Friday, September 04, 2015

3rd September (Thursday),2015 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

News Headlines....
*      Declining prices: governments weigh up option to protect agriculture sector
*      U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for September 2: National Rice Month
*      Rice-pledging civil lawsuits on schedule, Wissanu says
*      Attaches tour rice, poultry, wine sites
*      Prime minister urges support to agriculture sector
*      Nigeria: Agric Ministry VS Stallion Group - Who Is Telling the Truth?
*      Antique’s rice stocks sufficient, NFA’s palay procurement on
*      Wet weekend predicted for South; rain deficit grows in North
*      Government to purchase the highest amount of paddy in Yala season
*      Rice output hits all-time high
*      DA urges farmers to plant crops for El NiƱo
*      Fortified Rice is Integral Part of Solution to Global Hunger      
*      CAMBODIA PRESS-Rice millers request exemption from VAT
*      Food security a top priority for ASEAN ministers and senior officials
*      Weaker yuan presses Vietnam’s rice price down
*      There should be no irrational resistance to GM crops: Principal Scientific Advisor
*      Govt advisor cautions against irrational resistance to GM crops
*      In Bengal, a rice economy rots away on food habits, subsidy
*      Restaurant Spy visits the Radcliffe Arms, Hitchin
*      CME Group/Closing Rough Rice
*      Weekly Rice Sales, Exports Reported    
*      Himalayan Dine Inn's herbs and lentils could start a knife fight
*      Restaurant Spy visits the Radcliffe Arms, Hitchin
*      CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures  
*      Weekly Rice Sales, Exports Reported      
News  detail…

Declining prices: governments weigh up option to protect agriculture sector

September 03, 2015
The federal government and provinces on Wednesday weighed various options to protect the agriculture sector from declining prices of agriculture products in the international market. An official said that a consultative meeting on agriculture products and Basmati rice was held on Wednesday with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the chair and various options were discussed during the meeting. The official said the issue of high costs of agricultural inputs was discussed. He said the Prime Minister directed to devise proposals to bring down the cost of inputs to improve per acre yield and profitability after he was given a detailed presentation on the present situation as well as on future scenarios. Secretary Food Department of Sindh government told Business Recorder that the meeting was a follow-up of a meeting held in August.
He said the meeting has not taken any decision and decided to hold another meeting in this regard to further discuss the proposals. He said the decline in agriculture products prices in the international market has created problems of exports. He said that farmers are suffering due to high input prices at home and low output prices. Secretary Agriculture Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government said a committee was constituted by the Prime Minister to suggest as to how to support small farmers. The meeting discussed implications of the government interventions to manage the price fluctuations while keeping in view the interests of both producers and consumers. A statement issued by the Prime Minister''s office after the meeting says that the surplus stocks of agricultural products in international and domestic markets have put pressure on the support price mechanism and profitability of the agricultural production has been affected. 
The Ministry of National Food Security and Research informed the meeting that in Pakistan agriculture is mainly a small farmers'' business, living in rural areas and any price shock has damaging effects on millions of small farmers earning their livelihood from agriculture sector. The meeting agreed that the Pakistani agriculture is suffering from global phenomenon and a strategy is required to come out of this economic situation. The Planning Commission organised a forum on agriculture pricing trends and its possible implications on rural economy in August 2015. The forum presented a set of recommendations for consideration by the government on Wednesday''s meeting. The meeting deliberated in detail on the recommendations of the forum regarding problems faced by the producers of major crops like rice, sugarcane, cotton, wheat and vegetables. The Prime Minister directed that the Ministry of National Food Security may initiate measures to attract investment in high-tech seed industry and asked if any legislation is required to do that. The Prime Minister also directed to develop standards for use of agricultural machinery to improve its efficiency.
 Provincial governments were directed to initiate a process for implementation of the recommendations for the agriculture forum. The meeting was attended by Engineer Khurram Dastgir, Minister of Commerce, Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Finance, Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Minister for IPC; Sikandar Hayat Bosan, Minister for National Food Security; Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Planning and Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to the PM, federal secretary National Food security, Secretary agriculture from Punjab, Sindh, KPK and Balochistan. 
www.businessrecorder.com

U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for September 2: National Rice Month

Sep 02, 2015, 00:01 ET from U.S. Census Bureau
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:
NATIONAL RICE MONTH

Profile America  Wednesday, September 2nd. To highlight its importance, both as a crop and as part of the changing U.S. diet, this is National Rice Month. Globally, rice is the world's most important cereal grain. Reflecting both our increasing cultural diversity and awareness of good nutrition, Americans have increased their annual consumption of rice from 1980's 9½ pounds to today's 31 pounds each. Rice has been grown in America since the late 17th century and is currently a $3 billion a year crop. While raising only 2 percent of the world's rice, the U.S. is the leading non-Asian exporter, sending nearly $2.1 billion worth annually to overseas markets. The grain is raised by farmers in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at www.census.gov.
Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotions of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 
 SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau

Rice-pledging civil lawsuits on schedule, Wissanu says

3 Sep 2015 at 13:44 1,355 viewed1 comments
Civil lawsuits against former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and others to seek compensation for her government’s loss-ridden rice-pledging programme will be filed before the statute of limitations expires, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam confirmed Thursday.Mr Wissanu told the National Legislative Assembly today that civil lawsuits against Ms Yingluck and other government officials could be filed late this year or in early 2016 at the latest, far before the statute of limitations expired in February 2017.Two government committees are handling the process.
One is fact-finding while the other is tasked with identifying those liable for compensation and setting the compensation amount, he said.Apart from Ms Yingluck, six government officials were possible targets for compensation demands, Mr Wissanu said.Civil lawsuits against private companies held liable in the rice scheme would need to be filed within one year, Mr Wissanu said. But the process against them can move faster because inquiry committees don't need to be established, he said.The state's losses in the rice-pledging scheme during Ms Yingluck's tenure from 2011-2014 were estimated at more than 530 billion baht. Her government bought rice from farmers at above-market prices that impeded resale. The government also had problems with quality rice storage.
The Bangkok Post

Attaches tour rice, poultry, wine sites


This article was published today at 2:06 a.m.
STUTTGART -- Vangile Titi-Msumza, a South African agricultural attache based in Washington, D.C., liked what she saw at a poultry farm in Farmington. Her counterpart from New Zealand was excited to see rice and cotton production for the first time.Twenty-eight agricultural attaches from 26 countries wrapped up a tour of farm and food processing operations in Arkansas on Wednesday before moving on to visit similar facilities in Louisiana. The tour, organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was designed to create export opportunities for Arkansas farmers."It's developing relationships and creating opportunities and introducing the attaches to Arkansas agriculture," Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward said. "That can open up doors down the road."Ward spoke at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Rice Research Station in Stuttgart, where the group stopped for lunch and a presentation on rice production in Arkansas.
The tour began with meetings Monday in Northwest Arkansas with representatives of Tyson Foods Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores. Inc., and included visits to Post Winery and Vineyard in Altus and Keo Fish Farms, and dinners hosted by agriculture trade groups.Titi-Msumza said she was particularly interested to see how chickens were grown in Arkansas. She was pleased that they were not densely packed into cages, which can increase the risk of disease."I was actually very impressed," she said. "The United States is a very big country, so we need to appreciate differences in approaches to agriculture among the states.
"Janine Collier, first secretary of trade and agriculture at the New Zealand Embassy, was impressed by the rice and cotton operations she visited. New Zealand is a leading exporter of dairy products, and she was interested in similarities between the way dairy and rice trade on the global market.Yvette Wedderburn Bomershein, a director in the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service, which organized the tour, said a stop at American Vegetable Soybean and Edamame Inc. in Mulberry was a good example of how the tour can be educational for even well-traveled agricultural officials."There were people on the tour that didn't know what edamame was," she said. "One person thought it was cheese."Raymond Chung, president of American Vegetable Soybean and Edamame, was pleased to make a pitch for his product. His company already exports processed edamame to Asia, he said, and several tour participants told him edamame is popular in Europe.
"Looking forward, I'm optimistic about the opportunity to export our product to places like Europe," he said in a telephone interview.This year's tour marks the second time the service has brought its annual orientation tour to Arkansas. Participants included delegates from the European Union, individual European countries, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.Ward plans to travel with Gov. Asa Hutchinson to Cuba later this month when the governor leads a state delegation there to look for ways to develop trade ties as relations between the two countries improve. A partial trade embargo is still in place, but Ward said Cuba could constitute a $35 million market for Arkansas agricultural products if the embargo is lifted. It's important to build relationships with Cuban officials now so that the state can capitalize if the embargo is ultimately lifted.
Business on 09/03/2015

Prime minister urges support to agriculture sector

Published: September 3, 2015
PM also directed the concerned department to develop particular standards for use of agricultural machinery to improve efficiency. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday has directed concerned ministries to devise a strategy to bring down the cost of inputs, aimed at improving per-acre yield and profitability of the agriculture sector.

The prime minister further asked the Ministry of National Food Security to initiate measures to attract investment in high-tech seed industry and asked if there is any legislation required to do that.He was chairing a high level meeting in the PM Secretariat to deliberate over issues and problems being faced by the agriculture sector in the wake of downward trends in the international markets.He also directed the concerned department to develop particular standards for use of agricultural machinery to improve efficiency. Additionally, provincial governments were directed to initiate a thorough process for implementation of the recommendations made by the agricultural forum.Surplus stocks of agricultural products in international and domestic markets have put pressure on the support price mechanism and profitability of the agricultural production has been affected.

The meeting was informed that agriculture is mainly a small farmer’s business in Pakistan. Therefore, any price shock has damaging effects on millions of small farmers earning their livelihood from the agriculture sector.The meeting agreed that the Pakistani farming community is suffering from a global phenomenon and a strategy is required to come out of this economic conundrum.

The meeting was informed that in view of the situation, the Planning Commission organised a forum on agriculture pricing trends and its possible implications on rural economy in August 2015. The forum presented a set of recommendations for consideration by the government in Wednesday’s meeting.The meeting deliberated in detail on the recommendations of the forum with regard to problems faced by producers of major crops like rice, sugar-cane, cotton, wheat and vegetables. It also analysed and evaluated implications of any government interventions to manage the price fluctuations while keeping the interests of both the producers and consumers in mind.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3rd, 2015.
Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/949649/prime-minister-urges-support-to-agriculture-sector/

Nigeria: Agric Ministry VS Stallion Group - Who Is Telling the Truth?


By Vincent A. Yusuf
The media, recently, have been agog with the war of words between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Stallion Group over N17 billion rice import duties and levies.The ministry, last week, in a publication pointed out that Stallion Group-one of the nation's rice importers, did not tell the truth on the capacity of its rice mill in order to get more quotas on rice imports.According to the ministry, the claim made by Stallion Group of installed 430,000 metric tonnes capacity rice mill as against the 110,000 metric tonnes, was an attempt to evade tax duties and levies accruing to N17 billion.But Stallion Group, in a media statement, denied the allegation, insisting that the 430,000 MT represented a combined capacity for both Popular Farms and Masco Allied Industries, its subsidiaries.In another allegation, the ministry said that while the Popular Farms was given approval to import 89,939 MT of rice in 2014, Masco Agro Allied Industries did not get any allocation to import the product.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201509030716.html
Antique’s rice stocks sufficient, NFA’s palay procurement on
 September 03, 2015
  Pilar S. Mabaquiao
SAN JOSE, Antique  (PIA) - - The National Food Authority declared that Antique has sufficient supply of rice with the latest inventory of 198,491 bags to last for 42 days.NFA Provincial Manager Marianito Bejemino said the total inventory was derived from the combined stocks of commercial rice dealers, households and NFA.Bejemino likewise said that palay procurement is ongoing at NFA warehouses in San Jose and Culasi at the price of P17 per kilo for clean and dry palay.  Incentives are also given to farmers organizations.For palay which do not pass the required moisture content, NFA has seven mechanical dryers with biomass furnace. It charges a minimal amount of P12 per sack (of 50 kilos) depending on the moisture content of palay when it was brought to the NFA warehouse.
Since last week of August, palay procurement increased said NFA Information Officer Elizabeth Salazar.She said some farmers have taken advantage of the change in climate by planting early thus, harvest time started early as well.Salazar encouraged farmers to sell their palay to NFA not just because of the higher price but also to help government procure enough buffer stocks.Walk-in farmers will be paid in cash up to P200,000 immediately after the transaction is completed or they will be given a ceiling of 200 bags of palay per farmer per day for cash payment.For subsequent delivery, farmers should get a passbook at NFA office free of charge. (JCM/PSM/PIA6Antique) 
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/981441249644/antique-s-rice-stocks-sufficient-nfa-s-palay-procurement-on

Wet weekend predicted for South; rain deficit grows in North

VINSON KURIAN
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, SEPTEMBER 2:  
South India can look to some organised rainfall during this weekend even as the deficit over North-West and Central India has started climbing further.The all-important monsoon trough, the backbone of the weather system, lay in a shambles along the foothills of the Himalayas.
Trough breaks up
It has broken up into two, which speaks of the severity of the situation with rising surface temperature in Northwest India.The parent trough lies nestled along the foothills while the breakaway half is left stranded in the East of the country, its southern end dipping into East-central Bay of Bengal.
Now, the tip of a trough dipping into the warm waters of the Bay is always a potential area of ‘cyclogenesis’ (formation of low-pressure area) and will be watched with interest.The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts initially saw possibility of a ‘low’ developing under the benign influence of a building typhoon racing in from the Pacific.
Poor confidence
But it is less confident of the scenario where it would need to be wary of a ‘minefield’ developing to the east of the Philippines with explosive activity.The European Centre saw a virtual line of fire evolving here with at least two fresh typhoons developing even as the predecessor speeds away back towards the West-central Pacific.This east-northeast direction of the typhoon away from Asia could snuff out hopes of the ‘low’ in the Bay evolving to any significant strength.In the absence of south-easterly winds from such a ‘low,’ the way would get cleared up further for the dry air to fill and penetrate towards Central and adjoining East India.Meanwhile, the India Met Department has refrained from announcing the withdrawal of the monsoon from Northwest India, which is getting increasingly dry by the day.
Southern comfort
A western disturbance with its comparatively cooler air is seen delaying the process, though it will not take much longer for the announcement to come.In the south, a fresh rain-driving trough has materialised along the East Coast from Rayalaseema to Gulf of Mannar (off Sri Lanka) across Tamil Nadu.Moisture-laden winds are blowing into the trough from around Sri Lanka into the trough which is already bringing rainfall into parts of the peninsula.Most parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, south interior Karnataka and Kerala are forecast to receive rainfall during the weekend.The US Climate Prediction Centre says above normal rainfall would be the theme here during the period right until the middle of September.
(This article was published on September 2, 2015)
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/wet-weekend-predicted-for-south-rain-deficit-grows-in-north/article7608067.ece

Government to purchase the highest amount of paddy in Yala season


The Government has allocated highest amount of funds for purchasing 120,000 metric tons of Paddy in Yala season and 80,406 metric tons have already been purchased by yesterday,said PM Ranil Wickramasinghe.It is the highest amount of Paddy which has been purchased by any government so far.He exposed this while answering a question arose at the parliament today(03).An amount of Rs.50.00 will be paid per one Kilo of paddy and the extent of the purchasing paddy from each one will be limited for 2000 Kilo grams with the sole purpose of extending this benefit to many more farmers.And further he said National Agricultural Authority with full powers will be established and warehouses facilities also will be developed.The problem is expected to discuss with the leaders of all political parties under the President's direction, he said.

http://www.news.lk/news/politics/item/9540-government-to-purchase-the-highest-amount-of-paddy-in-yala-season
Rice output hits all-time high
Yasir Wardad
 Rice output in the country reached an all-time high of 34.708 million tonnes in the last fiscal year (FY'15), registering some 0.3 million tonnes increase over FY'14, the latest data revealed.   Rice production achieved a 0.9 per cent growth in the year compared to that of FY '14 when overall production was 34.41 million tonnes.Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) provisional data, released on Wednesday, showed that in the line of success of Aman and Aus, Boro production also reached an all-time high of 19.19 million tonnes in FY '15, increasing slightly by 0.63 per cent over that of FY'14 when production was 19.07 million tonnes, the then record.

Joint Director (agriculture wing) at BBS Bidhan Baral told the FE that overall acreage has been estimated at 4.84 million hectares in FY'15 in Boro season which was 1.03 per cent higher over that of FY'14 when 4.79 million hectares came under Boro farming."But per hectare yield declined negligibly this year in Boro season as it was recorded at 3.987 tonnes/ha in FY'15 which was 3.99 tonnes/ha in FY'14", he said.However, BBS data showed that rice production in Aman and Aus seasons were 13.19 million tonnes and 2.328 million tonnes respectively in FY'15, which were also records."A total of 11.415 million hectares of land come under rice farming in FY'15 which was 11.373 million hectares in FY '14 as per the estimation of Bangladesh Space Research & Remote Sensing Organisation (SPARSO)," Bidhan Boral said.
The data of the state-run statistics provider showed that Aman output rose by 1.28 per cent and Aus production also showed a slight rise by 0.08 per cent in FY '15 compared to those of FY '14.The official said BBS jointly with the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) conducted rice yield survey adopting the new crop cutting design.DAE Director General Md Hamidur Rahman said favourable weather condition and supply of quality inputs in time were the keys to the growth.
Three kinds of rice -- Boro, Aman and Aus -- grow in different seasons in Bangladesh. The seasons contributed 56 per cent, 38 per cent and 6.0 per cent to the total output, according to BBS.Demand for rice in the country now stands at 31.0 million tonnes, Directorate General of Food data showed.Despite the record output, private sector in the country imported a record 1.45 million tonnes of rice in FY'15, according to the ministry of food.
tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com

DA urges farmers to plant crops for El NiƱo

 Thursday, September 03, 2015
FARMERS are encouraged to plant cash crops such as cassava, camote and corn, which do not need much water in order to mitigate the effects of the strongest and longest El NiƱo phenomenon.Engr. Leo Retamar, of the Bureau of Soils Management of the Department of Agriculture, urged the public to plant such crops in the last quarter of this year until the second quarter of next year to prepare for El NiƱo.Retamar, who was in Iloilo City to attend the regional extension workers conference, said that 2015 is the International Year of the Soil.The farmers need not avoid rice planting totally but have to plant cash crops to augment their income due to late production next year, Retamar said, adding that El Nino was forecast to start by October 2015 until end of June 2016.

Western Visayas has 320,000 hectares devoted to rice lands, with 33 percent devoted to rain-fed and upland production, he said.Cloud seeding has been planned to induce rains especially in the coming summer season.While there are still rains and sunshine in Western Visayas to induce planting, Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon are currently suffering from floods spawned by heavy rains and typhoons. This is El Nino, the extreme for dry and dry seasons, Retamar said.Meanwhile, the agriculture department is allocating P187 million as El Nino mitigation fund for Western Visayas and P94.5 million was already released while the balance needs approval from the Department of Budget and Management.The region has sufficient rice stock, although production might be delayed. Rice farmers must not stick to one crop when there is no rain coming, the DA official said. (LCP/Sunnex)

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/iloilo/local-news/2015/09/03/da-urges-farmers-plant-crops-el-nino-428220
Fortified Rice is Integral Part of Solution to Global Hunger           
  Conference attendees  
MANHATTAN, KANSAS -- More than 40 participants from the rice industry, academia, U.S. government agencies, and private companies gathered at Kansas State University (KSU) last week to develop a unified working agenda and promote production capacity of fortified rice in the United States. USA Rice has been collaborating closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Agency for International Development, and the World Food Program, to ensure the increased use of fortified rice in the U.S. government's global feeding programs.  This event was the latest to emphasize the importance of a new fortified rice formulation in addressing global hidden hunger.
 With fortified rice being more readily recognized as an important tool in the fight against global malnutrition, the primary area of focus is resolving outstanding logistics issues in the complicated production chain in the U.S.  This requires ongoing close coordination and communication between the purchasing agencies, fortification entities, and the rice millers.

Jamie Warshaw, a Louisiana rice miller and chairman of the USA Rice Food Aid Subcommittee, attended the conference and said, "While the opportunities are enormous for the U.S. rice industry, obstacles to increased use of fortified rice remain, including, for instance, customer acceptance.  The KSU event was an important first step in bringing the major stakeholders together and coordinating a plan forward." 
 USA Rice is planning an informational session in Washington, DC next month to clarify some of the remaining questions about fortified rice and facilitate its use.  While the USA Rice session will include many important stakeholders, the target audience will be the end users - the humanitarian organizations who will work with U.S. government agencies to program increasingly greater amounts of fortified rice in new and ongoing feeding initiatives. 
 Contact:  Sarah Moran (703) 236-1457

CAMBODIA PRESS-Rice millers request exemption from VAT - Phnom Penh Post


By REUTERS

As Cambodia continues to struggle with its cost competitiveness in the rice sector, rice millers and exporters met the General Department of Taxation on Wednesday asking for an exemption from paying the 10 percent value added tax (VAT), the Phnom Penh Post reported.The exemption will help ease prices in the sector, the newspaper reported, citing Kim Savuth, vice president of the Cambodia Rice Federation. (http://bit.ly/1OfjiJf)
----
NOTE: Reuters has not verified this story and does not vouch for its accuracy. (Phnom Penh Newsroom; Editing by Anand Basu)


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3221957/CAMBODIA-PRESS-Rice-millers-request-exemption-VAT--Phnom-Penh-Post.html
Food security a top priority for ASEAN ministers and senior officials
"It is high time for ASEAN member countries, which are in the largest rice-growing regions of the world to support the scientific research necessary for the sustainability of their rice sectors," said Bruce Tolentino, deputy director general for communication and partnerships of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), on ensuring food security and strengthening cooperation in agriculture across the region.Sixteen ministers are scheduled to visit IRRI on 12 September as part of the 37th meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF), in addition to the 15th AMAF Plus Three Meetings with China, Japan, and South Korea hosted by the Philippines this year.
"The crucial role that IRRI fulfills is providing the scientific foundation, technical support, and capacity-building to each of the ASEAN member-countries in pursuing their own national rice and food security programs," Tolentino said.Each ASEAN member-nation has its own strategy and approach for meeting targets in this area.Some Southeast Asian countries, such as Vietnam or Thailand, export rice, while the Philippines or Indonesia, among others, are rice importers.
Myanmar is on its way to regaining its agricultural competitiveness. In the 1950s Myanmar led the ASEAN countries in rice exports.Brunei and Singapore, on the other hand, do import rice, and only the best quality rice. Moreover, Singapore is making investments to become the ASEAN center for biotechnology."So, each of these countries has differing approaches to achieving their food security goals. But all of these countries are bound together because there is a common ASEAN-wide framework for food security," Tolentino explained.That framework, according to him, which also includes a strategic action plan on food security, does not simply focus on strengthening the national capacity of each of the ASEAN member countries to produce any agricultural commodity, but also facilitation of trade.
The strategic action plan was conceptualized as part of the ASEAN member states’ need for a long-term agricultural development plan that focuses on sustainable food production and trade, especially in the context of problems brought about by the food price crisis in 2007–2008.The ASEAN Integrated Food Security Framework, along with the Strategic Plan of Action on Food Security in the ASEAN Region, enables sharing of any agricultural commodity. A close inspection of various countries reveals variation in natural resources for rice production. This is also the case for other crops and agricultural commodities.
"In effect, there will be a country agenda and there will be a regional agenda, tied together by trade. ASEAN countries could look at exporting high-quality rice to, say, Europe, for example. And Africa is a major growth area because of its rising demand for rice. All these topics, including IRRI’s support to the Philippine Department of Agriculture’s Food Staples Sufficiency Program will be part of the discussions during the ASEAN event next week," he noted.
http://irri-news.blogspot.com/2015/09/food-security-top-priority-for-asean.html
Weaker yuan presses Vietnam’s rice price down
VietNamNet Bridge - As predicted, importers have tried to lower Vietnam’s rice price after the Chinese government’s devaluation of the yuan. 

VnExpress quoted the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) as reporting that the rice price and sales may fall significantly because of the yuan depreciation.Chinese enterprises, which have to pay 4 percent more for rice import contracts with the payments in US dollars, are trying to force the price down to offset the loss they incur due to yuan depreciation.This coincides with Reuters’ prediction made in mid-August that Vietnam’s rice export price would decrease on the yuan and dong devaluation and the abundant supply.VFA then announced the lower floor export price of $330 per ton, a 2.9 percent decrease, for 25 percent broken rice. The decision was released in the context of the sharp fall of 8.8 percent decrease in exports in the first seven months of the year.Le Thanh Danh from Vinafood 1 confirmed that Chinese have asked to renegotiate the prices, reasoning the yuan devaluation, which has made Vietnamese exporters suffer. 

Danh said on Nong Nghiep that Vietnam now bears pressure as India and Pakistan are offering rice at relatively low prices.Therefore, Vietnam’s exports to China have seen the price decrease significantly to $340 per ton of 5 percent broken rice and $330 per ton of 15 percent broken rice. The price levels represent a $7-8 per ton decrease compared with some months ago. The price of rice exported through unofficial channels – across the border gates – has also fallen. Every kilo of rice sold across the northern border has seen the price fall by VND300.Some businesses in the Mekong River Delta estimated that over 1 million tons of rice have been exported to China this year across the border.
Nguyen Van Don, director of Viet Hung Rice Export Company, warned that Chinese importers may cut the volume of rice to buy from Vietnam and buy from Thailand and Myanmar instead.As the export price decreases, the rice price in the domestic market has also gone down. VFA said the price of 5 percent broken rice in Mekong River Delta has decreased by VND100 per kilo over the week before.Analysts warned that not only rice but other farm produce will also suffer from the weaker yuan, because China is a big consumer of Vietnamese produce. China alone consumed 38.1 percent of Vietnam’s 3.72 million tons of rice exports so far. It consumes 25 percent of Vietnam’s rubber and 13 percent of Vietnam’s cashew nut output. The country consumed 90 percent of 2.89 million tons of cassava sold in the last seven months of the year.

Kim Chi
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/140328/weaker-yuan-presses-vietnam-s-rice-price-down.html

The Prime Minister says in parliament that the government considers it as its responsibility to safeguard both the paddy farmer and the consumer

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe delivering a special statement in parliament today said that the government considers it as its responsibility to safeguard and provide maximum benefits to the paddy farmers as well as the consumers.  The highest ever paddy harvest in the Yala Maha season in Sri Lanka's history has been recorded this year.  The government has set aside funds to purchase 120 thousand metric tons of paddy of the Yala season.  More than 90 thousand 400 metric tons have been purchased by yesterday.  A kilo of Kirisamba and Samba is being purchased for 50 rupees and a kilo of Nadu for 45 rupees.
 The Prime Minister added that in order to hand over the benefits to a larger number of farmers, the paddy purchasing from a single farmer has been restricted to 2000 kilos.  Farmers are receiving a stable price for their produce  at 180 purchasing centers. A congestion has occurred due to the rush to sell paddy stocks.  The Prime Minister further said that in order to resolve the problem, the government was compelled to utilize the services of civil defence task force and to hold mobile services. 
 In a massive operation of this nature, shortcomings  may be a common occurrence of shortcomings.  The Prime Minister also said that any criticism should be leveled to rectify the mistake and not to gain political advantages. He added that a more methodical procedure should be implemented to purchase the paddy harvest in the coming Maha season.
 A national agricultural authority with full powers will be established to purchase agricultural produce.  More storage facilities are to be provided especially to stock paddy.  The Prime Minister also said that the purchase paddy stocks will be dispatched to  small and medium scale paddy mills through tender procedures.  The aim is to stabilize  the rice market.  Long term solutions will be found through discussion with political party leaders under the initiative of the President.  The paddy marketing board activities will be carried out without causing any injustice to the farmer and the consumer. 
http://www.slbc.lk/index.php/en/tamil-news-update/1740-the-prime-minister-says-in-parliament-that-the-government-considers-it-as-its-responsibility-to-safeguard-both-the-paddy-farmer-and-the-consumer.html
There should be no irrational resistance to GM crops: Principal Scientific Advisor
Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, Dr R. Chidambaram, while speaking at an event organised by industry body, Assocham in New Delhi said that there should be no irrational resistance to GM crops, after the completion of careful research, field trials and approval of Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).Whilestressing on the need for climate resilient agriculture he said that mitigation and adaptation strategies must include soil health restoration and development of new crop varieties including genetically modified (GM) crops.
In Focus
Hestressed on the need for more widespread techniques to improve irrigation facilities in India. While saying highlighting that farmers in India consume about 80 per cent of state water supply, he said there was a need to make a saving there. On the need for developing high-yielding basmati rice varieties, R. Chidambaram said that he would love to have a Grid for basmati rice research.While inaugurating the '4th Bio-Nano Agri Summit' the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government, according to a press release by the Assocham,also pitched for using 'agricultural drone with appropriate sensors' while citing an example of NETRA, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that was used to track damage and marooned people.
He said that nanoscience based viable advanced technologies (that are both economic and scientific) must be developed to counter negative effects of declining landholdings, increasing number of marginal farmers and land degradation."Agriculture contributes less than 20 per cent of India's GDP, accounts for over 10 per cent of India's exports and employs over half of our workforce, the latter number is three per cent for the USA," said R. Chidambaram.
http://www.merinews.com/article/there-should-be-no-irrational-resistance-to-gm-crops-principal-scientific-advisor/15909323.shtml&cp

Govt advisor cautions against irrational resistance to GM crops

NEW DELHI, SEPT 3:  
A senior Government advisor on Tuesday pitched for “no irrational resistance” to genetically-modified (GM) crops and believed that nanotechnology could help Indian agriculture overcome problems of declining landholdings, increasing numbers of marginal cultivators and land degradation.“There should be no irrational resistance to GM crops once careful research has been done, field trials have been completed, and Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) approval has been obtained,” said R Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Indian Government, said at the ‘4th Bio-Nano Agri Summit’ hosted by Assocham here on Thursday.Chidambaram was talking about the need for climate resilient agriculture and mitigation and adaptation strategies had to include development of new crop varieties, including GM crops, alongside soil health restoration.
 “Agriculture contributes less than 20 per cent of India’s GDP (gross domestic product), accounts for over 10 per cent of India’s exports and employs over half of our workforce, the latter number is three per cent for the USA,” he said.He highlighted the need for more techniques to improve domestic irrigation facilities to save water with farmers consuming “about 80 per cent of State water supply” and also suggested the need for a grid for basmati rice research and the use of unmanned aerial vehicles such as indigenously-built NETRA in agriculture.Chidambaram also pushed for technologies to prevent food wastage and pest attacks on crops. “While ensuring food and nutritional security, we have to provide mechanism for ensuring increased farmers incomes,” he said.
(This article was published on September 3, 2015)
Business Line

In Bengal, a rice economy rots away on food habits, subsidy

 

Mill closures swell bank NPAs

Namrata Acharya  |  Kolkata September 1, 2015 Last Updated at 22:35 IST
 
Each public sector bank can pick a niche area: R GandhiPublic sector banks: The market may be jumping the gunLetters: Better bankingPotato prices firm on fresh loading in cold storages.The closure of 500 of 1,200 rice mills in West Bengal over two years is weighing heavy on the non-performing loans of banks. Changing food habits, rising food subsidy and falling exports have brought the rice economy in Bengal, the highest rice producing state in the country, to the verge of a crisis. With the size of loans of rice mills between Rs 4 crore and Rs 15 crore, and around 200-250 accounts turning into NPAs in the past few months, the amount of NPA addition could be between Rs 800 crore and Rs 3,000 crore, according to DN Mondol, president of the Bengal Rice Mills Association.
“The market for rice in West Bengal is shrinking, and there is no upgradation in technology. The parboiled rice produced in Bengal was in high demand in eastern India, Bangladesh and Africa. However, Bangladesh has attained self-sufficiency in rice, leading to a shrinkage of exports. Due to lifestyle changes, the consumption of rice is also going down. The mills have also complained about delays in payment for levy rice,” said the manager of apublic sector bank in Burdwan district.
West Bengal produces 15 million tonnes of rice every year, mostly rice that has been partially boiled in the husk. Of this, the state government procures 2.2 million tonnes through the levy mechanism. Ever since the Trinamool Congress government came to power, the procurement has more than doubled from around one million tonnes. Much of this owes to the state government’s scheme for providing 35 kg of rice per month at Rs 2 a kg in the Naxal-affected blocks of the state.Under the levy mechanism, mills last year procured paddy at around Rs 1,310 a quintal, while the government bought rice from the mills at Rs 2,060 a quintal. The effective cost for mills for buying a quintal of rice works out to Rs 2,046 because a quintal of paddy yields 64 kg of rice.

However, the profit of Rs 14 per quintal turns into a loss of over Rs 50, when the cost of milling and transport is added. According to mill owners, against the Rs 80 per quintal cost of milling, the government provides only Rs 25 per quintal.The market price of paddy, on the other hand, is lower than the government procurement price. At present the market price of rice is Rs 1,700-1,800 per quintal. Moreover, earlier, around three million tonnes of rice from West Bengal was exported annually to Bangladesh. This has come down to nearly 700,000 tonnes.
The demand for parboiled rice has also declined substantially as rising income has led the demand shift to better quality rice. In the rural market, the key market for parboiled rice, demand for non-PDS rice has shrunk because of government subsidy schemes.Data from the NSSO survey on household consumption suggests between 2004-05 and 2011-12, the monthly per capita consumption of rice in urban areas declined from 6.77 kg to 6.24 kg. The monthly per capita consumption of PDS rice in rural areas increased from 0.61 kg in 2004-05 to 0.95 kg in 2011-12. But the monthly per capita demand for rice from non-PDS sources in rural areas decreased from 9.08 kg to 8.97 kg.
The trend is not restricted to West Bengal, as per capita monthly rice consumption in rural India declined to 5.98 kg in 2011-12 from 6.38 kg in 2004-05. In urban India, the fall in rice consumption was 0.2 kg per person per month. Per capita consumption of PDS rice has, however, doubled in rural India and risen by 66 per cent in urban India since 2004-05, implying the share of PDS purchases in rice consumption has risen substantially, according to the NSSO

Himalayan Dine Inn's herbs and lentils could start a knife fight

This food should be a spread for a crowd to share, fight over


"My name is Bhim. The name means ‘bravery.’”Bhim’s as tall standing as I am sitting, but he’s stocky, fit-looking, and confident. He’s wearing a Nepalese-style cap, with a little replica of two crossed knives on the front. Oh, right.
The meal: pakoras, dhal soup, samosas, papadum, and paneer pakauda, all for about $15
Ghurka.

Ghurkas are the famed fighting men of Nepal who have fought with the British Army for the last couple of hundred years.“Ghurkas? Fierce,” my cousin Bob told me once. He had worked alongside them once when he was in the army, doing field exercises with the Brits. “I was so glad we were on the same side.”The one thing they always carried was their khukuri, their fighting knife, a scary-looking bent blade halfway between a knife and a scythe.Bhim points to one hanging on the wall. “We do everything with it, from harvesting to fighting enemies,” he says.This is happening inside a new place that used to be a Pakistani eatery named “Maizbaan.” It’s called “Himalayan Dine Inn” now, and looks kinda similar. Big old cavern on Broadway.
Bhim
The “Coming Soon” signs had been up for the longest time, so today, when the sign says “Grand Opening,” I’m in like Flynn. Inside’s been given a lick of paint and fresh red tablecloths, blue carpet, lime-green skirting, cheddar-cheese-gold walls, hanging dish ceiling lights, and red, white, and gold gathered curtains. And your nostrils detect curry in the air. In some ways you feel you’re in some great old Indian hotel.He hands me a menu. I know it’s going to be mostly like Indian food, with lots of curries, clay-oven-baked breads, and chutneys.
Oh, dang. Too late for their lunch special, basically a chicken or vegetable curry with rice, which goes for $6.95.Natch, the menu starts off with chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken breast cooked in a creamy tomato sauce with “Himalayan herbs.”Aha. Himalayan herbs? I remember hearing about these. It’s what distinguishes Nepalese cooking from Indian cooking. Seems an herb called jimbu is one of the scarce plants that can handle the great heights and the cold of the most fantastic mountains on Earth. It grows all over them, basically holds them together when the snows melt. Tastes like onion and chives, helps sharpen up any dish. Good for you, too, for, like, flu and stomach pains. Also the timur berry. Puts some pepper heat in your mouth.

Five-lentil soup
Whatever. Chicken tikka masala is by far the most popular Indian-style dish for Westerners, Bhim says.Then there’s the new kid on the block: momo. Basically, Tibetan street food that came over to Nepal with the Tibetan exodus after the Chinese took over. Momos are more Chinese than Indian. Steamed dumplings. Here, a plate of ten chicken momos, stuffed with ground chicken, cabbage, cilantro, and onions and served with chutney, goes for $8.95. They have a vegetarian version for $7.95.And, yeah, if you’re vegetarian, Indian/Pakistani/Nepalese food is maybe the most interesting food you can get. Because these guys have been into it forever. One of the easiest ones to order is the vegetable biryani, which is basically a mess of flash-cooked veggies mixed into basmati rice, plus raisins and nuts and those Himalayan spices ($8.99).

Onion and cabbage pakauda
Bhim says all the chicken dishes come with basmati rice or naan, a flatbread that Gypsies, the Roma, brought from India to the Mediterranean back in the day. So, naan > flatbread > pita > pizza! Does anyone thank the Gypsies for bringing us pizza? All eight chicken curries go for $10.99, including the delicious-sounding coconut chicken curry and chicken vindaloo, the one with potatoes and the onion-sauce gravy.A whole lot of the same dishes, but with lamb as the meat, go for a couple of bucks more (like, $12.99) and seafood equivalents are $13.95. Good news is most vegetarian dishes, like aloo bhanta (delicious-sounding curry of eggplant and potatoes), go for a couple of dollars less than their meat brothers.

Paneer pakauda
Sigh. I love all this stuff. But soon enough, your eyes start to glaze over. Decisions, decisions. Usually, when in doubt, go for samosas. I ask Bhim for a couple ($4.95). Heck, I also go for a couple of pakoras — fritters of different kinds. I get a paneer pakauda (same as pakora) made of cheese, cabbage, potatoes ($4.95), and a vegpakaud, basically a deep-fried mess of chopped-up onions ($4.95).
First, though, Bhim brings up a bowl of Five Lentil (dahl) Soup with masala (“They areghana dahl, urad dahl, mung dahl, massor dahl, urad dahl,” says Bhim. They taste good. Basically, you think lentils. And you kind of need the liquid because the dishes, when they arrive, are all deep-fried and sauced up with chutneys.

Samosas and papadum
So, those dishes? The paneer pakauda is the least interesting, a fairly tasteless bunch of yellow cakes that depend on the sauces to give them meaning. But the veg pakaud onions are a lot of fun, especially with the mint sauce they have with them.But, once again, the samosas win. They’re just tasty and filling enough to make you want more. But even though I’m already full, I sort of wish I’d gone for one of the curries, because they are a whole world of taste in themselves. But, hey, Nepalese Cooking 101. We’ve started the adventure. Next time, the $6.95 lunch special. Then bring 20 of my best friends. Because this food should be a spread for a crowd to share, fight over.
Hopefully not with khukuris.

Prices: Two samosas (stuffed with potato, veggies), $4.95; paneer pakauda (deep-fried cheese, cabbage, potatoes), $4.95; veg pakaud (deep-fried onions, sauce), $4.95; 10 chicken momos (dumplings stuffed with ground chicken, cabbage, onions, with chutney) $8.95; veggie momos, $7.95; vegetable biryani (with basmati rice, raisins, nuts), $8.99; Himalaytan tarkari mixed (tandoori baked chicken breast, lamb cubes, shrimp, veggies in Himalayan sauce) $12.99; lamb vindaloo, $12.99; aloo bhanta (curry of eggplant and potatoes), $9.95
Hours: 10:00 a.m –10:15 p.m. daily (till 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday)
Buses: All downtown
Nearest bus stop: Broadway and Ninth
Trolleys: Orange and Blue Lines
Nearest trolley stop: City College
San Diego Reader

Restaurant Spy visits the Radcliffe Arms, Hitchin

By Hertfordshire Mercury  |  Posted: September 02, 2015
Lobster bisque

I expected trouble. And I was right.
The delightful Radcliffe Arms, in Hitchin, does not have a solitary burger of any description on its dinner menu.Not that I would have expected one. This is a wonderful gastropub, with a small, but perfectly formed, menu which had me salivating from the first glance.But, my dining companion, as we have learned, is a burger freak. Never one to step outside her comfort zone, she hones in on a menu looking for anything that comes sandwiched between two pieces of bread.But the Radcliffe Arms had nothing even vaguely resembling a burger. She even called for the bar menu to see if one was hidden away from the fine diners. But nothing.
Fearing I was going to have a toddler-type tantrum on my hands, I went through the menu with her, trying to highlight the things she might be tempted to try.There was lamb and duck and steak . . . I even pointed out that a steak was like having a burger but without the bread. But she was having none of it.I decided to adopt the policy that works for parents dealing with the terrible twos and simply ignore her.I had already made my choice – although I admit it wasn't easy. This is a gastropub that caters for all my needs and food loves.
I would happily have had any combination of dishes, but in the end I went for a lobster bisque for starters.Apparently, the Radcliffe had had a lobster event the previous night and had used the extra lobsters to add to the specials board.My only previous experience with lobster had involved racing them across a deck in a Long Island yard before plunging them, screaming, into hot water. It had been an emotional time.But as I hadn't had the opportunity of bonding with my lobster this time, I was able to sit back and enjoy it.Meanwhile, my dinner guest had made a decision. Duck – with chips!The confit of duck leg and a spring roll of braised duck was supposed to be accompanied by sweet potato mash, but chips go with everything, right?
And after all her moaning and foot-stamping, not only did she enjoy it, but she kept talking about it for days afterwards, to anyone who would listen.I'd decided on the fillet of sea bass steamed en papillote. It was the first time I had eaten anything cooked in paper and I wasn't sure what the correct dining etiquette was. Are you supposed to remove the paper? I decided to just unwrap the fish and tip in my braised basmati rice, peas, shrimps and baby carrots – which I guess was a posh version of eating fish from a newspaper.The Radcliffe is very popular and it isn't difficult to see why.
 Relaxing before dessert, I realised that it felt like I was sitting in someone's living room. The decor – the flamingo wallpaper is amazing – is very similar to what you'd see in someone's house and the dining room felt very laid-back.There's also a conservatory area and I'm guessing that is even more relaxed.When it came to dessert, I'd left the best until last – and that was saying something as every mouthful I'd had had been divine.Strawberry and balsamic crĆØme brulee with a black pepper tuile ticked all the boxes, especially when it came to that satisfying crunch of caramel on the top.There was no stopping my dining companion now as she enjoyed a peach and apricot cheesecake.I think it's fair to say the Radcliffe had been forgiven!


www.mercury.com
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures   
CME Group (Prelim):  Closing Rough Rice Futures for September 3
Month
Price
Net Change

September 2015
$11.795
+ $0.105
November 2015
$12.060
+ $0.105
January 2016
$12.350
+ $0.105
March 2016
$12.590
+ $0.095
May 2016
$12.815
+ $0.085
July 2016
$12.980
+ $0.080
September 2016
$12.095
+ $0.100

Weekly Rice Sales, Exports Reported  

WASHINGTON, DC -- Net rice sales of 66,000 MT for 2015/2016, up 97 percent from the previous week, were reported for Venezuela (29,500 MT), Mexico (19,600 MT), unknown destinations (7,200 MT), and Panama (3,000 MT), according to today's Export Sales Highlights report. Decreases were reported for Guatemala (1,300 MT), Costa Rica (200 MT), and Russia (100 MT). Exports of 156,400 MT, up 74 percent from the previous week, reported to Venezuela (59,500 MT), Iraq (31,500 MT), Mexico (24,800 MT), Japan (12,000 MT), and Costa Rica (6,800 MT). This summary is based on reports from exporters from the period August 21-27, 2015.

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