Wednesday, November 11, 2015

10th November,015 Daily Global,Regional & Local Rice e-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine -Latest Rice News

Rice News Headlines...
§  Rice Switches From Downtrend To Neutral
§  50L tonnes of paddy arrive in state markets
§  Task force to decide soon on rice imports
§  Slight Dip in Rice Yields ‘Won’t Affect Exports’
§  NorMin’s rice output down by 11% due to El Nino
§  Thailand Sells 2 MMT Rice Through G To G Deals
§  Rice farmers produce consumer-preferred varieties
§  Development of agriculture sector a must for economic development: Shehbaz
§  Future of hybrid rice in the U.S. and world webinar Nov. 12
§  East End Foods plc helping to save sight
§  Mars Food Commits to 100 Percent Sustainable Rice By 2020
§  Farmers in central Thailand urged to grow taro instead of rice
§  Farmers bemoan recent govt. policy on rice importation
§  Villar backs PhilRice’s 10-5 rice program
§  Rice residue
§  WASDE Report Released 
§  U.S.-Grown Rice Earns New "Likes" 
§  Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report/11/10/2015 Farm Bureau Market Report
§  CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures  
§  World Rice Production 2015/2016
News Detail...

Rice Switches From Downtrend To Neutral

By IFC MarketsCommoditiesNov 10, 2015 07:48AM ET
Asia fills up rice inventories
Thailand has sold to Indonesia 500 thousand tonnes of new rice crop for 8bn bahts. The talks around this intergovernmental deal pushed the grain prices up, but when the deal was cut, the prices went down. Will the rice continue growing?

Rice Daily Chart
Judging by the details of the deal between Thailand and Indonesia, the approximate contract price for rice was $445, which is 4.3% above the price of $426.6 a tonne for 300 thousand tonnes of the Thai rice sold to Philippines in September. Meanwhile, the current rice quotes on the CME are below those of September. Thailand is negotiating selling 1mln tonnes of rice to China with delivery early next year. In Philippines, the rice crop has fallen 3% hit by typhoon Lando. Now the officials are going to import extra 1.3mln tonnes of rice next year. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO), this year the global rice production will be 0.6% less than in 2014, totaling 491.4mln tonnes.


 In fact, the contraction may prove to be much more severe in case of El Nino effect.On the daily chart, the Rice: D1 has switched from the downtrend to the neutral and is above its 200-day moving average line. Parabolic indicator and MACD have formed buy signals. RSI is neutral and below 50, no divergence. The Bollinger bands® have widened, which may mean high volatility. The bullish momentum may develop in case the rice surpasses the last fractal high and closes the price gap at 12.74. This level may serve the point of entry.

The initial risk limit may be placed below the last fractal low at 11.51. Having opened the pending order, we shall move the stop to the next fractal low following the Bollinger and Parabolic signal. Thus, we are changing the probable profit/loss ratio to the breakeven point. The most risk-averse traders may switch to the 4-hour chart after the trade and place there a stop-loss moving it in the direction of the trade. If the price meets the stop-loss level of 1.133 without reaching the order of 1.101, we recommend cancelling the position: the market sustains internal changes which were not taken into account.
http://www.investing.com/analysis/technical-analysis-c-rice-:-2015-11-10-270888


50L tonnes of paddy arrive in state markets

  
CHANDIGARH: More than 49.53 lakh tonnes of paddy has arrived in the mandis of Haryana till Sunday this season. Of this, 40.75 lakh tonnes has been purchased by government procurement agencies. In the corresponding period last year, 35.95 lakh tonnes of paddy had arrived in the mandis.

An official of the state food and supplies department said out of the total arrivals of paddy, 43.26 lakh tonnes was Grade A and general category, more than 13,555 tonnes was Sharbati variety, 1.73 lakh tonnes was muchhal (PB-1), and 4.4 lakh tonnes were Basmati strains.

The official said 18.50 lakh tonnes of paddy have been purchased by the food and supplies department, 14.50 lakh tonnes by Hafed, 4.24 lakh tonnes by the Haryana Agro Industries Corporation and 3.49 lakh tonnes by the Haryana Warehousing Corporation.
He said Karnal had the highest arrival of paddy at 10.70 lakh tonnes, followed by Kurukshetra at 9.91 lakh tonnes, Ambala at 8.53 lakh tonnes, Kaithal at 6.11 lakh tonnes, Yamunanagar at 4.26 lakh tonnes, Fatehabad at 4.24 lakh tonnes, Jinda at 1.83 lakh tonnes, Sirsa at 1.57 lakh tonnes, Panchkula at 1.23 lakh tonnes and Palwal at 1.13 lakh tonnes.

Similarly, more than 1.08 lakh tonnes paddy arrivals were recorded in Sonipat, 39,569 tonnes in Hisar, 20,687 tonnes in Faridabad, 14,627 tonnes in Rohtak, 7,765 tonnes in Jhajjar, 3,676 tonnes in Mewat and 3,400 tonnes in Gurgaon.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/50L-tonnes-of-paddy-arrive-in-state-markets/articleshow/49731720.cms
November 10, 2015 10:39:00 PM

By Melissa Luz T. Lopez, Reporter


Task force to decide soon on rice imports



THE EL NIÑO Task Force will decide this month whether the government will need to import additional rice to serve as a buffer stock amid a prolonged dry spell expected until mid-2016, the country’s socioeconomic planning chief said yesterday.


Workers unload rice imported from Vietnam. -- AFP
Description: http://adserver.bworldonline.com/webpics/articles/image/20151110cabf7.jpgNational Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said the Cabinet will soon decide on the need to import more rice, the volume of which has yet to be determined by the interagency task force.Last week Mr. Balisacan said the task force is looking to bring in an additional 1.3 million metric tons of rice to augment the existing supply ahead of a “severe” El Niño that is expected to reduce significantly the local rice production.“We are still assessing the available information because it is changing, so the DA [Department of Agriculture] can get to validate the numbers, especially those areas badly damaged by typhoon Lando and the areas that were hit hard by El Niño,” Mr. Balisacan told reporters on the sidelines of a forum in Makati City.Asked if the volume of imports will be decided within the month, Mr. Balisacan said: “Yes, because it has to be submitted to the President.

”An additional supply is needed by the second quarter of 2016, the NEDA chief noted.The National Food Authority is the main agency tasked to import rice. The planned imports are apart from the 500,000 tons up for shipment in the first quarter next year from Vietnam and Thailand.The Task Force will also meet on Wednesday to finalize details of the government’s P19.2-billion master plan to mitigate the impact of El Niño, Mr. Balisacan said.Officially called the “Roadmap to Address the Impact of El Niño,” the master plan represents some P7.5 billion to be spent for the remaining months of 2015 and P11.7 billion for the first half of 2016. The plan awaits Malacañang’s approval.

Initial projections showed El Niño would last six months starting September this year, but this was further expected to stretch until June 2016, according to weather officials.Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad had earlier said that funding for the master plan may be reduced in the light of recent events, such as typhoon Lando which filled dams earlier projected to run dry.The central bank and international debt watchers have both pointed to the looming dry season as a risk to growth, citing its potential impact on commodity prices, among other factors.
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=task-force-to-decide-soon-on-rice-imports&id=118445



Slight Dip in Rice Yields ‘Won’t Affect Exports’

Khmer Times/Sok Chan

Tuesday, 10 November 2015

As the harvest of wet-season rice ends this month, a report from the Ministry of Agriculture says the yield will fall slightly below the target but this will not affect exports.
Rice will be harvested from about 2.55 million hectares of land, about 99.53 percent of the targeted 2.56 million hectares, the report said, adding that the yield would be about three tons per hectare on average. Hean Vanhan, deputy director of the General Department of Agriculture, told Khmer Times yesterday the target was almost met despite drought hitting areas of the country since the beginning of the planting season. “Cambodia has an extra 4 million tons of rice in stock after domestic consumption. As a result the loss of about 2,455 hectares [of rice to drought] this year is not a problem,” Mr. Vanhan said.

This will not affect exports, he added.  The ministry recently told its officials and those at local administrative bodies to concentrate on water management and advise farmers how to ensure the rice they harvest meets export standards. Farmers are also being encouraged to expand the kinds of crops they grow and manage water so they can grow crops during the dry season.
Var Saroeun, a farmer who is a member of the Mongkol Agriculture Development Community in Battambang province, said that yields this year would be less than last year due to drought. Rice yields are low this year, but we are continuing to grow rice for the dry season,” Mr. Saroeun said. “Yields are not only low but the price is lower than last year,” he said. Last year farmers received about $300 per ton and this year they are getting $250 per ton, Mr. Saroeun said. 

Song Saran, president of exporter Amru Rice, said that even if yields fell slightly during this harvest it would not impact purchases for export. “We are not worried about a shortage,” Mr. Saran said, explaining that according to Amru’s purchasing contracts the company only buys about 50 percent of a farmer’s yield. 
Description: http://www.khmertimeskh.com/files/news/17674/1447170124.jpg

He also said his company had increased purchasing prices by about 15 percent for contract farmers to encourage them to grow more rice of export quality. His company’s purchase target is about 10,000 tons and it has already bought about 6,000 tons, he said. Amru will double its target to 20,000 tons if it gets support from NGOs, the government or low-interest loans from local and international banks, Mr. Saran said.Agriculture officials say they are advising farmers whose rainy-season crops were destroyed to plant again in the dry season.

The ministry has set aside rice seeds and seeds for other crops for planting during the dry season, they said. “We have reserve rice seeds for farmers,” Mr. Vanhan said. “In locations that are not favorable for growing rice and do not have enough water in the dry season, we will provide seeds for other crops because we don’t want to see farmers go hungry due to natural disaster,” he added.Cambodia exported 408,169 tons of milled rice in the first 10 months of the year, with about 65 percent going to Europe, according to official figures. Exports of milled rice to China totaled 83,577 tons in the period.  
Image:Drought will not have a major impact on rice yields nationally this year, officials say.KT / Emmanuel Scheffer

http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/17674/slight-dip-in-rice-yields----won---t-affect-exports---/


NorMin’s rice output down by 11% due to El Nino

By Froilan Gallardo on November 10 2015 5:57 pm
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/10 November) — Rice production in Northern Mindanao dropped by 11 percent in the 3rd quarter of this year compared to the same period last year due to the dry spell or El Nino phenomenon, agriculture officials said.Department of Agriculture Region-10 director Lealyn Ramos said the dry spell affected the flowering stage of the rice planted in June and July.The flowering stage was affected by the dry spell. The flowers were not able to open fully to shed their pollen,” Ramos said.


Citing figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Ramos said rice production dropped by as much as 13, 737 metric tons worth P435 million this year.The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration had declared the country is experiencing since July this year the strongest El Nino phenomenon ever recorded.It predicted that the month of November will be the driest for Northern Mindanao.Ramos said the dry spell has already affected 650 hectares in Kapatagan town in Lanao del Norte where its irrigation system was damaged by tropical storm Agaton in 2014.She said the cash-strapped National Irrigation System was not able to repair the damage on the irrigation system of the rice-producing municipality.

She said the same thing happened in the province of Bukidnon where rice farmers were already fighting among themselves for the limited water supply from their irrigation canals.She said the agriculture department has resorted to “cloud seeding” over Lake Lanao and Bukidnon in cooperation with the Philippine Air Force.Ramos said the planes will be coming from Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro, a former commercial plane hub which has been converted into a military airbase.“We are closely watching the weather updates and have asked the municipalities to monitor the rivers and other water sources,” she said. (Froilan Gallardo/MindaNews)

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2015/11/10/normins-rice-output-down-by-11-due-to-el-nino/

Thailand Sells 2 MMT Rice Through G To G Deals

11/9/2015 
Agriwatch
India, Nov. 9 -- Thai commerce ministry is confidence about increasing demand for Thai rice.It has confirmed that about two million tonnes of rice has been sold through government-to-government deals.Its a part of the governmentand's goal to export 10 million tonnes of rice and in the latest development the Department of Foreign Trade sealed a deal with the Indonesian Bureau of Logistics (BULOG) to export 500,000 tonnes.Published by HT Syndication with permission from AgriWatch. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor athtsyndication@hindustantimes.com

http://www.world-grain.com/news/news%20home/LexisNexisArticle.aspx?articleid=2479011052


Rice farmers produce consumer-preferred varieties

Description: Rice PlantMore than 3,000 rice farmers and 700 processors in the Northern Region are being supported to produce consumer-preferred rice varieties to substitute imports this year.Under the sponsorship of SNV, a Netherlands development organisation, the project is expected to yield 8,500 tonnes of Jasmine rice, this year equivalent to 102,000 bags. That will increase the incomes of farmers and other actors in the rice value chain to GH¢4million.Last year, the project supported 1,400 local rice farmers and 600 processors in the six project districts in the Northern Region to produce 25,000 bags of consumer-preferred varieties, which yielded GH¢1.2million as income for the farmers and other actors in the rice value chain.

The project is being implemented in the Savelugu/Nanton Municipality, Tamale Metropolitan Area, Tolon, Kumbungu, Sagnarigu and part of the East Gonja District.The SNV Rice Project Manager, Mr Zakaria Jalil, made this known to the Daily Graphic at a Farmers’ Field Day at Libga in the Savelugu/Nanton Municipality in the Northern Region last Saturday.It had the theme: "Consumer-Oriented Rice Production, Key to a Competitive Rice Industry."According to Mr Jalil, the support was meant to strengthen the capacities of local rice farmers and processors to respond to the changing needs of consumers by offering them quality, tasty, aromatic and stone-free rice comparable to or even better than imported rice.That, he explained, was part of the efforts to make Ghana self-sufficient in rice production.
"Rice has now become a staple food consumed by Ghanaians and remains on the menu charts of restaurants and food joints across the country. It is also served at social gatherings and events and in order to make local rice farmers and processors to compete with their counterparts globally, there was a need to build their capacities to produce to meet the demands of the market", he stated.Mr Jalil also said significant awareness had also been created on the need to consume the rice produced locally primarily because of its quality.He appealed for support from all stakeholders to scale up the project to meet the country's aspirations of reducing rice imports drastically. Some farmers and processors who shared their experiences expressed their appreciation to SNV for the support.They said the introduction of new technologies and provision of improved seeds and good agronomic practices had increased their yields resulting in the increase in their incomes.

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Rice-farmers-produce-consumer-preferred-varieties-393035

Development of agriculture sector a must for economic development: Shehbaz

2 days ago BY PPI
Description: Shahbaz Sharif

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that the dream of economical development and stability in the country could never become true without the development of agriculture.Addressing the participants of the Kissaan Relief Package cheques distribution ceremony held in Narowal, he said that a timely and amicable solution to the farmers and growers’ prolonged problems was the top priority of the government. He said that the prosperity of Pakistan was closely linked with the prosperity of its farmers.He said Kissaan Package was an unprecedented financial support package to farmers in the country’s 68 year history, adding that farmers and growers had been the backbone of the agro-based country’s economy.

Sharif said that the government was fully aware of the problems faced by farmers and growers and was making all-out efforts to resolve them and give maximum relief to those associated with the agricultural sector.He said that the Kissan Relief Package would also boost the agro based economy of the country besides helping pull the farmers’ community out of the prevailing financial crisis. “No government has ever announced such a huge package for farmers in the history of Pakistan,” he said.Sharif said that despite all the negative propaganda of the political opponents, the PML-N government was successfully delivering and was moving in the right direction to achieve the goal of economic and political stability.

“We wanted to implement Kisaan relief package within a week; however, some people put hurdles in our way to support the farmers,” he claimed.He said that the government was meeting the expectations of the masses.The chief minister said that the relief package had been designed in four parts, with the first part being direct financial cooperation for farmers; second being relief in agricultural costs; third, the provision of agricultural loans and fourth, facilitating the process of obtaining loans.

Under the package, small rice farmers would be provided Rs 5, 000 per acre cash support. The cash assistance of Rs 5,000 has been announced for cotton growers as well, he added. A reduction in the prices of fertilizers has also been announced under the Kissan Package.Punjab CM said that a Rs 341 billion mega relief package for small farmers included direct cash support and provision of soft agriculture loans. He said the package was aimed at introducing progressive agriculture on scientific lines, reducing production cost of crops and making the small farmers prosperous.He said the country’s development was directly related to the uplift of its agriculture sector, particularly farmers.

 He said that under the package, small farmers would get Rs 147 billion as direct benefit while Rs 194 billion had been allocated for agriculture loans.He said that the farmers cultivating rice and cotton at up to 12.5 acres of land would be given cash support of Rs 5,000 per acre. The government would pay Rs 20 billion each in subsidies for rice and cotton crops.He said the government had already set up a Rs 20-billion fund to reduce prices of fertilizers which would bring down the price of Potassium and Nitrate fertilizers by Rs 500 per bag.Also, the government was negotiating with local fertilizer manufacturers and gas companies to revert the increase in prices of fertilizers which had gone up by Rs 200 per bag.DCO Narowal Syed Najaf Iqbal told newsmen on the occasion that Punjab government would distribute Rs 923.8 million among Narowal district’s 43,000 farmers under the Kissaan Relief Package.

Future of hybrid rice in the U.S. and world webinar Nov. 12

 

By Rich Keller, Editor, Ag Professional 

A webinar that will provide an overview of the current and future role of hybrid rice technology in global food production will be presented by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s Food and Agribusiness.The university’s Bobby Coats, Ph.D, professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, said. “We will review the impact that hybrid rice has had on the U.S. market, the adoption of hybrid rice in the global market and a forecast of the evolution of hybrid rice over the next 20 years.”This webinar’s presenter will be Michael Gumina, who has more than 35 years experience in the seed industry and is the lead executive for RiceTec AG which is a privately held, global hybrid rice seed business.

Description: http://www.agprofessional.com/sites/protein/files/field/image/rice.field_thumb_l_color_field_2_0.jpgTo register for the webinar, which will begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12, click the connection here:https://uaex.zoom.us/webinar/register/d1753b665ff1bfe334538d7d4481ef37

East End Foods plc helping to save sight


Monday 9 November, 2015

This Christmas East End Foods is aiming to raise £15,000 for the charity Sight savers - enough money to fund 500 sight saving operations for people with blinding cataracts across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Africa.

10p from every pack of 10kg and 20p from 20kg bags of Premium Gold Chapatti flour and East End Basmati rice will go towards helping Sightsavers transform the lives of people living with blinding cataracts. These products will be available in store from 1st October to 31st December 2015.More than twenty million people in the world are blind due to cataracts. Yet the condition is easily treatable with a straightforward operation. For many people living in the poorest parts of the world however, surgery is beyond their means. Often people can't get to a health centre, they don't know their condition is treatable, or simply can't afford the operation.Take Mulika Dep for example. Mulika, from Bangladesh, began losing her sight many years ago.

She was embarrassed and didn't tell anyone about the problem for a long time, but would struggle to do her housework. It wasn't until a Sightsavers-supported health worker came to her village to screen eyes that she discovered her condition was treatable. Although nervous at being referred to the hospital for surgery, she was thrilled when, following a quick operation; she was able to see once again.David Wouhra Managing Director East End Foods says: “This is the latest project by East End Foods as part of its commitment to continually improving the health and social status of our society. We are very grateful to Sightsavers for the opportunity to help us restore sight to and improve the lives of many more people, like Mulika, living with blinding cataracts”.

Press release distributed by Pressat on behalf of Sightsavers, on Monday 9 November, 2015. For more information visit http://www.pressat.co.uk/

Mars Food Commits to 100 Percent Sustainable Rice By 2020

Mars Food Commits to 100 Percent Sustainable Rice By 2020
Nov 10, 2015 | 9:00 am

Rice is a key food staple for more than half of the global population and supports more than 140 million smallholder farmers in the developing world. Unfortunately, rice production alone is currently responsible for 5 to 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and 35 to 45 percent of the world’s irrigated water use. But it’s possible to improve production methods to prevent these environmental impacts while improving food security in the developing world. The U.N Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) recently announced the first-ever worldwide standard for sustainable rice production, as part of a partnership, the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP), at a kickoff workshop in Cambodia.


Mars Food is the first company to commit to the new standard, and will apply it to 100 percent of its rice by 2020, including Uncle Ben’s, which is the world’s largest rice brand. Mars is already piloting the new standard in Pakistan and India with practices that work to improve both food safety and water quality.The standard implemented by the SRP includes 46 requirements for productivity, food safety, worker health, labor rights, and biodiversity, designed to reduce the environmental footprint of rice cultivation while improving the incomes of small farmers. “Caring for our environment as well as our entire supply chain from end-to-end is more than usual corporate responsibility. It's an imperative for Mars Food," says Fiona Dawson, President of Mars Food.
"Through the global standard, we hope to create benefits for all involved from the farmers to our consumers.  The benefit for us is that is that we are ensuring premium quality rice, whilst also ensuring a higher income for farmers, and a better environment for current and future generations. It is a truly mutual solution."The SRP vision for success includes benchmarks to reduce expenditures on rice by people under the US$1.25 poverty line, to avert 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions, and to reduce hunger in Asia by 12 percent, all by 2035.
http://www.thedailymeal.com/mars-food-commits-100-percent-sustainable-rice-2020


Farmers in central Thailand urged to grow taro instead of rice

English.news.cn   2015-11-10 19:37:02
       
BANGKOK, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Farmers in Thailand's central region are suggested to replace rice with taro on their farms in a bid to cope with droughts, said a senior government official on Tuesday.Those who have been used to cultivating rice, especially in the basin of Chao Praya River, are now advised to go for taro which will yield more income than rice, according to Apichart Lawanprasert, head of the Rice Department's Rice Research Center in Pathum Thani province.The authorities have urged the farmers in 20-plus central provinces to turn to types of plants which do not need so much water as rice since critical droughts have reportedly prevailed throughout the region.

The rice department has discouraged the farmers from only growing rice on all arable plots of land and from doing extra crops of rice so as to contain severe drought problems.The government has repeatedly called on the rice farmers to cultivate just one crop of the "water-consuming" rice in a year to better cope with droughts.Premier Prayut Chan-o-cha recently blamed extra-crop farmings in the Chao Praya River basin in previous years which had allegedly demanded large volumes of water from major dams up north for this year's sustained droughts.In particular, the premier pointed an accusing finger at a controversial rice subsidy program implemented by a previous Yingluck Shinawatra government.

The rice program had allegedly prompted the farmers to produce rice "in excess" at the expense of large volumes of the dam-generated water.Those major dams, namely Bhumibol dam in Tak province, Sirikit dam in Uttaradit province, Kwai Noi dam in Pitsanulok province and Pasak Chonlasit dam in Lopburi province, could no longer release so much water to the Chao Praya River basin as in previous years because they had to keep large volumes in reserve and alleviate droughts this year and beyond, according to the premier.Since last year, Gen Prayut has ordered the Irrigation Department to close water gates which control daily flows of water from those dams to deny irrigation for extra-crop season in low-lying areas throughout the central region.The Chao Praya River basin is the country's largest producing area of the indigenous rice, which differs in texture, shape and prices from the relatively world-famous Hom Mali (fragrant jasmine) rice, largely grown in the Esarn (northeastern) region.

Meanwhile, Apichart assured that the rice farmers could even be better off by growing such edible roots as taro."Taro can bring up more income than rice. For instance, one ton of taro currently sells for an average of 25,000 baht (about 694 U.S. dollars), compared to the average price of only 6,500 baht (about 180 U.S. dollars) for a ton of rice," he said."Taro is not only on high demands throughout the country, especially during a vegetarian festival and Chinese New Year season, but is exported in limited quantity. There never seemed to be enough taro either for the domestic or export market," he said.Nevertheless, the agency has by no means called on the farmers to stop growing rice completely but to spare some of their farmland for the cultivating of taro or other plants which do not consume so much water while leaving other plots as rice farms as usual, according to the director of the department's rice research center.
He added that one acre of farm could possibly yield as much as 10 tons of taro for which its producing costs might amount up to 2,800 U.S. dollars but it could sell for more than 6,900 U.S. dollars.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-11/10/c_134802872.htm

Farmers bemoan recent govt. policy on rice importation

By Editor 

November 10, 2015
  
By PHILIP IKPONKO
Description: http://nationalaccordnewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/rice.jpg
Rice farmers in Katsina State coming under the aegis of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, have faulted the recent decision of the Nigerian Customs Service legalising the importation of rice through land borders.Speaking yesterday through the state chairman of AFAN, Dr Yau Umar Gojogojo, the farmers urged the government to reconsider the policy insisting that it was capable of discouraging local production.They warned that adopting the policy at a time when the nation needed to adopt measures to boost farming “including the cultivation of rice for which we have fertile lands, is to say the least, counter-productive.


”According to Gojogojo, “What the government need to do and should be seen doing is for it to provide enabling environment including making improved rice seeds available and accessible to farmers,” he noted.“Once this is done, our farmers can cultivate enough rice for both local consumption and for export” he added even as he lauded the Senate for condemning the policy.The Katsina AFAN boss said what the nation needed at this time of dwindling revenue from oil was to aggressively pursue the farming option noting “once government will use the advice of specialists and real farmers, we will attain the much needed food security”.He stressed that to boost farming and ensure that the nation attains food security and self-sufficiency, the government must genuinely look at the issues of providing improved seeds and encourage constant soil test so as to ascertain the suitability of crops in a given area.“Government needs to provide equipment for soil measurements because we need a good understanding of our soil through accurate tests,” he said.

 

Villar backs PhilRice’s 10-5 rice program

November 10, 2015
Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, expressed her full support for the 10-5 rice production project of PhilRice in order to achieve rice supply sufficiency with competitive cost in the future.Villar visited PhilRice Batac City branch to grace its 2015 Field Day event on Tuesday for the celebration of the National Rice Awareness Month this November.Joining Villar in the occasion were Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, Batac City Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta, PhilRice Executive Director Calixto M. Protacio, the researchers and employees of PhilRice; officials from the Department of Agriculture in Region 1. Description: RICE MUSEUM — Senator Cynthia Villar, (left) chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, and Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos enjoy a chat as they stand before an attractive canvass of the Banaui Rice Terraces installed in the Rice Museum of PhilRice Branch in Batac City, Ilocos Norte, yesterday. Villar was in town to grace the 2015 Field Day Tour at the PhilRice-Batac City Branch. (Freddie G. Lazaro)
The 2015 field day tour was also attended by the rice farmers, researchers and students from the academe in La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte.“The 10-5 rice production program is a nationwide project of PhilRice meaning the production of rice at 10 metric tons per hectare at a cost of P5.00 per kilogram,” she explained.She said the program is very necessary for making the country more competitive to the upcoming Asean Economic Integration.


“If we could lower the cost of our fresh palay grains from the traditional P10.50 per kilo to P5 per kilo, we are very much lower to other Southeast Asian Nations. Thus, we are more competitive; we don’t need to import rice; we are more rice sufficient; we will eliminate rice smuggling,” she said.She cited the importance of the field day tour initiated by the PhilRice to showcase their new rice production technologies that would probably enhance the rice output of the farmers.
Image:  http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/uiu.jpg

RICE MUSEUM — Senator Cynthia Villar, (left) chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, and Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos enjoy a chat as they stand before an attractive canvass of the Banaui Rice Terraces installed in the Rice Museum of PhilRice Branch in Batac City, Ilocos Norte, yesterday. Villar was in town to grace the 2015 Field Day Tour at the PhilRice-Batac City Branch. (Freddie G. Lazaro)
http://www.mb.com.ph/villar-backs-philrices-10-5-rice-
program/#xExvpSrBiqwyzK7x.99http://www.mb.com.ph/villar-backs-philrices-10-5-rice-program/

 

Rice residue

New UD study looks at adding rice residue to lower arsenic, improve crop yields

Description: http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2016/nov/images/rice5679.jpg
A new study by University of Delaware researchers considers how adding silica-rich rice residue to improve crop yields and decrease arsenic uptake may affect the soils in which rice plants are grown.
8:24 a.m., Nov. 10, 2015--A new study by University of Delaware researchers considers how adding silica-rich rice residue -- such as husks, straw and the ash of those materials -- to improve crop yields and decrease arsenic uptake may affect the soils in which rice plants are grown. The results of the study were recently published in Plant and Soil, an international journal on plant-soil relationships. The study was carried out by Evanise Penido, a visiting student from the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA) in Brazil.Penido worked on the project, led by Angelia Seyfferth, assistant professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, in collaboration with Tom Hanson, professor in the School of Marine Science and Policy and associate director of the marine biosciences program, and Alexa Bennett, a graduate student in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment

Seyfferth said the current practice of removing silica-rich rice residues and not incorporating them into soil is a leading cause of yield declines and the susceptibility of rice to abiotic and biotic stress. “Rice is a very efficient silicon accumulator. It’s able to pull silicon out of soil, and the rice straw and the rice husk have a lot of silicon stored in the tissues,” Seyfferth said. “If we incorporate those residues back into soil and get more into a holistic farming approach – kind of like with organic residues – we could improve the health of the soil and provide a source of nutrients for plant-uptake.”Because farmers in developing countries need a low cost solution to lower arsenic uptake in rice, the leftover material could prove to be a viable option, something that became apparent to Seyfferth when she conducted work in Cambodia. “These residues are removed from the field and just piled up, but if we were able to take these materials and put them back into soil, they might provide a source of silicon for the plants that would be something that farmers in developing countries would easily have access to and could utilize,” said Seyfferth. 

Penido added that most farmers in South and Southeast Asia have small-scale operations and cannot afford regular applications of silicon fertilizers because of the high costs and limited availability. “A low cost solution, such as applying rice residues into rice paddies, is important to both the environment and human health. We are recycling wastes which can be used by small-holder farmers in developing countries, providing enough silicon to decrease arsenic uptake by rice,” said Penido.

Importance of silicon
Seyfferth said that silicon helps rice plants grow stronger, expend less energy and work more efficiently. “It’s almost like the plant has glass within it and when the plant has glass within its tissue, it makes things like fungal pathogens less able to chew through it. In that way it helps to increase resistance to diseases because of the rigidity it provides to the rice plant,” she said. 
In addition to that rigidity, the silicon also directly competes with the predominant form of arsenic — the reduced form of arsenic called arsenite — that is present in flooded rice paddy soils. 

“Arsenite looks very similar chemically to dissolved silicon and the two get taken up through rice roots along the same transport pathway. So just by increasing the amount of dissolved silicon, we can effectively decrease the amount of arsenic that gets taken up and stored in the grains,” said Seyfferth. In addition to decreasing arsenic uptake in the rice, silicon also helps improve crop yields by making the plant more rigid, stronger and healthier. When the rice plants have more silicon, they use less water and employ water and nutrients more efficiently. 

Impact on soils
The researchers were also interested in what happens when the residue is added back to the soil to see how they impacted the pH, the silicon and arsenic availability, and also the dissolved methane in the soils. “What we don’t want to do is add something that would increase methane emissions,” said Seyfferth. Penido explained that to conduct the research, they collected soil from UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) farm and had three kilograms of soil added in each pot. “Different particle sizes of fresh straw, fresh husk and the ash of straw or husk were incorporated into soil. Pots were then flooded to five centimeters above the soil surface and kept flooded during the entire eight-week experiment.

Pore water samples were obtained every week, for a total of eight weeks and analyzed,” Penido said. The study showed that incorporating the straw has drawbacks because, while it has a lot of silicon, it also leads to more methane production and more arsenic release. Husk addition, on the other hand, is very beneficial because it provides the most silicon of all the residues studied, doesn’t release much arsenic and has a low impact on methane emissions. “There were a lot of benefits from incorporating the husk,” said Seyfferth. 

Time at UD
As for her time at UD, Penido, who is currently working toward a master’s degree in chemistry at UFLA, said, “As an international student I just loved being a Blue Hen. UD for me was home away from home. I made really good friends, studied a lot, made the fall dean's list, and had a lot of support. Dr. Tom Sims, Maria Pautler and Ashley Fry were of extreme importance to make my dream of studying at UD true. Ashley was the best adviser I could have asked for. I am thankful for everyone from CANR who welcomed me.

 I loved living in the dorms, the social events and clubs, the UDairy Creamery, Ag Day and the good UD atmosphere – everyone is so happy.” Of working with Seyfferth, Penido said, “She was always willing to teach and help me, not just with the project but also with the courses I was taking. She always showed me kindness and respect. She was my adviser for my senior thesis and was very willing to help me prepare for research presentations. I want to continue our studies in the near future.” Seyfferth remains in touch with Penido, who she said was great to work with on the project. 

“She was so engaged and outgoing and I think it was a testament to the quality of students that UFLA has and brings here,” said Seyfferth, who added that she now has another UFLA student in her lab who is in a doctoral program. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to get high quality students and also to have this exchange. I think it’s opened the doors for a lot of collaboration,” said Seyfferth. The research was funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) Early Career Development Award that Seyfferth received, as well as an NSF research starter grant and the UD Research Foundation
Article by Adam Thomas
WASDE Report Released    

Description: USDAWASHINGTON, D.C.--U.S. all rice production in 2015/16 is forecast at 190.8 million cwt, up 3.0 million from last month, with the increase entirely due to a higher yield. The average all rice yield is forecast at 7,423 pounds per acre, up 116 pounds from last month. Yields are raised for all states except for Texas and Arkansas. Yields are lowered for Texas and unchanged for Arkansas. The California all rice yield is raised 600 pounds per acre to 8,600 pounds. Long-grain and combined mediumand short-grain rice production are both raised from last month, with long-grain production projected at 132.4 million cwt and combined medium- and short-grain production at 58.4 million.
The all rice import forecast is unchanged at 25.5 million cwt. All rice domestic and residual use is raised 2.0 million cwt to 127.0 million cwt, 1.0 million each in long-grain and medium- and shortgrain rice. All rice exports are raised 1.0 million cwt to 98.0 million cwt with the increase in longgrain. Long-grain exports are projected at 65.0 million, and medium- and short-grain exports at 33.0 million. All rice ending stocks are projected at 39.8 million cwt, unchanged from last month with long-grain stocks at 21.8 million, and medium- and short-grain at 16.1 million. he 2015/16 long-grain season-average farm price range is projected at $11.50 to $12.50 per cwt, down $1.30 per cwt on both ends from last month. The medium- and short-grain farm price range is projected at $17.60 to $18.60 per cwt, up 30 cents per cwt on each end of the range. The California medium- and short-grain rice price at a midpoint of $21.50 per cwt is up $0.50 per cwt from last month.

The Other States medium- and short-grain rice price at a midpoint of $13.00 WASDE-547-3 per cwt is lowered $1.00 per cwt. The all rice season-average farm price is forecast at $13.30 to $14.30 per cwt, down $0.90 per cwt on each end of the range. Lower-than-expected prices published by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) for August and September, along with price expectations the remainder of the marketing year, support the downward adjustment in rice prices from a month ago. Global 2015/16 ending stocks are raised 2.7 million tons or 3 percent due mostly to an increase in beginning stocks and a decrease in consumption. Beginning stocks for 2015/16 are raised 1.9 million tons due mostly to downward adjustments in 2014/15 consumption for China and India, that consequently raised 2014/15 ending stocks.
 Consumption changes in recent years for China and India are based on reports received from the Agricultural Counselor's offices in each country. In China, consumption is lowered for both 2014/15 and 2015/16 due to higher prices, inconsistent quality of state rice reserves, and changing consumption patterns. In India, consumption is lowered and ending stocks are raised to better reflect government of India reports on the stocks situation. Global production for 2015/16 is lowered 0.5 million tons to 473.5 million, primarily due to smaller crops forecast for Bangladesh, Cambodia, and the Philippines, partially offset by increases for Sri Lanka, South Korea, and the United States.

 World consumption is projected at 486.2 million tons, down 1.3 million from last month, but still a record. Consumption is lowered for Cambodia, China, India, and Vietnam. Trade for 2015/16 is lowered slightly due mostly to smaller exports by Cambodia, and smaller imports by Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Global ending stocks are forecast at 91.0 million tons, up 2.7 million from last month, but a decrease of 12.7 million tons from the preceding year, and the lowest stocks since 2007/08. The 2015/16 stocks-to-use ratio at 18.7 percent is the lowest since 2006/07. 

Read the full report
 here. 


U.S.-Grown Rice Earns New "Likes"  

What's not to like? 
ARLINGTON, VA -- Eight major grocery chains with more than 1,200 store locations in 23 states have used USA Rice messages and recipes to promote U.S.-grown rice to their customers this fall. Overall, promotion activities by these stores earned USA Rice an additional 3.9 million impressions among consumers during September and October.

"We were beyond thrilled to get such a positive response to our program this fall," said Katie Maher, director, domestic promotion programs. "These numbers are especially impressive because USA Rice did not pay for any of the partnership activities. Each month we see growth in this program and expand to new stores and audiences."

USA Rice recipe cards were distributed through Big Y, Giant Eagle, Meijer's, and Skogen's Festival Foods to more than 1 million shoppers during September as a National Rice Month (NRM) promotion. As an extra effort, Meijer, Giant Eagle, Jewel Osco, Raley's, and Big Y stores used Twitter and Facebook to link consumers to recipes and reached a combined 1.8 million viewers through social media.

Redner's featured rice in the September/October issue of their HealthCents newsletter. A full-page article titled "Reach for Rice" told readers how to select the best type of rice for their dish and passed along nutrition facts on each type along with a USA Rice recipe. The newsletter reaches more than 30,000 shoppers in-store and online.

Dietitian blogs were also a popular tool with supermarkets. Jewel Osco posted information and graphics from USA Rice's Healthy Rice Bowls materials to more than 150,000 readers. "Tasty and Healthy Options with Whole Grains" was the title of the blog post from Lowes Foods' dietitian in October. The post featured USA Rice's consumer infographic 10 Reasons to Eat Rice Grown in the USA. Raley's Season Blog blog promoted the infographic and shared two recipes perfect for California shoppers looking for locally grown products.


Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report/11/10/2015 Farm Bureau Market Report

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


Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Nov '15
1205.0
1186.0
1163.5
-16.0
Jan '16
1231.5
1185.5
1188.0
-17.5
Mar '16
1255.0
1213.5
1215.0
-17.0
May '16
1255.0
1244.5
1244.5
-13.0
Jul '16
1296.0
1270.0
1272.5
-8.5
Sep '16
1253.0
+21.0
Nov '16
1253.0
+21.0

Rice Comment

Rice futures traded in a wide range today before winding up in the red. The USDA production report raised total US production by 3 million cwt to 190.8 million cwt due entirely to higher yields. Total long grain production was projected at 132.4 million cwt, with medium and short-grain production pegged at 58.4 million. Ending stocks are projected at 39.8 million cwt, which is unchanged from last month due to increased domestic use and export projections. The average long-grain price is projected down $1.30 from last month to $11.50 to $12.50. Global ending stocks for 15/16 were raised by 3 percent (2.7 million tons) due to an increase in beginning stocks and a decrease in consumption.


http://www.arfb.com/ag-markets-statistics/report/

 

World Rice Production 2015/2016

This month the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that the World Rice Production 2015/2016 will be 473.5 million metric tons, around 0.52 million tons less than the previous month's projection.
Rice Production last year (*) was 478.28 million tons. This year's 473.5 estimated million tons could represent a decrease of 4.79 million tons or a 1% in rice production around the globe.

Rice Production by Country

(Values in Metric Tons)
China: 145,500,000
India: 103,500,000
Others: 40,533,000
Indonesia: 36,300,000
Bangladesh: 34,600,000
Vietnam: 28,200,000
Thailand: 16,400,000
Burma: 12,200,000
Philippines: 11,500,000
Brazil: 8,000,000
Japan: 7,900,000
Pakistan: 6,900,000
United States: 6,057,000
Cambodia: 4,350,000
Korea, South: 4,258,000
Egypt: 4,000,000
Sri Lanka: 3,300,000

Next Update will be December 09, 2015.
https://www.worldriceproduction.com/?Referer=Newsletter


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

November 2015
$11.635
- $0.160
January 2016
$11.880
- $0.175
March 2016
$12.150
- $0.170
May 2016
$12.445
- $0.130
July 2016
$12.725
- $0.085 
September 2016
$12.530
+ $0.210
November 2016
$12.530
 + $0.210

USA rice daily