Friday, September 11, 2015

10th September,2015 Daily global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Rice News Headlines...
Ø  Pakistan to export 100m tons of rice to Iran  
Ø  How researchers are trying to grow an unusual urban crop: Rice
Ø  CCMB scientists to collaborate to develop multi-resistant varieties of rice
Ø  Basmati exporters' realisations down 18%
Ø  South remains wet as Met sets up watch for ‘low’ in Bay
Ø  Cambodia to pass on Philippines’ rice tender
Ø  Four varieties of salinity tolerant rice show promise
Ø  NFA issues tender to import 750,000 tons of rice
Ø  Early autumn tour to outskirts of Seoul
Ø  APEDA Commodity News
Ø  Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
Ø  DA and IRRI to host ministers from ASEAN Plus Three and India tomorrow
Ø  How to ensure rice self-sufficiency in Nigeria, by processors
Ø  USA Rice-DU Stewardship Partnership Texas Reservoir Project Clears First Hurdle          
Ø  USA Rice Briefs House Agriculture Committee Staff          
Ø  60% of flood land remains barren
Ø  CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures  
Ø  Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-Sep 10
Ø  Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
Ø  How to ensure rice self-sufficiency in Nigeria, by processors

News Detail...
Pakistan to export 100m tons of rice to Iran  

MENAFN - 09/09/2015

(MENAFN) Arrangements are being seen through by Pakistan to export the excess rice to Iran instead of the money Pakistan has to pay for electricity import.If things work out, Pakistan will ship one million tons of basmati rice to Iran, up from the recent annually exported 700,000 tons, before the Iranian sanctions.Pakistan owes more than USD100 million to Iran for electricity import, let alone the Iranian ban on rice imports from Pakistan which was valid up until recently.
Almost 90 percent of rice is currently imported from India even though imports from Pakistan are more economical, but things are about to change starting next October
MENAFN.com

 

How researchers are trying to grow an unusual urban crop: Rice

  September 10 at 2:42 PM 

Urban farmer Nazirahk Amen, left, and Che Axum, director of urban ariculture and gardening education for the University of the District of Columbia, walk among their experiments in dry-land rice at UDC’s Muirkirk Research Farm in Beltsville, Md. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)
As a child in Northeast Washington, Mchezaji “Che” Axum recalls, he snacked on rice with milk and sugar. And his colleague Nazirakh Amen grew up in Louisiana, home of gumbo and etouffee, where, he proclaims — striking a fist on his desk for emphasis — “You don’t. Eat. A meal. That doesn’t have rice.”Today, Axum directs the Center for Urban Agriculture and Gardening Education at the University of the District of Columbia; Amen runs Purple Mountain Organics and Wisdom Path Healing Center, both in Takoma Park; and the two are collaborating on a project based on rice — a local project with global implications.

Instead of growing rice in the familiar paddies, they are conducting a three-year study in growing it just as you’d raise wheat or eggplant or apples: that is, on dry land. They’re doing it on a farm connected with one of the country’s smallest land-grant universities, and the only one based in a city. The goal: to produce a nutrient-dense crop that can be grown in urban areas.In recent years, conventionally grown rice has been connected to some disturbing effects: high levels of arsenic and lead, lavish water use, rice paddies that produce more methane than cattle feedlots do.In truth, rice doesn’t require those troublesome paddies.
Farmers flood their fields chiefly because rice can grow underwater but most weeds cannot.So some farmers have tried varieties of rice adapted to dry upland areas. Others have reduced pesticide use or the size of paddies. Still others employ the low-water, high-yield System of Rice Intensification developed at Cornell University.

A few years ago, Amen and Axum started to discuss small-scale grain production and its role in maintaining a dependable local food supply. Amen submitted a successful research proposal to CAUSES — the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences at UDC. Administrators there were intrigued.“We were asking the question, could you grow rice in the District of Columbia, in the Mid-Atlantic region, and could you grow it in a small space?” recalls Sabine O’Hara, dean of CAUSES and director of UDC’s land-grant programs. They also wanted to grow it without disturbing the dense urban ecosystem: no standing water that could breed mosquitos, no pesticides that might contaminate water or air.

Che Axum inspects the results of his experiments in dry-land rice at UDC's Muirkirk Research Farm in Beltsville, Md. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)
Obstacles and success
The Nutrient Dense Rice Project, as it’s officially called, uses a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to track and compare the growth of two rice varieties — the Russian Duborskian strain and Koshihikari from Japan — irrigated with lines buried at two levels, six inches deep or one inch deep. All plants receive meticulous application of natural fertilizers at specific stages of rice kernel development.Axum and Amen planted the first crop at UDC’s Muirkirk Research Farm in Beltsville, Md., in the spring of 2014, and the trial was on.There were obstacles. Stink bugs, Japanese beetles and cucumber beetles munched the plants, and the yields weren’t as high as Amen had expected. UDC didn’t have a soil and plant testing lab set up, and the team wasn’t able to hire a student worker, as it had hoped to do.The successes, however, were clear. Amen and Axum cut water use to almost half what farmers usually apply, thanks to the buried irrigation lines and strategic watering times.
The Koshihikari strain, with irrigation lines laid one inch under the soil, delivered the best results: more than 2,800 pounds of rice per acre, almost double the yields seen by Maryland farmer Heinz Thomet, who has been experimenting with rice for four years.Furthermore, contamination with heavy metals was dramatically reduced. The amounts of cadmium, arsenic and lead in that first crop were all below detectable levels.Meanwhile, Amen has traveled to learn from farmers and to present at sustainable-agriculture conferences. “I try to talk to whoever I can,” says Amen, who says he doesn’t consider himself a farmer. “I have buddies.”During this 2015 growing season, Amen is seeking to increase yields by applying what he learned through those connections and the first year’s results. He has also teamed with Thomet to embark on a new experiment, testing 10 different rice varieties through Amen’s connections. The varieties come from places as far-flung as Brazil and the Philippines, and as close as Massachusetts.To show their that methods are viable, the researchers must replicate the same results at least three times, so the experiment will take years.


Rows of rice are growing on dry land, rather than in traditional paddies, at UDC’s Muirkirk Research Farm. Irrigation lines are buried beneath the plants. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)
A global challenge
As the District’s population has grown, so have communal efforts. District residents embrace co-housing, co-working and co-ops of all kinds. Shared bikes cruise city streets. Community garden members keep communal sheds and compost piles, and the Department of Parks and Recreation offers collective composting and a city-wide tool share.Similar efforts on a global scale aren’t as easy. Food production, distribution and environmental impact are major concerns as the Earth’s population balloons toward 9 billion, O’Hara points out. “If we don’t take another look at the food system and where we grow things and how we grow things, we’re not going to meet that challenge,” she says.

That is where the Nutrient Dense Rice Project could contribute. Until now, small growers had to scale down agricultural research findings to fit small farms or community gardens. The new rice trials could flip that model, generating methods that cities worldwide could adopt as is. O’Hara sees immediate applications for countries like China, where most of the arable land is maxed out. Then there’s the promise of new enterprise for small farmers.The project’s grant application reads at times like a sustainable-farming manifesto. It refers to small grains such as rice as “the base of humanity’s food security” and declares: “Our future depends on creating models of adaptability. Putting grain production into the hands of the small farmer is a step in the right direction.”
And how about the quality?

Axum has yet to test the first year’s rice for nutrition, but flavor is an indicator of nutrient density. The tastier, the more nutritious. Recalling the sample he prepared in the rice cooker he bought for the experiment, he reports “real, natural flavor” that’s “earthy” and “a true experience.”As for Amen, he calls it both fresh and satisfying. “Maybe it’s just me being delusional,” he says finally, “but to eat that rice that we grew and got to the plate, that was amazing.”

Kennedy is a lecturer at Gallaudet University and a freelance writer. Her Web site is rheakennedy.com.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/how-researchers-are-trying-to-grow-an-unusual-urban-crop-rice/2015/09/10/0b59553a-4a94-11e5-8ab4-c73967a143d3_story.html

 

CCMB scientists to collaborate to develop multi-resistant varieties of rice

 

Ch Sushil Rao  
HYDERABAD: A project to develop multi-resistant varieties of rice is being undertaken by scientists here. The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Directorate of Rice Research (DRF) and Agri Biotech Foundation singed an MoU to collaborate on the project titled "Molecular cross talks between defense pathways in rice: antagonism to synergism". This project is funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research to the extent of about Rs. 1.4 crores. It may be mentioned here that CCMB with DRR had developed a bacterial blight resistant Samba Mahsuri rice variety. Accoridng to CCMB director Dr. Ch. Mohan Rao, during extensive interactions with farmers, their needs were understood. 
"One such need is protection from other infections as well for the variety of rice developed. It is also possible that over the time, resistance of the improved Samba Mahsuri rice may be overcome by the bacteria. It is necessary to continue to investigate plant pathogens and host defense systems," he said. The idea now is to incorporate resistance to different infecting agents simultaneously. "However, if we incorporate multiple genes, they may work in synergy or they may antagonize each other. Thus, it is necessary to understand the molecular cross talks between defense pathways to develop multi-resistant varieties," he said.

Dr. Ramesh Sonti, Chief Scientist, CCMB, Dr. J.S. Bentur, Subject Matter Specialist, Dr. G. Mallikarjuna, Assistant professor, ABF, Dr. M. Srinivas Prasad, Dr. R. M. Sundaram, Dr. A.P.Padma Kumari, and Dr. G.S. Laha, senior scientists from DRR, Hyderabad are the collaborators from respective institutes.The expected outcome of this project would be: Identification of set of genes induced when rice plant is infested with either BB or blast pathogens or gall midge, either solely, sequentially or simultaneously, possible synergism of certain combination of genes in conferring non-target pest resistance, possible antagonism of certain combination of genes and to avoid use of such combinations and cross resistance against non-target pests/pathogens conferred by gene pyramids.
 
Dr M R VishnuPriya, Head, PME and plant molecular biologist, CCMB said that understanding such gene interactions are indeed essential to develop effective multiple pest resistance in rice. CCMB director Mohan Rao said that such collaborative efforts would greatly help developing more multiple pest resistant rice varieties enhancing farmers' revenue. Such initiatives contribute towards country's economy by the development of disease-resistant rice varieties, he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/CCMB-scientists-to-collaborate-to-develop-multi-resistant-varieties-of-rice/articleshow/48902491.cms

Basmati exporters' realisations down 18%

 

Komal Amit Gera  |  Chandigarh September 9, 2015 Last Updated at 22:34 IST


Although Indian basmati exports might see a growth in volume this year, the average realisation per tonne is projected to be lower for the kharif season 2015 crop.The harvesting of basmati paddy (mainly grown in Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh) would commence from September last week and the traders are yet to exhaust the kharif 2014 stock.Fall in realisations is also because of competition from Pakistan. After lifting of sanctions on Iran, Pakistan is also exporting to that country, though the overall demand from Iran has been low.The competition among domestic exporters has triggered a price reversal.Export prices have registered a drop of $220 per tonne this year and this indicates a fall of about 18 per cent over the last year.
The average realisation per tonne of basmati rice was earlier close to $1,220, while the average value of contracts being registered currently with APEDA (Agri and Processed Food Products Exports Development Authority) is $950-1,000 per tonne. There has been no variation in basmati demand from importing countries but the prices have plunged due to excess supplies.Lured by high returns of an average $1,295 a tonne in the international market for the basmati varieties, PUSA 1121 and PUSA 1509, the traders purchased every single grain from the farmers during the kharif 2013. The area under basmati cultivation also increased from 1.8 million hectare to 2.13 million hectare in the last two years, anticipating an upward trend in price.
This resulted in over supplies and now the Indian basmati exporters are competing amongst themselves to clear their stocks.Ashwani Arora, director LT Overseas (Dawaat Brand Basmati) endorsed the trend of fall in export prices.“We are expecting a year-on-year growth of 15 per cent but this might not translate into same proportion in value terms as the prices have declined,” he said. Arora’s company registered an export turnover of Rs 1,300 last year but he is sceptical about retaining the same margins.Pakistan is also emerging as a competitor after the lifting of US sanctions on Iran.
This country accounts for 38 per cent of India’s Basmati exports. Although the availability of basmati and processing facility in Pakistan is limited but increase in Pakistan’s participation in global market can provide a choice to the importers can make a dent on the profits of Indian exporters.The exporters have a cushion as the purchase price of basmati has also dwindled from Rs 4,000 per quintal in kharif 2013 to about Rs 1,600-1,700 per quintal in the current season.A senior official in APEDA said that Indian exporters can retain the high price in the international market due to the unique qualities (aroma and length) of basmati but they need to invest in branding. The big brands are able to insulate themselves from price corrections, but unorganised players are likely to be more affected, he added.Basmati exports are among the top foreign exchange earners for the country.
Business Standard

South remains wet as Met sets up watch for ‘low’ in Bay

VINSON KURIAN
The Hindu

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, SEPTEMBER 9:  
A helpful trough extending lately from north Madhya Maharashtra to Lakshadweep across interior Karnataka has piloted rain into parts of Central India overnight on Wednesday.Though no heavy rainfall was reported, the spell was spread out across peninsular and adjoining Central India as well as along the West Coast.
Watch for ‘low’
Apart from the trough, a fresh cyclonic circulation over West-central Bay of Bengal helped anchor the spell. India Met Department expects this to settle as a low-pressure area over ‘next three-four days.’Forecasts about further evolvement of the ‘low’ vary from one agency to the other with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts suspecting it may loiter about in the Bay for some time.It would be made to share the southwest monsoon flows with a stronger system upstream (east) likely developing in the South China Sea.The Bay ‘low’ and the building system in the South China Sea will both draw on the flows being masterminded by typhoon ‘Kilo’ in the northwest Pacific (off Japan).
Depression likely?
Given this, the Bay ‘low’ may not ramp up to the strength earlier estimated; it will move laterally west from the Andhra Pradesh coast and across the central peninsula into the Arabian Sea off Konkan-Goa.But the US National Centres for Environmental Prediction suspects that the ‘low’ could intensify as a monsoon depression in the Bay and approach the Odisha coast in a week’s time from now.The US Centre for Climate Prediction sees above-normal rain for central peninsula during the week ending September 14 (Monday). The rain will spread to Central India during the week that follows.Withdrawal of monsoon could remain suspended until September 21 until the rains clear out progressively from the Central India and South Peninsula.

Withdrawal stalls
On Wednesday, the withdrawal line remained stalled along Amritsar-Hissar-Ajmer-Barmer alignment across Punjab and Rajasthan. The Met also refrained to take call on further withdrawal from the region.It sais that the monsoon was active over Marathwada, Rayalaseema, coastal and north interior Karnataka during the 24 hours ending Wednesday morning.The ongoing spell has helped push the Met subdivisions of coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, south interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry into ‘rainfall normal’ category.Agency reports from New Delhi quoted Met as saying that the overall deficit has come down by two percentage points to 12 per cent on Wednesday.

(This article was published on September 9, 2015)

Cambodia to pass on Philippines’ rice tender

Thu, 10 September 2015
State-owned agriculture company Green Trade said yesterday that it will not participate in the latest Philippine government’s rice auction as Cambodia’s rice cannot compete on price with neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam.The Philippines’ National Food Authority (NFA) yesterday authorised the import of 750,000 tonnes of rice and has invited the governments of Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam to join the bidding process to fill the quota, according to a report from Reuters.But having already lost out twice in the past 12 months, Heang Vutha, director general of Green Trade, said the new tender, which has set a closing date on bids of September 17, is too soon to expect costs to have come down to the point where Cambodia can compete.“Our cost of rice is still higher than other countries so we will consider joining the next bid when we can lower the cost of rice,” Vuthea said, referring to a potential future Philippine’s offer beyond this month.
In its most recent effort, Cambodia lost out on a 100,000-tonne Philippines’ rice bid to Vietnam in June.Vietnam’s, $417 per tonne, was only marginally smaller than Thailand’s, but Cambodia’s final bid of $455.50 per tonne was way above the reference price of $408.15 Higher transportation and electricity costs lead the list of factors that have prohibited Cambodia from bidding competitively, according to Vutha.“We are on the process of discussing which sectors we can cut cost that would lower the cost of rice as a result,” he said.However, Song Saran, CEO of Amru Rice Company, said that Cambodia could still be competitive in the bidding process if the government was willing to share in some loses and offer incentives to private exporters, through tax cuts, low-interest loans, lower electricity fees or transportation cost reduction.

“It is a good opportunity for Cambodia to open the market there again, to show about our quality rice” he said. “We want to get the new experience for Filipino clients as well.”Moul Sarith, acting secretary general of Cambodia Rice Federation said that Cambodia has the quality to compete, but would still run at a loss if it were to drop its prices to below that of Vietnam, due to the higher costs of production and exports.“NFA needs good quality rice at a low price and we could not compete with the cost of rice,” he said.Sarith said, however, his members had not yet decided if they would push for a bid on the latest offer from the Philippines.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/cambodia-pass-philippines-rice-tender

 

Four varieties of salinity tolerant rice show promise

 

Bangladeshi scientists develop first transgenic rice infusing pea gene; up to 50pc higher yield potential
The team of scientists who have developed four salinity-tolerant rice varieties. Photo: Collected
Bangladeshi scientists have developed four transgenic rice varieties capable of production in high soil salinity, far better than the ones now available in the market that were derived from conventional breeding.A particular pea gene -- helicase -- was infused into four high yielding rice varieties (HYVs) that helped rice plants have higher salt tolerance and higher yield potential, scientists told The Daily Star.They were readying two most promising varieties for trials in greenhouses.In lab and net house, the transgenic varieties had shown potential to yield up to 50 percent more than the available salt-tolerant HYVs in saline-stressed soil.In Bangladesh, one million hectares out of a total nine million hectares of cultivable land are salinity affected, and the vulnerability is more profound during the dry season. That's why the scientists chose the dry season Boro rice varieties first for the gene transfusion.

A team led by Dhaka University's Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Professor Zeba Islam Seraj made it possible after a decade of research.   Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury yesterday called Zeba to congratulate her and her team for the breakthrough and promised support. A transgenic crop plant contains a gene or genes which have been artificially inserted.The Zeba-led team applied multiple techniques of breeding that include genetic engineering, tissue culture and marker-assisted backcrossing.Zeba first procured the pea gene from International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) and then using Agrobacterium as carrier infused the salt-tolerance vigour into home-grown rice variety Binnatoa.

The team of scientists who have developed four salinity-tolerant rice varieties. Photo: Collected
Later, her team crossed the helicase-infused Binnatoa with four HYVs, BRRI Dhan-28, BRRI Dhan-29, BRRI Dhan-36 and BRRI Dhan-47.Agrobacterium is well known for its ability to transfer organism's genetic information between itself and plants, and for this reason it has become an important tool for genetic engineering.All the four HYVs were developed by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and are known for their high yield potential. Zeba and her team are now concentrating on two transgenic rice varieties (derived from BRRI Dhan-28 and BRRI Dhan-47) as these two have been found to have the most potential.

Once the biosafety regulators give permission in a meeting scheduled later on this month, the two rice varieties would be put on confined trials inside BRRI's transgenic greenhouse and then on controlled field trials.Zeba expects farmers to have the transgenic rice for cultivations in two to three years, provided the trials go well.  Team member Md Sazzadur Rahman, senior scientific officer of BRRI, told The Daily Star that BRRI Dhan-47 was a salt tolerant HYV and could withstand up to 8 decisiemens per metre of salinity."If you grow BRRI Dhan-47 in non-saline condition, it has 7 tonnes of potential yield per hectare, but it will give you half the yield in 8 decisiemens per metre saline condition as after 4 decisiemens per metre threshold, yield continues to drop with rising salinity," he said, adding that the transgenic rice showed potential of providing up to 50 percent more yield in moderate saline conditions.

Zeba, who was instrumental behind the government's move to employ employing late Maqsudul Alam in jute genome sequencing, told The Daily Star, "There are salinity level up to 15/16 decisiemens per metre in coastal regions but even if we can cover 50 percent of the moderate salinity-prone farmland under transgenic rice, the country's rice productivity would have a significant boost."The other core members of salt tolerant transgenic rice project team are Mahzabin Amin, Sudip Biswas, Tasnim Ahmed, Sabrina M Elias, and Narendra Tuteja. Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR, popularly known as Science Laboratory) played a vital role in helping the scientists develop the rice.

"We've state-of-the-art real-time PCR [polymerase chain reaction] facilities in our Rajshahi centre and we let the team use that. It helped them know easily how the pea gene is expressed in the varieties they've infused it with," said M Rezaul Karim, a principal scientific officer of Bcsir. The PCR is a technology in molecular biology used to amplify a single copy or a few copies of a piece of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating thousands to millions of copies of a particular DNA sequence.

Talking to this correspondent yesterday, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury said better rice breeds that could withstand salinity would align well with the government's new policy of promoting Boro in the southern region and rain-fed Aman in the northern region."We just don't want to further deplete the groundwater level in the North by cultivating too much of irrigated-rice. So if we can grow more salt tolerant rice in the saline-prone South, we'll emphasise on growing more rain-fed Aman and Aus in the North."She said government would arrange for more funding for pursuing biotechnology so that more stress-resistant varieties could be developed.

 

NFA issues tender to import 750,000 tons of rice


by Mary Grace Padin - September 10, 2015
The National Food Authority (NFA) said it has scheduled the bidding for 750,000 metric tons (MT) of imported rice on September 17 to plug the expected shortfall in Philippine paddy rice output due to El Niño which could persist until next year.The state-run food agency said the volume already includes the 500,000 MT of imported rice the NFA would need to beef up its buffer stocks for next year. The procurement will be done under a government-to-government scheme.NFA Administrator Renan B. Dalisay said Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia have been invited to participate in the auction.“We decided to procure the whole volume, but only the 250,000 MT buffer stock for El Niño will arrive this year.

We want to get [the whole volume] now—to ensure that we will also have buffer stocks for next year—while there is still supply and prices in the world market are still low,” Dalisay said in a text message.He said the volumes were based on the recommendation of the interagency Food Security Committee on Rice, which is chaired by the National Economic and Development Authority.Dalisay said the government decided to include the 2016 rice requirement in the September 17 auction as supply in the world market might not last due to increased demand from other countries affected by El Niño. The weather phenomenon, which could also cut rice output in other countries, is expected to cause international rice prices to go up.

According to the terms of reference (TOR) for the procurement of rice posted on the NFA’s web site, all offerors are required to submit their offer in US dollars per MT, on the basis of cost insurance and freight, delivery at place, free on warehouse up to NFA-designated warehouses.
The NFA said the evaluation of the offer and contract award will be done on the basis of the lowest price offered, provided that the offer conforms to the volume and delivery period requirements.Delivery of rice shipments will be done on a staggered basis. For the 250,000 MT standby authority for El Niño, 125,000 MT will be delivered by the end of November, and the remaining half by the endof December.

The 500,000 MT intended for the 2016 rice supply will be shipped in the first quarter of next year—175,000 MT by the end of January, 175,000 MT by the end of February and 150,000 MT by the end of March.The NFA said the total volume of rice it has contracted in 2015 has reached 1.787 million metric tons (MMT). This includes the 250,000 MT rice volume it will import in preparation for the El Niño, which is expected to intensify starting October and will last until May next year.Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the country’s total palay production for 2015 may decrease by 0.6 percent to 18.86 MMT as compared to last year’s 18.97 MMT due to the effects of the drought.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/nfa-issues-tender-to-import-750000-tons-of-rice/

 

Early autumn tour to outskirts of Seoul

作者: Rahul Aijaz on 10 September , 2015.
类别: Asia, East Asia

Early autumn sunset in Pyeongtaek.
(Photo: Rahul Aijaz)

Winter is coming. No, seriously, winter is coming. But for now, it is autumn in Korea (which is quite similar to winters in Karachi, Pakistan). Chilly winds, moody weather – sometimes sunny; at others, rainy, and at times, both simultaneously. And upon stepping away from Seoul for a day, even waving green fields, scarecrows and a ton of bugs.So, we set out to Incheon to visit ‘Ssang Yong Machine Industry’, a factory producing machinery for qualitative analysis of rice. Factories, to me, are full of rusty machinery, grease-dripping metal parts in a low-lit arenas where men, drowned in sweat, work.

This was not the case here. There were workers, there was machinery, but everything was as clean as a showered baby wrapped in a blanket. Not a perfect analogy but still.I paced around the grey machinery, surrounded by dull walls and the organized microscope look-alike machines on the tables, taking a photograph every now and then. We were given a tour of the storage of rice and machinery as well as demo of the process of qualitative analysis. Next was the visit to a mattress manufacturing office.

A number of mattresses made from the outer hard skin of coconuts, lay around me. The CEO of the company, Mr. Kim explained the process, showing us multiple examples. What surprised me was how it was not only used to manufacture mattresses for hospitals and children beds but also used in police jackets and other multiple objects. Learning something new, having a coffee and red ginseng tea, we left for Pyeongtaek.A mere one hour drive later, during which a good nap reenergized me, I woke up surrounded by vast rice fields. A tour of the ‘Nam Yang Agriculture’ company followed.

The president Mr. Shin accompanied us throughout, detailing every process with his narration.During dinner, I realized what occurred during lunch, when I tried eel and octopus, wasn’t the strangest moment. I usually enjoy fried shrimp. Dead. Fried. Shrimp. Not alive. Not by any chance. When asked if I would like shrimp for dinner, I nodded in excitement. Then I saw the shrimp in the plate, moving. That was enough to stop me from eating them. I thought, poor souls, I am not going to eat them alive. Technically, they were dead but just the sight of seeing them move freaked me out.But then I was distracted by the beautiful calm night, listening to the sounds of the sea beside, as I fed on raw fish and consumed beer.The night came to an end and we drove back to Seoul, while I stared out the window remembering the beautiful autumn sunset I saw earlier that evening.


APEDA Commodity News

International Benchmark Price
Price on: 10-09-2015
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
Rice
1
CZCE Early Rice Futures (USD/t)
430
2
Pakistani 100%, FOB Karachi (USD/t)
318
3
Pakistani 25% Broken (USD/t)
383
Wheat
1
CZCE Wheat Futures (USD/t)
358
2
NYSE Liffe Feed Wheat Futures (USD/t)
169
3
NYSE Liffe Milling Wheat Futures (USD/t)
166
Honey
1
Argentine 85mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
3190
2
Australian extra light/light amber, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
4785
3
Argentine 34mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
3685
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 10-09-2015
Domestic Prices
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Bajra(Pearl Millet)
1
Amreli (Gujarat)
Other
1075
1560
2
Loharu (Haryana)
Deshi
1275
1275
3
Nira (Maharashtra)
Other
1550
1825
Rice
1
Gauripur (Assam)
Other
1800
3000
2
Kondotty (Kerala)
Other
7000
7200
3
Aroor (Kerala)
Other
2900
3100
Apple
1
Ateli (Haryana)
Other
5200
5200
2
Nagpur (Maharashtra)
Other
4000
7000
3
Karanjia (Orissa)
Other
5000
6000
Onion
1
Howly (Assam)
Onion
5000
5500
2
Muzaffarpur (Bihar)
Other
4400
4580
3
Barwala (Haryana)
Onion
3000
4000
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 10-09-2015
Product
Market Center
Price
1
Ahmedabad
316
2
Chittoor
316
3
Pune
315
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package
Price on 04-09-2015
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
Detroit
California
Yellow
28
28.50
Carrots
Package: 20 1-lb film bags
1
Atlanta
California
Baby Peeled
19
20.75
2
Dallas
Arizona
Baby Peeled
16.75
17
3
Detroit
California
Baby Peeled
17
17.50
Apples
Package: cartons tray pack
1
Atlanta
Washington
Red Delicious
18
20
2
Dallas
Washington 
Red Delicious
22
22
3
Chicago
Washington
Red Delicious
13.50
14.50
Source:USDA

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
902
817
New Crop
892
810


Riceland Foods


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


Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Sep '15
888.00
882.75
884.50
+1.75
Nov '15
879.25
868.50
874.00
+1.75
Jan '16
883.00
872.50
877.50
+1.50
Mar '16
885.00
874.25
879.50
+1.00
May '16
886.25
876.75
881.25
+0.75
Jul '16
890.00
881.00
885.25
+1.00
Aug '16
887.25
879.75
883.50
+0.50
Sep '16
873.75
872.50
871.25
+0.25
Nov '16
869.50
861.25
865.25
+0.50

Soybean Comment

Soybeans closed slightly higher, however prices failed to hold early momentum and closed near the bottom of trading range. Soybeans remain under pressure as large supplies and slow export demand remain the top focus of traders. Tomorrows report is expected to show tighter supplies however some of this could be offset by lower exports


Wheat
High
Low
Cash Bids
440
430
New Crop
480
455


Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Sep '15
468.75
462.75
468.00
+6.00
Dec '15
479.50
471.50
478.00
+5.75
Mar '16
486.75
479.00
486.00
+5.75
May '16
491.75
485.00
491.00
+5.50
Jul '16
496.50
490.00
495.50
+5.25
Sep '16
505.50
500.00
504.25
+4.50
Dec '16
517.25
512.00
517.25
+5.25
Mar '17
526.00
+4.50
May '17
524.00
+4.50

Wheat Comment

Wheat closed higher as all commodities were able to post gains today. Wheat remains under pressure from weak fundamentals and tomorrow's report is not likely show significant improvement. Wheat prices are likely to remain depressed and tied closely to other commodities.


Grain Sorghum
High
Low
Cash Bids
384
346
New Crop
384
353



Corn
High
Low
Cash Bids
359
324
New Crop
379
331


Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Sep '15
362.25
355.50
361.75
+5.25
Dec '15
374.75
366.75
374.25
+5.25
Mar '16
386.00
378.25
385.50
+5.25
May '16
392.75
385.25
392.50
+5.00
Jul '16
397.75
390.25
397.50
+5.00
Sep '16
392.25
385.50
391.75
+3.75
Dec '16
398.50
392.00
398.00
+3.50
Mar '17
408.75
403.00
408.25
+3.50
May '17
414.50
+3.50

Corn Comment

Corn prices closed near daily highs today. The average trade estimate is for yields to be reduced and stocks to decline around 100 million bu from last month. While this is still higher than stocks started last month it will help support prices. This said, there is some speculation yields could increase which would likely push prices to new contract lows.


Cotton
Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Oct '15
63.72
63.25
63.48
0.16
Dec '15
63.9
62.91
63.05
0.13
Mar '16
63.58
62.68
62.8
0.12

Cotton Comment

Cotton futures closed higher but at the bottom of the day's trading range after failing at resistance at 64 cents. A Wall Street Journal poll of analysts shows projected U.S. production of 13.78 million bales, up from the USDA estimate of 13.08 million bales last month. New USDA numbers will be released tomorrow. December is attempting to consolidate just above support at 62 cents.


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


Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Sep '15
1239.0
1235.0
1243.5
+22.0
Nov '15
1274.0
1238.5
1267.0
+20.5
Jan '16
1302.5
1269.0
1295.0
+20.0
Mar '16
1314.5
1310.5
1315.0
+18.0
May '16
1337.5
1332.5
1327.0
+11.5
Jul '16
1350.0
1335.0
1341.5
+11.0
Sep '16
1258.5
+7.5

Rice Comment

Rice futures continued to climb higher. News that the Philippines is in the process of re-evaluating the volume of rice that will need to be imported in the 2016 marketing year. Previous recommendations were based upon a relatively weak El Nino weather pattern, which has since intensified. The Philippines is one of the largest rice importers in the world. Harvest is well under way in the US, with 35% of the crop in the bins as of Sunday, September 6. November shattered previous resistance at the August high of $12.34 on Wednesday and is now trading at its highest level in a year.


Cattle
Futures:
Live Cattle:
High
Low
Last
Change
Oct '15
143.825
142.375
142.775
-0.200
Dec '15
145.650
144.300
144.425
-0.650
Feb '16
145.675
144.500
144.600
-0.675
Apr '16
144.450
143.325
143.325
-0.775
Jun '16
136.075
135.275
135.275
-0.625
Aug '16
134.750
134.025
134.075
-0.400
Oct '16
136.900
136.400
136.550
-0.250
Dec '16
137.450
137.175
137.450
+0.050
Feb '17
137.750
136.650
137.750
+1.000
Feeders:
High
Low
Last
Change
Sep '15
204.300
202.850
203.500
-0.325
Oct '15
199.200
197.000
198.100
-0.475
Nov '15
196.525
194.500
195.400
-0.550
Jan '16
190.475
188.825
189.675
-0.250
Mar '16
188.350
186.575
187.825
+0.350
Apr '16
188.675
187.025
188.550
+0.700
May '16
188.675
187.100
188.100
+0.450
Aug '16
189.100
187.800
188.625
+0.625

Cattle Comment

Cattle prices closed lower today, however prices were well off of daily lows. Cattle continue to be unable to build on Tuesdays strong gains. While beef prices are strengthening sales cattle remain weak keeping the pressure on prices.
Hogs
Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Oct '15
69.325
68.425
68.425
-0.500
Dec '15
64.025
63.275
63.400
-0.150
Feb '16
68.375
67.450
67.450
-0.650
Apr '16
71.925
71.150
71.150
-0.550
May '16
76.500
76.200
76.200
-0.250
Jun '16
80.150
79.675
79.675
-0.400
Jul '16
79.500
79.200
79.200
-0.250
Aug '16
78.875
78.400
78.675
+0.025
Oct '16
67.325
66.925
67.125
-0.150

DA and IRRI to host ministers from ASEAN Plus Three and India tomorrow


11 September 2015

Los Baños, Laguna — Ministers and dignitaries from 11 Asian countries will visit the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) headquarters tomorrow, 12 September. The visit is 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 Department of Agriculture, led by Secretary Proceso Alcala, this year. India will also participate."IRRI supports ASEAN members in their national rice and food security programs by providing the necessary scientific research as well as technical support and capacity-building," said Dr. Robert S. Zeigler, IRRI director general.
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 careful assessment of  the various ASEAN+3 countries reveals extensive variation in natural resources for rice production. This is also the case for other crops and agricultural commodities."In effect, each ASEAN nation has a country food security agenda.  Each country’s national strategy is linked to the ASEAN regional agenda, bound together by shared aspirations, and facilitated by trade. ASEAN countries could look at exporting high-quality rice to 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," Zeigler noted.

World food prices hit lowest level in almost seven years, UN agency reports

Global wheat production for 2015 is now forecast at 728 million tonnes, 5 million more than previously foreseen. Photo: FAO/Olivier Thuillier

10 September 2015 – The price of major food commodities continued to drop through August due to abundant supplies, a decline in energy prices and concerns over the economic slowdown in China, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported today.According to the FAO Food Price Index, which tracks international market prices for five major food commodity groups – cereals, meat, dairy products, vegetable oils and sugar – virtually all food groups registered marked dips in price in August.

 The index averaged 155.7 points in August, down 5.2 per cent from July, the sharpest fall since December 2008.The cereal price index continued to fall, down 7 per cent from July and 15.1 per cent from last year. FAO attributed the decline to falling wheat and maize prices, as well as continued improvement in production prospects.Witnessing an 8.6 per cent drop from July, the vegetable oil price index averaged 134.9 points, reflecting a six-and-a-half year low in palm oil prices due to slow import demand, particularly by India and China.Dairy and sugar prices also dropped on the index, by 9.1 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. FAO said this was due to lower import demand for dairy, and the continuing depreciation of the Brazilian Real against the United States dollar in the case of sugar.

The meat index price remaining largely unchanged in August, although compared to its peak a year ago, overall prices were down by 18 per cent.Meanwhile, FAO also reported that its forecast for global cereal production for 2015 had been revised upward as a result of more buoyant production prospects for coarse grains, wheat and rice. The forecast for 2015 now stands at 2,540 million tonnes, which is 13.8 million tonnes more than expected in July. The upgrade was driven by improved growing conditions for maize in Argentina and Brazil, and for maize and sorghum in the US.Global wheat production forecast has also been adjusted upward by 5 million tonnes, with 728 million tonnes now expected due to higher expectations for crops in Australia, the European Union, Russia and Ukraine. Rice production prospects have also improved since July, with an additional 1.3 million tonnes now expected.

News Tracker: past stories on this issue

How to ensure rice self-sufficiency in Nigeria, by processors

By Ahmed Dio Agbo | Publish Date: Sep 10 2015 4:18AM | Updated Date: Sep 9 2015 11:46PM

Trucks loading rice from combine harvesters at Olam’s rice farm in Doma, Nasarawa state

A foremost stakeholder in the Nigerian rice value chain has listed eight ways to boost domestic rice production so as to ensure self-sufficiency. Dropping the hint recently in Abuja, the Chairman, National Rice Millers Association of Nigeria (NRMAN) and Chief Executive Officer of Umza Rice, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, maintained that the advice must be seriously considered if the country was truly desirous of halting rice importation in the near future.The eight ways to ensure rice self-sufficiency, according to Alhaji Abubakar, include the provision of improved seeds and seedlings to ensure higher yield, provision of adequate tractors/equipment, and improvement in mechanisation, access to land, as well as land clearing services by the government.

Others are access to fund at low interest rate, access to quality inputs such as fertilizer and agrochemicals, access to market and market expansion.The chairman lamented the high cost of rice production, which he attributed to the high cost of fund and power, among others.“We can operate because of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) credit facility window at 9 per cent interest rate. At a commercial interest rate of between 20 to 24 per cent, no rice miller can survive,” the rice miller noted, adding, “And we have to buy diesel to power the mills with generators. This is apart from the high cost of transportation and other infrastructural challenges. It is very difficult to compete with foreign millers under this environment.

”The chairman said 21 rice mills were established in four years, and if that trend continues under a good investment climate, in the next few years, many mills will spring up and the country will be exporting rice.He hailed the CBN for placing rice paddy on the restriction list for accessing foreign exchange for the importation of the commodity, saying the policy would go a long way in boosting rice production and processing in the country.


USA Rice-DU Stewardship Partnership Texas Reservoir Project Clears First Hurdle          
  Working on a solution to Texas water woes
RLINGTON, VA -- The newest project sought by the USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited (DU) Rice Stewardship Partnership has cleared a major hurdle with the announcement by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that the groups' pre-proposal has been chosen to advance to the next round of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
 USA Rice and DU have partnered with the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) on the proposed $10 million project, the new Prairie Conservation Reservoir in Eagle Lake, Texas, to benefit rice growers, migratory waterfowl, and waterbirds.  The project complements an existing LCRA construction project - the Lane City Reservoir, the region's first significant new water reservoir in decades.
 
The USA Rice-DU project was selected from amongst 265 pre-proposals to advance to the full proposal stage.  Submitted pre-proposals were seeking some $1.8 billion in funding and were offering $1.27 billion in contributions.  The total funding available for this round of the RCPP projects is just $235 million, so the competition will be intense. 
 Contact:  Peter Bachmann (703) 236-1475
USA Rice Briefs House Agriculture Committee Staff          
 Trade briefing on Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON, DC -- USA Rice COO Bob Cummings joined representatives from the dairy and sugar industries on Tuesday for a briefing on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) at the House Agriculture committee.  The briefing, for the agriculture staff of individual Committee Members, was in preparation for a meeting between the Committee and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman the following day which was held in executive session.

"By all reports, the TPP negotiations are coming to a close, and Tuesday's session was a good opportunity to share with staff our concerns about important improvements that are still needed in the rice market access deal reportedly negotiated between the U.S. and Japan" said Cummings.
 Expectations among many were high that the negotiations would close at the Ministerial meeting held in Hawaii in late July, but trade ministers were unable to resolve differences on three key issues:  the rules of origin for automobiles and parts manufactured in the 12 TPP countries, dairy market access, and the length of time certain medicines would receive patent protection within TPP countries.  Press reports indicate that negotiations to resolve these issues are currently taking place.
 Contact:  Peter Bachmann (703) 236-1475

60% of flood land remains barren

Flooded farmland in Mrauk-U which is yet to be replanted. (Photo – Min Thein Naing)
Cyclone Komen left nearly 900,000 acres (364,000 hectares) of farmland damaged and about 60 per cent of it has not been replanted, Ye Min Aung, general secretary of the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF), told a disaster recovery forum.“Only about 40 per cent can be replanted. About 450,000 or 500,000 acres cannot be used for re-cultivation. It will hit crop production,” said Ye Min Aung.Bago Region is suffering the most with up to 370,000 acres destroyed while there are about 300,000 acres affected in Rakhine State, Ayeyawady Region and Sagaing Region.

Chin State has an estimated 5,740 acres of destroyed farmland although this might increase as more contact is made with the state, which remains largely cut off.“About 1.5 million acres of farmlands were flooded, and nearly 1 million acres were destroyed. Most destruction occurred in Rakhine State, Ayeyawady Region and Bago Region,” said Ye Min Aung.An anonymous MRF source said: “Rehabilitation for Rakhine State is very important. The MRF will hold special meetings to meet the need for rice in Rakhine State. The MRF, Myanmar Rice and Paddy Traders Association and Myanmar Rice Millers’ Association have organised a reserve rice selling committee for Rakhine State. The state normally has no late-season cultivation so many farmers will have to wait until next season. If it is hard to get support and we are thinking of foreign imports.”

http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/local/60-flood-land-remains-barren-0

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures   

CME Group (Prelim):  Closing Rough Rice Futures for September 10
Month
Price
Net Change

September 2015
$12.435
+ $0.220
November 2015
$12.670
+ $0.205
January 2016
$12.950
+ $0.200
March 2016
$13.150
+ $0.180
May 2016
$13.270
+ $0.115
July 2016
$13.415
+ $0.110
September 2016
$12.585
+ $0.075

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-Sep 10


Nagpur Foodgrain Prices - APMC & Open Market-September 10
 
Nagpur, Sept 10 Gram prices showed weak tendency in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and
Marketing Committee (APMC) here on lack of demand from local millers amid high moisture content
arrival. Profit-taking selling by stockists at higher level, easy condition in Madhya Pradesh
gram prices and easy condition on NCDEX also pulled down prices in thin trading activity,
according to sources. 
 
               *            *              *              *
 
    FOODGRAINS & PULSES
    GRAM
   * Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here on subdued demand from local traders 
     amid ample stock in ready position.
 
     TUAR
   * Tuar gavarani recovered further in open market on renewed demand from local traders 
     amid tight supply from producing regions. 
 
   * Masoor, Udid and moong varieties touched to a record high in open market on 
     increased buying support from local traders amid thin supply from producing regions. 
     Weak production estimates in this season also activated stockists.
                                                                                       
   * In Akola, Tuar - 9,7900-10,300, Tuar dal - 14,100-14,500, Udid at 9,600-10,000, 
     Udid Mogar (clean) - 12,100-12,600, Moong - 7,600-7,800, Moong Mogar 
    (clean) 9,200-9,800, Gram - 4,900-5,050, Gram Super best bold - 6,400-6,600 
     for 100 kg.
 
   * Rice, wheat and other commodities remained steady in open market in thin trading 
     activity, according to sources.
       
 Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
 
     FOODGRAINS                 Available prices     Previous close   
     Gram Auction                   4,200-4,750         4,300-4,880
     Gram Pink Auction            n.a.           2,100-2,600
     Tuar Auction                n.a.                8,000-9,200
     Moong Auction                n.a.                6,000-6,400
     Udid Auction                n.a.           4,300-4,500
     Masoor Auction                n.a.              2,600-2,800
     Gram Super Best Bold            6,500-6,800        6,500-6,800
     Gram Super Best            n.a.                
     Gram Medium Best            5,900-6,100        5,900-6,100
     Gram Dal Medium            n.a.            n.a.
     Gram Mill Quality            5,800-5,900        5,800-5,900
     Desi gram Raw                5,150-5,200         5,150-5,200
     Gram Filter new            6,200-6,400        6,200-6,400
     Gram Kabuli                6,400-7,500        6,400-7,500
     Gram Pink                6,800-7,000        6,800-7,000
     Tuar Fataka Best             14,500-14,800        14,500-14,800
     Tuar Fataka Medium             13,300-13,900        13,300-13,900
     Tuar Dal Best Phod            12,900-13,100        12,900-13,100
     Tuar Dal Medium phod            12,300-12,800        12,300-12,800
     Tuar Gavarani New             10,300-10,500        10,200-10,500
     Tuar Karnataka             10,400-10,800        10,400-10,800
     Tuar Black                 12,100-12,300           12,100-12,300 
     Masoor dal best            8,500-8,700        8,200-8,700
     Masoor dal medium            8,200-8,400        7,900-8,300
     Masoor                    n.a.            n.a.
     Moong Mogar bold               9,900-10,300        9,700-10,100
     Moong Mogar Medium best        8,800-9,500        8,200-8,800
     Moong dal Chilka            8,700-8,900        8,700-8,900
     Moong Mill quality            n.a.            n.a.
     Moong Chamki best            8,400-9,200        8,400-9,200
     Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG)    12,500-13,000       12,300-12,700
     Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)    11,500-12,000        11,200-11,700
     Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)        10,200-10,400        9,800-10,100
     Batri dal (100 INR/KG)        5,200-5,600        5,200-5,600
     Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)           4,000-4,200         4,000-4,200
     Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)        3,200-3,450        3,200-3,450
     Watana White (100 INR/KG)        3,000-3,200         3,000-3,200
     Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)    3,300-3,600        3,300-3,600
     Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)        1,400-1,500        1,400-1,500
     Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG)    1,650-1,750        1,650-1,750
     Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)        1,350-1,550           1,350-1,550
     Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)    2,250-2,400        2,250-2,400
     Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)    1,950-2,100        1,950-2,100
     Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)    n.a.            n.a.
     MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG)    3,400-3,700        3,400-3,700
     MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)    2,750-2,900        2,750-2,900        
     Rice BPT best(100 INR/KG)        3,100-3,300        3,100-3,300
     Rice BPT medium(100 INR/KG)        2,800-3,000        2,800-3,000
     Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG)        1,700-1,900        1,700-1,900
     Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG)      2,000-2,300        2,000-2,300
     Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG)      1,900-2,000        1,900-2,000
     Rice HMT best(100 INR/KG)        3,500-3,900        3,500-3,900
     Rice HMT medium(100 INR/KG)        3,200-3,300        3,200-3,300
     Rice HMT Shriram best(100 INR/KG)    4,800-5,100        4,800-5,100
     Rice HMT Shriram med.(100 INR/KG)    4,000-4,500        4,000-4,500     
     Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)    8,000-10,000        8,000-10,000
     Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)    7,000-7,500        7,000-7,500
     Rice Chinnor best (100 INR/KG)    5,200-5,400        4,900-5,100
     Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG)    4,700-5,000        4,400-4,800
     Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)        2,100-2,350        2,100-2,350
     Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)        2,400-2,500        2,400-2,500
 
WEATHER (NAGPUR)  
Maximum temp. 34.3 degree Celsius (93.7 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
23.4 degree Celsius (74.1 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.
Rainfall : nil
FORECAST: Patly cloudy sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 35 and 23 degree Celsius respectively.
 
Note: n.a.--not available
 
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)
http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/09/10/nagpur-foodgrain-idINL4N11G3VF20150910

Rice stockpile under scrutiny

10 Sep 2015 at 08:25
NEWSPAPER SECTION: BUSINESS | WRITER: CHATRUDEE THEPARAT An official checks the quality of rice stored in a warehouse in Bangkok's Klong Sam Wa district. New inspections will help the government to decide appropriate prices for the sale of state stocks nationwide. 
PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD
Provincial officials have 30 days to complete the inspection of rice stored at 1,800 warehouses nationwide under a deadline set by the National Rice Policy Committee chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.Officials have to figure out the exact amount of good-quality and rotten rice in the 13.5 million tonnes the state has held for several years.The findings will help the government to decide appropriate prices for sale, commerce permanent secretary Chutima Bunyapraphasara said.She said some observers believed the auction prices were too low.Stocks are kept in warehouses in 51 provinces. Estimates are that 4.6 million tonnes are substandard rice and 1.3 million tonnes are rotten.
The 13.5 million tonnes were accumulated from the rice-pledging scheme run by the previous government from 2011-14.As the scheme paid farmers 15,000 baht a tonne for paddy or up to 24,000 baht a tonne for milled rice, Thai rice lost competitiveness in the global market, resulting in the huge stockpile.Exporters have estimated significant losses from the rice sales with the low auction prices.Fourteen bidders recently won bids to buy 246,793 tonnes of rice at 2.34 billion baht from the ministry, meaning bidders pay 9,460 baht a tonne.
Therefore, the state receives less than 10 baht a kilogramme, far lower than the 24-baht production cost of rice excluding expenses for storage and maintenance, said Chookiat Ophaswongse, an honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association.Although the price of Thai rice is less competitive in the global market, the weak baht is a positive factor that drove exports to 6 million tonnes in the first eight months of this year, drawing high hopes that Thailand can achieve its target of 9 million tonnes this year.
The Bangkok Post

How to ensure rice self-sufficiency in Nigeria, by processors

By Ahmed Dio Agbo | Publish Date: Sep 10 2015 4:18AM | Updated Date: Sep 9 2015 11:46PM

Trucks loading rice from combine harvesters at Olam’s rice farm in Doma, Nasarawa state
A foremost stakeholder in the Nigerian rice value chain has listed eight ways to boost domestic rice production so as to ensure self-sufficiency. Dropping the hint recently in Abuja, the Chairman, National Rice Millers Association of Nigeria (NRMAN) and Chief Executive Officer of Umza Rice, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, maintained that the advice must be seriously considered if the country was truly desirous of halting rice importation in the near future.

The eight ways to ensure rice self-sufficiency, according to Alhaji Abubakar, include the provision of improved seeds and seedlings to ensure higher yield, provision of adequate tractors/equipment, and improvement in mechanisation, access to land, as well as land clearing services by the government. Others are access to fund at low interest rate, access to quality inputs such as fertilizer and agrochemicals, access to market and market expansion.
The chairman lamented the high cost of rice production, which he attributed to the high cost of fund and power, among others.“We can operate because of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) credit facility window at 9 per cent interest rate.

At a commercial interest rate of between 20 to 24 per cent, no rice miller can survive,” the rice miller noted, adding, “And we have to buy diesel to power the mills with generators. This is apart from the high cost of transportation and other infrastructural challenges. It is very difficult to compete with foreign millers under this environment.”The chairman said 21 rice mills were established in four years, and if that trend continues under a good investment climate, in the next few years, many mills will spring up and the country will be exporting rice.He hailed the CBN for placing rice paddy on the restriction list for accessing foreign exchange for the importation of the commodity, saying the policy would go a long way in boosting rice production and processing in the country.


http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/agriculture/how-to-ensure-rice-self-sufficiency-in-nigeria-by-processors/110187.html

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Thursday, September 10, 2015

10th September,2015 Daily Exclusive ORYZA Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Global Rice Quotes
September 9th, 2015
Long grain white rice - high quality
Thailand 100% B grade   355-365                ↔
Vietnam 5% broken        320-330                ↔
India 5% broken               365-375                ↔
Pakistan 5% broken        315-325                ↔
Myanmar 5% broken      415-425                ↔
Cambodia 5% broken     420-430                ↔
U.S. 4% broken                 530-540                ↔
Uruguay 5% broken        535-545                ↔
Argentina 5% broken     530-540                ↔

Long grain white rice - low quality
Thailand 25% broken      330-340                ↔
Vietnam 25% broken      315-325                ↔
Pakistan 25% broken      290-300                ↔
Cambodia 25% broken   405-415                ↔
India 25% broken             340-350                ↑
U.S. 15% broken               500-510                ↔

Long grain parboiled rice
Thailand parboiled 100% stxd     350-360                ↔
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%   810-820                ↔
Vietnam Jasmine             450-460                ↔
India basmati 2% broken              NQ         ↔
Pakistan basmati 2% broken       NQ         ↔
Cambodia Phka Mails     830-840                ↔

Brokens
Thailand A1 Super            305-315                ↔
Vietnam 100% broken   310-320                ↔
Pakistan 100% broken stxd          275-285                ↔
Cambodia A1 Super        355-365                ↔
India 100% broken stxd                 300-310                ↔
Egypt medium grain brokens      NQ         ↔
U.S. pet food     335-345                ↔
Brazil half grain NQ         ↔



All prices USD per ton, FOB vessel, oryza.com

Philippines Issues Tender to Import Another 750,000 Tons of Rice

Sep 09, 2015
The Philippines' National Food Authority (NFA) today issued a tender to import another 750,000 tons in addition to the 1.8 million tons already planned to be imported this year as part of efforts to prepare for the intensifying El Nino, according to Reuters.
The NFA is seeking offers from the governments of Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia for the supply of 25% broken well-milled rice before September 17, 2015. The state grains agency is seeking delivery of the first 250,000 tons of rice before the year end and the remaining 500,000 tons in the first quarter of 2016.
The agency is keen on maintaining buffer stocks in anticipation of an intensifying El Nino, which is likely to cut down rice production in the country. “There is no better option than being prepared,” the NFA reportedly said in a statement. “Drought due to El Nino is predicted to intensify beginning October and will last until May 2016,” it added.
The local weather bureau cautioned that the El Nino event could be as severe as the 1997-98 event, which reduced the Philippines' rice harvest by nearly 24%. It also cautioned that the current event could be one of the strongest events since 1950.
Extra purchases by the Philippines are expected to increase rice export prices in Asia, which have fallen in recent months.

U.S. Researcher Experiments with Rice Growing in Wisconsin

Sep 09, 2015
U
While, Arkansas, California, Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana are the main rice growing states in the U.S., a Marquette University researcher proved that rice could be grown in Wisconsin state in the U.S. Midwest region, according to www.wgbhnews.org.
The researcher Michael Schläppi successfully grew a Russian rice variety called 'Krasnodarsky 3352' in his lab and field. He fixed on the variety after stress-testing around 200 rice varieties from various countries to know whether they would be suitable to the Wisconsin weather. He tested them in various climatic conditions. 
He began planting seedlings on the rooftop in April this year and a month later shifted the germinated seedlings to a field in about one-third acre. Throughout the summer he observed that the rice crop survived well and is now ready for harvest. He is expecting a yield of around 8,000 pounds per acre (9 tons per hectare).
With the success of the experiment, the researcher is planning to extend the experiment to one acre land. The 'Krasnodarsky 3352' variety is made for Wisconsin, he told reporters.

Indian Basmati Rice Exporters Struggle to Cope with Oversupply and Lower Prices Ahead of 2015 Harvest

Sep 09, 2015
Indian basmati rice exporters are concerned of oversupply of stocks from the kharif 2014 crop, falling prices and lower demand ahead of the harvest of the kharif 2015 crop, which is likely to begin from the end of September, according to local sources.
According to data from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Exports Development Authority (APEDA), export prices of basmati rice have declined to around $950-1,000 per ton this year, down about 18% from around 1,220 per ton last year. The prices are said to have fallen due to excess supplies.
Basmati rice farmers had increased acreage of basmati in 2014 kharif season to around 2.13 million hectares from around 1.8 million hectares in 2013 in anticipation of higher prices based on higher returns received for the 2013 crop. They received as much as Rs. 4,000 per quintal (around $600 per ton) in 2013-14 crop year (October - September). However, prices tumbled to as low as Rs. 1,600-1,700 per quintal (around 4240 - $255 per ton) in the 2014-15 crop year partly due to a temporary ban imposed by Iran, which accounts for about 38% of India's basmati rice exports. All these factors led to an oversupply of stocks.
Local sources say exporters are competing against themselves to clear stocks before the new harvest arrives.
Meanwhile, Iran's removal of ban on Pakistani rice after the lifting of US sanctions is likely to impact India's basmati rice exports. Though the volume of basmati and processing facilities in Pakistan are limited, its increased participation in global market is expected to dent profits of Indian rice exporters.
A senior official in APEDA told local sources that big brands are in a position to insulate themselves from price corrections, but unorganized players are likely to be more affected. He stressed on the importance of investing in branding in order to retain position in the international market.

Third 'Ente Risi Open Day' to Demonstrate Use of Drones in Precision Farming

Sep 09, 2015
The Rice Research Center of the Ente Nazionale Risi, the National Agency for Rice, is organizing the third Ente Risi Open Day in Castello d'Agogna (Pavia) on September 10, 2015.
The Ente Risi Day is divided into two parts. In the morning, a conference titled "A comparison among international researchers for a competitive rice growing sector" will be held. Several international and Italian researchers are expected to participate. In the afternoon there will be a visit to the Ente Risi testing fields where a demonstration of the use of drones for precision farming has been arranged. The National Research Council (CNR) researchers will also present the Hermes (Satellite services for agriculture) project, which is supported by the European Union and the Ente Risi.
The day aims at bringing together researchers from different countries. "The significance of this day is to bring together researchers from different nationalities who bring to the attention of the whole scientific chain the results related to common problems in a spirit of cooperation and mutual synergy," says the Ente Nazionale Risi Commissioner.

U.S. Dominates Turkey Rice Imports in First Six Months of 2015

Sep 09, 2015
The U.S. has reportedly dominated Turkey rice imports during the first six months of 2015. Of the 208,000 tons imported by Turkey, U.S. rice accounts fro about 71,500 tons or 34% of the total rice imports during the period, according to USA Rice Federation.
The Turkish imports have increased despite increased acreage due to enhanced promotional activities by the USA Rice Federation. The Federation laid stress on increased promotion during the summer. It reached almost 2.4 million Turkish consumers through its articles and recipes featuring U.S. grown rice. It also organized in-store promotions in the market, with 16 demonstrations at two hypermarkets. It could reach aboue 10,000 customers that way.
Turkey imports mostly medium grain rice.

India Rice Sellers Increase Some of Their Quotes; Other Asia Rice Quotes Unchanged Today

Sep 09, 2015
India rice sellers increased their quotes for 25% broken rice by about $5 per ton to around $340-$350 per ton today. Other Asia rice sellers kept their quotes mostly unchanged.             
5% Broken Rice
Thailand 5% rice is indicated at around $345 - $355 per ton, about $25 per ton premium on Vietnam 5% rice shown at around $320 - $330 per ton. India 5% rice is indicated at around $365 - $375 per ton, about $50 per ton premium on Pakistan 5% rice shown at around $315 - $325 per ton.
25% Broken Rice
Thailand 25% rice is shown at around $330 - $340 per ton, about $15 per ton premium on Vietnam 25% rice shown at around $315- $325 per ton. India 25% rice is indicated at around $340 - $350 per ton, up about $5 per ton from yesterday and about $50 per ton premium on Pakistan 25% rice shown at around $290 - $300 per ton.
Parboiled Rice
Thailand parboiled rice is indicated at around $350 - $360 per ton. India parboiled rice is indicated at around $355- $365 per ton, about $60 per ton discount to Pakistan parboiled rice last shown at around $415 - $425 per ton.                                                                                                                                                                                                       
100% Broken Rice
Thailand broken rice, A1 Super, is indicated at around $305 - $315 per ton, about $5 per ton from premium on Vietnam 100% broken rice shown at around $300 - $310 per ton. India's 100% broken rice is shown at around $300 - $310 per ton, about $25 per ton premium on Pakistan broken sortexed rice shown at around $275 - $285 per ton.

Brazil Exports 719,112 Tons of Rice in First Eight Months of 2015


Sep 09, 2015
Brazil has exported around 719,112 tons of rice in the first eight months (January – August) of 2015, according to data released by the Rice Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (IRGA).
In August 2015, Brazil exported around 117,342 tons of rice, up about 70% from around 68,979 tons exported in July 2015.

Senegal remained the largest importer of Brazilian rice in August 2015 with around 38,226 tons, or about 32.5% of Brazil's total rice exports during the month. Nicaragua accounted for around 20,007 tons (about 17% of Brazil's total exports during the month); Switzerland accounted for around 14,706 tons (about 12.5% of Brazil's total exports during the month); Gambia accounted for 11,764 tons (about 10% of Brazil's total exports during the month); and Benin accounted for around 8,456 (about 7% of Brazil's total exports during the month).

Costa Rica (5,351 tons), Peru (4,154 tons), South Africa (2,794 tons), U.S. (2,721 tons), Bolivia (1,380 tons), Cape Verde (1,141 tons), Trinidad and Tobago (863 tons) Saudi Arabia (732 tons), Chile (726 tons), S. VIC. And Grenadines (589 tons), Panama (588 tons), Angola  (538 tons), Honduras (515 tons), Belgium (257 tons), Barbados (184 tons), Ant. Netherlands (110 tons) and others (1,165 tons) accounted for the remaining 21% of Brazil's total rice exports in June 2015.
Brazil exported around 1.24 million tons of rice in 2014, up about 2.4% from around 1.209 million tons exported in 2013, according to data from IRGA.

Oryza Afternoon Recap - Chicago Rough Rice Futures Find Follow-through Buying Interest Following Yesterday's Technical Breakout


Sep 09, 2015

Chicago rough rice futures for Nov delivery settled 19 cents per cwt (about $4 per ton) higher at $12.465 per cwt (about $275 per ton). The other grains finished the day mostly lower; Soybeans closed about 0.8% lower at $8.7225 per bushel; wheat finished about 0.6% lower at $4.7225 per bushel, and corn finished the day about 0.2% higher at $3.6900 per bushel.

U.S. stocks traded lower Wednesday, failing to extend a rally in global markets amid talk of stimulus overseas. The major averages traded lower in early afternoon trade. Earlier, they gave up their opening rally of about 1% to dip into negative territory. Traders also eyed the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) which showed the number of job openings was a record 5.8 million, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said. The key nonfarm payrolls report Friday reinforced expectations that labor conditions are strong enough to support a rate hike, which could possibly come as soon as the Federal Reserve's meeting next week. Earlier, stocks opened sharply higher following strong gains in markets overseas.

China's Ministry of Finance said the government will strengthen fiscal policy, boost infrastructure spending and speed up reform of its tax system, adding to other steps to re-energize sputtering growth. Japanese stocks also rallied on back of comments by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that the government aims to lower the corporate tax rate.


The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded up 27 points, or 0.17%, at 16,520. The S&P 500 traded up 4 points, or 0.21%, at 1,973, with consumer discretionary leading six sectors higher and utilities the greatest decliner. The Nasdaq traded up 16 points, or 0.34%, at 4,828. Gold is trading about 1.3% lower, crude oil is seen trading about 2.8% lower, and the U.S. dollar is seen trading about 0.2% higher about  1:15pm Chicago time.Tuesday, there were 587 contracts traded, up from 207 contracts traded on Friday. Open interest – the number of contracts outstanding – on Tuesday increased by 180 contracts to 9,872.
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mat,just click the following link