Friday, February 19, 2016

17th February 2017 Global Rice E-Newsletter by riceplus Magazine

17th February 2017 Global Rice E-Newsletter by riceplus Magazine

 

Asia Rice-Prices edge up, Indonesian demand eyed

Description: http://glocdn.investing.com/news/providers/Reuters.pngCommoditiesFeb 17, 2016 16:03
Description: © Reuters.  Asia Rice-Prices edge up, Indonesian demand eyed © Reuters. Asia Rice-Prices edge up, Indonesian demand eyed


* Export offers advance slightly
* Vietnam eyes possible demand from Indonesia
* Thai prices not to rise by March - traders
By Ho Binh Minh
HANOI, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Asian rice prices gained slightly this week on possible demand from Indonesia, even though supply was boosted by a Thai government rice sale, the ongoing harvest in Thailand and an upcoming harvest in Vietnam, traders said.
Rice prices in Vietnam rose after a long Lunar New Year holiday as traders were monitoring talks on rice sale to Indonesia, traders in Vietnam said on Wednesday.
Quotations for the 5 percent broken rice widened to $350-$360 a tonne, free-on-board Saigon Port, from $350-$355 in the week ended Feb. 5, while the 25 percent broken rice stood nearly flat since the start of the month at $330-$335 a tonne. RICE/ASIA1
"Vinafood 2 has ordered 15-percent broken rice from its member companies, so that it would have stocks handy for negotiations," a trader in Ho Chi Minh City said.
Vinafood 2 is Vietnam's top rice exporter. The 15 percent broken grade is often sought by Indonesia.
Last year Indonesia bought 1.5 million tonnes of rice from Thailand and Vietnam, the world's second- and third-largest exporters of the grain after India. said most Vietnamese exporters were reluctant to offer now while waiting for more clues on pricing when the harvest of the winter-spring crop peaks from later this month.
In Thailand, a government rice sale and an ongoing harvest would not boost prices, traders said.
Thai 5-percent broken rice RI-THBKN5-P1 rose slightly to $370-$375 a tonne, FOB Bangkok, from $365-$375 two weeks ago, even after the Thai government sold 152,377 tonnes via an auction to 15 private companies. don't think it has any impact. Rice sold in the auctions is not of the kinds wanted by main foreign buyers," a trader from one of the 15 companies said, adding that some of the grains at the sale will be exported.
Thailand has now begun harvesting an off-season crop, and traders said the additional supply will not boost prices in at least another month.
"I don't see prices inching up in March," another trader said.
Supply from Vietnam and Thailand has been rising so far this year, based on official estimates.
Thailand has exported nearly 400,000 tonnes between Jan. 1 and Feb. 7, up 36 percent from a year ago, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report early this month.
In January Vietnam shipped an estimated 495,000 tonnes, up 56.7 percent from a year ago, the country's Agriculture Ministry has said

http://in.investing.com/news/commodities-news/asia-rice-prices-edge-up,-indonesian-demand-eyed-49693

 

Local rice farmers cry for market

Description: Rice ImportationFile photo
Thousands of tonnes of local rice are presently sitting the northern part of Ghana without market, Graphic Business has learnt.

The situation, the rice farmers explained would have a negative impact on their fortunes and also prevent them from farming during the next farming season.

This is due to the fact that the farmers would have to generate additional revenue from other sources to settle their indebtedness to the financial institutions from whom they received credit from to during the previous farming year.

An acre of rice farm requires between GH¢1,500 and GH¢2,000 to cultivate, hence the situation has put thousands of farmers out of business, although the government on a number of occasions have vowed to revamp the industry.

According to the farmers bad road network, delayed harvesting, improper harvesting, threshing, drying and storage handling issues are some major challenges they face.

Mr Richard Akoko, a rice farmer from Navrongo, in the Upper East Region noted that the region had never experienced such development ever since, he started farming.

“Our biggest issue is that we do not have the capacity to even send our produce to neighbouring countries to sell, neither do we have the strength to meet the market forces within,” he added.

Mr John Akaribo, a rice farmer from the Upper East Region, also indicated that the price of local rice has reduced from GH¢120 per 100 kilogrammes to GH¢60 of the same kilogrammes of the rice at the Temale market specifically.
This situation, he said was attributable to the increase in importation of foreign rice in to the country.

Mr Emmanuel Buokanso a rice farmer at Yendi in the Northern Region, said the notion that Ghanaian rice was not tasty, full of stones and husk, therefore, makes impure and less quality as compared to imported rice is still in the minds of most Ghanaians therefore making it difficult to sell their product.

“There is, therefore, the need to create awareness on consumption of the local rice to enable farmers to make financial gains take care of our families and reduce poverty” he said.

The Programme Coordinator of Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) Ms Victoria Adongo said the association had been informed about the plight of the domestic rice farmers in the three northern regions.

She said even though the phenomenon was worrying, most of the domestic rice from the northern part of the country did not go through proper milling.
 
She urged that the government to put premium on good processing practices such as grading, labeling, milling and good packaging to help consumers to develop appetite for local rice.

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Local-rice-farmers-cry-for-market-416146

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The best family friendly restaurants in Manchester for half term

·         12:54, 17 FEB 2016
·          12:54, 17 FEB 2016
·          EMMA GILL

We asked parents for their best family dining destinations - this is what they told us

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Description: http://i3.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/incoming/article10904689.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/JS82857201.jpg
Children can create their own pizza at Salvi's
When it comes to eating out with the kids it can be somewhat of a challenge.
That window of opportunity to enjoy happy family time before the little ones get bored, cranky or tired is a short one - and can easily be smashed to smithereens if you pick the wrong place.
We asked parents to recommend their favourite ‘family friendly’ places to eat out with the kids across Manchester. Here are some of your suggestions.

Jamie’s Italian (Manchester city centre)

Where is it?
There are now more than 40 Jamie’s Italian restaurants, but the one closest to home is on King Street.in the city centre.
What’s on the menu?
The children’s menu offers two sizes for big or little kids and dishes come with fresh salad and a drink.
As you’d expect from the man who’s campaigned for heathier school meals for kids, it’s all decent grub - ranging from Jamie’s Proper Picnic Box (an organic Norfolk chicken wrap with rainbow vegetable crisps, seedless grapes, cherry tomatoes and a piece of seasonal fruit) to Happy Chicken Lollipops (freshly made lemony organic chicken fillet lollipops with baked hedgehog potatoes and crunchy nuts and seeds).
It might be an Italian but for kids and adults there’s a lot more than just pizza and pasta.
The offering includes Gennaro’s Famous Porchetta - slow-cooked pork belly filled with garlic, chilli and herbs, served with roasted root veg, spiced apple sauce and salsa verde; while Jamie’s Italian burger is a popular choice.
How much does it cost?
The Little Kids deal is £6.50 and for Big Kids it’s £6.95 - with the salad and drink included. Desserts are an extra £1.25. Jamie’s Super Lunch runs Monday to Friday 12pm to 6pm and costs £12.95 for two courses or £14.95 for three. The mains range from spiced aubergine for £9.95 to a 10oz dry-aged rib-eye steak for a meaty £22.50.
Anything else?
The restaurant offers gluten-free and vegetarian options and staff are able to advise on alternative dishes for people with allergies and intolerances. If it’s super food you’re after, it has its own menu section dedicated to such including salads (of course) and roasted squash and winter greens.
Description: http://i4.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/incoming/article10904697.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/JS82857199.jpgJamie's Italian

All The Shapes (Prestwich)

Where is it?
All The Shapes is on Warwick Street in Prestwich and is relatively new on the scene, having opened last November.
What’s on the menu?
You won’t find chicken nuggets on this children’s menu. It’s all pretty healthy - and tasty too - ranging from eggy bread or scrambled eggs on toast to mini houmous and pitta. For adults, brunch is served 9am to 4pm, with everything from a dry cured streaky bacon butty to Shapes Green Eggs which consists of griddled avocado, crispy fried egg, green salsa, greens and sourdough. Small plates and shares are served 4pm to 8.30pm with the dishes including potato wedges, beef and pork koftas and spinach pancake. Sunday dinner, served 2pm to 7pm, is also proving a hit.
How much does it cost?
There are no meal deal / early bird offers but this place is quickly drumming up a reputation for its reasonably priced high quality fodder. If it’s just a snack for the kids you’re after then you can’t go wrong with the eggs and toast for £3.30.
The adult brunch menu starts from £2.50 for sourdough toast with jam or marmalade, up to £6.50 for kedgeree - smoked poached haddock, yellow basmati rice, curry sauce and egg. The small plates and shares range from Israeli cous cous, honey and lemon dressing, chilli and herbs for £3 to the £10 Shapes board made up of beef, mixed leaves, goats cheese, cornichons, mustard and sourdough.
Anything else?
All The Shapes kitchen staff cook everything to order which means it’s fresh but you might have to be patient if it’s busy - tell that to the kids!
Description: http://i4.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/incoming/article10904699.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/JS82857184.jpgAll The Shapes

Croma (Chorlton)

Where is it?
Croma is on the busy Wilbraham Road in Chorlton but there are also branches in Manchester’s Albert Square and in Prestwich and Didsbury. All of them are popular haunts for families.
What’s on the menu?
The place has its own Kids Pizzatini Menu. This includes dough balls or Pizzatini salad, pizza or pasta, ice cream or chocolate cake and a cromacinno.
For adults there is an Espresso Lunch Menu running Monday to Friday, 12pm to 2pm.
You can pick any pizza with either a glass of wine, peroni, soft drink or coffee.
An early bird menu also runs from 3pm to 7pm Sunday to Friday (10pm Mondays).
This includes garlic bread, dough balls or salad followed by any pizza or main course salad. A glass of house wine, Peroni, soft drink or coffee is included in the price with chocolate fudge cake, treacle tart or cheesecake costing an extra £3.
How much does it cost?
The Pizzatini menu costs £5.95 per child. Espresso Lunch Menu is £8.95 a head, while Early Bird is £11.95.
Anything else?
Kids get a colouring play pack to keep them busy at the table. There is no need to book for tables fewer than six. If you can’t face a sit down meal but also don’t fancy cooking, everything on the menu is available to take away. Pizzas can be made with gluten-free dough for an extra £1.50.
Description: http://i3.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/incoming/article10904702.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/JS82857182.jpgCroma in Chorlton

Giraffe (Trafford Centre)

Where is it?
Giraffe is on the first floor in The Orient and is close to the escalators to the ground floor with plenty of room for buggies. The city centre also has a branch, in Spinningfields.
What’s on the menu?
The kids meal deal runs all day every day with mains including the Open Face Omelette (a flat open free-range egg omelette topped with tomato sauce and melting cheese), sausage and mash and salmon fillet and salad. For adults there are small plates and sharing dishes including halloumi skewers and crunchy shrimp, to an array of burgers or Global Mains which - as the name suggests - features foods from across the world. There’s burritos, enchiladas, carbonara, Thai duck stir fry and not forgetting the good old British beer battered cod.
How much does it cost?
The kids meal costs £5.65 and includes a main and a drink. Small plates and sharing dishes range from £2.95 for olives, £3.85 for those succulent sounding halloumi skewers, to £10.50 for the Mezze Platter including tabbouleh, hummus, tunisian ratatouille, baba ghanoush, tzatziki, falafels, grilled halloumi skewers and mini pitta breads. Burgers start from £9.95 for a classic, while the global mains vary from £8.25 for Penne Margherita to £15.50 for slow cooked BBQ Baby Back Ribs.
Mid-week, from noon until 5pm, there are four Global Mains for just £6.95 each. These are the Deli Burger, Goan Seafood Curry, the Falafel, Feta and Roasted Red Pepper Quesadilla and the Chipotle ‘Nacho’ Chicken Burger.
Anything else?
Giraffe prides itself on being family-friendly and is a regular venue for kids’ birthday parties.
Description: http://i2.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/incoming/article10904747.ece/BINARY/JS82857195.jpgGiraffe in the Trafford Centre

Albert’s (Didsbury)

Where is it?
It’s on Barlow Moor Road in West Didsbury.
What’s on the menu?
The menu is divided into ‘little ones’, ‘bigger ones’, ‘pizzas’ and ‘afters’ - I like places that keep it simple. And they come with unlimited organic cordial - it gets better.
Dishes range from sweet potato rissoto for the little ‘uns, to mini pie and mash or little beef dinner (on Sundays) for the bigger ones who can handle something a bit meatier.
The pizzas come with thin cut chips.
For adults the pizzas start from £8 while there’s loads more to choose from in the mains including slow roasted duck and malayan chicken.
How much does it cost?
Little ones £5, bigger ones and pizzas £7. That includes the unlimited drink. ‘Afters’ of ice cream sundae, fresh fruit jumble or chocolate brownie bites are £1.50.There is a special lunchtime menu for adults of two courses for £11.95.
Anything else?
A Little Chefs option is also on the menu where they supply the base and the toppings and the kids get to build their very own pizza, for the same price as those made by the real chefs.
Description: http://i4.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/incoming/article10904707.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/JS82857191.jpgAlbert's Didsbury

Carluccio’s (Spinningfields)

Where is it?
Carluccio’s is in the heart of the main Spinningfields financial district, overlooking the open spaces of Hardman Square. There’s also a branch in The Trafford Centre.
What’s on the menu?
Kids have the choice to make their own pasta dish combining their favourite shape and sauce. They can have penne or spagehetti with a choice of either tomato, pesto, butter, meatballs, or ragu. If that doesn’t take their fancy there are other options including cheese and ham melt, chicken milanese and ravioli. Many of the main dishes are also available in smaller portions so you shouldn’t be stuck for something the kids will eat (and like).
There’s a good range of pasta and meat and fish dishes for the grown ups. The tempting sounding pappardelle con pollo features chicken and a mix of shitake, oyster and button mushrooms with crème fraiche, garlic, white wine and pine nuts tossed in egg pappardelle.
How much does it cost?
The kids’ menu is £6.60 per child which includes a drink and a dessert of either an ice cream or fruit salad. The good news is that over half term kids eat for £1 with each adult meal bought. A set menu over weekends and evenings costs £13.99 for two courses and £16.99 for three.
Anything else?
Carluccio’s prides itself on its quality of pasta - using only the finest dried pasta from family-run producers in Italy who use traditional bronze dies to create a rough surface for the homemade sauces to cling to. So there you go. It’s also a place where ‘little things matter a lot’ so your mini diners should get a warm welcome.
Description: http://i1.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/incoming/article10904710.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/JS82857204.jpgCarluccio's, Spinningfields

Tampopo (Albert Square)

Where is it?
The original Tampopo is in Manchester city centre’s Albert Sqaure but there are also branches in the Trafford Centre and the newly renovated Corn Exchange.
What’s on the menu?
The menu is made up of street food and signature dishes from across East Asia. Most kids like noodles and here they get special chopsticks to practice with.
There are three different menu options for children of all ages - mini explorer for under fives, junior explorer for kids aged three to eight and adventurous explorer for kids seven and above.
The noodles with chicken, vegetables and sweet soy sauce would be a winner with most juniors while the adventurous ones get to pick a child’s portion from the main menu. For grown ups the street food ranges from Thai curry noodles (yellow noodles in a red curry sauce with chicken, ginger, garlic, fresh lime and red onion) to the new Malaysian satay chicken and rice with red onion, cucumber, rice and and a peanut sauce. There’s also loads of soups, stir fries and curries to choose from, as well as small plates, salads and greens to pick two or three from, or share lots with friends.
How much does it cost?
The kids’ menu is £3.95 for minis, £4.25 for juniors and £5.50 for the adventurous explorers.
Drinks are an extra pound, as are desserts (either ice cream or sorbet).
For adults small plates start from around £4 up to £13.95 for the Asian sharing platter (for two) of spring rolls, BBQ chicken, pork dumplings, coconut prawns, satay chicken and Thai corn fritters.
Main street food dishes start from around £8 and curries from £10.50.
Anything else?
If you’re really in a rush and need to grab a meal to take home the restaurant also offers a take out service. You can order over the phone, online or just turn up.
Until the end of February the restaurant is offering a £5 mains deal to eat in or take away. Ask what’s on offer in each venue.
Description: http://i4.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/incoming/article10904713.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/JS82857208.jpgTampopo

Salvi’s (Manchester city centre)

Where is it?
Savi’s newest restaurant is at the Corn Exchange but there are other branches in John Dalton Street and at the Airkix Indoor Skydiving centre at Trafford Quays Leisure VIllage.
What’s on the menu?
As an Italian there’s obviously pizzas and pasta aplenty but the Corn Exchange branch has a mozzarella bar with deli products imported from Italy every week.
As they do in Italy, kids here eat smaller portions off the main menu but the restaurant has just launched its first ever dedicated children’s pizza.
A group of children from Oldham were asked to invent it and named their creation the Pepper Pig pizza. It features peppers, Italian sausage, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
How much does it cost?
The children’s Pepper Pig pizza costs £5.95 including a drink, with 50p of that going directly to the Forever Manchester charity which helps fund family activities.
Adult pasta dishes range from £9.95 to £12.95 and pizzas start at £7. Other mains start from £12.95 including Salsiccia Italiana - grilled Italian sausage with caponata. Kids can have half portions for half the price.
Anything else?
The Pepper Pizza event was planned to help launch Salvi’s special kids’ pizza making experiences to ensure little diners feel like VIPs when they visit.
Kids ordering any pizza from the menu will get the chance to help create it themselves - (not available on Friday or Saturday nights and must be mentioned when booking).

DNA rice breakthrough raises ‘green revolution’ hopes

New genome sequencing technology could help scientists offset problems that plagued the production of grain

By Cecil Morella  /  AFP, LOS BANOS, Philippines
Description: http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/02/17/thumbs/P12-160217-302r.jpg

A farmer shows rice samples from a paddy field at the International Rice Research Institute in Laguna, south of Manila last October.

Photo: AFP/NOEL CELIS

Rice-growing techniques learned through thousands of years of trial and error are about to be turbocharged with DNA technology in a breakthrough hailed by scientists as a potential second “green revolution.”
Over the next few years farmers are expected to have new genome sequencing technology at their disposal, helping to offset a myriad of problems that threaten to curtail production of the grain that feeds half of humanity.
Drawing on a massive bank of varieties stored in the Philippines and state-of-the-art Chinese technology, scientists recently completed the DNA sequencing of more than 3,000 of the world’s most significant types of rice.
With the huge pool of data unlocked, rice breeders will soon be able to produce higher-yielding varieties much more quickly and under increasingly stressful conditions, scientists involved with the project told AFP.
Other potential new varieties being dreamt about are ones that are resistant to certain pests and diseases, or types that pack more nutrients and vitamins.
“This will be a big help to strengthen food security for rice eaters,” said Kenneth McNally, an American biochemist at the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
Since rice was first domesticated thousands of years ago, farmers have improved yields through various planting techniques. For the past century breeders have isolated traits, such as high yields and disease resistance, then developed them through cross breeding.
However, they did not know which genes controlled which traits, leaving much of the effort to lengthy guesswork.
The latest breakthroughs in molecular genetics promise to fast-track the process, eliminating much of the mystery, scientists involved in the project told AFP.
Better rice varieties can now be expected to be developed and passed on to farmers’ hands in less than three years, compared with 12 without the guidance of DNA sequencing.
Genome sequencing involves decoding DNA, the hereditary material of all living cells and organisms. The process roughly compares with solving a giant jigsaw puzzle made up of billions of microscopic pieces.
A multinational team undertook the four-year project with the DNA decoding primarily in China by BGI, the world’s biggest genome sequencing firm.
Leaf tissue from the samples, drawn mostly from IRRI’s gene bank of 127,000 varieties were ground by McNally’s team at its laboratory in Los Banos, near Manila’s southern outskirts, before being shipped for sequencing.
A non-profit research outfit founded in 1960, IRRI works with governments to develop advanced varieties of the grain.
THREATS TO RICE
Farmers and breeders will need the new DNA tools, which scientists take pains to say is not genetic modification, because of the increasingly stressful conditions for rice growing expected in the 21st Century.
While there will be many more millions to feed, there is expected to be less land available for planting as farms are converted for urban development, destroyed by rising sea levels or converted to other crops.
Rice-paddy destroying floods, drought and storms are also expected to worsen with climate change. Meanwhile, pests and diseases that evolve to resist herbicides and pesticides will be more difficult to kill.
And fresh water, vital for growing rice, is expected to become an increasingly scarce commodity in many parts of the world.

Govt Urged to Prepare Rice Reserves Ahead of El Niño

Report
from Irrawaddy
Published on 17 Feb 2016 View Original
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By KYAW HSU MON / THE IRRAWADDY
RANGOON — The Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) is urging Burma’s government to prepare rice reserves for a potentially extreme El Niño period in the months ahead.
Weather specialists anticipate El Niño, which has a 12- to 18-month cycle, to produce dangerous heat waves in the first six months of this year. As a result, the government is warning people to make adequate preparations, particularly those in the agriculture sector.
“Due to El Niño, the summer paddy will be cultivated late as we may face water shortages. There may be a rice shortage and as a consequence, rice prices would go up,” Soe Tun, MRF vice chairman, told The Irrawaddy.
“That’s why we’re encouraging the government to prepare rice reserves.”
In Burma, the annual paddy-harvest runs from around June-July until September-October. This year Soe Tun said rice should be stored starting in April and May.
The outgoing government has recently been calling on farmers to take the necessary steps to brace themselves for another El Niño, including more economical use of drinking and irrigation water, regular checks for irrigation leaks and improving irrigation channels.
The government already appears to be heeding the rice federation’s advice. On Wednesday, a report in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar stated that the ministry of commerce had prepared over 40 warehouses for the storage of rice in Rangoon, Mandalay and Irrawaddy divisions, as well as Arakan State.
Tun Lwin, considered Burma’s most trusted weather forecaster after having served in the Ministry of Meteorology and Hydrology for more than 30 years, said recently that El Niño could soon ratchet up temperatures in Burma to 45 degrees Celsius.
“El Niño started mid-last year, and it’s expected to linger until about the same time this year. We’ll have to prepare for some of the highest temperatures yet this summer,” he said.
The majority of Burma’s rice fields are located in Magwe, Pegu and Irrawaddy divisions, which could see temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius as early as this month.
Rice is one of Burma’s primary export items, but as a result of widespread flooding in July and August of last year, as well as an increase in crop prices, the commodity’s trading power has experienced a dramatic decline. According to MRF estimates, more than 700,000 ac
http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/govt-urged-prepare-rice-reserves-ahead-el-ni-o

MP govt moves Madras HC against IPAB order on Basmati GI tag

The Court asked APEDA not to take action against Basmati farmers in MP pending disposal of petition, says counsel

BS Reporter  |  Chennai February 17, 2016 Last Updated at 20:12 IST
BS Reporter  |  Chennai February 17, 2016 Last Updated at 20:12 IST
Description: Branded basmati sales to touch 2.9 mt

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The government of Madhya Pradesh has moved a writ petition in the Madras High Court to set aside the order of the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB), related to the registration of Geographical Indication (GI) for Basmatirice in an application by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
The IPAB on February 5, has directed the Assistant Registrar of Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai, to proceed with registration of Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Basmati rice as per the geographical demarcation conducted by APEDA, which did not have the areas of Madhya Pradesh covered under it.
The state of Madhya Pradesh has claimed that 13 out of its 51 districts has been cultivating Basmati rice and is entitled to receive the GI protection.
The Madras High Court today directed APEDA not to take coercive action against Basmati farmers from Madhya Pradesh pending disposal of the writ petition, said Sai Deepak, counsel who appeared for the state. The Court has also issued notice to APEDA and others seeking their response in three weeks. The next hearing is to be held in April. The court has also observed that the procedure for GI registration for Madhya Pradesh, as the IPAB directed the registry to consider afresh, can be continued with a timeline of six months, he added.
Following the IPAB order, on February 15, 2016, the GI Registry also issued an order registering the GI for Basmati for the geaographical demarcation provided by APEDA. Incidentally, the state of Madhya Pradesh filed its petition with the Madras High Court seeking direction to set aside the IPAB's order on the same day.
In its writ petition, the State of Madhya Pradesh claims that the State currently produces around one million tonnes of Basmati rice in a single paddy season and the order of IPAB would result in immediately altering the status quo to the detriment of the State and its 80,000 Basmati farmers and their families.
It added that the IPAB order erraneously presumes that the State never challenged the areas claimed by APEDA as traditional Basmati cultivation areas. The State argues that APEDA has not mapped the exact area where Basmati is grown and gave a blanket protection to some of the States while it did not pay heed to the request of Madhya Pradesh to include 13 specific districts in the GI application.
IPAB, in its order, also asked the registrar to reconsider the matter of inclusion of uncovered area including the State of Madhya Pradesh into the area covered under the GI for Basmati, afresh by affording reasonable opportunity to both the sides - the States and APEDA. It has also dismissed two petitions from Basmati Growers Association of Lahore, Pakistan, related to the matter.
The IPAB order was in an appeal filed by APEDA against the order of the assistant registrar in December 31, 2013, related to a dispute between the export promotion body and the State of Madhya Pradesh and Daawat Foods for inclusion of some of the uncovered area in Madhya Pradesh into the GI application filed by APEDA. Agreeing to the arguments of Daawat Foods and others, the assitant registrar has asked APEDA to amend the application to include the uncovered area with map of the region clearly demarcating the area of production within 60 days from the date of the order on December 31, 2013. The IPAB has set aside this finding.
APEDA claimed that the rice has been grown and produced in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir and submitted the data to establish its claim in this region. It also argued that a worldwide watch agency was appointed to monitor the trade mark registers worldwide for any third party attempted registration in the name of "Basmati" or any deceptive variations and it has taken legal actions in 40 countries against rival third parties for alleged attempt of infringement. It has also successfully challenged an attempt by Ricetec, a US-based company from taking monopoly on the rice grains

Seven years after application, basmati rice gets GI tag

In 2008, Apeda had applied to the GI registry asking for exclusive commercial use of the ‘basmati’ tag for grain varieties grown within the boundaries of the Indo-Gangetic plain

By: Sandip Das | New Delhi | February 17, 2016 12:09 AM
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After seven years of filing applications for the grant of geographical indication (GI) recognition for basmati rice, the Chennai-based GI registry on Tuesday granted the coveted tag to the commerce ministry’s wing Agricultural and Processed Foods Export Development Authority (Apeda).
Apeda has been given the GI tag as the sole custodian of basmati rice grown in the Indo-Gangetic plains. Last month, the Chennai-based Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) had asked the GI registry to grant GI certification to Apeda while allowing stakeholders from Madhya Pradesh to submit fresh documents for inclusion in the basmati grown areas.
Sources told FE that GI protection in India would lead to similar recognition in other countries, including the European Union (EU) and the US, which implies that India’s competitors would be barred from using the ‘basmati’ tag. In the absence of GI for basmati rice, many private companies had been trying to register their products under the title, which commands a premium in the global market.
Basmati rice from the Indo-Gangetic plain, which includes the Punjab province of Pakistan, has a special aroma attributable to it. India commands an 85% share in global basmati trade at present. Following the GI notification, farmers in 77 districts of seven states — Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir — would now get the benefit.
In 2008, Apeda had applied to the GI registry asking for exclusive (commercial) use of the ‘basmati’ tag for grain varieties grown within the boundaries of the Indo-Gangetic plain. Subsequently, India and Pakistan had initiated steps to register basmati under GI as ‘joint heritage’ for protecting its premium market abroad. But that bid did not fructify due to opposition within Pakistan.
Last month, the IPAB bench has also dismissed a plea by the Basmati Growers Association (BGA), Pakistan, which was joined as a party in the case. “It is for the BGA to agitate their rights and establish their claims before the High Court of Sindh at Karachi. The appellant, without taking steps to substantiate their claim in respect of Basmati rice in their country, namely Pakistan, there is no justification for them to intervene and interfere in the proceedings initiated by Apeda in respect of getting GI tag for basmati rice covering the areas within the territory of India as specified in the maps filed along with the GI application”, the IPAB had noted.
India’s basmati rice exports, which had touched a record R29,000 crore in 2013-14, fell to R27,600 crore in 2014-15, due to a decline in shipments to Iran. In the first three quarters of the current fiscal, the country has exported R17,588 crore of basmati rice against R20,455 crore worth of shipment during the same period in the previous fiscal.
According to official data, more than 237 products have got GI certification for preserving their uniqueness.
Financial express



EXPORTS EXCEED $25BN FOR FIRST TIME IN COUNTRY’S HISTORY

Wednesday, 17 February 2016 15:56
Posted by Parvez Jabri
Description: E-mail Description: Print Description: PDF Description: Views: 249
Description: imageISLAMABAD: Minister for Commerce Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan Wednesday told National Assembly (NA) that Pakistan's exports exceeded $ 25 billion target for the first time in country's history.
He said in 2014-15 negative growth in exports was witnessed due to significant decline in the global prices of cotton, leather products and basmati rice as Pakistan's export is dependent on these products.
He said decline in the value of currency has made a difference to the competitive process, adding that for China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project infrastructure would be built for which steel and other materials would be required to import as our local industry is not in a position to meet the huge target.
He added that appropriate measures would be taken for anti-dumping of steel.
Responding to a question he said the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had imposed ban on livestock exports due to which an increase was witnessed in meat export from 190.2 million $ to 210.5 million $ and further increase is expected.
He said that Pakistan has to increase trade with regional countries including Afghanistan, Iran and Middle East and will have to take certain measures for the industry.
Khurram Dastgir in response to a question said according to World Bank database the standard ratio of exports of goods and services in terms of global GDP is 29.6 percent, whereas Pakistan had 12.28 percent rate in 2014 in this regard.
The minister informed the house that government should take measures, including improving infrastructure to reach the World Bank standards. "We have provided all the information in Urdu regarding GSP Plus on websites for competition in world markets," he added.
In response to a question, he said Pakistan's exports of gypsum to India constitute more than 99% of its global exports of gypsum. There is overall increase in quantity of gypsum exports to India in last three years with slight dip in fiscal fear 2014, he added.
He said increase was witnessed in export of gypsum to 5.5 million tones in 2013-14 and 8.75 million tones in 2014-15.
The minister said in value terms, the exports show a minor decline which is attributable to variation in US$ rates. This increase in exports of gypsum is a result of rise in demand of Pakistani Gypsum from Indian cement industry, he added.
Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2016

  

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Scientists develop ‘breakthrough’ GM rice with increased iron and zinc

Post a commentBy RJ WhiteheadRJ Whitehead , 18-Feb-20162016-02-18T00:00:00Z
Photo: Irri
Rice scientists have made a “breakthrough” in genetic crop development through a process of biofortification to increase iron and zinc levels in rice. Their discovery, the researchers say, will have a significant impact on the global fight against human micronutrient deficiency, or “hidden hunger”.
Having found proof of concept in confined field trials for increasing iron and zinc levels in rice without a yield penalty, or a change in grain quality, the development could potentially help developing nations reach nutritional targets for iron and zinc, which are essential to prevent malnutrition, anaemia and stunting.
The work, led by the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institution (Irri), has been published in Nature‘s Scientific Reports .
This significant increase in iron and zinc levels was achieved through rigorous gene optimisation, large-scale plant transformation and event selection at the confined facilities of Irri,” said Inez Slamet-Loedin, senior scientist and head of Irri’s Genetic Transformation Laboratory. 
We are now developing back-up lines using rice and bean genes. More work needs to be done to facilitate varietal release and allow future impact.”
According to the World Health Organisation, iron deficiency is the most pervasive form of malnutrition and a leading cause of anaemia in women and children. Zinc deficiency, meanwhile, causes stunting and has serious consequences for health, particularly during childhood.
Polished rice grains generally contain only about 2µg of iron and 16µg of zinc per gram. With limited variation in grain iron content across the rice gene pool, conventional breeding efforts have fallen short of reaching 13µg of iron and 28µg of zinc per gram of polished rice to fulfil 30% of the estimated average requirement in humans.
However, the Irri study found a method to genetically engineer rice to have significantly increased levels of iron and zinc—up to 15µg and 45.7µg respectively—per gram of polished rice that human cells can potentially absorb.
To do so, the scientists used genes—nicotianamine synthase from rice and ferritin from soybean—that together produced high-micronutrient grains. They introduced the genes to a rice variety, IR64, and bred these into other popular indica varieties, the world’s most widely grown type of rice from South and Southeast Asia, where Fe and Zn deficiencies are prevalent.
Howarth Bouis, director of HarvestPlus, the CGIAR global agriculture research partner which funded the research, said the study heralded the social application of transgenic techniques. 
Bouis said: ‟The research results, which have exceeded target levels of both iron and zinc, speak of the immense potential of using transgenic techniques in pursuing biofortification to improve the nutritional value of food crops
This demonstrates how scientific innovations can expand the range of solutions to curbing micronutrient deficiencies.”

More stories from Southeast Asia…
Bakery veteran acquires stake in ‘diabetic bread’ biotech firm
Meiert Grootes, chairman of Europe’s biggest supplier of speciality baking products, has acquired a stake in a Malaysian-Australian biotech firm that earlier this year launched ingredients to produce the world’s first clean-label, low-GI “diabetic” white bread.
Holista Colltech, which develops “natural healthstyle products”, announced that Grootes's shares, when fully exercised, would allow the 27-year bakery industry veteran to own up to 10% of the company. Within three years, he expected to emerge as Holista’s third-biggest shareholder, the company said in a statement.
In January, Holista CollTech claimed a global scientific breakthrough when it announced it had developed ingredients to produce a white bread with a glycemic index of 53—the world’s lowest for such a product. The company said its blend significantly reduced the high blood sugar levels caused by consuming white bread and bakery products. 
Its claims have been validated by an Australian university, which conducted a final clinical study in December, confirming that white bread blended with Holista’s GI Lite formula and a natural sourdough by Veripan, the Swiss company which Grootes chairs, registered the lowest glycemic index level ever achieved by any clean-label white bread.
The formula consists of Holista’s GI Lite, which contains extracts of okra, lentils, barley and fenugreek, and Veripan’s Pantura sourdough.
Rajen Marnicka, chairman and chief executive of Holista, called the results a “major breakthrough” at a time of growing concerns surrounding high blood sugar levels across Asia-Pacific.
Holista and Veripan will initially begin their joint distribution of Panatura GI in Australia around October. The roll-out will be followed in Europe, North America, China, India and the rest of Asia. The global white bread market is worth US$170bn.
Holista claims that the use of Panatura GI will increase production costs marginally, and will comprise roughly 5-7% of the final formulation.
Grootes said: “I can say with conviction that this is the best thing since sliced bread. With Holista’s expertise and our business networks, we intend to make this revolutionary ingredient available to food manufacturers around the world.”

Vietnam’s dairy sector ripe for milking
Unable to keep up with rising local demand, Vietnam’s dairy sector shows immense potential for local and foreign investors, according to a new report.
Market analyst Research and Markets has found that factors such as rising demand due to an increasing affinity for Western cuisine have bolstered Vietnam’s dairy market—traditionally one of the lowest per-capita milk consumers in Southeast Asia. This in turn has brought heavy investment to the segment.
With demand outstripping supply, milk production of 456,400 tonnes in 2013 met just 28% of the market. While domestic supply has grown by 26.6% annually from 2001-2014, and reached 549,500 tones in 2014, such quantities are still not sufficient to meet the market’s needs. 
Low cattle numbers mean that Vietnam is heavily reliant on milk imports. In 2013, the market for imported milk products was valued at US$1.1bn, an increase of 130% over the previous year. This figure is expected to reach US$3.6 billion by 2045. 
Now exporting dairy products to more than 29 foreign markets, the country’s dairy farms have been ramping up a modernisation programme, and the total milk cow herd was expected to have reached 240,000 by the end of last year.
Vietnam now plans to meet 60% of domestic demand for fresh milk by 2045, based on a projected population of roughly 113m. To meet this target, Research and Markets believes the country needs to develop a herd capable of producing 5.65m tonnes of milk annually. 

Thai food companies advised to target booming Myanmar
Thailand’s industry ministry has advised small- and medium-sized food manufacturers to target Myanmar, which has ben witnessing a significant rise in imports from its eastern neighbour.
The ministry’s National Food Institute found that Thai exports to Myanmar had increased by almost one-quarter in 2015, making it the country’s fourth biggest food market after Japan, America and China.
Yongvut Saovapruk, president of the institute, said that Myanmar, whose economy is forecast to grow by 8% this year, represented 4% of Thailand's total food exports in 2015 with a value of THB900bn (US$25.3bn).
He said that consumers there were particularly keen on Thai food traits, such as noodle-based foods with salty tastes, and had a preference for fried food over boiled food. They did not, however, appreciate coconut milk being used in recipes.
Receiving 17% of Thailand’s THB231bn (US$6.5bn) food shipments to Asean, Myanmar is the country’s leading regional importer, and offers significant potential for processed foods and beverage exporters, Yongvut said.
"Euromonitor predicted that the average growth of the market for processing foods in Myanmar between 2014 and 2018 will be about 15% per annum," he said.
"However, the market growth of non-alcohol beverages in Myanmar is as high as 23% per year over the period.”

'Indonesia needs licence overhaul to attract foreign investors'
Indonesia’s byzantine personal and corporate registration processes are putting off overseas food and beverage investors, according to the industry’s representative body. 
Adhi Lukman, chairman of the Food and Beverages Businesses Association, said a simpler bureaucratic system is required to attract more companies to the country.
"Starting from something simple, like residential permit. This permit is used to make a taxpayer registration number, trade licence, and company registration certificate," he explained, adding that construction and location licences should also be simplified. 
Adhi called on the government to overhaul its current system to guarantee a smoother transition for companies arriving in Indonesia.
"Hopefully, the regional and central government could synergise because the central government’s will to [facilitate licensing] has been carried out," he said.

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By RJ WhiteheadRJ Whitehead, 18-Feb-2016
Rice scientists have made a “breakthrough” in genetic crop development through a process of biofortification to increase iron and zinc levels in rice. Their discovery, the researchers say, will have a significant impact on the global fight against human micronutrient deficiency, or “hidden hunger”.
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New USDA Proposed Nutrition Rule May Present Opportunity for Rice

By Katie Maher

 

WASHINGTON, DC -- Yesterday, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon announced a proposed rule designed to provide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants increased access to healthy foods by requiring stores that accept SNAP to stock a wider array of food choices.

 

SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is the nation's largest nutrition assistance program accounting for 79 percent of Farm Bill costs at $756 million.

 

"USDA is committed to expanding access for SNAP participants to the types of foods that are important to a healthy diet," Concannon said. "This proposed rule ensures that retailers who accept SNAP benefits offer a variety of products to support healthy choices for those participating in the program."

 

The proposed rule would require SNAP-authorized retailers to offer seven varieties of qualifying foods in four staple food groups for sale on a continuous basis. The staple food groups are dairy products; breads and cereals, which includes rice; meats, poultry and fish; and fruits and vegetables. In addition, the proposal calls for retailers to stock at least six units within each variety, leading to a total of at least 168 required food items per store.

 

While the majority of SNAP benefits are redeemed in supermarkets and superstores, this proposal could provide a new opportunity to expand rice distribution in retailers accepting SNAP, and potentially increase rice products on shelves.

USA Rice Daily, Wednesday, February 17, 2016

U.S.-China Reach Agreement on Phytosanitary Protocol for Rice Exports

Shipments Expected to Start in the Spring

Description: US-China rice agreement will mean more shipments of export cargo and import cargo in international trade.
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·           U.S.-China rice agreement includes separate inspections by USDA and its Chinese counterpart of U.S. mills.
·           The technical aspects of U.S.-China rice agreement are unlike any other the U.S. rice industry operates under.
·           Exporters interested in the Chinese rice trade should develop strict protocols including detailed records.
U.S. officials have confirmed that the United States and China have agreed on a phytosanitary protocol that will permit the import of U.S. milled rice.
“The challenge now is to move from agreement to shipments,” said Betsy Ward, CEO of USA Rice, an industry group.
“This extraordinary agreement has been a long time coming and I commend the U.S. negotiators and USA Rice for sticking to it and getting us a phytosanitary protocol,” said Dow Brantley, Arkansas rice farmer and USA Rice Chairman. “While more complicated and detailed than any other rice protocol in the world, it is something both industries appear able to make work that will result in a new market opening up for U.S.-grown rice.”
U.S. Department of Agriculture officials provided details on how they intend to turn the phytosanitary protocol into actual export opportunities for U.S. rice. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) held a Grain Sector Strategic Planning Meeting where the status of access to China was a key topic discussed by APHIS leadership.  APHIS laid out a series of steps involving separate inspections by APHIS and its Chinese counterpart of U.S. mills and storage facilities interested in exporting to China, publication by China of a list of ports eligible to receive U.S. rice and, issuance of a decree by the Chinese government authorizing imports.  If there are no interruptions, imports could be permitted by early spring of this year, according to the agency.
“We have been working with APHIS for several weeks to identify U.S. mills and storage facilities interested in exporting to China and willing to comply with the insect trapping and record keeping requirements of the protocol,” said Bob Cummings, COO of USA Rice, who participated in the briefing.  “APHIS will soon contact these entities to arrange on-site inspections to assess compliance with APHIS’s work plan. A list of certified U.S. mills and storage facilities will then be forwarded by APHIS to China and Chinese authorities will do their own inspections, though perhaps just a sample of facilities. USA Rice will continue to work with APHIS and take the lead in educating the industry about the specific requirements of the protocol and work plan.”
“The technical aspects of this agreement are unlike any other protocol the U.S. rice industry currently operates under,” said Chris Crutchfield, president of American Commodity Company, a California rice mill and chair of the USA Rice Millers Phytosanitary Protocol Task Force.  “I strongly encourage all facilities and exporters who wish to be involved in the Chinese rice trade to carefully read and understand all aspects of the agreement, and to develop and follow strict standard operating procedures and protocols including the detailed maintenance of records, as everything will need to be available for inspection by Chinese government officials at their request.”

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Africa: Rice - Africa's Ticket Out of Poverty
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By Busani Bafana
Cotonou — Africa is eating more rice than other food staples, though it produces less than it needs. This is good news for the cereal's potential to help Sub Saharan Africa out of poverty according to researchers. Rice is the second most important source of calories in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), a research organisation working to contribute to poverty alleviation and food security.

Thanks to fast urbanising Africa, consumption of rice is growing by six per cent annually. "Rice is important for Africa food security and the reasons are clear," AfricaRice Center, Deputy Director General, Marco Wopereis, told IPS, adding that "consumers like it and the consumption growth is just mind boggling as a result of population and change of preference as people in cities want food that can be prepared quickly and stored easily and rice is just perfect for that." Projections are that in 25 years, the world will be eating 110 million tonnes more of milled rice and one third of that will be eaten in Africa, according to him.

Grown in 40 out of 54 countries in Africa, rice is the most important agricultural activity and source of income for more than 35 million smallholder rice farmers.

However, current demand for rice is outpacing local production which covers only 60 per cent of requirements. As a result, the continent is spending more than US$5 billion annually on importing 12.5 million tonnes of rice each year. This accounts for 32 per cent of the world's rice imports, making Africa one of the largest rice importers in the world and a major player in the rice trade.



This situation is changing, says Wopereis, who is convinced that the rice sector represents a route out of poverty for Africa. Under its 2011-2020 Strategic Plan, AfricaRice has prioritised improving yields and the quality of rice in Africa. "We have seen after 2008 a tremendous increase in production and good news came out of Africa we have seen yields gone up by 30 per cent reaching 2,1 tonnes on average per hectare in 2012," he said, noting that since then yields have remained flat but production has increased in area.

"We would need a clear investment from public and private sector sectors to boost the rice sector with enabling policies to make it work because we are currently importing more than 12 million tonnes of milled rice and if we do not increase production, we have to import more and more and we could run into the same crisis as we had in 2008," he emphasised.

The 2008 food crisis jolted some countries in Sub Saharan Africa, forcing governments, international agencies and donors to invest in ambitious production programmes which have yielded results. More than 200 participants comprising researchers, private sector partners especially seed partners and government representatives from over 20 African countries, Europe and Asia met in Cotonou in mid-February under the banner of the AfricaRice 2016 Science Week and Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP) to take stock of developments in the rice sector in 2015. The Science Week served specifically as an annual review for reflection and planning of rice research-for-development (R4D) activities in 2016 for AfricaRice Centre and its partners around the world.

There is good news on rice research. Indigenous rice varieties have received a facelift by helping develop resilient and high yielding lines of the cereal. Cultivated for more than 3,000 years in parts of Africa, the African rice, known by its scientific name, Oryza glaberrima, is unique to the continent and has become an economic and political crop.

Over the last six years, AfricaRice has worked with policy makers to implement the rice strategy at the country level. For example, Senegal, one of the top rice growers in Africa, has identified regions that will be rice self-sufficient and produce for the market. Sustainably enhancing the production, processing and marketing of rice are some of the critical challenges that need to be overcome to transform the cereal into Africa's key to food and economic security.

Africa has the technologies continues to improve them but the continent should link up with the big players such as Africa Development Bank through its projects and with the private sector to scale up rice technologies. Rice production per hectare should go up with improved seed varieties, efficient weeders, threshers and mini combine harvesters.

AfricaRice is currently undertaking a study on what it means for Sub Saharan Africa to be self-sufficient by 2025. An estimated $20 billion would be needed in investments to reach self-sufficiency in 10 years. This will be reached through improved management of existing rice land, closing yield gaps and increasing production and where possible double cropping.



AfricaRice three years ago developed seven high performing rice varieties known as the Advanced Rice Varieties for Africa (ARICAs) which has been developed with traits for tolerance to flooding at a vegetative stage, salinity, iron toxicity and cold. These are high performing compared to the New Rice for Africa (NERICA) varieties developed for rain-fed environments in the 1990s.

Moussa Sie, a senior breeder at AfricaRice and coordinator of the Rice Breeding Task Force in Africa, said ARICAs will help increase the number of rice varieties available and boost production by at least 40 per cent. These have been developed using participatory variety selection tools that breeders use to involve farmers in developing what is suitable for their needs and conditions in the view of flooding and droughts as a result of climate change.

"We are working in particular to breed varieties that are more robust and more ready to face the threats of climate change because rice is grown mainly by poor farmers and we need to develop varieties for such kind of farmers," Sie told IPS. "We have rice champions like the NERICA-4 varieties which we developed by involving farmers and ARICAs will follow the same route."

According to Realising Africa's Rice Promise - the most comprehensive reference publication on rice research in Africa - this staple is the future for Africa. The study, a global collaboration by 100 authors with considerable expertise, says sustainably increasing rice production and productivity, enhancing quality and marketing are key to the transformation of the rice sector. "Rice is critical for food security and political stability throughout Africa and it has the greatest potential to fuel economic growth," the study notes

http://allafrica.com/stories/201602170998.html

International Benchmark Price
Price on: 16-02-2016
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
Garlic
1
Chinese first grade granules, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
3500
2
Chinese Grade A dehydrated flakes, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
4500
3
Chinese powdered, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
3000
Ginger
1
Chinese sliced, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
2150
2
Chinese whole, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
2300
3
Indian Cochin, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
2850
Guar Gum Powder
1
Indian 100 mesh 3500 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
3780
2
Indian 200 mesh 3500 cps basis, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
1180
3
Indian 200 mesh 5000 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
2300
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 16-02-2016
Domestic Prices
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Rice
1
Chala (Kerala)
Other
2480
2750
2
Murud (Maharashtra)
Other
2500
3000
3
Barasat (West Bengal)
Other
2500
2600
Wheat
1
Haveri (Karnataka)
Local
1600
1650
2
Sangli (Maharashtra)
Other
2000
2800
3
Dahod (Gujarat)
Lokwan
1725
1912
Papaya
1
Malout (Punjab)
Other
1280
1500
2
Chittorgarh (Rajasthan)
Other
900
1200
3
Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh)
Other
1045
1075
Cauliflower
1
Vyra (Gujarat)
Other
2000
3000
2
Chala (Kerala)
Other
3700
3756
3
Jagraon (Punjab)
Other
400
600
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 16-02-2016
Product
Market Center
Price
1
Pune
385
2
Hyderabad
355
3
Nagapur
345
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package
Price on 16-02-2016
Product
Market Center
Origin
Variety
Low
High
Potatoes
Package: 50 lb cartons
1
Atlanta
Colorado
Russet
17
17.50
2
Baltimore
Idaho
Russet
18
18.50
3
Chicago
California
Russet
21
21
Cabbage
Package: 50 lb sacks
1
Atlanta
Florida
Round Green Type
11.50
12
2
Dallas
Mexico
Round Green Type
13
13
3
Miami
Florida
Round Green Type
12
14
Grapefruit
Package: 4/5 bushel cartons
1
Atlanta
Florida
Red
21
21.50
2
Chicago
Florida
Red
24
24
3
Miami
Florida
Red
19
22
Source:USDA

02/17/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report

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


Futures:
ROUGH RICE
High
Low
Last
Change
Mar '16
1117.5
1078.0
1104.0
+20.0
May '16
1144.5
1105.5
1131.5
+20.5
Jul '16
1159.0
+20.0
Sep '16
1171.5
+16.0
Nov '16
1189.0
+16.5
Jan '17
1202.0
+16.5
Mar '17
1202.0
+16.5
Description: DTN Description: CME Group Description: Click here for info on Exchange delays.

Rice Comment

Rice future were higher, but gains were limited. The average expected price for long grain is now $11.00-$11.60/cwt, and mid-south medium grain is expected to bring $11.70-$12.30. The market is anxiously awaiting the results of an Iraqi tender for U.S. origin only rice. May has downtrending resistance near $11.60.

Rice Prices

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Rice
Gadarpur(Utr)
1425.00
-3.32
60526.00
2089
1803
30.56
Etawah(UP)
450.00
25
15330.00
2260
2250
2.73
Shahjahanpur(UP)
215.00
1.56
38597.70
2190
2190
8.15
Gondal(UP)
178.00
6.59
9887.10
2015
2020
-0.49
Ballia(UP)
140.00
-6.67
5270.00
1975
1960
NC
Sitapur(UP)
139.00
-6.71
4293.00
2200
2220
1.38
Mathabhanga(WB)
120.00
NC
2340.00
1950
1950
-
Basti(UP)
116.50
6.88
3269.00
2065
2060
5.90
Lucknow(UP)
102.00
-21.54
2774.00
2160
2140
-0.46
Kalipur(WB)
90.00
NC
2776.00
2050
2050
-6.82
Saharanpur(UP)
80.00
NC
3281.00
2050
2040
-1.44
Aligarh(UP)
70.00
NC
1565.00
2150
2170
13.16
Ghaziabad(UP)
70.00
-30
1560.00
2075
2070
-2.35
P.O. Uparhali Guwahati(ASM)
68.00
-9.33
2124.00
2100
2100
-19.23
Bindki(UP)
65.00
8.33
1613.00
2260
2250
8.39
Coochbehar(WB)
65.00
1.56
528.50
2050
2050
-4.65
Achalda(UP)
50.00
-34.64
2396.50
2250
2240
3.21
Nadia(WB)
50.00
NC
1000.00
3200
3200
3.23
Samsi(WB)
50.00
NC
14560.00
2800
2800
-
Gauripur(ASM)
46.00
6.98
1775.50
4500
4500
-
Muzzafarnagar(UP)
46.00
43.75
764.00
2075
2050
-
Cachar(ASM)
40.00
-33.33
1200.00
2700
2700
NC
Lanka(ASM)
40.00
-20
1665.00
1725
1725
-
Karimganj(ASM)
40.00
-50
1080.00
2200
2200
4.76
Haathras(UP)
35.00
-12.5
315.00
2170
2145
11.86
Balrampur(UP)
31.50
-12.5
951.00
2040
2070
-0.49
Balurghat(WB)
31.00
10.71
171.00
2850
2830
-
Purulia(WB)
30.00
-6.25
1302.00
2180
2200
-9.17
Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah)
25.00
-16.67
760.00
3000
3000
-
Jasra(UP)
22.50
-10
265.50
2060
2075
3.00
Bohorihat(ASM)
22.00
33.33
168.40
2075
2000
-10.75
Jalpaiguri Sadar(WB)
22.00
-12
579.00
2700
2700
-3.57
Mekhliganj(WB)
21.50
7.5
305.00
2000
2000
-
Diamond Harbour(South 24-pgs)(WB)
21.00
-8.7
211.00
0
1850
-
Alipurduar(WB)
18.00
NC
215.00
2200
2200
-
Kolaghat(WB)
17.00
NC
337.00
2300
2300
-
Tamluk (Medinipur E)(WB)
16.00
NC
358.00
2300
2300
-
Medinipur(West)(WB)
16.00
NC
391.00
2450
2450
2.08
Falakata(WB)
15.00
3.45
276.10
1990
1960
-
Vikasnagar(Utr)
13.00
-
13.00
2640
-
88.57
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
12.50
-12.59
810.70
1900
1900
-
Hazaribagh(Jha)
12.50
25.63
46.55
2945
3015
-
Kannauj(UP)
12.50
NC
172.10
2190
2180
0.92
Etah(UP)
12.00
9.09
61.00
1880
1890
-6.93
Firozabad(UP)
12.00
NC
325.00
2120
2110
3.92
Raiganj(WB)
12.00
9.09
506.00
2750
2800
-
Champadanga(WB)
12.00
-25
433.00
2350
2350
-12.96
Muradabad(UP)
11.00
83.33
326.50
2230
2240
12.91
Mannargudi(Ker)
10.00
NC
275.00
3600
3100
-
Pilibhit(UP)
10.00
-92.86
16248.00
2195
2195
-6.40
Kaliaganj(WB)
10.00
11.11
346.00
2650
2700
-
Dibrugarh(ASM)
9.50
-40.62
596.30
2400
2400
-
Katwa(WB)
8.50
-5.56
77.50
2400
2300
NC
Bhivandi(Mah)
8.00
NC
166.00
3350
2300
97.06
Nilagiri(Ori)
8.00
NC
269.00
2300
2500
NC
Baraut(UP)
8.00
-50
147.00
2115
2135
1.20
Dibiapur(UP)
8.00
14.29
55.00
2260
2230
3.20
Nimapara(Ori)
7.00
7.69
123.00
2200
2200
NC
Chengannur(Ker)
6.00
NC
333.00
2400
2450
-17.24
Jhansi(UP)
6.00
NC
134.50
2100
2100
7.69
Khairagarh(UP)
6.00
NC
227.00
2090
2090
2.96
Silapathar(ASM)
5.40
-18.18
448.60
3000
3000
NC
Hailakandi(ASM)
4.00
NC
83.00
2700
2700
NC
Fatehpur(UP)
4.00
14.29
95.50
2145
2165
2.63
Imphal(Man)
3.90
-4.88
115.60
2900
2900
-
Darjeeling(WB)
3.20
23.08
44.90
2800
2800
3.70
Madikeri(Kar)
3.00
NC
26.00
1440
1200
-
Aroor(Ker)
3.00
NC
112.70
6900
6900
-25.81
Islampur(WB)
3.00
NC
167.20
2150
2150
-
Perinthalmanna(Ker)
2.90
NC
36.50
2600
2600
-
Melaghar(Tri)
2.50
NC
76.30
2350
2350
NC
Chorichora(UP)
2.50
177.78
264.40
2125
2100
8.42
Bonai(Bonai)(Ori)
2.00
NC
44.10
2000
2000
-9.09
Siyana(UP)
1.50
NC
51.50
2045
2055
1.24
Kalimpong(WB)
1.40
75
17.20
2400
2450
-14.29
Lamlong Bazaar(Man)
1.40
-22.22
39.30
2700
2700
-6.90
Sardhana(UP)
1.20
20
47.30
2165
2060
4.59
Gurusarai(UP)
1.20
50
4.10
2200
2250
-
Shillong(Meh)
0.80
-33.33
31.90
3500
3500
NC

RELATED IRRI and German equipment company forge a win-win partnership

 Carlito Balingbing, Reianne Quilloy, and Joseph Sandro   |  Feb 17, 2016
| 
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Description: Substituting fertilizer for salt and sand. In Europe, the POLARO is used to spread salt and sand for better road traction. In Asia, this lightweight machine can be attached to a four-wheel undercarriage for fertilizer and crop care application. (Photo: Isagani Serrano, IRRI)
Substituting fertilizer for salt and sand. In Europe, the POLARO is used to spread salt and sand for better road traction. In Asia, this lightweight machine can be attached to a four-wheel undercarriage for fertilizer and crop care application. (Photo: Isagani Serrano, IRRI)
In addition to water, fertilizer is also an important input in rice production on the irrigated lowlands of Asia. But, unlike water, which usually flows naturally for even distribution onto farmers’ fields, the uniform application of fertilizer is laborious and difficult.
Fertilizer boosts rice yield when applied in the right amount and at the right time. Applying it uniformly ensures an even distribution of nutrients to the rice crop. However, for years, uniform application has been a big obstacle for most rice farmers and even on the Zeigler Experiment Station of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines. Although fertilizer spreaders are commonly available, they usually are designed for use in large fields pulled by big tractors.
In 2014, an informal meeting between Walter Zwick, IRRI collaborator in Cambodia, and Helmut Lehner, owner and managing director of Lehner Agrar GmbH in Germany, led to a consultation with Martin Gummert, IRRI’s postharvest expert. during which Mr. Lehner made an offer to theIRRI postharvest team to test POLARO, a battery-operated mechanical spreader developed by the German company for applying sand and salt onto highways, but it works just as well for fertilizer distribution on small rice farms. Mr. Lehner donated one unit to IRRI to assess its performance against manual fertilizer application.
“We thought that this mechanical spreader had tremendous potential to help smallholder farmers obtain a uniform spread of granular-based fertilizers in the field,” Engr. Gummert said.
After three cropping seasons, the postharvest team measured up to a 9% yield increase, with urea (46-0-0) and complete fertilizer (14-14-14), when the POLARO spreader was used. It also took less time to apply the fertilizer using the mechanical spreader. Manual application took approximately 2 hours per hectare, whereas mechanical application using a tractor, running at 2 kilometers per hour, took 1.3 hours per hectare. Another field trial was done for one cropping season in Battambang, Cambodia. Compared with manual application, there was a 5–6% yield increase with the POLARO spreader.
Description: IRRI’s postharvest team measured up to 9% yield increase using POLARO to apply urea and complete fertilizer. (Photo: Miriam Gummert, IRRI)
IRRI’s postharvest team measured up to 9% yield increase using POLARO to apply urea and complete fertilizer. (Photo: Miriam Gummert, IRRI)
Sealing a win-win collaboration
Armed with the field results and suggestions for machine modifications, the IRRI postharvest team organized a roundtable discussion with Mr. Lehner and his team to tackle collaboration strategies. This led to Mr. Lehner’s commitment to improve the design to make the spreader more compatible for use by smallholder farmers. He also provided IRRI with funding for further adaptive testing of the new version of the POLARO spreader in the field.
Realizing that the utility of the machine could be further maximized, Mr. Lehner’s team developed an additional sprayer applicator for pesticides (herbicides and insecticides), which consisted of a spraying boom, a tank, and a pump that fits the modified frame of the POLARO. As with fertilizer application, the spraying of pesticides in Asia is mostly done manually, with very uneven distribution. This can lead to potential negative effects on the environment and the health of the operators.
Mr. Lehner then sent IRRI a free unit of the new spreader/sprayer, that is, a two-in-one system of a fertilizer spreader and pesticide applicator. This new version is being tested and will be used in field trials in 2016.
Precision farming for sustainability in Southeast Asia
Improved fertilizer and pesticide application reduces waste, emission, and pollution and protects the health of operators and consumers. These benefits are key to IRRI’s quest to develop rice production practices that are more environmentally sustainable than the current practices.
Collaborators in the Closing rice yield gaps in Asia with reduced environmental footprints project (CORIGAP) in Vietnam and Thailand quickly realized the tremendous potential of the fertilizer/pesticide spreader when briefed on the results from the IRRI farm. CORIGAP aims to close rice yield gaps through environmentally sustainable means.
“For the 2016 rainy season, we want to use the POLARO fertilizer spreader in our treatment fields and compare it with farmers’ fields that employ manual fertilizer application, and then observe its effect on yield and farmers’ income,” said Ladda Viriyangkura, expert on rice inspection and certification from the Thailand Rice Department. “We are also interested in its added use to improve herbicide application,” she continued.
Additional free units donated by Lehner GmbH to IRRI’s partners in these countries will enable further testing of the spreaders under smallholder farm conditions.
Partnership for sustainable rice production
The partnership between IRRI and Lehner GmbH also benefits IRRI’s partners, who are now able to verify another technology for mechanized rice production with their clients and other rice consumers through more sustainably produced rice.
________________
Engr. Balingbing is a senior associate scientist, Ms. Quilloy is a communication specialist and facilitator of the Learning Alliance, and Engr. Sandro is an assistant scientist at IRRI.
http://ricetoday.irri.org/irri-and-german-equipment-company-forge-a-win-win-collaboration/

Enter the techie farmer and precision farming

TARLAC FOLK MAKE USE OF EVERYDAY IT GADGETS AS FARM TOOLS

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By: Ronnel W. Domingo

@inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer

01:39 AM February 17th, 2016

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WITH the use of mobile phones becoming more ubiquitous as modern gadgets become more affordable, it is no surprise that even farmers in developing countries—traditionally seen as “low tech”—are now adding these to their farm tools.
In Tarlac, an initial batch of 18 small-scale rice farmers are taking part in the pilot run of a program that intends to popularize the use of information and communication technology to help them better manage their farms.
Dubbed “Rice Crop Manager” or RCM, the decision-support tool was developed by the International Rice Research Institute with funding from the Department of Agriculture through its food staples sufficiency program.
The DA-supervised Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), in partnership with Smart Communications, is testing the effectiveness of the RCM—particularly its text-messaging component—for eventual mass adoption.
At the kickoff of the pilot last December, select members of farmers cooperatives in the town of La Paz were equipped with low-cost packages of mobile phones with preloaded SIM cards. The participants tend farms in the barangays of Caut, Paludpud and La Purisima.
With respective localized versions also rolled out in Bangladesh (also called RCM) and Indonesia (dubbed Rice Agro-advisory Service), the tool is expected to help rice growers increase their productivity through recommendations about site-specific crops and nutrient management.
By harvest time, the expectation is that RCM has helped farmers increase their yield and net income.
The IRRI is still evaluating a version for Vietnam (also dubbed RCM) as well as four specialized versions for Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Bihar in India.
Here in the Philippines, RCM comes as a mobile app for smartphones or a website accessible with a personal computer or laptop where farmers—with the help of extension workers, when necessary—go through a questionnaire of 15 to 25 questions. The questionnaire basically asks for data about the farm, location, source of water, the kind of seeds they intend to use, and so forth.
Participants receive text messages on site-specific recommendations from the RCM delivered through the DA’s Farmers’ Contact Center (FCC), which the ATI operates and manages.
Edilberto de Luna, national coordinator of the DA’s Rice and Corn Program, says the use of ICT, including text messaging, will make the implementation of agricultural extension activities easier.
“This (the pilot project) is only the beginning as we hope to upscale this project using the experiences that we will gain from this experiment,” De Luna says.
“There is a significant need to equip more Filipino farmers with understanding, necessary skills, tools and access to information so they could effectively cultivate their full potentials, thereby improve their livelihood,” he adds.
According to ATI director Asterio Saliot, the project also supports the agency’s effort to attract the youth to engage in agriculture through the use of modern technology.
The ATI’s e-Extension Program for Agriculture and Fisheries has three components —e-Learning, e-Farming and e-Trading.
“In the face of aging Filipino farmers and our vulnerability to typhoons, (we) are continuously forming partnerships to help uplift the lives of farmers and mitigate the effects of climate change,” Saliot says.
According to field tests for the earlier version of RCM in the Philippines (the latest is version 2.0), the IRRI said rice farmers in Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Oriental Mindoro, and Agusan del Norte increased their net income by about P4,000 per hectare for every crop cycle.
Early efforts were mainly web-based but the text-based component was added to give the project a wider reach.
However, it turned out that four in every five of the 150,000 farmers who signed up for RCM did not provide mobile phone numbers, suggesting that they had now direct access to such devices.
This is now being addressed through the partnership with Smart, which donates handsets that will serve as test units to further study the effectiveness of the RCM as used by farmers.
Even as RCM for rice farmers is being fine-tuned toward mass use, another version for corn farmers—called Corn Crop Manager—is under evaluation at the IRRI.
Saliot, the ATI director, says he looks forward to the success of RCM and for its expansion to other crops like corn and vegetables, and also for the inclusion of weather advisories. TVJ

$2-M rice processing facility to open in Nueva Ecija

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Philippine Daily Inquirer

03:06 AM February 17th, 2016

Rice growers in nearby Central Luzon provinces will soon have easier access to high-quality seeds as a processing facility worth at least $2 million (about P96 million) is being built in Nueva Ecija.
The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), with funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency, recently broke ground for the construction of a pilot facility that is expected to be completed next year.
According to PhilRice, the seeds that will be made available through the seed processing facility will have “high seedling vigor.”
This means the plants that will germinate have better chances of survival and have better root anchorage, which will lead to higher yields for the farmers.
PhilRice also said the facility would house advanced equipment that could process up to two tons of seeds daily.
“The project’s objective is to increase the use of high-quality seeds of our farmers in Region III and Pangasinan and also to increase the efficiency of processing and certification of rice seeds by reducing the time of processing and seed testing,” PhilRice executive director Calixto M. Protacio said in a statement.
Citing studies by rice researchers, Protacio said the adoption of high-quality seeds can help increase yield by a range of 5 percent to 10 percent.
In December, PhilRice also rolled out its Lakbay Binhi project to make top-class seeds more available to farmers—especially in storm-affected communities— through trucks converted in to mobile seed centers.
According to PhilRice, pilot runs benefited farmers in Dipaculao and Casiguran towns of Aurora and Guimba in Nueva Ecjia.
In these towns where rice farms were devastated by Typhoon “Lando” in October, 2015, PhilRice distributed to “over a hundred farmers” 82 bags each containing 20 kilos of what was described as high-quality and location-specific seeds.
The new initiative responds to the challenge of having the right amount of high-quality seeds delivered to the farmers at the right time.
PhilRice said Lakbay Binhi would eventually serve hard-to-reach areas where there were no local seed growers and where adoption of high-quality seeds was low.
Also, the Department of Agriculture-supervised institute plans to work with growers of PhilRice-bred varieties to tap them as sources of supplies for Lakbay Binhi.
Aside from offering seeds “at a reasonable price,” the Lakbay Binhi will also bring to the field PhilRice experts who will share their knowledge on crop management practices and location-specific technologies. Ronnel W. Domingo

http://business.inquirer.net/207182/2-m-rice-processing-facility-to-open-in-nueva-ecija


New types of rice could herald a second 'green revolution'

Scientists hope to produce higher-yielding varieties of rice as well as types resistant to disease
·         Alexandra Sims 
·         4 hours  ago
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Description: http://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/styles/story_large/public/thumbnails/image/2016/02/16/15/rice.jpgA key priority is to pack more nutrients into rice Getty
The production of rice – a grain that feeds half the world’s population - is to be bolstered with new DNA technology, in a breakthrough hailed by scientists as the next “green revolution".
Using a huge bank of rice varieties stored in the Philippines along with cutting edge Chinese technology, scientists have completed the DNA sequencing of more than 3,000 of the most significant types of rice.  
With the vast pool of data scientists hope to produce higher-yielding varieties of rice, scientists told AFP.
Other potential varieties include rice resistant to certain pests and disease, or that contain greater volumes of certain nutrients and vitamins.
Description: rice-1.jpg
Farmers harvest rice on a field on the outskirts of Hanoi Getty
The genome sequencing project took four years and involved decoding rice DNA.
It was primarily undertaken in China by BGI – the world’s biggest genome sequencing firm - and used leaf samples from the International Rice Research Institute’s (IRRI) gene bank of 127,000 varieties.
For the last 100 years, breeders have isolated traits in rice, such as disease resistance and high yields, and developed them through cross breeding.
However, this breakthrough in molecular genetics promises to fast-track this process, meaning better rice varieties can be developed and passed on to farmers in less than three years, instead of an expected 12 years without DNA sequencing.  
A key priority for IRRI is to pack more nutrients into rice, evolving it into a tool to fight illness linked to inadequate diets in poor countries and lifestyle diseases in wealthier countries.

READ MORE

"We're interested to understand the nutritional value.... we're looking into the enrichment of micronutrients," Nese Sreenivasulu, the Indian head of the IRRI's grain quality and nutrition centre told AFP.
Dr Nese suggests Type-2 diabetes could be quelled by breeding varieties of rice that will release sugar into the bloodstream more slowly.
Scientists also hope to breed rice with higher amounts of zinc, preventing stunting and fatalities from diarrhea.
Scientists behind the project hope it will lead to a second "green revolution".
The first began in the 1960s when the creation of higher-yielding varieties of wheat and rice was credited with preventing global food shortages, however these earlier efforts have been subdued in recent years.
"This will be a big help to strengthen food security for rice eaters,” said Dr Kenneth McNally, an American biochemist at the IRRI

Seven years after application, basmati rice gets GI tag

In 2008, Apeda had applied to the GI registry asking for exclusive commercial use of the ‘basmati’ tag for grain varieties grown within the boundaries of the Indo-Gangetic plain

By: Sandip Das | New Delhi | February 17, 2016 12:09 AM
After seven years of filing applications for the grant of geographical indication (GI) recognition for basmati rice, the Chennai-based GI registry on Tuesday granted the coveted tag to the commerce ministry’s wing Agricultural and Processed Foods Export Development Authority (Apeda).
Apeda has been given the GI tag as the sole custodian of basmati rice grown in the Indo-Gangetic plains. Last month, the Chennai-based Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) had asked the GI registry to grant GI certification to Apeda while allowing stakeholders from Madhya Pradesh to submit fresh documents for inclusion in the basmati grown areas.
Sources told FE that GI protection in India would lead to similar recognition in other countries, including the European Union (EU) and the US, which implies that India’s competitors would be barred from using the ‘basmati’ tag. In the absence of GI for basmati rice, many private companies had been trying to register their products under the title, which commands a premium in the global market.
Basmati rice from the Indo-Gangetic plain, which includes the Punjab province of Pakistan, has a special aroma attributable to it. India commands an 85% share in global basmati trade at present. Following the GI notification, farmers in 77 districts of seven states — Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir — would now get the benefit.
In 2008, Apeda had applied to the GI registry asking for exclusive (commercial) use of the ‘basmati’ tag for grain varieties grown within the boundaries of the Indo-Gangetic plain. Subsequently, India and Pakistan had initiated steps to register basmati under GI as ‘joint heritage’ for protecting its premium market abroad. But that bid did not fructify due to opposition within Pakistan.
Last month, the IPAB bench has also dismissed a plea by the Basmati Growers Association (BGA), Pakistan, which was joined as a party in the case. “It is for the BGA to agitate their rights and establish their claims before the High Court of Sindh at Karachi. The appellant, without taking steps to substantiate their claim in respect of Basmati rice in their country, namely Pakistan, there is no justification for them to intervene and interfere in the proceedings initiated by Apeda in respect of getting GI tag for basmati rice covering the areas within the territory of India as specified in the maps filed along with the GI application”, the IPAB had noted.
India’s basmati rice exports, which had touched a record R29,000 crore in 2013-14, fell to R27,600 crore in 2014-15, due to a decline in shipments to Iran. In the first three quarters of the current fiscal, the country has exported R17,588 crore of basmati rice against R20,455 crore worth of shipment during the same period in the previous fiscal.
According to official data, more than 237 products have got GI certification for preserving their uniqueness.
http://www.financialexpress.com/article/markets/commodities/seven-years-after-application-basmati-rice-gets-gi-tag/212218/



USA Rice Daily, Wednesday, February 17, 2016


19th February 2016 Daily Exclusive ORYZA Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Ghana Rice Farmers Complain of Lack of Buyers for Locally Produced Rice                  

18-Feb-16                 

Ghana rice farmers are expressing concern that there are no buyers for locally produced rice due to the influx of imported rice, according to Ghana News.                      

They noted that due to this, their incomes are impacted significantly and most of them are forced to quit rice farming. They noted that they spent about 1,500 - 2,000 GHC per acre (around 9 - 13 cents per hectare), and since there are no buyers for their rice, they are forced to find other means of income to settle their bank loans and other debts.                       

They told reporters that they mainly face challenges from bad road network, delayed and improper harvesting, threshing, drying and storage handling facilities. They noted that they face a lot of difficulty in transporting their output to the nearby markets. The price of locally produced paddy declined significantly due to an increase in imported rice.                      

They noted that consumers are of the opinion that local rice is not processed properly, does not taste good and is full of stones and husk. “There is, therefore, the need to create awareness on consumption of the local rice to enable farmers to make financial gains take care of our families and reduce poverty,” said one of the farmers.                      

The Programme Coordinator of Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) urged the government to set up good processing practices such as grading, labelling, milling and good packaging to help consumers to develop appetite for local rice. She also urged the government to improve market information on prices and other related things.            

However, the government officials say farmers should voice their concerns to the concerned Ministries. “We are not aware of this development therefore the farmers should come together and officially communicate the issue to the ministry, so that we would be able to deal with it,” the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture was quoted.                  

Ghana imports over a half of its annual rice consumption demand and the government is planning to increase rice production by about 20% per annum over the next four years to make Ghana self-sufficient in rice. USDA estimates Ghana rice production at about 300,000 tons (milled basis) in MY 2015-16 (October - September). The U.S. agency expects Ghana to import 600,000 tons of rice in 2016 to meet consumption needs of around 930,000 tons.                  

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

Feb 18, 2016

Vietnam rice sellers increased their quotes for 5% broken rice by about $5 per ton to around $350-$360 per ton today. Other Asia rice sellers kept their quotes unchanged today.                                
5% Broken Rice
Thailand 5% rice is indicated at around $360 - $370 per ton, about $10 per ton premium on Vietnam 5% rice shown at around $350 - $360 per ton. India 5% rice is indicated at around $360 - $370 per ton, about $20 per ton premium on Pakistan 5% rice shown at around $340 - $350 per ton.
25% Broken Rice
Thailand 25% rice is indicated at around $345 - $355 per ton, about $10 per ton premium on Vietnam 25% rice shown at around $335- $345 per ton. India 25% rice is indicated at around $325 - $335 per ton, about $15 per ton premium on Pakistan 25% rice shown at around $310 - $320 per ton.
Parboiled Rice           
Thailand parboiled rice is indicated at around $370 - $380 per ton. India parboiled rice is indicated at around $350 - $360 per ton, about $55 per ton discount to Pakistan parboiled rice last shown at around $405 - $415 per ton.
100% Broken Rice
Thailand broken rice, A1 Super is indicated at around $325 - $335 per ton, about $5 per ton premium on Vietnam 100% broken rice shown at around $320 - $330 per ton. India's 100% broken rice is shown at around $260 - $270 per ton, about $30 per ton discount to Pakistan broken sortexed rice shown at around $290 - $300 per ton.
 
Rice Exporters to U.S. Must Register with India’s Plant Quarantine Organization, Says APEDA
Feb 18, 2016

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has made it mandatory for all Indian rice mills/processing units exporting basmati rice to the U.S. to register with India's plant quarantine organization, National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO), to ensure quality rice exports to the U.S., according to Business Standard.
The APEDA has issued a warning that basmati rice exports to the U.S. would be allowed only from rice mills/processing units registered with NPPO effective April 1, 2016. The APEDA reportedly noted that the NPPO would audit the plants of registered exporters before issuing phyto-sanitary certificate for export of rice to the U.S.
Some exporters noted that the directive is to reduce rejections of Indian basmati rice consignments by the U.S. phyto-sanitary authority. “This is perhaps an attempt to regulate the market as consignments shipped to the US develop some issues related to pests or any other things. Mandatory registration with NPPO will filter out opportunistic exporters, while genuine ones would continue. This will help control the rate of rejection of consignments also,” said one of the top basmati rice exporters in India.
The U.S. has sought such registration after it had detected cabinet beetle in basmati rice of Indian origin in 2011-12. Trade sources told reporters that about 10-15% of basmati rice consignments from India get rejected every year.
Though some exporters expressed concern that basmati exports to the U.S. would be impacted due to the directive, an APEDA official ruled out such concerns. “Around 95 per cent of exporters have already got registered with NPPO with basmati rice shipment happening in very organised manner. Therefore, it his highly unlikely there will be any impact in terms of basmati rice exports to the US with 10 per variation being common,” he was quoted.
The U.S. accounts for about 5% of India's total basmati rice exports. India exports about 100,000 tons of basmati and 25,000 tons of non-basmati rice to the U.S. every year.
The Executive Director of the All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA) noted that the development would prompt basmati rice exports to China as well, as China had also in the past sought a standard operating system of basmati rice exporters in India.

Government of Angola Sets Up Body to Monitor Rice, Other Food Prices


The government of Angola has set up the National Council of Pricing to monitor prices of rice and other food items such as sugar, milk, beef, fish and  corn, which are subject to fixed prices, amid increasing costs and reports of shortages of some food items, Bloomberg quoted the government Gazette. It will in total monitor prices of 32 items, including transport fees, port & airport tariffs.

The government will usually review the prices of these items annually.
As of February 16, 2016, Angola has adequate food reserves, according to the Radio Nacional De Angola.
Angola is currently facing declining foreign exchange reserves due to declining oil prices as crude oil accounts for about 90% of its export

Indian Court to Deal with Central State Madhya Pradesh’s Basmati GI Plea

Feb 18, 2016

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) applied with the GI Registry seeking exclusive (commercial) use of the basmati tag for rice grown within the boundaries of Indo-Gangetic plain (including the Punjab, Haryana, (western) Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir). India's central state Madhya Pradesh (MP) sought for its inclusion in the GI tag application. When the Agriculture and Commerce Ministries as well as the APEDA opposed the state's plea, it filed an application with the IPAB.
On February 5, 2016, the IPAB ordered the Chennai-based GI registry to grant GI certificate to Indian basmati rice grown in Indo-Gangetic plains based on APEDA"s application, and sent back the MP's petition to the Chennai-Registry asking it to pass an order within six months after hearing to related parties. The Madhya Pradesh governemnt challenged the IPAB decision in the Madras High Court.
The Counsel for MP requested for the proceedings to be carried out in the Court instead of the Assistant Registrar of GI (ARGI) office. The Court reportedly adjourned the case to April 5, 2016 and directed the concerned authorities to file their replies by them.
In the meantime, the Court directed the APEDA not to take any "precipitating action" over basmati rice produce from MP until a decision is taken on a petition it received from the central Indian state, according to Business Standard.
The GI Registry reportedly granted the GI certificate to Indian basmati rice grown in Indo-Gangetic Plains and APEDA has been recognized as the sole custodian for it. The certificate will bar other countries and companies from using the 'basmati' tag.

EC May Propose to Temporarily Allow Use of Tricyclazole Fungicide in EU

Feb 18, 2016

The European Commission (EC) will soon present a proposal authorizing the temporary inclusion of tricyclazole fungicide among those authorized in agriculture , used to contain the rice blast disease, according to local sources.
The European Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (PAFF), which examined the draft regulation submitted by the EU  opposing the authorization of the use of the tricyclazole fungicide, in October 2015 could not block its use in the EU due to a lack of qualified majority.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) also noted that the present tests conducted on the tricyclazole fungicide are not sufficient to block its use in the EU. However, it said it cannot comment on the extent of the maximum residue limits (MRLs) of tricyclazole in imported rice, as it does not have enough data to determine all the effects on humans and the environment, as required by Reg. 1107 / 2009.

The fungicide is used around the world and to forbid its use in Europe is said to result in the blocking of imports of Asian rice

Government of Myanmar Urged to Prepare Rice Reserves This Year to Make Up for Likely Production Shortfalls

Feb 18, 2016

The officials of the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) are urging the government to prepare rice reserves in anticipation of drought conditions in the country, according to Irrawaddy News.
The Vice-Chairman of the MRF noted that due to likely extended dry conditions and water shortages, they are expecting rice shortages and increase in prices. Since the country's annual paddy harvest runs from around June-July until September-October, the government should consider storing rice between April and May, he said.
Weather specialists are reportedly forecasting dry weather conditions during the first six months of this year. They are predicting temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in major rice-growing regions, including Magwe, Pegu and Irrawaddy divisions. One of the former weather forecasters in the country warned that the country needs to prepare for some of the highest temperatures yet this summer.
Local sources noted that the government may start procuring rice for reserves. They noted that the Ministry of Commerce had prepared over 40 warehouses for the storage of rice in Rangoon, Mandalay and Irrawaddy divisions, as well as Arakan State.

Ghana Rice Farmers Complain of Lack of Buyers for Locally Produced Rice

Feb 18, 2016

Ghana rice farmers are expressing concern that there are no buyers for locally produced rice due to the influx of imported rice, according to Ghana News.
They noted that due to this, their incomes are impacted significantly and most of them are forced to quit rice farming. They noted that they spent about 1,500 - 2,000 GHC per acre (around 9 - 13 cents per hectare), and since there are no buyers for their rice, they are forced to find other means of income to settle their bank loans and other debts.
They told reporters that they mainly face challenges from bad road network, delayed and improper harvesting, threshing, drying and storage handling facilities. They noted that they face a lot of difficulty in transporting their output to the nearby markets. The price of locally produced paddy declined significantly due to an increase in imported rice.
They noted that consumers are of the opinion that local rice is not processed properly, does not taste good and is full of stones and husk. “There is, therefore, the need to create awareness on consumption of the local rice to enable farmers to make financial gains take care of our families and reduce poverty,” said one of the farmers.
The Programme Coordinator of Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) urged the government to set up good processing practices such as grading, labelling, milling and good packaging to help consumers to develop appetite for local rice. She also urged the government to improve market information on prices and other related things.
However, the government officials say farmers should voice their concerns to the concerned Ministries. “We are not aware of this development therefore the farmers should come together and officially communicate the issue to the ministry, so that we would be able to deal with it,” the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture was quoted.

Ghana imports over a half of its annual rice consumption demand and the government is planning to increase rice production by about 20% per annum over the next four years to make Ghana self-sufficient in rice. USDA estimates Ghana rice production at about 300,000 tons (milled basis) in MY 2015-16 (October - September). The U.S. agency expects Ghana to import 600,000 tons of rice in 2016 to meet consumption needs of around 930,000 tons.

Oryza U.S. Rough Rice Recap - Prices Oscillate with Futures; Farmers Waiting on Iraq

Feb 19, 2016

The U.S. cash market was slightly weaker today with offers from resellers oscillating with the futures market as farmers remain on the sidelines.
Analysts note that many farmers are waiting to see the results of the latest Iraqi tender before pricing the rest of their crop hoping that they buy a large chunk from the U.S. leading to higher prices.

Oryza U.S. Rough Rice Recap - Prices Oscillate with Futures; Farmers Waiting on Iraq

Feb 19, 2016

The U.S. cash market was slightly weaker today with offers from resellers oscillating with the futures market as farmers remain on the sidelines.
Analysts note that many farmers are waiting to see the results of the latest Iraqi tender before pricing the rest of their crop hoping that they buy a large chunk from the U.S. leading to higher prices.

Government of China Plans to Clear Old Rice Stocks from Reserves

Feb 18, 2016

The government of China is planning to clear the old rice and corn stocks and has asked local grains administrations to recommend potential buyers of the stocks, Bloomberg quoted reliable sources.
Sources told reporters that ethanol, feed and starch producers are some potential buyers.
Central government agencies are understood to be finalizing volumes and prices for sales.
The previous attempt by the government to sell rice stocks from reserves did not attract higher number of bidders due to high prices and quality concerns.

Thailand 2015-16 Secondary Rice Crop Acreage Declines by Half Due to Drought, Says Minister

Feb 18, 2016

Thailand's 2015-16 secondary rice crop (January - June) acreage declined by about half to around 800,000 hectares due to extending drought conditions, Bloomberg quotes Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives.
Water levels in the country's dams stood at around 3.2 billion cubic meters as of February 15, 2016 compared to around 6.8 cubic meters on November 1, 2015. Authorities have been discouraging rice farmers to avoid planting for the secondary rice crop due to insufficient water supplies.
Accordingly, the country's rice output from the secondary crop is expected to drop significantly.
The Minister told reporters that plans for the country’s 2015-16 main rice crop (May - December) will be complete by around April.
In a recent report, the USDA Post forecast Thailand's MY 2015-16 (January - December 2016) paddy rice production at around 24 million tons, down from last year's 29.4 million tons. It forecast Thai off-season paddy production to decline about 57% y/y to around 3.1 million tons.

Thai Rice Pledging Scheme Lacked Proper Accounting and Auditing Systems, Said Witnesses

Feb 18, 2016

Witnesses who were present at the Court on February 17, 2016, to testify against the former Prime Minister told judges that the scheme lacked appropriate accounting system leading to loopholes in disbursements of the state budget, according to local sources.
The Chairwoman of the Auditing Committee under the Federation of Accounting Professions said that the accounting of the scheme failed to adopt the double entry system, which clearly shows all the expenses and debts. The scheme also lacked periodical accounting procedures and so auditors could not get a clear picture of its financial status at any given time, she said. The auditor also noted that accounts were prepared by some state agencies concerned with the scheme such as the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) or Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO).
She also noted that some of the rice stockpiles pledged under the scheme were lost and the depreciation cost of the stockpiled rice reached about 34 billion baht (around $956 million).
A National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) member, who previously chaired a subcommittee auditing the rice-pledging scheme under the Yingluck administration, noted that the previous government misspent money drawn from rice sales. This had shouldered a lot of burden on Finance Ministry, she said.
Meanwhile, the former Premier told reporters that she would continue her legal fight in the rice pledging case. She stated that though problems were at the execution level, she was being targeted. "I have the duty and responsibility to fight on. All eyes are on me. I assure you I've never thought of fleeing," she was quoted.
The former Prime Minister is facing charges of dereliction of duty in preventing multi-billion dollar graft in running the controversial rice pledging scheme introduced by her government in October 2011. The scheme is estimated to have caused losses to the extent of about 500 billion baht (around $14 billion) to the government. If proved guilty in the present case, she may have to face imprisonment for ten years.

Salt Water Intrusion to Affect Vietnam's Rice Output and Exports, Say Experts

Feb 18, 2016

Experts have warned that increasing salt water intrusion in Vietnam is likely to impact the nation's rice production and exports significantly, Bloomberg quoted local sources.
Speaking at a meeting in Hanoi, the former Director of The Institute of Agricultural Science for Southern Vietnam noted that the increased salt water intrusion is partly due to dams upstream built by China and Laos. He warned that the situation is affecting Vietnam's Mekong Delta and will be worsening.
He noted that due to a decline in water levels in rivers, about 339,200 hectares of paddy are likely to be affected. He added that rice plants can survive in water with up to 2 grams of salt per litre, but this year, salinity has reached up to 10 grams per litre. More than 200,000 tons of rice worth at least 1 trillion
Vietnamese dong (around $44.64 million) has already been damaged, he said.The Deputy Director of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting noted that: "saltwater has intruded 90 kilometres inland in some places due to low river levels, reaching places it had not for the last 90 years."Agriculture Ministry officials noted that this year's saltwater intrusion will affect around a fifth of crops across the Mekong Delta. But, experts noted that though salt water intrusion may not affect food security, it is likely to impact the country's exports.

Oryza CBOT Rough Rice Futures Recap - Chicago Rough Rice Futures Fall Back below $11.00/cwt as Outside Markets Fail to Provide Support

Feb 19, 2016
Chicago rough rice futures for Mar delivery settled 18 cents per cwt (about $4 per ton) lower at $10.860 per cwt (about $239 per ton). The other grains finished the day lower; Soybeans closed about 0.3% lower at $8.8275 per bushel; wheat finished about 1.3% lower at $4.6850 per bushel, and corn finished the day about 0.5% lower at $3.6975 per bushel.
U.S. stocks traded mostly lower Thursday, stabilizing after their largest three-day gain since August, as investors eyed oil prices and corporate news. U.S. crude oil futures came off session highs and struggled to hold gains after weekly crude inventories rose by 2.1 million barrels. WTI traded flat around $30.65 a barrel as of 1:55 p.m. ET. As of intraday trade Thursday, the major U.S. averages were on track for weekly gains of about 3% or more. European stocks came off highs, while in Asia the Nikkei 225 and Hang Seng surged more than 2%.
The Shanghai composite was a touch lower but held gains of 3.6% for the week so far. In economic news Thursday, weekly jobless claims came in at 262,000. The Philly Fed index came in at minus 2.8 for February. The index has held in negative territory since September. In afternoon trade, the Dow Jones industrial average declined 33 points, or 0.2%, to 16,420. The S&P 500 traded down 6 points, or 0.36%, to 1,919, with financials leading eight sectors lower and utilities and telecommunications advancing. The Nasdaq composite traded down 35 points, or 0.8%, to 4,498. Gold is seen trading about 1.7% higher, crude oil is seen trading about 0.1% higher, and the U.S. dollar is seen trading about 0.2% higher at about  1:30pm Chicago time.

Wednesday, there were 1,107 contracts traded, down from 2,658 contracts traded on Tuesday. Open interest – the number of contracts outstanding – on Wednesday decreased by 18 contracts to 13,133

Global Rice Quotes

February 19th, 2016
Long grain white rice - high quality
Thailand 100% B grade           365-375           ↓
Vietnam 5% broken     345-355           ↓
India 5% broken          360-370           ↔
Pakistan 5% broken     340-350           ↔
Myanmar 5% broken   415-425           ↔
Cambodia 5% broken 425-435           ↔
U.S. 4% broken           460-470           ↔
Uruguay 5% broken    440-450           ↔
Argentina 5% broken   430-440           ↔

Long grain white rice - low quality

Thailand 25% broken   345-355              ↔

Vietnam 25% broken    335-345              ↔

Pakistan 25% broken   305-315              ↓

Cambodia 25% broken                405-415              ↔

India 25% broken           325-335              ↔

U.S. 15% broken (sacked)          440-450              ↔

 

Long grain parboiled rice

Thailand parboiled 100% stxd 365-375              ↓

Pakistan parboiled 5% broken stxd       NQ         ↔

India parboiled 5% broken stxd               350-360              ↔

U.S. parboiled 4% broken           480-490              ↔

Brazil parboiled 5% broken       520-530              ↔

Uruguay parboiled 5% broken                 NQ         ↔

Long grain fragrant rice

Thailand Hommali 92%              680-690              ↔

Vietnam Jasmine             410-420              ↓

India basmati 2% broken            NQ         ↔

Pakistan basmati 2% broken    NQ         ↔

Cambodia Phka Mails   750-760              ↔

 

Brokens

Thailand A1 Super          325-335              ↔

Vietnam 100% broken                 320-330              ↔

Pakistan 100% broken stxd       285-295              ↓

Cambodia A1 Super       345-355              ↔

India 100% broken stxd              260-270              ↔

Egypt medium grain brokens   NQ         ↔

U.S. pet food      280-290              ↔

Brazil half grain               NQ         ↔


All prices USD per ton, FOB vessel, oryza.com
Exclusive News have been shared with written permission of ORYZA.com with thanks

18th February 2016 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

·         Today Rice News Headlines...China opens domestic rice market to more importers to satisfy growing demand  
·         Large Turnout at Annual Missouri Rice Conference 
·         USA Rice Presents to Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board 
·         Link to CME Group Survey
·         China Hates GMOs. Problem Is, China Really Needs GMOs
·         War on terror: $107 billion losses suffered: Sartaj
·         Price Controls Irritating Rice Storage Crunch
·         PhilMech launches 2 postharvest machines to boost farm output
·         PhilRice adapts a simplified virus detection tool for rice
·         Meet India's female 'seed guardians' pioneering organic farming
·         PH may not import rice at all
·         Madhya Pradesh appeals against IPAB order on Basmati
·         OUAT released 7 crops last year
·         RICE PLAN FINALIZED FOR 2016-17
·         Second auction for rotten Thai rice attracts interest from private sector
·         Nigeria has capacity to produce enough rice for West Africa – CARI
·         Thai Commerce Ministry holds low-grade rice auction
·         02/18/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
·         Local rice farmers cry over bad market
·         Rice Prices
·         Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-Feb 18
·         Year's first rice auction attracts 31 bidders

News Detail...

China opens domestic rice market to more importers to satisfy growing demand

   
2016-02-18 09:10Global TimesEditor: Li Yan

China, the world's largest rice producer and importer, plans to start importing rice from South Korea and the U.S. in early 2016. The grain has long been a staple of Chinese diets, and the country's gigantic market offers a great opportunity to foreign exporters. Experts attributed the large amount of imports to the low cost and high quality of imported rice. They advised that China needs to make its agricultural production more advanced if it wants its rice industry to become more competitive.