father Henri de Laulanié. He encouraged Madagascar rice farmers to adopt SRI method to improve rice production as well as their livelihoods. By 1990, he set up an NGO, the Association Tefy Saina (which translated means: ‘to improve the mind’) to work with farmers, other NGOs, and agricultural professionals. He encouraged farmers to share the knowledge with other farmers and help them increase their production and contribute to the national food security. The benefits of the method also encouraged farmers in Rwanda and Burundi to adopt it.
Today, SRI is practiced in about 50 countries and by nearly 5 million farmers worldwide.

Thailand Plans to Lend $1.6 Billion to Rice Farmers to Shift to Other Crops

Jul 07, 2015
The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) in Thailand is planning to lend about 60 billion baht (around $1.6 billion) to rice farmers to encourage them to shift to other crops, according to Bloomberg.
The BAAC will propose the plan in a Board meeting on July 13, 2015, the Finance Minister was quoted.
Half of the planned lending amount will  reportedly constitute short-term loans with an interest rate of 4% per annum. The remaining half would constitute three-year loans carrying an interest rate of 7% per annum.
The plan is expected to reduce the total rice planting area in the country in the light of ongoing drought conditions, lower rainfall and reducing water levels in reservoirs.
The government has already advised farmers in the Central Region to delay rice planting till August as it cut water supplies to more than half the rice area in the region due to falling water levels in the Chao Phraya River Basin.

USDA Post Forecasts Pakistan MY 2014-15 Rice Exports to Increase 25% y/y to 4 Million Tons

Jul 07, 2015
USDA Post estimates Pakistan MY 2014-15 (November 2014 - October 2015) rice exports at around 4 million tons, up about 25% from last year and up about 5% from USDA's official estimates of around 3.8 million tons, based on the pace of exports in the first six months of the marketing year. It assumes an average export pace of 250,000 tons per month.
Pakistan's rice exports have reached about 2.5 million tons in the first six months of MY 2014-15. The Post reports that long grain exports have accounted for the bulk of exports in the first six months. It also reports that stocks are adequate to meet the export demand though usually export volumes tend to decline as harvest approaches.The Post reports that the overall availability of water in the country for kharif (summer) crops should be satisfactory though the Meteorological Department has forecasted that the total amount of rainfall during the upcoming monsoon season (July-September) will remain slightly below normal due to above normal melt rate of glaciers.

Thailand, Vietnam, India Rice Sellers Increase Some of Their Quotes Today; Pakistan Rice Quotes Unchanged

Jul 07, 2015
Thailand rice sellers increased their quotes for 5% broken rice and parboiled rice by about $5 per ton and $10 per ton to around $375-$385 per ton  and $385-$395 per ton, respectively, today. Vietnam rice sellers increased their quotes for 100% broken rice and Jasmine rice by about $5 per ton each to around $315-$325 per ton and $490-$500 per ton respectively. India rice sellers increased their quotes for 100% broken rice by about $5 per ton to around $280-$290 per ton. Pakistan rice sellers kept their quotes mostly unchanged today.                                         
5% Broken Rice
Thailand 5% rice is indicated at around $375 - $385 per ton, up about a $5 per ton from yesterday and about a $30 per ton premium on Vietnam 5% rice  shown at around $345 - $355 per ton. India 5% rice is indicated at around $380 - $390 per ton, about $5 per ton premium on Pakistan 5% rice shown at around $375 - $385 per ton.
25% Broken Rice
Thailand 25% rice is shown at around $350 - $360 per ton, about a $25 per ton premium on Vietnam 25% rice shown at around $325- $335 per ton. India 25% rice is indicated at around $350 - $360, about $20 per ton premium on Pakistan 25% rice shown at around $330 - $340 per ton.
Parboiled Rice
Thailand parboiled rice is indicated at around $385 - $395 per ton, up about a $10 per ton from yesterday. India parboiled rice is indicated at around $365- $375per ton, about a $50 per ton discount to Pakistan parboiled rice shown at around $415 - $425 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, up about a $5 per ton from yesterday. India's 100% broken rice is shown at around $280 - $295 per ton, up about a $5 per ton from yesterday and about a $5 per ton discount to  Pakistan broken sortexed rice shown at around $285 - $295 per ton.

Thailand Sells 1.148 Million Tons of Stockpiled Rice in Tender

Jul 07, 2015

The government of Thailand sold about 1.148 million tons of stockpiled rice in the latest tender on July 7, 2015 raising about 11.08 billion baht (around $327 million), according to Reuters.
Description: Description: http://oryza.com/sites/default/files/field/image/150707thairicestocks.jpgThe Thai military government auctioned about 1.39 million tons of rice in the tender. This is the fourth tender in 2015 and eighth one since the military government took over in May 2014. It sold a total of 3.88 million tons for around 40.90 billion baht ($1.2 billion) since it took over.The Commerce Ministry stated that while 62 bidders were qualified for the latest tender, only 55 submitted bids and 33 of them bid above the floor price."This tender had the highest quantity of rice, both in terms of rice offered and sold," Reuters quoted the Director-General of the Department of Foreign Trade under the Commerce Ministry. The official noted that demand for rice was high as output from the 2015 main rice crop is expected to be severely impacted by ongoing drought conditions.Thailand is experiencing drought conditions in 12 out of 76 provinces. The government has lowered its estimates for 2015 main rice crop output by about 2.44 million tons or about 9% to around 24.135 million tons from its previous estimate of around 26.576 million tons.
The Thai military government currently holds over 16 million tons of rice in its warehouses and is planning to sell about 10 million tons this year about six million tons next year. It also is planning to sell about 5.89 million tons of spoilt rice to industrial users in July.

Oryza U.S. Rough Rice Recap – Prices Firm in Sympathy with Stronger Futures

Jul 07, 2015
The U.S. cash market was firmer today as seller prices ideas continue to increase in sympathy with a stronger futures market and that even then the sell interest is extremely limited.
Analysts contend that most farmers will rice left to sell will wait until the very end before they sell at the current market price however some analysts warn that that could be bearish for prices going into harvest if all those still holding on dump their rice to make room for new crop.

Pakistan Rice Exporters Oppose Proposed Closure of Agriculture Research Center

Jul 07, 2015
The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) is opposing the proposed closure of the National Agriculture Research Center (NARC), according to local sources.
A REAP release was quoted as saying that the government has decided to close the NARC and use the land for a proposed housing scheme.
The NARC is the largest agricultural research center in the country with state-of-the-art conventional and genome research facilities. The center has strong coordination with provincial research institutes and has been providing strong support to the country's agriculture. The center houses experimental fields, laboratories, green houses, gene bank, library/documentation, auditorium, machinery and lab equipment repair workshops, stores, hostels, cafeteria and audio visual studios.
“Closing down the centre will be detrimental for national agriculture, it will put back  the country many decades and affect not only our productivity but also exports,” stated the REAP release.
The exporters urged the Prime Minister to take a decision in view of the national interest and importance of food security in the country.
They have been criticizing the government for not encouraging novel rice research in the country and new rice varieties have not been introduced in the country for a very long time. Proposal to close the NARC in this situation may not be in the interest of the country's rice sector.

Philippines Floods Damage Rice Fields, Says Risk Agency

Jul 07, 2015
Floods in the La Union province of the Philippines have affected nearly 11 coastal areas and several hectares of rice land are reportedly submerged, Bloomberg quoted the Office of Civil Defence Director.The floods are expected to lower paddy rice output and accordingly more imports can be expected.
The National Food Authority (NFA) has so far imported 750,000 tons of rice from Thailand (200,000 tons) and Vietnam (550,000 tons) to maintain buffer stocks and curb price hikes. It is authorized to import another 250,000 tons if El nino weather pattern intensifies. The NFA council is likely to decide over the additional imports this month. It also allowed private traders to import 805,200 tons of rice under WTO's minimum access volume (MAV) quota at 35% tariff.
In the second week of June, the Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA) estimated Philippines's 2015 second quarter (April - June) production to decline by about 4.3% to around 3.898 million tons from last year's 4.073 million tons due to a decline in harvest area prompted by dry spell and insufficient water supply as well as incidence of pests and diseases in some rice growing areas.

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