Friday, August 21, 2015

20th August (Thursday),2015 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Govt plays down fallout from El Niño

Ganug Nugroho Adi, The Jakarta Post, Boyolali/Jakarta | National | Thu, August 20 2015, 2:50 PM
The government has said that the El Niño weather phenomenon would not wreak havoc on the country’s agricultural sector and that harvest failure would cause minimal damage.Inspector general of the Agriculture Ministry Justan Riduan Siahaan said that only a small area of paddy would be affected by El Niño.“I don’t have the exact figure, but the minister himself has said the national figure [of paddy affected by El Niño] would be 17,000 hectares,” Justan said as quoted by Antara news agency.
He said that the extreme weather phenomenon would only affect areas south of the equator and a small area of Java and West Nusa Tenggara.Climate experts have warned that this year’s El Niño was likely to match the intensity of the record-breaking weather phenomenon in 1997, which induced a prolonged drought and widespread bush fires in the country. The Agency for Assessment and Application of Technology said that Java had borne the brunt of the weather phenomenon as indicated by the very low rainfall.The dry season in Java is especially severe this year. Since June, rainfall in Java has amounted to less than 60 millimeters per month, even less than the average set by the [Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency] BMKG for the dry season, which is at least 150 mm per month. It’s the same with what we had in 1997,” said Tri Handoko Seto, the head of the center told a press briefing on Tuesday.
Although the BMKG said that El Niño had yet to reach its peak, a number of regions have been affected by severe drought.In Boyolali, Central Java, locals have resorted to consuming muddy water left at the bottom of creeks in the areas that were almost dry.Some people have separated dirt from water by distilling it in a container overnight.“We have no other option but to do this. There’s no more running water as the rivers and creeks have ran dry. We’re taking what’s left,” said Supardjo, one of the locals, on Wednesday.He said that the local government had not provided enough emergency water supplies for people in 
the area.“There are more than 200 people here.
The clean water the government sent was only enough for 50 people and the last distribution was two weeks ago,” he said.In Jambi, meanwhile, local authorities said that they had experienced problems extinguishing fires that razed forests in the area.Head of Jambi’s Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) Arif Munandar said that firefighters had trouble finding water sources to put out the raging fire. He said that some regions, such as East Tanjung Jabung regency, were completely dry, preventing firefighters from working effectively.“We need a water bomber to drop water from the air,” Arif said as quoted by Antara.

Government confident of holding top position for rice exports

Thursday, 20 August 2015By  NNT
BANGKOK, 19 August 2015 - The government is confident that Thailand will again be able to secure the position of the world's leading rice producer.The Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA) revealed that Thailand in the first half of 2015 exported 4.46 million tons of rice valued at 72.1 billion baht, beating competitors in both volume and revenue.The government is confident that export figures will improve in the latter half of the year, due to trading partner's earlier concerns over the country's drought situation and the weakening baht.
While Thailand has recently suffered from an export contraction, the sector has shrunk at a minimal rate compared to other countries. Furthermore, many export products continue to post growth figures, such as electronics, cement, auto parts and cassava.
http://www.pattayamail.com/business/government-confident-of-holding-top-position-for-rice-exports-50441

Deficit monsoon, uneven rains cast a cloud on farm output

For the second year in a row, deficit rain will likely have a pronounced adverse effect on the country's farm output, early reports from key crop-producing states indicate...

By: FE Bureau | New Delhi | August 20, 2015 1:54 PM

Using its Deficient Rainfall Impact Parameter, Crisil on Wednesday virtually confirmed the precarious situation on the ground.

For the second year in a row, deficit rain will likely have a pronounced adverse effect on the country’s farm output, early reports from key crop-producing states indicate, belying the government’s optimism in this regard.FE’s interactions over the past two weeks with policymakers in several states prompted the conclusion that foodgrain output, which declined 4.5% in the last crop year through June 2015, could witness a fall in the current season as well unless the rabi season turns out to be remarkably good.

Rice cultivation seems to have taken a hit with the reduced sowing area in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, even though the latest official estimate is that pan-India area under this most important summer-sown crop rose 4.3% until Friday from a year earlier. Not only rain deficit, uneven distribution of the showers have also turned out to be an issue, as in West Bengal where floods affected sowing of rice.Several other crops including jowar, soyabean, tur, maize, cotton and even plantation crops like pepper, cardamom, rubber and tea have already felt the impact of prolonged dry spells in the relevant geographies during the current monsoon period, going by reports from the field.

Using its Deficient Rainfall Impact Parameter, Crisil on Wednesday virtually confirmed the precarious situation on the ground and said that four states (Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh) which make up for a third of the country’s grain production and five crops (jowar, soyabean, tur, maize and cotton) have been hurt the most by deficient rains.While a 12% monsoon deficit and the unseasonal rains that ravaged winter cultivation brought down last year’s grain output by nearly 5%, the water storage levels and groundwater levels currently are lower than a year ago, implying that the adverse impact of the deficient rains could be graver this year. The country is clearly bearing the brunt of having more than half of its farmland rein-fed, despite some headway in extending the irrigated area.

The India Meteorological Department this month retained its earlier forecast of a deficient monsoon season for 2015, with rainfall at 88% of the benchmark long-period average (LPA) — the same as last year — as monsoon rains lost intensity since early July. Worse, the weather office has now predicted rainfall to be 84% of the benchmark average in the second half of the June-September season, far lower than the actual showers of 95% of the LPA in the first two months of the season.

It has also maintained its rain forecast for August at 90% of the LPA, with a model error margin of 9%.Storage across 91 water reservoirs touched 87.09 billion cubic metres (bcm) up to Thursday, down 13.2% from 100.36 bcm a year earlier and even lower than the normal 10-year average of 90.68 bcm.Paddy cultivation in Andhra Pradesh, one of the largest rice-producing states in the country, is adversely impacted as farmers in the state and adjoining Telangana are constrained by prolonged dry spells and insufficient water levels in the states’ reservoirs. Of the total 1.2 lakh acres of total cropped area, paddy production is expected to be about 60 to 80 lakh tonnes.Karnataka too has seen below-normal sowing of kharif crops. As many as 16 districts have witnessed 22% shortfall in rains this year. The state government has already declared 98 taluks in 26 districts as drought-hit and has released Rs 200 crore to supply drinking water and dig borewells in villages.
In Maharashtra, state agricultural department officials are pinning hopes on the rabi season, since it is too late to rescue the kharif crop which has taken a hit because of dry spells. Although 87% of the sowing have been completed across the state, officials say, the rabi season could see a 20% increase during the year to 134 lakh hectares.Officials in Odisha, which received 13% less rains during June and August, are preparing themselves to face a drought-like situation. Six of the 30 districts saw the deficit widen to 40%.
In West Bengal, too much of rains have in turn caused floods, damaging paddy crops. Twelve districts in India’s biggest rice producing state have been declared as flood-hit by chief minister Mamata Banerjee. About 80% of the total 12 lakh hectares of area under cultivation for kharif rice, have been damaged. Among them, officials say, widespread damage has been caused to standing paddy crops in Bardhaman, Murshidabad, East and West Midnapore districts.The state government is trying to minimise the damage caused by the excess rains while at the same time trying to maintain grain output.

The state produced 159 lakh tonnes of rice last year, with about 115 lakh tonnes produced during the kharif season.Although Crisil listed UP among the worst affected states, officials in Lucknow say the state is likely to report higher production and that the total area under cultivation of various crops has increased during the current season. The coverage of kharif crops such as moong, urad, arhar, peanut, soyabean, and til has increased to 93.62 lakh hectares, higher than the 83.78 lakh hectares a year earlier.Kerala, where the monsoon hits first and has traditionally seen rains much higher than national average, has also witnessed a 30% rain deficit this season. The state’s production of plantation crops such as pepper, cardamom, rubber, tea, coffee and spices is directly related to the quantum and timing of rains.

 While too much rain damages most of the cash crops, too short a monsoon also leads to lower crop production.But there are some bright spots in the official estimates. Areas under pulses and coarse cereals in the country surged 11.6% and 5.5%, respectively, up to Friday from a year earlier, while those under oilseeds rose 1.8% over last year. Barring cotton, which witnessed a 7% drop in acreage, planting of all other major crops improved from a year before, maintains the union agriculture ministry.(Sandip Das, Banikinkar Pattanayak, BV Mahalakshmi, Rajesh Ravi, Nanda Kasabe, Mithun Dasgupta, Deepa Jainani and Mahesh Kulkarni contributed to this story. For detailed state-wise stories on monsoon impact on crops visit www.financialexpress.com)

Land under paddy cultivation decreases in Udupi district

Small land holdings, high input costs, labour problem are some of the problems for the decline in paddy cultivation in the district.— File Photo

It has come down by 20,046 hectares

Although paddy is the main agricultural crop and boiled rice, the staple diet of Udupi district, the land under paddy cultivation has been reducing over the years.According to the Department of Agriculture, paddy was being cultivated in 69,594 hectares (ha) in Udupi district in 1998-99. It came down to 62,290 ha in 2004-05. It slipped to 57,509 ha in 2009-10. It was cultivated in 49,548 ha in 2014-15. Paddy cultivation had declined by 20,046 ha in the district in the last 17 years.Scattered and small land holdings, high input costs, labour problem, lack of remunerative prices, absentee landlordism and attack by wild animals are responsible for decline in paddy cultivation in the district.
The farmers in the district are now mostly dependent on farm workers coming from other districts.Bhujanga Poojary, a farmer in Perdoor village, who used to cultivate paddy in 12.5 acres of land 20 years ago, now cultivates it only in two acres. “Paddy cultivation is difficult as it requires 20 farm workers for transplanting and harvesting work. We have to pay a minimum of Rs. 500 per day per worker. Still, we do not get workers,” he said.This year, the government has announced a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs. 1,410 per quintal of paddy. “This MSP is simply not enough as the labour cost is too high,” Mr. Poojary said.The farmers have not taken the crop to paddy procurement centres because of delayed payments.
The middlemen go right to the doorsteps of the farmers and collect the paddy, while farmers have to bring it to the centres. “The middlemen pay them on the spot, but the farmers have to wait for a few days to get MSP,” said Anthony Maria Immanuel, Joint Director for Agriculture.Ramakrishna Sharma, who cultivates paddy in two acres in Bantakal village, said that cost of production per kg of paddy was Rs. 25. “The MSP of Rs. 14 per kg is just not enough. Scattered land holdings increase input costs significantly. The farm workers coming from other districts are not skilled,” he said.In some places wild animals such as bison, deer, wild boars and peacocks attack paddy fields adding to the woes of the farmers.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/land-under-paddy-cultivation-decreases-in-udupi-district/article7560154.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication

RARS to be made Centre of Excellence

The centre will focus on efforts to increase rice production in the State by providing timely and authentic expert guidance to farmers.– Photo: K.K. Mustafah
In a bid to breathe new life into the ailing paddy sector in the State, Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) has approached the State government with a request to convert the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) at Pattambi, near here, as a Centre of Excellence in rice research and seed generation activities.One of the top rice research institutions in entire India, RARS has developed 13 paddy varieties during its 88 years of existence, apart from preserving and propagating 34 traditional rice varieties. According to university sources, the government has in principle approved the proposal already and the Cabinet may give the nod soon.
Once materialised, it will be the first Centre of Excellence in agricultural research in the State.The centre will focus on efforts to increase rice production in the State by providing timely and authentic expert guidance to farmers. Paddy cultivation is in a sharp decline all over the State and the traditional rice bowls of Palakkad and Kuttanad are no exception.In the initial stage, the centre would undertake projects worth Rs.9.17 crore. The university hopes that the proposed centre can influence the rice policy at the national level in a significant way. It aims at developing seeds that can generate 10 tonnes of rice in an acre of land.
Most modern cultivation equipment and seeds that can withstand challenges of climate change will also get priority at the centre.Farmers will be trained in cost-effective rice cultivation in eco-friendly and pesticide-free methods. As Kerala produces hardly 14 per cent of its total requirement of rice, the research centre aims at doubling the production. High yielding varieties will be propagated among farmers.The RARS has agricultural activity only in 22 acres though it has 49 acres more in its possession. Under the new initiative, the whole area would come under cultivation.
 http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/rars-to-be-made-centre-of-excellence/article7559993.ece
USA Rice Attends Social Media Summit         
CHICAGO, IL -- Communications professionals from across the country gathered here earlier this month for a two-day Visual Communications and Infographics Summit.  USA Rice staff joined the more than 75 representatives from a wide array of fields that were in attendance for the interactive workshop that featured eleven speakers from well-known organizations.The conference focused on the latest visual storytelling techniques to boost engagement across various social media platforms. 
Representatives from non-profits, health care industries, digital creative agencies, and corporate companies shared their strategies on how to create and distribute branded content in an engaging way.A portion of the conference focused on methods for creating quality videos, photography, and infographics."Social media provides a free portal to directly communicate with consumers," said Michael Klein, USA Rice's vice president of marketing and communications.  "It gives USA Rice an opportunity to deliver our key messages about the importance of the U.S. rice industry to a wide audience of people encouraging them to think rice the next time they are at the grocery store, dining out, or prepping meals in their family kitchen."
 Contact:  Colleen Klemczewski (703) 236-1446
Weekly Rice Sales, Exports Reported       
WASHINGTON, DC -- Net rice sales of 35,000 MT for 2015/2016 were reported for Canada (12,800 MT), Honduras (8,800 MT, including 4,700 MT switched from unknown destinations), Haiti (7,100 MT), Jordan (3,200 MT), and Mexico (1,800 MT), according to today's Export Sales Highlights report.  Decreases were reported for unknown destinations (2,500 MT).

Exports for 43,100 MT were reported to Mexico (25,300 MT), Haiti (7,100 MT), Honduras (4,800 MT), Canada (3,000 MT), and Saudi Arabia (600 MT).

This summary is based on reports from exporters from the period August 7-13, 2015. 

APEDA INDIA NEWS
International Benchmark Price
Price on: 19-08-2015
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
Apricots
1
Turkish No. 2 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t)
5875
2
Turkish No. 4 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t)
5125
3
Turkish size 8, CIF UK (USD/t)
4125
Raisins
1
Californian Thompson seedless raisins, CIF UK (USD/t)
2458
2
South African Thompson seedless raisins, CIF UK (USD/t)
2361
Sultanas
1
Australian 5 Crown, CIF UK (USD/t)
3016
2
Iranian natural sultanas (Gouchan), CIF UK (USD/t)
2056
3
Turkish No 9 standard, FOB Izmir (USD/t)
2350
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 19-08-2015
Domestic Prices
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Barley (Jau)
1
Dahod (Gujarat)
Other
1200
1275
2
Deoli (Rajasthan)
Other
1050
1200
3
Jhansi(Uttar Pradesh)
Other
1100
1150
Maize
1
Dhing (Assam)
Other
1310
1450
2
Amreli (Gujarat)
Other
1450
1450
3
Bellary (Karnataka)
Local
1420
1439
Mango
1
Harippad (Kerala)
Other
3000
4000
2
Khanna (Punjab)
Other
1600
3500
3
Jagadhri (Haryana)
Other
3000
3500
Cucumbar
1
Surat (Gujarat)
Other
1000
1250
2
Chala (Kerala)
Other
1700
1756
3
Bolangir (Orissa)
Other
1800
2000
Source:agra-net
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 19-08-2015
Product
Market Center
Price
1
Ahmedabad
310
2
Mysore
337
3
Nagapur
288
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package
Price on 19-08-2015
Product
Market Center
Origin
Variety
Low
High
Onions Dry
Package: 40 lb cartons
1
Atlanta
Georgia
Yellow
27
30
2
Baltimore
Peru
Yellow
28
28
3
Chicago
California
Yellow
26
26
Cauliflower
Package: cartons film wrapped
1
Atlanta
Mexico
White
10.50
10.50
2
Dallas
California
White
15
18
3
Detroit
California
White
11
14.50
Apples
Package: cartons tray pack
1
Atlanta
Washington
Red Delicious
18
20
2
Baltimore
Washington 
Red Delicious
20
24
3
Dallas
Washington
Red Delicious
21.50
21.50
Source:USDA


CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures   

CME Group (Prelim):  Closing Rough Rice Futures for August 20
Month
Price
Net Change

September 2015
$11.635
- $0.265
November 2015
$11.915
- $0.260
January 2016
$12.205
- $0.260
March 2016
$12.445
- $0.250
May 2016
$12.690
- $0.235
July 2016
$12.700
- $0.225
September 2016
$11.710
- $0.225
August 19th, 2015 2:30 pm by COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTOR
Northeast, Tenn. ––Louisiana Rice Mill along with Food City are partnering together to fight hunger in Northeast Tennessee with the donation of a half a truckload (about 20,000 pounds) of rice. Louisiana Rice Mill will be recognized for their donation during race night, August 20, 2015.“This donation will help our friends at Second Harvest Food Bank build their food supply and help feed thousands of individuals in our communities” said Steven C. Smith, Food City President and Chief Executive Officer.Rhonda Chafin, Executive Director of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee said, “This generous donation will go a long way toward feeding the hungry in Northeast Tennessee.
We sincerely appreciate Louisiana Rice Mill and Food City for making this donation.”Supreme Rice is shelving four varieties of rice in retail stores: white long grain, white medium grain, brown long grain and aromatic Louisiana white jasmine rice. Each variety is the highest quality, having been locally grown by Louisiana/US farmers. Supreme Rice CEO Bobby Hanks, said “We are pleased to be working in partnership with Food City, to make this donation of 20,000 pounds of rice to Second Harvest.”The need for food assistance in Northeast Tennessee continues to grow.

Over 10 million pounds of food and grocery products were secured and distributed by the Food Bank during fiscal year 2014 serving over 43,000 individuals per month through food bank agencies and programs. The Food Bank encourages the community to get involved in helping feed the hungry in Northeast Tennessee. Ways to help include making a monetary donation, becoming a Food Bank agency, volunteering or holding a food drive to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee. Visit the Food Bank’s website www.netfoodbank.org for more information or call (423)279-0430.
About Louisiana Rice Mill
Louisiana Rice Mill has been a leader in rice production for decades. Supreme Rice, located in Crowley, Louisiana, was founded in 1936, with a long and successful tradition of rice production. Located in the heart of southwest Louisiana Rice Region, Louisiana Rice Mill, LLC (LRM) is the premier exporter of US milled rice on the Gulf Coast. The historic and well-respected Supreme Rice brand of the Louisiana Rice Mill can be found in retail grocery stores around the country. Several products on the shelves, many from Fortune 500 companies, use Supreme Rice in their products. Find out more at facebook.com/SupremeRice or on www.supremericeUSA.com
About Food City and K-VA-T Food Stores
Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores operates 104 retail food outlets throughout the tri-state regions of Southeast Kentucky, Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. They just recently announced the acquisition of 29 BI-LO supermarkets in Chattanooga, Tennessee and north Georgia.
About Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee has led the effort to end hunger in Northeast Tennessee since 1986 and is the only food bank serving the eight county region incorporating Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties. The food bank’s mission is to feed the hungry in Northeast Tennessee by securing and distributing food and engaging the community in the fight to end hunger through regional partnerships, programs, and education. The Food Bank is a 501 c3 non-profit organization located in Kingsport, Tennessee and is a member of Feeding America, the Nation’s largest Food Bank network. 

RES Rice Field Day, Aug. 26, Biggs 

Wednesday, August 26, 2015 • Biggs, CA
The 2015 Rice Experiment Station’s (RES) Rice Field Day will be held Aug. 26 in Biggs, Calif.
The field day held at the RES will provide rice growers and others in the industry with the latest information on RES research.
Agenda:
7:30 a.m. – Registration, posters, demonstrations, equipment, and displays
8:30 – California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation (CCRRF) annual membership meeting, rice research trust report, and California rice industry award presentation
9:30 – Field tours of rice research including variety improvement, disease resistance, insects and control, plus weeds and control
Noon – Lunch
Rice Field Day is sponsored by CCRRF and the University of California.
Posters and demonstrations will be in place during registration until after lunch.
The RES is located at 955 Butte City Highway (Hwy. 162), approximately two- and one-half miles west of Highway 99, north of Biggs.

OAG says graft in low-cost rice sales scheme cost state B3.8bn

20 Aug 2015 at 08:15
NEWSPAPER SECTION: NEWS | WRITER: POST REPORTERS
The Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) has found several irregularities in the Public Warehouse Organisation's (PWO) implementation of the low-cost rice sale programme under the Yingluck administration, saying their misconduct cost the state about 3.8 billion baht in losses. A source at the OAG said implementation of the project -- which aimed to distribute low-priced rice to consumers -- was not in line with the project's objectives.The prices at which the rice was sold to consumers were higher than the required 70-baht per bag stipulated by the rice-pledging scheme.
As part of the scheme, the PWO was allowed to purchase 503,518 tonnes of rice at half the market price.Yingluck: Offered low-priced rice
The PWO then signed contracts with six companies to distribute the bagged rice for sale, but none of the contracts with the companies said the rice had to be resold at 70 baht per bag. The PWO also failed to include in the agreements ways to ensure distribution of the rice matched the goals of the government's rice-pledging scheme, according to the OAG.The contracts should have stipulated that if a third party bought the rice from the companies, the same 70-baht rule would apply for its resale. In its absence, consumers could not reap economic benefits from the scheme.The OAG investigation also found that only one of the six contracted companies had experience as a rice retailer and some of the five other companies were related to the first one, said the source.
Witnesses said the companies without experience in selling rice had secured the contracts with the PWO through personal connections, said the source. Worse still, the OAG's probe into the money trail of the project showed the same person purchased cashier's cheques for all six companies when they paid for the rice purchases from the PWO, said the source.Most importantly, the OAG found the six companies had re-sold the bagged rice to other rice retailers for between 72-75 baht a bag, higher than the project requirements that the rice be sold for under 70 baht per bag, which marked up the consumer cost even more.In addition, the rice was bought from farmers for 15,000 baht per tonne.
But an inspection of the rice warehouses in October 2014 by the Prime Minister's Office found the rice was improperly stored for too long a period of time and only 10% of the 18 million tonnes was good quality and edible.The results of the OAG probe have been forwarded to the National Anti-Corruption Commission, along with recommendations that the PWO officials involved be prosecuted for causing damage to the state.The report also recommends legal action against the companies for violating the 1999 State Organisation Bidding Act.
Bangkok Post e-newspaper.

Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
A comprehensive daily commodity market report for Arkansas agricultural commodities with cash markets, futures and insightful analysis and commentary from Arkansas Farm Bureau commodity analysts.
Noteworthy benchmark price levels of interest to farmers and ranchers, as well as long-term commodity market trends which are developing. Daily fundamental market influences and technical factors are noted and discussed.
Soybeans
High
Low
Cash Bids
924
814
New Crop
914
829


Riceland Foods


Cash Bids
Stuttgart: - - -
Pendleton: - - -
New Crop
Stuttgart: - - -
Pendleton: - - -


Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Sep '15
923.00
898.25
921.50
+18.00
Nov '15
909.00
888.00
907.25
+13.75
Jan '16
913.25
893.00
911.75
+13.00
Mar '16
912.50
893.00
911.25
+12.00
May '16
912.75
894.00
911.50
+11.50
Jul '16
916.75
898.25
915.25
+10.75
Aug '16
914.25
898.75
914.50
+10.75
Sep '16
901.00
+10.75
Nov '16
896.75
879.25
895.75
+11.50

Soybean Comment

Soybeans managed to close higher today after Illinois crop tour showed pod counts lower than last year leading to some optimism production may not reach the current USDA forecast. Prices managed to bounce off yesterday's lows but will likely need to see a bullish crop report out of Iowa to keep this support going. While exports were ok for this time of year turmoil in China and slow sales for next year remain a concern for this market.


Wheat
High
Low
Cash Bids
455
444
New Crop
504
479


Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Sep '15
507.75
495.25
506.25
+10.00
Dec '15
512.50
499.00
511.25
+11.25
Mar '16
516.75
503.75
515.50
+11.75
May '16
519.00
505.75
517.75
+11.75
Jul '16
519.00
508.50
519.75
+11.25
Sep '16
528.00
521.25
528.50
+10.75
Dec '16
540.50
537.75
540.50
+9.50
Mar '17
549.50
+8.75
May '17
552.00
+8.25

Wheat Comment

Wheat ended higher despite continue slow export demand. A weakening dollar and support form outside markets continue to provide most of the support for wheat as prices try and maintain support near $5.


Grain Sorghum
High
Low
Cash Bids
378
330
New Crop
378
344



Corn
High
Low
Cash Bids
387
314
New Crop
364
339


Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Sep '15
371.75
367.00
371.00
+3.75
Dec '15
383.00
378.25
382.50
+4.00
Mar '16
394.25
389.50
393.75
+3.75
May '16
400.25
395.75
399.50
+3.75
Jul '16
404.25
400.00
403.50
+3.50
Sep '16
398.50
392.25
398.00
+4.75
Dec '16
404.00
399.00
403.00
+4.75
Mar '17
414.00
410.00
413.00
+4.50
May '17
419.00
+4.25

Corn Comment

Corn prices managed small gains again today. The market continues to be supported by weaker yields from the crop tour compared to USDA August forecast. Prices continue to try and move higher, but remain hesitant to make any type of major move. Demand remains a negative as exports remain weak and new crop sales continue to lag previous year levels.


Cotton
Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Oct '15
67.72
67
67.66
0.3
Dec '15
66.99
66.24
66.93
0.4
Mar '16
66.37
65.7
66.33
0.44

Cotton Comment

Cotton turned higher today, with December finding resistance at 67 cents. Tightening supplies in the U.S. are certainly supporting the market and a weaker dollar today was also supportive. Huge world stocks, particularly in China, will limit the upside potential. 


Rice
High
Low
Long Grain Cash Bids
- - -
- - -
Long Grain New Crop
- - -
- - -


Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Sep '15
1191.5
1161.0
1163.5
-26.5
Nov '15
1220.5
1189.0
1191.5
-26.0
Jan '16
1247.5
1218.0
1220.5
-26.0
Mar '16
1244.5
-25.0
May '16
1269.0
-23.5
Jul '16
1270.0
-22.5
Sep '16
1171.0
-22.5

Rice Comment

Rice futures were sharply lower today. Weekly export sakes of only 35,000 metric tons added to the negative undertone. The market has been attempting to consolidate after failing at the recent highs of $12.07 for September and $12.34 for November.


Cattle
Futures:
Live Cattle:
High
Low
Last
Change
Aug '15
146.950
144.675
146.250
+1.000
Oct '15
146.800
144.525
145.950
+0.800
Dec '15
148.825
146.725
147.975
+0.625
Feb '16
148.550
146.750
147.750
+0.350
Apr '16
147.300
145.725
146.450
+0.100
Jun '16
139.450
138.075
138.650
-0.025
Aug '16
137.250
136.500
136.900
+0.100
Oct '16
139.100
138.550
138.800
-0.050
Dec '16
139.450
139.450
139.450
+0.450
Feeders:
High
Low
Last
Change
Aug '15
213.450
212.500
212.900
-0.900
Sep '15
207.250
205.500
206.025
-0.875
Oct '15
204.350
202.275
203.225
-0.650
Nov '15
202.200
200.200
201.200
-0.600
Jan '16
195.850
193.850
194.975
-0.400
Mar '16
193.200
191.500
192.825
-0.175
Apr '16
193.425
192.450
193.325
+0.625
May '16
192.500
191.750
192.125
+0.375

Cattle Comment

Cattle prices were able to recover some of yesterday's losses as the market makes a slight correction. Prices continue to be supported by improving beef prices and strong cash prices.
http://www.arfb.com/ag-markets-statistics/report/

School Meals Seasoned with Cultural Flavors
A students’ favorite: stir-fried ginger chicken with locally grown kale.

The things that make our country so great and special can be found in the diversity of the people, their ideas, and their culture. One of the ways culture is expressed is through the foods we eat. Our nation’s school meals should be no exception. More than 30 million children receive at least one nutritious meal every school day through the USDA’s National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs.
My commitment is to make sure these children have access to healthy, nutritious meals while they learn. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) has helped raise the nutritional value of the foods our children eat with meal standards that promote health during the years most critical for growing kids. The meal standards have been developed to not only offer healthy meal options, but to allow schools the flexibility to prepare meals that are familiar to kids from culturally diverse backgrounds.
Recently, I learned of several examples of this while participating in one of the Team Up for School Nutrition Success workshops that USDA provides to assist school food authorities. The goal of this training is to help schools find simple ways to meet the updated meal standards while increasing the number of children enjoying healthy and flavorful school meals. It’s no secret that children and adolescents can be finicky eaters, but there are creative ways school nutrition professionals can prepare meals to be tastier and more appealing for this tough audience.
For instance, I learned that in Puerto Rico it is common for children to eat arroz con habichuelas y carne de cerdo (rice and beans with pork). Schools are finding ways to prepare this same meal in a healthy way that satisfies the palates of children who are used to eating it at home.
High school students enjoy their locally sourced chicken tacos.
In the same way, school children in the Southwest region of the United States enjoy burritos and refried beans that are similar to what they might have at home. In West Virginia, schools have found ways to offer healthy versions of Southern-style cooking like sausage gravy and a long-time favorite in the state—the pepperoni roll.
Our goal at USDA is to ensure children have access to nutritious food that nourishes their growing bodies—all while embracing diverse cultural customs and cuisines. I’m confident that through cultural inclusion and nutritious choices, schools across America will pave the way for a healthier next generation.
School chef preparing healthy and delicious chicken tacos.
Find new ways to make your favorite cultural dishes healthier and don’t be afraid to get creative. Check out this video to learn how to make delicious vegetable fried rice!
http://blogs.usda.gov/2015/08/19/school-meals-seasoned-with-cultural-flavors/#more-60162?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+August+20%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email

Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Kids in the Kitchen: Broiled Fish With Chermoula
By 

 AUGUST 19, 2015 3:34 PM August 19, 2015 3:34 pm
Credit
The master plan? Raising children who can be independent in the kitchen, able to prepare a few healthy meals and snacks and with the confidence to tackle a new recipe or task. In our Kids in the Kitchen series, Motherlode’s KJ Dell’Antonia and Cooking’s Margaux Laskey move their very differently aged families toward that goal. Margaux finds ways for her 3-year-old and toddler to help cook, while KJ stands back and coaches her two 9-year-olds and her 11- and 14-year-olds in cooking on their own.

As I mentioned in one of my past posts, my 3-year-old daughter has become increasingly finicky when it comes to food, fish in particular. I thought a flavorful sauce might help. Enter chermoula. It’s sort of a Moroccan pesto, but instead of basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano and pine nuts, it’s made with cilantro, parsley and a combination of Middle Eastern spices. It’s traditionally served on grilled fish, chicken and vegetables, but I can also imagine it stirred into a bowl of chicken soup, a pot of couscous or a pile of soft scrambled eggs. I hoped it would be a brilliant solution; my daughter likes green, leafy vegetables (she happily eats arugula with her soft-boiled eggs and toast in the mornings, and I can’t keep her from nibbling on the herbs outside).

 And we would get to pull out the mortar and pestle — a kitchen tool my daughter has never used, but I knew she would enjoy. It’s loud, and you get to smash things on purpose.I wanted to cook the mahi-mahi the way the recipe suggests. I thought she might prefer a lighter-flavored fish over our usual salmon, but all our market had was salmon. We would make do, and maybe the chermoula would act like a green fairy dust. Poof! She would suddenly love salmon again.I rinsed off the parsley and cilantro and dabbed them with paper towels, then asked her to help me pluck off the leaves. She did so with about three stems before she became bored.“Don’t you want to help anymore?

“Nooo.” (Lower lip protruding.)

“So you don’t want to bang the mortar and pestle?”
(Big smile.) “Yes, yes, I do.”I finished picking the herbs while she waited impatiently.
“When do I get to smash things?”

We then “chopped” the herbs using (clean) scissors pointed down into a bowl. She used her kids’ Fiskars, and I used my kitchen shears. She loved this task, and it worked surprising well. I gave them one more pass under the chef’s knife for good measure, but it was probably unnecessary.“It smells like lemon.” Indeed, the chopped cilantro and parsley did.

Before setting her up at the kitchen table with the mortar and pestle, I threatened that she was not, under any circumstances, to try to lift the mortar off the table. It is incredibly heavy, and if it fell on her, or her sister crawling around on the floor beneath her, we would be taking a trip to the hospital. (Despite their weight, mortars and pestles are pretty great kitchen tools for little children; they need both hands to hold the pestle, so their own fingers can’t get in the way. If you’re worried about them dropping it, put it and your child on the floor. I would have, but I knew her little sister would not be able to resist meddling, so I unleashed the threats.)

I tossed the garlic cloves into the mortar, she sprinkled in the salt, then gleefully mashed away.I worked it a bit more, then added a handful of herbs. She banged away while I added more herbs. Once we had incorporated all of them, and it resembled a bright green paste, she helped me measure out the paprika (“That’s like my teacher Miss Matrika!”), coriander (ground because that’s what I had) and cumin seeds I had toasted while she napped earlier. I skipped the cayenne because the girls are not into spicy foods yet. She ground all of it together.She juiced a lemon using our reamer. (“Owww! It got into my cut.”) Then she added the juice and olive oil, and stirred to combine them.
“Can I taste it?”
“Yes.”
Then I couldn’t stop her from doing this. “I could put it on your turkey sandwich for camp lunch tomorrow.”“Do that.”So far, this seemed promising.For dinner, I slathered it on a slice of salmon and then roasted it in a 450-degree oven for about 10 minutes. I served it with a side of tiny orange tomatoes we had bought at the farmers’ market earlier that day, and a pile of Basmati rice and chickpeas into which I’d swirled a spoonful of chermoula.

I wish I could say she gobbled it down, but the minute she put a piece of salmon into her mouth (I’ll give her credit; she went for it), her face crumpled in tears, and she gagged. I just have to accept that the girl doesn’t love salmon right now no matter how I prepare it. I will try it with a mild white fish next time.The good news is that my 1-year old loved the salmon, they both loved the chermoula rice, and we’ve found a condiment to jazz up our meals (bonus points that it’s homemade and green) that isn’t ketchup.
Photo

How Little Hands Can Help:
 Rinsing and plucking herbs; “chopping” herbs with scissors; sprinkling salt; juicing a lemon; mashing ingredients with the mortar and pestle; stirring.
Skills Learned/Practiced for Older Children: They could pretty much conquer this entire recipe on their own including the handling and preparation of raw fish and roasting it.

Kids Cook Verdict: Two thumbs up for the sauce, one thumb up and one thumb down for the salmon.

Download/View On-Line the above News in pdf format,just click the following link









21st August (Friday),2015 Daily Exclusive ORYZA Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Global Rice Quotes
August 20th, 2015
Long grain white rice - high quality
Thailand 100% B grade          370-380           ↓
Vietnam 5% broken    330-340           ↔
India 5% broken         360-370           ↔
Pakistan 5% broken    330-340           ↔
Myanmar 5% broken   405-415           ↔
Cambodia 5% broken             425-435           ↔
U.S. 4% broken           485-495           ↔
Uruguay 5% broken    535-545           ↔
Argentina 5% broken 530-540           ↔
Long grain white rice - low quality
Thailand 25% broken 345-355           ↔
Vietnam 25% broken 315-325           ↔
Pakistan 25% broken 310-320           ↔
Cambodia 25% broken           410-420           ↔
India 25% broken       340-350           ↔
U.S. 15% broken         460-470           ↔
Long grain parboiled rice
Thailand parboiled 100% stxd            365-375           ↔
Pakistan parboiled 5% broken stxd    415-425           ↔
India parboiled 5% broken stxd         355-365           ↔
U.S. parboiled 4% broken       570-580           ↔
Brazil parboiled 5% broken    545-555           ↔
Uruguay parboiled 5% broken            NQ      ↔
Long grain fragrant rice
Thailand Hommali 92%          840-850           ↔
Vietnam Jasmine         465-475           ↔
India basmati 2% broken        NQ      ↔
Pakistan basmati 2% broken   NQ      ↔
Cambodia Phka Mails             835-845           ↔
Brokens
Thailand A1 Super      320-320           ↔
Vietnam 100% broken            305-315           ↓
Pakistan 100% broken stxd    280-290           ↔
Cambodia A1 Super   350-360           ↔
India 100% broken stxd         295-305           ↔
Egypt medium grain brokens NQ      ↔
U.S. pet food 325-335           ↔
Brazil half grain          NQ      ↔
All prices USD per ton, FOB vessel, oryza.com

Thailand OAG Finds Irregularities in Low-Cost Rice Sales Program Under Previous Government

Aug 20, 2015
Thailand's Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) has found several irregularities in the implementation of the low-cost rice sales scheme by the Public Warehouse Organization (PWO), according to local sources.A source at the OAG noted that the scheme, a part of the rice pledging scheme introduced by the previous government, aimed to distribute low-priced rice to consumers. Under the scheme, the PWO was allowed to purchase about 503,518 tons of rice at half the market price and sell a bag of rice to consumers at around 70 baht (around $2) per bag.The PWO signed contracts with six companies to carry out the sales of bagged rice. The OAG found that only one of the five companies had an experience as a retailer and some of the others were related to the first one. It also found that a single person had issued cheques on behalf of all the six companies when they purchased rice from the PWO.
The OAG also found that the companies sold rice to consumers at around 72-7 baht per bag, higher than the stipulated 70 per bag. The misdeeds have led to losses of about 3.8 billion baht ($84 million) to the government, said the OAG, which forwarded the results of the probe to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). The OAG reportedly recommended the NACC to prosecute the PWO officials involved in the scheme as well as legal action against the companies for violating the 1999 State Organization Bidding Act.The military government, which took over in May 2014, is still holding over 14 million tons of rice in its stockpiles.a

Oryza Afternoon Recap - Chicago Rough Rice Futures Break Down as Market Corrects after Recent Run-up

Aug 20, 2015
Chicago rough rice futures for Sep delivery settled 26.5 cent per cwt (about $6 per ton) lower at $11.635 per cwt (about $257 per ton). The other grains finished the day higher; Soybeans closed about 1.5% higher at $9.0725 per bushel; wheat finished about 2% higher at 5.0625 per bushel, and corn finished the day about 1.1% higher at $3.8250 per bushel.U.S. stocks fell more than 1% on Thursday, pressured by continued uncertainty over the timing of a rate hike and low oil prices. The Dow Jones industrial average traded about 210 points lower after briefly falling as much as 280 points.
The index is off more than 4% for the year so far. The Nasdaq Composite lost more than 2% to near 4,900. The index is up about 3.5% year-to-date. The S&P 500 fell into negative territory for the year and struggled to climb out of it, with consumer discretionary the greatest decliner on the day. Energy is the greatest laggard for the year, down 17%. The index is below its 200-day moving average. Declines in global markets also pressured U.S. equities. European stocks closed down about 2% as concerns about China, the Federal Reserve weighed. The Shanghai Composite plunged 3.4% as investors failed to gain confidence in government support measures. Initial claims data came in at 277,000, but remained consistent with an improving labor market trend that could support a rate hike this year.

Existing home sales rose to an eight-year high, while leading indicators declined 0.2% in July. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded down 244 points, or 1.4%, at 17,103. The S&P 500 traded down 29 points, or 1.37%, at 2,051, with consumer discretionary leading nine sectors lower and utilities the only advancer. The Nasdaq traded down 105 points, or 2.11%, at 4,913. Gold is trading about 2% higher, crude oil is seen trading about 0.4% lower, and the U.S. dollar is seen trading about 0.4% lower about  2:45pm Chicago time.Wednesday, there were 972 contracts traded, down from 1,065 contracts traded on Tuesday. Open interest – the number of contracts outstanding – on Wednesday increased by 132 contracts to 10,321. Oryza U.S. Rough Rice Recap - Bids Soften as Futures Come Off; Sellers Still Waiting for Higher Prices

Aug 20, 2015
The U.S. cash market was mostly unchanged today with little trading to report as bids dropped with the futures market while sellers continue to hold out for higher prices despite tepid export demand.Today the USDA reported that cumulative net export sales for the week that ended on August 13th, totaled 35,000 tons.
Increases were reported for the following destinations including: 12,800 tons to Canada, 8,800 tons Honduras including 4,700 tons switched from unknown destination, 7,100 tons to Haiti, 3,200 tons to Jordan, and 1,800 tons to Mexico while decreases of 2,500 tons were reported for unknown destinations.
U.S. rice exporters shipped 43,100 tons with the primary destinations including: 25,300 tons to Mexico, 7,100 tons to Haiti, 3,000 tons to Canada, and 600 tons to Saudi Arabia.

Thailand, Vietnam Rice Sellers Lower Some of Their Quotes Today; Other Asian Quotes Unchanged

Aug 20, 2015
Thailand rice sellers lowered their quotes for 100% broken and 5% broken varieties by about $5 per ton each to around $370-$380 per ton and $$355-$365 per ton. Vietnam rice sellers lowered their quotes for Vietnam 5% broken rice variety by about $5 per ton to around $305-$315 per ton. India and Pakistan rice sellers kept their quotes unchanged today.                                  
5% Broken Rice
Thailand 5% rice is indicated at around $355 -$365 per ton, about a $25 per ton premium on Vietnam 5% rice shown at around $330 - $340 per ton, unchanged from yesterday. India 5% rice is indicated at around $360 - $370 per ton, unchanged from yesterday and about $30 per ton premium on Pakistan 5% rice shown at around $330 - $340 per ton.
25% Broken Rice
Thailand 25% rice is shown at around $345 - $355 per ton, about a $30 per ton premium on Vietnam 25% rice shown at around $315- $325 per ton, unchanged from yesterday. India 25% rice is indicated at around $340 - $350 per ton, about $30 per ton premium on Pakistan 25% rice shown at around $310 - $320 per ton.
Parboiled Rice
Thailand parboiled rice is indicated at around $365 - $375 per ton, unchanged from yesterday. India parboiled rice is indicated at around $355- $365 per ton, unchanged from yesterday and about $60 per ton discount to Pakistan parboiled rice was last  shown at around $415 - $425 per ton.                                                                                  
100% Broken Rice

Thailand broken rice, A1 Super, is indicated at around $320 - $330 per ton, about $15 per ton from premium on Vietnam 100% broken rice shown at around $305 - $315 per ton. India's 100% broken rice is shown at around $295 - $305 per ton, about a $15 per ton premium on Pakistan broken sortexed rice shown at around $280 - $290 per ton.

Download/View On-Line the above News in pdf for
mat,just click the following link











Wednesday, August 19, 2015

19th August (Wednesday),2015 Daily Exclusive ORYZA Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Brazil Paddy Rice Index Increases About 1% from Last Week

Aug 18, 2015
The Brazilian paddy rice index maintained by CEPEA reached around 34.36 real per 50 kilograms as of August 17, 2015, up about 0.85% from around 34.07 real per 50 kilograms recorded on August 10, 2015.
In terms of USD per ton, the index reached around $198 per ton on August 17, 2015, up about 1.33% from around $195 per ton recorded on August 10, 2015.

Asia Rice Sellers Lower Some of Their Quotes Today

Aug 18, 2015
Thailand rice sellers lowered their quotes for 5% broken rice and Hommali rice by about $5 per ton each  to around $360-$370 per ton and $845-$855 per ton respectively. Vietnam rice sellers lowered their quotes for Jasmine rice by about $5 per ton to around $480-$490 per ton. India rice sellers lowered their quotes 5% broken rice by about $10 per ton to around $365-$375 per ton and lowered their quotes for 25% broken rice and 100% broken rice by about $5 per ton each to around $340-$350 and  $295-$305 per ton respectively. Pakistan rice sellers lowered their quotes for 5% broken rice by about  $10 per ton to around $330-$340 per ton.                                                                                                                  
5% Broken Rice
Thailand 5% rice is indicated at around $360 - $370 per ton,  down about $5 per ton from yesterday and about $20 per ton premium on Vietnam 5% rice shown at around $340 - $350 per ton. India 5% rice is indicated at around $365 - $375 per ton, down about $10 per ton from yesterday and about $35 per ton premium on Pakistan 5% rice shown at around $330 - $340 per ton, down about $10 per ton from yesterday.
25% Broken Rice
Thailand 25% rice is shown at around $345 - $355 per ton, about $20 per ton premium on Vietnam 25% rice shown at around $325- $335 per ton. India 25% rice is indicated at around $340 - $350 per ton, down about $5 per ton from yesterday and about $30 per ton premium on Pakistan 25% rice shown at around $310 - $320 per ton.
Parboiled Rice
Thailand parboiled rice is indicated at around $370 - $380 per ton. India parboiled rice is indicated at around $365- $375 per ton, about $50 per ton discount to Pakistan parboiled rice was last  shown at around $415 - $425 per ton.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
100% Broken Rice
Thailand broken rice, A1 Super, is indicated at around $320 - $330 per ton, about $10 per ton from premium on Vietnam 100% broken rice shown at around $310 - $320 per ton. India's 100% broken rice is shown at around $295 - $305 per ton, down about $5 per ton from yesterday and about $15 per ton premium on Pakistan broken sortexed rice shown at around $280 - $290 per ton.








Bangladesh Traders Urge Government to Raise Import Duty on Rice to Curb Price Falls

Aug 18, 2015
Bangladesh rice farmers, traders and experts have expressed concern that rice imports, including aromatic, from India are continuing to increase despite the imposition of 10% duty on rice imports in May this year.
According to local sources, they are worried that prices would be significantly impacted during the Aus (February - August) and Aman (July - December) seasons. Rice traders are urging the government to increase the import duty on rice to stop prices from falling.
They told local sources that prices of aromatic rice may also be impacted due to a huge influx of basmati rice from India. Bangladesh farmers grow fragrant rice in Aman and Aus seasons. They noted that basmati rice is grown in India during the same time and a big volume of rice enters Bangladesh illegally every day. The volume of illegal imports is nearly 10 times more than the formal import, they say.
Farmers are mainly concerned that production costs for growing basmati rice are about 80% higher than for normal rice and are about Tk 900 per 40 kilograms (around $282 per ton). They added that paddy prices of fine rice are at around Tk 800-850 per 40 kilograms (around $250 - $266 per ton) and those of normal varieties are at around Tk 650 - 700 per 40 kilograms(around $204 - $213 per ton).
According to Food Ministry data, Bangladesh traders imported around 23,000 tons of rice through formal channels since the beginning of this fiscal year in July. But local sources say another 300,000 tons would have entered illegally into the country through border points. Bangladesh imported around 1.49 million tons in the FY 2014-15 (July - June).
Farmers and traders reiterated that they already suffered huge losses during the Boro (January - May) harvest season due to increased imports from India.

Global Rice Quotes
August 19th, 2015

Long grain white rice - high quality
Thailand 100% B grade          375-385           ↔
Vietnam 5% broken    340-350           ↔
India 5% broken         365-375           ↔
Pakistan 5% broken    330-340           ↔
Myanmar 5% broken   405-415           ↔
Cambodia 5% broken             NQ      ↔
U.S. 4% broken           485-495           ↔
Uruguay 5% broken    535-545           ↔
Argentina 5% broken 530-540           ↔

Long grain white rice - low quality
Thailand 25% broken 345-355           ↔
Vietnam 25% broken 325-335           ↔
Pakistan 25% broken 310-320           ↔
Cambodia 25% broken           NQ      ↔
India 25% broken       340-350           ↔
U.S. 15% broken         460-470           ↔
Long grain parboiled rice

Thailand parboiled 100% stxd            370-380           ↔
Pakistan parboiled 5% broken stxd    415-425           ↔
India parboiled 5% broken stxd         365-375           ↔
U.S. parboiled 4% broken       570-580           ↔
Brazil parboiled 5% broken    545-555           ↔
Uruguay parboiled 5% broken            NQ      ↔

Long grain fragrant rice
Thailand Hommali 92%          845-855           ↔
Vietnam Jasmine         480-490           ↔
India basmati 2% broken        NQ      ↔
Pakistan basmati 2% broken   NQ      ↔
Cambodia Phka Mails             NQ      ↔

Brokens
Thailand A1 Super      320-320           ↔
Vietnam 100% broken            310-320           ↔
Pakistan 100% broken stxd    280-290           ↔
Cambodia A1 Super   NQ      ↔
India 100% broken stxd         295-305           ↔
Egypt medium grain brokens NQ      ↔
U.S. pet food 325-335           ↔
Brazil half grain          NQ      ↔
All prices USD per ton, FOB vessel, oryza.com

Mozambique Considers Surcharge on Rice Imports to Boost Domestic Production

Aug 18, 2015
The government of Mozambique is planning to introduce surcharge on imports of rice beans, meat and eggs in order to encourage domestic production, local sources quoted the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security.
Recently, local media reported that rice farmers have been complaining of losing competitiveness due to imported rice, especially the low quality cracked rice. They told local sources that lack of restrictions at the entry point is the main reason for an increase in rice imports in the country.
The Minister noted that a recent introduction of surcharge on sugar imports have yields desired results and expressed optimism that it would be successful for other products as well.
Recently, quoted the National Director of Agriculture and Forestry noted that Mozambique has around 900,000 hectares of land for potential rice production but only 310,000 is being used currently. He added that this underutilization of production capacity in the country is leading to rice deficit and forcing the government to import rice.
USDA estimates Mozambique to produce around 351,000 tons of paddy rice (around 228,000 tons, basis milled) and import around 500,000 tons in MY 2015-16 (May - April).

Oryza Afternoon Recap - Chicago Rough Rice Futures Pull Back from Nearby Resistance as Wheat and Beans Weigh on the Market

Aug 18, 2015
Chicago rough rice futures for Sep delivery settled 15.5 cent per cwt (about $3 per ton) lower at $11.840 per cwt (about $261 per ton). The other grains finished the day mostly lower; Soybeans closed about 1.4% lower at $9.0425 per bushel; wheat finished about 1.3% lower at $4.9425 per bushel, and corn finished the day about 0.7% higher at $3.7725 per bushel.
U.S. stocks traded in a narrow range on Tuesday as Wall Street digested better than expected housing data, mixed earnings results from two Dow components while eyeing the release of the Federal Reserve's minutes. U.S. housing starts data for July came in at 1.206 million, above what economists expected and near an eight-year high. June's starts were also revised higher to a 1.20 million-unit rate from the previously reported 1.17 million-unit pace. The People's Bank of China set the Chinese currency's midpoint rate at 6.3966 against the dollar, but the yuan fell against the greenback during Asia trading to about 6.40.
The fall in China's eqiuity market led to European stocks closing mostly lower, with the U.K. benchmark FTSE 100 the French CAC and the German DAX all ending down more than 0.2%. Nevertheless, the housing data helped U.S. stocks trade narrowly below the flatline as the S&P Homebuilders ETF hit an eight-year high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded down 31 points, or 0.18%, to 17,513. The S&P 500 fell 5 points, or 0.26%, to 2,096, with energy leading eight sectors lower and consumer discretionary leading advancers. The Nasdaq traded down 26 points, or 0.53%, at 5,064, as biotechnology stocks fell about 0.7% and Apple traded down about 0.2%. Gold is trading about 0.2% lower, crude oil is seen trading about 1.3% higher, and the U.S. dollar is seen trading about 0.2% higher about  1:00pm Chicago time.
Monday, there were 818 contracts traded, down from 1,065 contracts traded on Friday. Open interest – the number of contracts outstanding – on Monday decreased by 38 contracts to 10,186.

Oryza Overnight Recap – Chicago Rough Rice Futures Pullback from Nearby Resistance as Outside Markets Turn Bearish

Aug 18, 2015
Chicago rough rice futures for Sep delivery are currently seen trading 6.5 cents per cwt (about $1 per ton) lower at $11.930 per cwt (about $263 per ton) during early floor trading in Chicago. The other grains are seen trading lower in early morning action; soybeans are currently seen trading about 0.8% lower, wheat is listed about 0.4% lower and corn is currently noted unchanged.
U.S. stocks opened narrowly lower on Tuesday as Wall Street digested the latest plunge in Chinese stocks, more housing data and a couple of Dow component earnings. Overnight, China's Shanghai Composite dropped 6.12% and closed at its lowest level since Aug. 7 amid renewed concerns that the Chinese government could further devalue the yuan. The People's Bank of China set the Chinese currency's midpoint rate at 6.3966 against the dollar, but the yuan fell against the greenback during Asia trading to about 6.40. Tuesdayalso saw the release of U.S. housing starts data for July, which came in at 1.206 million, above what economists expected and near an eight-year high. June's starts were also revised higher to a 1.20 million-unit rate from the previously reported 1.17 million-unit pace.
The data helped U.S. futures pare losses which came about due to a fall in Chinese equities. Investors are also awaiting the release of the minutes from the Federal Reserve's July meeting, which are scheduled to be released Wednesday at 2 p.m. The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened down 40 points, or 0.23%, at 17,502. The S&P 500 fell 4 points, or 0.21%, to 2,097, with utilities leading nine sectors lower and consumer discretionary the only advancer. The Nasdaq opened 12 points down, or 0.25%, at 5,079, as biotechnology stocks fell 0.4%. Gold is currently trading about 0.6% lower, crude oil is seen trading slightly higher,  and the U.S. dollar is currently trading about 0.3% higher at 8:45am Chicago time.

Oryza U.S. Rough Rice Recap - Bids Soften as Futures Come Off Recent Highs

Aug 18, 2015
The U.S. cash market was softer today falling in sympathy with a weaker futures market despite yesterday’s FSA report that estimated farmers planted roughly 300,000 acres less than what the USDA used in their latest WASDE report.
Analysts note that farmers are hoping to net at least $11.11 per cwt (about $245 per ton) at the farm gate however buyers have interest closer to $10.55-$10.75 per cwt (about $233-$237 per ton) and neither appeared willing to come off of their price ideas today.

Philippines to Maintain 20 Million Tons Paddy Output Target in 2015 Despite El Nino Concerns

Aug 18, 2015
The government of the Philippines will maintain the 20 million tons paddy output target this year despite concerns of an El Nino weather pattern, Bloomberg quoted the Agriculture Department Assistant Secretary.
The local weather bureau has warned of an intensifying El Nino in the coming months, which could potentially affect paddy output in central, southern and northern provinces.
The official, however, noted that government intervention measures would help mitigate the impact of El Nino induced dry spell in major rice producing areas. He stated that around 58,485 tons of paddy has been lost due to drought conditions since the beginning of this year.
He said the Agriculture Department is seeking 940 million pesos ($20.3 million) in additional budget to fund programs that will mitigate the impact of El Nino.
The Philippine Statistics Agency (PSA) estimates the country's 2015 paddy output at around 18.86 million tons, about 6% below the targeted 20.08 million tons and slightly down from last year's output of 18.97 million tons.

Vietnam Rice Exporters Sign Contracts to Export 4.45 Million Tons of Rice as of July 31, 2015

Aug 18, 2015
Vietnam rice exporters have signed contracts to export around 4.45 million tons of rice as at the end of July 2015, down about 9% from around 4.9 million tons contracted during the same time last year, local sources quoted an Agriculture Department official as saying.Of this, about 24% or around one million tons are government-to-government contracts and the remaining are commercial contracts, according to the official.The official told local sources that as of July 31, 2015, the member exporters of the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) exported around 3.3 million tons of rice worth about $1.37 billion, down about 8.73% y/y in volume and about 12.43% y/y in value from last year.
Vietnam has lowered the floor price (minimum export price, MEP) of its lower quality (25% broken) rice exports by about 3% to around $340 per ton from around $350 per ton in order to boost exports. The MEP was effective from August 13, 2015.
Export prices of Vietnam 5% rice are currently quoted at around $345 per ton, compared to around $365 per ton of Thai 5% rice, around $370 per ton of India 5% rice and around $335 per ton of Pakistan rice.

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