Wednesday, July 20, 2016

20th July,2016 daily global,regional and local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine



MSSRF identifies 9 varieties of rice with higher zinc, iron

IANS  |  Chennai  Consuming rice may put infants at higher urinary arsenic risk Raunaq EPC International secures project worth Rs 9.60 cr HZL Q4 Net up 8% to Rs 2,149 cr on higher other income Supreme Court delays government plan to sell Hindustan Zinc stake Families covered under PDS to get higher quantum of free rice
          
The city-based agricultural research organisation MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) has reached a major milestone towards the development of iron and zinc biofortified rice, said a senior official.
"After systematic and elaborate screening of the landraces, we have identified nine varieties that have much higher composition of iron or zinc compared to conventional rice," Rajalakshmi Swaminathan, Principal Coordinator for Biotechnology, MSSRF, told IANS.
According to her, the next step is to cross these varieties with 4-5 local high yielding rice varieties. Post harvest, the rice will be checked for iron and zinc content and also other agronomic characteristics, she added.
Biofortification is a means of deliberately increasing the nutrient quality of crops during growth for enhancing the nutrition and health of the population it serves.
This is particularly important for micronutrient deficiencies (Vitamin A, iron and zinc), estimated to affect over half the population in the world and is significant in India with the largest number of stunted children in the world, Swaminathan said.
Biofortification addresses all three major dimensions of hunger -- calorific, protein and vitamin/mineral deficiencies, and can be done through natural selection, conventional breeding or biotechnology approaches.
Through biofortification, communities can continue with their usual diet but receive additional nutrients through consuming varieties that are much more nutritious. They are protected from preventable conditions like anaemia, stunting and infectious diseases.
"However, selecting, analysing and facilitating these breeding approaches are long drawn out and laborious processes that take several years to facilitate and make available for cultivation and consumption. In this context, the nine varieties of rice with higher iron and zinc content signals hope," Swaminathan said.
Under the research project funded by the central government's Department of Biotechnology, the team at MSSRF screened 160 rice varieties from Odisha, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and zeroed in on nine varieties that have high iron and zinc content.
"For three rabi seasons since 2013 we have raised the nine varieties and found the iron and zinc content on the higher side. The crops were raised in the fields in Kalpakkam near here," Swaminathan said.
"The crops showed promising results in terms of their potential to serve as a significant tool against malnutrition. There is no genetic modification involved," Swaminathan added.
She said normal rice has iron concentration of about 6-8 ppm, some of the varieties screened have a high as 21 ppm iron concentration.
Similarly for zinc, normal rice has zinc concentration of about 14 ppm while some of the identified varieties have concentration as high as 35 ppm.
According to Swaminathan, the next phase will be in association with other public research institutes.
"By the end of the year we will proceed with the collaborative approach with the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu," she added
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/mssrf-identifies-9-varieties-of-rice-with-higher-zinc-iron-116071900630_1.html

Local version of ‘Rice Doctor’ available soon

Philippine Daily Inquirer

01:30 AM July 20th, 2016

A Filipino version of a mobile application dubbed “Rice Doctor” is being readied to help identify and manage rice crop problems in Philippine rice farms.
First developed by experts at the International Rice Research Institute, Philippine Rice Research Institute, the Indonesian Research Institute for Rice, and the Lucid team at the University of Queensland in Australia, the mobile app is still available only in English.
According to IRRI, the interactive Rice Doctor uses text and images to help extension workers, farmers, researchers and students diagnose more than 80 pests, diseases and other disorders affecting rice.
In a recent workshop held at IRRI in Laguna, specialists from PhilRice and development communication students from the University of the Philippines helped review, edit and finalize the Filipino translation of the brief descriptions of the signs, symptoms and management options.
“This activity is the second part of the Filipino translation workshop conducted through the project,  Improving Technology Promotion and Delivery through Capability Enhancement of Next-Gen Rice Extension Professionals and Other Intermediaries, under the Food Staples Sufficiency Program,” IRRI said in a statement.
The first part of the workshop, which was held last year, focused on the terms and the translation of the diagnostic questions.
“The Filipino version of Rice Doctor, which will be available later this year, is the first effort to translate and localize the diagnostic tool for country-specific crop problems,” IRRI said. “Similar efforts are also being done in Bangladesh and India.” Ronnel W. Domingo

 

Rice Field Day in Stoneville Draws a Crowd


Dr. Bobby Golden presenting his research
STONEVILLE, MS - Today, the Delta Research and Extension Center (DREC) held their annual Rice Producer Field Day here to review this year's latest rice research, followed by the Mississippi Farm Bureau's (MFBF) Summer Rice Meeting in the Capps Center.

During the field tour, research presentations were given on topics including weed and insect control, irrigation, rice breeding, etc. by: Dr. Bobby Golden, Dr. Jason Bond, Dr. Jeff Gore, Dr. Tom Allen, Dr. Jason Krutz, and Dr. Ed Redona.

The MFBF's Rice Meeting had presentations by: Patrick Swindoll, Chairman of the MFBF Rice Advisory Committee; Mike McCormick, MFBF President; Kirk Satterfield, Vice Chairman of MFBF Rice Advisory Committee; John Campbell, Deputy Commissioner for MS Department of Agriculture and Commerce; Kay Whittington, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality; and Ben Mosely, Vice President of Government Affairs for USA Rice.

Mosely's remarks centered on legislative and regulatory updates from Washington along with a snapshot of the USA Rice work exploring sustainability. "Our Sustainability Committee met last week over the course of eight hours to help put together an industry-wide sustainability plan. USA Rice is pursuing a robust sustainability platform that is economically profitable, socially and environmentally responsible based on sound science and we're looking forward to working with Mississippi as it unfolds," he said.

In regards to advocacy on Capitol Hill, Mosely added, "USA Rice has been tearing up the pavement in Washington to gain significant access to markets for U.S.-grown rice. Our efforts are starting to show through the recent increases in U.S. rice programmed in international food aid, the rice-specific MOU signed by the U.S. and Iraq, the MOU underway between USA Rice and Cuba, and with the opportunity to normalize agricultural trade with Cuba closer than it's been in 50 years."

Kirk Satterfield, Mississippi rice farmer and member of the USA Rice Farmers Board of Directors said, "I'm really happy to have USA Rice as a regular part of our program here at our Mississippi Farm Bureau's Rice Meeting, our hard work to become a member state within the Federation has really paid off. We're looking forward to continuing our work with both the USA Rice Farmers Board and the broader Federation and represent Mississippi during policy debates and formulating our positions for the upcoming Farm Bill negotiations."


USA Rice Celebrates Centennial of the U.S. Warehouse Act


Keith Glover 
WASHINGTON, DC - Last week, USA Rice helped to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Warehouse Act, a piece of legislation that authorizes the critically important structure for protecting and assuring producers and their lenders of proper crop production storage.     

The procedures required by the Act are administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency's Commodity Operation Division. This Division licenses warehouses for the storage of U.S. agricultural commodities such as corn, cotton, dry peas, lentils, peanuts, rice, sorghum, soybeans, and wheat and also conducts annual examinations of the warehouses to ensure they are meeting these federal standards.  
USA Rice sponsored a reception in the House Committee on Agriculture's hearing room, also supported by: the American Peanut Shellers Association, the Cotton Growers Warehouse Association, the Cotton Warehouse Association of America, the National Cotton Council of America, the National Grain and Feed Association, and the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council.  
Keith Glover, CEO of Producers Rice Mill based in Stuttgart, Arkansas said, "I operate a pretty significant number of warehouses that are licensed under the U.S. Warehouse Act and I'm pleased to know that our forefathers put together this smart way to protect farmers that needed a reputable, safe place to store their grain an entire century ago. The Act has obviously changed over time to account for innovations like electronic warehouse receipts but ultimately it's stood the test of time and remains relevant."  
The Act was officially passed on August 11, 1916 but the celebration was held earlier in anticipation of Congress' August Recess. 

 

07/19/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report

Rice

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


Futures:

ROUGH RICE


High
Low
Last
Change





Sep '16
1083.0
1064.5
1078.5
+2.5
Nov '16
1107.5
1094.0
1105.5
+2.5
Jan '17


1130.0
+1.0
Mar '17


1150.5
+1.5
May '17


1169.5
+1.5
Jul '17


1183.5
+1.5
Sep '17


1183.5
+1.5

Rice Comment

The rice market continues to track mostly sideways. The WASDE report showed mostly offsetting changes, but 16-17 ending stocks are projected at their highest level since 85-86 thanks to large increases in California medium grain stocks. The all rice on farm average price was lowered, again a result of lower prices in California. September has bounced off support near $10.25, with the next upside target at last week’s high of $10.94 ½






MPCA issues latest revisions to proposed wild rice standards

By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press
July 19, 2016 — 6:10pm

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota regulators on Tuesday unveiled the latest refinements to their proposal for revising the state's water quality standards for protecting wild rice from sulfate pollution.The draft document released Tuesday by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency builds on more than 600 comments submitted last fall about the agency's original proposal.The state's existing standard limits sulfate discharges into wild rice waters to a flat 10 parts per million. The 1970s-era rule went largely unenforced until recently when the debate heated up over proposed copper-nickel mining and pollution from existing iron mines. Mining interests and their legislative allies then complained that the standard was too restrictive. So the MPCA is developing a new approach, using a complicated formula for setting limits for individual waters.

That approach is based on the interplay among sulfates, sulfides, iron and organic carbon in sediments where wild rice grows. Research shows that sulfates in the water aren't directly toxic to wild rice, but they become toxic when bacteria convert them to sulfides in the sediments where the plants take root. Carbon in sediment provides food for the bacteria and boosts sulfide production.

The MPCA is taking feedback through Sept. 6, and citizens can formally comment on the updated proposal during the rulemaking process next year."This isn't a decision yet. It's the next step in the process," said Shannon Lotthammer, director of the MPCA's unit that develops water quality standards.The revisions announced Tuesday fall into four main areas, Lotthammer told reporters. They lower the original proposed limit for sulfide concentrations in sediment. MPCA scientists also refined their equation for determining how this happens. The agency also added more specifics about how data will be collected from individual waters. The fourth area affects how wild rice waters are defined.

Lotthammer acknowledged that the changes are "very technical," but said that the MPCA wanted to be transparent and "show our work" to people who are interested in wild rice. That includes American Indian tribes that consider wild rice to be a sacred food source and an integral part of their culture.The revisions drew criticism from John Pastor, an expert on wild rice biology at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He said his research undercuts the MPCA's theory that higher concentrations of iron in water protect wild rice because they reduce sulfides. He said he's found that much of the iron sulfide that precipitates out of the water forms plaques on the roots of wild rice plants that hamper their ability to produce seeds.

Pastor said the MPCA's data on the relationships among sulfides, iron and organic matter don't completely match what his researchers are seeing in their experiments. So he said it's premature for the MPCA to conclude that its model for the role of iron is correct. Established science shows that the existing 10 parts-per-million sulfate standard protects wild rice, he said, so the safest course is to stick with that.The federal Environmental Protection Agency must approve any change to the standard. Paula Maccabee, an attorney for the environmental group WaterLegacy, said she hopes the EPA's review will focus on science, not political pressures. And she said the MPCA needs to take a closer look at Pastor's research.Lotthammer said her agency is aware of Pastor's work. But she said the MPCA is confident its approach is grounded in sound science.



The pungent scents of cumin, garlic, onions and turmeric fill the air in Scott Levi’s Bexley kitchen with the aroma of central Asian street food.
Levi, an Ohio State University history professor, is taking a practice run at his upcoming cooking demonstration on the food of central Asia.
The food, he explained, is “from the 'stans” — Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan — countries that, for thousands of years, served as the crossing point along the Silk Road trading routes between the Far East and Middle East and beyond to Europe.
Despite the region’s historical significance, its culture remains largely unknown — a situation that Levi hopes to change.
For the second time since 2012, Levi has organized a summer institute, “Central Asia in World History,” which brings together 25 middle- and high-school teachers from throughout the country for three weeks of intensive study.
The institute, which runs through July 29, features lectures by some of the country’s leading experts on central Asia, and a few lighter moments — including Levi’s cooking demonstration, "Culinary Adventures Along the Silk Road," which will take place Saturday at the Ohio Union kitchen.
Levi, 47, an associate professor at Ohio State since 2008, will prepare a variety of recipes he has collected during his travels in the region.
“This food, in particular, is from Uzbekistan,” he explained.
The menu includes marinated lamb and chicken shish kebabs, dill-spiked yogurt sauce and a cool salad of cucumbers, radishes and herbs dressed with feta cheese and sour cream.
A main feature is a stew of lamb, carrots and basmati rice, known as plov.
For the dish, Levi browns cubed lamb in a Dutch oven, then adds onion; copious amounts of toasted, ground cumin seed; paprika; turmeric; and 10 cloves of garlic.
Julienned carrots are added to the sauce, which is then topped with water, and, finally, three cups of basmati or other short-grain rice.
A tight lid covers the dish, which simmers for about 30 minutes, the rice on top steaming from the boiling lamb mixture below and, from the turmeric, changing colors to vivid gold.
Central Asian cuisine, Levi said, is heavy with meat, particularly lamb and rendered lamb fat. It resembles Middle Eastern fare but also blends some elements of east Asian cuisine, including noodle dishes similar to lo mein.
The summer institute is supported this year, as it was in 2012, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Levi's goal is to foster a greater understanding of how the region has historically “served as a crossroads of intercultural exchange.”
He includes the cooking demonstration to help bring the region alive in a real way — through smells and tastes.
“I love cooking, and it’s a great way to explore the culture,” Levi said.
Barbara Ashbrook, assistant director for the division of education programs of the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, was present for Levi’s cooking demonstration in 2012 and said the food helped to create a complete immersion in the culture.
“People bond around food,” she said. “You get a sense that food is global,”
The plov, Ashbrook recalled, was a delicious, hearty dish of varied spices.
“It was really a wonderful learning experience.”
Nathan Rosenstein, chairman of the OSU History Department, said the university takes pride in the institute's effort to spread the word nationally about central Asian history.
“This is an area that’s becoming increasingly important in world history, and something that our young people need to know about and understand that this is a rich history," he said. "And Ohio State is one of the few places they can learn about it."
Levi hopes that the teachers return to their classrooms with broader knowledge to share about central Asia’s role in shaping history. And he hopes that will, in turn, inspire students to pursue the topic in future study.
Levi said, “I’m trying to plant the seeds for a deeper understanding in the next generation."
labraham@dispatch.com

Sustainability, identity preservation keys to rice future

Jul 18, 2016 Forrest Laws  | Delta Farm Press
Sustainability is a phrase that seems to have come back into vogue with marketers trying to sell to millennials who seem to be more environmentally conscientious than members of previous generations.
But sustainability is more than just another marketing term for crop input providers such as Tim Walker, the general manager of Horizon Ag and a former agronomist and rice breeder with Mississippi State University.
“We talk a lot about sustainability in agriculture, especially in the rice industry,” says Dr. Walker. “One of the concerns of my company, and I think probably many others, is making sure that we maintain profitability because without profitability, sustainability becomes very difficult.”
Speaking at Horizon Ag’ Louisiana Field Day on the Christian Richard Farm in Kaplan, La., Dr. Walker said Horizon Ag is in the process of introducing multiple new rice varieties in 2016 and 2017 that it believes will help producers be more sustainable. Those will include CL 153 and CL 172 in 2017 and CL 163, which had a limited introduction in 2016
 “These varieties have excellent yield potential, yield potential that is better than a lot of our industry standards are offering today,” he said. “They also have a much improved disease package.”
Dr. Walker said blast disease has become an increasing concern, “especially in areas like south Louisiana where the pressure is usually pretty extensive. These varieties will allow you to maintain yield potential without the threat of losing yield, which is often a substantial yield loss in the case of blast.”

Better sleep with resistance

The blast resistance offered by CL153 and CL172, and the overall stable, high yield potential of the three new Clearfield lines will help farmers “not only sleep well at night, but hopefully realize profits from every acre they grow,” said Walker.
Markets are another component of sustainability, he said.
“Especially in the southern United States, more than 50 percent of our rice leaves the country, destined for export market,” he noted. “We’ve had declining export markets in recent years, and a lot of the reason for the decline is because of the quality of the rice we grow has become less over the years.
“We’re very fortunate to have new offerings that will raise the bar for quality back to the standard that was set some 20 to 30 years ago by the U.S. rice industry. We’ve been working with our export customers, we’ve been working with our domestic mills and end users to make sure these varieties are profitable for the growers but also profitable for the industry.”
That’s because there are markets that desire the kind of quality, he says, “All of these things go together to help strengthen our industry so that we can continue to be sustainable.”
Cooking quality is a characteristic that can be difficult to obtain objective measurements on, Dr. Walker said. “What we have done is taken advantage of opportunities to meet with people from other countries”

Cooking demonstrations

During the U.S. Rice Producers Association’s Rice Market and Technology Conference in Houston earlier this summer, Horizon Ag representatives were able to cook rice for attendees from Nicaragua.
“The Nicaraguans used to be very important purchasers of our rice to the tune of 100,000 metric tons eight or 10 years ago,” he said. “Unfortunately, over the last few years, we have not moved nearly that much rice to the country. It actually dipped below 1,000 metric tons during that period.
“The rice we cooked for them, especially the Clearfield 172, was rice that really piqued their interest, and they believe it has potential to come back into their country. That’s very good news for the U.S. rice farmer.”
The Horizon Ag representatives did another cooking demonstration for a broader range of attendees, including those from Ecuador, Peru Costa Rica, Columbia, Nicaragua and the United States. Following the demonstration, many of the participants filled out evaluations of the varieties they cooked.
“We have that feedback, and we will use that to go back to our breeding partners and to potential exports, letting them know that here’s rice that people have graded favorably or they have indicated it’s not going to fit in their market.”

New technology needed

Now that Clearfield rice has been in the market for 12 to 14 years growers are beginning to see the need for a new weed control technology that can help them overcome the resistance problems that are beginning to occur in southern rice fields.
“We’re very fortunate that BASF has partnered with LSU to develop and bring to market a new tool called Provisia rice,” Dr. Walker noted. “Because of the previous partnership we’ve had with BASF on Clearfield rice, we hope to have an opportunity to help bring Provisia to market. In the near-term that’s something we’re excited about.”
Dr. Walker said farmers need to begin treating rice as more than a commodity that’s sold in bulk to an anonymous buyer. “We do produce a food. Rice typically is not ground up, it’s not processed,” he said. “And it’s a small crop. We’re talking about a 7.5-million-acre crop in the South in a really good year. So we can’t treat it like a commodity. It is a food, and we have to treat it like that.
“We’re going to have to do more identity preservation, especially for these markets that are specific in what they’re looking for. I think that will be a huge part of us going forward and us being successful is being able to demonstrate to the world that we can produce what our customers want and produce it in a way that allow our growers to be profitable.”
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/sustainability-identity-preservation-keys-rice-future


Good markets, weather needed to help finish Louisiana rice harvest

Jul 19, 2016 Forrest Laws  | Delta Farm Press
The 2016 rice crop got off to a wet start for Christian Richard and his fellow growers around Kaplan, La. But the crop was looking good when Richard was interviewed during the Horizon Ag Field Day at his farm in late June. The rice markets could provide some help along with good weather for harvest and the ratoon or second crop rice as Richard finishes the 2016 crop season.
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/good-markets-weather-needed-help-finish-louisiana-rice-harvest




Vietnam’s rice export in 2016 forecast to drop
Vietnam’s rice export is estimated to drop to 5.65 million tonnes in 2016, down 14 percent against the previous year and 800,000 tonnes lower than initial forecast.
According to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), this is the first time since 2009 Vietnam’s rice export may fall below 6 million tonnes.
At present, Vietnam’s big rice importers like the Philippines and Indonesia are showing no intention of buying more rice.
Meanwhile, the purchasing power of China, which accounts for nearly 35 percent of Vietnam’s export volume, is declining.
In addition, the export of Vietnamese rice is facing difficulties caused by fluctuations in exchange rates. The depreciation of euro is expected to affect exports to Africa, while the weak yuan also discourages Vietnamese businesses from shipping more rice to China.
A decrease in prices of Thai rice is also putting pressure on Vietnamese rice exporters.
VFA statistics showed that Vietnam shipped abroad 2.65 million tonnes of rice in the first half of this year, earning 1.14 billion USD.
China remained Vietnam’s largest rice importer, accounting for 35 percent of the market share, followed by Africa and Indonesia.
The European Union and United States markets still accounted for small proportions in Vietnam’s rice export.
Therefore, Vietnam should try to increase its rice export to these markets, noted the VFA.
As of late 2016, there are about 1.27 million tonnes of rice in stock.
However, the rice output of the summer-autumn crop is predicted to decrease due to long-lasting drought and saline intrusion.

Minister to lead Thai rice promotion in Singapore


PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION July 19, 2016 1:00 am
THE Commerce Ministry will cooperate with exporters to promote the sale of Thai rice in Singapore, focusing on Hom Mali (jasmine) rice, speciality rice grains, and products made from rice.
Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn will lead rice exporters to Singapore from July 26-28, as that market has high purchasing power and could be a springboard for export of Thai rice to other countries.

"In an attempt to increase the value of rice export, the government will set up a strategy to promote rice in various markets. Singapore is one of the targeted markets for increasing sales of Thai rice as it is a main staple [there], while its consumers have high purchasing power," she said.

During the mission, Apiradi will meet with rice importers in Singapore and survey modern traders and restaurants in the country on the feasibility of getting them to sell Thai rice.

Besides Hom Mali rice, the ministry will promote other speciality grains such as Riceberry, Sung Yod rice (which is a geographical-indication product) and organic rice.
Products made from rice will also be promoted, such as cooked rice for senior people, vitamin-added rice for children, cosmetics, snacks and supplements, aiming to increase value-added for rice exports.

Singapore is a major importer of rice from Thailand, and favours Hom Mali rice.

In 2014, Thailand exported 162,977 tonnes of rice to Singapore worth Bt4.3 billion. The volume dropped to 128,941 tonnes worth Bt3.63 billion last year. In the first five months of this year, export volume dropped 7.9 per cent to 51,194 tonnes, while value dropped 11 per cent to Bt1.34 billion.

Apiradi said producers should focus more on adding value to agricultural products including rice. The government will also support innovation in the rice industry by setting up the country's first rice institute for commercial operations.

Rice can be developed as a value-added "super food" in the form of various products. The commercial rice institute would contribute to adding value to rice so that farmers would receive more income.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Minister-to-lead-Thai-rice-promotion-in-Singapore-30290868.html

Thailand clearance sale puts Vietnam rice exports on hold
Thanh Nien News
HO CHI MINH CITY - Tuesday, July 19, 2016 10:14
Rice export from Vietnam has been dropping since April. Photo: Diep Duc Minh/Thanh Nien
Vietnam has reduced its rice export target for the year since demand is falling as many buyers await cheap supply from Thailand’s stock clearance sale.The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) said it has reduced the export target from 6.5 million tons to 5.65 million tons, Tien Phong newspaper reported.The country exported nearly 6.6 million tons of rice last year, up from more than 6.37 million in 2014.

The VFA envisions poor business this year as exports dropped off after April, dragging down first half shipments by nearly 2 percent year-on-year to less than 2.7 million tons.
Rice prices in several Mekong Delta provinces have gone down in recent weeks, yet there have been few transactions.According to the VFA, Vietnam’s regular customers in Southeast Asia such as Indonesia and the Philippines are not going to buy more rice from the country any time soon.Purchases by the biggest buyer, China, which accounted for nearly 35 percent of Vietnam’s exports in the first six months, are also dropping.

Rice customers in the region are all waiting for cheap rice from Thailand, which is going to release 3.7 million tons later this month to reduce its national storage. Around 60 percent will be sold to exporters.Africa remains a bright spot for Vietnamese exporters, with sales rising nearly 11 percent in the first half.But traders said revenues would be affected by the weaker euro

http://www.thanhniennews.com/business/thailand-clearance-sale-puts-vietnam-rice-exports-on-hold-64345.html

More Rice Name Confusion

The seeds of confusion in the rice industry have been sown further. After endorsing the Phka Romduol and Phka Chansensor varieties to be the Kingdom’s own umbrella brands for fragrant and premium rice last week, the National Standards Council (NSC) said yesterday it did not rule out adding “Angkor Malis” as another brand name.

Hean Vanhan, deputy chairman of the NSC, said that there will be more rice varieties to be standardized as brands in the near future.

“Now we have chosen two rice varieties to be standard umbrella brands but more rice varieties will be standardized soon,” said Mr. Vanhan.
“Standardizing rice varieties [as umbrella brands] is to help raise awareness among importers and local consumers,” he added.

Mr. Vanhan, who is also deputy director of the General Department of Agriculture, said: “We standardize brands for rice. Every commodity has to have their standards.”

Last week the NSC endorsed the Phka Romduol and Phka Chansensor varieties to be Cambodia’s umbrella brands for fragrant and premium rice, rejecting the Cambodian Rice Federation’s “Angkor Malis” brand name.


“The name Angkor Malis is not suitable. Thailand already has a Malis brand name and we could have a copyright issue with them if we go ahead and use the name. So we have to carefully consider it,” said Mr. Vanhan.

Hun Lak, a board member of the CRF, said adding many standard rice brand names would only make importers and consumers confused as to the true origins of the Cambodian grain.

“It is good for ministries to make standards for rice and for others to recognize our standard brand names. But if there are too many standard rice varieties and too many standard brand names, everyone would just get very confused,” said Mr. Hun Lak.

Mr. Hun Lak called for a joint technical discussion on the issue with the government and CRF to solve the controversy.Kan Kunthy, CEO of Battambang Rice Investment, said that the process of standardizing rice should be a joint decision between the government and all relevant stakeholders in the industry.“We want all voices to be heard and a joint decision to be made that is acceptable to all,” he said.

“Rice traders, too, are concerned and they want to be involved in having a say in the standardization of rice brand names,” added Mr. Kunthy.
However, Mr. Vanhan said that standardizing rice or other products came under the purview of the Ministry of Industry and Handicraft.

Mr. Cham Prasidh, the minister of industry and handicraft, said the specifications for Romduol and Chansensor national umbrella brands were developed by his ministry and submitted to the NSC.
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/27410/more-rice-name-confusion/



Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-19 July,2016

 
Nagpur, July 19 Gram and tuar prices in open market here suffered heavily on lack of
demand from local traders amid increased supply from producing regions. Revival of monsoon inthe region, good overseas supply and fresh fall in Madhya Pradesh pulses also affected these
commodities, according to sources. 
 
               *            *              *              *
 
    FOODGRAINS & PULSES
    
   * Batri dal and watana varieties reported higher in open market on renewed buying 
     support from local traders amid weak supply from producing regions.
 
   * Rice HMT firmed up in open market here on good increased festival season demand from 
     local traders amid tight supply from producing belts like Madhya Pradesh and 
     Chhattisgarh.
                          
   * In Akola, Tuar New - 8,500-8,700, Tuar dal New - 12,800-13,100, Udid - 
     12,500-13,000, Udid Mogar (clean) - 16,200-17,100, Moong - 
     8,200-8,400, Moong Mogar (clean) 9,200-9,500, Gram - 7,700-8,000, 
     Gram Super best bold - 9,500-9,900 for 100 kg.
 
   * Wheat, other varieties of rice and other commodities moved in a narrow range in 
     scattered deals, settled at last levels. 
       
 Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
 
     FOODGRAINS                 Available prices     Previous close   
     Gram Auction                8,030-8,890         7,900-8,800
     Gram Pink Auction            n.a.           2,100-2,600
     Tuar Auction                n.a.                7,800-8,800
     Moong Auction                n.a.                6,400-6,600
     Udid Auction                n.a.           4,300-4,500
     Masoor Auction                n.a.              2,600-2,800
     Gram Super Best Bold            10,000-10,300        10,100-10,500
     Gram Super Best            n.a.            n.a.
     Gram Medium Best            9,500-9,800        9,600-9,900
     Gram Dal Medium            n.a.            n.a
     Gram Mill Quality            8,500-8,700        8,700-8,900
     Desi gram Raw                8,000-8,300         8,200-8,500
     Gram Yellow                 9,500-9,700        9,600-9,800
     Gram Kabuli                8,900-10,900        8,900-10,900
     Gram Pink                        9,300-9,600        9,500-9,800    
     Tuar Fataka Best-New             13,100-13,500        13,300-13,700
     Tuar Fataka Medium-New        12,500-12,800        12,700-13,000
     Tuar Dal Best Phod-New        12,200-12,500        12,200-12,700
     Tuar Dal Medium phod-New        11,300-11,800        11,500-12,000
     Tuar Gavarani New             8,700-8,900        8,900-9,100
     Tuar Karnataka             8,800-9,200        9,000-9,400
     Tuar Black                 12,400-13,100        12,600-13,300 
     Masoor dal best            7,500-7,700        7,500-7,700
     Masoor dal medium            6,600-7,100        6,600-7,2100
     Masoor                    n.a.            n.a.
     Moong Mogar bold (New)        8,500-9,000         8,500-9,000
     Moong Mogar Med            8,000-8,400        8,000-8,400
     Moong dal Chilka            6,800-7,200        6,800-7,200
     Moong Mill quality            n.a.            n.a.
     Moong Chamki best            8,100-8,500        8,100-8,500
     Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 16,000-17,000       16,000-17,000 
     Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)    13,500-15,000        13,500-15,000    
     Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)        9,000-9,200        9,000-9,200     
     Batri dal (100 INR/KG)        6,400-6,800        6,300-6,600
     Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)          5,500-5,800         5,500-5,800
     Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)            4,100-4,200        4,000-4,100
     Watana White (100 INR/KG)           3,800-4,000           3,700-3,800
     Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)    4,300-4,800        4,200-4,800   
     Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)        1,850-1,950        1,850-1,950
     Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG)    2,000-2,100        2,000-2,100   
     Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)         1,750-1,950        1,750-1,950
     Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)    2,250-2,400        2,250-2,400    
     Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)   2,000-2,150        2,000-2,150
     Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)    n.a.            n.a.
     MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG)    3,200-3,800        3,200-3,800    
     MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)    2,700-3,000        2,900-3,000           
     Rice BPT best New(100 INR/KG)    3,000-3,500        3,000-3,500    
     Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG)        2,600-2,900        2,600-2,900    
     Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG)         1,900-2,100        1,900-2,100
     Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG)      2,250-2,500        2,250-2,400   
     Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG)      1,900-2,100        1,900-2,100   
     Rice HMT best New (100 INR/KG)    3,700-4,000        3,600-3,850    
     Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG)        3,000-3,300        2,900-3,200    
     Rice Shriram best New(100 INR/KG)    4,700-5,000        4,700-5,000 
     Rice Shriram med New(100 INR/KG)    4,300-4,600        4,300-4,600   
     Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)    9,500-14,000        9,700-14,000     
     Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)    7,000-8,000        7,000-8,000    
     Rice Chinnor best New(100 INR/KG)    5,500-5,800        5,500-5,800    
     Rice Chinnor med. New (100 INR/KG)    5,200-5,400        5,200-5,400    
     Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)        1,900-2,100        1,900-2,100    
     Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)         1,700-1,850        1,700-1,850
 
WEATHER (NAGPUR)  
Maximum temp. 34.4 degree Celsius (93.9 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
23.6 degree Celsius (74.5 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.
Rainfall : 14.8 mm
FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky. Rains or thunders-showers very likely to occur. Maximum andminimum temperature would be around and 34 and 24 degree Celsius respectively.
 
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, butincluded in market prices.)
 
Attn : Soyabean and foodgrain auctions of Nagpur APMC remained closed today on the occasion ofGuru Purnima.
 
http://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrain-idINL4N1A52IX

Stuttgart research center receives visitors

TuesdayPost,ed Jul 19, 2016 at 1:57 PM

The visitors heard several speakers on topics such as gas emissions studies in rice, greenhouse gases, climate change, rice irrigation studies and genetic improvement of stress tolerance. The group also toured the Isbell Farm in Humnoke along with other farms owned by Scott Meins, Steven Hoskyn and Jonathan and Ryan Hillman.
By Dawn TeerStuttgart Daily Leader
During the summer there are, in fact, quite a few visitors to the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center (DBNRRC ) just east of Stuttgart. Just this past week members of the Paddy Rice Research Group (PRRG)-Global Research Alliance held their third annual meeting at the center. There were representatives from Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand, Brazil, Spain, as well as several from the United States. The coordinators of this event were Dr. David Gealy, with DBNRRC, Gonzalo Zorilla, of Uruguay, and Kazuyuki Yagi, of Japan.
The visitors heard several speakers on topics such as gas emissions studies in rice, greenhouse gases, climate change, rice irrigation studies and genetic improvement of stress tolerance. The group also toured the Isbell Farm in Humnoke along with other farms owned by Scott Meins, Steven Hoskyn and Jonathan and Ryan Hillman.

Recently students with an outreach project funded by the National Science Foundation and awarded to Dr. Venkatesan Sundaresan at the University of California at Davis, who partnered with Dr. Bihar Huang, of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), for the outreach project. The purpose of that visit was to learn about rice production systems and research issues.
Demitris Anderson said, “My major is regulatory science with a concentration in environmental biology. I'm a rising senior at UAPB and the DBNRRC was simply amazing. During my week's span of visiting there, I acquired so much knowledge about rice and all it involves. I truly loved how excited each representative was about sharing this knowledge with us.

Every session included some jaw-dropping factor and it was nonstop fun. Coming in, there were only a handful of things that were known but leaving was an entire different story. I'm now able to drive down a highway, see some crop production taking place, and know exactly what all it takes to complete such a task. Let alone the research itself is absolutely phenomenal. I loved every single moment, but one main thing that stuck with me immediately was the Federal Grain Inspection Service tour in Stuttgart. That tour was directly tied into my major of interest and every part of the tour was breathtaking.”

"I attend one of the only two all-female Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the nation. I am also an Adair scholar sponsored by the Dale Bumpers College of Agriculture and Life Sciences," Olivia Leaven, a senior biology major, global studies minor from Greensboro, North Carolina, said. "My ultimate goal is to create and manage a social enterprise that promotes the holistic livelihood of underrepresented and marginalized communities through sustainable and organic heirloom and specialty-crop agriculture.

This summer, as an Adair scholar, I have the opportunity to work with Dr. Yeshi Wamishe, plant pathologist at the extension. My research focuses on finding organic methods to suppress the common rice diseases that affect Arkansas farmers such as sheath blight and bacterial panicle blight. I am currently doing a study on the efficacy of compost on disease suppression. During the first week of the internship, I participated in the rice workshop hosted by the USDA and the RREC. My first thoughts were how expansive the rice industry truly is. My favorite part of the tours was being able to spend a week covering all aspects of the rice industry from farm to fork.

In the near future, I plan to pursue a dual masters degree in agricultural systems and food science and nutrition, leading to interdisciplinary PhD in agricultural sciences and community sustainability. My husband and I are seriously contemplating returning to Arkansas to settle and get my PhD after I complete my Masters degree(s). We want to continue the growth of our social enterprise (food hub) and eventually own and manage our own heirloom farm, in addition to opening a school for marginalized groups that focuses on local food, agricultural systems, sustainable resource management, and nutrition.”

Summer Buckley said, “I attend the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and am majoring in biology pre-medicine. I enjoyed it (the visit) so much.This was out of my realm of study, but it opened so many doors in the world of science. I learned so much about rice in such a short amount of time and I really do thank Dr. McClung for putting it all together. I had a lot of favorite parts of the tour but I enjoyed the hands on labs and talking with the doctors (scientists) about their specialities of study. Going to the field was fun too, even though I had a hole in my boots! Overall, it was a great experience and hopefully next summer I will be working with Dr, Yulin Jia because his area of study sparked my interest the most.

http://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/news/20160719/stuttgart-research-center-receives-visitors


MPCA issues latest revisions to proposed wild rice standards


By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press
July 19, 2016 — 6:10pm