Wednesday, March 22, 2017

22nd March,2017 daily global,regional and local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine

Central Louisiana Rice Growers Association (CenLa) Receives Industry Update 
 
BUNKIE, LA -- In the midst of rice planting, growers from four parishes in central Louisiana took time to come together Monday night to receive reports on efforts to address issues that impact their industry.   Michael Klein, USA Rice vice president of marketing, communications and domestic promotion, addressed the major changes happening in Washington and what they will mean for rice.  He noted that there are still many appointments to be made by the President and confirmed by the Senate, including Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue who many believe will be good for rice.  Klein mentioned agriculture's and especially rice's efforts to remind the Trump Administration of the importance of trade to ag and that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is actually a success story for rice, so any adjustments to the deal need to preserve what works for the U.S. industry. 

Klein also reported on the USA Rice Domestic Promotion team's current activities to raise awareness and increase usage of U.S.-grown rice with a focus on foodservice.  He further highlighted USA Rice's work to keep members informed about industry issues and the USA Rice Council's use of state promotion funds through the organization's daily e-newsletter, the USA Rice Daily, and the hard copy tabloid, the USA Rice Whole Grain, which is published three times a year.

Dr. Carrie Castille, USA Rice contractor, briefed CenLa members on the outlook for the upcoming Louisiana legislative session and possible issues that could impact agriculture.  She brought attendees up to speed on ongoing efforts of Governor John Bel Edwards and Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Dr. Mike Strain to secure additional disaster relief for the spring and summer floods that caused damage from Shreveport to Baton Rouge to Lake Charles.  Castille said, "We will be monitoring in-state legislative activities daily and working hard to make sure our decision makers understand your concerns and the overall importance of the rice industry to the state." 

Also addressing the group was DU Rice Stewardship Coordinator Kyle Soileau who reported on the recently approved USA Rice Mid-South Graduated Water Stewardship Program, a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) awarded through its USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited Rice Stewardship Partnership.  Soileau encouraged growers to apply for available cost-sharing conservation payments, noting that signup for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) portion would begin this fall and for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) portion in 2018.


One-Day Summit Brings Farm Bill into Focus 
 WASHINGTON DC -- The Farm Bill Summit, hosted by Agri-Pulse, at the National Press Club yesterday provided insight on the conversations developing around the next Farm Bill.  The summit consisted of several panel discussions on topics ranging from "Conservation: What Works, What Doesn't in Farm Policy" to "How The Farm Bill Can Help Bring the Next Generation Back to the Farm Through Investments in Infrastructure, Research, and Rural Development."

Conservation panelists expressed the need to make farmers more aware of the current economics of agriculture, technological advancements, run-off management, and conservation programs.  "Seventy percent of the land in the lower 48 states is owned by regular people," said Dave White, a former chief of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services and current partner in the 9b group, conservation consultants.  "The quality of the environment will be determined by the quality of the decisions made by the men and women who own that land and that is why we have to help them stay informed." 

Those on the panel for how the farm bill can help bring the next generation back to the farm focused on the need to create finance programs specifically designed to help beginning farmers, succession planning, and the crucial role the internet plays in attracting millennials back to rural America.  "We should view the issue of spreading internet to rural communities as our leaders viewed the spread of electricity after the Great Depression," said Travis Medine, a Louisiana sugarcane farmer.  "The internet is as necessary to current agriculture infrastructure as tractors and grain storage facilities.  Data collection and basic communication technologies play a fundamental role in the development of rural economies just as electricity did in the past."  

The event also featured speakers from both sides of the aisle on the House and Senate Agriculture Committees.  Representative Mike Conaway (R-TX), House Ag Committee Chairman; Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), Senate Ag Committee Chairman; Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member; and Representative Collin Peterson (D-MN), House Ag Committee Ranking Member all encouraged farmers and ranchers to voice their needs and concerns early in order to have the farm bill passed in a timely manner. 

"The legislative process and timeline for the next Farm Bill seem to be right on track," said USA Rice Vice President of Government Affairs Ben Mosely.  "USA Rice will stay engaged as the Ag Committees work toward the September 2018 deadline, ensuring rice priorities stay at the forefront as the new bill is crafted."

PH needs to import 250,000 tons of rice to avoid tight supply: NFA

ABS-CBN News
at Mar 21 2017 08:06 PM


Rice supplies may become tight if the National Food Authority's (NFA) request to import is not approved soon.NFA spokesperson Director Marietta Ablaza said the country has enough rice stocks right now, but supplies may get tight in the "lean months" if the country does not import 250,000 metric tons by April. 

Ablaza said in an interview over radio DZMM that the NFA Council needs to approve the agency's request for importation soon because it takes time to import the rice stocks and distribute them to NFA regional centers. She said the rice imports will ensure that the country's supply of the staple will remain stable from June to September, when rice harvests stop. 
The NFA is recommending a government-to-government transaction for the rice imports. 
Ablaza said international rice prices are relatively cheap right now at $330 per metric ton. 
In 2008, a global rice crisis saw prices spike from $300 per metric ton to around $1,200 per metric ton. In the Philippines, consumers had to endure long queues just to buy rice

http://news.abs-cbn.com/business/03/21/17/ph-needs-to-import-250000-tons-of-rice-to-avoid-tight-supply-nfa

Farmers advised against distress sale of paddy

THE HANS INDIA |    Mar 22,2017 , 12:22 AM IST
     

Kothagudem: Joint Collector M Ramkishan has assured paddy farmers of establishing purchase centres within their reach and advised them against making a distress sale of paddy to the middlemen. He was reviewing arrangements for lifting paddy with officials of Civil Supplies department, rice millers, market committee secretaries, lorry owners and farmers here on Tuesday.
He asked Civil Supplies officials to equip the paddy purchase centres with instruments that measure moisture content in paddy, scales and adequate number of tarpaulins.  The responsibility of testing paddy quality rested with the agriculture department officials, he said categorically.
He asked the rice millers to mill the paddy and supply fine rice to the social welfare hostels and government schools.  In fact, 45 paddy purchase centres were being established in the district, he said. In addition, maize purchase centres will be set up at Illandu, Mulkalapali and Dammapeta.

Civil Supplies officer Amruta Reddy, Central Bank Deputy General Manager Naveen, Rice Millers’ Association president Jugal Kishore, Lorry Owners’ Association leaders and others were part of the meeting
http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Hans/2017-03-22/Farmers-advised-against-distress-sale-of-paddy/288335

Selling Rice to Japan Minnesota tribes marketing wild rice to the world


By Maya Rao
Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
The Washington lobbyist for Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe flew this month to Japan with 10 pounds of wild rice, displaying them alongside offerings of salmon from Alaskan tribes and olive oil and wine from California Indians.He was on a mission to find importers at Foodex, the largest food show in Asia.
“It could be an economic boom for the reservation,” said Richard Robinson, division director of the tribe’s Division of Resource Management.
Leech Lake is moving to expand its wild rice harvest from a sporadic enterprise involving mostly tribal members to a full-fledged business with international reach. Leech Lake has hired a marketing specialist and is going to food shows to talk up the savory and nutritional qualities of the rice that grows on tribal waters. It’s backed by a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under a program that helps smaller food producers grow their business.
It might seem odd to try to make money by exporting rice to Japan. While Japan is one of the largest export markets for rice produced in the U.S., unfavorable trade policies and declining demand from an aging population pose challenges to domestic rice producers sending their goods there.
But Andy Burmeister, the lobbyist, said wild rice isn’t actually classified as rice in the market — rather, it’s an aquatic grain because it grows in bodies of water, and subject to fewer export restrictions.
“Our stuff is something different,” he said.
As the Ojibwe story goes, tribal people were told to migrate west until they came upon “the food that grows upon the water.” Wild rice, called manoomin, is sacred on Leech Lake. Every fall, residents go out on canoes to harvest the rice, selling much of it to the tribal government for up to two dollars a pound.
The tribe sells some of the bounty to nearby stores and distributors, and sometimes to other reservations. But most of the 145,000 pounds they’ve sold in the past 2? 1/2 years has been on or around Leech Lake.
The grant has paid for the tribe to hire a sales and marketing manager, Amarin Chanthorn. He said the tribe’s wild rice operation never had a professional business plan.
“I’ll be frank with you, it’s been very unorganized and it’s not sales-oriented, it’s not a continual push for established contracts or long-term agreements,” he said of the tribe’s work with outside suppliers.
In recent years, the tribe’s wild rice operation has been in the red. He wants the grants to help them “make a turnaround on this and find a way to continue our cultural importance and also make some business sense out of it.”
The Leech Lake band operates other businesses — it has three casinos, an office supply operation and two convenience stores. But increasingly, Leech Lake sees the most opportunity in marketing its wild rice to restaurants and stores. It recently shipped wild rice to the upscale food store Dean & DeLuca.
“Today, a lot of organic and health options are a big craze, and we feel like a lot of people don’t know the difference between store-bought rice on the shelves and a product that’s right from the lake,” said Chanthorn.
He said the wild rice is softer, cooks faster and has an earthy, nutty taste compared with conventional rice. Chanthorn hopes they export an additional 10,000 pounds of rice a year. The tribe is fronting its own money to buy the wild rice to sell, but the USDA has agreed to reimburse them up to an extra $300,000 — in addition to the grant — for those purchases.
In its grant application, the tribe suggested it would look to expand its domestic market, too, by attending food shows in Colorado, Wisconsin and Illinois.
Leech Lake received a boost last year when it sold some wild rice to the USDA for $270,000 under a program that distributes native-grown food to low-income American Indians who qualify for food assistance around the country.
Daniel Cornelius has worked with Leech Lake and other tribes in the Midwest to help them sell more of their food through federal programs and export markets.
“Economic development is one of the driving factors but … there’s a growing recognition and understanding that growing our own foods, providing healthy food, it’s a necessary strategy in addressing diet-related illnesses as well as helping to revitalize culture,” said Cornelius, who’s a technical assistance specialist for the Intertribal Agriculture Council.
While the nonprofit council has been working with tribes to sell their crops since 1994, Cornelius sees a rising interest in native food. He’s also working with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community to help them sell surplus onions and radishes to the USDA.
The council was the organization that brought together various American Indian tribes, including Leech Lake, at the Foodex show in Japan, where they vied for the attention of 70,000 attendees alongside vendors from Italy, Belgium, Portugal, and around the world.
Burmeister met various importers, including one for a Japanese airline.
Last year, the tribe sent 30 pounds of wild rice to a man in Japan who’s trying to sell it to importers and distributors. Burmeister also attended a food show in Paris to display the food and is thinking about markets in Europe — say, the U.K., or Nordic countries.
Without these programs there would be very little opportunity for a tribe like Leech Lake to participate in export markets, according to Burmeister. That’s because it’s expensive to go to food shows and the export markets can be highly specialized.
“It would be difficult for tribes and, I would say, for any small business,” he said

http://www.farmforum.net/2017/03/20/selling-rice-to-japan-minnesota-tribes-marketing-wild-rice-to-the-world/

Import substitution: The other side of the rice coin

By Nonso Obikili, Contributor   |   21 March 2017   |   3:48 am

The Nigerian government is a big fan of import substitution policies, a branch of protectionism. The logic is simple. The government argues that Nigerians import too much of said product, and that the country would be better off if we produced said product locally. The government then proceeds to ban or increase tariffs on said imported product with the hope of spurring domestic production. Sometimes the tariffs are combined with other supportive policies. If the products start getting produced locally then it is touted as a successful policy.
The policy framework has been implemented in Nigeria many times before for things such as fruit juice, cement, and cars. The latest flavour of the month is rice. The government has recently launched a war on imported rice. It has combined increased tariffs and bans on rice importation through land borders with other actual war-like tactics, like militias, also known as customs agents, running around shooting people illegally importing rice. It has also implemented a couple of other supportive policies such as, the Central Bank’s much promoted anchor borrowers programme which tries to provide cheaper financing for farmers. There has also been some supportive policies for the rest of the rice value chain with particular emphasis on rice millers. Some genuinely good stuff.
So is the policy working? Well in a country as big as Nigeria, almost anytime the government bans or raises tariffs on something, there will be an increase in domestic production. Especially if it’s something that is not technically difficult to produce. Like fruit juice or cement. It appears to be the same with rice. Although the official numbers are not yet out, it does appear that we will produce more rice this season than we have in a while. Is the increased rice production enough to say that the policy is working?

To answer that question we first need to look at the other side of the coin; the consumers of rice. One side effect of the import substitution strategy is that it raises relative prices for the targeted product. These increased prices help spur domestic production. The governments war on imported rice has resulted in relative increases in the price of rice, which is all good if you produce rice. But what this also means is that everyone who consumes rice has taken a loss due to the policy. And we have a lot of rice consumers in Nigeria. Just pulling a statistic out of thin air, I would argue that at least half of the 190m Nigerians eat rice at least once a week. Which means that the price increases have led to a serious loss of welfare for rice consumers.
For the policy to be deemed a success, it would have to be the case that the increase in welfare from the increase in rice production, and the revenue from tariffs, is more than the loss of welfare from Nigerians having to pay more for rice. If you have taken economics classes and are familiar with the concept of dead weight loss then you know that, all things being equal, the welfare loss is typically greater than the welfare increase from a tariff. Unless something else changes, tariffs typically results in overall welfare losses.
That something else is typically productivity. The productivity in the rice value chain would need to increase enough, to make up for the welfare loss from the tariffs on imported rice. Increased productivity should eventually result in prices lower than their imported competitors. Given that rice prices are still higher, then it means the productivity increases required, have not happened yet. So let us not call the policy a success.

If we are being honest, the policy, even if it could, isn’t really expected to be successful overnight. It takes time to move from a low level of productivity to a higher level. It takes time to increase yields, it takes time to develop high quality milling capacity, and it takes time to build a reputation. Will the productivity increases required happen this time around? I don’t know. But I do know that in almost every instance where protectionist policies have led to increased productivity, the focus has always been on exports. Unfortunately, exports are not our focus here but a misguided quest for self-sufficiency. So I am not optimistic.
On a final note, the government is always quick to point to South Korea and Taiwan as examples of cases where protectionism is associated with increased productivity. It would be nice if they also talk about the failures as well, such as much of Latin America, and our very own Nigeria. Perhaps we should be asking what else the South Koreans and Taiwanese did besides being protectionist.
•Nonso Obikili is an economist currently roaming somewhere between Nigeria and South Africa and tweets @nonso2. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s and do not reflect the views of his employers.

Jeremy Vincent — Curry favour with flavour

JEREMY VINCENT, The Weekly Times
MAKING a curry can require lots of preparation and time. I like to make an event of it and ensure I give plenty of attention to the elements, which will ultimately make the dish great. This includes making my own curry paste. If time is against you, you can always buy a prepared curry paste, but don’t skimp on any of the marinating timings, and remember, slow and steady is best for the cooking, to ensure the flavours are properly absorbed.
BEEF AND POTATO CURRY
Serves 8-10
CURRY PASTE
2 medium shallots, unpeeled
2 small heads garlic, unpeeled
5cm piece galangal, peeled and thinly sliced
5cm ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp coriander seeds
5-10 dried red chillies or to taste, stemmed and roughly chopped
2 tbsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp mild curry powder
2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander stems
2 tbsp shrimp paste
1½ tbsp salt
6 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and thinly sliced
THE CURRY
750g oyster blade beef, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
750ml coconut milk
250ml coconut cream
3 medium shallots, quartered
3 large kipfler potatoes, peeled and cut into 4cm pieces
2 tbsp grated palm sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
Make the paste: Heat a large heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat. Place shallots and garlic on a piece of foil and fold into a tight package; add to pan. Cook, flipping once, until soft, about 25 minutes. Let cool, then peel and roughly chop; set aside. Place the galangal and ginger in a single layer on a piece of foil and fold into a flat package; add to pan. Cook, flipping once, until soft, about 7 minutes; set aside. Heat coriander seeds in pan until seeds begin to pop, 1-2 minutes; let cool slightly. Place in a spice grinder and pulse until finely ground, and set aside.
Place chillies in a bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water; let sit until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserve 2 tablespoons of the liquid. Place the chillies in a small food processor with the shallots, garlic, galangal, ginger, coriander, turmeric, curry powder, coriander stems, shrimp paste, salt, and lemongrass; pulse until roughly chopped. Add the reserved liquid and puree the mix until smooth. Set 1 cup aside; refrigerate remaining paste for future use up to 2 weeks (or freeze).
Make the curry: Bring the beef and coconut milk to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is very tender, about 1 hour. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a bowl and reserve 1½ cups of the coconut milk; set the beef and coconut milk aside.
Heat coconut cream in a large saucepan or wok over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the oil is separated, about 30 minutes. Add the 1 cup curry paste; cook, stirring, until slightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add the reserved coconut milk to the saucepan along with 3 cups water; bring to a boil. Add the reserved beef, plus the shallots and potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are very tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in palm sugar and fish sauce. Serve with basmati rice on the side.
TIPS FOR MAKING A GREAT CURRY
USE basmati rice and always rinse rice before cooking to remove most of the starch dust. This stops rice being sticky.
IT’S worth investing in a small food processor or coffee grinder to use exclusively for spices. If you are patient, a mortar and pestle provide a good hands-on approach.
IF THE recipe calls for marinating meats, do so for as long as you can. It makes a big difference. At least 1 hour, or overnight if you can.
TASTE as you go. Hold off on some of the intense ingredients such as chilli. If a recipe calls for three, you might like to add one first and check on the heat your dish will generate. The same for water. Add water or stock judiciously. You can add more if the consistency of the curry is too dry.
ROOT vegetables are always a good addition — try sweet potato, pumpkin and carrots. Leave them out until meat is cooked then simmer another hour. Cauliflower is often a star ingredient for vegetable curry.
DON’T forget the extras. Pappadums are easy to prepare and raita — yoghurt with finely chopped tomato and cucumber — is also a handy side dish

Dish of The Week: Rice Pudding

MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2017 AT 8 A.M.
Taste the pudding that's made its way around the world.
Photo by rpavich

From classic comfort foods to regional standouts and desserts, we'll be sharing a new recipe with you each week. Find other dishes of the week here.This week, we’re sharing a dish that has made its way around the globe: rice pudding.
Rice pudding is made of rice — usually white rice that can be short or long grain — mixed with milk, cream or water and flavorings, often cinnamon and raisins. Other popular ingredients include egg yolk, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, honey, vanilla, almond, pistachio, dates, orange, lemon and other fruits. The dish can be sweetened and served as a dessert or served as a sweet or savory meal.
According to foodtimeline.org, its origins can be traced back to grain pottages of the ancient Middle East, and it has long been associated with good nutrition and digestion.
The dish is especially popular in Asia and Latin America, where rice is a staple. In Asia, forms of rice pudding (or rice porridge) span from put chai ko in Hong Kong to kiribath in Sri Lanka. In Latin America, arroz con leche is a mainstay, with variations including orange peel and raisins soaked in rum, sherry or tequila in Mexico; and coffee, butter, vanilla, cinnamon and cloves in Colombia. Cultures around the world have embraced the pudding. In Israel, it is often flavored with rosewater; in Sweden, it's a Christmastime staple; and in Jamaica, toasted coconut and crushed pineapple are likely to make an appearance.
This recipe, from Ina Garten, ups the ante on traditional rice pudding by adding a splash of dark rum.
Rum Raisin Rice Pudding
Ingredients yields 6 to 8 servings
3/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons dark rum
3/4 cup white basmati rice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 cups half-and-half, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 extra-large egg, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the raisins and rum. Set aside.
Combine the rice and salt with 1 1/2 cups water in a medium heavy-bottomed stainless steel saucepan. Bring it to a boil, stir once and simmer, covered, on the lowest heat for 8 to 9 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed. If your stove is very hot, pull the pan halfway off the burner.
Stir in 4 cups of half-and-half and sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, until the rice is very soft. Stir often, particularly toward the end. Slowly stir in the beaten egg and continue to cook for 1 minute. Off the heat, add the remaining cup of half-and-half, the vanilla and the raisins with any remaining rum. Stir well. Pour into a bowl, and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming.
Serve warm or chilled.
http://www.houstonpress.com/restaurants/how-to-make-rice-pudding-9282406

Exporters contract one million tons of rice this year  Agriculture  Economy

The Hanoitimes – Member enterprises of the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) have already clinched export contracts for at least one million tons of rice with delivery scheduled for this year.
Most of the volume will be delivered to customers this year based on the contracts that VFA’s member enterprises signed with importers last year. The volume is 200,000 tons higher than the same period last year. The demand for rice of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia is forecast to jump, but Vietnam will have to compete with Thailand, which wants to reduce its huge rice stockpiles.
China, a major importer of Vietnamese rice in recent years, is said to have inked a memorandum of understanding to purchase two million tons of rice from Thailand this year. Concerns have risen among domestic rice exporters for tougher competition from India and Pakistan as these two nations have cut prices of their low and medium-grade rice to compete with similar products of Vietnam.
According to VFA, Vietnam had exported 5.96 million tons of rice from January 1 to December 18 last year, falling 11% against the previous year. Up to 83% of the volume was shipped to Asian and African countries and the rest to America, Europe and Oceania.
Last year, Vietnam’s FOB rice export prices averaged US$439 per ton, inching up 2% per ton against 2013. The price of low-grade rice slightly increased while that of 5% broken rice decreased 4-5% from the year’s beginning to US$393 per ton at the end of last year.
To order to boost rice shipments this year, the Ministry of Industry and Trade suggested rice exporters diversify markets, and seek to make full use of the opportunities from bilateral and multilateral trade agreements, and follow updates on importing markets. The ministry also urged VFA and relevant agencies to enhance the quality of Vietnamese rice and help local rice exporters cope with challenges.

https://www.vietnambreakingnews.com/2017/03/exporters-contract-one-million-tons-of-rice-this-year-agriculture-economy/

 

Rice export behind target, to focus on quality

By Htin Lynn Aung   |   Tuesday, 21 March 2017
The rise of the US dollar value in currency exchange markets is leading to an increase in rice export volumes when compared to the previous financial year, said U Ye Min Aung, managing director of Myanmar Agribusiness Public Corporation (MAPCO) and the general secretary of the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF).

Farmers prepare paddy field for rice harvest. Kaung Htet / The Myanmar Times
According to figures up until March 3, Myanmar’s rice export has risen by about 25,000 tonnes compared to the export volume in the fiscal year 2015-16, he said. This year’s rice export is likely to go up to nearly 1.5 million tonnes, he also said at a course-completion ceremony on rice export sector held on March 13.
Unfortunately, MRF’s initial expectation to export about 2 million tonnes of rice for this fiscal year seems unlikely to be met.
“We can export about 1.5 million tonnes this year. This situation shows that the supply of rice is sufficient for domestic consumption … and demands from Sri Lanka and China are also increasing. But the most important part is that the exchange rate helps exporters produce healthy profits and pushes them to export more,” said U Ye Min Aung.
In this financial year, the exchange rate for the US dollar rose to K1400 and K1365 on March 13. This fact encourages rice exporters to export more rice, he said.
In the last fiscal year, Myanmar exported 1.473 million tonnes of rice but this year’s export has reached about 1.498 million tonnes, roughly totalling US$700 million.
China is beginning to thoroughly examine rice being exported across the border this fiscal year –exporting rice across the border area is on the decline. In the past, annual rice exported through the border area was more than 900,000 tonnes. This fiscal year, the cross-border export was only 600,000 tonnes and 100,000 tonnes through shipping containers, said U Toe Aung Myint, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Commerce.
According to cross-border export data, in the past two fiscal years there were roughly 12.2 million tonnes of rice exported for 2015-16. 240,000 tonnes of that amount were done through shipping containers in the fiscal year 2015-16. For 2014-15, there were more than 18 million tonnes of rice, 5 million tonnes of which were also exported through shipping containers in that year.
“After improving the private sector, rice export is mainly for cross-border export. In this year, exporting through shipping containers is increasing by connecting individual entrepreneurs,” he said.
In the fiscal year 2016-17, shipping exports was nearly 600,000 tonnes and cross-border trade fell to about 900,000 tonnes.
The MRF is expecting to reach US$1 billion from the rice sector in 2020. The sector can grow and increase the revenue by exporting high quality rice, said U Ye Min Aung.
“For our objective and vision in 2020, by then between US$35 million and US$40 million should be achieved by exporting quality rice ... We will improve our revenue by focusing on quality and exporting qualified rice instead of boosting the quantity of exports,” he added.
Myanmar legally exports to China through shipping on the basis of a quota system since the fiscal year 2014-15. Now, the amount of export is nearly 200,000 tonnes, according to the legal contract, and the signing of new contracts this month will amount to an export of 100,000 tonnes, he said.
However, exports according to the contract can only take place in the upcoming fiscal year.
Myanmar has no well-established export market for rice apart from China, but that country’s crackdown on illegal importshas left Myanmar with a growing surplus of unsold paddy.
A potential export agreement with the Philippines in 2015 fell through, mainly because Myanmar rice proved too expensive and so the Philippines decided to make a deal with Vietnam instead. Attempts to renew a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia are still under way and have not yet finalised.
U Khin Maung Lwin, deputy secretary at the commerce ministry, told the Myanmar Times back in November 2016 that the government was pursuing exports to the EU and Indonesia, and trying again to form an agreement with the Philippines. He was hopeful that it would not take long for the Indonesia agreement to finalise.
In November, the Myanmar Times reported that MAPCO signed an agreement worth around US$3 million with South Korean firm SK networks to import 100 grain dryers for rice and corn. The dryers would go to the agribusiness service centres MAPCO was in the process of setting up in Yangon, Mandalay and Ayeyarwady regions
http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/business/25404-rice-export-behind-target-to-focus-on-quality.html

Rice self-sufficiency

March 22, 2013 at 12:01 am by MST News

The Aquino administration is bent on foisting the propaganda that the Philippines will attain rice self-sufficiency this year, after years of importing the staple from nearby Asian countries. Yet, the government officially announced the Philippines will import 187,000 metric tons this year as buffer stock for the lean months. The Aquino administration apparently has redefined the meaning of self-sufficiency to suit its own political agenda amid the campaign season. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala did just that and appealed to the media not to equate rice sufficiency with zero imports. The government is on-track in its goal of self-sufficiency in rice by 2013, Alacala insisted. This year, all our efforts are geared towards increasing our 2012 palay production of about 18 million metric tons by 2 million more, to achieve our goal in the food staples sufficiency program. Imports, Alcala says, serve as buffer stock, in case the country is not able to produce rice in the lean season, or in between the dry and the wet seasons, and in extreme weather conditions In between the dry and wet seasons, we have a gap in production and it is during these times when we need the buffer stock, since this is also the time when typhoons periodically visit the country, he explains. Alcala may go to a great extent in convincing critics that the Philippines is close to nearing self-sufficiency in rice production. However, as long as the Philippines fails to fill in the buffer or reserves needed to meet the demand during the lean season with local production, the nation will remain an importer and cannot consider itself self-sufficient in rice. The government, in the meantime, should find ways to greatly reduce, if not eliminate, spoilage by building modern warehouses at the doorstep of farmers. It should build more irrigation systems to increase farmers production and bolster the palay support prices to protect farmers from greedy traders. The Aquino administration must also take its agricultural goal to another levelmake the Philippines a major rice exporter. Thailand and Vietnam have achieved the feat. Doing so on the part of the Philippines will erase doubts on its claim of self-sufficiency.
http://manilastandard.net/opinion/editorial/88755/rice-self-sufficiency.html

Rice Bran Oil Market Trends by Key Players, Manufacturing Process, Machinery, Raw Materials, Cost and Revenue in USA 2021

The Rice Bran Oil market provides detailed market segment level data on the USA market. The Rice Bran Oil market report addresses forecast and growth patterns by company, regions and type or application from 2017 to 2021.
In this introductory section, the Rice Bran Oil market research report incorporates analysis of definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. Besides this, the report also consists of development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.
Browse Detailed TOC, Tables, Figures, Charts and Companies Mentioned in Rice Bran Oil Market Research Report@http://www.360marketupdates.com/10536638
The report starts with a basic Rice Bran Oil market overview. It also acts as a vital tool to industries active across the value chain and for new entrants by enabling them to take advantage of the opportunities and develop business strategies.
Rice Bran Oil Market Key Players Analysis:
           Ricela
           Kamal
           BCL
           SVROil
           Vaighai
           P. Refinery
           3F Industries
           Sethia Oils
           Jain Group of Industries
           Shivangi Oils
           Balgopal Food Products
           King Rice Oil Group
           CEO Agrifood Limited
           Kasisuri
Continued……
Rice Bran Oil market report helps the companies to better understand the market trends and to grasp opportunities and articulate critical business strategies. Also includes company profiles of market key players contact information, gross capacity, product details of each firm, price, and cost are covered.
Get Sample PDF of Rice Bran Oil Market Research Report@ http://www.360marketupdates.com/enquiry/request-sample/10536638
The Rice Bran Oil market research report shed light on Foremost Regions: The West, Southwest, The Middle Atlantic, New England, The South and The Midwest.
This section of the market research report includes analysis of major raw materials suppliers, manufacturing equipment suppliers, major players of the Rice Bran Oil industry, key consumers, and supply chain relationship. The contact information is also provided along with this analysis.
Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis:
           Manufacturing Cost Analysis
           Raw Materials Analysis
           Price Trend of Key Raw Materials
           Key Suppliers of Raw Materials
           Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials
           Labour Cost
Along with this, analysis of depreciation cost, manufacturing cost structure, manufacturing process is also carried out. Price, cost, and gross analysis of the Rice Bran Oil market is also included in this section.
Trade and Distribution Analysis:
           Marketing Channel
           Marketing Channel Development Trend
           Market Positioning
           Pricing Strategy
           Brand Strategy
           Distributors/Traders List
This section of the Rice Bran Oil market report consists of marketing channel status and end buyer price analysis. It also provides contact information of the traders and distributors.
Market Effect Factors Analysis:
           Technology Progress/Risk
           Substitutes Threat
           Technology Progress in Related Industry
           Consumer Needs/Customer Preference Change
           Economic/Political Environmental Change
No. of Pages: 117
Price of Report: $3800 (Single User Licence)
Purchase Rice Bran Oil Market Report@http://www.360marketupdates.com/purchase/10536638
This particular section of the Rice Bran Oil market report includes analysis of gross margin, cost and price.
The Rice Bran Oil industry research report is a valuable source of guidance and direction. It is helpful for established businesses, new entrants in the market as well as individuals interested in the market. The Rice Bran Oil market report provides important statistics on the existing state of the said market
http://www.satprnews.com/2017/03/21/rice-bran-oil-market-trends-by-key-players-manufacturing-process-machinery-raw-materials-cost-and-revenue-in-usa-2021/

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

21st March,2017 daily global,regional and local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine

How healthy are YOU? Experts share the ultimate clean eating grocery list - so how many have you got in your cupboard?

 

 Clean eating is the buzz phrase of the last few years, the trend that encourages you to replaced processed foods with nutrient-packed meals.Kale and trendy alternative sugars such as agave nectar and maple syrup have come to symbolise this craze.But what other foods would you need to buy in order to change your lifestyle and become a clean eating fanatic?

A healthy lifestyle website has put together the ultimate grocery list of everything you could ever need to stock your cupboards full of goodness. But be warned: buying everything on the list will set you back a whopping £230. 
+4
FEMAIL worked out how much it would cost to buy everything on this ultimate clean eating grocery list, adding up the sums for every food 'category'. The total came to more than £230
The list was put together by healthy lifestyle website 'Healthy. Happy. Smart.'
It breaks down foods by category, such as beans and pulses, dairy, and protein. By far the biggest category on the list is fruits and vegetables.
The grocery list is only a guide to the kinds of foods a clean eating fanatic should be stocking their cupboards with.
But when FEMAIL did the sums, we worked out that it would cost a grand total of £230.51 if you bought all the ingredients on the list.
To buy all the fruits and veg you'd need for clean eating recipes, it would cost you £61.31, while buying healthy fats such as coconut oil and every type of nut will set you back £61.81. 
The high cost of the list is down to the large number of obscure, and expensive, items on the list, many of which can only be sourced from specialist food shops, such as safflower oil, tempeh and adzuki beans.
The website advises to buy organic wherever possible.  
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Kale is one of the trendiest superfoods around so naturally it's included in the ultimate clean eating grocery list. It's packed full of fibre as well as potassium and vitamin C

Rice sector upgradation on the cards


The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises  (UNISAME) urged Chaudhry Alamgir the chief executive officer  (CEO) of the Technical Upgradation and Skill Development Company  (TUSDEC) to consider technical upgradation of the rice sector which is in doldrums.
UNISAME president Zulfikar Thaver said the rice units in Sindh and Punjab as well are far behind in milling and processing and need to be upgraded.
He said the system of paddy drying, milling and parboiling need upgradation on urgent basis.
Thaver also pointed out that the steaming process also needs to be adopted to enable us to compete with our competitors. 
Needless to state that even our packing as compared to our competitors is lacking the attractiveness.
The cost of production is high resulting in uncompetitiveness. We need to study why our yield is less.Our seeds have become old and we need new varieties with higher yields.
The rice research institutes need to roll up their sleeves and come up with superior seeds for better grains with high yield, good look,  more aroma especially in basmati rice and more length and look in non basmati rice.
One rice exporter suggested that to increase profit the farmers of Sindh should grow superior varieties instead of coarse rice. 
The CEO TUSDEC requested the Union chief to gather rice millers and stakeholders for a  meeting to study of their requirements for upgradation next week in Karachi. 
The rice exports have fallen and Pakistan cannot afford to lose the markets gained by exporters because of technological gap.
TUSDEC can play an important role and UNISAME is confident Pakistan can regain lost markets with the help of TUSDEC

Research focused on the rice milk market to grow at 15.47% CAGR to 2021

Published: 20 March 2017
Submitted by RNR Market Research. WhaTech Agency
The global rice milk market report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global rice milk market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated through the sales of rice milk in key geographical regions such as the Americas, APAC, Europe, and ROW. Global Rice Milk Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years.
The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.
Get more information at www.reportsnreports.com/contacts/inquirybeforebuy.aspx?name=917367
Commenting on the rice milk market report, an analyst said: "The latest trend gaining momentum in the market is consumer focus shifting toward organic variants of rice milk.
- Agency -.
Organic products are mostly priced higher in comparison to the conventional products.
The premium price is due to the comparatively high production and distribution costs as well as consumers' willingness to pay extra for organic products. The extra "premium" cost associated with organic production is passed throughout the supply chain and at last paid by the end-consumer"
Access this Report @ www.reportsnreports.com/purchase.aspx?name=917367
The following companies are the key players in the global rice milk market: DREAM, Pacific Foods, Vitasoy, and WhiteWave Foods.

Other Prominent Vendors in the market are: Costco Wholesale Corporation, Ecoideas, FINE JAPAN, Freedom Foods, Pureharvest, SunOpta, The Bridge, and Whole Foods Market.
Inquire for more details at www.reportsnreports.com/contacts/discount.aspx?name=917367
According to the rice milk market report, one of the major drivers for this market is rising levels of lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is the inability of the body to digest significant amounts of lactose present in milk.
Certain ethnic groups such as the Asian population are more affected compared to others. The demand for lactose-free food products is driven by an increase in incidences of food allergies and intolerances.
The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to a SWOT analysis of the key vendors.

The price of growing rice

Sahina Shrestha
Can Nepal regain self-sufficiency in paddy production? Experts say yes.Eighty per cent of Nepalis live off the farm. Agri-culture accounts for one-third of Nepal’s GDP, but the country has turned from a net exporter to importer of rice.
Investment in irrigation, high-yield seeds, mechanisation, and pricing incentives can easily boost rice production and create jobs on the farm for Nepalis. All it needs is for agriculture to have more government priority than it currently receives.
The food balance sheet for 2015-16 shows a deficit of 1,106,892 tons in rice as production plummeted to 4.3 million tons. Things are looking better this year as harvests are up by 21 per cent to 5.23 million tons because of a good monsoon. The Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project, if properly implemented, could decrease dependency on food imports, especially rice from India.
Since most farms are rain-fed, the single most important contribution to boosting productivity would be irrigation. Only 1.3 hectares of farms in Nepal get year-round irrigation – 18 per cent of the total arable land. Monsoon rice is planted in 1,450,000 hectares, while only 112,000 hectares grow spring rice because of the lack of irrigation.
Says Mukunda Bhusal, Crop Production Officer at Department of Agriculture: “Rice imports will go down if we can increase the production of spring rice, but that needs irrigation.”
However, Nepalis are moving away from the land or migrating overseas for work as soon as they leave school. Booming real estate prices and urban expansion have reduced total cultivated area. And cheap rice from India does not make it worthwhile for Nepali farmers to grow paddy.
“The other way is to change the food habits of Nepalis and replace rice with other grains,” says Bhusal. But that may be easier said than done in a country where “Have you eaten rice today?” is a form of greeting, and people in the mountains are turning to rice from traditional millet and buckwheat.
The trend is most visible in Morang, once Nepal’s grain basket. Out-migration of young men and the economics of agriculture has meant that it does not make sense to invest labour in paddy farming.
“In Morang alone, 10,000 hectares of land has gone fallow in the past decade,” says Rajendra Uprety of the Regional Directorate of Agriculture in Biratnagar, “land that was previously farmed is now used for non-agricultural purposes.”
Along the border, Indian businessmen often come to Nepal to buy harvested paddy in bulk, dehusk it in their mills and sell the rice back to Nepal. Farmers are also forced to sell paddy at a lower rate to rice mills when there is a surplus in India and the excess rice dumped in Nepal.
Government apathy, lack of support and subsidies mean that there is little cushion for farmers if the crops don’t do well, or don’t sell. There is no minimum price for food grain, although the Department of Agriculture has asked the Nepal Food Corporation to buy paddy, spring paddy and wheat at a minimum cost if sales are down.
Economist Rajendra Pradhan of the Department of Agriculture says there is little Nepal can do to stop cheap imports from across the open border. But boosting productivity would enhance food security so that with the spreading road network domestic supply can meet demand in remote areas.
Pradhan explains, “For national food security, production is not enough. People should have access to food and there should be opportunities of employment in agriculture as well.
http://nepalitimes.com/article/nation/can-nepal-be-self-sufficient-in-rice,3598

Vietnam. Ministry denies rice licence costs $20,000

20.03.2017
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has denied reports that a rice company had to pay US$20,000 for a rice export licence.Ministry denies rice licence costs $20,000, vietnam economy, business news, vn news, vietnamnet bridge, english news, Vietnam news, news Vietnam, vietnamnet news, vn news, Vietnam net news, Vietnam latest news, Vietnam reaking news

Late in February, local media reported that Ngo Van Nam, general director of ADC Company Ltd, said at a conference on proposed amendments to a decree on rice exports that it “costs no less than $20,000” to obtain a licence.The ministry decided to set up a team to verify the accuracy of this information, and directed relevant authorities to report to the ministry.

After working with the HCM City-based company and Ngo Van Nam, the ministry said it had not received any request for a rice export licence from ADC Company Ltd.Ngo Van Nam confirmed that he and his company did not apply for a rice export licence.He also claimed the media did not accurately report his comments and said he would work with press agencies to explain and clarify the misrepresentation.


A November 4, 2010, Government’s Decree 109/2010/ND-CP on rice exports was aimed at re-organizing the export business by setting up minimum requirements for long-term investment in rice production and export. The decree required rice exporters to have at least one warehouse with a capacity to store 5,000 tonnes of paddy, and a mill with a minimum capacity of 10 tonnes of paddy per hour.


However, besides the positive effects, implementation of the regulation has revealed some inadequacies. The ministry has proposed to the Prime Minister to amend and supplement the decree.Within its authority, in January this year, the ministry issued a decision to abolish the regulations on conditions for rice export and business, including a limit of 150 on the number of exporters allowed, regulations on construction investment, warehouses and milling stations
http://www.blackseagrain.net/novosti/vietnam-ministry-denies-rice-licence-costs-20-000

Rice basmati rises on stockist buying

Press Trust of India  |  New Delhi March 18, 2017 Last Updated at 14:13 IST
Rice basmati, wheat move up on fresh buyingRice basmati rises on pick up in demandRice basmati rises on uptick in demandRice basmati strengthens on surging demandRice basmati softens on muted demand
•          
Rice basmati prices firmed up by Rs 100 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today on increased buying by stockists following pick-up in demand from retailers.

However, other grains held steady in thin trade.


Traders said, increased buying by stockists due to uptick in demand from retailers against restricted supplies from producing regions, mainly led to the rise in rice basmati prices.

In the national capital, rice basmati common and Pusa-1121 variety rose by Rs 100 each to Rs 7,700-7,800 and Rs 6,250-7,700 per quintal, respectively.

Following are today's quotations (in Rs per quintal):

Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,350-2,650, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,850-1,860, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,920-1,950, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 260, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 260, Roller flour mill Rs 1,030-1,040 (50 kg), Maida Rs 1,130-1,140 (50 kg) and Sooji Rs 1,250-1,260 (50 kg).

Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs 10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati Rice Rs 9,700, Basmati common new Rs 7,700-7,800, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 6,250-7,700, Permal raw Rs 2,275-2,300, Permal wand Rs 2,400-2,450, Sela Rs 3,100-3,200 and Rice IR-8 Rs 2,025-2,050, Bajra Rs 1,400-1,410, Jowar yellow Rs 1650-1700, white Rs 3,350-3,550, Maize Rs 1,540-1,550, Barley Rs 1,550-1,570.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/rice-basmati-rises-on-stockist-buying-117031800298_1.html

Rice farmers record bumper harvest but worried over lack of ready market

Rice farmers in the Volta Region who complained of losses in the past are now heaving a sigh of relief as their situation has been turned around with recent bumper harvest.

The farmers are attributing the success story to financial, technical and continuous capacity building courses from some agricultural oriented nongovernmental organisations in the region.

Despite the bumper harvest, the farmers are now faced with lack of ready market for their produce, and have thus appealed to government to enter into contract farming with them to ensure further increase in production in the region.

Rice farmers, particularly the peasant farmers in the region, previously lacked the needed technical knowledge in the production of paddy rice, something that never helped to prevent post harvest losses.

They hitherto invested heavily on the rice farms but did not yield them enough produce to make up for the investment, which caused many farmers into bankruptcy The situation resulted in a drastic reduction in rice growing in the region.

But agricultural oriented NGOs like a Sogakope-based agribusiness development and training Organization, FYSSO GH went into the aid of these farmers by offering them periodic rice production skills, especially on the use of suitable seedlings.

The farmers have over a period been equipped with how to develop and maintain rice fields to ensure good harvest. Under the IFDC 2 Scale project, smallholder rice farmers are able to come up with Savings and Loans Association to help themselves financially.

So far 2,500 farmers have benefitted from such training which has resulted in the recent bumper harvest but they say there is no no ready market for their produce, causing them to sell only at local markets in the region.

One of such review training workshops was organized for rice farmers, millers and processors as well as harvesting machine service providers across the region to equip them with the requisite skills in rice production Meanwhile, some of the rice farmers have commended the NGOs whose continuous technical and financial support led to the production of quality paddy rice in the region but called on the government to create a market for them.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Rice-farmers-record-bumper-harvest-but-worried-over-lack-of-ready-market-520033
Rice farmers record bumper harvest
http://www.fao.org/economic/est/publications/rice-publications/the-fao-rice-price-update/en/

Pick of rice market venue soon
Plan for central distribution channel
20 Mar 2017 at 06:30 3,244 viewed1 comments
 | WRITER: PHUSADEE ARUNMAS
 A variety of milled rice is available at Or Tor Kor market in Bangkok. The government plans to set up a central market for milled rice as a distribution channel for rice traders and farmers.The government is expected to decide on the venue for a central market for milled rice as a distribution channel for traders and farmers by mid-year, at a cost of 300-400 million baht.
Suthatsanee Rajruangrabin, deputy director-general of the Internal Trade Department, said officials are still looking for a proper area in Bangkok's outskirts to establish the market.
"The department proposes the central market for milled rice be located at Talad Thai, Thailand's largest market for food products, or the planned AEC Trade Center close to Thammasat University Rangsit Campus," she said. "There has also been a private proposal to locate it at the rice processing plant of Patum Rice Mill and Granary Plc."
Ms Suthatsanee said proper locations need at least 3,000-6,000 square metres and should have complete facilities such as an office building.
The AEC Trade Center belongs to TCC Land Asset World Co, a property arm of billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi.
She said the Commerce Ministry is in the process of asking for 300-400 million baht for the market to be financed by the additional mid-year budget of 190 billion baht for fiscal 2017, approved by the cabinet in December.
Some 40 groups of rice farmers and 20 rice operators have agreed to participate in the planned central market for milled rice.
Although Thailand is a leading producer and exporter of rice, averaging 20 million tonnes of milled rice a year, it has no central market for trading milled rice thus far. Such a marketplace would enable importers, wholesalers and retailers to shop for different grains.
Late last year the government pitched the idea of setting up a central market as another distribution channel for traders and farmers after Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn visited China last year and observed the Sanyanqiao Grain and Oil Wholesale Market, a large central market for cereals in Guangdong province operated by the Guangtie Sanyanqiao Grain Goods Yard.
The Guangdong market spans 100,000 sq m, handling trading services for 2.5 million tonnes of cereals a year.
Mrs Apiradi said earlier a new central market for milled rice will enable exporters, millers and farmers to meet potential buyers direct and compare prices. It will also require rice quality inspections, helping ensure transparency in trading. Farmers can also sell their grains direct to potential buyers.
Thailand has a central market for rice paddy.
She said the presence of a central market for milled rice would further strengthen the local economy.
The cabinet in December approved an additional mid-year budget of 190 billion baht for fiscal 2017, where more than half of the fund was earmarked to finance investment in provincial clusters.
Some 115 billion baht will be allocated for local development of provincial clusters. The government has sought to increase budgets for provincial clusters, hoping it will spur private sector investment.
The additional mid-year budget is expected to start being disbursed by April or May.
Ms Suthatsanee said the ministry set a target of monthly rice trading at the central market of at least 50 million baht, or 6,250-7,500 tonnes a month. The market could help boost exports by 1% or about 95,000 tonnes, worth 1.49 billion baht, she said.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/1217769/pick-of-rice-market-venue-soon