Today Rice News Headlines...
§ Indonesia to
Import 1m Tons of Pakistan Rice in New Deal
§ Slump in
Basmati Rice Exports
§ Pakistan-Iran
relations: Latest setback
§ Indonesia to
import Pak rice
§ Cambodia
fails to meet rice export target
§ Indonesia to
import 1m tonnes of rice from Pakistan
§ Indonesia to
import Pak rice
§ Paddy Price
Increased to rs 1200 per 40kg
§ Slump in
Basmati Rice Exports
§ PHILIPPINES
TO IMPORT EXTRA 300,000-400,000 T RICE
§ Cambodia’s
Rice Exports Miss Target
§ DOST, CSC
welcome new scientist, promote 3 others
§ PH
conditions dampen global rice output CROPS DAMAGED BY ‘LANDO,’ EL NIÑO
§ Louisiana
rice better-than-usual second crop
§ Philippines
to increase rice import in 2016
§ Rice Prices
§ Arkansas
Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
§ S.Korea buys
55,555 T rice for March-April
§ APEDA Rice
Commodity News
§ USA Rice
Daily News
§ From Actress
to Cookbook Author: The Lives of Madhur Jaffrey
News Detail...
Indonesia to Import 1m Tons of
Pakistan Rice in New Deal
Jakarta. Indonesia will import 1 million metric tons of
milled rice over the next four years from Pakistan, in a move to shield the
country's food security against volatile weather patterns.The two governments,
represented by Indonesia's Trade Minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong and
Pakistan's Ambassador to Indonesia Mohammad Aqil Nadeem, signed a memorandum of
understanding on Tuesday, according to a report from PkRevenue.com.The deal,
with an estimated worth of $400 million in imports between 2016 and 2019, will
be executed by Indonesia's procurement agency, Bulog, and Pakistan's Trading
Corporation of Pakistan.Indonesia currently has similar MoU with Cambodia,
Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, though only some of the deals have been
realized.Pakistan is the world 11th largest rice producer with annual
production of 6.9 million tons of milled rice.The country saw
trade with Indonesia rise 27 percent to $2.2 billion last year
following a Preferential Trade Agreement in 2013.Indonesia enjoyed $1.8 billion
surplus in the trade, thanks to its palm oil exports.
http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/business/indonesia-import-1m-tons-pakistan-rice-new-deal/
Slump in Basmati Rice Exports
A slump in the export of basmati rice is having a damaging
effect on the economy of Pakistan. It has exacerbated rural poverty with often
catastrophic consequences for small farmers. The causes of the slump are
complex and both national and provincial governments are facing criticism for
failure to act.Pakistan’s exports of basmati rice have declined by 40% in the
past four years, from 1.1mn tons in 2011 to 676,630 tons in 2015. As a
consequence, the domestic market has been overwhelmed by an unmanageable glut.
http://www.rwfreight.co.uk/news/2015/12/10/slump-in-basmati-rice-exports-123/
Pakistan-Iran
relations: Latest setback
·
5
Relations between Pakistan and Iran are often jittery as well as
dysfunctional. Pakistan, in the last of November 2015, arbitrary and abruptly
suspended 723 kilometer freight train service between Quetta, Baluchistan and
Zahedan, Iran, citing the security and lack of trade activities between the two
countries as main reasons for it.This was a major decision on Pak-Iran
relations, taken by the Pakistan government after Lt. General (Retd) Nasser
Khan Janjua's took over as National Security Advisor (NSA) on October 23, 2015.
Lt. General Janjua has replaced a senior technocrat, diplomat and former
Federal Minister Sartaj Aziz.
In Focus
Before retirement, Gen. Janjua was Corps Commander of Quetta based
XII Corps and he claims to be fully conscious of security issues of
Baluchistan, which is Iran's bordering and troubled province of Pakistan. He
is, however, also known as a 'Butcher of Baluchistan' amongst nationalist and
separatists Baluchis.Freight train service between Pakistan and Iran, which are
two majority Sunni and Shia countries of the world, was earlier suspended in
2010, and was resumed in January 2015 and the service remain suspended since
September 2015 due to law and order problem In Baluchistan and security
reasons.
The freight train used to take about 30 hours to cover distance of
about 700 km between Quetta and Zahedan. While Pakistan used to export rice and
other goods, Iran used to export oil, Sulfur, chemicals and charcoal to
Pakistan through the train.Incidentally, freight train service between Pakistan
and Iran (Quetta-Zahedan) was at peak in 2005-06 but was virtually abandoned in
2010 due to certain technical problems, including poor infrastructure of
railways from Quetta to Taftan, which is the starting point of Iran border as
well as law and order problem in Baluchistan.Economically it was also not found
viable to maintain the freight train service between Pakistan and Iran as
annual trade through this mean between the two countries was eight thousand
bogies per year in 2004-05, which came down at only hundred bogies in the year
2010.Moreover, Pakistan Railways, which has been facing annual deficit of over
Pak Rs 26 billion annually, considered the running of freight train service
between Pakistan and Iran as "useless" until peace was established in
the disturbed province of Baluchistan.
Pakistan has negative trade balance with Iran. Pakistan's exports
to Iran decreased from US$ 399 million in 2008-9 to US$ 161 million in 2010-11,
indicating a decrease of 54 per cent. Meanwhile, Pakistan's imports from Iran
also decreased from US$ 921 million in 2008-9 to US$ 572 million in 2010-11.While
Pakistan exports textile, rice, fresh fruits, meat, wood, cotton, medicines,
surgical equipments, it primarily imports oil, petroleum products, plastics,
iron and steel and chemicals from Iran. In March 2004, Pakistan-Iran had also
signed Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), which was implemented by Pakistan in
September 2006 and by Iran in November 2006.Pakistan's Baluchistan province has
a 700 km long border with Iran. Civil unrest, militancy, attacks on Shias and
critical law and order situation in Baluchistan remained issues of major concern
for Iran as there are about two million Baloch ethnic people live Iran.
Baluchistan is highly infested with insurgency, sectarian violence, terrorism
and subversive activities against Pakistan's federal government.
Rebel Bloch leaders have been demanding greater autonomy since
Pakistan's inception. Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant organization
,which has strength of over ten thousand activists is involved in attacking
Pakistani security personnel, civil and military establishments and disrupting
supply of gas from Baluchistan to other areas of Pakistan. BLA has been
designated as a terrorist organization by the Pakistan government. It is also
accused of being supported by India.Use of Pakistani territory by some
anti-Iranian Sunni militant groups to carry out militant attacks in Iran is
main reason of tension between Iran and Pakistan. Some leading anti-Shia
terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda, Tehrik-e-Taliban, Pakisan (TTP),
Jundallah have been targeting Shias in Baluchistan in regular intervals. Iran,
being a Shia state is concerned about attacks on Shias in Baluchistan.
Ethnic Baloch living in Iran feel discriminated at the hands of
Shia majority government. Some Sunni militant groups having affiliation with
Al-Qaeda, particularly Jundallah have been using Baluchistan's territory to
carryout militant attacks in Iran for equal rights of Sunnis. Such anti-Iranian
groups have reportedly support of ISI and Saudi Arabia.Jundallah, in a number
of bomb attacks in Zahedan, between 2007-13, had killed hundreds of Iranian
Shias. Likewise, Jaish-al-Adl also known as Army of Justice and Harakat Ansar
Iran, are other Sunni organizations which are involved in militancy and have
attacking on Iranian security men and Shias mosques inside the Iranian territory.Meanwhile,
Iran has been erecting concrete wall on the shared borders with Pakistan,
covering an area of over 700 km to illegal border crossing, smuggling of drugs
into its territory from Pakistan and more importantly to stop militant and
subversive activities by anti-Iranian Sunni groups, operating between Pakistan
and Iran.
Although Pakistan has no boundary dispute with Iran, but latter's
close relations with India are viewed suspiciously by Pakistan. India has been
assisting Iran in developing Chabahar port and also involved in construction of
some strategic roads in Iran. Pakistan, has been accusing India of helping
Baluch separatists and providing arms to them and fears that India, through
presence of Indians in Iran, India may further create problems in Baluchistan.Editorial
NOTE: This article is categorized under Opinion Section. The views expressed in
this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent
the views of merinews.com. In case you have a opposing view, please click here
to share the same in the comments section.
http://www.merinews.com/article/pakistan-iran-relations-latest-setback/15911827.shtml
Indonesia to import Pak
rice
December 10, 2015
ISLAMABAD
Pakistan
and Indonesia have signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) on rice import.
The MoU was signed by Indonesian Trade Minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong and Ambassador of Pakistan to Indonesia Mohammad Aqil Nadeem, said a Pakistan Embassy's message received here Wednesday.
Indonesian government will import up to 1 million metric tons of white rice from Pakistan from 2016 to 2019, which is estimated around 400 million dollars.The G2G agreement will be implemented by BULOG (State Logistics Agency) from Indonesia and Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) from the Pakistani side.
The import of rice will help Indonesian government's efforts to replenish the rice stocks in view of current rice shortage due to severe drought.
The MoU was signed by Indonesian Trade Minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong and Ambassador of Pakistan to Indonesia Mohammad Aqil Nadeem, said a Pakistan Embassy's message received here Wednesday.
Indonesian government will import up to 1 million metric tons of white rice from Pakistan from 2016 to 2019, which is estimated around 400 million dollars.The G2G agreement will be implemented by BULOG (State Logistics Agency) from Indonesia and Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) from the Pakistani side.
The import of rice will help Indonesian government's efforts to replenish the rice stocks in view of current rice shortage due to severe drought.
Indonesia
has MoUs with Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar for rice imports already
but Pakistan is the first country out of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) to have such agreement with Indonesian government.Both
countries for the first time crossed $2.2 billion mark since the bilateral trade
in the year 2014.Pakistan and Indonesia have also concluded Preferential Trade
Agreement in 2013 under which Indonesian exports to Pakistan increased manifold
especially in crude palm oil.
This import agreement will also help in removing the trade imbalance between the two countries.
Pakistani exports of Kinnow to Indonesia had also seen increase in the recent years, due to PTA and Mutual Recognition Agreement signed in 2013 for trade of horticulture products. Under the PTA it is expected that the trade will also expand in other sectors.
This import agreement will also help in removing the trade imbalance between the two countries.
Pakistani exports of Kinnow to Indonesia had also seen increase in the recent years, due to PTA and Mutual Recognition Agreement signed in 2013 for trade of horticulture products. Under the PTA it is expected that the trade will also expand in other sectors.
http://nation.com.pk/business/10-Dec-2015/indonesia-to-import-pak-rice
Cambodia fails to
meet rice export target
- 10 Dec
2015 at 16:57
- WRITER: KYODO NEWS
A Cambodian farmer throws fertiliser in a rice
field in Kandal province, Cambodia Oct 16. In the first 10 months of this year
Cambodia exported more than 400,000 tonnes of milled rice. (EPA photo)
Indonesia to import 1m
tonnes of rice from Pakistan
Indonesia will import 1 million metric tonnes of milled rice
over the next four years from Pakistan.The two governments, represented by
Indonesia’s Trade Minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong and Pakistan’s Ambassador to
Indonesia Mohammad Aqil Nadeem, signed a memorandum of understanding, an
Indonesian news outlet reported on Thursday.The deal, with an estimated worth
of $400 million in imports between 2016 and 2019, will be executed by
Indonesia’s procurement agency, Bulog, and Trading Corporation of Pakistan.The
import of rice will help Indonesian government’s efforts to replenish the rice
stocks in view of current rice shortage due to severe drought.Pakistan is the
world 11th largest rice producer with annual production of 6.9 million tonnes
of milled rice.Bilateral trade has exceeded $2.2 billion since its start in
2014.Pakistan and Indonesia concluded Preferential Trade Agreement in 2013
under which Indonesian exports to Pakistan increased manifold especially in
crude palm oil.
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2015/12/10/business/indonesia-to-import-1m-tonnes-of-rice-from-pakistan/
Indonesia to import Pak
rice
December 10, 2015
ISLAMABAD
Indonesian government will import up to 1 million metric tons of white rice from Pakistan from 2016 to 2019, which is estimated around 400 million dollars.The G2G agreement will be implemented by BULOG (State Logistics Agency) from Indonesia and Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) from the Pakistani side.
The
import of rice will help Indonesian government's efforts to replenish the rice
stocks in view of current rice shortage due to severe drought.Indonesia has
MoUs with Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar for rice imports already but
Pakistan is the first country out of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) to have such agreement with Indonesian government.Both countries for
the first time crossed $2.2 billion mark since the bilateral trade in the year
2014.
Pakistan
and Indonesia have also concluded Preferential Trade Agreement in 2013 under
which Indonesian exports to Pakistan increased manifold especially in crude
palm oil.
This import agreement will also help in removing the trade imbalance between the two countries.
Pakistani exports of Kinnow to Indonesia had also seen increase in the recent years, due to PTA and Mutual Recognition Agreement signed in 2013 for trade of horticulture products. Under the PTA it is expected that the trade will also expand in other sectors.
This import agreement will also help in removing the trade imbalance between the two countries.
Pakistani exports of Kinnow to Indonesia had also seen increase in the recent years, due to PTA and Mutual Recognition Agreement signed in 2013 for trade of horticulture products. Under the PTA it is expected that the trade will also expand in other sectors.
Paddy Price Increased to rs
1200 per 40kg
December
10, 2015 12:33 pm
The
price of Basmati paddy jumped from Rs 850 to Rs 1200 per 40 KG in ten days when
90% growers had already sold their produce at the rate of Rs 765 to Rs 850 per
40 KG, causing a net loss of Rs 20 billion to the farmers.Talking to Business
Recorder here on Wednesday, Director Basmati Growers Association Farooq Bajwa
said that this huge loss to the farmers occurred due to the mismanagement and
apathy of the federal and provincial governments as they failed to arrange the
financial limits from the banks to the rice millers and to the middle man in
October, resulting crash of paddy price and cash starved growers had to sell
their produce at the throw away price.
He
said as the bank limits were renewed on 1st of December the prices have
escalated with the improved financial availability to the middle man and the
millers. Bajwa said that the growers of all variety have suffered a loss of Rs
70 billion in all over the country as compared to last year’s price.If the
government had arranged the bank limits at the start of the paddy harvesting,
the growers would have benefited instead of the middle man and millers Bajwa
said the country produces 7 million ton rice per year which is the need of only
two countries Iran and Saudi Arabia and this market has been captured by India
in exchange of oil purchases.
News
source: Business Recorder
http://www.agricorner.com/paddy-price-increased-to-rs-1200-per-40kg/#sthash.FcyTXCAx.dpuf
http://www.agricorner.com/paddy-price-increased-to-rs-1200-per-40kg/
Slump in Basmati
Rice Exports
A slump in the export of basmati rice is having a damaging
effect on the economy of Pakistan. It has exacerbated rural poverty with often
catastrophic consequences for small farmers. The causes of the slump are
complex and both national and provincial governments are facing criticism for
failure to act.Pakistan’s exports of basmati rice have declined by 40% in the
past four years, from 1.1mn tons in 2011 to 676,630 tons in 2015. As a
consequence, the domestic market has been overwhelmed by an unmanageable glut.
http://www.rwfreight.co.uk/news/2015/12/10/slump-in-basmati-rice-exports-123/
PHILIPPINES TO
IMPORT EXTRA 300,000-400,000 T RICE
Thursday, 10 December 2015 19:25
Posted by Shoaib-ur-Rehman
Siddiqui
"The full effect of the current El Nino
phenomenon will be felt in February and March 2016 when the entire country is projected
to get only 20 to 30 percent of normal rainfall."The country's weather
bureau has warned that the current dry weather episode could be more intense
than the 1997-1998 El Nino conditions. The additional import volume is on top
of the 500,000 tonnes that NFA, the state grains procurement agency, has
already bought from Vietnam and Thailand for shipment in the first quarter.The
Philippines was earlier looking to buy an additional 1.3 million tonnes after a
strong typhoon hit major rice producing provinces in October.But last month
Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, who heads the El Nino task force
and is also a member of the NFA Council, said the additional requirement was
likely much lower because paddy output in coming months will be higher than
initially estimated.
Cambodia’s Rice
Exports Miss Target
Khmer Times/Sok Chan
Thursday, 10 December 2015
Prime Minister Hun Sen announced yesterday that rice exporters
had not met the government’s target of exporting 1 million tons of rice 2015,
but hailed the policies that have moved Cambodia from a country with a rice
shortage to a net producer. Speaking at the launching of a national census of
agriculture, he blamed internal and external factors for the shortfall –
namely, a lack of rice millers, warehousing and capital as well as rising
competition with neighboring countries.
According to the report from the Ministry of Agriculture, Cambodia exported 450,000 tons of rice over the first 11 months of the year. Though only around half of the government’s goal, rice exports are up 36 percent year-on-year, despite some 242,416 hectares of rice fields in 16 provinces being severely affected by drought as of November.
“The external issue is that neighboring countries in the Mekong Sub-region are becoming significant rice producers, such as Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, and that is the future challenge for Cambodia to exporting rice in the region and the world,” the prime minister said.
“The government has set some measures to promote the agriculture sector such as investing in and expanding the irrigation system, encouraging the private sector to invest in rice exporting, and solving the lack of loans available to purchase rice and rice processing machinery by enhancing technical production, logistics, ports, railways, energy and land management,” Mr. Hun Sen said.
Song Saran, president of exporter Amru Rice (Cambodia), said that exporting more than the half million tons of rice this year would have been beyond the private sector’s production and processing capacity. He said that some milled rice exporters are almost bankrupt as these private companies make insufficient profits and suggested that the government provide more support to reach the higher targets.
“We ask for government assistance to give some loans to rice exporting companies to expand their productivity and to be able to purchase more rice to stock for our warehouses to process,” he said. “Currently we lack sufficient warehouse storage space, crop dryers, and rice millers.” In some cases, he said, exporters would find themselves out of rice after finishing processing.
“It is a big issue that we don’t have rice in stock… as farmers often sell to rice brokers in neighboring countries,” he said.
Mr. Saran called for a budget to implement the next export policy and asked the government to provide subsidies to reduce the processing price, which is high when compared to neighboring countries. Finally, the government should try to provide good quality seeds to meet client’s demands.
Financial Support
Hun Lak, vice president of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CFR), says that the export increases are due in part to a joint venture with relevant stakeholders and the federation to work on rice promotion, logistics, energy issues, export documentation and to conduct field visits to rice millers in various provinces to assess concerns. They are working with the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Agriculture to smooth out the production process.
“CRF has a team working on the current major issues and will submit a complete report to the government and relevant institutions to try and solve the problems for rice exporting,” Mr. Lak said. He says that the most important thing is to have more capital to purchase rice to stock in warehouses for export after harvest.
Second, the country needs to find ways to lower electricity prices for rice millers, to expand irrigation systems and to identify strong seed varieties of high quality and productivity.
Mr. Hun Sen recently called on banks and microfinance institutions (MFIs) to suspend loan repayments by borrowers affected by this year’s drought, or make the loans interest free or reduce the rates. Acleda’s loans to the agriculture sector represent about 20 percent of the bank’s total outstanding loan portfolio of $2.4 billion, amounting to about $400 million. Of this $400 million, 18 percent is for growing crops, including rice, cassava and vegetables, and the rest is for raising animals and fish, In Channy, president and Group CEO of Acleda Bank, recently told Khmer Times.
According to a World Bank report, agricultural growth slowed to less than 2 percent in 2013-2014. It has to grow at 5 percent a year over the next 15 years to keep real farm income growth in line with forecasts. With such growth, farm wages are projected to triple from $1,200 currently to $3,760 in 2030. Growth of 3 percent would increase incomes to only $2,500 by 2030.
TAGS/KEYWORDS:
Cambodia’s Rice Exports, Sok Chan
DOST, CSC welcome new scientist, promote 3 others
December
10, 2015
MANILA, 10 Dec. (PIA) -- The Department of Science
and Technology (DOST) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) conferred the
Scientist I rank to Dr. Marilla G. Lucero, chief science research specialist at
the Department of Health - Research Institute of Tropical Medicine during a
ceremony last Dec. 9 at the Acacia Hotel in Muntinlupa City.The conferment was
made under the Scientific Career System (SCS) program.Lucero, who specializes
in epidemiology and infectious diseases, conducted significant trials on
pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) to prevent pneumonia in children. Her
research study contributed significantly to the decision to include PCV in the
Philippine national immunization program, preventing pneumonia among Filipino
children.
Three scientists were also upgraded in rank.
Dr. Mudjekeewis D. Santos from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic
Resources-National Fisheries and Development Institute and Dr. Claro N. Mingala
from the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Carabao Center were promoted from
Scientist I to Scientist II while Dr. Dionisio G. Alvindia from Department of
Agriculture’s Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization
was upgraded from Scientist II to Scientist III.During the ceremony, SCS also
recognized two scientists who recently retired from service, namely, Dr.
Rolando Cruz from Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and Vivencio C.
Gallego of Philippine Coconut Authority-Davao Research Center.
Dr. Cruz developed practical field diagnostic
tools for plant nutrient status that led to the development of PalayCheck
System, a PhilRice banner program for rice crop management.
Meanwhile, Gallego made various contributions
on integrated pest management of coconut leaf beetle as well as coconut leaf
miner, which is another type of insect, among others.In his message, National
Academy of Science and Technology President and former DOST Secretary Dr.
William G. Padolina said that the country has only 47 active scientists in
service, a relatively small number in terms of the size of the country’s
population, and compared to the number of workers engaged in research and
development.
Padolina likewise highlighted science and
technology policy issues and areas which our scientists can help address and
underscored the need to reform the procurement system especially for research.
“The rhythm of work in research and development is very different from ordinary
government operation. There should be some adjustments and we should not adapt
the one-size-fits all approach,” he said.The SCS was institutionalized in 1983
by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos to establish a reward system for
highly productive personnel in government who lack opportunities for promotion
because of the limited number of available positions in the plantilla system. Since
its institutionalization, a total of 147 career scientists have been conferred
under the program.
Scientists conferred under the SCS are entitled
to automatic increase in salary grade corresponding to the rank, benefits and
entitlements under Republic Act 8439 or the Magna Carta for Scientists,
Engineers, Researchers and other S&T-related Personnel in the Government.
An annual evaluation is conducted to determine performance and productivity of
scientists, which serves as the basis for awarding additional incentives and
grants. (DOST/RJB/JCP/PIA-NCR)
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/261449714683/dost-csc-welcome-new-scientist-promote-3-others#sthash.QWxucqht.dpuf
PH conditions dampen
global rice output CROPS DAMAGED BY
‘LANDO,’ EL NIÑO
By: Ronnel W. Domingo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
03:43 AM December 10th, 2015
The decline in Philippine rice output due to Typhoon Lando (international name: Koppu) continues to weigh down on the global production outlook, with the volume for 2015 remaining one percent lower at 491 million tons.According to the latest monthly Market Monitor report of the Agricultural Market Information System (Amis) administered by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the situation in the Philippines was a major driver of decline along with those in India and Thailand.The outlook also remained in the shadow of the strong El Niño, which is expected to peak at the end of December.“Rice conditions remain mixed in part due to the El Niño event affecting large parts of Asia,” the Amis said.
“In the Philippines, conditions are poor in large parts of the
northern and central regions due to widespread damage caused by Typhoon
(Lando),” the organization said. “In the rest of the country, conditions are
generally favorable, however there is some concern in the south over
dryness.”Amis said conditions are drier than average in the Philippines,
Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.Last Tuesday, the Australian Bureau of
Meteorology (Abom) said the El Niño phenomenon was nearing its peak. However,
it could fall short of being the worst on record as temperatures were already
going down.“While sea surface temperatures remain close to record-high values,
some El Niño indicators are now showing signs of easing,” the Abom said in its
latest fortnightly update.
“However, the current El Niño is likely to persist well into
2016,” the agency added. “El Niño indicators, notably sea surface and
sub-surface temperatures, westerly wind anomalies in the central Pacific, and
cloudiness near the (international) date line, remain well above El Niño
thresholds.”The bureau said while the current El Niño is likely among the three
strongest occurrences of the phenomenon in the past 50 years, it has yet to
surpass temperatures recorded in 1997-1998 and in 1982-1983.These include
readings below the Pacific Ocean’s surface, which showed more than 12 degrees
Celsius above average in 1982-1983 but has so far peaked at around 8 degrees
Celsius above average this year.
Louisiana rice better-than-usual second
crop
Dec 7, 2015 | Delta Farm Press
South Louisiana rice farmers have wrapped up their rice-growing
season with an excellent second crop harvest.“Most everybody I’ve talked to is
very pleased with the second-crop yields,” said Steve Linscombe, director of
the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station. “Numerous producers say
this is by far their best second crop from the standpoint of yield, and the
quality is good, too.”
In the past, many farmers have delayed flooding and applying
fertilizer until they see regrowth, he said.Linscombe said the per acre average
would probably fall in the low-to-mid-20-barrel range on a green weight basis,
although he heard of many who cut more than 30 barrels an acre. “I even heard
of a few 40-plus in the second crop.”Linscombe said the good ratoon crop yields
will take some of the sting out of the low prices and the lower first-crop
yield.
Farmer Darrell Hoffpauir of Acadia Parish said his second-crop
yield averaged 27 barrels an acre, and he had some fields with 34 barrels,
which made up for a lower first-crop yield.“My first crop was off by 6 or 7
barrels an acre,” he said.He grew a second crop on 90 percent of his first-crop
acreage and rolled all of the stubble, resulting in 21,000 barrels for the
second crop, half as much as the first-crop yield.A second crop of rice is
loaded onto a truck in Acadia Parish. Most farmers are reporting their best
second crop yields ever in south Louisiana.
Photo: Bruce Schultz, LSU AgCenter
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/louisiana-rice-better-usual-second-crop
Philippines to increase rice import in
2016
Xinhua
News Agency
Dec 10,
2015 @ 9:28 AM
MANILA,
Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines is planning to import next year up to
400,000 metric tons of rice on top of its annual regular imports amid the
threat of El Nino phenomenon, a senior government official said Thursday.Presidential
Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said that
increasing the buffer stock of rice through importation was one of the
directives of President Benigno S. Aquino III when he met his cabinet officials
to discuss efforts to ease the impact of El Nino.
According
to National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan,
chairman of the Cabinet Task Force on El Nino, the National Food Authority
Council has determined that 300,000 to 400,000 metric tons will be imported to
boost the country's buffer stock and to augment local rice production, Coloma
said.
The importation
will take place in the second quarter of 2016 and "will be over-and-above
the usual volume of rice that the country imports annually," he said.Coloma
said the full effect of the current El Nino phenomenon will be felt in February
and March 2016 when the entire country is projected to get only 20 to 30
percent of normal rainfall.According to the Department of Science and
Technology and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical
Services Administration, the projected worst-case scenario might exceed the
most severe El Nino conditions experienced in 1997 and 1998.
http://www.globalpost.com/article/6702955/2015/12/10/philippines-increase-rice-import-2016
Rice Prices
as on : 09-12-2015 08:10:56 PM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Bangalore(Kar)
|
2562.00
|
3.31
|
163707.00
|
4200
|
4200
|
NC
|
|
Gadarpur(Utr)
|
1869.00
|
-30.85
|
223906.00
|
2010
|
1821
|
3.61
|
|
Pilibhit(UP)
|
800.00
|
14.29
|
28850.50
|
2185
|
2180
|
-4.17
|
|
Shahjahanpur(UP)
|
680.30
|
2.06
|
78200.30
|
2150
|
2145
|
7.23
|
|
Bazpur(Utr)
|
669.00
|
-21.18
|
42064.51
|
1570
|
1451
|
-
|
|
Samsi(WB)
|
500.00
|
NC
|
26720.00
|
2700
|
2700
|
-12.90
|
|
Varanasi(Grain)(UP)
|
410.00
|
7.89
|
115401.10
|
1970
|
1980
|
0.51
|
|
Gorakhpur(UP)
|
380.00
|
26.67
|
18682.80
|
2080
|
2180
|
2.97
|
|
Mathura(UP)
|
250.00
|
-28.57
|
3740.00
|
2000
|
2070
|
-2.91
|
|
Bangarpet(Kar)
|
220.00
|
-34.13
|
21235.00
|
1680
|
1620
|
-5.62
|
|
Allahabad(UP)
|
220.00
|
10
|
16062.50
|
2100
|
2150
|
2.69
|
|
Ballia(UP)
|
220.00
|
-12
|
18630.00
|
2000
|
2000
|
0.50
|
|
Azamgarh(UP)
|
203.50
|
16.29
|
5388.00
|
2075
|
2085
|
-
|
|
Bareilly(UP)
|
163.50
|
3.15
|
23825.00
|
2180
|
2200
|
1.40
|
|
Devariya(UP)
|
150.00
|
15.38
|
7970.00
|
2085
|
2020
|
7.47
|
|
Bahraich(UP)
|
139.00
|
0.72
|
8549.50
|
2085
|
2080
|
2.46
|
|
Sitapur(UP)
|
138.00
|
1.47
|
4740.50
|
2200
|
2190
|
4.51
|
|
Birbhum(WB)
|
132.00
|
-6.38
|
7666.45
|
1865
|
1840
|
-20.30
|
|
Asansol(WB)
|
132.00
|
4.76
|
1031.00
|
2450
|
2300
|
-3.92
|
|
Durgapur(WB)
|
132.00
|
-2.22
|
4269.50
|
2450
|
2250
|
2.08
|
|
Lucknow(UP)
|
125.00
|
5.93
|
10426.50
|
2060
|
2060
|
NC
|
|
Mathabhanga(WB)
|
120.00
|
-7.69
|
5850.00
|
1850
|
1850
|
-11.90
|
|
Kalipur(WB)
|
108.00
|
-3.57
|
6716.00
|
2150
|
2000
|
-4.44
|
|
Howly(ASM)
|
101.00
|
92.38
|
3782.10
|
1450
|
1450
|
-14.71
|
|
Faizabad(UP)
|
100.00
|
25
|
1538.00
|
2100
|
2080
|
3.96
|
|
Bariwala(Pun)
|
90.00
|
-50
|
540.00
|
2320
|
2300
|
-12.12
|
|
Saharanpur(UP)
|
90.00
|
2.27
|
10005.50
|
2050
|
2050
|
-3.30
|
|
Bindki(UP)
|
90.00
|
12.5
|
4816.00
|
2250
|
2275
|
9.76
|
|
Chandabali(Ori)
|
85.00
|
NC
|
3408.00
|
1800
|
1500
|
12.50
|
|
Kalna(WB)
|
85.00
|
3.66
|
2520.00
|
1840
|
1840
|
-7.54
|
|
Dhing(ASM)
|
82.00
|
7.89
|
5158.70
|
1800
|
1800
|
-5.26
|
|
Ghaziabad(UP)
|
80.00
|
14.29
|
5470.00
|
2065
|
2065
|
-3.05
|
|
Junagarh(Ori)
|
74.16
|
19.75
|
2432.98
|
2100
|
2100
|
-4.55
|
|
P.O.
Uparhali Guwahati(ASM)
|
70.50
|
-0.7
|
5520.50
|
2100
|
2100
|
-19.23
|
|
Thodupuzha(Ker)
|
70.00
|
NC
|
3340.00
|
2600
|
2600
|
-1.89
|
|
Sealdah
Koley Market(WB)
|
67.00
|
5.51
|
1739.30
|
2200
|
2200
|
-12.00
|
|
Sainthia(WB)
|
63.00
|
-7.69
|
13141.50
|
1840
|
1830
|
-21.70
|
|
Agra(UP)
|
61.00
|
12.96
|
7081.00
|
2220
|
2175
|
8.29
|
|
Purulia(WB)
|
60.00
|
42.86
|
4894.00
|
2320
|
2130
|
-5.31
|
|
Mainpuri(UP)
|
57.50
|
-11.54
|
3026.00
|
1955
|
1980
|
-4.17
|
|
Ramnagar(Utr)
|
56.10
|
-28.08
|
648.60
|
2100
|
2150
|
-
|
|
Jaunpur(UP)
|
55.00
|
-5.17
|
4695.00
|
1970
|
1980
|
-1.01
|
|
Pandua(WB)
|
54.00
|
NC
|
3509.00
|
2250
|
2250
|
-13.46
|
|
Gauripur(ASM)
|
53.00
|
47.22
|
3124.00
|
4500
|
4500
|
NC
|
|
Lanka(ASM)
|
50.00
|
-16.67
|
515.00
|
1725
|
1725
|
-9.21
|
|
Nadia(WB)
|
50.00
|
NC
|
2250.00
|
2950
|
2950
|
-4.84
|
|
Indus(Bankura
Sadar)(WB)
|
50.00
|
-9.09
|
1207.00
|
2400
|
2250
|
-4.00
|
|
Egra/contai(WB)
|
49.00
|
2.08
|
2233.00
|
1700
|
1800
|
-32.00
|
|
Mangalore(Kar)
|
42.00
|
2.44
|
1550.00
|
3000
|
3000
|
3.45
|
|
Kalahandi(Dharamagarh)(Ori)
|
41.94
|
136.68
|
1453.40
|
2100
|
2100
|
-4.55
|
|
Karimganj(ASM)
|
40.00
|
-33.33
|
2250.00
|
2050
|
2050
|
-16.33
|
|
Palghar(Mah)
|
40.00
|
-35.48
|
1245.00
|
1950
|
3162
|
-
|
|
Beldanga(WB)
|
40.00
|
-6.98
|
3644.00
|
2250
|
2150
|
-11.76
|
|
Udala(Ori)
|
36.00
|
-25
|
1973.00
|
2800
|
2800
|
16.67
|
|
Ramgarh(Jha)
|
32.00
|
166.67
|
528.50
|
2600
|
2800
|
4.00
|
|
Kasganj(UP)
|
32.00
|
60
|
961.50
|
1850
|
1960
|
-10.19
|
|
Balurghat(WB)
|
32.00
|
14.29
|
1784.00
|
1900
|
1900
|
-34.48
|
|
Silapathar(ASM)
|
30.00
|
20
|
562.20
|
3000
|
3000
|
NC
|
|
Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah)
|
30.00
|
-14.29
|
202.00
|
3000
|
3500
|
-19.46
|
|
Baraut(UP)
|
30.00
|
66.67
|
726.50
|
2040
|
2075
|
-2.39
|
|
Ghatal(WB)
|
30.00
|
36.36
|
508.00
|
1860
|
1840
|
-
|
|
Chakdah(WB)
|
28.00
|
3.7
|
1216.00
|
2800
|
2800
|
-9.68
|
|
Jalpaiguri
Sadar(WB)
|
25.00
|
4.17
|
1429.00
|
2775
|
2775
|
-0.89
|
|
Balrampur(UP)
|
24.50
|
-31.94
|
2697.00
|
2095
|
2095
|
0.24
|
|
Ramkrishanpur(Howrah)(WB)
|
22.30
|
-1.33
|
1855.60
|
2500
|
2500
|
-19.35
|
|
Dhekiajuli(ASM)
|
22.00
|
10
|
2386.00
|
1980
|
2000
|
-20.80
|
|
Gulbarga(Kar)
|
21.00
|
NC
|
337.00
|
2100
|
2100
|
5.00
|
|
Cachar(ASM)
|
20.00
|
-50
|
4335.00
|
2700
|
2700
|
NC
|
|
Farukhabad(UP)
|
18.00
|
-12.2
|
405.00
|
2215
|
2215
|
3.02
|
|
Muradabad(UP)
|
18.00
|
20
|
865.60
|
2210
|
2230
|
10.50
|
|
Mekhliganj(WB)
|
18.00
|
NC
|
1778.00
|
1850
|
1900
|
-11.90
|
|
Haldibari(WB)
|
17.50
|
16.67
|
748.00
|
2450
|
2300
|
-9.26
|
|
North
Lakhimpur(ASM)
|
17.00
|
41.67
|
517.30
|
1900
|
1900
|
-
|
|
Bidar(Kar)
|
17.00
|
-37.04
|
399.00
|
2200
|
2100
|
-13.73
|
|
Pukhrayan(UP)
|
17.00
|
-5.56
|
345.50
|
2075
|
2070
|
-6.32
|
|
Falakata(WB)
|
16.80
|
-30
|
774.50
|
1925
|
1900
|
-
|
|
Ichapuram(AP)
|
16.00
|
NC
|
570.00
|
2800
|
2800
|
-
|
|
Jasra(UP)
|
16.00
|
-15.79
|
731.00
|
2000
|
2025
|
-5.44
|
|
Bankura
Sadar(WB)
|
16.00
|
NC
|
702.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
-10.20
|
|
Tinsukia(ASM)
|
15.00
|
NC
|
246.00
|
2250
|
2400
|
NC
|
|
Nilagiri(Ori)
|
15.00
|
NC
|
2901.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
9.09
|
|
Firozabad(UP)
|
15.00
|
-6.25
|
995.00
|
2160
|
2140
|
5.88
|
|
Lakhimpur(UP)
|
14.00
|
7.69
|
878.50
|
2120
|
2125
|
-
|
|
Champadanga(WB)
|
14.00
|
-12.5
|
891.00
|
2450
|
2450
|
-10.91
|
|
Medinipur(West)(WB)
|
14.00
|
NC
|
1440.00
|
2350
|
2300
|
-11.32
|
|
Dinhata(WB)
|
13.00
|
NC
|
412.00
|
2050
|
2000
|
-18.81
|
|
Bohorihat(ASM)
|
12.00
|
-52
|
1381.00
|
2100
|
2300
|
-19.23
|
|
Khairagarh(UP)
|
12.00
|
50
|
747.00
|
2000
|
2080
|
-1.96
|
|
T.
Narasipura(Kar)
|
10.00
|
400
|
39.00
|
1500
|
1500
|
-
|
|
Chengannur(Ker)
|
10.00
|
42.86
|
893.00
|
2500
|
2450
|
-13.79
|
|
Bampada(Ori)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
360.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
NC
|
|
Barikpur(Ori)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
420.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
NC
|
|
Buland
Shahr(UP)
|
10.00
|
-9.09
|
1067.50
|
2040
|
2045
|
0.74
|
|
Kolaghat(WB)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
717.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
-
|
|
Tamluk
(Medinipur E)(WB)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
783.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
-
|
|
Deogarh(Ori)
|
9.50
|
NC
|
985.50
|
2500
|
2500
|
-16.67
|
|
Mirzapur(UP)
|
9.00
|
12.5
|
1187.50
|
1980
|
1985
|
7.03
|
|
Ranaghat(WB)
|
8.00
|
-20
|
151.00
|
2150
|
2150
|
-
|
|
Bolangir(Ori)
|
6.50
|
8.33
|
362.50
|
2200
|
2200
|
-15.38
|
|
Nimapara(Ori)
|
6.50
|
62.5
|
354.30
|
2200
|
2200
|
NC
|
|
Tusura(Ori)
|
6.00
|
9.09
|
424.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
-15.38
|
|
Hoskote(Kar)
|
5.00
|
-37.5
|
34.00
|
4000
|
3800
|
-
|
|
Jajpur(Ori)
|
5.00
|
-68.75
|
243.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
-18.52
|
|
Jhansi(UP)
|
5.00
|
-16.67
|
494.50
|
2100
|
2100
|
12.90
|
|
Imphal(Man)
|
4.90
|
-2
|
213.90
|
2700
|
2700
|
-15.63
|
|
Thoubal(Man)
|
4.60
|
NC
|
80.10
|
2500
|
2500
|
-3.85
|
|
Alibagh(Mah)
|
4.00
|
NC
|
136.00
|
3500
|
3500
|
118.75
|
|
Bishenpur(Man)
|
4.00
|
-18.37
|
58.10
|
2400
|
2400
|
-22.58
|
|
Fatehpur(UP)
|
3.50
|
16.67
|
2257.50
|
2220
|
2250
|
6.47
|
|
Murud(Mah)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
33.00
|
2750
|
2750
|
-
|
|
Islampur(WB)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
357.70
|
2150
|
2150
|
-14.00
|
|
Karimpur(WB)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
80.00
|
3150
|
3150
|
NC
|
|
Rahama(Ori)
|
2.55
|
-5.56
|
64.25
|
2300
|
2300
|
4.55
|
|
Sardhana(UP)
|
2.50
|
25
|
103.90
|
2050
|
2060
|
-0.97
|
|
Siyana(UP)
|
2.50
|
NC
|
145.70
|
2050
|
2045
|
-0.73
|
|
Jowai(Meh)
|
2.40
|
33.33
|
16.40
|
2700
|
2700
|
NC
|
|
Lamlong
Bazaar(Man)
|
1.60
|
NC
|
42.40
|
2700
|
2700
|
-15.63
|
|
Sahebganj(Jha)
|
1.20
|
-70
|
18.60
|
2600
|
2400
|
-
|
|
Jeypore(Ori)
|
1.20
|
-84.62
|
77.20
|
4200
|
3250
|
29.23
|
|
Udupi(Kar)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
15.00
|
2650
|
2450
|
-11.67
|
|
Penugonda(Mah)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
10.00
|
4080
|
4080
|
NC
|
|
Mangaon(Mah)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
35.00
|
2800
|
2800
|
NC
|
|
Jeypore(Kotpad)(Ori)
|
1.00
|
-44.44
|
433.00
|
3250
|
3250
|
-9.72
|
|
Shillong(Meh)
|
0.80
|
-46.67
|
68.50
|
3500
|
3500
|
NC
|
|
Kasipur(WB)
|
0.80
|
-33.33
|
63.06
|
2500
|
2240
|
-3.85
|
The Hindu
Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
Rice
|
High
|
Low
|
|
|
Long
Grain Cash Bids
|
||
|
Long
Grain New Crop
|
||
|
|
||
|
Futures:
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rice Comment
Rice futures may be attempting to stabilize
after the recent downturn which took over $1.50 off the market in a matter of a
few short days. January closed back above $11 today. The domestic cash market
is quiet and export demand is slow as well, which is typically the case around
the holidays. The monthly supply/demand report showed little change, with only
a 1 million cwt decrease in imports into the U.S. and use unchanged. Exports
were pegged at 98 million cwt, and ending stocks were cut to 38.8 million cwt.
The average on farm price for long grain remained $11.50 to $12.50. Global rice
stocks are forecast to decrease for the third year in a row as consumption is
expected to outpace production. Production was lowered to 469.3 million metric
tons, down approximately 8.9 million tons from the preceding year
S.Korea buys 55,555 T
rice for March-April
Thu Dec 10, 2015 5:48am GMT
SEOUL, Dec 10 (Reuters) - South Korea's Agro-Fisheries &
Food bought a total of 55,555 tonnes of non-glutinous rice for
March and April arrival via tenders that closed on Dec. 9,
according to the agency's website (www.at.or.kr).
Details of the purchases are as follows:
TONNES TYPE SUPPLIER ORIGIN PRICE/T
10,000 Brown Short Daewoo Int'l Corp China $888.00
12,000 Brown Short Sinsong Food Corp China $889.98
11,333 Brown Short Daewoo Int'l Corp China $890.00
10,000 Brown Medium Philasun Co Ltd U.S $714.64
5,555 Brown Medium Philasun Co Ltd U.S $712.64
6,667 Brown Medium Philasun Co Ltd U.S $718.34
* Note: Shipments will arrive at South Korean ports
including Busan, Gunsan, Mokpo and Gwangyang.
(Reporting by Rebecca Jang; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)
af.reuters.com
APEDA Rice Commodity News
|
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USA Rice Daily News
Record-Setting USA Rice Outlook Conference
Kicks Off
Keynote
speakers
NEW
ORLEANS, LA -- The 2015 USA Rice Outlook Conference has attracted record crowds
and got underway here last night with an opening reception in the exhibit hall
and a very fundraising dinner for the USA Rice Political Action Committee.
Then attendees got a strong dose of politics
with married keynote speakers Mary Matalin and James Carville in a discussion
of politics, life, and predictions, moderated by Brian King of Ritter Grain
Services. "I've never seen anything like this in American politics,"
said Carville when asked about the large field of candidates vying for the
presidency."This is unprecedented - you could field two baseball
teams," Matalin said. "we have produced a field that is uncharted
territory."King sought insight and advice and pressed the pair on what
would happen in the 2016 election.
Carville predicted a Hillary Clinton win. Matalin responded, "let's
just say I disagree with him and pray that he is, as he often is, wrong."
Mike
Dunn
Robbie Trahan does the honors for the
Louisiana delegation
Contact:
Michael Klein (703) 236-1458
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
|
From Actress to Cookbook Author: The Lives of Madhur Jaffrey
Last
Updated: December 8, 2015 10:07 pm
·
<
>
Madhur Jaffrey is known to Americans—when she is known at all—as
an author of Indian cookbooks. And with good reason: she has written more than
two dozen of them.
But that’s just the start. The woman often called “the Julia Child
of Indian cookery” was born in Delhi, India, and came to the United States in
the late 1950s, eventually landing among the New York glitterati. She started
her career as an actress—something she continues to do—but soon found herself
deeply rooted in the world of food. She has hosted cooking shows both here and
in Britain, and helped launch the renowned New York Indian restaurant Dawat.
Now 82, her newest book, “Vegetarian India: A Journey Through the
Best of Indian Home Cooking,” will be released in October. We took the
opportunity to talk with her about acting, her start in food, and her pivotal
friendship with filmmakers Ismail Merchant and James Ivory. The conversation
has been edited for clarity and length.
Associated Press: What was the impetus for “Vegetarian India?” Why this book and why
now?
Madhur Jaffrey: I’ve never done a book that’s all Indian and all vegetarian. There
are many areas of India that I don’t know and many cuisines I don’t know, and I
thought this would be a good way to learn about the cuisines I don’t know
anything about.
AP: When you came to the United States in the late 1950s, you landed
first in Vermont, where you taught pantomime, correct? How did that happen?
Jaffrey: I needed a job. I was in the theater and was very kindly employed
by the Catholic University theater team. They said “Why don’t you come in the
summer and work with our summer stock company,” which used to live in Winooski,
Vermont. I joined the company to do odd jobs with them. And get a visa. It was
a technical way of coming.
AP: And from there you went to New York City. What were you hoping to
find there?
Jaffrey: The theater brought me to New York. (My first husband) Saeed
(Jaffrey) also studied at Catholic. He graduated and came to New York and I
came with him. I was working as a guide at the U.N. at the time, and doing
theater in the Village. We were doing off-Broadway. The way I could stay was to
have a visa by working at the U.N. Then I could do theater, for which I was
earning something like $10 a week.
AP: You and Saeed also introduced Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, the
famous film duo. How did that come about?
Jaffrey: We were the only Indian actors in town at that time. Ivory had
just done his first film—it was a short film—called “The Sword and the Flute,”
about Indian miniature paintings. And he needed someone to narrate that. He
went to see (Saeed’s) play and asked him to do it. That’s how Saeed brought him
home for the first time. We all became very good friends.
Around the same time, Ismail Merchant was here, studying at (New
York University) business school. He met us because he had dreams of doing
theater, films, anything. He just wanted to be famous. He wasn’t sure how he
was going to be famous, but it was going to be in the world of film and
theater. His first idea was to get an Indian dancer and have her perform at
Radio City Music Hall.
His dreams were so big. And to us ridiculous. But to him,
everything was achievable. He brought that spirit of great adventure and
far-sightedness to our little group.
AP: I imagine the Indian community in New York was very small at that
time. Did everyone know each other? What was it like?
Jaffrey: All those (Indians) who came were doctors and statisticians and
engineers. America wasn’t taking people who weren’t these things because that
wasn’t what was needed. We were very rare, these people in the arts. We knew
all the people in the arts because that’s where our interest lay. We knew the
Indians who were around and other people who were actors but weren’t Indians.
It was an intellectual bookish, artish world.
AP: Were you fully embraced by the non-Indian art scene?
Jaffrey: As curiosities, yes. But as somebody to give work to, no. It was
very hard to get work. That’s why we needed other jobs, all of us. I am in the
art world; I have one daughter who’s an actress, one who is a writer. The
actress daughter has the same problem I did. But she is two steps ahead.
Indians now are more in shows. People are writing more parts for Indians and
they can play non-Indians. In “House of Cards,” my daughter played a Latino.
(In my time) they never thought of us as secretaries or lawyers. We were just
Indians, and they were always the shieky types. They came vaguely from the
Middle East.
AP: What do you make of Mindy Kaling and Aziz Ansari and Indians on
Pizza Hut commercials?
Jaffrey: It’s changing. This new generation is getting much more work. My
daughter’s generation and her friends—all of these people you mention—she knows
all these people because they’ve all been at it together for a long time.
AP: You once told the BBC you wanted to be the next Marlon Brando.
What did that mean?
Jaffrey: Everybody dreams of saying “Thank you so much for the Academy
Award.” But I left India with dreams of being another Marlon Brando. I adored
his method of acting and I adored him. I had met him in India when he was
passing through. I thought, “I want to have that intensity, that depth.” That
you go into a part and you really find it inside you, and it comes out in this
glorious rich form that it did with Marlon Brando. But there wasn’t the
opportunity. There just wasn’t.
AP: How and why did you transition from theater to cooking?
Jaffrey: I said, “What else could I do to make money?” (I was getting
divorced.) I had three little kids. I had no future. English literature was my
major in college. I could write. I started writing about any subject that they
wanted. Then one day, Holiday Magazine, which was a big magazine at that time,
hired me to do a story about what I ate as a child in India. I did the story.
I had just done the (Merchant-Ivory) film “Shakespeare Wallah,” so
my name was about. Then (New York Times food editor) Craig Claiborne did an
article about me. That was Ismail’s doing. He had the ability to get to know
anybody he wanted. He must have walked up to him at some point and said, “You
must do an article about this woman who appears in my wonderful film.” After
that story things took off.
AP: You’ve published roughly 30 cookbooks. But you’ve never really
stopped acting. You’ve appeared in film, television, on stage, and you’re still
acting today. Are you an actor who cooks, or a cook who acts?
Jaffrey: I always say, “I’m an actress who cooks.” I see myself as an
actress.
AP: How do you think others see you?
Jaffrey: Totally differently. Some people say, “Oh you still act?” They’re
not aware of that aspect of my life.
Berry Pilaf
“The restaurant where this pilaf is served has been in existence
since 1923. It is a Bombay landmark,” Madhur Jaffrey writes in her new
cookbook, “Vegetarian India.” ”The berry used here is the tiny Iranian
barberry, or zareshk, sold by Indian and Persian grocers. If you cannot find
it, use dried cranberries. The final flavors are sweet and sour.”
Start to finish: 4 hours (30 minutes active)
Servings: 6
2 cups basmati rice
1 teaspoon saffron threads
3 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 tablespoons very hot milk
About 1/2 cup barberries or dried cranberries
3 tablespoons olive or peanut oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and halved lengthwise, then sliced
into fine half rings
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
5 cardamom pods
2 1/2-inch cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
3 cloves
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Wash the rice in several changes of water. Put in a bowl, cover
generously with water, then set aside to soak for 3 hours.
Meanwhile, in a mortar and pestle, combine the saffron and 1
tablespoon of the sugar. Pound together to create a fine powder. Transfer to a
small bowl, then stir in the hot milk. Set aside for 3 hours.
Toward the end of the 3 hours, rinse the berries several times,
then leave to soak in water for 20 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
In a medium skillet over medium-high, heat the oil. When the oil
is hot, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until they start to brown.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until they are reddish
brown. Add the drained berries and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir once
or twice, then remove from the heat.
Heat the oven to 325 F.
Bring about 10 cups of water to a boil. Add the salt, cardamom
pods, cinnamon stick, bay leaf and cloves. Stir once, then add the rice. Let it
cook in the boiling water for about 5 minutes, or until it is three-quarters
cooked but still has a thin, hard core. Drain in a colander.
Working quickly now, spread 1 tablespoon of the melted butter in a
medium baking dish. Spread half the rice over it. Spread another tablespoon of
the butter, plus half the saffron mixture and half the onion-berry mixture and
some of its oil on top of the rice. Spread the remaining rice on top of the
first layer. Pour the remaining tablespoon of butter over it, followed by the
remaining saffron mixture and onion-berry mixture.
Cover tightly with foil and a lid and bake in the oven for 30
minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Toss the
rice gently to mix before serving.
Nutrition information per serving: 410 calories; 110 calories from
fat (27 percent of total calories); 13 g fat (4.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats);
15 mg cholesterol; 170 mg sodium; 68 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 12 g sugar; 6 g
protein.
(Recipe adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s “Vegetarian India,” Knopf,
2015)
Epoch Times
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