China to buy 1m tonnes surplus rice
10 Aug 2015
WRITER: DPA
Sacks
of rice are moved at a warehouse. China has agreed to purchase 1 million tonnes
of surplus grain accumulated under the defunct rice-pledging scheme. (Photo by
Walailak Keeratipipatpong)
China
will buy a million tonnes of rice from the country’s huge stockpile accumulated
under the previous government’s subsidy scheme, authorities said Monday.Commerce
Minister General Chatchai Sarikulya told reporters that China had agreed during
his visit to Beijing last week to purchase the rice.China would buy the rice
"at market price" the minister said, adding that there would be
further negotiations for another million tonnes in September.
Iran was
also interested in buying rice from Thailand, Mr Chatchai said. Bangkok Post
Rains
beneficial for major crops
Sindh’s agriculture officials said they earlier received
complaints of pest attacks on cotton, with farmers going for repeated sprays.
So the rains have come as a boon as they will wash out pests like jassid,
thrips and whitefly. —APP/FileTHE current spell of monsoon rains has remained
largely beneficial for kharif crops so far, except for areas where breaches
occurred owing to the mismanagement of saline water drains by the irrigation
authorities.And there are further forecasts of rains.However, the floodwater,
which has inundated almost the entire katcha area from Guddu upstream to Kotri
downstream, will improve soil fertility. And farmers will grow wheat in the
winter once the water recedes.
Sindh’s agriculture officials
said they earlier received complaints of pest attacks on cotton, with farmers
going for repeated sprays. So the rains have come as a boon as they will wash
out pests like jassid, thrips and whitefly
The availability of water remained largely satisfactory in the
current kharif season, and even before the rains there were only a few
complaints about water shortage from areas like the Naseer division in
Mirpurkhas. The monsoon rains will not only do way with the issue of water shortage
but also help eliminate pest attacks on the cotton crop.The farmers consider
one or two showers equivalent to two bags of urea for crops and orchards. The
rains may pose the risk of discolouring and shedding, and the matured bolls may
be damaged. However, it will be followed by a healthy flowering and
fruit-setting. The next picking would make up for the initial damage.
Agriculture officials said they earlier received complaints of
pest attacks on the cotton crop — which is being grown on 648,000 hectares (ha)
against the targeted 650,000ha — with the farmers going for repeated sprays. So
the rains have come as a boon as they would wash out pests like jassid, thrips
and whitefly.
Meanwhile, crops like sugarcane and paddy — both high delta
crops — are also set to benefit from the current rains. Around 85pc (635,000ha)
of paddy’s sowing target (750,000ha) for the season has been achieved.The
accumulation of rainwater will, however, damage the crop in low lying areas due
to non-existent or non-functional drainage systems. The paddy growers in upper
Sindh had gone for late sowing of the hybrid variety to avoid the heat wave.
Nurseries of local varieties had been prepared and transplanted on time.And the
rainfall has not been that heavy in upper Sindh, confirms Gada Hussain Mahesar,
a rice grower and farmers’ representative from Larkana. “Even otherwise, after
a long gap we got timely water flows to prepare our nurseries, and the
transplantation also took place on time.”
Reports of recent damages to the paddy transplanted in some
parts of Tando Mohammad Khan and Badin have been received. At this initial
stage, the plant doesn’t usually attain sufficient height to sustain
rainwater.Nabi Bux Sathio says the cotton and paddy crops have been hit in low
lying areas like Bulri Shah Karim, Golarchi and Badin taluka, as the saline
water drains didn’t drain out the rainwater. “On an overall basis, the rains
have been good for the crops,” he says.Meanwhile, sugarcane has been sown on
313,000ha, exceeding the target of 300,000ha.Farmers in lower Sindh say the
onion, chilli and tomato crops have been badly hit. Dundi cut chilli would be
affected as it usually faces post-rain diseases. Its hybrid variety is at the
harvesting stage, while the dundi cut crop is still at the fruiting stage. A
loss of around 15-20pc is feared for the dundi cut chilli crop in low lying
areas.
Karamullah Saand, a grower from Mirpurkhas, said the losses to
the chilli crop, mainly the dundi cut variety, are just being reported.“The
hybrid variety has some sort of resistance against diseases and it can sustain
rainwater to some extent as well. So there are no chances of losses to the
hybrid variety at this stage.“But if the rainwater remains standing in the
fields for a longer period, it will hit the hybrid variety too.” He adds that
even the banana can be damaged if the water stagnates in the orchards.The
nurseries of onions and tomatoes have also been lightly hit. Tomato cultivation
is quite scattered, while the sowing of onions has been partially delayed due
to the rains. Its nurseries, prepared just before the rains, could not be
transplanted in 10pc of the cases.The growers believe that the crop would be
delayed by a month as fresh nurseries would be prepared after the floodwater
ebbs.
Onion nurseries are prepared in the riverine area, and the land
in the katcha areas is currently under floodwater.Before rains, a one-acre
nursery was sold for Rs14,000-15,000, but post- rains the price has dropped to
Rs4,000-5,000 as land in the katcha areas has been inundated and the
transplantation delayed. Usually onion is transplanted after 35-40 days.
Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, August 10th, 2015
Rice Expo Salutes Arkansas Rice
Industry
AR Rice Expo
A full house at the Arkansas Rice Expo
AR
Rice Expo
Exhibit hall
Gov Hutchinson
Gov. Hutchinson at the Rice Expo
"Arkansas is America's number one rice
state, so I commend the University of
Arkansas' Division of Agriculture for
organizing this important event," said Ward. "Our job is to make sure there is demand
both here and abroad for U.S. rice and I am excited about the new initiatives
we are working on to help promote U.S.-grown rice, expand existing markets, and
open new ones."
Touring the mill
The view from the mill
While in Arkansas, staff also met with
Southwind Milling in Pine Bluff to learn about their future operations and
encourage their participation in USA Rice and the Rice Millers'
Association. Maria Olmos, Southwind
Milling project coordinator, gave USA Rice a tour of the new mill currently
under construction.
Contact: Chuck Wilson (870) 673-7541
|
Crop Progress: 2015 Crop 81
Percent Headed
|
|
WASHINGTON, DC -- Eighty-one percent of the nation's
2015 rice acreage is headed, according to today's U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Crop Progress Report.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/651152/state-rice-deal-with-china-set-for-september
Bicol reporters take up newsroom workshop
on climate change
LEGAZPI
CITY, Aug. 9 (PIA)–-Government communicators and members of the media in
Bicol who were interested in agriculture and the science of climate
change went to a workshop conducted by the Philippine Agricultural Journalists, Inc.(PAJ), the
leading group of journalists and information officers in the country who cover agriculture.The
workshop was held last July 31 and Aug. 1 at Ninong’s Hotel in this city and
was attended by journalists from print, TV, radio and government information
officers.Dubbed “Climate Change: Gets Mo Na Ba?,” the event provided participants “science-based” information on climate change,
agriculture, food security and human safety, the techniques in data
interpretation and planning on information dissemination.
The
thrust, according to PAJ president Roman F. Floresca, was to help journalists
craft better and more science-based stories about the issues of climate
change.The global climate change, described by the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration as the accelerated warming up of the Earth, has generated
low media reportage, according to an online report of one of the workshop organizers, the
Philippine-based International Rice Research Institute.
The IRR
report said numerous scientists and experts around the world have expressed
their concern at media discussions on climate change that “lack accurate
information or are too technical for the public.”
“We aim
to laymanize climate change processes and terminologies and enable journalists
in the Bicol region to write, publish and broadcast better and more stories
(about the matter),” said Floresca, also the business editor of Philippine Star.The discussants
underscored the impact of climate change on agriculture and food security and
the critical role of journalists in enriching public understanding on the
matter.International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) communication head Tony
Lambino recommended writing stories that depict the “positive, hopeful and
reformist” side to the climate change because they ”can more likely lead to
progress.”
Two of
Lambino’s examples were rice varieties ready for climate change conditions such
as drought, rising sea level, heavy floods and intense heat; and success
stories of farmers who were able to propagate and gain increased yield through
“climate smart
farming strategies.”
“Positive
and hopeful news make readers think that they can do something,” he said.
“(This thinking) can prompt them to be inspired and take action.”Philippine
Network of Environmental Journalists (PNEJ) president Imelda Abaño tackled the
state of climate change reportage.She expressed concern at the low media
reportage on science, the communication gap between scientists and journalists,
and the lack of resources of the media to report science.For journalists who
struggle to report climate, her advice was to understand the science of climate
change, go beyond press releases, get the right news sources and report more on
the human factor of climate change.“We need more stories on gender dimension
taking into account its impact on men and women, indigenous peoples, the plight
of our farmers, following the money such as the people’s survival fund and
champions of CCA and DRR,” she said.
By CCA
and DRR, she meant climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.At the
workshop, the participants tried to prove their enhanced skills in climate
change news reporting by crafting articles regarding the higlights of the
event.Some of the participants even shared their personal insights and
observations and offered measures to implement climate-related initiatives,
programs and advocacies. The event was supported by Department of
Agriculture, Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Smart Communications, Philex
Mining Corp., CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food
Security in Southeast Asia, World Agroforestry Center and IRRI. (EAD/SAA/PIA5/Albay)
http://www.voxbikol.com/article/20150810/bicol-reporters-take-newsroom-workshop-climate-change#sthash.psuAVE2b.dpuf
Recipe: Creamy cardamom rice pudding with
almonds & apricots
Cardamom gives a resinous flavour to this rice pudding.
Kieran Scott
INGREDIENTS
1 cup basmati rice
Full-cream milk
200g sugar
3 cardamom pods, seeds removed and crushed, husks discarded
1⁄4 cup dried apricots, sliced intostrips (or 200g canned
apricots,drained, chopped)
75g ground almond
50g slivered almonds, toasted
Natural yoghurt to serve
METHOD
1. Rinse the rice well under cold running water. Drain then
transfer to a saucepan with the milk and sugar. Bring almost to the boil then
quickly stir in the crushed cardamom seeds and the dried apricots (if using
canned apricots, don't add them yet).
2. Reduce the heat to low and cook the rice, stirring to prevent it
from sticking, for 12-15 minutes or until the rice is tender, thick and creamy.
3. Towards the end of cooking, stir in the ground almonds and the
canned apricots, if using.
4. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Serve the
rice pudding in small bowls, topped with the toasted almonds and a dollop of
natural yoghurt.
For more like this, subscribe at mags4gifts.co.nz.
From eating the 'world's oldest cake' to
visiting the opera and futuristic museums: Six things you MUST do in Linz
The lively Austrian city was named the 2009 European Capital of
Culture
Travellers can see a state-of-the-art opera house and stroll the
Danube
Though the city's picturesque New Cathedral looks old, it was
built in 1924
The Austrian city of Linz refuses to be overawed by its two
better-known neighbours – Vienna and Salzburg.
The lively city was the 2009 European Capital of Culture, and
includes a state-of-the-art opera house, a sparkling museum of the future,
(possibly) the oldest cake in the world, and the famous Danube.Here are six
unmissable spots of the absorbing European destination.
+4
Find a cafe for a slice of Linze torte. The city claims
it's the world oldest cake – jam on a pastry base, under a lattice crust
1)
Cake walk
The Linz Card is one of the best-value European city cards,
costing €15 for a day, or €25 for three. It gives free entry to the main
museums and unlimited use of public transport. Linz is compact and easy to
navigate.Ride the tram from the main train station, through the heart of the
old city on Landstrasse to the Nibelungen Bridge over the Danube. Then
walk back and explore the great 13th Century Hauptplatz, the main square,
cordoned with elegant baroque buildings, and the 60ft Holy Trinity column,
striking in white marble, as its centrepiece.Old Linz is close at hand down side
streets – look for Renaissance palaces with inner courtyards, and the house
where Mozart wrote the Linz Symphony in four days. Then find a cafe for a
slice of Linze torte. The city claims it's the world oldest cake – jam on a
pastry base, under a lattice crus
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3190375/From-eating-world-s-oldest-cake-visiting-opera-futuristic-museums-Six-things-Linz.html#ixzz3iV2WJQtA
Chinese Researchers come up with New Rice
Variety that Emits Less Methane
Written by Molly Solana on 10 Aug 2015
The new rice variety has come
after the collaborative work of scientists from the Fujian Academy of
Agricultural Sciences and Hunan Agricultural University in China with
researchers in the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, and
the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington.SUSIBA2 was created by
transferring genes from barley that are responsible for the production of
starch in stems and grains using 'transcription factor technology'.Paddy leaves
and stems take up carbon-dioxide (CO2), which is transformed through
photosynthesis into sugars. These sugars are then used to produce plant biomass
or storage compounds, such as starch, in the shoots, roots and rice
grains.Researchers during the study reported a significant reduction in methane
emitted from SUSIBA2 rice plants, as compared with a widely grown unmodified
variety.
Scientists from China create new rice to
reduce global warming
Posted by: Kimberly French August 10, 2015
These
practices could change in the near future, however, as the journal Nature
recently published, work was conducted by Chinese scientists to cultivate a new
type of rice by the name of SUSIBA2. This new item is ground-breaking for two
reasons: it produces a high yield and paddies with this rice emit less methane
than other kinds of rice.This new strain of rice was created through the
efforts of scientists from the Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences and
Hunan Agricultural University in China with researchers in the Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, and the Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory in Washington.The scientists formed SUSIBA2 by transferring
genes from barley that trigger the production of starch in stems and grains
through “transcription factor technology”.In rice, the leaves and stems take up
carbon-dioxide (CO2), which through photosynthesis transforms into sugars.
These sugars then build plant biomass or storage compounds, like starch, in the
shoots, roots and rice grains.The transgenic SUSIBA2 rice produces grains with
a high starch content by sending more carbon during photosynthesis to grains
and stems rather than the roots. This in turn leads to less carbon dioxide for
methane-producing microbes in the soil and results in diminished emission of
methane from rice paddies.
The
researchers collected data for this study from field trials carried out in
three regions of China in three consecutive growing seasons. They state “a
significant” decrease in methane from SUSIBA2 rice plants, compared with a
various other kinds of rice. “We suggest that the use of SUSIBA2 rice in
cutting methane emissions from paddies may become more relevant with global
warming,” their study concluded.The dual benefit of ‘high-starch, low-methane’
rice variety indeed “represents a tremendous opportunity for more-sustainable
rice cultivation, but it raises many issues,” the journal said in an
accompanying article.
Although
what genetically modified crops for human consumption means still needs to be
clarified, “we do not yet have a clear picture of how this modification affects
rice plants’ survival and general function,” it said. The article also said it
“will be assessment of the long-term consequences of reduction of root-exuded
carbon on beneficial soil microbes”.If this is transpiring in China, would
India would suit for this type of research or creating a new rice strain of
their own? “It is quite interesting and challenging,” Tikam Jain, a former
assistant director general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and
currently a consultant to the World Bank aided projects in Asia, said in an
email.He also stated the government would have to assess “if the rice quality
and its production capacities are acceptable to the Indian farmers before any
further action is taken by India for adopting this.
http://www.ameripublications.com/chinas-rice-abate-global-warming/1361
Cuba ripe for rice
sales, governor says
By Glen Chase
STUTTGART -- Arkansas needs to do
what it can to position itself to export goods such as rice and poultry to Cuba
as Congress debates whether to end a 50-year-old trade embargo with the island
nation, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Friday."While I am very concerned with
[Cuba's] suppression of human rights, I also recognize that agricultural
products shouldn't be used as a tool of foreign policy," Hutchinson told
about 500 people attending the Arkansas Rice Expo at the Grand Prairie Center.Hutchinson
said Cubans want high-quality, U.S.-grown rice which comes with reduced
transportation costs given the country's proximity to U.S. ports. Demand will
grow as the country's economy improves in areas such as tourism, he said.
"As they expand their
markets and their tourist opportunities, which is going to happen in the coming
years, there's going to be more demand for rice. Arkansas needs to be there at
the table and be No. 1 in exports to Cuba and other global markets,"
Hutchinson said.With the reopening of embassies and a return to normal
diplomatic relations, U.S. business are assessing how to gain access to the
Cuban economy, which is heavily controlled by the nation's government.In late
September, Hutchinson will lead a trade delegation to Cuba to talk about
agricultural exports and other ways businesses from the state can gain inroads
there.
Congress must first lift the
embargo, but the House and Senate disagree on the process.U.S. Sen. John
Boozman, R-Ark., wants to repeal a law prohibiting U.S. banks and other
businesses from extending credit to Cuba for agricultural exports. On July 23,
an amendment to that effect was attached to the Financial Services and General
Government Appropriations bill now pending before the Senate.At the Rice Expo,
U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., called the amendment a good first step, but
added that the U.S. government and businesses need to identify other ways to
work with the Cuban government to step up agricultural exports.Crawford said
it's unlikely that Congress will lift the entire trade embargo any time soon,
given opposition to the centralized nature of the Cuban economy. But U.S.
interests should be looking to develop a private entity that will allow exports
to Cuba once the "cash and carry" requirement is lifted.
"The impediment is not
necessarily the Cuban government, it's ours," Crawford said after his
talk. He said the time has come to explore ways to provide incentives to the
private sector to open the market for U.S. exports, adding that there are
already several nongovernmental organization working in Cuba."If they know
that the policy has changed with respect to U.S. [agricultural] commodities, then
we hope to see nongovernmental entities rise, if there's not one already, that
we could work with," Crawford said. That would allow U.S. commodities and
products to reach Cuban markets without having to go through the government's
central purchasing agency, Alimport.Friday's Rice Expo is an annual event that
promotes the state's rice industry through events such as field tours,
presentations on rice breeding, weed control, and irrigation, as well as
cooking demonstrations, horticulture seminars and other activities.Arkansas is
the nation's leading rice producer, growing slightly more than half of all U.S.
rice.
Speaking during a breakout
session earlier in the day, Terry Harris, senior vice president for marketing
for risk management for Stuttgart-based Riceland Foods, said breaking into the
Cuban market will be tough."When people say we need to have the ability to
sell directly to the people, that's not possible" because exporters are
required to sell directly to the government, which then rations goods back to
the citizens, Harris said. He said Alimport spends as much as $1 billion
annually on food purchases.Cuba consumes 900,000 tons of rice each year, but is
only capably of raising 400,000 to 600,000 tons -- which means it must import
the difference. Currently, its chief supplier is Vietnam, which allows Cuba to
buy on credit, taking as long as two years to pay. Harris said Vietnamese
officials have developed close relationships with their Cuban counterparts,
which has resulted in low prices and easy credit.
While the U.S. ships some
agricultural products to Cuba, it received its last shipment of U.S. rice in
2007 worth about $24 million, according to the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic
Council, which tracks relations between the two countries. Frozen chicken is
Cuba's top U.S. agricultural import, with the island nation buying chicken
worth $147.6 million in 2014.Because of the poor state of its economy, Cuba
needs credit to buy commodities, he said, adding "Cuba is a cash-strapped
country."However, he said there is interest in U.S.-produced rice because
of its quality and proximity. U.S. processors could deliver a shipment to Cuba
in a few days while it can take 60-90 days for a shipment to arrive from
Vietnam.
Keith Glover, president and chief
executive of Producers Rice Mill said access to Cuba is one of several factors
that will affect rice prices in the coming year. Others include the strong U.S.
dollar in relation to other currencies, production yields in the U.S. and other
rice-producing nations and worldwide weather.He said exports to countries such
as Colombia, Venezuela and Iraq could create demand and keep prices stable as
worldwide rice stocks hold steady.But he said U.S. producers do have several
advantages, he said. Rice consumption in the U.S. is holding steady. About 60
percent of the rice produced in the United States is consumed here. And, 88
percent of U.S. production remains in the Western Hemisphere. However, he said
he expects South American countries such as Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil to
price their rice crops aggressively on world markets this year.
Business on 08/08/2015
Print Headline: Cuba ripe for rice sales, governor says
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:KqrOoB0H0LEJ:www.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/aug/08/cuba-ripe-for-rice-sales-governor-says-/%3Ff%3Dbusiness+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=pk
Govt readies
food stocks for El Niño
Ina Parlina, Arya Dipa and Ganug Nugroho Adi, The
Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Bandung/Sukoharjo | Headlines | Fri, August 07 2015, 4:20
PM
Despite grim predictions of drought
and harvest failure on account of El Niño, the government remains optimistic
that the country will survive the prolonged dry season with sufficient food
stocks throughout the year.“Harvests will continue until August. What we are
looking at are [food stocks] in September to October,” Agriculture Minister
Amran Sulaiman said after a limited Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Office
on Thursday. Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has
predicted that the weather phenomenon will reach its peak in October.
“We have been taking measures
since January as mitigation efforts,” he added, saying that the government had
built irrigation channels than span 1.3 million hectares, small dams and
shallow wells. Amran’s office has also distributed 21,000 water pumps to
farmers in areas prone to drought.According to Amran, there are several areas
currently experiencing drought, namely Indramayu and Cirebon in West Java;
Demak, Pati and Grobogan in Central Java; Bojonegoro in East Java; and Timor
Tengah Selatan regency in East Nusa Tenggara.Amran said his office had saved
around 100,000 ha of farmland this year in the country, where around 200,000 ha
from a total of 8.1 million ha of farmland are prone to drought annually.In
line with the recent estimation made by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS),
Amran was upbeat that the production of unhusked rice would reach 75.5 million
tons this year, or an increase from 70.85 million tons last year.
“We do hope so,” he said and
later pointed out what he deemed as an adequate existing stockpile of 1.5
million tons.The State Logistic Agency (Bulog) is now also working to ensure it
will be able to acquire 2.5 million tons of rice in October.BMKG head Andi Eka
Sakya, who was invited to Thursday’s limited Cabinet meeting, said he reported
to the President that “El Niño could potentially get stronger”.
In his opening speech during at meeting, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said it was important to prepare for the implications of El Niño, particularly drought and the possibility of harvest failure.Jokowi said the governors of East Java and South Sulawesi had told him that they predicted rice production to suffice.Yet, despite the optimism of the government, a number of areas have expressed concern over the prolonged dry season.West Java Agriculture and Food Crops Agency head Diden Trisnadi said that the prolonged dry season would significantly lower the rice production target in the province, which is also one of the country’s largest rice-producing regions.“As of today, there are 7,400 ha of paddy that has experienced harvest failure,” Diden told The Jakarta Post over the phone on Thursday.
Meanwhile in Sukoharjo, Central
Java, farmers in six subdistricts harvested their paddy early due to the water
crisis.The farmers’ group leader in Kenep subdistrict, Hartono Raharjo, said at
least 500 ha of paddy in the regency had been prematurely harvested to prevent
further losses.“It is very difficult for us now to get water [for irrigation].
If we insist on harvesting the paddy until they reach normal, we will get
broken rice grains as their stems will dry out and die,” Hartono said.During
the past several weeks, farmers in many regions in the country have reported
difficulties in providing sufficient irrigation for their crops due to the long
absence of rain, which has been triggered by El Niño. The National Disaster
Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has also reported that as many as 16 out of 34
provinces in the country are currently experiencing drought.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/08/07/govt-readies-food-stocks-el-ni-o.html#sthash.jmMHFx2P.dpuf
Thailand aims for rice exporter champ this
year
Thailand aims for rice
exporter champ this yearBANGKOK, 10 August 2015 (NNT) – Thailand is hopeful to become the
number one rice exporter of the world this year despite the decline in exports
due to the global economic situation, says the deputy government spokesman.
The
Deputy Government Spokesman, Sansern Kaewkamnerd, has said that Thailand is
positive to remain as the number one rice exporter to the world in terms of
quantity and trade value despite the decline in global economic growth and
negative export values in several countries.According to the Thai Rice
Exporters Association, Thailand was the number one rice exporter in the first
half of this year with an amount of exported rice at 4.46 million tons valued
at 72.142 billion baht, while the runner up for rice exports was India with an
export of 4.25 million tons.
It
is expected that the amount of exports in the second half of this year will
increase as many countries have expedited imports of rice from Thailand due to
concerns regarding the current drought situation. The weakened Thai baht
currency also contributes to an increased pricing competitiveness of Thai
export products to other countries, the Deputy Government Spokesman has said.The
Thai government is still confident in Thai entrepreneurs as the country is among
those with lower declines in export value when compared to other countries.
Thailand has seen a decrease by 4.8 percent in its export, 79 percent in
import, and 3.47 percent surplus in trade balance.Many Thai export products
have also shown positive growth, reflecting their growth potential despite the
global recession and the capability of Thai products to penetrate the global
market.
The
Deputy Government Spokesman has revealed the export products that have shown
positive growth in the first six months of this year. Among these were electric
transformers and parts, which have grown by 10.66 percent, condensers by 28.3
percent, cement by 8.81 percent, motorcycles and its parts by 6.75 percent,
other vehicles and parts by 38.27 percent, and tapioca products with 18.10
percent. The overall export value was at 2.05 billion US dollars.
http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/thailand-aims-for-rice-exporter-champ-this-year/111010/
Cambodia’s Rice Export
Increases Over 50% in First Seven Months
Noy Noeun and So
Sophavy
Saturday,
08 August 2015
http://www.aol.com/article/2015/08/09/nearly-1-million-affected-by-myanmar-floods-99-dead/21220243/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D600238915
Rice Federation: More Than 1 Million Acres of Paddy Fields Destroyed by
Floods
Rice farmer, Tin Aung, surveys what remains of his ten acres of
rice paddy in Chin Sone village on the outskirts of Kale, Sagaing Division.
(Photo: Steve Tickner / The Irrawaddy)
In Burma, the annual paddy-harvest
runs from around June-July until September-October. The Ministry of Agriculture
and Irrigation and related associations have begun providing paddy seeds for
farmers who plan to replant crops before the end of the harvest season.“In some
areas, however, farmers are not able to replant paddy as farms have already
been ruined,” Chit Khine said. “We’re providing paddy seeds for some areas
which can be replanted when the water begins receding.”According to MRF
estimates, more than 700,000 acres of paddy fields can be replanted among the
more than 1 million lost.
The MRF announced separately last
week that farmers, millers and traders that have suffered due to the floods
will be supported, with the federation pledging to provide seeds, fertilizer
and equipment to those in need.A senior official from the Ministry of
Agriculture and Irrigation said related state and division departments had
already been providing paddy seeds to farmers as well as equipment to aid
replanting.However, in Magwe Division’s Pwintbyu, a township where thousands of
acres of paddy, sesame and beans were lost, at least one local expressed
skepticism that farmers would be able to replant destroyed fields in the short
term.Replanting will not occur, said U Wayamainda, the abbot of Konezaung
Village monastery in Pwintbyu Township, “as long as the irrigation department
can’t help them to reconstruct small spillways destroyed by flooding.”The abbot
said most farmers were focused on rebuilding their homes.
The Ministry of Commerce and the
MRF have been working to distribute rice in flood-hit areas at normal prices,
but the risk of shortages remains.“For the short term it’s ok but we will have
to see long term,” Chit Khine told The Irrawaddy. “If we can’t provide adequate
rice for local consumption after September, we asked the government to import
rice from Thailand.”With rice a major export product of Burma, the government
may be reluctant to allow the importation of rice from regional competitors.
However, the MRF believes authorities may allow imports from Thailand if the
situation demands it.“It would be a last resort situation.
As long as we can still provide
rice for local consumption, we won’t import rice,” he said, adding that the
price of Thai rice exports was reasonable, at US$350-370 per ton.Toe Aung
Myint, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Commerce, told the state-run
newspaper Myanma Ahlin on Monday that the government will control the price of
rice and other crops in cooperation with local agencies.“We will work for
supply and demand to be balanced by controlling prices,” he was quoted as
saying.The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement announced in
state-run media on Monday that 99 flood-related deaths had been recorded and
over 1 million people affected across 12 states and divisions.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/rice-federation-more-than-1-million-acres-of-paddy-fields-destroyed-by-floods.html
Paddy sowing rises by 4.5% to 278 lakh
hectares: Agriculture Ministry
By PTI | 7 Aug, 2015, 09.17PM IST
"The total sown area as on 7th August, as
per reports received from states, stands at 847.40 lakh hectare as compared to
808.40 lakh hectare at this time last year," Agriculture Ministry
said in a statement. Area under oilseeds has increased to 157.43 lakh hectares
from 152.31 lakh hectares in the last season, sugarcane acreage has also rose
to 47.36 lakh hectares from 47.17 lakh hectares. However, the area under cotton
has declined to 105.68 lakh hectares from 112.24 lakh hectares in the last season,
and Jute and Mesta acreage has also come down to 7.79 lakh hectares from 8.11
lakh hectares. eanwhile, Agriculture
Secretary Siraj Hussain
had said that there is no threat to paddy crop despite IMD's projection of
deficient rains in July and August.
Economic Times
Lagos empowers rice farmers with inputs
support
By Press Release
August 9, 2015 17:16:01pm GMT |
Lagos state Government through the Ministry of
Agriculture has again empowered Rice farmers in the State with inputs support
ranging from Land preparation, Seeds, Fertilizer and Water Pumps to boost
production during this dry season farming.Speaking at a programme to flag-off
this year’s Dry Season Rice farming and distribution of Agriculural inputs and
small irrigation scheme equipment at Itoikin Rice field, The Permanent
Secretary, Dr. Olajide Bashorun disclosed that the programme is aimed at
boosting rice production.
“The present administration of Governor Akinwunmi
Ambode believes that governance should shift to the community hence the
distribution of inputs support ranging from Land preparation, Seeds, Fertilizer
and Water Pumps; this will not only boost production but also bring about
effective and efficient rice production thereby increasing the production of
rice in the state” he said.Bashorun noted that among the very prime value
chains that Lagos State has comparative and competitive advantage gain is rice
value chain stressing that the State government places premium on this value
chain including others like Vegetables, Poultry and fisheries chains.
The Permanent Secretary who was represented by the
General Manager, Lagos State Agric Input Supply Authority, Mr. Bolaji Balogun
pointed out that the event is symbolic especially against the backdrop of
farmers often depending on Rainfed Agriculture adding that since the State has
an Ogun/ Oshun River basin authority, the need to maximise the water resource to
aid all year round farming cannot be overemphasized. “Rice is an area that
Lagos State can demonstrate enormous capacity with support from Ogun-
Oshun and FADAMA III project addititional financing, we can put more line
into rice twice or thrice a year and move the annual gig of rice from two
tonnes to Six tonnes”, he said.
According to Bashorun, farmers are contributing towards
ensuring food security in the state and one of the primary goal of the
State Government, is to ensure that the state is food secured and
can substantially meet its food demand. “We also know that rice has
become a major stable food in the state and in a situation where the country is
spending on the average a billion naira monthly to import rice and 365 billion
yearly, its high time we become dependent on rice production and rice
utilization market is guaranttee as Lagos is one of the States in the
federation that has put in place a modern rice mill machine”, he posited.
Bashorun however admonished the farmers to utilize the
332 water pumps distributed by the Ogun – Oshun river basin Development
Authority effectively adding that the least expected from them all is to create
more jobs, create wealth from the production being generated and above all to
develop themselves.Earlier, the Managing Director of Ogun – Oshun River Basin
Authority, Engr. Akin Soyemi stated that he look forward to a continued
collaboration and cooperation between his organization and the State whilst
also encouraging beneficiaries to make proper use of the equipment and
facilities.
http://worldstagegroup.com/index.php?active=news&newscid=23821&catid=36
Thailand to sell 1 million tonnes of rice
to China
By
Reuters | 10 Aug, 2015, 02.10PM IST
Thailand,
the world's second-largest rice exporter, has about 14.5 million tonnes of rice
in stockpiles built up under a generous rice subsidy scheme run by a government
that was overthrown by the military in May 2014. The rice will be sold to China
at market prices, said Chatchai, adding that the sale involved Hom Mali, or
Thai jasmine rice, and Thai 5-percent broken white rice. "In the past week
the commerce ministry travelled to China and agreed with the Chinese government
to do a government-to- government sale and agreed to officially sell rice (to
China)," Chatchai told reporters. Chinese government officials did not
immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.
In
December, Thailand said China would buy 2 million tonnes of rice after the two
countries signed a memorandum of understanding during a two-day regional summit
in Bangkok. The deal announced on Monday was part of that agreement, said Chatchai,
adding that negotiations for the sale of a further 1 million tonnes would begin
in September. He said Thai government officials would travel to Iran at the end
of August to try to strike similar deals. "Iran has expressed interest in
buying rice at the end of August," said Chatchai.
China's new rice to abate global warming?
By K.S. Jayaraman | IANS India Private Limited/Yahoo India News – Mon
10 Aug, 2015
Bangalore, Aug 10 (IANS) Report of
a new rice cultivated by China is sure to be a welcome news for those worried
about global warming and climate change.Flooded rice fields are a known source
of atmospheric methane -- the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon
dioxide -- and is said to be responsible for about 20 percent of global
warming.While increasing rice production has always been the primary objective
of agricultural researchers, not much attention was paid to reducing methane
emission from paddy cultivation.
Existing efforts to mitigate
rice-associated methane emissions have focussed mainly on agricultural
practices - such as water management, fertilizer use, tillage and crop
selection - which are labour intensive.Now a report in the journal Nature says
that Chinese scientists, in a ground-breaking demonstration, have grown a new
variety of rice called SUSIBA2 that meets the twin goals: it is high yielding
and, at the same time, the fields growing this rice emit less methane than
conventional varieties.The new rice variety is the result of collaborative work
of scientists from the Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Hunan
Agricultural University in China with researchers in the Swedish University of
Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
in Washington.
The authors generated SUSIBA2 by
transferring genes from barley that are responsible for the production of
starch in stems and grains using what is called "transcription factor
technology".In rice, the leaves and stems take up carbon-dioxide (CO2),
which is transformed through photosynthesis into sugars. These sugars are used
to produce plant biomass or storage compounds, such as starch, in the shoots,
roots and rice grains.The transgenic SUSIBA2 rice produces grains with a high
starch content by diverting more carbon (from photosynthesis) into grains and
stems, and less into roots. This results in less carbon being available for
methane-producing microbes present in the soil and hence less emission of
methane from rice fields.The researchers present evidence for this from field
trials conducted in three regions of China in three consecutive growing
seasons.They report "a significant" reduction in methane emitted from
SUSIBA2 rice plants, compared with a widely grown unmodified variety.
"We suggest that the use of
SUSIBA2 rice in cutting methane emissions from paddies may become more relevant
with global warming," their study concluded.The dual benefit of
'high-starch, low-methane' rice variety indeed "represents a tremendous
opportunity for more-sustainable rice cultivation, but it raises many
issues," the journal said in an accompanying article.Besides the general
questions surrounding the use of genetically modified crops for human
consumption, "we do not yet have a clear picture of how this modification
affects rice plants' survival and general function," it said.More
important, it said, "will be assessment of the long-term consequences of
reduction of root-exuded carbon on beneficial soil microbes".Is the
Chinese development something to be followed up by India?
"It is quite interesting and
challenging," Tikam Jain, a former assistant director general of the
Indian Council of Agricultural Research and currently a consultant to the World
Bank aided projects in Asia, said in an email.He says authorities must however
first examine "if the rice quality and its production capacities are
acceptable to the Indian farmers before any further action is taken by India
for adopting this technology".
(K.S. Jayaraman can be contacted at killugudi@hotmail.com)
https://in.news.yahoo.com/chinas-rice-abate-global-warming-083003684.html
China to buy 1m tonnes of Thai rice
The Nation August 10, 2015 4:45 pm
Commerce
Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikalya announced today that China and Thailand
recently reached the government-to-government deal for the transaction of 1
million tonnes of Thai rice.He said the shipment of the jasmine and white rice
would start in December. The transaction is based on market prices and it does
not involve barter trade, he said.Thailand also aims to open another
negotiation for the sale of additional 1 million tonnes to China during
September 13-14.
Private sector powers seed business growth
Developing
stress-tolerant variety big challenge
Yasir Wardad
The private sector's share in seed business has gradually been
increasing as it is expanding fast following continued rise in crop production.The
country's demand for seeds, a fundamental agro input, reached 1.14 million
tonnes, of which the private sector alone contributed more than a quaerter in
recent years, insiders said.The total seed business turnover is now nearly Tk
105 billion (excluding farmers' share), according to the Ministry of
Agriculture (MoA) and the Bangladesh Seed Association (BSA).Experts said
development of stress-resistant seed in a changing climatic condition will be
the key challenge in the current century for Bangladesh's seed sector--both at
the public and private levels.
Director General of Seed Wing under the MoA Anwar Faruqe said
the public sector and the farmers (informal private sector) are still
dominating the seed market, especially that of rice, wheat, spices and potato
while the private businesses have captured the overall vegetable seed business.He
said the total seed demand reached approximately 1.143 million tonnes in the
country, of which rice comprises 0.214 million tonnes, potato 0.6 million
tonnes, wheat 0.064 million tonnes, spice seed 0.155 million tones and maize
6,500 tonnes.He said the BADC and informal private players (farmers) now hold
major share of the seed demand.
"As the private sector will lead the seed business in the coming days, the government is giving all necessary supports for the growth of the sector," he said.Chairman of the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) Md Shafiqul Islam Laskar said they supply nearly 0.145 million tonnes of cereal seeds, of which rice has 0.113 million tonnes.He said farmers themselves hold 30 per cent and the formal private sector now supplies 20 per cent of rice seed.
General Manager of the Seed and Horticulture Wing Md Aminul Islam said annual sale of seed under the BADC was 0.143 million tonnes worth Tk5.0 billion in the financial year 2014-15.
Vegetable seed market is now almost dominated by private seed businesses and the sector has marched forward to capture a notable share of cereal seeds, businesses said.
Bangladesh Seed Association (BSA) Secretary Syed AKM Asadul Amin told the FE that the contribution of the private sector to overall seed supply increased to 26-27 per cent in 2014, which was 20-21 per cent in 2012.
The sector's annual turnover is now nearly Tk 100 billion, a four-time rise in a decade, he said.
He said: "We are dominating almost 98 per cent of vegetable seeds both of hybrid, inbreed and open pollinated (OP) varieties out of 4,500 tonne demand."He said the private sector is now developing both hybrid and inbreed (inbreeds supplied by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute or BRRI) rice seeds.The private sector share of rice and potato seeds is also increasing-nearly 20 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.
"We are selling 8,000 tonnes of hybrid rice seed which is 90 per cent of the national demand", said the Secretary of the BSA which represents nearly 1,000 seed companies.He said the private sector is dominating the market share of maize seeds with 6,000 tonnes.He told the FE that hybrid vegetable seed demand in the country has expanded to 1,500 tonnes.
National Sales Manager of Lal Teer Agro Ltd, G M Faruque told the FE that his company now supplies 70 per cent of hybrid vegetable seeds of the national demand."We are marketing 131 varieties of 33 vegetable crops in the country of which 55 are hybrid and 76 OP varieties.
"He also informed that they are in a final stage to export
hybrid rice seeds to some neighbouring countries.However, Syngenta and Brac,
two other companies, are leading the maize seed business, while Supreme Seed
Company Ltd is dominates the hybrid rice seed market, according to the BSA.Md
Mahtab Uddin, director of the company, said his company is focusing on hybrid
rice, vegetable, potato, cotton and maize.The company is contributing more than
40 per cent of the total hybrid rice market share which stand at 3,000-3,500
tonnes.ACI Seed, a sister concern of the ACI Ltd, is supplying more than 40 per
cent of water melon hybrid seed in brand name 'Sugar Emperor'.The company ACI
is now contributing 300 tonnes of vegetable seeds, mostly inbreed.
ACI is also marketing 1,000 tonnes of hybrid rice seed in brand name ACI-1, ACI-2, Razkumar, Shampad etc during Boro season, an official said.The company has started delivering foundation seeds of local high-yielding rice varieties (HYV) that include Brridhan-28, 29, 11, Bina-8, BR-16 etc, an official said.When asked, BSA Secretary AKM Asadul Amin said export of seeds, specially that of rice, potato and spices seed is mainly done through informal sector (farmer-to-farmer level) in the border areas.He said according to the study done by the association, nearly 0.1million tonnes of seeds worth Tk 10 billion are exported to neighbouring India.
When contacted, director of Plant Quarantine Wing under the Department of Agricultural Extension Chhabi Haridash said the quarantine okayed 3,448 tonnes of seed imports of which maize was 3,262 tonnes and vegetable 518 tonnes in January- September 2014 period.However, private seed traders said apart from the formal import, a good quantity of import is done through informal channel in the same way like export.
ACI is also marketing 1,000 tonnes of hybrid rice seed in brand name ACI-1, ACI-2, Razkumar, Shampad etc during Boro season, an official said.The company has started delivering foundation seeds of local high-yielding rice varieties (HYV) that include Brridhan-28, 29, 11, Bina-8, BR-16 etc, an official said.When asked, BSA Secretary AKM Asadul Amin said export of seeds, specially that of rice, potato and spices seed is mainly done through informal sector (farmer-to-farmer level) in the border areas.He said according to the study done by the association, nearly 0.1million tonnes of seeds worth Tk 10 billion are exported to neighbouring India.
When contacted, director of Plant Quarantine Wing under the Department of Agricultural Extension Chhabi Haridash said the quarantine okayed 3,448 tonnes of seed imports of which maize was 3,262 tonnes and vegetable 518 tonnes in January- September 2014 period.However, private seed traders said apart from the formal import, a good quantity of import is done through informal channel in the same way like export.
Former president of the BSA F R Mallik said the country imports more than 60 per cent of jute seed out of the 4,500 tonnes of demand which is being met through informal channel.Director General of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Dr Jibon Krishna Biswas said salinity and inundation in the coastal districts and drought in the northern and north-western regions have been increasing due to both natural and man-made disasters.Submergence, salinity and drought-tolerant seed varieties should be developed to cope with such environment."The challenge of agriculture in the current century is to develop climate-friendly seeds," he said.Seed scientist Dr MA Sobhan said the private sector is still dependent on import especially for hybrid rice and vegetable seeds.
He said hybrid varieties are highly stress- intolerant which can't be an option in changing climatic condition.He said rice varieties of Aus season were globally famous for their stress-resistant quality.The BRRI should remove the local disaster- tolerant Aus and Aman rice seeds from the germplasm centre, where nearly 8,000 varieties are available.
tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com
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