Thursday, February 25, 2016

24 February 2016 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine-Latest Rice News Updates

Today Rice News Headlines...
ü  UNISAME URGES IPOP TO GIVE GI TAG TO PAKISTAN BASMATI RICE
ü  ASIA RICE PRICES RISE IN VIETNAM, STABLE IN THAILAND
ü  Uganda: Improved Farming Tools to Boost Rice Production
ü  Authorities act to reduce risk for export of rice
ü  Vietnamese rice nowhere to be found in Chinese malls
ü  Rice distributed to one million people
ü  APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1421
ü  02/24/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
ü  Rice Leadership Development Class Graduates 
ü  Heaviest bag of rice: India breaks Guinness World Records record (VIDEO)
ü  Rice Exports Down as Fiscal Year Nears End
ü  SINAG: Govt failed to stop rice smuggling
ü  LEAD) Gov't to purchase 157,000 tons of rice
ü  Louisiana agriculture consultants honor Caffey, Linscombe
ü  World Bank sees govt rice import monopoly a bad idea
ü  Aceh to Produce 2.7 Million Tons of Paddy Rice in 2016
ü  PM tells drought-stricken Thailand to cut rice production
News Detail...
UNISAME URGES IPOP TO GIVE GI TAG TO PAKISTAN BASMATI RICE
The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has invited the attention of Shahid Rashid chairman of Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan (IPOP) to the very important and crucial matter of basmati geographical indications (GI) not being given the seriousness it deserves by the concerned authority and trade associations. President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver has urged the chairman IPOP to immediately convene a meeting of the concerned stakeholders and sort the matter in the national interest and decide on merit.  Thaver emphasized the urgency in view of the judgement of the Indian High Court and the disappointment of the SME rice sector which is in farming, milling,processing and exporting. e regretted that the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) and the Basmati Growers Association (BGA) are apparently not on the same page and not united in their approach and this may jeopardize matters. The union has requested the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) to hold meetings and discussions on this crucial issue affecting the SME rice sector and bring the applicants on the same page and take up the matter in right earnest with the IPOP on top priority basis.
 He stated with all emphasis at his command that basmati is grown in Pakistan in the geographically indicated areas and has inherent characteristics and features and is undoubtedly basmati rice. In fact Pakistan is the only country which grows super basmati rice which has aroma, elongates on cooking, it is tasty and has superb cooking ability and is reputed the world over. He urged the chairman IPOP to personally look into the matter as it is of prime importance and the future of the growers, millers, processor and exporters is threatened by the adverse remarks of the judiciary. The IPOP needs to declare immediately that Pakistan has the GI tag for its basmati grown in the specific regions of Pakistan and enjoys the reputation by virtue of its characteristics and features.
unisame

ASIA RICE PRICES RISE IN VIETNAM, STABLE IN THAILAND

Wednesday, 24 February 2016 17:58
Posted by Imaduddin
HANOI: Export prices of Vietnamese rice picked up this week on demand from China, Indonesia and the Philippines and due to damage from dry weather, while ample supply put pressure on Thai rice prices, traders said on Wednesday.The price rise in Vietnam however could be short-lived, as harvesting of the winter-spring crop, Vietnam's biggest, is expected to peak in the Mekong Delta food basket in coming weeks, traders said.Prices of 5-percent broken rice rose to $355-$365 a tonne, free-on-board (FOB) Saigon Port, from $350-$360 a week ago, and the 25-percent broken rice prices advanced to $340-$350 a tonne, from $330-$335 last week."The volume of newly harvested rice has not picked up yet, while domestic prices are firming after some forecasts of a serious dryness in the Mekong Delta, pulling up export prices," a trader at a foreign firm in Ho Chi Minh City said.Salination has become a serious issue in several Mekong Delta provinces, damaging 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres), or 6 percent of the winter-spring crop, the government said on its news website on Wednesday. (www.baochinhphu.vn)

Loading for Indonesia and the Philippines under contracts signed last year, and fresh enquiries from China, Vietnam's top rice buyer, also lifted prices, traders said."But prices could weaken from mid-March at the peak of the harvest," a Vietnamese exporter in Ho Chi Minh City said.All winter-spring paddy now being harvested could be fully bought, keeping prices stable, a report on a government website quoted the Vietnam Food Association as saying.The association will not seek government-backed rice purchases for stockpiling, the report added.Last year, China's imports of Vietnamese rice rose 32.7 percent from 2014 to 1.79 million tonnes, making the southern neighbour its biggest grain seller, followed by Thailand with 931,000 tonnes, based on Customs of China data.Thailand and Vietnam are the world's second- and third-largest rice exporters after India.

In Thailand, ample supply from the government and an ongoing harvest extended pressure on prices, traders said."The government sold rice directly to private firms, so they didn't have to buy from rice millers," a senior trader said, referring to a government auction last week, at which more than 152,000 tonnes were sold.Quotations of Thai 5-percent broken rice narrowed to $373-$375 a tonne, FOB basis, from $370-$375 last Wednesday.Thailand expects to export 9.5 million tonnes of rice this year, focusing on markets in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, a senior commerce ministry official said on Wednesday
http://www.brecorder.com/markets/commodities/asia/280680-asia-rice-prices-rise-in-vietnam-stable-in-thailand.html
Uganda: Improved Farming Tools to Boost Rice Production
By Chris Tusiime
Poor agricultural mechanisation is one of the biggest hindrances to transforming Uganda's agriculture from subsistence to commercial, Dr Godfrey Asea, the director of National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), has said.Asea, who recently spoke at NaCRRI during a demonstration of agricultural machinery for small-scale farmers that have been manufactured in Uganda, said almost all small-scale farmers in Uganda use traditional, rudimentary and obsolete technologies in agriculture, a major contributor to low farm output.The machinery that was displayed included a destoner (machines for removing stones from rice), a manually-pedalled rice thresher, and a manually-pedalled water pump, which can be used for pumping water for irrigation.
The machinery was bought with support from the Promotion of Rice Development (PRiDe) project, which is being implemented by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, and National Agricultural Research Organization, and National Agricultural Advisory Services (Naads). The project is supporting Uganda to achieve its national rice production targets.The country already has a national rice development strategy, which aims at increasing rice production to 443,800 tonnes in 2018 from 106,700 tonnes in 2008.
Asea said demand for rice in Uganda is increasing, a shift that is pushing for more intensive production of high-yield rice.We have achieved rice production self-sufficiency. National rice production is 306,000 tonnes today. But the increase in population and increasing demand, especially in urban areas, means new farmers need to be engaged in rice production and those farmers who are already producing rice should adopt better farming methods to increase their rice yields," he said.Yutaka Nakamura, the deputy head of mission at the Japanese embassy in Uganda, said efforts of promoting rice in Uganda were paying off. He said the PRiDe project, a five-year project that ends in 2016, which set out to increase Uganda's national rice production by 20,000 tonnes, has surpassed this target, contributing 32,000 tonnes by December 2015.
Nakamura revealed that they are helping in the construction of a storehouse, which will prevent farmers with limited storage capacities from incurring post-harvest losses. The store is being constructed in Kasese district.Asea said government is promoting the use of cost-effective farm tools because the use of machinery will boost agricultural production.JICA Chief Representative Kyosuke Kawazumi said mechanizing agriculture would encourage young people to get involved in agriculture enabling Uganda to fight unemployment.
Dr Kazuhiko Yagi, the chief advisor of PRiDe project, said broken grains and stones in rice pose a big threat to the demand for rice produced in Uganda. He explained that the use of affordable threshing machines will empower small-scale farmers to avoid beating rice with sticks in order to thresh it, a practice which causes rice grains to break
Authorities act to reduce risk for export of rice
After analyzing the actual rice export situation in 2015 and rice export potentiality in 2016, Mr. Huynh The Nang, chairman of the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), said that China remains the main rice export market this year with 54 percent of total rice exports; the rest will be exported to Europe, the US, Japan, South Korea, Middle East, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates.
 Workers load rice onto the vessel for exporting in the Mekong Delta. (Photo: SGGP)
However, with China still accounting for high proportion in rice export structure, rice export potential this year is expected to be great but contains high risks. Chinese businesses usually imported Vietnamese rice that looks like Chinese rice variety then polish, pack, and distribute to the market under Chinese businesses’ brand names. This seriously affects the brand name of Vietnamese rice as well as devalues Vietnamese rice. Vietnamese businesses also lack of information of their Chinese partners, therefore, many of them were swindled when exporting rice to China.
As for new market, such as America, Europe, South Korea, Japan, and Middle East, Vietnamese rice exporters have to face strict technical barriers. However, there has not been a quality testing center of international standards in Vietnam that Vietnamese businesses have to rely on foreign testing centers so risks are high.
 
The VFA had proposed the ministries of Health, Agriculture and Rural Development to warn farmers against using banned chemicals during rice cultivation. Until now, this problem has not been solved yet as authorities are short of testing equipment. There are harmful chemicals that authorities even do not know of. In fact, rice of some businesses was returned because of these harmful chemicals in 2015.
 In order to lessen risks for rice exporters as well as increase sustainability of market, Mr. Tran Tuan Anh, deputy minister of Industry and Trade, ordered commercial counselors to coordinate with the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, Multilateral Trade Policy Department, and Department of Import and Export to gather information of rice importers. Of which, they have to evaluate and compare the advantages of Vietnamese rice over that of competitors and propose solutions to improve export effectiveness and add more value to rice products. Local authorities have to restructure agriculture, ensure quality of rice, build solution to develop Vietnamese rice’s brand name, stabilize cultivation area, and connect farmers with rice exporters. The VFA should quickly complete strategy to develop brand name of Vietnamese rice in order to help Vietnamese rice to infiltrate into distribution network of rice importers.
 The Ministry of Industry and Trade will carry out a project to improve business ability of rice exporters in terms of human resources, marketing activities, and international commercial dispute to create most favorable conditions for them to enhance internal force and diversify export market.The Ministry of Industry and Trade on February 22 held a conference to appraise rice export situation in 2016.
 http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Business/Economy/2016/2/117696/
Vietnamese rice nowhere to be found in Chinese malls
TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 02/24/2016 12:01 GMT + 7
Bags of rice are loaded onto a ship for export at the Saigon Port in Ho Chi Minh City.
Tuoi Tre
While China has traditionally been the main market for Vietnam’s rice exports, retail outlets across that country fail to sell the Vietnamese produce, an official said on Monday.

Although over half of its rice exports were to China last year, it remains a highly competitive market amongst other rice exporters, namely Thailand, Pakistan, and Cambodia, said Bui Huy Hoang, Vietnam’s commercial counselor in China.The produce is nowhere to be seen in supermarkets or other retailers in China, Hoang said in a conference about the rice market development organized by the Vietnamese Ministry of Trade and Industry in Ho Chi Minh City.In the meantime, Vietnam’s rice export competitors like Thailand, Pakistan, and Cambodia have gradually improved their standings in the Chinese market thanks to a high quality product.“We should improve the quality of our rice to regain our standing in China; otherwise Cambodia will pass us sooner or later,” Hoang noted.
The amount of rice for export could hover at about 6.5 million metric tons for 2016, Huynh The Nang, chairman of the Vietnam Food Administration (VFA), said on January 14.In the Jan-Oct period, the country’s rice export reached 5.03 million metric tons, according to the VFA.
In the last two months of 2015, 1.5 million metric tons of rice was exported, which took total rice exports to 6.7 million metric tons for the year, according to the VFA
This represented a three percent decline in total rice export value compared to that of 2014, the organization noted.Vietnam has recently yielded huge profits from exporting its ‘herbal variety,’ which offers a high nutrition content, to the European market, fetching up to US$800 per metric ton.Although the Southeast Asian country has joined the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, many Vietnamese experts are skeptical about the economic potential of exporting rice as it could become uncompetitive when pitted against other countries.Despite Vietnam being among the world’s top rice exporters, many local consumers in southern markets now prefer several types ofCambodian rice to the domestically grown produce.
http://tuoitrenews.vn/business/33385/vietnamese-rice-nowhere-to-be-found-in-chinese-malls

Rice distributed to one million people
HA NOI (VNS) — More than 17,000 tonnes of rice was distributed to more than 1 million poor people across the country during Lunar New Year (Tet), the General Department of State Reserves reported.The department revealed the value of the support at a press conference held yesterday to announce the work of distributing reserved rice to people in need during Tet and to areas suffering from food shortage this year.Deputy Head of the GDSR, Le Van Thoi, said the support was undertaken in response to requests from authorities of 17 provinces nationwide which asked the Government to provide over 17, 000 tonnes of rice from the nation's storage for 1,145,182 people each in need of 15kg per month.
As of February 4, the department's local chapters completed the allocation of rice ensuring both quality and quantity in accordance with the requests, he added.Regarding the policy to provide rice for students in disadvantaged areas, Thoi said each student would also receive 15 kg of rice per month for a maximum of nine months per academic year.In the first term of the 2015-2016 academic year, about 540,000 students from 48 provinces and cities nationwide were provided with rice.Thoi said the GDSR has received a decision from the Ministry of Finance to distribute an additional of nearly 33,000 tonnes of rice for those students in their second semester.He affirmed that the policy contributes to helping students from disadvantaged and ethnic minority areas to continue their studies uninterrupted. — VNS
Authority distributes rice to the poor in Huong Hoa District, Central Quang Tri Province. More than 17,000 tonnes of rice was distributed to more than 1 million poor people across the country during Lunar New Year (Tet). — Photo VNA/VNS Photo Ho Cau
http://vietnamnews.vn/society/282754/rice-distributed-to-one-million-people.html


APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1421

International Benchmark Price
Price on: 24-02-2016
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)
3660
2
Indian 200 mesh 3500 cps basis, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
1060
3
Indian 200 mesh 5000 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
2180
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 23-02-2016
Domestic Prices
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Rice
1
Aroor (Kerala)
Other
2900
3100
2
Jorhat (Assam)
Common
2000
3000
3
Samsi (West Bengal)
Fine
2890
2920
Wheat
1
Cherthala (Kerala)
Other
2300
2500
2
Sangli (Maharashtra)
Other
2100
2800
3
Bonai (Orissa)
Other
1525
1600
Orange
1
Manjeri (Kerala)
Other
3500
3700
2
Taura (Haryana)
Other
2300
2600
3
Rajpura (Punjab)
Other
1800
2200
Brinjal
1
Aroor (Kerala)
Other
2400
2600
2
Bargarh (Orissa)
Other
500
700
3
Sirhind (Punjab)
Other
400
900
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 24-02-2016
Product
Market Center
Price
1
Ahmedabad
360
2
Nagapur
322
3
Namakkal
372
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package
Price on 24-02-2016
Product
Market Center
Origin
Variety
Low
High
Onions Dry
Package: 40 lb cartons
1
Atlanta
Mexico
Yellow
22.25
22.75
2
Baltimore
Peru
Yellow
22
23
3
Chicago
Nevada
Yellow
34.50
34.50
Cabbage
Package: 50 lb cartons
1
Atlanta
Georgia
Round Green Type
12
14
2
Chicago
Texas
Round Green Type
13
14.50
3
Detroit
Canada
Round Green Type
15
15.50
Grapefruit
Package: 4/5 bushel cartons
1
Atlanta
Florida
Red
21
21.50
2
Chicago
Florida
Red
24
24
3
Miami
Florida
Red
17
20
Source:USDA

02/24/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
Rice
High
Low
Long Grain Cash Bids
- - -
- - -
Long Grain New Crop
- - -
- - -


Futures:
ROUGH RICE
High
Low
Last
Change
Mar '16
1071.0
1045.0
1066.0
+6.5
May '16
1098.5
1071.5
1094.0
+7.5
Jul '16
1122.0
+7.5
Sep '16
1136.5
1135.0
1139.5
+10.5
Nov '16
1159.0
+12.0
Jan '17
1172.0
+12.0
Mar '17
1172.0
+12.0
   

Rice Comment

Rice futures ended the day a bit higher, but didn't undo much of the damage seen earlier this week. The losses were attributed to the disappointing results of the Iraqi tender. The tender had originally been for 90,000 tons US origin rice only, the top bidder only offered 30,000 tons of US rice and the rest was much cheaper rice from Argentina and Uruguay, and word is now that the entire tender has been rejected due to price. Exports have been slow and the industry had higher hopes for the Iraqi market

Rice Leadership Development Class Graduates  
 WASHINGTON, DC -- The Rice Leadership Development Program's Class of 2014-16 graduated from the prestigious program during a special ceremony at the USA Rice Federation's 2016 Government Affairs Conference this week.  Rice Foundation Chairman Todd Burich and USA Rice Chairman Dow Brantley presided over the ceremony, congratulating the graduates and thanking program sponsors, John Deere, RiceTec, Inc., and American Commodity Company.
The class is made up of five rice producers:  Derek Haigwood, Newport, AR; Jeremy Jones, England, AR; Jon Munger, Yuba City, CA; Will Reneau, Beaumont, TX; Clay Schaefer, Hunter, AR; and two industry representatives: Jonathan Hobbs, Russell Marine Group, Jefferson, LA; and A.J. Sabine, Louisiana Farm Bureau, Baton Rouge, LA.Jonathan Hobbs served as class spokesperson.  He expressed his appreciation to the many people the class met who are involved "in helping execute the bigger picture of putting U.S. rice on the table for millions of families around the world." 
Hobbs concluded his commencement speech with a rallying cry to his fellow classmates saying, "Let's put our heads together and help these committees develop strategies to win back markets we've lost.  Let's take back Nicaragua, the EU, and Iraq.  Let's go get Cuba.  As far as U.S. rice demand goes, those things are game changers for everyone here.  Let's listen to our markets and learn from our past mistakes.  Let's be active leaders."The class was immediately put to work representing the rice industry during the conference, participating in multiple meetings with Members of Congress, staff from key Congressional Committees, and agency representatives.  
They also met with officials at CropLife America to discuss the responsible use of environmentally sound crop protection products, and got a lesson in high tech agriculture from the FAS/USDA Global Analysis, International Production Assessment Division where they observed how crop assessments around the world are made using satellites. While in Washington, the group is also scheduled to meet Ambassador José Ramón Cabañas of the Cuban Embassy to discuss the potential for rice trade between the two countries as well as attend the USA Rice World Market Price Subcommittee meetings.
The Rice Leadership Development Program gives young men and women a comprehensive understanding of the U.S. rice industry, with an emphasis on personal development and communication training.  During a two-year period, class members attend four one-week sessions that are designed to strengthen their leadership skills.  If you have interest in applying for the 2017 Rice Leadership Development Program, contact Chuck Wilson at cwilson@usarice.com. 
Heaviest bag of rice: India breaks Guinness World Records record (VIDEO)
  
DUBAI, UAE -- A bag of rice weighing 550 kilograms has entered the Book of World Records for being the heaviest bag of rice; the rice bag of India Gate Classic Basmati Rice brand has achieved the feat at the annual 4-day food and hospitality trade show being held in Dubai, according to the World Record Academy.

    Photo: KRBL director Priyanka Mittal. KRBL Limited, the world's largest rice millers and Basmati rice exporters, has successfully entered the Book of World Records with a bag of rice from its acclaimed India Gate Classic Basmati Rice brand weighing 550kg, a combined weight of two adult Royal Bengal Tigers.(enlarge photo)
  
   
    The Guinness World Records world record for the largest display of rice dumplings contained 34,056 dumplings and was made by Towngas Rice Dumplings for the Community (China) at Hong Kong International Trade & Exhibition Centre in Hong Kong on 10 June 2007.

     Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the largest rice mosaic; it is 1,798 sq.m (19364.14 sq. ft) and was achieved by Chinese Taoism Folk Culture Association (Chinese Taipei) at Changhua City, Chinese Taipei on 8 November 2014.


     The rice bag of India Gate Classic Basmati Rice brand has achieved the feat at the annual 4-day food and hospitality trade show being held in Dubai from February 21-25.

   KRBL Limited, the world's largest rice millers and Basmati rice exporters, has successfully entered the Book of World Records with a bag of rice from its acclaimed India Gate Classic Basmati Rice brand weighing 550kg, a combined weight of two adult Royal Bengal Tigers.

    The new record by India-based Basmati rice exporter, KRBL Ltd was achieved when the bag was filled in a single day by a team at KRBL DMCC's Al Quoz warehouse before being driven on a truck to Gulfood.
      KRBL director Priyanka Mittal said: "This is a very important region for us, 85% of India's exports in Basmati rice comes to the Middle East, so this is our biggest market after India; naturally being at Gulfood is important to our continued progress."

   Gulfood 2016 is hosting the show's largest contingent to date of national and industry pavilions having lined up a total of 117 – five more than last year – with first-time group participation from Russia, Costa Rica, Belarus, Mauritius and New Zealand returning after a six-year break.
 

     Related world records:  

     
 Longest Cold Meat Platter: Culinary Academy of India sets world record (VIDEO)

    
  Longest rice flour pancake (dosa): Vijayawada hoteliers (Video)

    
Largest serving of fried rice: China breaks Guinness World Records record (VIDEO)
http://www.worldrecordacademy.com/food/heaviest_bag_of_rice_India_breaks_Guinness_World_Records_record_216153.html

Rice Exports Down as Fiscal Year Nears End

By  
RANGOON — Due to the lingering effects of torrential flooding and El Niño, Burma’s rice export volume is expected to dip in the 2015-16 fiscal year, industry experts said.With just one month left in the fiscal year, which began in April 2015, rice export volume has reached only 1 million tons, according to figures from the Ministry of Commerce.Myint Cho, director of the Ministry of Commerce, said that he expects rice exports to fall short by more than 200,000 tons, with the exact figure currently at 1.037 million tons, compared to the 1.255 tons that had been exported over the same period last year.

“We won’t match last year’s record, with the major reasons being the floods last year [in July and August] and the fact that some rice exporters and traders are concerned about not having rice for the summer [because of El Niño], so they’re storing rice,” Myint Cho said.“Rice prices increased last year because of these floods, so traders are preparing for prices to remain the same this time. There’s also less production here,” he added.By the end of the 2014-15 fiscal year, Burma exported a total of 1.84 million tons of rice, including broken rice. Of this, 1.3 million tons went to China. Besides China, Burma also exports rice to Germany, Indonesia, Poland, Singapore and Thailand.In recent weeks the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) has been urging the government to prepare rice reserves for a potentially extreme El Niño period in the months ahead.
Ye Min Aung, MRF secretary, said that the public sector should also prepare rice reserves because of the potentially severe weather on the horizon.“I’m not concerned about summer paddies but about rain paddies, because it [El Niño] may delay rain for the harvest season later. We should keep an eye on this,” Ye Min Aung said.“We’ll also have to be careful about market speculation, because if some traders try to speculate how the market will move, the price of rice could increase.”Despite an official Chinese ban on Burmese rice imports, traders in Burma have recently been focusing on trade across the Sino-Burmese border.

Moreover, domestic prices have increased compared to normal trade prices in the world market, Myint Cho explained.“The world price is less than US$400 per ton, while the Chinese price is over $400, so most [of Burma’s] rice is going to China,” he said.Ministry figures estimate that Burma produced more than 13 million tons of rice over 23 million acres of paddy during the fiscal year 2014-15. At least 9 million tons were used for local consumption, while about 1.8 million tons went to the export market

A worker unloads rice from a boat a jetty on the Rangoon river, October 23, 2015. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters)
http://www.irrawaddy.com/burma/rice-exports-down-as-fiscal-year-nears-end.html

SINAG: Govt failed to stop rice smuggling

February 24, 2016 11:08 pm
by James Konstantin Galvez

The seizure of P118 million worth of smuggled rice from Thailand is proof that the illegal importation of the staple continues unchallenged under the Aquino government, a lobby group of agricultural workers said Wednesday.“After five years and four Customs’ chief, there is no doubt that this administration has failed the agriculture sector in this regard,” said Rosendo So, chairperson of Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG).“Smuggling has prospered and continues to thrive under this government,” So said in reaction to the agriculture officials’ inability to adequately respond to questions during a Senate hearing investigating the issue.SINAG earlier discovered that close to P200 billion worth of agricultural goods were smuggled into the country since 2010, the year Aquino assumed the presidency.

Smuggled rice makes up about P94 billion, making the grain the single biggest agricultural commodity being smuggled into the country. Smuggled pork comes at a far second at P40 billion and then sugar at close to P25 billion.Other commodities being smuggled include chicken, garlic, onion and carrots.In terms of volume, 2,772,142 metric tons of rice was smuggled from 2010 to 2014, double the volume of 1,066,021 metric tons smuggled from 2005 to 2009.SINAG had proposed making the National Food Authority (NFA) the lone importer of rice and for government to reconsider the implementation of government-to-government (G2G) scheme as the sole mode of importing rice.

Permits are supposedly allocated to farmer cooperatives.However, these permits are being bought by unscrupulous traders. The scheme is similar to the one allegedly employed by businessman Davidson Bangayan and other similar consolidators of import permits as exposed in previous Senate investigations.SINAG said the market value of the smuggled rice in this last case translates to a loss of P60-P80 billion in revenues for government. Rice is a highly sensitive commodity that is protected so imports are levied a higher tariff of 30 percent to 40 percent.“Sa halip na pangalagaan at tulungan ang lokal na industriya ng agrikultura na tanging ikinabubuhay ng milyon-milyong pamilyang Pilipino, tila wala nang intensyon ang pamahalaang ito na masabat ang smuggling,” (Instead of helping the local agricultural sector that millions of Filipinos depend on for livelihood, it appears that government has no intention to stop smuggling,) So said.

 

LEAD) Gov't to purchase 157,000 tons of rice

2016/02/24 12:09
SEOUL, Feb. 24 (Yonhap) -- The government plans to spend 140 billion won (US$113.6 million) to buy 157,000 tons of rice in the latest effort to stabilize rice prices, a ruling party lawmaker said Wednesday.The decision was made in a policy coordination meeting between the government and the ruling Saenuri Party at the National Assembly, ruling lawmaker Ahn Hyo-dae told reporters after attending the closed-door session.

Last year South Korea produced 4.32 million tons of rice, exceeding its earlier projection by 360,000 tons. The bumper crop has led to a fall in rice prices by 12.8 percent as of Feb. 15, compared to the same period during an average year.The government is set to buy 157,000 tons next month to take them out of the market following its previous purchase of 200,000 tons of rice in October."Though we have made the inevitable decision to make an additional rice purchase, the government will continue to push for long-term measures such as keeping moderate rice production and encouraging the expansion of domestic consumption," said Agricultural Minister Lee Dong-phil during the meeting.The government is also pushing to reduce the size of rice paddies by 10 percent in the long term to reduce an excess in crop harvests.

Last year, the government spent 81.2 billion won on keeping rice stocks in surplus at more than 4,100 storage facilities throughout the country.South Korea used to send rice to aid North Korea when inter-Korean relations were on good terms.Rice is a key staple food for both South and North Koreans.South Korea last provided rice to North Korea in 2007, giving 151,000 tons of it when liberal President Roh Moo-hyun sought reconciliation with North Korea and met with then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang in the second summit between the two Koreas."It is hard to pinpoint how much impact the delivery of rice to the North had in stabilizing rice prices back then," an official of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said. The official asked not to be identified, citing policy.
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2016/02/24/0200000000AEN20160224004351315.html?060b5be8

Louisiana agriculture consultants honor Caffey, Linscombe

Induction at the 2016 LACA annual meeting
Feb 24, 2016Bruce Schultz, LSU AgCenter
Belle Caffey Chatelain represents her father, the late H. Rouse Caffey, who was selected for the Louisiana Agricultural Consultants Association Hall of Fame at the LACA annual conference in Marksville on Feb. 17. Steve Linscombe, director of the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station at Crowley, was also inducted into the LACA hall.  Photo by Bruce Schultz, LSU AgCenter.
The late H. Rouse Caffey, former LSU AgCenter chancellor, and Steve Linscombe, rice breeder and director of the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station, have been honored as the newest selections for the Louisiana Agricultural Consultants Association Hall of Fame.
The honors were made the first day, Feb. 17, of the LACA’s annual three-day Agricultural Technology and Management Conference. Consultants hear updates on management for Louisiana’s major crops.Linscombe remembered Caffey as a mentor who often gave advice.
“He understood the importance of keeping research and extension on the cutting edge,” Linscombe said.

Caffey, director of Rice Research Station from 1962 until 1970, was credited by Linscombe for the station’s success. “The station has become the nation’s premier rice research station,” Linscombe said.Caffey was LSU AgCenter chancellor from 1984 until 1997.“Because of his efforts, the LSU AgCenter was a leader to many developing nations,” Linscombe said.Belle Caffey Chatelain, Caffey’s daughter, said her father grew up in the Mississippi Delta on a cotton farm, and his family didn’t get electricity until he was in the third grade.In high school, Caffey’s 2-acre cotton crop won a 4-H competition, and he won the prize of a trip to Chicago. “That was the start of his travels,” Chatelain said.Caffey enjoyed traveling around the globe to educate farmers, she said. “I know it was his heart’s desire that no one would go hungry.”

Eric Webster, LSU AgCenter weed scientist, said Linscombe has secured $17 million in grants for the AgCenter during his 34-year career. He has developed 32 of the 52 rice varieties released from the station, and many of those varieties have dominated acreage in the southern U.S. rice-growing states.Webster said yields have increased to 7,500 pounds an acre -- a 1,900-pound jump since 2002.Webster met the late Nobel Prize laureate Norman Borlaug, who is the father of the Green Revolution and was considered the No. 1 plant breeder worldwide. “I know who No. 2 is,” Webster said of Linscombe.Linscombe credited his co-workers and his wife, Judy, for his success.

“This is one of the more significant honors,” he said. “I like to think of this group as real people.”Also at the conference, Diane Schuster, LSU AgCenter and LSU College of Agriculture development director, said efforts are close to securing all of the funding for the $300,000 Dorothy and Ray Young Fellowship to help graduate students in agriculture with their education.
Rogers Leonard, LSU AgCenter vice president, said it’s not clear how the state’s current budget problems will affect research and Extension efforts for the AgCenter.“The problem is, the numbers keep changing,” he said. “We really don’t know what we’re going to end up with.”He said the dairy research programs at the AgCenter Southeast Research Station are being significantly reduced, and restructuring of several other stations is inevitable to increase efficiency.Several members of the LSU AgCenter faculty were among the presenters at the conference.

AgCenter pesticide safety education coordinator Kim Pope detailed worker protection standards for pesticide applicators that will go into effect in January 2017. She said new training requirements effective in January 2018 will require annual training for pesticide handling. Currently, training is required every three years.New workers will have to be trained immediately, and the five-day grace period will be eliminated, she said. No minimum age currently is in place for pesticide handlers, but that will change to age 18. In addition, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards will become effective for respirators.
Exemptions will apply for family members, and the definition of who is a family member will be expanded.
AgCenter entomologist Jeff Davis said the soybean looper is a difficult-to-control insect pest that will cause a loss of six bushels an acre with just 10 percent defoliation.The spinosyn insecticides are still effective. “That’s the only thing I have that I know will work, at least for this year,” Davis said.He said it’s not known where the insects that migrate into Louisiana are coming from.
AgCenter entomologist David Kerns said controlling Johnsongrass is a good control measure for sugarcane aphids that overwinter in the weed.Scouting grain sorghum for sugarcane aphids is essential because of the threat they pose to a crop, and they can double in population in three days, he said. “If you miss five days with this pest and you’ve got high numbers, you’re finished.”

Choosing a grain sorghum hybrid with resistance is the best answer, Kerns said. But even the selection of a resistant hybrid doesn’t mean it won’t be necessary to spray an insecticide for the aphids, he cautioned. Seed treatments also provide some protection.AgCenter rice specialist Dustin Harrell said nutrient uptake by rice plants is affected by soil pH.Harrell said phosphorous is best applied at planting. When soil test values fall in the “very low” category, 60 pounds per acre is recommended, but an additional 30 pounds are needed if a field will be second-cropped.
Harrell said nitrogen should be applied to dry ground before permanent flood establishment. But in years like 2015, when soil was slow to dry, preflood applications may have to be split into multiple applications. He said it is a waste of money to use a urease inhibitor with fertilizer applied in a flood.

AgCenter cotton specialist Dan Fromme said farmers may be tempted to use conventional seed because of its cheaper price. “If you’re going to try it, try a little,” he said.Two to three plants per foot of row is the optimum plant population, he said. Nitrogen at 80 pounds per acre is best, but too much nitrogen will hurt yields.Fromme said total defoliation is not required before harvest. “You don’t have to have every leaf off.”AgCenter nematologist Charles Overstreet said the 2015 cotton crop had the highest nematode population he’s ever seen during his 37-year career.Rotating cotton with corn and grain sorghum can help control nematodes in Louisiana. Some soybean varieties have nematode resistance, he said.

AgCenter sugarcane specialist Kenneth Gravois said the variety HoCP96-540 continues to prove its value as the leading choice, with LO1-299 increasing.Sugarcane yields have continued to increase since 1963, but the biggest upturn started in the 1980s with better quality seed cane. In the early 1990s, he said, the release of LCP 85-384 resulted in a yield increase.At one time, he said, more than 200 pounds of sugar out of a ton of cane was exceptional, but that has now become the rule.
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/louisiana-agriculture-consultants-honor-caffey-linscombe
World Bank sees govt rice import monopoly a bad idea
February 24, 2016 11:08 pm
by JOEL M. SY EGCO

THE GOVERNMENT’S policy of “monopolizing” the importation of rice is not helping poor farmers, thus, it does not bode well for the overall objective of achieving rice self-sufficiency and inclusive economic growth, according to World Bank lead economist Rogier Van den Brink.Van den Brink, one of the resource speakers at The Manila Times’ 3rd Business Forum held at the New World Manila Bay Hotel, said the existing strict government policy on rice importation “affects the entire country.”“The Philippines can be (rice) self-sufficient (but because of) monopolizing rice importation… it has failed,” the Bank executive claimed as he fielded questions from forum participants.
He said the policy will not work to increase the net income of farmers or to reduce the retail prices of the commodity. What the government should do, he explained, is to embark on programs that will modernize the agriculture sector.In his presentation, Van den Brink noted that the current rice policy of self-sufficiency is not achieved because a “significant gap remains between production and consumption.” Likewise, the policy of “buying high” from farmers and “selling low to the poor” is far-fetched from the actual performance.“Purchases are too small scale to make a significant impact and only 11.5 percent of rice purchases by the poor was NFA (National Food Authority) rice,” he pointed out.The World Bank expert, a lead economist in the poverty reduction and economic management department of the East Asia and Pacific Region, also noted that the rice marketing system is underdeveloped.
“The widening gap between farm gate prices and retail prices suggests increasing inefficiency,” Van den Brink stressed.To correct these flaws, he suggested that government “open the import regime of food commodities, in particular rice” by removing the “quantitative rice import restrictions and its licensing system.”“Urgently, so that traders have sufficient time to import, to avoid domestic food price increases,” he further explained, adding that retail food prices can be monitored throughout the country through “crowd sourcing.”Van den Brink pointed that in January 2015, a kilogram of rice in the Philippines was worth P35 while the Thais and Vietnamese paid only the equivalent of P15 per kilo.For the medium term, he suggested that after the removal of the quantitative import restrictions and the tarification of the quotas, tariffs should be “progressively reduced over time.”The WB official said there should be more investments in agricultural productivity, specifically on research and development, agricultural extension, rural infrastructure such as roads irrigation and electrification; secure property rights; and farmers’ health and education.
FROM THE EXPERT
World Bank’s lead economist Rogier Van Den Brink (second, left) fields questions during the 3rd business forum of The Manila Times . With him are Eduardo Francisco, president of BDO Capital, Investment Corp, Alexander Cabrera, chairman and senior partner of PWC Philippines and Nerilyn Tenorio, editor-in-chief of The Manila Times. PHOTO BY DJ DIOSINA
Aceh to Produce 2.7 Million Tons of Paddy Rice in 2016
WEDNESDAY, 24 FEBRUARY, 2016 | 11:34 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Aceh Government is targeting for 2.7 million tons of paddy production in 2016. The message was conveyed by Vice Governor of Aceh Muzakir Manaf in a seminar held in Malikussaleh University, Tuesday, February 23, 2016.According to Muzakir, Aceh Government is focusing on three plants, namely paddy, soybean and maize. In 2016, apart from paddy, Aceh Government is also targeting 131 thousand tons of soybean and 237 thousand tons of maize productions.Based on last year’s data, paddy production in Aceh is around 2.32 million tons, almost reached the 2015 production target of 2.4 tons.

According to Muzakir, production target is more likely to be achieved with a hope that Village Law could strengthen Aceh’s agricultural sector.“With the support of village fund, we could develop a wide range of agricultural potentials in villages to improve agricultural sector,” he said.To develop crop productivity, Aceh Government has encouraged villagers to improve their agricultural activities through village program as mandated by Law No. 6/2015 on Villages. Aceh Government also hopes for agricultural sector to absorb greater number of workforce.In the seminar, Dr. Iskandar, an academician, explained that the main problem faced by farmers lies at the downstream, i.e. poor marketing. Farmers are unable to sell their agricultural products with suitable prices. In fact, market prices drop as they enter harvest period.“Students must be able to address the problem by creating effective marketing mechanisms to maximize agricultural products marketing,” Iskandar said

PM tells drought-stricken Thailand to cut rice production


© AFP/File | Thailand is one of the world's top rice exporters, but four consecutive years of below-average rainfall has drained water reserves and left irrigation channels in the heart of the country dry
BANGKOK (AFP) - 
Thailand's prime minister on Wednesday told farmers to cultivate less rice to help the country manage its intensifying water crisis, as experts called this year's drought the worst in decades.
Prayut Chan-O-Cha, the junta leader who grabbed power in a military coup two years ago, said his administration was working on a 20-year strategy to diversify the country's agricultural sector, which has long relied on irrigation-intensive rice production.Thailand is one of the world's top rice exporters, but four consecutive years of below-average rainfall has drained water reserves and left irrigation channels in the heart of the country dry.Many rice farmers are currently unable to muster enough water to plant second crops, shaving their incomes and plunging many into debt."We have to find measures to motivate rice farmers to change to other crops (than rice)," Prayut told reporters on Wednesday, adding that management of Thailand's "limited" water resources must be at the core of agricultural planning.Thailand is expected to produce around 25 million tonnes of rice this year, he added, without revealing how much less rice will be grown in the coming years.

Water reserves across the country have dipped below last year's levels, which were already considered a record low, according to the irrigation department.Anond Sanidvongs, a Thailand-based climate expert, said 2016 is shaping up to be the driest in decades."The drought problem this year is probably the worst in 40 to 50 years," he told AFP.Agricultural policies are often divisive in Thailand, with rice and rubber farmers pushing hard for subsidies.The country's vast network of rice farmers in the north and northeast form a political bloc that has voted for governments led by, or aligned to, billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra for more than a decade.His sister Yingluck was ousted by the 2014 coup but is still wildly popular among rice farmers.She faces a decade in prison over a rice subsidy scheme derided by critics as a populist handout to her support base.Yingluck insists her subsidy was an effort to assist poor farmers long-ignored by Bangkok's arch-royalist elite.They draw support from southern rubber farmers who have taken a hit as global commodity prices plunge

http://www.france24.com/en/20160224-pm-tells-drought-stricken-thailand-cut-rice-production

25th February,2016 Daily Exclusive ORYZA Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Cuba Signs New Credit Agreements with China to Develop Rice Sector

Feb 24, 2016

The government of Cuba has signed new credit agreements with the Export-Import Bank of China (Eximbank) to receive support from the East Asian nation for the development of agriculture and railroad programs, according to local sources.
The amounts would be used to purchase medium and high power tractors to boost rice production and railroad passenger cars.
This is the fourth line of credit that Cuba obtains from China, and is mainly aimed at increasing local rice production, according to the Cuban Deputy Minister of Finance and Prices. He also noted that the credit would be used for other joint projects linked to the country's strategic programs.
Cuba currently produces only half of its annual rice consumption needs and imports the rest. USDA estimates Cuba to produce around 395,000 tons of milled rice and import around 500,000 tons of rice in MY 2015-16 (July - June) to meet a consumption demand of around 895,000 tons. Cuba currently imports rice from Brazil, India and Thailand.

FAO Forecasts Iran to Import 1.2 Million Tons of Rice in 2015-16 Despite 17% y/y Increase in Production

Feb 24, 2016

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) forecasts Iran to import about 1.2 million tons of rice in 2015-16 (April-March) despite an increase in 2015 paddy rice production. It forecasts the country's total cereal imports to decline about 35% y/y to around 10 million tons.
The FAO estimates Iran's 2015 paddy rice production to increase by about 17% to around 2.7 million tons from around 2.3 million tons during the previous year. 
Planting for 2016 paddy rice crop will begin in May.

EU Imports 572,619 Tons of Rice in September 1, 2015 - February 16, 2016; Up 23% from Previous Year

Feb 24, 2016
According to the latest data issued by the European Union (EU), rice imports by the EU increased sharply since the beginning of the crop year 2015-16 (September 1, 2015 - August 31, 2016).
The EU imported about 572,619 tons of rice during the period September 1, 2015 - February 16, 2016, up about 22.5% from around 467,256 tons imported during the same period last year.
Japonica rice imports increased about 43% to around 59,570 tons in September 1, 2015 - February 16, 2016 period from around 41,741 tons during the same period last year. Indica rice imports increased about 20.6% to around 513,049 tons during the said period from around 425,515 tons last year.
The UK remained the largest importer in September 1, 2015 - February 16, 2016 period with around 127,867 tons followed by France (95,218 tons), The Netherlands (64,495 tons), Germany (60,871 tons), Poland (41,907 tons), ,  and Italy (40,210 tons). Other EU countries imported 142,051 tons.
During the week ended February 16, 2016, the EU imported around 42,196 tons of rice, up about 43% from around 29,564 tons imported during the week ended February 9, 2016.
The EU imported around 1.143 million tons of rice in the crop year 2014-15, up about 12.7% from around 1.013 million tons imported in the crop year 2013-14.
Global Rice Quotes

February 24th, 2016
Long grain white rice - high quality
Thailand 100% B grade          365-375           ↔
Vietnam 5% broken    350-360           ↔
India 5% broken         360-370           ↔
Pakistan 5% broken    335-345           ↓
Myanmar 5% broken   420-430           ↔
Cambodia 5% broken             410-420           ↔
U.S. 4% broken           455-465           ↓
Uruguay 5% broken    445-455           ↑
Argentina 5% broken 435-445           ↑
Long grain white rice - low quality
Thailand 25% broken 345-355           ↔
Vietnam 25% broken 340-350           ↔
Pakistan 25% broken 305-315           ↔
Cambodia 25% broken           395-405           ↔
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%          670-680           ↓
Vietnam Jasmine         415-425           ↔
India basmati 2% broken        NQ      ↔
Pakistan basmati 2% broken   NQ      ↔
Cambodia Phka Mails             760-770           ↔
Brokens
Thailand A1 Super      325-335           ↔
Vietnam 100% broken            325-335           ↔
Pakistan 100% broken stxd    285-295           ↔
Cambodia A1 Super   335-345           ↔
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

Oryza CBOT Rough Rice Futures Recap - Chicago Rough Rice Futures Rebound Slightly as Mixed U.S. Grains Provide Little in the Way of Price Guidance

Feb 25, 2016

Chicago rough rice futures for Mar delivery settled 6.5 cents per cwt (about $1 per ton) higher at $10.660 per cwt (about $235 per ton). The other grains finished the day with mixed results; Soybeans closed about 0.1% lower at $8.7250 per bushel; wheat finished about 1% lower at $4.5125 per bushel, and corn finished the day about 0.6% lower at $3.6450 per bushel.
U.S. stocks traded mostly lower Wednesday, with financials leading declines, as investors watched for stabilization in oil prices. The major U.S. averages came well off session lows in midday trade as oil recovered from a sharp overnight decline to trade near $32 a barrel. Financials traded about 1% lower to lead S&P 500 decliners, while energy and materials reversed losses to trade higher. The S&P briefly fell below the psychologically key 1,900 level, although the index traded more than 10% below its 52-week intraday high, in correction territory along with the Dow and Nasdaq composite.
Traders said there was not a fundamental reason for the decline in stocks following the services PMI given the light trade volume and the relative newness of the indicator. European stocks closed about 2% lower or more. The STOXX Europe 600 fell nearly 3%, ending almost 40% below its 52-week intraday high. Overnight, the Chinese yuan midpoint fix was also set slightly weaker against the dollar. However, the Shanghai composite closed about 0.9% higher while most Asian equities declined. In midday trade, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 120 points, or 0.73%, to 16,311. The S&P 500 declined 11 points, or 0.58%, to 1,910, with financials leading nine sectors lower and telecommunications the only decliner. The Nasdaq composite fell 11 points, or 0.27%, to 4,491. Gold is seen trading about 1.3% higher, crude oil is seen trading about 0.1% higher, and the U.S. dollar is seen trading about 0.1% lower at about  1:30pm Chicago time.
Tuesday, there were 3,959 contracts traded, up from 3,243 contracts traded on Monday. Open interest – the number of contracts outstanding – on Tuesday increased by 189 contracts to 12,773. 

Higher Domestic Prices May Increase Japanese Rice Imports, Say Traders

Feb 24, 2016

Japanese rice traders are expecting the country to import more rice this year due to an increase in domestic prices, according to Asian Nikkei.
Domestic prices are said to have increased about 10% y/y to around 227 yen per kilogram (around $2,021 per ton) excluding taxes in January this year due to higher demand from the animal feed industry. The government is keen on increasing the use of rice for animal feed and reduce the use of corn and wheat.
They told reporters that meanwhile export prices of medium-grain polished Californian rice, which many Japanese restaurants use together with domestic rice, has declined about 17% y/y to around $775 per ton (around 87 yen per kilogram) in January this year. Californian rice prices increased over the last few years due to four consecutive years of drought. Traders attributed the fall in prices to a likely increase in California rice supply this year due to resumption of rains allowing farmers to plant more rice. They also noted that Californian rice prices have declined due to a fall in demand from the Middle East countries due to drought-related high prices.
The domestic prices are nearly two-and-half times the Californian rice, up from less than twice the price in 2014. A trader noted that due to a short supply of low-priced rice for commercial use, most of the restaurants are considering imported rice.
Therefore, traders are opining that the widening gap between the domestic and imported prices could prompt more rice imports this year.
Japan's imports under the "simultaneous buy-sell" system have doubled so far in FY 2015-16 (April-March) to 22,000 tons. But they are below the maximum annual import threshold of 100,000 tons


Thailand Sets 2016 Rice Export Target at 9.5 Million Tons, Down 5% from Last Year

Feb 24, 2016

The government of Thailand has set its 2016 rice export target at around 9.5 million tons, down about 5% from around 10 million tons exported in 2015, due to a likely impact of extending drought conditions on this year's production, Reuters quoted a senior official from the Thai Commerce Ministry.
The Director-General of the Ministry's Foreign Trade Department noted that lower supplies from this year's crop may lead to an increase in Thai rice prices. 
She also noted that the Commerce and Agriculture Ministries have prepared 10 billion baht (around $278 million) worth of measures to stabilize prices. Some of the measures include buying rice from farmers and storing it temporarily, she said.
Separately, the Thai Prime Minister reportedly urged farmers to cultivate less rice to cope with the intensifying water crisis. "We have to find measures to motivate rice farmers to change to other crops (than rice)," he was quoted.
The military government currently holds about 12 million tons of rice in its stockpiles and is keen on clearing the stocks by the end of next year.
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.

Thailand, Pakistan Rice Sellers Lower Some of Their Quotes Today; Other Asia Rice Quotes Unchanged

Feb 24, 2016

Thailand rice sellers lowered their quotes for Hommali rice by about $10 per ton  to around $670-$680 per ton today. Pakistan rice sellers lowered their quotes for 5%broken rice by about $5 per ton to around $335-$345 per ton. Other Asia rice sellers kept their quotes unchanged today.                       
5% Broken Rice
Thailand 5% rice is indicated at around $355 - $365 per ton, about $5 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 $25 per ton premium on Pakistan 5% rice shown at around $335 - $345 per ton.
25% Broken Rice
Thailand 25% rice is indicated at around $345 - $355per ton, about $5per ton premium on Vietnam 25% rice shown at around $340- $350 per ton. India 25% rice is indicated at around $325 - $335 per ton, about $20 per ton premium on Pakistan 25% rice shown at around $305 - $315 per ton.
Parboiled Rice           
Thailand parboiled rice is indicated at around $365 - $375 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, on par with Vietnam 100% broken rice shown at around $325 - $335 per ton. India's 100% broken rice is shown at around $260 - $270 per ton, about $25 per ton discount to Pakistan broken sortexed rice shown at around $285 - $295 per ton.

World Bank Economist Advises Philippines to Open Rice Import Market

Feb 24, 2016

The World Bank Lead Economist advised the government of the Philippines to remove quantitative restrictions on rice imports and open the rice import market to avoid unnecessary price increases and enhance the efficiency of the rice sector, according to the Manila Times.
Speaking at the Manila Times’ 3rd Business Forum, he noted that the government's current policy of monopolizing the rice imports is not in the interest of the farmers and the country. He also noted that the policy will not work to increase the net income of the farmers or check the retail rice prices.
He stated that the government is failing to achieve the rice self-sufficiency due to a significant gap between production and consumption. He said the government's policy of “buying high” from farmers and “selling low to the poor” suggests increasing inefficiency". He stressed that opening the rice import market would correct these inefficiencies as traders have sufficient time to import and thus domestic rice price increases can be avoided.
He suggested that the government should remove the QRs and tariff quotas in the medium term, and should "progressively reduce" tariffs in the long term to achieve desired results.
He also noted that investments in agricultural productivity, specifically on research and development, agricultural extension, rural infrastructure such as roads irrigation and electrification; secure property rights; and farmers’ health and education are important to increase the efficiency of the rice sector.

Myanmar Commerce Ministry Estimates 2015-16 Rice Exports to Decline Sharply

Feb 24, 2016

Myanmar's Ministry of Commerce is estimating the country's rice exports to fall sharply in FY 2015-16 (April - March) based on the current pace of exports, according to Irrawaddy News.
The Ministry data shows that Myanmar has so far in this fiscal year exported about 1.037 million tons, down about 17% from around 1.255 million tons exported during the same period last year. Myanmar exported 1.84 million tons of rice in FY 2014-15, with China accounting for about 70% of the country's exports.
“We won’t match last year’s record, with the major reasons being the floods last year [in July and August] and the fact that some rice exporters and traders are concerned about not having rice for the summer [because of El Niño], so they’re storing rice,” the Director of the Ministry of Commerce was quoted. He also noted that traders are prepared for higher rice prices due to likely low production.
Last week, the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) has urged the government to prepare rice reserves due to likely lower output from extending dry conditions.
According to official figures, Myanmar produced about 13 million tons of milled rice in FY 2014-15 from around 57.5 million hectares of land. USDA estimates Myanmar to produce about 12.2 million tons of rice in MY 2015-16 (January – December 2016). It estimates Myanmar to export  about 1.8 million tons in 2016.

Uganda Needs Improved Farming Tools to Boost Rice Production, Say Experts

Feb 24, 2016

Experts emphasized the need for improved and modernized farming tools to boost Uganda's rice production, according to All Africa.
The Director of the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) noted that Uganda's rice production is currently characterized by traditional, rudimentary and obsolete technologies. The official who attended the demonstration of agricultural machinery for small-scale farmers noted that an increasing demand for rice calls for intensive production of high-yield rice.
"We have achieved rice production self-sufficiency. National rice production is 306,000 tonnes today. But the increase in population and increasing demand, especially in urban areas, means new farmers need to be engaged in rice production and those farmers who are already producing rice should adopt better farming methods to increase their rice yields," he said.
The country's national rice development strategy aims to increase rice production to 443,800 tons in 2018. The Promotion of Rice Development (PRiDe) project, which is being implemented by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, and National Agricultural Research Organization, and National Agricultural Advisory Services (Naads) is reportedly supporting Uganda to achieve its national rice production targets.
The Chief Advisor of PRiDe project noted that broken grains and stones in rice are major drawbacks of Uganda rice. He stressed for the need of affordable threshing machines to increase the quality of rice.

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