Wednesday, September 11, 2019

10th September,2019 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter

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Magtanim ay 'di biro
Editorial cartoon by Dennis Gasgonia, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Sep 10 2019 06:04 PM | Updated as of Sep 10 2019 08:48 PM
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Description: Magtanim ay 'di biro
“Magtanim ay ’di biro
Maghapong nakayuko
’Di man lang makatayo
'Di man lang makaupo."
Indeed, planting rice in the Philippines has never been fun to most Filipino rice farmers, as the popular folk song goes.
And that's because we failed to modernize rice farming in the Philippines. The problems now being traced to the Rice Tariffication Law have been there for years, so it would be wrong to blame this new law for the decades-old problems in the rice sector.
Rice production hasn't been able to keep up with our relatively high population growth, resulting in the Philippines becoming the world's largest rice importer in recent years.
The Rice Tariffication Law comes with a P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), but this may have come a little too late.
With the entry of cheaper imported rice (even with 35 percent tariff), local palay prices have dropped in several areas, causing hardship to Filipino rice farmers and their families.
While the Rice Tariffication Law may turn out to be a loss to over 2 million Filipino rice farmers, it is turning out to be a boon to the over 100 million Filipino rice consumers.  Inflation dropped to 1.7 percent in August, the slowest in 3 years partly because of low food prices.
Some economists suggest that the Rice Tariffication Law should be given more time. They say it may just be what the country needs to finally modernize its rice sector.
Unless we build the physical and social infrastructure needed to make our rice farms competitive--irrigation, mechanization, farm-to-market roads, farmers' training, strong cooperatives, drying facilities, marketing support, efficient bureaucracy, we will always be singing the same old, poor farmer song.

Villar wants rice farmers to avail of 4Ps benefits
posted September 10, 2019 at 10:20 pm by Macon Ramos-Araneta
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To help ease difficulties faced by Filipino farmers with the transition to the ‘tariffied’ rice importation regime, Senator Cynthia Villar on Tuesday said that the Department of Social Welfare and Development can use the P28-billion rice subsidy under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to buy rice from local farmers.
Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, said this can be realized if the DSWD would revisit a proposal to provide actual rice to the government’s conditional cash transfer program beneficiaries.
Aside from health and education grants, she said 4Ps household-beneficiaries are entitled to a 20-kilo rice subsidy per month but were given cash instead of rice.
“Last year, this proposal was shelved because of logistical requirements,” said Villar.
But the senator said she wants the DSWD to take another look at this especially now that they are looking for ways to help our farmers to cope up with the transition phase of the Rice Tariffication Law.
“Perhaps, even if it’s difficult, let’s do this to help them,” said Villar.
The Nacionalista Party senator said if the proposal pushes through, local farmers will now have a market for their rice produce and will be cushioned by the effects of the entry of cheaper rice imports.
“I hope, given our situation now, our government will be more receptive of this proposal as we wait for the full benefits of the Rice Tariffication Law to be felt by the local industry,” Villar said.
Republic Act 11203, which took effect in March this year, replaced the quantitative restriction on the importation of rice with tariffs, which is collected to fund the P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund.
Among the benefits local farmers will get from the full and proper implementation of the law is increased productivity and incomes through farm mechanization, production of inbred seeds, access to cheap credit and improved skills.
Last year, a plan was devised where local farmers will produce rice for 4Ps beneficiaries in their community.
Rice will be available from the ‘Bigasan ng Bayan’ which the Department of Ariculture will open within the area, doing away with transport costs.
Villar has been advocating for a CCT program tied up with agriculture like what is being done in Thailand.
"In Thailand, they require 6 million school children to drink 200 ml. of milk everyday, which brought up their dairy industry," Villar said.
Villar said she hopes DSWD would look beyond the logistical difficulties and give more weight to the potential benefits it would bring to farmers.

FSII urges adoption of hybrid rice to increase rice productivity

ANI
10th September 2019, 18:27 GMT+10
New Delhi [India] September 10 (ANI/NewsVoir): Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organized a seminar on 'Seed Technology Innovation for Sustainable Rice Production' in New Delhi today.
The objective of the seminar was to discuss ways to enhance rice productivity sustainably and improve farmers' profitability in India. Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare, Kailash Choudhary was present at the event.
Other eminent guests present at the event were Dr Prem Kumar, Minister of Agriculture, Government of Bihar, Dr SK Malhotra, Agriculture Commissioner, Government of India and VK Gaur, Chairman and Managing Director, National Seed Corporation. Other participants at the event were senior government officials, farmer organizations scientists and industry representatives.
Rice is one of the primary crops of India and is therefore critical to increase its productivity. Among the rice-growing countries in the world, India has the largest area under paddy - 43.86 million hectares and ranks second by producing 163 MT (million tonnes) just next to China which holds the first position and produces 203 MT.
In India, up to 25 per cent of yield losses in rice crop are due to the disease and insect pest infestation. Further, low planting density, poor agronomic practices, and weed management, low seed replacement rate etc are also leading to low rice productivity.
The major challenge is however posed by its production; one kg of rice requires 2000-3000 litres of water. Therefore, average water inputs for India's rice production of 163 MT stands at 327 thousand billion litres. Since 90 per cent of the cultivated land in India belongs to marginal, small and medium farmers, it is essential for the country to make effective technologies and processes available to them.
Deliberations at the seminar brought forward the need for long-term research investments in bringing more productive hybrids with improved grain characters, strengthen seed production systems by geographic diversification and take up more intensive promotion of hybrid in new areas through PPP mode. Further, the State Government's support is also essential to increase acreage under hybrid rice in all states.
"Government is always thinking about finding ways to increase the income of farmers, as they do not get the requisite timely profits due to multiple issues. Farmer awareness regarding new technology and techniques is essential to realize the benefits in this sector. We also need to work together to change the perception of the farming profession. Farming needs to be branded in a way that more youngsters are interested in taking up agriculture as a profession", said Kailash Choudhary.
"Growing rice is very expensive in India and we have not been able to reach our full potential due to several limitations. Support through policies will facilitate the adoption of technologies and sustainable practices to achieve our goal of doubling farmer's income", said Dr M Ramasami, Chairman, FSII.
"Hybrid rice is one of the most feasible and practically adaptable approaches for the farmers as it gives 20-35 per cent additional yield and is environmentally sustainable. It requires less water and nitrogen as they grow in short duration, are stress-tolerant and are better adapted in rainfed conditions. Hybrids have been key in increasing productivity of maize and cotton in India but not in rice so far", said Ram Kaundinya, Director General, FSII.
"Technologies like Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) also hold tremendous benefits. It can cultivate rice in a sustainable manner by reducing water inputs, labour costs and can increase yields. For example, farmers use on an average 50 litres/acre of diesel for transplanting rice in the northern region. DSR gives an opportunity to save approximately 15 litres/ha of diesel consumption by eliminating puddling operations in the northern region alone", said Dr Shivendra Bajaj, Executive Director, FSII.
India's agricultural exports have increased from Rs 2,15,396 crores in 2015-16 to Rs 2,50,273 crores in the financial year 2017-18 registering a growth of nearly 16.19 per cent. This success can be primarily attributed to the higher exports of rice (both basmati and non-basmati) followed by raw cotton, oil meals, castor oil, etc. To surpass these records while growing rice sustainably, farmers will have to adopt and given access to new technologies and advancements in the field.
This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

Singapore’s imports of Thai rice 'easily met' by alternative sources but climate change could affect food security

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
A Thai farmer stands in a paddy field that was hit by drought. (File photo: AFP)
10 Sep 2019 06:18AM (Updated: 10 Sep 2019 05:58PM)

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SINGAPORE: Singapore’s imports of Thai rice can be easily met by alternative sources, said the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) in response to CNA queries about recent reports of severe droughts in Thailand that had affected rice production there. 
“Singapore’s demand for rice is very small compared to total global rice production. For example, we account for only 1.2 per cent, 1.2 per cent and 0.6 per cent of Thailand, Vietnam and India’s total rice exports in 2018 respectively,” an MTI spokesman told CNA. 
“Over the years, we have been deliberate in our diversification strategy. Besides Thailand, Vietnam and India, we also import rice from Myanmar, Cambodia, Japan and the US. Some of these source countries, such as the US, are less affected by domestic shortages and will alleviate any shortages from other source countries.”

READ: When the rain doesn’t come: Thailand in grip of severe drought as monsoon season fails to deliver

WATCH: Thailand’s rice producers look to diversify income | Video

According to MTI, the Rice Stockpile Scheme (RSS) ensures an adequate supply of rice in the market during supply disruption, and all white rice, basmati rice, ponni rice and parboiled rice are classified as stockpile-grade rice. 
“Importers are required to store two months’ worth of imports in government-designated warehouses,” said the spokesman. 
An NTUC FairPrice spokesman told CNA that socio-economic factors and unfavourable weather conditions have affected supply and prices of rice from Thailand over the past year. 
The spokesman said FairPrice has limited the price increase over the past year to about 5 per cent on average, across its range of housebrand rice from Thailand. 
“This is due to various strategies such as stockpiling and forward buying to protect consumers from supply and price fluctuations.” 
NTUC FairPrice also imports rice from Vietnam, India, Australia, USA, Pakistan, Japan and Cambodia, said the spokesman. 
The supermarket chain has seen “growing acceptance” from its customers for rice from countries other than Thailand. 
“For example, the sales mix for Thai rice had decreased from about 90 per cent 10 years ago compared to about 75 per cent today. Concurrently, we have seen increased popularity of rice from Vietnam, which makes up about 15 per cent of our rice sales today,” the spokesman added. 

READ: Singapore aims to produce 30% of its nutritional needs by 2030, up from less than 10%

READ: Floating rice: The climate-resilient alternative for Cambodia’s food production

For now, consumers in Singapore can still cope with some price increases because of the country's relatively higher household incomes compared to most other countries, said Professor Paul Teng, adjunct senior fellow of food security in the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University. 
But the big threat to Singapore’s food security comes when large importing countries like China and Indonesia also suffer shortages in their food (rice) production, he added. 
“They will be in the market then to import huge volumes of rice and take up almost all that is available in the marketplace.” 
Only a small amount of rice, or 7 to 10 per cent of total global production, is traded, so any natural or man-made phenomenon that reduces rice production in main rice exporting countries like India, Vietnam and Thailand has implications, said Prof Teng. 
“Importing countries like Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia will all be competing for the reduced amount of rice. The problem is exacerbated if rice crops in the big importing countries like Indonesia and the Philippines are also affected by climate change and production in those countries are also reduced,” he added.
FOOD SECURITY VULNERABLE TO CLIMATE CHANGE 
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) noted that the country's food security is vulnerable to global driving forces and trends, such as population growth, rising urbanisation and incomes, disease outbreaks, resource scarcity and increasingly, climate change. 
“Singapore imports over 90 per cent of our food. We are exposed to global price and supply fluctuations as well as threats of food supply disruption and food contamination internationally,” said an SFA spokesman. 
“These vulnerabilities will become more acute overtime; as global crop and fishery yields are estimated to decline with the changing climate.” 
Citing January 2018 when Malaysia’s leafy vegetable production was affected by a monsoon, the spokesman said Singapore’s supply of vegetables from Malaysia decreased by about 20 per cent as compared to the same period the year before. According to the SFA, Malaysia supplied about 70 per cent of Singapore’s total leafy vegetable import in 2017. 
“Nevertheless, there was no significant impact to Singapore as importers have alternative sources like Thailand and China that were not affected by the monsoon to meet local demand and stabilise supply,” said the SFA spokesman. 

READ: Land parcels in Lim Chu Kang awarded for vegetable, quail egg farming: AVA

READ: Typhoon Mangkhut destroys rice, corn and fish – but what has this got to do with Singapore?

Aside from diversification, the spokesman said SFA also focuses on growing local produce as well as overseas. 
“Local production will help mitigate our reliance on imports and serve as a buffer during supply disruptions to import sources. Our agri-food industry needs to transform into one that is highly productive and employs climate-resilient and sustainable technologies,” said the spokesman. 
“We envisage farming to become more like manufacturing – where production takes place within a controlled environment with a defined input. The result is an assured and consistent output, and a predictable way to address the effects of climate change and extreme weather.”
Venturing overseas also opens up new markets and helps local farms overcome land constraints, said the SFA spokesman. 
“Produce from local farms, which are established overseas could also be exported back to Singapore, contributing to our food security.”
Prof Teng said “time-tested actions” like building stockpiles, diversification, farming overseas and technology-enabled indoor farming of selected food types in Singapore could boost food security. 
He noted that the government could put early warning systems for food insecurity based on monitoring and computer modeling, to give Singapore a head start on sourcing for supplies. 
“It is also imaginable that indoor farms to enable more community-based farming be supported by the government so that more citizens take ownership of their food security for some food items,” he added. 
Prof Teng noted that in the longer term, climate change will affect the types of crops and animals that Singapore’s traditional food sources can grow, as well as the nutritive value of the exported food. 
As for rice, he believes the real problem will surface when total global rice production has decreased due to climate change, but rice consumption continues to increase due to population growth and more people switching to eating rice, away from their traditional foods like taro, maize and plantain.
For alternatives, Prof Teng said wheat and potato are better for the environment as they require less water to produce the same amount, compared to rice. 
“In the longer term, while rice remains the preferred staple food for most Singaporeans, it may behoove us to consider reducing our per capita consumption of rice and replace it with more wheat and potato.”
Source: CNA/hw
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-s-imports-of-thai-rice-easily-met-by-alternative-11887182
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-s-imports-of-thai-rice-easily-met-by-alternative-11887182

TCP plans setting up rice cleaning, processing mills in Karachi

Description: https://www.thenews.com.pk/assets/uploads/akhbar/2019-09-10/524426_9428992_RICE_akhbar.jpg
KARACHI: The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has planned to setup rice cleaning, processing and milling units in Karachi in partnership with the private sector, an official said.
“In this regard, TCP would provide cemented buildings and structures at National Highway and Landhi Industrial Area to the interested parties on rental basis,” the official said. Trading in rice both in domestic and international markets has become more quality conscious, even in the local markets buyers now demand quality rice.
“In order to meet the challenges under the WTO (World Trade Organisation) regime, it is now very essential for the country to put together its rice production and marketing strategies to match the demand of the international markets,” the official said.
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the country’s overall rice exports in the year ended June 30, 2019 clocked in at $2.069 billion, up 1.67 percent against the exports of $2.035 billion in the previous year. Some 537,133 tons basmati rice and 3.545 million tons other varieties of rice were exported from the country. Pakistan earned $2.074 billion in FY19 up from $ 2.035 billion, showing 2 percent compared to last year.
Rice is Pakistan’s third largest crop in terms of area sown, after wheat and cotton. About 11 percent of Pakistan’s total agricultural area is under rice. Pakistan is a leading producer and exporter of Basmati and IRRI rice (white long grain rice). Rice ranks second among the staple food grain crops in Pakistan and exports are a major source of foreign exchange earnings.
The country grows a relatively high quality of rice to fulfil domestic and export demand. Traditionally, 40 to 45 percent of the crop is used for local consumption, with the balance exported.
According to a report issued by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), the milling industry made significant investments in state-of-the art processing machinery, but Pakistan exports most of its rice in bulk with no modern packaging and branding.
“Export companies could be doing more to develop brands and a more significant presence in foreign markets,” the TDAP report said. The export industry was comprised of a large number of relatively small firms which were often family-run and accustomed to traditional trading practices.
“However, that is changing and Pakistan’s rice exporters are becoming increasingly active advocates for their industry and their trade interests. With time, the industry is expected to adopt more strategic and brand-based approaches to rice exporting,” it concluded.




Rice:  An Essential Ingredient of Sabor USA   

GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA -- Last week, USA Rice made headlines here at the annual Sabor USA event that brings together U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) cooperators to promote U.S. ag products.  This year, 21 cooperators participated in the event that ranged from California wines to U.S. rice. 

The event was strategically located in the middle of Plaza Cayala and drew large crowds from a nearby marathon.  The atmosphere was cheerful and energetic as people gathered around booths for samples and information about the U.S. products on display.
 
One of the most popular booths was the giant paella at the front of the tent prepared by USA Rice and the U.S. Rice Producers Association to promote U.S. rice.  U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala Luis Arreaga and Minister Counselor Todd Drennan stopped by to assist in preparing the paella that provided more than 2,000 servings to attendees.
 
That evening, USA Rice celebrity chef Javier Rodriguez took to the stage for a 45-minute presentation to demonstrate a quick and easy rice recipe that the whole family can enjoy.  From start to finish the audience was fully engaged in the tricks and tips that Chef Javier offered.  Upon completion of the recipe, he invited audience members on stage for samples and reactions to the dish.  Members of the crowd also received samples and one-pound bags of long grain rice, complements of Agroindustrias Albay, an importer of U.S. rice and supporter of USA Rice promotional activities.
 
"Sabor USA events and online resources are fantastic tools to showcase U.S. products abroad," said Asiha Grigsby, USA Rice manager of international promotion who attended the event and helped prepare the paella.  "This two-pronged strategy is essential for cooperators such as USA Rice to spread awareness about our products, which in turn complements our own promotional efforts.  We will continue to collaborate with FAS Guatemala to expand the reach of Sabor USA throughout the region, and to have a direct, positive effect on U.S. rice visibility abroad."

Guatemalans' per capita consumption of rice is about 17 pounds annually.  Domestic production covers about 20 percent, and the majority of the 80 percent that is imported comes from the U.S.  The U.S. exports more than 100,000 MT annually; 120,000 MT in 2018, valued at $37 million.
usa Rice
  

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Saturday, September 07, 2019

7th September ,2019 daily global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter


DA chief Dar to impose safeguard duty on rice imports – Salceda

POLITIKO - The bible of Philippine Politics
By JOHN CARLO M. CAHINHINAN
Acting Agriculture Secretary William Dar has agreed to invoke Republic Act No. 8800 which will allow him to motu proprio impose safeguard duty on rice imports.
During Friday’s budget deliberations at House of Representatives, Dar agreed to use the safeguards under the law in response to increased rice imports due to the effect of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).
House Committee on Ways and Means chair Joey Salceda (Albay) said Dar has agreed to increase the provisional tariff rate to 30 percent for the next 365 days for imports above the 350 metric tons—on top of the 35 percent provision under the RTL.
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Salceda noted that an approval form the Tariff Commission is needed for a more permanent measure which could last for a maximum of 10 years.
Salceda stressed that the conditions for a surge duty have been met under RA 8800 since there are reported surge in imports in the first half of 2019—26 percent in first quater and 1,492 percent in the second quarter.
He added that there is real injury with the price of “palay,” falling by 16 percent.
“The injury can be causally linked to the surge in import. It does not matter whether the surge is before or after or due to RTL. R.A. 8800 is based the fact that there is a surge there is injury caused by the surge,” said Salceda.


Mindanao to export initial 5,000 MT of rice to Papua New Guinea
September 6, 2019 | 7:48 pm
Description: https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/PIN%CC%83OL.jpgWWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SECMANNYPINOL
AN INITIAL 5,000 metric tons (MT) of rice from Mindanao will be shipped to Papua New Guinea following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between farmers’ groups represented by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and PNG’s Central Province government.
MinDA Chair Emmanuel F. Piñol, in a post on his social media page Friday, said he signed the agreement on Sept. 5 with Central Province Governor Robert Agarobe in Port Moresby.
Mr. Piñol said the export deal, which covers premium quality and organic rice, is intended to “protect the region’s farmers from the adverse effects of massive rice importation.”
The first shipment will be sent “as soon as the export documents are completed.”
Under the program, Central Province, through its Economic Enterprise Office, will import the Mindanao rice for distribution in the province and other parts of the country.
Mr. Piñol, citing PNG Prime Minister James Marape, said there is “a niche market for good-eating quality rice” in PNG, which imports about 400,000 MT of rice annually from Australia, Thailand and Vietnam.



Mindanao produced 4.26 million MT of rice in 2017, according to MinDA data.
Mr. Piñol, who served as head of the Department of Agriculture before moving to MinDA, said the agreement is an offshoot of the December 2017 meeting between President Rodrigo R. Duterte and then PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neil in Da Nang, Vietnam.
In 2018, the two countries signed an agricultural cooperation agreement.Mr. Piñol said MinDA is also planning to link Mindanao’s poultry farmers with PNG for the export of dressed chicken. — Marifi S. Jara




Description: https://en.nhandan.org.vn/cdn/en/media/k2/items/src/788/x77504718e9184aee06be31f68234da82.jpg.pagespeed.ic.9rLDW6Gzow.webp

Eight-month rice exports reach nearly US$2 billion (Photo: VNA)
NDO/VNA – Vietnam exported about 4.54 million tonnes of rice worth nearly US$2 billion in the first eight months of this year, up 0.3% in volume but down 14.9% in value from a year earlier, according to the Agro Processing and Market Development Authority (Agrotrade).
In August alone, the country shipped abroad 591,000 tonnes of rice for US$265 million, the agency said.
Strong growth were seen in Ivory Coast (64.5%), Australia (63.9%), Hong Kong (China) (43.5%), and Saudi Arabia (31.3%) during the January – August period.
The average export price in the eight months reached US$ 433 per tonne, down 14.7% year on year.
The Philippines outstripped China to become Vietnam’s largest buyer during the reviewed period, accounting for 34.5% of the total rice exports or 1.46 million tonnes. Its rice imports from Vietnam increased 3.2 times in volume and 2.7 times in value from the same period last year.
Vietnam’s rice exports to China plunged 66% year-on-year to 350,000 tonnes, pushing the neighbouring country to second position.

Brief news on farming and agribusiness in the country

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 6 2019
    
Description: An expert in rice cultivation explains a point on the crop's farming in a paddy, in this past photo.
An expert in rice cultivation explains a point on the crop's farming in a paddy, in this past photo. Kenya is among three countries in the continent set to benefit from a project seeking to triple rice productivity in the next three years. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

·       About 80 per cent of Kenya’s rice is imported, despite the country having a great potential to produce the crop.
·       The national rice production is currently at 150,000 metric tonnes against an annual consumption of 650,000 metric tonnes.
·       Currently, there is plenty of reusing the same low-yielding and often disease-ridden crop varieties making it impossible for smallholder farmers to improve their yields.
·       Dr Joseph De Vries, the head of the Seed Systems Group, noted that 700 new, improved varieties have been developed in the past years, making them an invaluable asset in fighting hunger and jump-starting rural economies across Africa.
Description: SEEDS OF GOLD TEAM
By SEEDS OF GOLD TEAM
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New project targets 400,000MT per year rice production
Kenya is among three countries in the continent set to benefit from a project seeking to triple rice productivity in the next three years.
The initiative supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (Ifad), the Africa Rice Centre (AfricaRice) and the Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International (Africa Harvest), is working with the governments of Kenya, Uganda and Madagascar to innovatively enhance the performance of the local rice value chains.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri said they aim to boost output to 400,000 metric tonnes by 2022, under the Big Four Agenda.
“We count on the expertise of AfricaRice, Africa Harvest and our scientists to assist in production and reduction of postharvest losses,” said the CS.
About 80 per cent of Kenya’s rice is imported, despite the country having a great potential to produce the crop.
The national rice production is currently at 150,000 metric tonnes against an annual consumption of 650,000 metric tonnes.The three-year project titled ‘Strengthening the rice sector in East Africa for improved productivity and competitiveness of domestic rice’ will adapt appropriate technologies and innovations to address emerging value chain constraints.
It will also strengthen functional linkages among key rice stakeholders using “multi-stakeholder innovation platforms and improve capacity of farmers and other rice value chain actors, including input dealers, millers and marketers”.
About 18,000 stakeholders, including rice farmers, seed producers, extension service providers, processors and national research staff will benefit in the three countries.
At least 40 per cent of this target group is expected to be women, and at least 20 per cent youth aged 15-35 years.
https://www.nation.co.ke/business/seedsofgold/Briefly-on-farming-and-agribusiness/2301238-5262934-jiim6d/index.html


Government to cut rice imports by 50% in 2019
Source: gbcghanaonline.com
Date: 07-09-2019 Time: 05:09:15:am
Description: http://photos.myjoyonline.com/photos/news/201909/2512338914494_1964794146414.jpg
President Akufo-Addo has announced that the government will reduce the importation of rice by 50% this year (2019).
Speaking at the inauguration of the State of the Art Fertilizer Factory at Dawenya, President Akufo-Addo urged farmers to produce more locally to satisfy the demands of the domestic market and also meet International demands.

President Akufo-Addo on Friday, 6th September, 2019, commissioned the OmniFert Fertilizer Factory, a wholly-owned Ghanaian fertilizer manufacturing company located in Dawhenya, in the Ningo Prampram constituency.

TINY IRON-BREATHER COULD HELP CONTROL METHANE LEVELS
(Credit: Ben Rollman/Flickr)
Understanding how an important methane-producing microorganism creates methane and carbon dioxide could eventually help control how much of these greenhouse gases escape into the atmosphere, researchers report.
In a new study, they propose an updated biochemical pathway that explains how the microorganism uses iron to more efficiently capture energy when producing methane.
“The microorganism Methanosarcina acetivorans is a methanogen that plays an important part in the carbon cycle, by which dead plant material is recycled back into carbon dioxide that then generates new plant material by photosynthesis,” says James Ferry, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State.
“Methanogens produce about 1 billion metric tons of methane annually, which plays a critical role in climate change. Understanding the process by which this microorganism produces methane is important for predicting future climate change and for potentially manipulating how much of this greenhouse gas the organism releases.”

SURVIVING WITHOUT OXYGEN

Methanosarcina acetivorans, which is found in environments like the ocean floor and rice paddies where it helps to decompose dead plant material, converts acetic acid into methane and carbon dioxide. Prior to this study, however, researchers were not certain how the microorganism had enough energy to survive in the oxygen-free—anaerobic—environments where it lives.
The researchers determined that an oxidized form of iron called “iron three,” essentially rust, allows the microorganism to work more efficiently, using more acetic acid, creating more methane, and creating more ATP—a chemical that provides energy for biological reactions essential for growth.
“Most organisms like humans use a process called respiration to create ATP, but this requires oxygen,” says Ferry. “When no oxygen is present, many organisms instead use a less efficient process called fermentation to create ATP, like the processes used by yeast in the production of wine and beer. But the presence of iron allows M. acetivorans to use respiration even in the absence of oxygen.”
The findings allowed the researchers to update the biological pathway by which M. acetivorans converts acetic acid to methane, which now includes respiration. Pathways like this one involve many intermediate steps, during which energy is often lost in the form of heat.
The researchers also determined that in the presence of iron, energy loss in this microorganism is reduced due to a recently discovered process called electron bifurcation.
“Electron bifurcation takes one of those steps that has the potential for tremendous heat loss and harvests that energy in the form of ATP rather than heat,” says Ferry. “This makes the process more efficient.”

CUTTING METHANE

This updated pathway could allow researchers to predict the amount of methane that the microorganism will release into the atmosphere.
“Rice paddies—a major source of the methane in the atmosphere—contain decaying rice plants submerged in water that are ultimately processed by M. acetivorans. If we measure the amount of iron three present in the paddies, we can predict how much methane will be released by the microorganisms, which can improve our climate change models,” Ferry says.
In the absence of iron, the microorganism produces roughly equal amounts of methane and carbon dioxide from acetic acid. But with increasing amounts of iron, it produces more carbon dioxide relative to methane, so providing the organism with additional iron could alter the relative amounts of these greenhouse gasses that are produced.
“Methane is 30 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, which makes it more problematic in terms of our warming planet,” says Ferry. “Now that we better understand this biochemical pathway, we see that we can use iron to alter the ratios of the gasses being produced. In the future, we might even be able to go further and inhibit the production of methane by this microorganism.
“In addition to the practical applications, this is a major addition
 to understanding the biology of the largely unseen but hugely important anaerobic world.”
The study appears online in the journal Science Advances. Support for the research came from the US Department of Energy and the Penn State Eberly College of Science.
Source: Penn State

Special safeguard duties versus rice imports urged



SEPTEMBER 07, 2019
SPECIAL SAFEGUARD DUTIES VERSUS RICE IMPORTS URGED
In light of the plummeting prices of palay (unmilled rice), the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) urged the government to immediately impose special safeguard duties on rice imports, fearing that prices of the staple will further decline as thet main harvest season peaks next month.
Description: Special safeguard duties versus rice imports urged 1The National Food Authority Council approved the implementation of tariffied regime to further slash prices.
The government should get away from relying on “palliative” measures that are either “too expensive or ineffective” and instead focus on the root cause of the drastic drop in palay prices in many areas in the country, said FFF National Manager Raul Montemayor in a statement on Friday.
He said the drop in palay prices coincided with the inflow of large volumes of rice imports since January 2019, following the passage of Republic Act 11203 or the “Rice Tariffication Law.”
From January to July, about 2.4 million metric tons of imported rice arrived in the country, based on the data from the Bureau of Customs (BoC).
Montemayor said the figure is around 17 percent of the country’s total consumption requirement for the year. Annually, the Philippines needs to import only 10 percent of the domestic needs given that the country is 90 percent rice self-sufficient.
This means there is already an excess supply of 7 percent in the market, Montemayor said, noting that “this glut will become worse if more imports come in and coincide with the main season harvest.”
“Because of too much supply of imported rice in the market, local traders cannot unload their stocks at a profit. And they have to adjust their buying price from farmers so that they can compete with the cheaper imports. This explains why palay prices are falling down.”, Montemayor added.
To address this, Montemayor said the government should immediately impose special safeguard duties on rice imports, and avail of other trade remedies such as anti-dumping and general safeguards. These measures will allow the government to temporarily impose additional duties on rice imports, thus making them more expensive, he added.
Meanwhile, the FFF has also supported government’s plan to implement more stringent application of pest and disease and food safety controls on rice imports.
“Government must focus on the supply side, because that is where the problem is coming from. It must find a way to manage the inflow of imports until the supply glut disappears and farmers and traders are able to unload their stocks,” Montemayor said.
“Our studies show that even with these measures, rice prices need not go up because imported rice will still be much cheaper even with the additional tariffs,” he added.
Earlier this week, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary WIlliam Dar said they will push for the implementation of non-tariff measures (NTM) as well as legislated Land Use Plan that will include subsidies for ensuring improved competitiveness and productivity of Filipino farmers under the new rice regime.
Dar, however, did not say as to when the said proposals would be
fully implemented.

PH to export premium rice to Papua New Guinea

SEPTEMBER 07, 2019
THE Philippines will soon be exporting premium quality and organic rice produced by Mindanao rice farmers to Papua New Guinea, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said on Friday.
In a statement, MinDA chief Emmanuel Piñol said the initiative was formalized through his bilateral meeting and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape on Thursday in Port Moresby.
“An initial shipment of 5,000 metric tons of the best quality rice produced in Mindanao, including RC-160, 7-Tonner, Banaybanay, Dinorado and Organic Rice will be shipped to Port Moresby as soon as the export documents are completed,” Piñol said.
Papua New Guinea is a country with 46 million hectares of arable land with only an 8 million population, it imports about 400,000 metric tons of rice every year, mostly from Australia, Thailand and Vietnam.
“Under the program, he said the Central Province government through its Economic Enterprise Office will import the Mindanao Rice to be distributed in the province and other areas of the country,” said Piñol.
He cited that prices of regular rice in Papua New Guinea range from 3.50 to 5 kina per kilo, which is equivalent to P53 to P76 per kilo.
While premium rice is labeled at a higher price in Papua New Guinea, consumers there are willing to pay a premium price for eating good quality rice, according to Central Province Governor Robert Agarobe and East Sepik Governor Allan Bird.
Piñol said the export of Mindanao’s premium rice to Papua New Guinea would assure Mindanao’s rice farmers of getting fair price for their produce, adding it would also mitigate the adverse effects of the implementation of Republic Act 11203 or the “Rice Tariffication Law.”
Following the passage of the law in February, the average farmgate price of palay (unmilled rice) has tremendously gone down to as low as P14 to P12 per kilogram (kg) in some provinces in the country. Just last month, farmers from several areas in the country reported palay buying prices at P7 per kg.
The rice industry groups blamed the new law for the unimpeded flow of rice importation.

Ex-commerce minister Boonsong gets 48 years in jail over rice-pledging scheme

By The Nation
 
Description: 800_ab7bf3b1ebc7f05.png
Boonsong  
Former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyaphirom was on September 6 given an additional six years in prison for the Yingluck Shinawatra-led government’s rice-pledging scheme, bringing his total time in jail to 48 years.  
The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders had previously sentenced him to 42 years, but Boonsong appealed the verdict.  However, he lost the appeal as the panel of nine judges decided to uphold the previous verdict and added another six years to his sentence. The court also convicted 14 other co-defendants involved in one of the largest corruption cases in Thailand’s history.
The verdict is related to the government-to-government rice scandal and the case was initiated after the military overthrew Yingluck’s government in the 2014 coup. 
 
The other key defendants who were given between four and 48 years in prison by the Supreme Court include former deputy commerce minister Poom Saraphol, former Foreign Trade Department chief Manat Soithong and his deputy Tikamporn Natvoratat, Boonsong’s former secretary Veeravuth Watjanabukkha, and well-known rice trader Apichart “Sia Piang” Chabsakulporn of Siam Indiga Company.  The Supreme Court also handed down prison terms and fines to several other rice millers.

Rice millers claim imports hurt them, too

September 07, 2019 at 01:05 am
by Abe Almirol and Rio N. Araja

Cauayan City—Like farmers who are currently suffering from low farmgate prices of unmilled rice or “palay,” rice millers are also victims of imported rice flooding into the country, the president of a regional association said.
Ernesto Subia, who heads the Rice Millers Association of Region 2, said they can’t hoard because they can hardly sell their milled rice, as the market is already flooded with imported rice.
In an interview with local radio station Bombo Radyo Cauayan on Thursday, Subia also chided the Department of Agriculture for blaming them for the continued high price of rice due to hoarding.
“The reported P7-P10 per kilogram buying price of palay is a false news with an intention to discredit the local rice industry,” Subia said.
He said they are buying from P17 to P17.50 per kilogram of dry palay while fresh (sariwa) palay is P13 to P14 per kilogram.
Senator Francis Pangilinan, meanwhile, urged the public to buy local rice to save farmers reeling from extremely low buying prices of palay, now pegged at only P7 per kilo in Central Luzon, almost half the production cost of P12 a kilo.
“One way for us to help our farmers is to support them and buy their rice. Buy local, especially during this harvest time,” Pangilinan said.
“Ask your preferred store for local rice because we know that the market is flooded with imported rice,” he added.
Subia challenged DA officials not to stay in their air-conditioned offices.
“They should go out and conduct surveys so they can find out the correct prevailing buying price of palay especially here in Isabela,” Subia said.
Subia said rice millers who buy palay at unjust prices would be dealt with by having their licenses revoked.
“We have talked with town mayors to cancel the business licenses of erring rice millers and traders in their locality,” Subia warned.
Subia appealed to the general public to report to their respective mayors those traders who buy their palay at extremely low prices.
The DA on Friday denied that the Rice Tariffication Law has caused the price of palay to go down.
“It is not the fault of the law. The [price decline] has been a long time ago even before the Rice Tariffication Law was signed,” DA spokesperson Noel Reyes said.
He blamed traders who would take advantage of the law and would hoard palay.
“The right prices of the volume of imported rice have not yet [been] reflected. Hope they bring out [their supply] that so the prices of rice would go down,” he said.
“It should be sold at once. Sell it so we could have the money. The money, in return, could be used to buy palay,” he added.
He reacted to the claims of rice farmers and consumers that the law was a failure.
“It’s not. Even without the law, those traders are just waiting that the prices would drop. How? They would not buy [palay],” he said.
He said the farmgate prices of palay reached to as high as P22 per kilo in some areas, such as South Cotabato.
Rice farmers in Central Luzon said the price of palay plunged to as low as P7 to P10 per kilo, blaming the Rice Tariffication Law.
The Senate convened on Aug. 29 and Sept. 3 to discuss the effects of the Rice Tariffication Law where farmers groups revealed that the buying prices of palay are now as low as at P7-P8 per kilo in Tarlac, P8 per kilo in Nueva Ecija, and P8-P10 per kilo in Zamboanga Sibugay.
About 200,000 rice farmers have reportedly stopped cultivating their land in fear of incurring a deficit and losing money.
“Farmers should have direct access to the consumers because middlemen are among those who cause their suffering constricting rice prices. That is the aim of our Sagip Saka Act that was enacted in April. Accredited farm enterprises will have direct access to the market,” Pangilinan said.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar on Wednesday announced that the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Sagip Saka Act of 2019 will be released within the week.
The law allows government to buy agricultural produce directly from farm enterprises, exempted from the Procurement Act.
USA Rice Launches New Consumer Newsletter   


ARLINGTON, VA -- As the 29th National Rice Month kicked off this week, USA Rice added a new consumer outreach program to its arsenal, the Think Rice Newsletter.  

The newsletter is a follow up to the 2018 Think Rice Road Trip where Domestic Promotion teams visited with thousands of consumers across the trip's nine-state route collecting e-mail addresses, areas of consumer interest, and additional information.

"We collected more than 2,000 email addresses from consumers who went out of their way to visit with us, learn about U.S.-grown rice, and express an interest in hearing from us again - with recipes, coupons, tips, and other information," said USA Rice's Deborah Willenborg who was at every stop along the 2018 road trip.

The September newsletter reminds the recipients that they visited the truck and walked away with an Aroma rice cooker and a sample of U.S.-grown rice.  Articles include a wrap up of the entire 2018 Think Rice Road Trip, information on USA Rice's social media ambassadors and where to find them and their recipes, promotion for the National Rice Month scholarship, and more.

The featured recipe of the issue is for Cajun Sausage & Pepper Rice that includes cost per serving information to remind readers just how economical rice is.  There's also a farmer feature with Mississippi's Austin Davis.

"Farmer stories are one of the most powerful tools we have to help us promote U.S.-grown rice and connect with consumers who more and more want to know 'the story of their rice,'" explained Robbie Trahan, chair of the USA Rice Domestic Promotion Committee.  "We think it's important to include a farmer profile or photos and videos from the farm in each issue to remind folks that their rice is coming from right here in the U.S. and there's a family painstakingly growing it sustainably, and with care and love."

Willenborg added that while this issue was the same for everyone on the list, future issues could be customized based on consumer interest.

"Some people told us they would use more rice if they had more recipes, while others told us they prefer to eat rice when they dine out.  The next newsletter for the first group may contain more than one recipe, while the second group may see an article calling out national chain restaurants that serve U.S.-grown rice," she explained.  "We also have the ability to include coupons in future newsletters, so USA Rice members interested in participating in this way should reach out to us."

Willenborg also said the distribution list will continue to grow as USA Rice interacts with more consumers at events throughout the year.
USA Rice Daily

JJ Johnson connects the world with rice with new restaurant

Description: https://www.washingtonpost.com/resizer/tcLaOrgw7Di3wfHwLqBMxRj9ac8=/1484x0/arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/2DBQZRWQEMI6TJRABKIWK3L5WY.jpg

This Aug. 30, 2019 photo shows chef JJ Johnson posing with two signature rice bowls, one salmon and one vegetable, outside his Field Trip counter-service restaurant kiosk on the food court at the US Open tennis championships in New York. Johnson named the restaurant Field Trip based on all the trips he’s taken globally. It was his time in Ghana that taught him to love the rice he hated as a kid. (Charles Krupa/Associated Press)
By Nekesa Mumbi Moody | AP
September 5
NEW YORK — Rice was a staple in JJ Johnson’s home when he was growing up. It was also a food he despised.
“My mom made overcooked rice,” Johnson, now a James Beard Foundation-nominated chef, says jokingly. “But most people don’t make rice well.”
Many people rely on boxed rice, he says, making rice “the most disrespected food item in the world.”
Johnson is giving the grain some respect at his new restaurant in Harlem, Field Trip , which is dedicated to fresh rice. Its bowls, wraps, salads and more all feature rice that certainly did not come from your local grocery store.
“Three of our rices are freshly milled coming right from the farm to us,” he says, including the Texas Brown Rice and Carolina gold rice. “We’re helping the farming community that really has to change their farming culture because nobody buys fresh rice.”
Johnson, who came to prominence as executive chef for the acclaimed but now closed Cecil restaurant in Harlem, spoke about Field Trip at its booth at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in Queens, New York.
Thousands of tennis fans get their grub on at stands featuring some of the best food from restaurants chefs including Jose Andres, David Chang and more.
Being part of the Open’s food village is considered a prestige gig, despite being a short-term one.
Johnson was spending as much time at the Open as some of the athletes, making sure the restaurant runs swimmingly.
“We were tucked in the corner last year for like our trial year. The joke is that I was in the minors and I’ve been brought up to the majors,” he says.
Noting that some of the vendors were the country’s top restaurants, he said: “And some of them were at the U.S. Open when they just had one place, like myself, and they were able to build. ... So fingers crossed, I’ll be able to do the same. “
Johnson won the coveted James Beard Award earlier this year for his book “Between Harlem and Heaven: Afro-Asian-American Cooking for Big Nights, Weeknights, and Every Day,” co-written with Veronica Chambers and Alexander Smalls. And he was nominated for the James Beard Rising Star Chef award a few years ago for his work at the Cecil, which explored the cuisine of the African diaspora worldwide.
While the Cecil was a fine dining establishment, Field Trip is quick-serve, though hardly fast food. Johnson said it takes two hours to cook the brown rice at Field Trip because it’s fresh and still has an active germ in it.
He named the restaurant for all the trips he’s taken globally. It was his time in Ghana that taught him to love rice.
“Everywhere I was eating, rice was at the center of the table. I came back and started doing some rice research on West African rice grains,” he said.
At Field Trip, he said, “every rice on the menu is from a different place. They’re heirloom grains. No rice is bleached or enriched. It’s gluten free, it’s a rice bowl shop, it’s global flavors.”
Johnson, who also hosts the show “Just Eats with JJ” on the Cleo Network, is excited to have the restaurant in a prime section of Harlem, which he considers home. He said the community supported him early in his career, and he’s hoping to give it something unique, tasty and healthy with Field Trip.
He also plans to pen a book on rice, and hopes to open a full-service restaurant.
“Field Trip — I hope to be able to put it into communities that look like Harlem and to be in sporting events like the U.S. Open across America,” he says.

Barley has a drought-resistant gene, study shows


Credit: babylass
By Cathy Siegner 

Published

 Sept. 5, 2019

Dive Brief:

  • Researchers at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland have identified a gene in barley that functions to resist drought. Their study was published in the journal Plant Physiology and Biochemistry. The research was funded by the Scotch Whisky Association. 
  • The gene — known as HvMYB1 — helps regulate stress tolerance in transgenic barley by showing enhanced relative water content and a reduced water loss rate when compared to control plants, researchers said. The study was challenging because barley has more than 39,000 genes, which is nearly double the number humans have, according to FoodBev.
  • This finding could help producers of cereal grains — including barley, wheat, maize and rice — to deal with drier climates as the effects of global warming increase, FoodBev reported. Peter Morris, the lead researcher, told the publication that greater variation in the gene pool and more drought-resistant crops could result.

Dive Insight:

As climate change continues to impact the supply, barley in particular could be harmed by increasing drought and heat, according to a study published this past fall. The result might be yield losses, less supply, and potentially higher prices for beer — with U.S. consumers seeing a 34% estimated price jump, the report said.
While this latest study focused on barley because of the funding from the Scotch Whisky Association, it could also be significant for producers of other grains that are used in a wide variety of foods and beverages such as beer, cereal, flour, baked goods and other CPG products. 
Other manufacturers such as Post, Kellogg or General Mills use large quantities of cereal grains and would benefit if the research can be replicated beyond barley to wheat, corn and rice. Crops that can better resist drought and heat are likely to use less water and provide more sustainable — and potentially more affordable — supplies of these commodities in the future.
Such studies, along with the recent drought-resistant gene research, could pressure food and beverage manufacturers to focus more on sustainability practices in their operations. Some are already doing that. AB InBev, for example, announced in January its partnership with a gene-editing company to develop more productive and sustainable barley varieties using less water. 
Consumers increasingly view sustainability as an important factor when they're making purchasing decisions. According to 2018 research from Indiana University, most beer drinkers would pay more for products made with sustainable practices.

Chef's new restaurant connects the world with rice

Associated Press September 06, 2019 11:47 AM  Description: https://s3-prod.crainsnewyork.com/styles/width_792/s3/AP19242783609274.jpg
Associated Press
Chef JJ Johnson posing with two signature rice bowls, one salmon and one vegetable, outside his Field Trip counter-service restaurant kiosk on the food court at the US Open tennis championships in New York.
September 06, 2019 11:47 AM  Rice was a staple in JJ Johnson's home when he was growing up. It was also a food he despised.
"My mom made overcooked rice," Johnson, now a James Beard Foundation–nominated chef, said jokingly. "But most people don't make rice well."
Many people rely on boxed rice, he says, making rice "the most disrespected food item in the world."Johnson is giving the grain some respect at his new restaurant in Harlem, Field Trip , which is dedicated to fresh rice. Its bowls, wraps, salads and more all feature rice that certainly did not come from your local grocery store.
"Three of our rices are freshly milled coming right from the farm to us," he says, including the Texas Brown Rice and Carolina gold rice. "We're helping the farming community that really has to change their farming culture because nobody buys fresh rice."
Johnson, who came to prominence as executive chef for the acclaimed but now closed Cecil restaurant in Harlem, spoke about Field Trip at its booth at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in Queens, New York.
Thousands of tennis fans get their grub on at stands featuring some of the best food from restaurants chefs including Jose Andres, David Chang and more.
Being part of the Open's food village is considered a prestige gig, despite being a short-term one.
Johnson was spending as much time at the Open as some of the athletes, making sure the restaurant runs swimmingly.
"We were tucked in the corner last year for like our trial year. The joke is that I was in the minors and I've been brought up to the majors," he says.
Noting that some of the vendors were the country's top restaurants, he said: "And some of them were at the U.S. Open when they just had one place, like myself, and they were able to build. ... So fingers crossed, I'll be able to do the same. "
Johnson won the coveted James Beard Award earlier this year for his book "Between Harlem and Heaven: Afro-Asian-American Cooking for Big Nights, Weeknights, and Every Day," co-written with Veronica Chambers and Alexander Smalls. And he was nominated for the James Beard Rising Star Chef award a few years ago for his work at the Cecil, which explored the cuisine of the African diaspora worldwide.
While the Cecil was a fine dining establishment, Field Trip is quick-serve, though hardly fast food. Johnson said it takes two hours to cook the brown rice at Field Trip because it's fresh and still has an active germ in it.
He named the restaurant for all the trips he's taken globally. It was his time in Ghana that taught him to love rice.
"Everywhere I was eating, rice was at the center of the table. I came back and started doing some rice research on West African rice grains," he said.
At Field Trip, he said, "every rice on the menu is from a different place. They're heirloom grains. No rice is bleached or enriched. It's gluten free, it's a rice bowl shop, it's global flavors."
Johnson, who also hosts the show "Just Eats with JJ" on the Cleo Network, is excited to have the restaurant in a prime section of Harlem, which he considers home. He said the community supported him early in his career, and he's hoping to give it something unique, tasty and healthy with Field Trip.
He also plans to pen a book on rice, and hopes to open a full-service restaurant.
"Field Trip — I hope to be able to put it into communities that look like Harlem and to be in sporting events like the U.S. Open across America," he says.

Demand turns premium ‘Gobindobhog’ rice pricey

Shobha Roy  Kolkata | Updated on September 06, 2019  Published on September 06, 2019
Description: https://bl.thgim.com/economy/agri-business/x2t3k2/article29349379.ece/alternates/WIDE_435/BL06-RICE1
Driven by the prospect of higher earnings, more farmers are turning to this rice variety   -  Debasish Bhaduri

Production also likely to be lower because of late sowing

Prices of Bengal’s premium variety of aromatic rice, Gobindobhog, has firmed up by nearly 27 per cent on a year-on-year basis, backed by a good demand from both domestic and international markets.

Prices firm up

The average price of Gobindobhog paddy at the farmers’ end firmed up by nearly 27 per cent at 3,800 a quintal in August this year, compared with 3,000 in the same period last year.
The price was ruling at around 2,800 a quintal in January this year. It, however, started to strengthen steadily following good demand from Bangladesh and the markets in South India.
Gobindobhog is a non-Basmati type indigenous aromatic rice from West Bengal. The paddy variety, which got the GI (Geographical Indication) status in August 2017, is primarily cultivated in East Burdwan district in the Raina 1, Raina 2 and Khandaghosh blocks.
The price of the rice at the miller’s point is hovering around 6,400 a quintal, as against 5,100 a quintal in same period last year.
“Currently, only 30 per cent of the 2019 crop is left with farmers as huge stocks were exported to Bangladesh and other countries in this season. Also, delayed rain has affected production in 2020 season,” Suraj Agarwal, CEO, Tirupati Agri Trade, told BusinessLine.

Rise in acreage

The increase in prices is despite the fact that the State witnessed a 17 per cent rise in production of Gobindobhog paddy this year.
Close to 2.8 lakh tonnes of Gobindobhog paddy was produced in 2018-19, as against 2.4 lakh tonnes in 2017-18. Nearly 55-56 per cent of this is converted into rice.
Driven by the prospect of earning more, farmers in Bengal have taken to cultivating Gobindobhog. The area under cultivation, which was close to 35 hectares in 2016-17, has increased to 51 hectares in 2018-19.
Farmers cultivating this variety stand to earn 2,000 a bag (of 60 kg) or close to 3,300 a quintal, compared with 800-900 a bag (of 60 kg) or 1,500 a quintal for the common Swarna variety.
There is an apprehension that the production of Gobindobhog paddy will be lower this year on account of the delayed rain during the sowing season in June-July. The new crop begins to arrive by November-end or early December.
“Farmers have been holding on to stock in anticipation of prices firming up further. The old crop fetches a higher price than the new crop, particularly in the southern markets,” a miller said.
The prices are likely to remain firm till the new crop begins to arrive in the market.
“We expect miller's price of GobindoBhog rice to touch 70 a kg before the new crop comes in by November-end,” Agarwal said.

Iraq receives offers for rice in tender

Iraq is seeking at least 30,000 tonnes of rice
By Maha El Dahan, Reuters News
05 SEPTEMBER, 2019
DUBAI- An Iraqi state tender for rice attracted a lowest offer of $432 a tonne for 30,000 tonnes of Pakistani rice, traders said on Thursday.
The offer was presented by Saif International.
Iraq is seeking at least 30,000 tonnes of rice and offers must remain valid up to Sept. 15.
The country's last reported rice purchase was 60,000 tonnes sourced from the United States on July 17.
Traders gave the following breakdown of offers in dollars per tonne on a cost, insurance and freight (CIF) basis:
* VA Trading: 30,000 tonnes of Argentinian rice at $541.20
* VA Trading: 30,000 tonnes of Argentinian or Uruguayan rice at $551.45
ADM: 30,000 tonnes of Paraguayan rice at $546.15
* ADM: 30,000 tonnes of U.S. rice at $640.20
* Olam International: 40,000 tonnes of Thai rice at $471.80
* Olam International: 30,000 tonnes of Pakistani rice at $457.60
* Saif International: 30,000 tonnes of Pakistani rice at $432.00
* Saif International: 30,000 tonnes of Uruguayan rice at $572.00
* Hanalico: 50,000 tonnes of Uruguayan rice at $562.00
* Tiryaki: 30,000 tonnes of Brazilian rice at $554.90
* Amer Shan: 40,000 tonnes of Indian rice at $555.00
* Amer Shan: 30,000 tonnes of Uruguayan or Argentinian rice at $620.00
* Amer Shan: 30,000 tonnes of Paraguayan rice at $605.00
* Glencore: 30,000 tonnes of Argentinian rice at $555.00
* Glencore: 30,000 tonnes of Brazilian rice at $573.00
* Hakan: 30,000 - 60,000 tonnes of Thai rice at $472.13
* Canadian Agriculture: 90,000 tonnes of Uruguayan rice at $588.00
* Canadian Agriculture: 90,000 tonnes of Paraguayan rice at $554.00
(Reporting by Maha El Dahan; Writing by Michael Hogan in Hamburg and Nadine Awadalla in Cairo; Editing by Edmund Blair) ((michael.j.hogan@thomsonreuters.com; +49 172 671 36 54; Reuters Messaging: michael.hogan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- September 05, 2019
SEPTEMBER 5, 2019 / 1:15 PM
* * * * * *
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-September 5, 2018 Nagpur, Sept 5 (Reuters) – Gram prices firmed up in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) here on good festival season demand from local millers amid weak supply from producing regions. Fresh hike on NCDEX, good recovery in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and enquiries from South-based millers also boosted prices. About 100 bags of gram reported for auction, according to sources.

GRAM
* Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was poor.

TUAR
* Tuar gavarani and tuar Karnataka reported higher in open market on good buying

support from local traders.

* Major wheat varieties recovered in open market here on increased demand from

local traders amid weak supply from producing regions because of rains.

* In Akola, Tuar New – 5,400-5,600, Tuar dal (clean) – 8,100-8,200, Udid Mogar (clean)

– 7,300-8,100, Moong Mogar (clean) 8,200-8,900, Gram – 4,000-4,200, Gram Super best

– 5,600-6,000 * Wheat, rice and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in

scattered deals and settled at last levels in weak trading activity.

Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg

FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close

Gram Auction 3,600-4,285 3,600-4,200

Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600

Tuar Auction n.a. 5,275-5,400

Moong Auction n.a. 3,950-4,200

Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500

Masoor Auction n.a. 2,200-2,500

Wheat Lokwan Auction 1,900-2,141 2,000-2,105

Wheat Sharbati Auction n.a. 2,900-3,000

Gram Super Best Bold 5,900-6,200 5,900-6,200

Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.

Gram Medium Best 5,600-5,800 5,600-5,800

Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a

Gram Mill Quality 4,250-4,350 4,250-4,350

Desi gram Raw 4,200-4,250 4,200-4,300

Gram Kabuli 8,300-10,000 8,300-10,000

Tuar Fataka Best-New 8,400-8,500 8,400-8,500

Tuar Fataka Medium-New 8,000-8,200 8,000-8,200

Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 7,600-7,800 7,600-7,800

Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500

Tuar Gavarani New 5,850-5,950 5,800-5,900

Tuar Karnataka 6,150-6,250 6,100-6,200

Masoor dal best 5,500-5,600 5,500-5,600

Masoor dal medium 5,200-5,300 5,200-5,300

Masoor n.a. n.a.

Moong Mogar bold (New) 8,500-9,200 8,500-9,200

Moong Mogar Medium 7,000-7,800 7,000-7,800

Moong dal Chilka New 7,200-8,000 7,000-8,000

Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.

Moong Chamki best 8,500-9,200 8,500-9,200

Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 7,500-8,500 7,500-8,500

Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,600-6,500 5,600-6,500

Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 4,500-5,000 4,500-5,000

Mot (100 INR/KG) 5,500-6,800 5,500-6,800

Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000

Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000

Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 7,500-8,000 7,500-8,000

Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 2,250-2,350 2,200-2,300

Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,000-2,100

Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,650-2,750 2,600-2,700

Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,550-2,650 2,450-2,600

Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,450 2,250-2,350

Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.

MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-4,000 3,200-3,800

MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,100 2,700-3,000

Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300

Rice BPT best new (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,500 3,000-3,500

Rice BPT medium new(100 INR/KG) 2,600-3,000 2,600-3,000

Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000

Rice Swarna best new (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,750 2,600-2,750

Rice Swarna medium new (100 INR/KG)2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400

Rice HMT best new (100 INR/KG) 3,600-4,200 3,600-4,200

Rice HMT medium new (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,500 3,300-3,500

Rice Shriram best new(100 INR/KG) 5,500-5,600 5,500-5,800

Rice Shriram med new (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,500 4,200-4,500

Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,500-13,500 8,500-13,500

Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500

Rice Chinnor best new 100 INR/KG) 5,600-5,800 5,800-6,000

Rice Chinnor medium new(100 INR/KG)5,200-5,400 5,500-5,600

Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,550 2,350-2,550

Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,050-2,250 2,050-2,250 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 29.3 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 23.7 degree Celsius Rainfall : 13.4 mm FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky with moderate rains. Maximum and minimum temperature likely to be around 30 degree Celsius and 24 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.—not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices)

Rajkot Foodgrain Prices- September 6, 2019
·       BY NEWSJIZZ  
·       SEPTEMBER 06, 2019
Food prices in Rajkot open - September 6 to September 6 (Reuters) - Delivery prices for grains and legumes in Rajkot, in the western state of Gujarat, in India, opened in a constant trend to weak, merchants said Friday. * * FOOD AND PULSE GRAINS * Wheat prices declined due to the restricted demand of flour mills. * Udid prices fell due to a sufficient offer. Prices of food grains and legumes in rupees per 20 kilograms, and deliveries in bags of 100 kilograms: Delivery Auction price Previous price FOOD GRAIN Wheat Lokwan 00,150 396-432 397-430 Wheat Tukda 01,025 402-450 403-458 Jowar White 103 430 - 608 435-592 Bajra 0.033 362-411 362-405 PULSES Gram 00,250 0.770-0.885 0.750-0.890 Udid 0.200 0.800-1.110 0.950-1.130 Moong 0.035 0.950-1.245 0.980-1.200 Tuar 0.150 0.900-1.090 0.900-1.080 Corn 005 398- 423 392-424 Vaal Deshi 028 0.902-1,304 0,895-1,229 Choli 0.007 1,107-1,801 1,180-1,822 Rajkot market delivery prices in rupees per 100 kilograms:. Today's price Previous closing FOOD GRANES Wheat mill quality 2,060-2,070 2,070-2,080 Wheat (medium) 2,300-2,350 2,300-2,350 Wheat (top) 2,425-2,475 2,450-2,500 Low 2,150-2,160 2,150-2,160 Jowar 3,300-3,350 3,300-3,350 PULSES Gram 04,300-04,350 04,300-04,350 Gram dal 05,700-05,800 05,700-05,800 Besan (65 kg bag) 4,200-4,250 4,200-4,250 Tuar 05,200-05,250 05,200-05,250 Tuardal 08,600-08,700 08,600-08,700 Moong 6,000-6,100 6,000-6,100 Moongdal 6,800-6,850 6,800-6,850 Udid 04,800-04,850 04,900-04,950 RICE IR-8 2,400-2,450 2,400-2,450 Basmati Best 10,200-10,300 10,200-10,300 Parimal 2,700-2,750 2,700-2,750 Punjab Parimal 3,400-3,450 3,400-3,450 Basmati Medium 6,700 -6,800 6,700-6,800.

Rice Farmers Anticipate Bumper Harvest in Jigawa

Published
By Agency's Reports
Description: http://leadership.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/rice-field.jpg
Alhaji Adamu Maigoro, Chairman, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Jigawa Chapter, says rice farmers in the state are expecting a bumper harvest in 2019 farming season.Maigoro, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Friday.
He appreciated the high yield of grains on the farms, saying that with the high yield, there would be a bumper harvest.The chairman commended the state government for its support to farmers during the 2019 cropping season.Maigoro noted that the state government supported the farmers with fertilisers and other farm chemicals.
According to him, other farm inputs provided by the government include improved seeds, which were provided at the appropriate planting period.

Normal rain so far this monsoon season; rice sowing remains low despite overall crop improvement

By: Samrat Sharma | 
Updated: September 6, 2019 5:14:57 PM

Despite the improvement, sowing of rice continues to witness negative deviation. (Bloomberg image)
With India receiving a normal rainfall this monsoon season so far this year, the country’s farmers have a reason to cheer. Eventually, the sowing patterns of crops during the cumulative week ended 30 August 2019 has seen notable improvement over a week ago, especially driven by the sowing of rice, says a report by Care Ratings. However, despite the improvement, sowing of rice continues to witness negative deviation. Out of the 36 sub-divisions across India, six have received deficient rainfall, 22 have received normal rainfall, and eight have received excess rainfall, according to Kotak Institutional Equities Research. From the view of the reservoir and groundwater level, excess rainfall in some regions is a positive sign but it could also damage the production of certain crops.
Highlights of monsoon season FY 2019-20 regarding rainfall and reservoir levels
·       Rainfall has contributed to the improved reservoir levels – The live storage level in the 113 reservoir levels across the country as on 5 Sept remained at 133.6 BCM, which is 12 per cent higher than the previous year, going by the Care Ratings report.
·       Many reservoirs at full capacity – All India data shows that 20 such reservoirs have current reservoir level at 100 per cent of the full reservoir level, while 24 have current levels between 91-99 per cent.
·       Western and south-west regions received excess rain – The western and south-west regions of the country have received heavy rains and have been clubbed under the category of excess rainfall, whereas only small patches in north and east India continued to witness deficient rainfall.
·       Small patches in north and east regions received deficient rainfall – Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi witnessed the most deficient rainfall, deviated by around -36 per cent from normal. There are no regions in the country which have recorded scanty rainfall during this cumulative period.
Deficient rainfall not only impacts the farmers and the agriculture sector but also impacts the entire economy in many ways. Lower production due to insufficient rainfall decreases the growth of agriculture GDP and spikes food inflation. It also increases unemployment which in turn hit the whole economy.
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Ministry reveals informal rice export figures

September 6, 2019

Chea Vannak / Khmer Times   


In the first eight months of the year, Cambodia exported 1.6 million tonnes of paddy rice to neighbouring Vietnam through informal channels, a recent report from the Ministry of Agriculture revealed.
For in depth analysis of Cambodian Business, visit Capital Cambodia
.
That figure is significantly higher than the total amount of milled rice shipped abroad through official channels, which from January to August was just over 342,000 tonnes, according to the ministry.
Due to a lack of storage and processing facilities in the Kingdom, farmers often have no alternative but to sell their paddy rice to middlemen who then bring it to Vietnam through informal channels, according to the Rural Development Bank.
Lun Yeng, secretary-general of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), yesterday told Khmer Times that the rice exported informally is a mixture of varieties, referring to it as “mixed rice”.
“Most paddy rice exported informally is mixed rice. This means these informal exports are not affecting exports of milled rice, which are often premium varieties like fragrant rice.”
He explained that farmers sell their rice to middlemen to earn a quick buck during harvest.
“Farmers sell it to middlemen because is easier, since these middlemen often go to the rice fields to buy the product personally,” Mr Yeng said.
Mr Yeng said that, in the wake of the ministry report, CRF will strive to reduce informal exports by educating farmers on the rice varieties that fetch higher prices and enjoy the highest demand.
To reduce the sale of paddy rice to middlemen, in 2017 the government launched an emergency fund for the sector. The scheme give millers access to loans to purchase paddy rice and build the necessary facilities to store and treat it.
The lending mechanism helps keep the price of the commodity stable, according to RDB, the institution in charge of disbursing the loans.
In the 2017-2018 harvest, Cambodia produced more than 10 million tonnes of paddy rice, according to the ministry. The rice surplus reached 5.6 million tonnes, the equivalent of 3.5 tonnes of milled rice.
Last year, Cambodia exported 626,265 tonnes of milled rice to foreign markets, a drop of 1.5 percent year-on-year. China was the biggest buyer.

DA moves to control surge in imported rice

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:26 AM September 06, 2019
Agriculture Secretary William Dar may not be able to stop the influx of imported rice in the market to subdue the further decline in palay prices, but he is looking to use food safety measures to at least “delay” their arrival as the main harvest season nears.
In a text message to the  Inquirer on Wednesday evening following a meeting in Malacañang, Dar said he was looking to strengthen requirements for food safety to “delay the arrival of much more (imported rice) during harvest.”
The country’s rice farmers are currently suffering from palay rates that have sunk below their average production cost because of tight competition from more affordable imported rice. Government interventions, at times delayed, have yet to push buying prices.
The nearing harvest season in October is when the country produces 60 percent of its palay output.
Dar said his plan could be done by imposing stricter requirements when giving out sanitary and phytosanitary permits (SPS) to private importers. He said this could also be a way to ensure that “we can import good stocks.”
Following the passage of the rice tariffication law that has in effect deregulated rice trade, private firms are allowed to import rice stocks without limit so long as they secure SPS permits from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).
How the newly installed agriculture chief would be imposing stricter measures is still being discussed, but the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) is open to the idea.
In a separate interview with FFF national manager Raul Montemayor, he said the agency could mandate the performance of additional tests on rice shipments.
This could temper the entry of imported rice in the market, in effect addressing the supply glut.
BPI assistant director Glen Panganiban said the agency could issue SPS permits in one week on average, provided that private firms could secure all the necessary requirements.
As of July, BPI has about 480 active rice importers, 77 of which have only been registered this year. Since the new rice trade law was passed, Panganiban’s team processed 15 permits on a weekly basis.
In terms of SPS permits, the bureau has given out 1,158 permits during the first three months of the law’s implementation. An SPS permit expires in 60 days.

China's super hybrid rice may yield 18,000 kg per ha by October

2019-09-06 15:29:17Ecns.cnEditor : Mo Hong'e
Description: 87bb2d8d6f2540559ced6ea576b39714
 (ECNS) -- Yuan Longping, China's "father of hybrid rice", said on Thursday his team may achieve an average yield of 18,000 kilograms of rice per hectare next month.
After China’s Ministry of Agriculture launched a super-hybrid rice breeding project in 1996, the team has continued to set new records in yields, meeting five targets of 10,500 kg, 12,000 kg, 13,500 kg, 15,000 kg and 16,500 kg per hectare.
Currently, four test fields in China are trying to break the new target of 18,000 kg per hectare.
Yuan said the rice is growing well in his test field in Changsha, Hunan Province, and that he might achieve the yield target in October.
The scientist said he still has two dreams ahead – improving average yield of hybrid rice and sharing the rice variety with the world. 
"If 50 percent of the world's rice paddies were planted with hybrids, rice production could increase by another 2 tons per hectare, so some 500 million more people could be fed," said Yuan.