Wednesday, January 08, 2020

8th January 2020 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter

Interview: Pakistan should seize opportunity to learn from China's scientific advancement: Pakistani scientist

Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-08 15:45:31|Editor: huaxia
ISLAMABAD, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan should send graduate and post-graduate students to study applied science at Chinese universities to acquire scientific knowledge and learn from the research China has done over the years, acclaimed Pakistani scientist Atta-ur-Rahman said.
China is an emerging power and it has already become one of the world's leading countries in some fields of science like nanotechnology and artificial intelligence. Pakistan's good relations with China provide it a golden opportunity to send its aspiring students to learn science at Chinese universities to get equipped with modern scientific knowledge.
"When the students return to Pakistan after completing advanced learning in China, Pakistan can get benefit from their expertise by hiring them at significant posts in colleges, universities and laboratories," the professor at the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) of the University of Karachi told Xinhua.
"It will not only provide the scientists a platform to conduct further research, but also give them a chance to teach advanced sciences to other students, and the whole process will gradually set the base of scientific studies on modern grounds in the country," Rahman added.
"I always suggest that Pakistan should start taking benefit from China right now so that Pakistani students and researchers can grow with China in the field of science."
An alumnus of King's College of Britain's University of Cambridge from where he received his PhD in organic chemistry in 1968, Rahman has won lots of awards in Pakistan including the highest national award Nishan-e-Imtiaz for his services to the country in the field of science, apart from a number of other international awards.
He is expected to receive the China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award in January for contributions he has made to China. Rahman considers it a great honor to be selected to receive the prestigious award from the Chinese government and credits the research on traditional Chinese medicine and in other fields, which he did with Chinese scientists and companies, for his selection for the award.
"I also have a number of international co-publications with Chinese scientists. Many Chinese scientists and pharmaceutical companies have visited Pakistan to conduct research in the ICCBS. By all these research and publications, I have made a small effort to promote Chinese science in the world."
The professor is also the head of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's task force on science and technology. The task force is aimed at making the country standout in the world in "specific and targeted fields."
"Initially we have identified five areas including education, agriculture, minerals, information technology, and linkages of innovation with society which will focus on engineering and emerging sciences. Two new universities are also being established to give education of applied science."
Development budget of the country's science and technology has increased six-fold this year to encourage innovation, he said, adding that one of the main focuses of the Pakistani government is to change the direction of the country's economy from agricultural economy to knowledge and science economy.
"China will be a great help for Pakistan to achieve the target and for that purpose we are forming 20 centers of excellence in various universities of the country with the help of China," the professor said. These centers will include artificial intelligence in health sciences, hybrid seed production, virology, nanotechnology, railways engineering, agricultural food processing, mineral extraction and processing among others.
Many top Chinese institutes and universities including Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, China National Rice Research Institute and Wuhan Institute of Virology among others will cooperate with Pakistan to make these centers of excellence a success story, he added.
"I have a long and cordial association with China, and these centers of excellence will form linkages of young Pakistani scientists with China too, and they will act as an engine of scientific advancement for Pakistan by learning from China."
Sharing his vision regarding the potential of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in development of science and technology in the country, the professor said that Pakistan should form joint industrial ventures in high-tech manufacturing with China to benefit from Chinese technological advancement and the Pakistani government is also working towards that direction in special economic zones.

China won’t adjust global quota on wheat, corn and rice for US trade deal
 -
Jan 07, 03:59 GMT
China’s Vice Agriculture Minister Han Jun told Caixin media that the country is not going to adjust overall annual quota for the three staple food despite the US-China trade deal phase one. The annual quotas are 9.64 million tonnes for wheat, 7.2 million tonnes for corn and 5.32 million tonnes for rice.
“This is a global quota. We will not adjust for one country,” Han said. “China imports wheat, corn and rice from the international market, mainly to moderate the domestic surplus”. Han’s comments were in line with some expectations that China has to cut imports from other markets to accommodate the agreed increase in US agricultural products.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He has scheduled to travel to Washington from January 13 to 15, to sign the phase one trade deal with the US.

Rice Prices

as on : 07-01-2020 04:22:30 PM

Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
Arrivals
Price
Current
%
change
Season
cumulative
Modal
Prev.
Modal
Prev.Yr
%change
Rice
Bangalore(Kar)
3204.00
-
61030.00
4350
-
1.16
Siliguri(WB)
2667.00
-
2667.00
3800
-
-
Sultanpur(UP)
450.00
-
3070.00
2375
-
0.21
Shahjahanpur(UP)
310.00
-
1125.00
2735
-
16.38
Manjeri(Ker)
290.00
-
4350.00
3500
-
NC
Hardoi(UP)
260.00
-
4640.00
2440
-
8.93
Sehjanwa(UP)
250.00
NC
975.00
2490
2480
15.28
Gondal(UP)
154.00
-
2376.50
2440
-
-3.17
Bindki(UP)
150.00
-
3319.00
2390
-
-
Kanpur(Grain)(UP)
130.00
-
2330.00
2325
-
9.41
Mainpuri(UP)
128.00
-
2094.50
2525
-
-7.17
Pilibhit(UP)
113.00
-
45703.00
2570
-
10.54
Azamgarh(UP)
105.00
-
1099.00
2450
-
9.38
Bharthna(UP)
100.00
-
1748.00
2580
-
10.26
Barhaj(UP)
100.00
-
4510.00
2420
-
5.22
Lucknow(UP)
98.00
-
1847.00
2575
-
10.52
Ballia(UP)
90.00
-
1015.00
2360
-
NC
Choubepur(UP)
88.00
-
506.65
2400
-
-6.80
Agra(UP)
87.00
-
1702.00
2530
-
0.40
Barabanki(UP)
85.00
-
359.00
2400
-
-
Aligarh(UP)
80.00
-
1615.00
2550
-
2.00
Muzzafarnagar(UP)
75.00
-
2731.00
2700
-
-2.53
Thodupuzha(Ker)
70.00
-
1190.00
2900
-
-3.33
Mathura(UP)
66.00
-
1204.00
2580
-
-9.79
Allahabad(UP)
65.00
-
840.50
2550
-
10.87
Bahraich(UP)
63.50
-
344.80
2450
-
3.81
Fatehpur(UP)
61.90
-
859.10
2375
-
4.63
Gazipur(UP)
55.00
-1.79
1250.00
3130
3130
6.10
Madhoganj(UP)
55.00
-
1823.00
2330
-
14.78
Kalna(WB)
51.50
-
683.50
2300
-
-23.33
Kicchha(Utr)
50.70
-
369.90
2200
-
-
Etawah(UP)
50.00
-
1727.50
2575
-
10.28
Hapur(UP)
50.00
-
110.00
2750
-
-0.72
Sahiyapur(UP)
50.00
-20.63
1142.00
2530
2530
13.20
Kayamganj(UP)
50.00
-
912.00
2760
-
11.74
Jayas(UP)
47.00
-
448.00
1950
-
-2.50
Beldanga(WB)
45.00
12.5
575.00
2650
2650
NC
Kandi(WB)
45.00
NC
450.00
2610
2610
6.53
Saharanpur(UP)
44.00
-
1064.00
2700
-
-2.35
Bareilly(UP)
43.00
-
841.00
2580
-
10.26
Islampur(WB)
40.00
-
444.00
3450
-
-
Bankura Sadar(WB)
38.00
-5
954.00
2600
2600
-
Faizabad(UP)
37.50
-
338.50
2360
-
6.07
Vasai(Mah)
36.00
-
738.00
3460
-
2.22
Lalitpur(UP)
36.00
-
721.50
2450
-
-7.20
Raiganj(WB)
35.00
-
353.00
3350
-
-
Bhivandi(Mah)
32.00
-
605.00
1950
-
-40.91
Atarra(UP)
30.00
-
346.50
2200
-
-
Basti(UP)
30.00
-
521.50
2520
-
13.77
Khalilabad(UP)
30.00
-14.29
470.00
2550
2525
-
Lakhimpur(UP)
30.00
-
808.00
2400
-
6.67
Kopaganj(UP)
29.00
-
515.00
2455
-
10.84
Chhibramau(Kannuj)(UP)
29.00
-
359.00
2740
-
9.60
Karsiyang(Matigara)(WB)
26.80
-
285.40
4000
-
33.33
Jaunpur(UP)
26.50
-
478.50
2345
-
1.52
Puranpur(UP)
26.00
-
1318.50
2540
-
35.83
Pratapgarh(UP)
25.50
-
175.00
2460
-
-
Badayoun(UP)
25.00
66.67
488.50
2620
2625
11.02
Raibareilly(UP)
25.00
-
731.00
2400
-
11.11
Sitapur(UP)
25.00
-
478.50
2450
-
8.89
Dadri(UP)
25.00
-
700.00
2850
-
2.52
Mangalore(Kar)
24.00
-
143.00
3700
-
-
Jhijhank(UP)
24.00
-
74.00
2260
-
-
Shamli(UP)
22.00
-
239.50
2700
-
-
Arasikere(Kar)
20.00
-
20.00
2000
-
-
Falakata(WB)
20.00
-
320.00
2600
-
-1.89
Indus(Bankura Sadar)(WB)
20.00
-16.67
622.00
2800
2800
1.82
Durgapur(WB)
19.40
2.11
354.25
2720
2720
-
Asansol(WB)
18.50
-2.63
393.69
2820
2820
-6.00
Farukhabad(UP)
18.00
-
455.00
2750
-
3.77
Shahganj(UP)
18.00
-
35.00
2430
-
-
Soharatgarh(UP)
17.00
-
1037.00
2520
-
12.00
Naanpara(UP)
17.00
-
342.90
2230
-
-3.04
Sirsaganj(UP)
16.50
-
286.50
2630
-
-4.71
Ghatal(WB)
16.00
-
205.00
2700
-
8.00
Devariya(UP)
15.00
-
351.00
2550
-
17.78
Medinipur(West)(WB)
15.00
-
33.00
3000
-
9.09
Robertsganj(UP)
14.00
-
85.60
2360
-
4.42
Chintamani(Kar)
13.00
-
248.00
2600
-
-
Fatehabad(UP)
12.50
-
104.30
2320
-
4.50
Auraiya(UP)
12.00
-
163.30
2580
-
19.44
Shikohabad(UP)
12.00
-
153.00
2250
-
-12.79
Shahabad(New Mandi)(UP)
12.00
-
12.00
2400
-
-
Rasda(UP)
12.00
-
39.00
233
-
16.50
Bethuadahari(WB)
12.00
-
50.50
3800
-
5.56
Ramkrishanpur(Howrah)(WB)
11.50
-
55.90
3000
-
NC
Bangarmau(UP)
11.00
-
118.10
2650
-
17.78
Karvi(UP)
11.00
37.5
254.00
2315
2330
5.23
Sheoraphuly(WB)
10.30
-
31.10
3100
-
NC
Partaval(UP)
10.00
-
270.50
2400
-
-
Kalyani(WB)
10.00
-
59.50
3400
-
NC
Dahod(Guj)
9.50
-
394.50
4100
-
-2.38
Tamkuhi Road(UP)
9.50
-24
236.30
2150
2150
NC
Ajuha(UP)
9.00
-
61.00
2525
-
-
Paliakala(UP)
8.50
-
136.50
2290
-
1.33
Kasganj(UP)
8.00
-
276.50
2560
-
4.92
Puwaha(UP)
8.00
-
108.70
2650
-
12.53
Lalganj(UP)
7.80
11.43
132.10
2000
2000
-
Safdarganj(UP)
7.00
-
331.00
2350
-
2.17
Nadia(WB)
7.00
-
150.00
3850
-
-6.10
Bharwari(UP)
6.60
-
6.60
2520
-
-
Khurja(UP)
6.00
-
154.70
2640
-
0.96
Badda(UP)
5.50
-
20.20
2650
-
-
Tundla(UP)
5.00
-
80.50
2565
-
0.98
Baberu(UP)
4.00
-
36.50
2280
-
6.05
Achalda(UP)
4.00
-
75.10
2550
-
15.38
Tulsipur(UP)
4.00
-
33.70
2425
-
-
Uluberia(WB)
3.60
-
14.10
2900
-
-
Kosikalan(UP)
3.50
-28.57
98.20
2500
2540
-5.30
Buland Shahr(UP)
3.50
-
82.50
2670
-
2.69
Jahangirabad(UP)
3.00
-
82.50
2500
-
-4.76
Khair(UP)
3.00
-
24.10
2550
-
1.19
Charra(UP)
2.80
-
36.60
2530
-
1.20
Ranaghat(WB)
2.80
-
37.10
3800
-
5.56
Fatehpur Sikri(UP)
2.60
-
21.90
2510
-
-1.38
Anandnagar(UP)
2.40
4.35
84.40
2560
2555
13.78
Muskara(UP)
1.60
-
25.50
2360
-
4.42
Gadaura(UP)
1.40
-65
152.10
2300
2400
9.52
Mawana(UP)
1.30
-
25.30
2670
-
-
Jasra(UP)
1.20
-
1.20
2650
-
-
Penugonda(Mah)
1.00
-
17.00
4090
-
0.25
Alibagh(Mah)
1.00
NC
40.00
4200
4200
-41.67
Murud(Mah)
1.00
NC
40.00
4200
4200
-41.67
Bilsi(UP)
1.00
-
3.40
2520
-
-
Ujhani(UP)
1.00
-
18.80
2600
-
15.04
Gurusarai(UP)
0.90
-
5.80
2500
-
8.70
Achnera(UP)
0.80
-
11.60
2550
-
NC
Published on January 07, 2020

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Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- January 7, 2020
JANUARY 7, 2020 / 2:27 PM /
* * * * * *
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-January 7, 2020 Nagpur, Jan 7 (Reuters) – Gram prices firmed up again in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Company (APMC) here on increased buying support from local millers amid weak supply from producing region. Fresh hike on NCDEX, good recovery in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and enquiries from South-based millers also boosted prices, according to sources 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 reported down in open market here on lack of demand from local

traders.

* Moong varieties reported strong in open market here on good buying support

from local traders amid weak arrival from producing belt.

* In Akola, Tuar New – 5,200-5,400, Tuar dal (clean) – 8,100-8,300, Udid Mogar (clean)

– 9,500-10,700, Moong Mogar (clean) 9,000-9,800, Gram – 4,200-4,300, Gram Super best

– 5,500-5,700 * 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 3,700-4,130 3,650-4,000

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

Tuar Auction n.a. 4,700-5,000

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 2,150-2,210 2,100-2,210

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

Gram Super Best Bold 5,500-6,000 5,500-6,000

Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.

Gram Medium Best 5,000-5,300 5,000-5,300

Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a

Gram Mill Quality 4,500-4,600 4,500-4,600

Desi gram Raw 4,450-4,550 4,450-4,550

Gram Kabuli 8,500-10,000 8,500-10,000

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

Tuar Fataka Medium-New 7,500-7,800 7,500-7,800

Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 7,400-7,600 7,400-7,600

Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 6,600-7,100 6,600-7,100

Tuar Gavarani New 5,300-5,400 5,300-5,400

Tuar Karnataka 5,550-5,600 5,550-5,600

Masoor dal best 6,000-6,200 6,000-6,200

Masoor dal medium 5,600-5,800 5,600-5,800

Masoor n.a. n.a.

Moong Mogar bold (New) 9,500-10,200 9,200-9,700

Moong Mogar Medium 8,500-9,200 8,000-8,500

Moong dal Chilka New 8,000-9,200 7,500-8,500

Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.

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

Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 10,000-11,000 10,000-11,000

Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 8,500-9,500 8,500-9,500

Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 7,200-7,700 7,200-7,700

Mot (100 INR/KG) 6,000-7,500 6,000-7,500

Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 5,000-5,300 5,000-5,300

Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 6,000-6,200 6,000-6,200

Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 12,000-12,500 12,000-12,500

Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,450 2,350-2,450

Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300

Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,700-2,800 2,700-2,800

Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,700-2,850 2,700-2,850

Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600

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

MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,600-4,200 3,600-4,200

MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,800-3,200

Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500

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

Rice BPT medium new(100 INR/KG) 2,700-3,000 2,700-3,000

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

Rice Swarna best new (100 INR/KG) 2,700-2,900 2,700-2,900

Rice Swarna medium new (100 INR/KG)2,400-2,600 2,400-2,600

Rice HMT best new (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,200 4,000-4,200

Rice HMT medium new (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,000 3,800-4,000

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

Rice Shriram med new (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,900 4,500-4,900

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) 5,600-6,000 5,600-6,000

Rice Chinnor medium new(100 INR/KG)5,300-5,500 5,300-5,500

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. 25.0 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 12.0 degree Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky with one or two spells of rains or thunder-showers. Maximum and minimum temperature likely to be around 26 degree Celsius and 14 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.—not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices)

Indian basmati rice export to Iran suffers amid crisis in West Asia
WION Web Team New Delhi, India Jan 07, 2020, 02.03 PM(IST) Edited By: Bharat Sharma
·        
Following the latest escalation in the Iran-United States conflict, India's 'basmati rice' trade to Iran has come to a halt.
Iran, the largest buyer of premium rice from India has witnessed setbacks. The insurers are unable to provide cover to shipments. Iran is the largest buyer of the premium rice from India, and the situation has arisen at the onset of the procurement period by the West Asian country.
In this volatile situation, payments for any shipments will also be delayed by several months.
The All India Rice Exporters Association President Nathi Ram Gupta said that the payments were delayed by five months last year and that exporters are no longer willing to take risks. About Rs 900 crore worth of payments is still pending from the rice that was exported until June 2019.
The basmati rice from India is part of the stape cereal food in Iran. Between 2018-2019, Iran had imported 1.48 million tonnes of basmati rice from India. But in the current year, exporters are circumspect over the delay in payments.
Some of the global basmati buyers other than Iran have increased their purchase this season, as they had anticipated volatility in prices in the coming months.
Watch: Oil prices top $70 a barrel amid West Asia conflict
The rising hostilities in the US-Iran relations have dampened the scope of a revival in basmati trade.
The fears of oil supply disruption also led to possibilities of pressures after US President Donald Trump threatened sanctions on Iraq, the second-largest producer among the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Irani parliament voted in favour of expelling the US and foreign troops.
A day earlier, Iran said it no longer considers itself bound by the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated with the United States and other world powers in the fallout from the killing of General Qasim Soleimani.
(With inputs from ANI)

Nudge didn’t work, agriculture ministry now has a plan to force paddy farmers to diversify

Plan for paddy states with severely depleted groundwater levels is part of 5-yr vision document that agriculture ministry will present before PM Modi this week.

SAMYAK PANDEY 7 January, 2020 10:31 am IST


Description: A file photo of villagers walking down rice fields (Representational image) | CommonsA file photo of villagers walking down rice fields (Representational image) | Commons
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New Delhi: If the Union Ministry of Agriculture has its way, farmers in traditional rice-producing states where groundwater levels have significantly dropped will find themselves forced to look beyond paddy.
With promotional exercises failing to effect a shift among farmers in states such as Punjab and Haryana, where heavy cultivation of water-intensive paddy has severely depleted groundwater levels, the ministry wants to enforce crop diversification by shrinking the central government’s assured quota of rice purchased from these regions, ThePrint has learnt.
The proposal also seeks to cover other rice producing states facing a similar problem, such as Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, two ministry officials familiar with the proposal told ThePrint. It is part of a five-year vision document that the agriculture ministry will present before Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week.
Currently, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) procures a fixed quota of rice from several states every kharif season for the National Food Security Mission, which was launched in 2007-08 to boost the production of paddy, wheat and pulses.
For example, of the total 42.99 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of non-basmati paddy produced in Haryana every kharif season, the FCI procures approximately 39.4 lakh MT.
In Punjab, the figure stands at 113.34 MT of 133.64 MT.
According to one of the ministry officials ThePrint spoke to, estimates suggest diversification to less water-intensive crops could save 20,000 to 30,000 lakh litres of water each kharif season in Punjab and Haryana alone. “This roughly translates to savings of Rs 27 crore in subsidies in transplanting season alone,” the official said.


A matter of water

India is the world’s second largest producer of rice and almost all states cultivate paddy. But in states like Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, excessive reliance on irrigation has severely depleted groundwater levels.
The vision document cites a 2018 study by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, a Delhi-based think tank, to explain the water crisis in some rice-growing states.
The study titled ‘Water Productivity Mapping of Major Indian Crops’ said, “…the high rice-producing north western-region of India comprising Punjab and Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh have been globally identified as the water risk hotspots thereby raising serious concerns regarding the medium-to-long term sustainability of irrigated rice production in India.” 
It added: “This water issue will, in turn, affect the food security of India as the region contributes to above 50 per cent of the national stock of the staple rice in the country.”
Speaking to ThePrint, the two ministry officials said the states mentioned above consume “excessively large quantities of irrigation water causing water stress and economic distress”. Over 90 per cent of rice cultivation in these states is believed to rely on irrigation.
The new proposal, the officials said, seeks to reduce the area under rice cultivation in water-scarce states and provide subsidies to other producers, such as Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Odisha, to bridge any shortfall.
According to the vision document, accessed by ThePrint, each unit of applied water for rice has higher productivity in these states, but the crop is often under-irrigated here or vulnerable to monsoon.
“The central government must increase the procurement quota from these states while increasing other incentives like power subsidies and providing access to mandis and warehouses at cheaper rates,” said one of the officials.

Diversification lags

The first official ThePrint spoke to said farmers in Punjab and Haryana had failed to diversify despite extensive promotion by the respective state governments.
“The acreage in Haryana under paddy crop in kharif 2019-20 was around 10 lakh hectares, down from 11.87 lakh hectare of kharif 2018-19. Compared to this, cotton-sowing just rose from 6.65 lakh hectares to 6.76 lakh hectares,” the official added.
In Punjab, only 1 lakh hectares of rice land was diversified to other crops like cotton and maize, the official said.
“There is a need for farmers in these states to shift to crops that are less water-intensive and do not put further stress on depleting groundwater levels,” the official added.


(The report has been updated to accurately reflect the amount of water that can be saved after diversification of crops.)
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182 rice traders certified as eligible for rice exports

Update: January, 07/2020 - 09:02

Description: https://image.vietnamnews.vn/uploadvnnews/Article/ngoc_bich/2020/1/6/gao-1.jpg
Decree 107/2018/NĐ-CP on conditions for rice exports has removed barriers for rice exporting businesses. — Photo baotintuc.vn
HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Industry and Trade has granted 47 certificates of eligibility to rice export businesses over the past year, lifting the number of rice exporters to 182 traders.
The move is part of the Government’s efforts to create favourable conditions for rice traders, improve the competitiveness of Vietnamese rice traders and develop the rice industry sustainably, according to the ministry’s Import-Export Department.
The department recently reported the assessment of the rice industry after more than one year of implementing a new decree which took effect in October, 2018 on conditions for rice exports.
The decree reduced barriers for rice exporting businesses, including by removing requirements such as having rice warehouses and milling and processing establishments; and allowing traders to rent storage, grinding, milling and processing facilities.
Việt Nam’s rice exporters have contributed to bringing Việt Nam’s high quality rice to more than 150 countries and territories around the world, the department said.
In recent years, many rice importing countries have made profound changes in policies for rice products, focusing on consumers. In bidding for rice exports under the government-to-private sector (G2P), the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade has announced information about  bidding to traders through mass media and the Việt Nam Food Association.
All rice exporting businesses can participate in bidding, the department said.
In addition, the ministry is providing information of supply-demand in both domestic and global markets, facilitating the bidding decision-making process of traders, ensuring export efficiency and the prestige of Vietnamese rice exports.
For rice trading promotion, the ministry has advocated diversifying and innovating trade promotion activities, focusing on markets based on specific rice products, helping Vietnamese rice traders find and build relationships with reputable foreign partners, and ensuring stable and long-term business. 
According to the department, restructuring rice production and other agricultural products needs to follow market signals. The strengthening of the value chain between production, consumption and export has also helped stabilise consumption, increasing farmers' income.
As a result, despite difficulties in Asia in 2019, Vietnamese rice has boosted exports to markets in Africa, Europe and the Americas.
However, Việt Nam’s rice export value declined in 2019, with nearly 6.3 million tonnes worth US$2.76 billion being exported, up 3 per cent in volume but down 10 per cent in value compared to 2018. The main reason was the falling price in global markets.
The rice price in November fell 12.6 per cent year-on-year, averaging $439.3 per tonne. — VNS

China won’t hike grain import quotas for U.S. trade deal: report

REUTERS
REUTERS
PUBLISHED 15 HOURS AGOUPDATED JANUARY 7, 2020
00:00
Voice
Description: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/resizer/hZZYSsy_iZYQ6TiE5A3u0UW3ahQ=/620x0/filters:quality(80)/arc-anglerfish-tgam-prod-tgam.s3.amazonaws.com/public/CH5AVDNLFBNNXP37ITKGWJINYU.JPGChinese Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Jun is seen during a news conference on the state of trade negotiations with U.S. in Beijing, China on Dec. 13, 2019.
JASON LEE/REUTERS
China will not increase its annual low-tariff import quotas for corn, wheat and rice to accommodate stepped-up purchases of farm goods from the United States, senior agriculture official Han Jun said on Tuesday, according to local media group Caixin.
The move could make it harder for Beijing to meet import commitments in a Phase 1 trade deal due to be signed next week. U.S. President Donald Trump said last month the agreement would likely double China’s $24 billion in pre-trade war purchases to $40-$50 billion annually.
China has not confirmed the amount.
Han’s comments underline China’s desire to protect its farmers even as it is under pressure to dramatically boost purchases of U.S. agricultural goods.
“If they’re going to buy at least $40 billion worth of U.S. products, they’re going to have to maximize all of those quotas for major commodities and take it all from the United States. And there lies the problem,” said Terry Reilly, senior commodities analyst with Futures International.
Purchasing exclusively from the United States, instead of export rivals such as Brazil and lower-cost suppliers like Ukraine, would distort global grain markets and raise costs for Chinese grain importers, he said. Feed grain demand has also dropped as African swine fever has killed about half of China’s hog herd, he said.
Traders and analysts said the announcement appeared to be aimed at local concerns in China.
“This is soothing market nerves here,” said Meng Jinhui, a corn analyst with Shengda Futures. “I think the market is worried about a blow from the possible increase of grain imports, and that (message) has gone to the high leadership.”
Han, a vice agriculture minister and part of the negotiating team, said last month China would buy more U.S. wheat, rice and corn, leading to speculation that Beijing could increase annual quotas on the amount of wheat, corn and rice that can be imported at a tariff rate of 1%.
Han was quoted by Caixin as saying the quota is offered to global markets and “we won’t adjust it for one country.”
In 2017, before the trade war started, purchases of the three grains from the United States amounted to around $534 million, leaving room for a significant rise in imports within the existing quotas.
“Although there’s certainly types of high-quality wheat that China would look to import, maxing out the tariff rate quota would also weigh on domestic producers,” said Darin Friedrichs, senior Asia analyst at INTL FCStone, in a note late on Monday.
“China will be facing a tough balancing act of trying to satisfy the U.S. demands for large agriculture purchases, while also not hurting the rural population.”
Increasing sales of meat, ethanol, distillers grains and soybeans are likely to be more important for reaching the U.S. target for doubling farm exports to China, said Shengda’s Meng.
Soybeans, which are not covered by the grain quotas, made up more than half of China’s agricultural purchases from the United States before the trade war. The nation’s need for soybeans used to feed livestock has decreased as a deadly pig disease known as African Swine Fever has decimated China’s hog herd. The country has been increasing meat imports, however.
China’s annual quotas are 9.64 million tonnes for wheat, 7.2 million tonnes for corn and 5.32 million tonnes for rice.
The quota system has been heavily criticized by the United States, which last year won a World Trade Organisation ruling that China violated its obligation to administer the quota on a fair basis.
The agriculture ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rice exports: enjoy while it lasts
If there is one key take from SBP's first quarter “State of the Economy" report for FY20, it is that rice is now the undisputed king of Pakistan's kharif economy. At over three million hectares, the paddy crop is well-ahead of all other competitors. Paddy's success has come about thanks to a multitude of factors, chief among them beings its lower cost of production compared to substitutes. According to indicative production costs calculated by Punjab's Agriculture Marketing Information Service department, indicative cost per acre during FY19 for both basmati and IRRI varieties were less than fifty thousand rupees. This is lower in comparison to indicative costs for all other major seasonal crops such as maize, seed cotton, or sugarcane, whose production costs ranges between rupees sixty to hundred thousand per acre. At the same time, recovery in international demand for domestic basmati varieties, coupled with stability in international price trends has helped propel cultivation of paddy, as growers kept up plantation momentum from previous year. Note that Pakistan exports over half of its domestically produced rice, but its profile has dramatically changed over the past decade. Until FY09, basmati varieties used to be the primary value contributor to rice exports, thanks to higher unit price that traded at a premium of 2.5 times over IRRI category. The latter varieties in turn contributed the bulk of export volume. Over the following ten years, Pakistan lost its basmati advantage as the premium between average export unit prices of basmati and IRRI fell to as low as 1.68 times. The watershed moment came in FY16 when basmati rate in the international market fell below the $800 per ton psychological barrier, last seen in FY07. Since then, basmati price in the international market are on a recovery trend that saw a brief touch and go moment with $1,200 per ton in May 2017. However, the opportunity was largely missed as during the intervening period Pakistan had lost much ground in the premium rice category to exporters from neighbouring India. But fortunes finally begin to smile on Pakistan's basmati at the close of 2018 when EU regulations on fungicide acceptability levels in food products saw a revision. Background discussions indicate that basmati rice originating from India has higher tricylazole levels, a chemical spray heavily used on paddy crop to fight fungal pests. As a result, Indian exporters begin to find it hard to maintain market share, leaving open field for Pakistani exporters. The explanation also appears to draw support from trade data sheet, which indicates 80 percent growth in basmati export volumes in 5MFY20.
At the same time, average unit price fetched by rice exporters has fallen compared to same period last year, as differential between basmati and IRRI rates appears to have trimmed down. Nevertheless, basmati's success may prove to be short-lived. Rice exporters note that Indian basmati enjoyed the added benefit of GI-tagging, short for geographical identification, which allowed use of basmati label by varieties grown in limited regions such as state of Haryana only. Indian regulatory efforts at market restriction allowed Haryana basmati to command additional premium, until the revised fungicide rules took effect in EU. But it is only a matter of time before the Indian rice value chain ensures that rice growing practices comply with revised international regulations for chemical sprays. In the meanwhile, if Pakistan fails to make any efforts at developing a legislative framework for GI-tagging for its basmati, it may once again have to cede space to its perpetual frenemy in the basmati race as well.


Myanmar signs new contract to export rice to China
MANDALAY- Mandalay Rice Development Company signed a new MoU aiming to export 50,000 tons of rice to China, according to the Mandalay Rice Development Company. The Mandalay Rice Development Company had an agreement with Shwe Charnt Company from China to export 100,000 tons of rice to China in 2019. However, the company will be exporting the rice to China via the new Chin Shwe Haw road. In the past, rice exports to China mainly go from Muse Road. “There have been two companies namely Mandalay Rice Development Company and Muse Rice Development Company. The two companies were exporting rice to China via Muse road. We are now concentrating on border trade. We had signed MoU with the company exporting 100,000 tons of rice. However, we already exported 5,000 tons of rice out of 100,000 because we faced many difficulties. The first difficulty is the company that signed MoU with us wasn’t rice traders and they didn’t understand the rice dealings. However, we were getting much more familiar with the rice dealings. It is inconvenient. So, we would like to urge the government to connect the rice dealing company with us. Now, we sing a new contract with the rice dealing company exporting 50,000 tons of rice. But, we are going to export the rice to China via new route Chin Shwe Haw road. We are trying to export the rice to China in the coming week,” said Managing Director Sai Kyaw from Mandalay Rice Development Company. Myanmar earned over US$650 million from more than 2.16 million tons of rice and broken rice in 11 months in this FY and it is less than over 780,000 tons of rice and broken rice exported in the same period in last year. Myanmar earned US$1.003 billion in the same period in last FY, said an official from the Ministry of Commerce. Myanmar found new markets for its rice export in 2017-18 FY and about 3.6 million tons of rice are exported which broke the record in 50 years’ time. The rice export is declined in this FY as rice demand from EU and China is reduced.

Golden Rice Approved as Safe for Consumption in the Philippines

The genetically modified crop could help combat the country’s vitamin A deficiency

 Engineered with genes that boost its beta-carotene content, golden rice (top) comes with a yellowish hue that makes it stand out from typical white rice (bottom) (International Rice Research Institute
 Nutrient-rich golden rice—a genetically-modified, amber-hued crop—has passed a rigorous biosafety assessment in the Philippines, where it may soon be distributed to combat the country’s widespread vitamin A deficiency. The plant is engineered to be packed with beta-carotene, an orange pigment that the body converts into the essential nutrient vitamin A.

Declared “as safe as conventional rice” by the Department of Agriculture in December, golden rice can now be legally consumed and processed. The stamp of approval makes it the first GMO crop created to combat a public health issue in a lower-income country, reports Steve Baragona for Voice of America. In a statement, congressperson Sharon Garin of the Phillipines' House of Representatives praised the development as “a victory for science, agriculture and all Filipinos,” according to Charissa Luci-Atienza at the Manila Bulletin. The Philippines is one of several lower-income countries with widespread vitamin A deficiency, a dietary condition that can cause blindness and hamstring the immune system. More than half a million children die from the deficiency each year, in large part because they don’t consume enough beta-carotene, which is present in only scant amounts in staple grains like rice. While vitamin A supplements have found their way into many afflicted countries, roughly 20 percent of children under the age of five remain deficient in the Philippines. To fill in the gap, researchers have pushed for the introduction of low-cost crops rich in beta-carotene. Golden rice, first unveiled as a prototype in 1999, fits the bill: Adding less than a cup of the grain to a child’s diet could meet up to half of their daily needs. But by the end of 2018, nearly two decades since the plant’s arrival on the scientific scene, only a handful of countries—Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States, all high-income nations with few vitamin A issues—had deemed it safe to grow and eat en masse, reports Michael Le Page for New Scientist. Much of the resistance in these countries and others, Le Page writes, has come from groups campaigning against GMOs and their alleged negative effects on health. That makes the Philippines’ approval of the crop a huge milestone, especially amidst false rumors that its beta-carotene would break down into cancer-causing chemicals, Le Page reports. (As safety assessments continue, Bangladesh may be next in line.) But the recent news has also been met with pushback: Late last month, environmental organization Greenpeace appealed the Department of Agriculture to overturn its decision, citing a lack of data and transparency in the approval process. In an interview with Louise Maureen Simeon at the Philippine Star, Adrian Dubock, an executive at the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board, disputed the claims. “They examined in detail all the evidence submitted by the Philippine Rice Research Institute and the International Rice Research Institute and found that there was no potential to cause harm from Golden Rice consumed as food, or animal feed, including in processed form,” Dubock tells Simeon. Scientific consensus has long held that golden rice—as well as other GMOs on the market—are safe to plant, process and eat. The crop’s successful safety clearance, officials hope, will help quell the controversy. “We are trying to dispel the notion that commercially-produced biofortified goods are potentially dangerous,” Garin said in the statement. 
While useful, golden rice shouldn’t be considered a panacea, Bill Freese, science policy analyst at the Center for Food Safety, tells Baragona. Another priority involves diversifying the diets of people in countries suffering from these deficiencies with more fruits and vegetables, he says. Such a shift, however, would take more time and effort, and perhaps a larger cultural change. As a possible substitute for white rice, golden rice might more seamlessly integrate into the diet, explains Dubock in an interview with Baragona. But the golden grain won’t be served to the Filipino public just yet. The crop has yet to get the green light for commercial propagation—a necessary step for farmers to plant it in their fields. The International Rice Research Institute, the Philippine-based organization developing the country’s golden rice, plans to submit its application for approval early this year.

2020:  The Year of Rice?  


ARLINGTON, VA -- With the end of each year comes reviews of the past and bold predictions for the future, and this holds true for the culinary world as well.  

"After a thorough review of culinary predictions for the upcoming year, we've compiled a list of 2019 highlights to build on and 2020 culinary trends that present a huge opportunity for U.S.-grown rice," said Cameron Jacobs, USA Rice director of domestic promotion.

Culinary experts and food & hospitality researchers from a plethora of sources including The New York Times, Whole Foods, Delish.com, and Bon Appetit, all had a rice recipe in their "most popular recipes of 2019" roundup.  
The New York Times cited Tomato Risotto, and Vinegar Chicken, and Turmeric Coconut Rice with Greens among their top 50 recipes from last year, while Delish.com called out Classic Stuffed Peppers, and Bon Appetit listed Chicken and Rice Soup with Garlicky Chile Oil as a 2019 fan favorite.

When foodservice experts try to figure out "The Next Big Thing" for food they look at dining trends and survey shoppers to point the way forward.

According to the International Food Information Council's annual Food and Heath Survey, environmental sustainability is important for today's consumers along with other factors such as ingredient labeling, production methods, and packaging.  Concepts like soil health and regenerative agriculture, or "giving back to the land" rather than just conserving resources, have the potential to gain traction in 2020.
 
Plant-based diets are another trend slated to become more commonplace, and Source Eater.com predicts restaurant brands will broaden the way they market items beyond healthy eating and create proprietary plant-based products to differentiate from competitors and reduce expenses.  The array of interesting flours entering the market for both restaurants and home pantries promises to make "super flours" filled with protein and fiber a key ingredient.

Rice-based cuisines of Japan, India, Laos, West Africa, and Vietnam remain popular, and healthy items on kids' menus will incorporate more global flavors with an emphasis on whole grains for nutrition.

"It would appear, working from this list, U.S.-grown rice has endless opportunities that could be capitalized on," said Jacobs.  "From an increased focus on sustainability to the rise of plant-based diets to rice-oriented global cuisines to enhanced kids' menus, 2020 should be a great year for rice."

USA RICE Daily

A funding boost to develop rice for the future