World Rice Production 2016/2017
April 2017
This month the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that the World Rice Production 2016/2017 will be 481.14 million metric tons, around 0.8 million tons more
than the previous month's projection.Rice Production last year (*) was 472.25 million tons. This year's 481.14 estimated million tons could represent an increase of 8.89 million tons or a 1.88% in rice production around the globe.
Rice
Production by Country
(Values in Metric Tons)China: 144,850,000
India: 106,500,000
Others: 41,293,000
Indonesia: 37,150,000
Bangladesh: 34,581,000
Vietnam: 27,861,000
Thailand: 18,600,000
Burma: 12,400,000
Philippines: 11,500,000
Brazil: 8,160,000
Japan: 7,780,000
United States: 7,117,000
Pakistan: 6,800,000
Cambodia: 4,700,000
Egypt: 4,554,000
Korea, South: 4,197,000
Nepal: 3,100,000
https://www.worldriceproduction.com/
California Farmers Get Full
Water Supply, 1st Time In Years
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Credit: Associated Press
Above: Irrigation water runs along the dried-up ditch between the
rice farms to provide water for the rice fields in Richvale, Calif., May 1,
2014.
Farmers in a vast region of California will
receive their fully contracted amount of irrigation water this year for the
first time in more than a decade.
The U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation announced the allocation on Tuesday following
one of California's wettest winters in years. It comes days after Gov.
Jerry Brown lifted the years-long drought emergency for most of the
state.
The federally run system of reservoirs and
canals provides water to irrigate roughly one-third of California's farmland.
California leads the nation in agriculture,
producing nearly half the nation's fruits, nuts and vegetables.
Pablo Arroyave, of the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation, said everybody should be careful not to waste water. He said the
next drought could be around the corner
The Lower Colorado River Authority announced in
January they have received an $8 million federal partnership award to help
construct a new reservoir in Colorado County that will improve agricultural
water use efficiency, a positive prospect for Texas rice farmers.
New reservoir could help
Texas Rice Belt
Rice growers in Southeast Texas are
acknowledging they are happy to hear about plans to construct a new reservoir
in Colorado County that may offer some irrigation relief during critically dry
times in the future.
Until last year, this decade had been tough on Texas rice farmers
in Colorado, Wharton and Matagorda counties. For four-plus years growers in the
Texas Rice Belt were limited from pumping Colorado River water for irrigation
as the result of an emergency drought order issued by the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
As water use from the Highland Lakes region increased dramatically
across communities of Central Texas, especially in the City of Austin, the
curtailment of interruptible stored water from lakes Buchanan and Travis were
required in successive years to provide basic water needs in that area. The
result of that action created a hardship for rice growers in the lower basin
who have long depended on water releases from the reservoirs to grow their
crops.
But last year, the rains finally returned to drought-stricken areas
of Texas as great amounts of spring rain fell across expansive areas of the
state, bringing desperate relief, including to rice growers and other
agricultural producers, communities and industries in the lower Colorado basin.
As the rains continued to fall into the autumn and winter months, water levels
in the Highland Lakes continued rising until finally an exceptionally wet year
ended what was being called the worst drought in history.
DROUGHT FEARS
But as every farmer knows, the weather is always subject to change,
and ever since the drought years of 2010-2015, many producers remain nervous in
spite of full reservoirs and good soil moisture. With climate conditions
trending warmer and drier in recent months, many fear the return of water
curtailment. While many rice producers turned to other, more drought resistant
crops during dry times, not all have returned to growing rice. While there is
some cautious optimism for the future of rice growing in Texas, trepidation and
doubt persist.
But rice growers in Southeast Texas are acknowledging they are
happy to hear about plans to construct a new reservoir in Colorado County that
may offer some irrigation relief during critically dry times in the future.
To help matters, the Lower Colorado River Authority, charged with
managing the waters of the lower river, announced in January they have received
an $8 million federal partnership award to help construct a new reservoir in
Colorado County that will improve agricultural water use efficiency and benefit
customers throughout the lower Colorado River basin. The project represents the
second LCRA reservoir project in the lower basin designed to bring relief to
farmers and communities who have suffered during the drought years.
“This grant will help us build a second reservoir in the lower
basin and further enhance water supplies for our customers,” said LCRA General
Manager Phil Wilson in a release last week. “We are grateful for the diverse
group of partners working with us on this project, and we are especially
grateful for the continued support of Congressman Michael McCaul.”
FEDERAL FUNDING
The $8 million award is part of $15.8 million in partnership awards
to Texas projects announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
National Resources Conservation Service. The federal funds are awarded through
the USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program. The planned Prairie
Conservation Reservoir in Eagle Lake will include a 2,000 acre-foot,
off-channel reservoir and a possible new pump station on land LCRA owns within
Colorado County.
The reservoir will be designed to provide water to agricultural
customers in the Lakeside Irrigation Division and will be filled from river
flows during the off-irrigation season to provide initial water to Lakeside
canals at the start of each season. During the irrigation season, the reservoir
would serve Lakeside water customers, who use water from the lower Colorado
River and Highland Lakes.
LCRA officials say the reservoir has the potential to save up to
20,000 acre-feet of irrigation water ordered from the Highland Lakes in a
typical year through increased efficiency.
Wildlife groups are hoping the reservoir will enhance habitat for
waterfowl and water birds in the lower coast region, which suffered severe
cutbacks as a result of four years of emergency drought orders that prohibited
water releases from the Highland Lakes.
While the new reservoir is limited in its supply and scope, it does
represent an effort to help provide water to lower basin users during dry or
drought times. While rice growers say the new reservoir falls far short of
solving all the water needs in the lower basin, any and all projects designed
to address water issues are “welcomed and appreciated.”
LCRA and partners are pledging more than $1.35 million of in-kind
technical assistance and outreach for the new Colorado County reservoir.
Partners in the project include Ducks Unlimited, USA Rice, Texas
Rice Producers Legislative Group, Colorado Water Issues Committee, Audubon
Texas, National Watershed Coalition, Bay City Chamber of Commerce and
Agriculture, Eagle Lake Chamber of Commerce, Texas State Soil and Water
Conservation Board, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Colorado County, City
of Eagle Lake, Colorado County Soil and Water Conservation District, Wharton
County Soil and Water Conservation District, Coastal Bend Groundwater
Conservation District, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Water
Resources Institute, Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center at Beaumont, Texas
A&M AgriLife Wintermann Rice Research Station at Eagle Lake, and Texas
A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resource.
http://www.southwestfarmpress.com/rice/new-reservoir-could-help-texas-rice-belt
Rice prices to rise if
imports stopped: ex-economic managers
ABS-CBN News
The Foundation for Economic Freedom also urged President Rodrigo Duterte to liberalize the rice trade by removing the “monopoly” of the National Food Authority on imports.
The group pushed for tariffs on rice imports so that revenues could be used to help farmers shift to higher-value crops.
“Stopping all rice importation as Agriculture Secretary (Emmanuel) Pinol wants is a dangerous policy that could lead to significant shortages and increased rice prices,” the FEF said in a statement late Tuesday.
Pinol said there was no immediate need to import rice due to projections of a good harvest.
Duterte last week fired deputy cabinet secretary Maia Valdez following alleged disagreements with NFA administrator Jason Aquino on the country’s rice importation policy.
On Monday, Duterte ordered the NFA to buy rice from local farmers first before importing.
Allowing only the NFA to import rice is the “wrong policy” since this would slow the process and provide opportunities for corruption because of the lack of competitive bidding, the FEF said.
“Decisions to import are best left to the private sector since it is in the interest of the private sector to import at the lowest possible price and in an amount that will not lead to an oversupply,” the group said.
The NFA, the government's food security watchdog, is required to maintain a rice stockpile good to last for 15 days at any given time and for 30 days at the onset of the lean months. As of February, the stockpiles were sufficient for only 14 days.
The agency said on Monday that it needed to buy 490,800 tons of rice to boost its stockpiles that have fallen below the required level ahead of the July to September lean harvest season. -- with a report from Reuters
https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/04/12/17/rice-prices-to-rise-if-imports-stopped-ex-economic-managers
Traders not buy rice despite price reduction in Mekong Delta
Farmers have slowed harvest of ripening winter
spring rice in the Mekong Delta because unseasonable rains have caused many
areas fall to the ground and prices have dropped continuously for the last
couple of days.
Ripening rice fall to the ground because of
unseasonable rains in Dong Thap province (Photo: SGGP)
According to Mr. Nguyen Cong Ly, owner of a
combine harvester establishment in Cao Lanh district, Dong Thap, the price now
drops to VND4,400 a kilogram of normal rice, VND4,900-5,000 a kilogram of fresh
long grain rice and VND5,200 a kilogram of fragrant varieties.
The prices reduce by VND400-600 a kilogram on
average compared to that in the early of the winter spring crop.
Talking to Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper
yesterday, Mr. Ly said that many traders left their deposits, refusing to buy
ready to harvest rice to mitigate losses.
Mr. Le Van Hoang from Phuong Thinh commune, Cao
Lanh district said that traders left the deposit of VND200,000-300,000 a
hectare they paid formerly to buy long grain rice at the price of VND5,400 a
kilogram.
Farmers have been seeking consumption sources
accepting low prices to reduce losses.
Some traders in Dong Thap, Vinh Long and Tien
Giang provinces say that five percent broken rice price now approximates
VND6,700 a kilogram, 25 percent broken rice is sold at VND6,500-6,600 a
kilogram. These prices are not high but businesses have slowed buying,
resulting in traders’ purchase reduction.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development reports that the Mekong Delta has harvested over 1.2 million
hectares of winter spring rice out of the total of 1.5 million hectares.
Productivity reaches 6.4-6.5 tons a hectare.
In addition, local famers have sown over
450,000 hectares of summer autumn rice crop as per plan.
Last month, businesses exported nearly 419,000
tons of rice worth $186 million, taking the total number since early this year
to one million tons worth $472 million.
By Long Hoa – Translated by Hai Mi
Nigeria: Customs Service forbids exit of rice
from Free Trade Zones
Why has the rice cereal factory been left
abandoned?
By STAFF WRITER April 12, 2017
Dear Editor,
It has been two years now since the rice cereal
factory which was built by contractor Seecharran was left abandoned. No one
knows for sure who the owner of this factory at Anna Regina is, and whether it
belongs to the Government of Guyana, the municipality or the Regional
Democratic Council. The aim of this factory was to buy farmers and millers’ rice
to produce breakfast cereal, holiday foods, rice puffs, rice flour, edible oil
(from the rice bran) and wine, etc. To date no activity has taken place in this
factory and the people of the region are left to wonder if it is a ghost house
or a white elephant. This factory has costs the taxpayers and government
millions of dollars to build and its primary aim was to employed 200 workers
from the region since jobs are scarce to get here.
The building is located at an ideal spot with a
lot of space and easy access to raw materials from rice millers and rice
farmers who have their own mills. Lorries can take the shipments of the
finished product to the wharf and Georgetown. Essequibians and rice farmers
were high in praise when this rice cereal factory was constructed; farmers felt
that paddy prices would increase and they would be in a better position to earn
more money for their produce. But as time has passed and nothing has been done
to produce cereal and other products, they have lost hope.
The big question now that they are asking is
when this project will come on stream. Is a lack of vision by the Minister of
Agriculture the reason that nothing is happening, or is it that Essequibians
don’t count, given that a plantain chip factory is being built at Leguan which
will bring much needed benefit to the cash crop farmers? At Anna Regina a
factory is already on the ground only waiting for the installation of the
machines and the packaging facility to start working. If the government doesn’t
have the money it can privatize it.
Local businessmen would make better use of the
investment, but as it is the rice cereal factory has become waste of scarce
resources.
I have seen documentation whereby the Regional
Democratic Council and the Anna Regina Town Council are looking to take control
of this factory. I do not know if these two entities are looking at it as a
money-making venture or to create jobs for the people of the township. If that
is so I wonder where they will find the money to buy the equipment and raw materials,
and pay wages and salaries for the workers. Whatever the outcome, this factory
needs to start working; it has been laid up too long while there is a
population of unemployed young people walking on the road every day looking for
jobs.
https://www.stabroeknews.com/2017/opinion/letters/04/12/rice-cereal-factory-left-abandoned/
Rice prices soar
amid flash floods
Farmers suffer, big millers cash in
Floodwater gushes through a badly
damaged embankment in Patharchaili Haor area of Sylhet's Companiganj upazila.
Photo: Star
Flash floods in the greater Sylhet region have taken its toll on
farmers and created a shortage of paddy for small to medium-sized rice mills.
The haor areas in northern Sylhet account for nearly 10 percent of the total
cultivation area of about 4.8 million hectares this year and the flooding has
adversely affected about 140,000 hectares. The mills usually stock up near the
end of the season, which isn't happening this season due to unexpected floods
and only the big millers are well stocked with paddy. What it all boils down to
is a rise in retail prices of coarse rise in Dhaka by nearly 6.5 percent over a
week and there is upward price rise of such rice in other parts of the country.
Although farmers in the north have sustained losses, by Department
of Agriculture Extension (DAE) estimates, the loss of paddy is miniscule in
terms of total paddy production. Then why are we seeing such a sharp increase
in price? The shortage may be the outcome of hoarding and price manipulation
since only a fraction of mills has enough paddy stock to be turned into rice.
Whatever may be the case, it is imperative that the government take steps to
stabilise the price of this essential commodity. If there is indeed any
hoarding going on, authorities must act swiftly against these parties. There
may be need to reduce the import duty on rice in the short term to compensate
for any crunch in supply. Finally, farmers' losses need to be made bearable
through soft loans so that they can tide over the current situation and be
ready for next season's sowing.
http://www.thedailystar.net/editorial/rice-prices-soar-amid-flash-floods-1389766
Odisha’s agri varsity to sign MoU with IRRI for high nutritional
rice production
April 13, 2017
Odisha Sun Times
Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Apr 13:
Bhubaneswar, Apr 13:
Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology
(OUAT) will soon ink an MoU with Philippines based the International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI) for production of high nutritional paddy seed in the
state.
In view of the evolution of time and Nagada malnutrition
tragedy, the pact will be inked between OUAT and IRRI very soon, said OUAT Vice
Chancellor Surendranath Pashupalk.
Meanwhile, the varsity has moved a step forward by
achieving success in producing varieties of seeds and crops.
The agriculture scientists are planning to introduce
15 new varieties of crops this year. While the long research on producing crops
including paddy, maize, ginger, chilly, sunflower and mustard was successful by
the OUAT scientists, the new variants are waiting to get nod from state level
selection committee.
Sources said that the insect and salt water resistant
new varieties of crops will help to boost the economic standard of farmers.The
students are now provided training on hybrid maize production, rose, honey,
mushroom cultivation and packaging and marketing, milk and fish cultivation,
said the OAUT scientists.Already, 151 varieties of various crops including
paddy developed by the OUAT have been appreciated by the farmers. Out of total
varieties, the OUAT scientists have invented 57 varieties of paddy seeds, which
are being cultivated in various regions of the state. Especially, Lalat,
Khandagiri, Parijata, Konark and Surendra types of paddy seeds have been highly
commended by the farmers.
http://odishasuntimes.com/2017/04/13/odishas-agri-varsity-to-sign-mou-with-irri-for-high-nutritional-rice-production/
jio rice hilarious tweets goes viral LOL photo captions on twitter
-
April 11, 2017
Jio. The only telecom which created a
huge sensation with its entry. The Jio Telecom services introduction
gave a big leap in the Telecom services. Ambani is ensuring that the
subscribers will stick to jio by introducing new plan every month. So now the
rice millers are using that craze.
#Jio rice - 1 Kilo rice free per day..
additional 128 grams rice will be given if 1 Kilo gets consumed in a single day
The rice millers in rural
villages and some other small cities avail of 25 kgs of rice in the
bags printed with jio logos and name. As soon as the images hit the internet,
they went viral. Just like the offer by Jio telecom claiming that one recharge
gives you 3-month free data+calls, netizens are making fun of this Jio Rice
saying that one bag of rice won’t makes you hungry for three months.
If u Eat #Jio RICE , there will be no Hungry for 3
month's
#JioSummerSurprise
Marketing the products using the brand
names is not happening the first time. Even the crackers and kites during
Deepawali and Sankranthi also use the names of movies or heroes. Some people
use the pictures of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi too
·
https://techfactslive.com/jio-rice-viral-lol-photo-captions-on-twitter/25440/
Mansion
GlobalDiscover the Most
Expensive Homes in San Francisco
·
Where Indian buffalo meat exports go
Where Indian buffalo meat
exports go
Vietnam is by far the largest importer, data
show; it is likely, however, that the bulk of the over 6 lakh tonnes of
carabeef shipped to Vietnam finds its way unofficially to China
(Express photo by Javed Raja)
Brazil and India have been vying for the top spot in world beef
exports over the past several years. In 2014, India dislodged Brazil from the
number 1 slot, according to United States Department of Agriculture
data. The latest data from 2016 show India and Brazil tied on top — with
both countries accounting for just under 20% each of the world’s total beef
exports. They, along with Australia and New Zealand, are the world’s largest
beef exporting countries, as per the US data.
An important clarification here is that India does not
officially export the meat of cows. The so-called “beef” that it exports is
buffalo meat, which is also known as “carabeef”. The United States “beef” data
includes carabeef. The bulk of India’s buffalo meat exports are to Asian
countries — 11 of the top 15 destinations for buffalo meat by value in 2015-16
were in Asia and 3 in Africa (Algeria, Egypt, and Angola). Russia was the 15th
destination — at No. 15 in the list of the top 15.
The biggest market for Indian buffalo meat, at Rs 13,125 crore,
was Vietnam in 2015-16. Malaysia (Rs 2,683 cr) was a distant second, followed
by Egypt (Rs 2,326 cr), Saudi Arabia (Rs 1,416 cr) and Iraq (Rs 767
cr). However, Vietnam by itself does not have the capacity to absorb this
value (just under half the total) and quantity (over 6 lakh tonnes, or 46% of
the total) of buffalo meat exports — and the bulk of the consignments to that
country are said to make their way eventually to China. China technically does
not import any buffalo meat from India. However, a grey market has developed in
recent times, with Chinese traders reportedly using Vietnam’s Haiphong port to
bring in Indian buffalo meat loaded on small vessels.
The buffalo meat exported by India is mostly raw, de-boned
chunks, used primarily in the processed and canned food industry. Very little
makes its way to kitchens for direct consumption by individuals. This is
because carabeef is tougher, and is hence considered inferior to cow meat; for
this reason, it also fetches a discount to regular beef in the world market.
Thus, the average free-on-board price of buffalo meat exported from India in
2014-15 was $ 3,240 (about Rs 2.1 lakh) per tonne, whereas the corresponding
unit value for chilled and frozen beef cuts from Brazil was $ 4,515 (more than
Rs 2.9 lakh).
Lower prices, along with the proximity to key consuming markets
in Southeast Asia and West Asia, has imparted a huge competitive edge to Indian
buffalo meat exports in recent years.
Thus, between 2009 and 2014, India’s beef exports more than
trebled from around 0.6 million tonnes to over 2 million tonnes in carcass
weight equivalent terms. In value terms, shipments more than quadrupled from $
1,163.54 million in 2009-10 (April-March) to $ 4,781.18 million in 2014-15. In
the process, beef also become India’s No. 1 agri-export item, ahead of basmati
rice ($ 4,518.25 million).
http://agriculture.einnews.com/article/375619041/Hyv5Uz0iT4DXUBIz?lcf=mfbGzFqDS4bNQ1jDta8oRvPjgESunH4NfqaGB2CDatA%3D
Food safety with mood lighting USA
Rice Attends Codex Food Safety Meeting
By Lydia Holmes
April 12, 2017
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL -- Last
week, USA Rice staff and Dr. Steve Linscombe, of the Louisiana State University
AgCenter, participated in the eleventh session of the Codex Committee on
Contaminants in Food (CCCF). The CCCF's
role is to identify priority contaminants in foods, set maximum levels for
residues in food, and propose best management practices for growing or
processing based on available risk and trade impact data. Contaminants are substances that have not
been intentionally added to food but can occur naturally.
On the agenda for this plenary
session was a Proposed Draft Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction
of Arsenic Contamination in Rice (Code of Practice). The Code of Practice goal is to give options
for agricultural production methods and risk communication to help countries
that are above the maximum level for polished rice to identify ways to reduce
arsenic levels and prevent further contamination.
"It's important to note that
U.S.-grown rice is below the maximum level for arsenic," said Linscombe. "This Proposed Code of Practice is
really aimed at those countries above the level available. The entire exercise should serve as a
reminder to our customers and those concerned about arsenic in rice that the
U.S. rice industry continues to lead the world in food safety."
The Code of Practice was approved
by the CCCF and will now move to the full Codex Commission (CAC) for adoption
this summer. A Code of Practice is
non-binding and can be updated as new data becomes available.
The Codex Alimentarius, or
"Food Code" is a collection of standards, guidelines, and codes of
practice that contribute to the safety, quality, and fairness of the
international food trade, and CAC is the central part of the United Nations'
Joint Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization (FAO/WHO)
Food Standards Program.
USA Rice Daily, Wednesday, April
12, 2017
