Tuesday, August 25, 2015

24th August(Monday),2015 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Farmers end protest, but threaten to return

THE NEWSPAPER'S STAFF REPORTER — PUBLISHED A DAY AGO
LAHORE: After holding a meeting with Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the agitating farmers decided to end their protest late on Saturday night, but warned they would return in a fortnight if the promises made to them are not materialised.Talking to Dawn, Khalid Khokhar, leader of the Pakistan Kissan Ittehad, said Shahbaz Sharif promised to bring Ishaq Dar in the meeting to be held on Friday next and pledged the federal government would announce support price of paddy and cotton.He also promised that Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) would be made to procure cotton and Passco would be involved in a paddy purchase drive, as demanded by the farmers.
In addition to the federal subsidy of Rs15 billion on fertilisers, the provincial government would also contribute Rs20 billion to make the vital input cheaper, Khokhar said. On top of it all, he said, the CM also directed the chief secretary to ensure all dues sugar mills owed to farmers were cleared immediately. He also directed the inspector general of police to withdraw cases against the farmers lodged for protesting for their rights.“We are going back, but with a warning that we would return within two weeks if all these promises are not fulfilled,” he said.The farmers want official notifications to this effect, not simple promises, he stressed.
Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2015http://www.theland.com.au/news/agriculture/cropping/general-news/farmers-eye-el-nino-forecast/2740907.aspx

Delayed planting, poor rain may hurt rice yield

TOMOJIT BASU
NEW DELHI, AUGUST 24:  
Delayed planting and poor rainfall distribution can play a spoiler in production of rice for 2015-16 even if acreage in Kharif, the main season for the cereal, continues to edge up than last year with 86 per cent of sowing completed.As on August 21, rice had been planted on about 333.7 lakh hectares (lh), about half a percentage point greater than the 332.1 lh during the corresponding period last year.While sowing in Uttar Pradesh has touched 59 lh, beyond the normal area of 57.1 lh, acreage has declined in major producing States such as West Bengal and Odisha. Coverage of rice in the former State has slipped by almost 5 lh to 33.2 lh, while planting in Odisha has fallen by 3 lh to 28.1 lh – the lowest at this stage in the last five years.
“Absolute rainfall may look good but distribution and frequency is important since sufficient water availability is important for paddy cultivation. In Odisha and West Bengal, the distribution has been poor in many districts,” said Trilochan Mohapatra, Director, Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), adding that rainfall in September will determine productivity.An El Nino-hit South-West monsoon has resulted in 10 per deficient rainfall between June 1 and August 24.
Rainfall distribution
While precipitation in Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha are excess and normal, respectively, distribution has been an issue, said experts. The Indian Meteorological Department has estimated a 11 per cent deficit in precipitation in August after a 16 per cent surplus in June and a 17 per cent shortfall in July.Mohapatra said that transplanting was still going on and the delay was a concern as it would affect productivity . While there is no estimate of how much area has been sown late, he said that choosing the right varieties at this stage was crucial to prevent a drop in yield.
“High yield will be a problem if long duration varieties are picked. It’s too early to quantify any possible drop in production, assuming there is one, maybe one or two per cent on account of delayed planting. Sowing will continue till September 1,” he added.
Scenario in AP
Paddy sowings have been severely hit due to the erratic monsoon in Andhra. Though the Godavari Delta area is relatively better off with 60-70 per cent sowings, the Krishna Delta area that depends on the Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar Reservoirs fared very bad. “Farmers in the Krishna delta generally grow paddy on 12 lakh acres. But they could go for sowing in only 25 per cent. That the area received only one rain during June 18 to August 18 shows the gravity of the situation,” Yerneni Nagendranath, President of Andhra Pradesh Rytaanga Samaakhya . The situation in Telangana is no different.
BV Krishna Rau, Managing Director of Kakinada-based Pattabhi Agro Foods, expected a clearer picture to emerge in a few weeks and did not expect a significant production drop.
“Deficient rains in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and parts of Karnataka could have some impact on the crop prospects. However, it should not be a big concern as some other States like Chhattisgarh have seen an increase in acreage and that could make up for the shortfall,” he said. .
Global rice picture
The El Nino phenomenon is likely to affect production in Thailand and Vietnam, which along with India accounts for almost 70 per cent of global rice trade. “A drop in production in other major exporters will benefit Indian exporters. However, traders are unlikely to enter into contracts with the slide in the rupee and will wait till the rupee-dollar balance stabilises,” said Tejinder Narang, a grains trade analyst.
(With inputs from our Bengaluru, Hyderabad bureaus)
(This article was published on August 24, 2015)
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/delayed-planting-poor-rain-may-hurt-rice-yield/article7575661.ece

Deficit Rain in 190 Blocks, Contingency Plan in Making

Published: 23rd August 2015 04:33 AM
Last Updated: 23rd August 2015 04:33 AM
BHUBANESWAR:With the August rainfall reporting a whopping 40 per cent (pc) deficit, the Odisha Government on Saturday got down to formulating a contingency plan for agriculture sector as close to 190 blocks are staring at damage to kharif crops.Reliable sources said, condition in at least 39 blocks is beyond repair as the deficit rainfall has wreaked havoc on the crops, paddy in particular.
These blocks, located in 11 districts, have received rainfall in the range of seven mm to 71 mm between August 1 and 21. In the rest 150 blocks, the situation is very bad, but can be salvaged at some places.With the Agriculture Department realising the gravity of the situation, a meeting was chaired by Chief Secretary GC Pati here on Saturday. Sources said, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to hold a video conferencing with district collectors on Tuesday to take stock of the situation and Saturday’s meeting was a precursor to that.If the latest crop coverage report is to be believed, paddy has been sown over 31 lakh hectare so far against a target of 35 lakh hectare and it is still short of 2.5 lakh hectare compared to the corresponding period of last year.
Since severe moisture stress conditions are being experienced, the State Government is ready to advise farmers to go in for pulses and oilseeds farming in low lands. If necessary subsidy on seeds could be provided along with irrigation facility by use of pumpsets. In uplands, vegetable growing may be suggested to farmers. However, in the medium lands, the farmers can only wait and watch till the time rabi season arrives.Since August is the most critical period for transplantation and weeding, absence of adequate rain has hampered paddy crops and farmers in may districts are in a state of despair.“It is a phase where farmers can neither hope to get good crops nor can they go in for fresh cropping,” said sources. Between August 1 and 21, Odisha has received 155.7 mm rain against the normal of 258 mm.As many nine districts have, so far, reported over 20 pc deficit in rainfall since June 1. In fact, the rain deficit has been on a upward spiral. In June, the overall rainfall was 11 pc in excess. In July, it reported a 13 pc deficit. August has been the harshest.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/Deficit-Rain-in-190-Blocks-Contingency-Plan-in-Making/2015/08/23/article2988800.ece
UNISAME TO DEMAND SURVEY OF SMEs FOR FOCUSED TARGETED PROMOTION AT 9th SME FORUM

The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) in its committee meeting held at its office yesterday urged the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) to recount, register and determine the micro and small to medium sized enterprises and classify them according to size and line of trade for more focused promotion and developmentPresident UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said it is accepted and agreed by all stakeholders that the SME sector is the vibrant sector, backbone of the economy, the engine of growth and the vehicle for poverty alleviation and best for creating employment yet the sector has not been given the priority it deserves.The government has not taken pains to carry out a survey and merely repeats that there are 3.2 million SMEs in Pakistan whereas the number has increased manifolds.

Since last 15 years the same figure of 3.2 millions is being quoted although there are a huge number of SME farmers as well. There is need for recounting to assess the strength and potentiality of the sector industry and location wise.The SMEs contribute to 30% of the exports and most of them are involved in value addition and they contribute 35% to GDP and offer employment to about 40% of the labour force.Thaver said the impediments to SME growth are lack of education, finance, proper environment, infrastructure, logistics and these days the energy crisis is a real issue.In order to promote, encourage, facilitate, motivate and upgrade the SME sector UNISAME has suggested to the government to take measures to educate the SMEs about the new technologies in production, management, marketing, accounting & inventory control and encourage the SMEs to modernize and make plans for balancing and replacement of their units and arrange transfer of technology.

UNISAME has stressed the need to facilitate the SMEs through banking, leasing,insurance as these are the pillars for growth.The SMEs in order to progress need law and order and protection and need to feel safe and of course the infrastructure needs to be improved as the SME sector is dependent on logistics which encompasses transportation, warehousing and collateral management.The need for alternate energy is being felt due to the energy crisis and the UNISAME committee has emphasized the need for promotion of solar energy systems in houses, offices and factories. The new houses and factories and industrial estates must be asked to have alternate solar systems and this must be made mandatory.The UNISAME committee urged the government to adopt a policy of fair taxation and also give tax benefit to innovative industries and new units.The SMEs need their own chamber of commerce and also their own export promotion bureau.

They also need an SME specific bank, a technical institute and an ombudsman. There is need for joint venture and collaboration and all these requirements are included in the SME Policy 2007, which is not fully implemented.The NPO, EDB, SMEDA, PCSIR and TDAP are all dedicated institutions and working hard for the promotion and development of the SMEs together with the commercial banks but they all need to co-ordinate with one another for integrated effortsThe UNISAME committee demanded that the government should strengthen and equip the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and broaden its scope to enable it to reach the SMEs involved in manufacturing, trading and services.

The UNISAME committee authorized Syed Sajid Naqvi its secretary general to raise the union's point of view at the 9th SME conference on 25th August 2015 organized by Shamrock Conferences. The committee is deeply concerned about declining exports of textiles, rice and commodities and requested Sajid Naqvi to invite the attention of the policy makers present at the moot to consider serious measures for regaining the lost markets.UNISAME committee thanked Menin Rodrigues chairman Shamrock Conferences for the opportunity to present their demands at the scheduled forum in the presence of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) officials, SMEDA, Planning Commission, Commercial banks and other stakeholders.

Rice industry to be boosted by moves to reduce production costs -Agriculture Minister Holder
distributed by noodls on 08/24/2015 12:20

Bottom of Form
Describing the rice industry as the most important agricultural industry in Guyana, Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder placed it ahead of sugar in terms of foreign exchange earnings.He explained that more than 40,000 people directly depend on the rice industry for their livelihood thus in terms of food security, the sector has helped to secure Guyana's status as a food-secure country. He spoke of government's intention to further accelerate production/productivity, "with an emphasis on reducing cost of production".Minister Holder noted that, over the years, rice has excelled in its production, moving from 298,125metric tonnes (mt) in 2007 to 635,238mt in 2014, "This represents a 113% increase in production," he said.

Notwithstanding the increase, the minister said that there are some major challenges that that need to addressed including, Drying and Storage; Marketing- which plays a key role in the survival of the industry; Compliance by Millers; Improving varieties to enhance productivity; Good Agricultural Practices; Energy Efficient Management at Rice Mills, and Value Added Production.For the Minister, the real story of development remains investment in the nation's citizens. He said, the Implementation of a Rice Marketing Plan, improving productivity, improving operational efficiency in rice mills and, the development of value added products for which markets exist, would be pursued.

Despite the challenges, Minister Holder indicated that a record 360, 325mt in the spring crop of 2015 was produced whilst 326, 278mt was exported. He pledged his Ministry's continuing support in exploring additional markets for rice.The rice industry supports at least 10 percent of Guyana's population directly, and is the major source of income and employment in rural areas. The industry contributes approximately 61 percent of agricultural GDP and 21.3 percent of export earnings. It has also been described as the main staple of the population, with per capita consumption estimated at around 50kg.
www.noodls.com

Prices of rice, other foodstuff rise in Asaba

Prices of rice and other foodstuff have risen in recent months in Asaba, the Delta State capital, a survey by the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday has shown.The survey indicated that a 50kg bag of Royal Stallion and Milan Gold brands of rice, which sold for N8,500 in June at the Ogbe-Ogonogo and Abraka markets, now sell for N10,000.The price of 50kg of another brand of rice, Mama Africa, now sells for N10,500 at the markets, as against N9,800 in June. The price of other brands of rice also rose by about 26 percent in the past two months.
The survey further revealed that a carton of turkey edible oil, which was sold for N10,000 in June, now sells for N11,000, while the retail price has now gone up to N1,200 from N1000.Some rice dealers interviewed attributed the price increase to the strict adherence by the present administration to the rice import quota policy, which restricts the flooding of the country markets with foreign rice.
According to Uche Okorie, a dealer in Ogbe-Ogonogo Market, Asaba, the sudden increase in price was due to the scarcity of foreign exchange.Okorie said the situation had resulted in a drop in her sales, as customers no longer bought the quantities they used to buy.Another dealer, Chioma Enebeli, said her sales had dropped, adding that some customers now bought half a bag of the commodity, instead a full bag.Abdulahi Mamud, a retailer at Abraka Market, said the increase in price had affected his business.
http://businessdayonline.com/2015/08/prices-of-rice-other-foodstuff-rise-in-asaba/
APEDA India News

Price on: 21-08-2015
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
Apricots
1
Turkish No. 2 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t)
5375
2
Turkish No. 4 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t)
4875
3
Turkish size 8, CIF UK (USD/t)
3875
Sultanas
1
Australian 5 Crown, CIF UK (USD/t)
3023
2
Iranian natural sultanas (Gouchan), CIF UK (USD/t)
2061
3
Turkish No 9 standard, FOB Izmir (USD/t)
2350
White Sugar
1
CZCE White Sugar Futures (USD/t)
807
2
Kenya Mumias white sugar, EXW (USD/t)
690
3
Pakistani refined sugar, EXW Akbari Mandi (USD/t)
621
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 22-08-2015
Domestic Prices
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Maize
1
Shehra (Gujarat)
Other
1350
1450
2
Bellary (Karnataka)
Local
1622
1622
3
Deoli (Rajasthan)
Other
1300
1302
Paddy(Dhan)
1
Bonai (Orissa)
Other
1360
1400
2
Kadi (Gujarat)
Other
1200
1525
3
Gumla (Jharkhand)
Other
1050
1200
Papaya
1
Aroor (Kerala)
Other
1700
1900
2
Kangra (Himachal  Pradesh)
Other
2200
2500
3
Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh)
Other
1160
1195
Carrot
1
Bonai (Orissa)
Other
1000
2000
2
Solan (Himachal Pradesh)
Other
2000
3000
3
Akluj (Maharashtra)
Other
2500
4000
Source:agra-net
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 20-08-2015
Product
Market Center
Price
1
Pune
310
2
Hyderabad
295
3
Mysore
322
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package
Price on 21-08-2015
Product
Market Center
Origin
Variety
Low
High
Potatoes
Package: 50 lb cartons
1
Atlanta
Colorado
Russet
22
23
2
Baltimore
Virginia
Russet
14
14
3
Chicago
Idaho
Russet
15
16
Cucumbers
Package: cartons film wrapped
1
Atlanta
Canada
Long Seedless
8
10
2
Dallas
California
Long Seedless
12
13
3
Miami
Honduras
Long Seedless
10
10
Grapefruit
Package: 7/10 bushel cartons
1
Atlanta
California
Red
26
27.50
2
Baltimore
California 
Red
24
24
3
Dallas
California
Red
25.75
25.75
Source:USDA

 

Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report

A comprehensive daily commodity market report for Arkansas agricultural commodities with cash markets, futures and insightful analysis and commentary from Arkansas Farm Bureau commodity analysts.
Noteworthy benchmark price levels of interest to farmers and ranchers, as well as long-term commodity market trends which are developing. Daily fundamental market influences and technical factors are noted and discussed.
Soybeans
High
Low
Cash Bids
937
827
New Crop
927
842


Riceland Foods


Cash Bids
Stuttgart: - - -
Pendleton: - - -
New Crop
Stuttgart: - - -
Pendleton: - - -


Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Sep '15
921.00
903.75
905.25
-16.25
Nov '15
907.50
888.75
889.50
-17.75
Jan '16
911.75
893.00
893.50
-18.25
Mar '16
910.75
892.75
893.25
-18.00
May '16
910.50
893.50
894.00
-17.50
Jul '16
911.75
897.25
898.00
-17.25
Aug '16
909.00
896.75
897.00
-17.50
Sep '16
885.50
-15.50
Nov '16
896.75
880.00
880.75
-15.00

Soybean Comment

New crop soybeans post new lows today as the market fell sharply on concern from turmoil in China and weakening U.S. Economy. While the crop tours point to slightly lower yields, these were not as low as were earlier thought and it appears the U.S. will have ample supplies this fall. This combined with large South American supplies will continue to pressure prices and limit gains. One saving factor of this market is strong, domestic demand, however, if China economy continues to weaken slow exports could leave the U.S. with ample soybeans supplies.


Wheat
High
Low
Cash Bids
466
426
New Crop
516
491


Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Sep '15
507.00
495.75
499.50
-6.75
Dec '15
512.00
500.00
504.00
-7.25
Mar '16
515.25
503.75
508.00
-7.50
May '16
516.00
506.00
510.50
-7.25
Jul '16
519.25
508.00
512.50
-7.25
Sep '16
528.00
517.50
521.50
-7.00
Dec '16
540.50
531.25
535.25
-5.25
Mar '17
543.75
543.75
545.00
-4.50
May '17
548.00
-4.00

Wheat Comment

Wheat prices weakened today as weakness in outside markets continue to pull prices lower. One positive for wheat remains the fact that prices continue to hold support near $5 and hold onto those gains.


Grain Sorghum
High
Low
Cash Bids
377
334
New Crop
377
333



Corn
High
Low
Cash Bids
363
323
New Crop
391
343


Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Sep '15
372.50
364.00
365.25
-5.75
Dec '15
384.25
375.75
377.25
-5.25
Mar '16
395.50
387.00
388.75
-5.00
May '16
401.00
393.25
394.75
-4.75
Jul '16
405.25
397.75
399.00
-4.50
Sep '16
398.50
393.75
395.25
-2.75
Dec '16
404.75
398.50
400.25
-2.75
Mar '17
415.25
408.75
410.50
-2.50
May '17
420.00
420.00
416.75
-2.25

Corn Comment

Corn prices closed lower today. While the crop tour yield estimates provided some support, yields were not off as much as originally thought. This combined with sell off in the U.S. stock market and weakening Chinese economy will keep pressure on prices and likely hold prices under $4 for the foreseeable future, until demand starts to pick up.


Cotton
Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Oct '15
67.11
67.02
67.64
-0.02
Dec '15
67
66.27
66.91
-0.02
Mar '16
66.5
65.58
66.35
0.02

Cotton Comment

Cotton traded on either side of unchanged today before ending mostly lower. Tightening supplies in the U.S. are certainly supporting the market and a weaker dollar today was also supportive. Huge world stocks, particularly in China, will limit the upside potential. December continues to find resistance at 67 cents.


Rice
High
Low
Long Grain Cash Bids
- - -
- - -
Long Grain New Crop
- - -
- - -


Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Sep '15
1178.5
1150.0
1165.0
+1.5
Nov '15
1207.0
1178.0
1192.5
+1.0
Jan '16
1222.0
1211.5
1221.5
+1.0
Mar '16
1245.5
+1.0
May '16
1270.5
+1.5
Jul '16
1273.0
+3.0
Sep '16
1174.0
+3.0

Rice Comment

Rice futures traded in a wide range today before ending about a penny higher. Weekly export sakes of only 35,000 metric tons added to the negative undertone. The market has been attempting to consolidate after failing at the recent highs of $12.07 for September and $12.34 for November.


Cattle
Futures:
Live Cattle:
High
Low
Last
Change
Aug '15
146.750
144.650
145.000
-1.475
Oct '15
146.300
143.350
143.625
-2.700
Dec '15
148.425
145.700
145.850
-2.625
Feb '16
148.200
145.550
145.800
-2.475
Apr '16
146.875
144.300
144.425
-2.550
Jun '16
138.975
136.375
136.550
-2.550
Aug '16
136.775
134.400
134.725
-2.525
Oct '16
138.300
136.375
136.600
-2.500
Dec '16
139.000
136.975
137.000
-2.450
Feeders:
High
Low
Last
Change
Aug '15
213.050
210.850
211.675
-1.525
Sep '15
206.525
202.325
202.325
-4.500
Oct '15
203.600
199.475
199.475
-4.500
Nov '15
201.725
197.350
197.350
-4.500
Jan '16
195.675
191.225
191.225
-4.500
Mar '16
192.675
188.650
188.750
-4.400
Apr '16
192.725
188.825
188.825
-4.175
May '16
192.000
187.850
187.975
-4.375

Cattle Comment

Livestock markets closed sharply lower today, as feeder cattle were down the limit. While beef prices remain supportive of prices, weakness in the economy and major sell off on the stock market has the market worried about the long term impact to prices. With a looming increase in the dollar, exports remain a point of concern; combine this with weakening cash prices and cattle are going to have difficulty holding recent gains and are likely to trend lower.


Hogs
Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Oct '15
64.975
62.625
62.825
-1.925
Dec '15
61.325
58.700
58.875
-2.425
Feb '16
66.250
63.775
64.000
-2.150
Apr '16
71.000
68.875
68.975
-1.875
May '16
75.400
75.325
75.350
-1.300
Jun '16
79.275
77.400
77.400
-1.675
Jul '16
78.050
76.900
76.900
-1.425
Aug '16
76.550
76.325
76.325
-0.975
Oct '16
66.350
66.150
66.150
-0.550
http://www.arfb.com/ag-markets-statistics/report/


A new Registrar of Lands

A legal dispute has arisen over the appointment of Ms Rosalie Robertson as Registrar of Lands following the sending off on leave of the previous holder of the position, Ms Juliet Sattaur.The dispute revolves around Section 7 (1) of the Land Registry Act Cap 5:02 which reads as follows: “There shall be a Registrar of Lands and a Deputy Registrar of Lands who shall be the persons for the time being holding the Offices of Registrar of Deeds and Deputy Registrar of Deeds respectively.

” There are various views on whether the words ‘for the time being’ require an amendment to the law to permit the appointment of a Registrar other than the Registrar of Deeds or whether they lose applicability on the appointment of a new Land Registrar.While legal minds will continue to argue the points on both sides, there is an even more important consideration. The previous PPP/C government had become notorious for the poorest standard of governance in many sectors and particularly in relation to appointments to senior public sector positions. There were many of these including that of the now sacked Chairman of GuySuCo, Dr Rajendra Singh.

By virtue of the long tenure by the PPP/C in office, the public has clamoured for a sea change in the quality of governance and this had been fervently promised by APNU+AFC while on the campaign trail and after entering office. It has so far not lived up to expectations in terms of appointments to state boards. The appointments reflect no ethnic, gender and political balance. Further, the appointments were made in ad hoc fashion. No government official has since explicated how the coalition engaged within itself or with the wider society in mustering these names.In addition, questions of merit will arise along with the age-old malady in the public sector of whether this is simply a case of jobs for the boys. Several appointments in the public sector raise concerns about suitability and relevance. After being out of public service in the rice sector for many years, Mr Claude Housty was named as Chairman of the Guyana Rice Development Board at a time when the sector faces grave jeopardy from the imminent loss of the large lucrative oil barter market in Venezuela.

 The public will over time be able to judge his efforts although on July 27th when given the opportunity to address the national rice conference he did not impress the gathering with his suggestion that rice in substantial quantities can be sold to Mexico, Canada and Brazil.Bearing all of this in mind, how did the APNU+AFC government come up with Ms Robertson’s name? Ms Robertson may undoubtedly be qualified for appointment to the post of Registrar of Lands but that is not the question at this stage.
The primary issue that has dogged the 100-day old administration is that a section of its governing coalition, the PNCR, is aggressively asserting itself and promoting certain candidates without any identifiable basis for this and to the exclusion of all others, including worth civil society persons.Did the government consult the stakeholders in the legal sector – the Guyana Bar Association and the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers on Ms Robertson’s appointment? Did it contemplate advertising the position?

Did it contemplate that this is really an appointment that should properly be made via the Public Service Commission? It is quite acceptable for ministers to appoint their own advisors, public relations personnel and photographers. It is an entirely different proposition for a new government pledging a departure from opaque governance to monopolize the appointing of a person to an important public position as that of Registrar of Lands. The public is entitled to an explanation from the government on this appointment and on its policy towards filling such vacancies.

Golden! Rice Defeats San Jose State 2-1 In Double-Overtime
Golden Overtime Goal From Lauren Hughes Secures Rice's First Victory

Aug. 23, 2015
HOUSTON, Texas – The Rice soccer team rallied for a late goal in regulation before claiming a dramatic 2-1 double-overtime victory over visiting San Jose State Sunday afternoon at home in Houston.San Jose State opened the day’s scoring in 21st minute and held the 1-0 advantage late into the contest. In the game’s 81st minute, Owl true freshman Annie Walker avoided some defenders before serving a pass into traffic in front of the Spartan goal. Though normally a defender for Rice, senior Jasmine Isokpunwu was forward on the play to help provide some offensive pressure.
The veteran jumped to the head the ball, and placed it to the back of the SJSU net for her first goal of the season.It was a new game at 1-1, but there proved to be quite a bit of soccer still left to play. The former conference rivals were deadlocked at the end of regulation and after the first of what would be two overtime periods. Any overtime goal would immediately decide the outcome.With the clock running down again, this time with just over three minutes in the second/final overtime period, the senior duo of Danielle Spriggs and Lauren Hughes fought through the fatigue to go to work one last time. In the 117th minute, Spriggs drew the full attention of the Spartan defense while bringing the ball in close to the right post.

As the defense drew-in to contain the Spriggs, the California native passed back to Hughes inside the keeper’s box. From there the Owls’ career and single-season record-holder for goals needed only one touch to fire the game-winning shot and a 2-1 final.Hughes’ goal was her first of the season and the 33rd of her collegiate career (to add to her school record). The senior from Ottawa, Canada, led the Owls with five shots on the day. Rice took a total of 18 shot attempts overall. Owl goalkeeper Zoe Pochobradsky registered another sound and solid outing with five saves. 

Rice has closed out its season-opening two-game homestand. The Owls are on the road for the team’s next contest at state foe Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday (Aug. 28). The Blue & Gray is then back in town on Sunday (Aug. 30) for a 4 pm match against longtime foe Sam Houston State to be played downtown at BBVA Compass Stadium, the professional soccer home of both the Houston Dynamo & Houston Dash. The phone number for the Rice Ticket Office is 713-348-OWLS.

http://www.conferenceusa.com/sports/w-soccer/recaps/082315aag.html





Basmati crop in Gurdaspur, Amritsar under pest threat
The state agriculture department has issued an advisory to farmers of the basmati crop to keep a close eye on their plants.
  
Written by Anju Agnihotri Chaba | Jalandhar | Published:August 22, 2015 4:43 am

Agriculture experts inspect Basmati crop damaged by pests in Gurdaspur. (Source: Express photo)

The Basmati crop in Punjab is under threat from rice hispa — a pest that eats the leaves of the plant, exposing its epidermis as a broad white mark. It has been noticed in over a dozen villages in Gurdaspur and Amritsar.The pest thrives in flooded fields. The monsoon and lack of efficient drainage has contributed to this.The state agriculture department has issued an advisory to farmers of the basmati crop to keep a close eye on their plants.Dr Amrik Singh, agriculture development officer at Gurdaspur, said that at least 100 acres has been affected.“Infestation varies from six to 65 per cent in the fields,” he said.

Farmers in the state have been mindlessly applying fertilzers to their crops. This has affected the ecosystem in which the crops grow and has kept the rice hispa’s natural predators away,” said Dr Naresh Gulati, an agriculture development official. An adult rice hispa looks like a small bluish-black beetle that has many short spines on its body. Its larvae is legless creamy white which is concealed inside the leaf tissue. “If the attack is in the nursery of the crop, the affected leaves should be cut off before the seedling is transplanted.

On transplanted crops, farmers must spray 120 ml methyl parathion 50 EC or 560 ml monocrotophos 36 SL or 800 ml Ekalux 25 EC or one litre chloropyriphos in 100 liter of water,” said Dr Singh. Farmer Piara Singh, numberdar of Magrala village, said the rain water hasn’t drained from the fields. This year, around 7 lakh hectares is under Basmati cultivation in the state. http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/basmati-crop-in-gurdaspur-amritsar-under-pest-threat/#sthash.fvE2xHD2.dpuf

Record caFe: ‘We need technologies to mitigate impact of climate change on crop production’

Farmers will opt for alternative crops only if they are assured that the returns from such crops are at least as remunerative as rice, if not more. Otherwise, it is very difficult to convince them


By: Sandip Das | August 24, 2015 12:19 AM

Baldev Singh Dhillon spoke to FE’s Sandip Das on the challenges faced by Indian agriculture and the need for adopting new technologies in promoting conservation agriculture.

 

Renowned agricultural scientist and vice-chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Baldev Singh Dhillon, has been a vocal supporter of conservation agriculture measures for dealing with falling water table, and excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers in northern India. Dhillon spoke to FE’s Sandip Das on the challenges faced by Indian agriculture and the need for adopting new technologies in promoting conservation agriculture. Excerpts:

You have seen the Green Revolution programme closely. How do you view Indian agriculture’s progress and the challenges it is likely to face in the coming decades?

Indian agriculture registered remarkable progress not only in the Green Revolution era but even thereafter.Recently, the country has become one of the biggest exporters of foodgrains. However, we are facing a number of challenges in the sector.Over 55% of India’s population depends on this sector for livelihood (it is the largest private enterprise), but the share of this sector is only about 14% in the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country. The performance of other sectors of the economy is much better compared to the farm sector.

Thus, the gap between farm and non-farm incomes has increased over time, resulting in relatively high poverty in the farm sector. During 2014-15, farm sector’s growth was just 0.2% compared to 7.3% in the GDP of Indian economy.Declining water availability, shrinking farm size, imbalance between input and output prices, costly mechanisation, and poor agro-processing facilities leading to huge wastages are other challenges. Then there is climate change, which affects agriculture more adversely than other sectors. In the face of these challenges, we have to meet the food requirement and other needs of our ever-increasing population and ensure that farmers live as good a life as those working in other sectors.While on one hand we need large investments to support the farm sector, on the other the challenge is to make huge investments in non-farm sectors which have the potential to address the unemployment and under-employment problem in rural India.

Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have initiated a crop diversification programme to tackle with the problem of rapidly-depleting groundwater table. What has been the impact?

Punjab has promoted cultivation of basmati rice, maize, cotton and horticultural crops under the diversification plan. There has been substantial increase in the area under basmati, which consumes less water than parmal rice.The area under horticultural crops has also increased. But the farmers have faced marketing problems in the cultivation of these crops. There were fluctuating output prices in the case of basmati rice (even delay in payments) and horticultural crops. In maize, farmers sold the produce at a price much lower than the minimum support price (MSP). To make the diversification programme successful, market-related issues for alternative crops need to be addressed at the national level, by making provision for remunerative MSP, assured procurement and timely payments to growers. There has to be a level-playing field.

How acute is the water availability crisis in Punjab? What steps need to be taken immediately?
The excessive drawing of groundwater in Punjab has resulted in declining of water table at a very rapid rate (0.1-1.0 metre a year) along with higher cost of pumping water. Punjab, in fact, has 146 development blocks, of which 110 blocks have been categorised as overexploited, three as critical and two as semi-critical. The most affected areas fall in the districts of Barnala, Sangrur, Patiala, Moga, Jalandhar and Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar, where water tables have declined in the range of 8.2-11.9 metres in 2000 to 12.4-26.5 metres in 2013.In 2008, Punjab government issued an ordinance which was subsequently made a law—that rice cannot be transplanted before June 10. This year the state government extended the date to June 15.

Due to this measure, the annual fall in water table has been checked by about 27.5 cm, which is about 65% of the long-term water table falling rate.Besides, breeding early maturing rice varieties—which require less water—was put in focus by the PAU and the university recently released varieties such as PR 121 and PR 123, which mature in lesser number of days than the predominant varieties. These varieties mature in 135 days compared to more than 160 days taken by the rice variety Pusa 44.The use of laser land leveller, which saves about 15% of irrigation water, has been recommended and about 16 lakh hectares of land has been levelled in Punjab. The technology for cultivation of direct-seeded rice has been developed and it covered about 2.8 lakh acres in Punjab during 2014.

 Its coverage is expected to increase this year.In addition, micro-irrigation system in Punjab is being promoted but the rate of its adoption has been slow—because of large financial requirements—as compared to the potential of the technology. Since this technology saves up to 50% of irrigation water, thus it needs larger subsidy.States such as Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh are now producing substantial quantity of rice, which they contribute to the central pool. Yet farmers in Punjab and Haryana have not shifted to alternative, less water-intensive crops. What could be the reasons?

Farmers will opt for alternative crops only if they are assured that their cultivation is at least as remunerative as rice, if not more. Otherwise, it is very difficult to convince the farmers. Remember, rice enjoys the advantage of larger subsidy support, remunerative MSP and assured procurement. Even climate change has lesser adverse effect on rice productivity as compared to maize and cotton.What is the state of agricultural research in the country? What are the challenges faced by the sector due to climate change?

India has one of the largest agricultural research systems in the world, with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) being the nodal organisation. The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) basically comprises ICAR institutes and agricultural universities, and also gets support from the Department of Biotechnology, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Department of Science and Technology, University Grants Commission, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and some traditional universities.

Although we are an agrarian country, yet our investment in research and development in agriculture has been rather low. To be able to meet the emerging challenges of our ever-increasing population and competing with other countries in the world market, we need to increase investment in agriculture research to at least 2% of GDP. It is known that investment in agriculture yields higher returns and is more effective in poverty alleviation than that in other areas.Climate change has become imminent and, in the long run, it can adversely affect the productivity of crops.

Thus, it is important to focus on development of technologies to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on crop production. Suitable technology needs to be developed for prediction of extreme weather events such as excessive rainfall in a short period, frost and hailstorm. We also have to identify crop genotypes showing tolerance to such extremes, and work on new agronomic practices and cropping systems that can withstand the adverse effects of the changing climate.

How is PAU contributing to agricultural research?

We are actively engaged in research to meet the emerging challenges in agriculture. Important contributions (besides crop improvement) include promotion of water-saving technologies such as direct seeded rice, usage of laser land leveller, drip irrigation in maize, wheat, onion and chilli, and use of tensiometer which is recommended in rice cultivation.For residue management in the crop, the Happy Seeder developed by us incorporates rice straw in field soil and also reduces the cost of sowing of wheat crop. Besides, the use of straw chopper, shredder and baler has also been recommended for rice straw management. In a web-based decision, support system has been developed by us for monitoring and management of potato late blight. Several seed varieties in rice, wheat, maize, pulses, garlic, onion, tomato, etc, are at various stages of development.
First Published on August 24, 2015 12:19 am
The Indian Express


Innovate, grow more, live better
By Dr Martin Kropff
Published: August 23, 2015
The writer is director general of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
The development of a more productive, modernised and profitable agricultural sector is vital to securing a bright future for Pakistan. The Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP) Annual Conference 2015, to be held in Islamabad, will highlight how the latest agricultural innovations can be introduced to farmers in Pakistan for improved productivity and economic growth. Not only is it necessary to feed a growing population of 190 million people, but the economy also depends on it: one-fifth of national income comes from agriculture, which also generates 43 per cent of all jobs.

According to the UN, the population of Pakistan will have risen by another 120 million in 2050. Global research partnerships with Pakistani scientists, with vital support from the government, are working to bring in a new generation of agricultural innovations for a more food-secure planet.The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) has played an important and historic role in supporting the growth of Pakistani agriculture. Norman Borlaug first came to Pakistan in 1960, when it was on the brink of mass famine. One of his first steps was to train local scientists.In 1961, Manzoor A Bajwa became the first Pakistani researcher to go to Mexico for training, shortly followed by three others.

 Bajwa selected and brought back the experimental wheat line that would become ‘Mexi-Pak’, a white grain variety with the high gluten strength needed to make chapatis and provided good resistance to rust and powdery mildew. The variety was a success. Political support for the project saw Pakistan import 42,000 tonnes of seed from Mexico in 1966, the largest seed purchase in the history of agriculture at that time. In 1968, Pakistan became the first country in Asia to become self-sufficient in wheat, one of the crowning achievements of the Green Revolution.In the mid-1980s, CIMMYT introduced conservation agriculture technologies to Pakistan, importing a prototype seed drill from New Zealand that allowed Pakistani farmers to practice zero-tillage, saving costs and addressing the issue of late planting in rice-wheat cropping systems.

After 50 years, CIMMYT is still working closely with Pakistani scientists to improve wheat and maize production systems from seed to farm, market to policy level. Seventy-eight per cent of wheat grown in Pakistan is the product of collaboration with CIMMYT. As well as the support of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, US agencies have long been committed partners in the country’s development.Today, it is necessary to improve productivity in the face of high pressure on groundwater in the Indo-Gangetic plains, help farmers adopt more sustainable and productive agricultural practices despite higher labour and fuel costs, and support the local seed sector to deliver improved crop varieties in partnership with strong public research institutions.

Finally, Pakistani agriculture must develop the capacity to not only mitigate the effects of climate change, but also to adapt and thrive in changing circumstances.With funding from USAID and in partnership with PARC, CIMMYT is able to build further on its decades of work in Pakistan. Since 2013, CIMMYT has been leading the AIP to increase productivity and incomes in the agricultural sector through the dissemination of modern practices for cereals, horticulture and livestock. It may also be possible to introduce durum wheat as a commercial crop.The AIP’s motto is to “innovate, grow more, live better”. This kind of programme, bringing together international, government, public and private actors in the pursuit of innovation across the board, exemplifies the approach needed to continue the development of Pakistan’s agricultural and food sector.

The AIP is a multi-institute programme bringing national public and private sector partners together with international research institutes such as CIMMYT, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, the International Rice Research Institute, the International Livestock Research Institute and the World Vegetable Center, alongside the University of California, Davis.Since 2013, the programme has already introduced new disease-resistant wheat, heat- and salinity-tolerant rice and bio-fortified maize varieties to Pakistan, and introduced conservation agriculture machinery in 26 districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab with the collaboration of 13 national public and private sector partners.

The programme has allowed five PhD and nine MSc students to begin study in agricultural science at American universities.Along with the rest of South Asia, Pakistan has great potential to grow into a highly prosperous and food-secure country by introducing modern practices to improve farmers’ yields and livelihoods. Pakistani scientists, government bodies and private enterprises, international research institutes and global development partners lie at the centre of this. Funded by USAID, the AIP is living recognition of the need to invest in agricultural innovation through global, multi-sector partnerships.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 24th,  2015
http://tribune.com.pk/story/943377/innovate-grow-more-live-better/

India to ship 10,000 tonnes of rice bran oil


India is expected to ship 10,000 tonne of rice bran oil this financial year after the Union Government eased restrictions on its bulk sale, giving a boost to small rice millers, an industry body said. Last year, the country exported about 2,000 tonnes of rice bran oil, according Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA).“Lifting of the government restriction is a great boost to the industry and will help small rice millers across the country.

We expect to export 10,000 tonnes of rice bran oil during this financial year," according to B. V. Mehta, Executive Director, SEA. SEA is now looking at new export destination for shipping of rice bran oil, which fetches a premium over other edible oils, Mr. Mehta said. "There has been good demand from countries like Japan and Thailand.

We will also start exploring new destinations like Australia, New Zealand, the US for exports of rice bran oil," he added. Earlier due to the restrictions, all output was absorbed in the domestic market, he said. Mr. Mehta said the country produces 155 million tonnes paddy and has a potential to produce 8.76 million tonnes of rice bran and 1.53 million tonnes of rice bran oil. India was the highest producer of rice bran oil with an output of 9.5 lakh tonnes in 2014-15, followed by China with two lakh tonnes and Japan 80,000 tonnes. India is expected to produce 9.97 lakh tonnes this year.

http://www.thehindu.com/business/agri-business/india-to-ship-10000-tonnes-of-rice-bran-oil/article7572160.ece


UPDATE 2-Bangladesh plans to import 950,000 T wheat in year to June 2016
Sun Aug 23, 2015 4:17pm IST
By Ruma Paul

Aug 23 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's state grains buyer plans to import 950,000 tonnes of wheat in the year to June 2016, up from 300,000 tonnes the previous year, seeking to secure food supplies.
"We will seek wheat with 12.5 percent protein content to ensure quality," said Ilahi Dad Khan, procurement director at the Directorate General of Food.The announcement came after the Supreme Court questioned the quality of recent Brazilian wheat imports, prompting the state buyer to seek alternative supplies.In addition, the state buyer will procure 1.5 million tonnes of rice locally.Bangladesh depends heavily on imports to feed its poor and keep domestic prices stable.In 2008, record food prices led to cancellations of wheat import deals and sparked protests in a country where nearly a third of the population lives on less than $2 a day.


Khan said current problems were not as serious as in 2008, or as in 2011, when Bangladesh became a major rice importer after its local procurement drive failed.Prices for both wheat and rice on international markets currently are at multi-year lows.Bangladesh, the world's fourth-biggest rice producer, consumes almost all its production. It aims to produce more than 35 million tonnes of rice in the current year, up from nearly 34 million the previous year.Rice is the main staple for Bangladesh's 160 million people, but wheat consumption is also rising due to lifestyle changes. It often needs to import rice to cope with shortages caused by floods or drought.In addition to the government, private traders also import about 2.5 million tonnes of wheat a year to help meet local demand of 4 million tonnes. Domestic output amounts to about 1 million tonnes. (Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)

http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/08/23/bangladesh-wheat-idINL4N10Y06P20150823

 

 

Bangladeshi Scientists Develop New Zinc-rich Rice


By Reaz Ahmad: TheDailyStar.net:
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has developed a second breed of zinc-rich rice which grows faster, gives better yield and is of better nutritional values than its predecessor.Named BRRI dhan72, the second hi-zinc Aman variety was developed two years into the release of the world's first biologically fortified (biofortified) high-yielding variety zinc rice -- BRRI dhan62 -- in August 2013.The National Seed Board released the new rice breed last July 12 and the seeds will be made available to farmers for cultivation in the Aman season (June-November) next year.BRRI dhan72 has a yield of 5.7 tonnes per hectare against 4.5 tonnes of BRRI dhan62.

The latest breed is also nutritionally richer with 22.8 milligram zinc content a kilogramme, over 3mg higher than what BRRI dhan62 contains.Biofortification is the process of breeding crops to increase their nutritional values. This can be done either through conventional selective breeding or through genetic engineering.And it's the first method through which BRRI dhan72 has been developed.Zinc is one of the three most vital micronutrients, deficiency of which adversely affects children's natural growth and immune system. Proper zinc supplementation can reduce the severity of morbidity from a number of common childhood diseases including diarrhoea and pneumonia.Though fruits, vegetables and animal products are rich in micronutrients, these are often not available for the poor in Bangladesh as well as in many other Asian countries where the poor's daily diet consists mostly of relatively much inexpensive low-zinc staple -- rice.

According to the World Health Organisation, nearly half a million children die each year globally due to zinc deficiency.Seventeen percent of the global population is at risk of inadequate zinc intake. The regional estimated prevalence of inadequate zinc intake ranges from 7.5 percent in high-income regions to 30 percent in South Asia.

Among the three rice seasons -- Aus, Aman and Boro -- in Bangladesh, Aman contributes a big part of the country's total paddy output.It requires less irrigation and inputs to grow rice during the rain-fed Aman season than what it takes during the dry Boro season.Of all the varieties developed by the BRRI, BR11 (Mukta) has so far been the most popular among Aman rice growers since the breed's release in 1980."With the release of BRRI dhan72, we hopefully will be able to replace BR11 gradually in many parts of the country," BRRI Director General Jiban K Biswas told The Daily Star.While BR11 grows in 145 days, it takes 125 days to harvest BRRI dhan72 from the day of sowing the seeds, he said.Partha S Biswas, the lead breeder of the second zinc-rice variety, said, "We need different varieties of Aman rice for different cropping patterns in different agro-ecological systems.

This variety is developed for the areas where Robi crops [mainly wheat and winter vegetables] are cultivated besides Boro and Aman crops."Md Khairul Bashar, country manager of HarvestPlus that funded the research, said, "This variety is developed for those farmers who want better yield of rice with higher zinc content."After seed multiplication, HarvestPlus will start dissemination of this zinc-rich rice variety in 2016 Aman season," he added.HarvestPlus is a non-profit global biofortification mission launched in 2004 by the Washington-based global agro-science coordinating body -- Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).It is the first recipient of grants from the biofortification research fund of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.Jointly coordinated by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the International Food Policy Research Institute, the HarvestPlus programme provides assistance to both Bangladesh and India for pursuing advanced research for developing zinc-rice breeds.

Deficit Rain in 190 Blocks, Contingency Plan in Making

Published: 23rd August 2015 04:33 AM
Last Updated: 23rd August 2015 04:33 AM
BHUBANESWAR:With the August rainfall reporting a whopping 40 per cent (pc) deficit, the Odisha Government on Saturday got down to formulating a contingency plan for agriculture sector as close to 190 blocks are staring at damage to kharif crops.Reliable sources said, condition in at least 39 blocks is beyond repair as the deficit rainfall has wreaked havoc on the crops, paddy in particular. These blocks, located in 11 districts, have received rainfall in the range of seven mm to 71 mm between August 1 and 21. In the rest 150 blocks, the situation is very bad, but can be salvaged at some places.
With the Agriculture Department realising the gravity of the situation, a meeting was chaired by Chief Secretary GC Pati here on Saturday. Sources said, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to hold a video conferencing with district collectors on Tuesday to take stock of the situation and Saturday̢۪s meeting was a precursor to that.If the latest crop coverage report is to be believed, paddy has been sown over 31 lakh hectare so far against a target of 35 lakh hectare and it is still short of 2.5 lakh hectare compared to the corresponding period of last year.
Since severe moisture stress conditions are being experienced, the State Government is ready to advise farmers to go in for pulses and oilseeds farming in low lands. If necessary subsidy on seeds could be provided along with irrigation facility by use of pumpsets. In uplands, vegetable growing may be suggested to farmers. However, in the medium lands, the farmers can only wait and watch till the time rabi season arrives.
Since August is the most critical period for transplantation and weeding, absence of adequate rain has hampered paddy crops and farmers in may districts are in a state of despair.â€Å“It is a phase where farmers can neither hope to get good crops nor can they go in for fresh cropping,” said sources. Between August 1 and 21, Odisha has received 155.7 mm rain against the normal of 258 mm.As many nine districts have, so far, reported over 20 pc deficit in rainfall since June 1. In fact, the rain deficit has been on a upward spiral. In June, the overall rainfall was 11 pc in excess. In July, it reported a 13 pc deficit. August has been the harshest
The New Indian Express

Wading through the rice conundrum


By Ibrahim B.B. Shettima
I have followed, with keen interest, in the last few weeks, the unfolding drama or needless ‘altercation’ between the Nigeria Customs Service [NCS] and members of the Nigerian Rice Millers Association [NRMA], on who should bear responsibility for the sum of N23b in potential revenue lost last year by the government as a result of unwholesome implementation of a government fiscal incentive on rice imports.

This unfortunate turn of events is probably a direct consequence of the stealthy manner in which an otherwise laudable policy initiative was introduced in the first place.Admittedly, the observed national supply gap with respect to this staple that qualifies to be classified as a sensitive product, called for both short and long term measures at the time the government introduced import quotas, at concessionary duty rates, for rice millers with verifiable investments in local production and commitment to backward integration.

Yes, the Presidential approval was timely, but the sequencing of the consequential directives through circulars by the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies [MDAs] was characterised by lethargy, poor coordination, ineffective communication [lack of clarity] and, sadly, an unpardonable resort to retrospection.It is evident from the arguments that have suffused the print and electronic media lately that the government approved a total of 1.3 million metric tons to be allocated to qualified rice millers as import quotas. 

 The presidential approval giving effect to this fiscal measure was supposedly issued in May, 2014, while the Federal Ministry of Finance’s circular meant to facilitate implementation was issued in July, 2014. It is apparent that while this circular specified the criteria for prospective beneficiaries of reduced import duties, it was silent on the quotas allocated to individual importers, with only a hint that imports would be limited to the national supply gap to be determined by an Inter-Ministerial Committee.

Alas, it took the said committee, if ever there was one, seven [7] good months after Mr President’s approval to wake up to its responsibilities! Nigerian bureaucracy certainly needs a jolt, if I am permitted to digress. The circular purportedly issued by this committee, under the authority of the then Minister of Agriculture, was, to say the least, incredible as it allocated quotas to beneficiaries in a retroactive manner. The issue to interrogate here is whether the earlier circular from the Federal Ministry of Finance advised beneficiaries to tarry awhile, pending when allocation of quotas would be finalised by the Ministry of Agriculture or the relevant committee.If there was no such advice, which rational corporate entity will stymie its business by refraining from taking advantage of a scheme whose qualifying criteria it satisfied? Imagine the consequences of a seven-month lull in the importation of rice on price in the face of the identified supply gap and unabating rise in demand.

The concomitant rise in the evil phenomenon of smuggling [of rice] would have exerted a heavy toll on the lean resources of the  customs administration, as knee-jerk efforts would have been made to intensify patrol of, and surveillance over known unauthorised entry points.The phenomenon of smuggling may be evil, but it seems Nigerian fiscal authorities are oblivious, if not downright ignorant, of an equally debilitating phenomenon of trade diversion. Trade diversion occurs when unfriendly trade policies in a country constrain importers to use the port facilities of its contiguous [neighbouring] countries whose policies are relatively friendlier.

Therefore, if the current posture of forcing importers to pay up disputed duties is not moderated through fair hearing, the biggest beneficiary may be the Republic of Benin, whose Cotonou port offers a veritable alternative for imports destined for Nigeria. This in itself constitutes double jeopardy for the country as duty [ revenue] is not only lost as a result of the diverted trade; smuggling, with all its attendant security implications, will be hard to fight, talk less of obliterating it. The way out of this conundrum will be addressed shortly. It however suffices to add here that the counterpoise to trade diversion is trade creation.Another issue that calls for critical interrogation relates to the quality of policy formulation and implementation issuing forth from the bureaucracy.

The loud silence of an important policy document on transition arrangements that will facilitate seamless operation of a dual duty regime for a product of uniform classification and valuation is symptomatic of sub-optimal performance; a palpable deficit in executive capacity; negligence on the part of supervisors and an egregious lack of rigour in policy formulation.

Turning our attention to the rather tepid defence of its recent bellicose posture, the NCS, in an advertorial in the Daily Trust of 1st August, 2015, claimed its action of sealing up the warehouses of the ‘defaulting’ importers was taken after several warnings and ultimatum were ignored. It also averred that although it was aware of the litigation instituted by one of the affected importers, it relied on the powers conferred on it by the relevant provisions of Customs & Excise Management Act [CEMA]. All this may be true to some extent, but the NCS must come clean on whether or not it has been served with any restraining court order[s], yet to be vacated by a superior court. This is instructive as the mantra of change being heralded by the present political dispensation is partly predicated on the rule of law, as a guiding principle which does not permit impunity, talk less of celebrating it.

A corollary to the legal constraint faced by the NCS is the well-known and acceptable practice of hedging against revenue loss through Bank Guarantees [BGs] issued by importers’ banks in instances of disputes on amounts/rates payable. In other words, when a customs administration is cut between one of the pillars of trade facilitation that requires expeditious clearing of cargo and securing the maximum duty payable on the said cargo, BGs come in handy. The NCS must tell Nigerians if it adopted this win-win approach when it entertained doubts about the intendments of the government circular on the strength of which it allowed rice to be cleared at 30% duty in the second half of 2014. If it did, the question must be asked as to whether it has lost confidence in the issuing banks.  If it did not, then the NCS leadership would have unwittingly rendered itself incapable of protecting government revenue, thereby constituting itself into a revenue risk.

I dare add that if this monumental negligence is the case, one can safely conclude that the present holier-than-thou posture of NCS is to cover up for this negligence or, worse still, to impress the new administration.At this juncture, a critical review of the whole policy initiative will be undertaken to provide a basis for the recommendations that will form the concluding part of this piece. In the first place, it will be interesting to know the objective criteria employed by the Inter-Ministerial Committee to identify 26 companies as those qualified to benefit from the initiative.  Furthermore, in ranking the 26 beneficiaries for the purpose of quota allocations, did the committee consider capacity; employment generation; Corporate Social Responsibility [CSR]; number of out-growers supported; experience, among others? Relatedly, were all the beneficiaries genuine investors or did merchants benefitted, in the form of political patronage?

If the review must be holistic, we must also take a look at the powers of Mr President to grant import duty waivers and concessions. The CEMA provision that empowers the president to grant duty waivers and concessions is not without a caveat as it makes the recommendation of the Tariff Review Board a condition precedent to the president’s power to vary duties. It is an open secret that the exercise of this power by Nigerian leaders since the advent of the fourth republic has hardly been in consonance with the said caveat.This review will be incomplete if we fail to examine the sustainability of this policy initiative.

In doing this, the structure of the quota spread over the anticipated four- year period must be programmed to progressively reduce imports on an annual basis. This implies that local production must rise proportionately, year-on-year, to address the supply gap, necessarily programmed to decline on an annual basis. In fact, strategic positioning will require Nigeria to be competitive enough by the end of the programme to venture into the export of rice. Thus, the ultimate goal should be the achievement of national competitiveness, and not just national sufficiency in the consumption of rice. All this calls for an understanding of the supply and demand dynamics of both domestic and international rice markets by the top echelons of the relevant MDAs.In view of the salient issues raised in this piece, some ineluctable conclusions and recommendations come to the fore.

First, if the identified ‘excess imports’ constitutes a glut likely to depress prices to the detriment of both importers and domestic producers; such should be deducted from subsequent annual quota allocations. Second, the bureaucrats responsible for the lethargy that resulted in the loss of potential revenue estimated at N23b should face disciplinary action in line with the extant civil service rules as the blame is squarely located on the bureaucracy and not on the hapless investors being harangued by the NCS.

Thirdly, and relatedly, the investors that demonstrated good corporate citizenship by stopping importation when they realised they had inadvertently exceeded their retroactively allocated quotas, may be rewarded by a mark-up in subsequent quota allocations.Fourthly, the point must be made that the  NCS has not satisfactorily established a case of duty evasion against the rice millers in question  as it wilfully cleared their  goods without securing government revenue in anticipation of any [un]foreseen disputes.

The customs administration should therefore be directed to unseal the warehouses of these millers if its action must not be construed as officially-sanctioned extortionist drive. Fifthly, in the unlikely event that government revenue has been secured, the NCS should recover the said revenues upon maturity of the relevant financial instruments and/or after final determination of the cases before the courts. Finally, a comprehensive review of the programme should be carried out to rid the qualifying criteria of discretionary considerations and align it with the yet-to-be unfolded strategic economic objectives of the new administration.

Mr. Shettima is an Economist; a Trade Policy Analyst; a retired Deputy Director of CBN and an APC Chieftain.
http://naija247news.com/2015/08/wading-through-the-rice-conundrum/


The position of the Central Bank of Nigeria

Posted By: Our Reporteron: August 24, 2015In: 

CENTRAL Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele disagreed with the OPS members’ belief that the apex bank took a position without a proper appraisal of the domestic capacity for the production of some of the items on the list.Emefiele said: “My personal as well as the bank’s institutional analyses of the situation compelled us to believe that we needed to aggressively begin the process of feeding ourselves by ourselves and producing much of what we need in this country.“The huge amounts of money the country spends on importing things we can produce locally have become a significant drag on our FOREX Reserves.

Most of you are aware of the often-quoted number of N1.3 trillion, which is what we spend on the average, importing rice, fish, sugar and wheat every year.”Explaining his personal frustration over the development, the bank chief queried why the country should be importing rice when the substantial part of paddy rice – with competitive quality – produced locally are being wasted and ignored.To him, the importers has the option of going into locally production of rice by taking the advantage of the vast expanse of arable land, instead of taking the easy route of importing rice.

The CBN further alleged non-remittance of FOREX earnings by importers, who he accused of retaining such in foreign bank accounts, thereby putting pressure on FOREX demands. Emefiele argued that the exclusion of the 41 items was necessary to sustain the stability of the FOREX market, ensure the efficient utilisation of foreign exchange and the derivation of optimum benefit from imported goods and services.He added that the implementation of the policy will help to conserve foreign reserves as well as facilitate the resuscitation of domestic industries and improve employment generation. Besides, the apex bank chief said the items have not banned, stressing that any importers wishing to continuously import any of the items on the list could continue to do so but using their own funds without any recourse to the FOREEX market. CBN’s Director of Monetary Policy Department Moses Tule said the nation’s FOREX reserves cannot be depleted without replacement and still remain what it used to be, hence the drastic measures to curtail unhealthy demand.

Dismissing suggestions that the CBN ought to have dialogued with stakeholders before embarking on policy changes, Tule said no central bank in the world can do that as it will stoke incontrollable pressure and speculations. Speaking on the exigency of the policy, he said that it was not just in response to the pressure on the naira, but as an opportunity to change the economy’s structure, resuscitate local manufacturing and expand job creation opportunities. According to him, the items captured on the list were arrived at after thorough and exhaustive discussions at the highest policy making body of the bank, with the strategic national interest and backed by verifiable data.

Nigeria depended on imported rice for too long’
By Amina Alhassan & Prisca Ekokuje-Emadu | Publish Date: Aug 21 2015 11:20PM | Updated Date: Aug 22 2015 1:38AM

Rotimi Williams
Rotimi Williams, 34, is a rice farmer and the Managing Director, TW Heritage Company which includes Kereksuk Rice Farm in Benue State. In this interview he talks on why rice farming should be given priority in Nigeria.Daily Trust on Saturday: Many people your age would not venture into farming, so what motivated you?
Rotimi Williams
: I simply ask myself the question ‘if not me, then who?’ The primary problem in Nigeria today is that we wait for others to do things for us and this has to stop.  We need to learn to take the initiative. I would like to view this as a ‘Revolution of the Mind’ rather than an agricultural revolution. So, I began with the farm out of Poverty campaign.

DT: What are the potentials for rice farming in Nigeria?

Williams: 
The potential for rice farming in Nigeria is enormous, but we have become lazy and dependent on imported rice for far too long. The former Minister for Agriculture, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina did a remarkable job in getting agriculture back on track, but most importantly, he led the Rice Revolution. This in my view is only the beginning and the in-coming Minister for Agriculture must follow the line. For example, Dr Adesina ensured that the 2014-2015 rice allocation was given to both rice producers and millers to ensure continued investment in the sector through backward integration. This allowed farmers to fund their activities without depending on bank funding. The minute he left office at the end of his term, another allocation was immediately drafted, which totally excluded producers and favoured only millers. Who then produces the paddy rice for these millers?

In terms of actual rice production, Dangote remains the largest landowner, with 100,000 hectares for rice production, while my company, Kereksuk has 50, 000 hectares, the second largest for rice production in Nigeria. Both farms are not running at full optimisation and even at full optimisation, both companies will produce at best 1.3 million tonnes of paddy.  Assuming we are able to achieve 9 tonnes per hectare annually, this translates to approximately 810, 000 tonnes of milled rice, assuming we recover 60 percent of rice after milling. According to figures from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the annual demand for rice in Nigeria is approximately 5,000,000 metric tonnes (mt) deducting what both farms will produce at full optimisation will still leave an enormous gap of 4, 190, 000mt.

DT: In what ways will CBN’s decision on the ban of importers from accessing Forex affect rice processing in Nigeria?

Williams: 
From the perspective of a local rice farmer, the decision by the CBN will certainly encourage investment and participation in the rice sector, but not as easily as CBN suggests, someone still needs to fund this sector. The issues of insufficient rice production in Nigeria cannot simply be narrowed down to rice importation, but a failure to fully understand the rice value chain and address the issues that affect the value chain.

If anything, importation itself is a function of our inability as a nation to tackle the issues affecting local rice production and rice traders have simply taken advantage. One of the most prevailing issues with rice production, which till date remains a problem, is that of funding. Our local banks are happier to fund the processing aspect of rice production, but not the actual farming and if we rely on the contribution from the subsistence farmers, there is the issue of quality, quantity as a result of insufficient inputs and the know-how.

Another direct result of the CBN ban on accessing Forex is increased smuggling activities from neighbouring countries. The ban on accessing Forex and 70 percent duty and levy on importers makes Benin Republic and Cameroun a more attractive trading hub for cheaply imported rice and they simply truck it down to Nigerian markets. I thought we had learnt our lessons from 2013, but clearly not, the Nigerian government is going to lose a substantial amount of their revenue to these countries. So, if the CBN is willing to address the issue of funding for the entire value chain, and not just processing, then by all means, ban importation of rice.

However, if this is not going to be the case, I will suggest that the CBN, in consultation with the relevant ministries, come together and reach a common consensus on how to progress, as I am aware that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Trade and Investment, and Ministry of Finance in 2014 agreed on an import quota system for local rice stakeholders, which phases out in two years. 

DT: Why is our locally produced rice more expensive?

Williams:
 There are too many factors affecting the price of our locally produced rice, but I will mention a few that I feel needed to be addressed with urgency. I will first touch on the quality of our seeds, which I think are playing catch-up with leading rice-producing countries, making our produce less competitive. The resulting yields from these seeds means that the cost at which millers purchase paddy is high with varying quality and subsequently, the rice recovered after milling is below the global average of 62 percent.The land preparation process and inputs for rice farming is a lot more demanding than most crops and because majority of the rice paddy available for sale to millers are grown by subsistence farmers, it is obvious that yields will be a lot less in comparison to the likes of Thailand and India, that use full mechanisation process for land preparation and all inputs, that is, fertiliser and high-yielding seeds. 


The next point is funding. Banks in Nigeria rather take a risk on funding machinery, rather than the production of the raw material, rice. This coupled with the fact that cost of funds are in double digits, most farmers have no access to such funds and those that have access struggle to pay up and this is reflected in the price of rice. Given the high cost associated with the actual production of paddy, there is no subsidisation on the cost of paddy to millers, as we see in Thailand, thus, this cost is passed on to the final consumer.Another major issue is infrastructural deficit such as access roads, which increases transportation cost and lastly, but most prevailing, power supply. Inadequate power supply means that the rice millers have to run on diesel-powered generators.

Given these challenges faced by rice producers, we now have the issue of cheaply imported and smuggled rice in the market. With uncontrolled influx of cheap imported rice, the locally produced ones become less attractive for consumers.DT: What advice would you give the government to enhance the growth of rice farming and processing in Nigeria?

Williams:
 Firstly, take time to understand the entire rice value chain and understand how each section is funded, then create a special fund, with strict compliance and monitoring. I believe that such fund should focus more on large-scale farms as they are better organised to utilise such funds in area of technological know-how and production and easier to monitor.Secondly, map out the rice processing states and regions for better organisation to aid input distribution and economies of scale. Such arrangements will make it easier for both potential local and foreign investors to identify their areas of investment.
The government needs to have a better understanding of who is doing what in the rice industry and verify all claims, as we have had issues in past with some big corporate organisations claiming to be pioneers, but with no products to show.

As a matter of fact, during the tenure of Dr Adesina, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture found that they were bagging imported rice as local rice. Such an exercise will enable us better understand our position and put policies and measures in place to promote the industry.Lastly, on the issue of smuggling, I see two solutions. First, an outright ban on rice will go a long way in ensuring that rice brought into the country is limited and for those that are successful, it may be at an unattractive cost. Secondly, drop price of locally produced rice below imported, but this can only be achieved if the other issues are resolved. 


Basmati crop in Gurdaspur, Amritsar under pest threat

The state agriculture department has issued an advisory to farmers of the basmati crop to keep a close eye on their plants.

Written by Anju Agnihotri Chaba | Jalandhar | Published:August 22, 2015 4:43 am

Agriculture experts inspect Basmati crop damaged by pests in Gurdaspur. (Source: Express photo)
The Basmati crop in Punjab is under threat from rice hispa — a pest that eats the leaves of the plant, exposing its epidermis as a broad white mark. It has been noticed in over a dozen villages in Gurdaspur and Amritsar.The pest thrives in flooded fields. The monsoon and lack of efficient drainage has contributed to this.The state agriculture department has issued an advisory to farmers of the basmati crop to keep a close eye on their plants.Dr Amrik Singh, agriculture development officer at Gurdaspur, said that at least 100 acres has been affected.“Infestation varies from six to 65 per cent in the fields,” he said.

   “Farmers in the state have been mindlessly applying fertilzers to their crops. This has affected the ecosystem in which the crops grow and has kept the rice hispa’s natural predators away,” said Dr Naresh Gulati, an agriculture development official.An adult rice hispa looks like a small bluish-black beetle that has many short spines on its body.Its larvae is legless creamy white which is concealed inside the leaf tissue.“If the attack is in the nursery of the crop, the affected leaves should be cut off before the seedling is transplanted. On transplanted crops, farmers must spray 120 ml methyl parathion 50 EC or 560 ml monocrotophos 36 SL or 800 ml Ekalux 25 EC or one litre chloropyriphos in 100 liter of water,” said Dr Singh.Farmer Piara Singh, numberdar of Magrala village, said the rain water hasn’t drained from the fields.This year, around 7 lakh hectares is under Basmati cultivation in the state.

http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/basmati-crop-in-gurdaspur-amritsar-under-pest-threat/#sthash.vWHilJap.dpuf

Mekong in need of more infrastructure
As of 2014, the delta produced 55 per cent of paddy, 70 per cent of fruit, and 69 per cent of seafood of the country. It contributed 90 per cent of exported rice and 60 per cent of exported seafood. — File Photo
CAN THO (VNS) — The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta must plan for future economic growth by investing more in infrastructure, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh has said.Speaking at a conference on Friday in Can Tho City, Ninh said that officials had set the annual GDP growth target at 10.5 per cent between 2016 and 2020.The annual per capita GDP of the Delta is expected to be US$4,400 and export value over US$10 billion in the same period.In recent year, the Mekong Delta has contributed 16 per cent of the nation's GDP.
However, the region has received only 10 per cent of the national budget for infrastructure development, the lowest rate compared with other regions in the country, according to an official from the Southwestern Steering Committee.In order to meet the target, Ninh said more schools, hospitals and roads should be built.He also urged the region to restructure its economy.For years, the Mekong Delta has had an annual GDP growth was 8.87 per cent.As of 2014, the delta produced 55 per cent of paddy, 70 per cent of fruit, and 69 per cent of seafood of the country. It contributed 90 per cent of exported rice and 60 per cent of exported seafood.
Last year, the delta exported US$12.3 billion, equal to 8.2 per cent of the country's export turnover, a growth of 14.7 per cent annually. The rate of households living under the poverty line fell to 5.7 per cent in 2014 from 7.4 percent in 2013. It is expected that the rate will be 4.5 per cent this year.Transport infrastructure projects had received funds in recent years, but not enough money was spent on education, healthcare, and cultural systems. Ninh said this had prevented the sustainable development of the region.Ninh urged localities to seek funds through the private sector to fund infrastructure development. A cooperative model for agricultural production was also needed, he said. — VNS

Monsoon in a lull phase over North-West India

VINSON KURIAN
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUGUST 24:  
Western end of monsoon trough, the main meteorological feature that sets up rainfall over North India, has shifted close to the foothills of the Himalayas, signalling a weak monsoon.Rains will be confined to around these regions and also parts of East India and the East Coast until the trough shifts back to its normal southerly alignment.It can happen only with formation of a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal.
Preparatory ‘low’
A preparatory cyclonic circulation has set up a perch over the region, an India Met Department update said on Monday.It expects a ‘low’ to pop up here over the next two days, but at least one international model suspects that it may not show up until at least September 3.The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts sees the ‘low’ being delayed well past the month end.The US National Centres for Environmental Prediction seemed to agree with India Met and projects the ‘low’ weaving in along a westerly and north-westerly track within East India.
Deficit at new high
The strong north-westerly flows from the opposite side could force it to weaken and trace back its track towards the Bay.This means that Central and North-West India would continue to undergo a dry spell as will the larger South Peninsula. On Monday, the overall rain deficit for the country as a whole went up a notch to 11 per cent.With no significant rain forecast during the rest of August, normally the second rainiest after July, the deficit could soon grow past the 12 per cent-mark set by India Met for entire season.Monsoon starts withdrawing from Rajasthan from September 1 to begin a month-long retreat before it signs out over southwest peninsular by September 30.
(This article was published on August 24, 2015)


Delta Agriculture on the Move

Saturday, August 22, 2015
PORTAGEVILLE, MO. -- Staying current with the rapid movement of agriculture can be a chore.The 54th annual Fisher Delta Research Center Field Day, set for Wednesday, Sept. 2, will look to help farmers wade through those changes with discussions on several agricultural topics.Rice, cotton, corn and soybeans will also be discussed during the Field Day. Tours run from 8:30 a.m. to 1:10 p.m."We have a fabulous team and a great group of researchers," Director Trent Haggard said.

"During this Field Day, you will get to see the highlights of their research, which covers the newest and hottest topics in agriculture."While the Delta Research Center does share some similarities to other regions of Missouri, the land more closely resembles western Tennessee, eastern Arkansas and western Mississippi. The theme for the 2015 Field Day -- "Delta Agriculture on the Move" -- pertains to the entire Delta."Our research always relates to the entire Delta region," Haggard said. "The Delta and Missouri boot heel have extremely prolific soils. It's a hyper-productive area."Corn, beans, rice, cotton, wheat and milo can all be found in the Delta. FDRC's Field Day will take a look at most of them.Gene Stevens, plant sciences extension associate professor, will present on impacting yield through variable rate seed, fertilizer and irrigation regimes. Stevens will also have a second presentation on using a smartphone app to manage your irrigation needs.

 Both presentations will be during the corn and pollinator tour.Moneen Jones and Bob Walters will also present on new initiatives to benefit the overall health of bee colonies, as well as the many crops that bees pollinate.Matt Rhine, research associate, and David Dunn, soil and tissue lab associate, will both speak on the impact of rice."The rice tour will highlight the University of Missouri rice variety trials, research on chalkiness in rice and proper potash management," Haggard said.Grover Shannon, professor of plant sciences, and Andrew Scaboo, senior research scientist, will showcase upcoming soybean releases to enhance Delta producers' productivity and profitability.

"At this year's Field Day, we are sharing our work on variable rate irrigation, stewardship of fertilizer in several crops and assisting the local bee population," Haggard said. "That work is just a small sample of ways our research continue to enhance our natural resources."The FDRC Field Day will also include three presentations on cotton and weed science. From variety trials to new weed technologies, numerous topics will be covered."The cotton and weed tour will highlight the newest varieties for cotton, along with the new weed technology available to maximize cotton revenue and minimize weed drag," Haggard said.The Fisher Delta Research Center is located in Portageville, Mo. For more information, call 573-379-5431 or emailHaggardT@missouri.edu. You can also visit their website at http://delta.cafnr.org/.



National Rice Month Spotlight: Rice Aisle Impact

First in a series of three articles this week highlighting upcoming
USA Rice National Rice Month Promotions

NRM Spotlight
Sending the message about National Rice Month to shoppers everywhere
ARLINGTON, VA - This September marks the 25th Anniversary of National Rice Month, a time to celebrate the harvest of this small, but mighty grain, and to remind shoppers to Think Rice while at the grocery store.  This year, USA Rice is conducting customized promotions with supermarket registered dietitians (SRDs) at eight retail chains, including: Giant, HEB, Hy-Vee, Kroger, Rouses, ShopRite, Stop & Shop, and Weis Markets."This past spring, we conducted promotions with dietitians at two retail chains that generated nearly 38 million shopper impressions - so our messages were well amplified," said Paul Galvani, USA Rice Retail Subcommittee chairman.  "Building on that success, the retailers we are partnering with next month cover almost half of all U.S. grocery shoppers."

Throughout the month, USA Rice's SRD partners will promote National Rice Month and U.S.-grown rice through various supermarket communication channels, such as:  in-store radio ads, recipe demonstrations, newsletters, store magazines, circulars, store tours, nutrition classes, and more.  "We have some really unique promotions planned including U.S. rice-themed health and wellness text messages that H-E-B dietitians will send to more than 80,000 shoppers," said Galvani.  "And Kroger dietitians are hosting an incentive contest to encourage employees to cook with U.S. rice and share their photos and nutrition tips." Galvani also says that during National Rice Month several USA Rice Domestic Promotion initiatives dovetail to pack a powerful punch.
NRM Spotlight
A taste of what's to come

"The SRDs have received two recipe cards featuring USA Rice recipes, one of  which, 'Brown Rice with Sizzling Chicken and Vegetables' is a result of our partnership with USDA's MyPlate program, and the other, 'Brown and Wild Rice Tropical Salad' is from a recipe contest USA Rice ran last year," he said.  "USA Rice also distributed the refreshed SRD toolkit to a network of dietitians at 34 retailers nationwide."Again this year, USA Rice is teaming up with Advanced Fresh Concepts, the largest supermarket sushi distributor in the United States, to conduct an NRM promotion in grocery stores and military commissaries.  More than 2,000 stores across the country will feature sushi display case signage and 'Rice Grown in the USA' stickers on sushi containers.  Last year, sushi sales increased 9 percent during the promotion. Strongly supported by American rice farmers and millers, National Rice Month has become a well-known national program used to educate consumers about the benefits of rice grown in the USA.  Next up will be a look at foodservice programs for September.

Contact:  Katie Maher (703) 236-1453

2015-16 Miss Arkansas Rice Announced
 Miss Arkansas Rice
Rice royalty (from left to right): Benton Harvey, Lynnsey Bowling, and Emma Williams

BRINKLEY, AR -- Woodruff County 16-year old Lynnsey Bowling was named Miss Arkansas Rice at the state contest last Saturday.  She is the daughter of Roger and Carrie Bowling of McCrory. The first and second runner-ups were, Emma Williams of White County and Benton Harvey of Lee County, respectively.

Contestants were judged on rice promotion, rice cooking skills, and knowledge of the industry. Representatives from eleven counties participated in the contest -- which has been held for 54 years.   The other contestants were Delia Barrett of Arkansas County; Callie Wells of Chicot County; Ragen Hodges of Craighead County; Madi Driver of Jackson County; Tristan Bennett of Lonoke County; Destiny Swindle of Monroe County; Sara Toll of Prairie County and Haven McElhanon of St. Francis County.

Contest judges were Keith Cleek, Family and Consumer Science, Helena; Jennifer James, Chairman, USA Rice Sustainability Committee, Newport; and Mollie Dykes, Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation, Little Rock.

The goal of the Miss Arkansas Rice program is to encourage youth interest in rice promotion and to publicize the importance of the Arkansas rice industry to the state's economy.  Prizes for this year's contest were:  Miss Arkansas Rice $1,000, first runner-up $600 and second runner-up $400.  Each contestant that competed in the state contest received $100. 

The Arkansas Rice Council sponsors the annual contest in cooperation with the Arkansas Farm Bureau and the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.

Contact:  Chuck Wilson (870) 673-7541

Crop Progress:   2015 Crop 94 Percent Headed  
WASHINGTON, DC -- Ninety-four percent of the nation's 2015 rice acreage is headed, according to today's U.S. Department of Agriculture's Crop Progress Report. 

Rice Headed, Selected States 
Week Ending
State
 August 23, 2014  
August 16, 2015 
August 23, 2015
2010-2014 average
Percent
Arkansas
92
88  
97
94 
California
90
80  
85
69
Louisiana
99
98
99
99
Mississippi
96
95
97
95
Missouri
88
78
84 
84 
Texas
100
97
100 
98
Six States
93 
88
94
90


CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures   
CME Group (Preliminary):  Closing Rough Rice Futures for August 24
Month
Price
Net Change

September 2015
$11.395
- $0.255
November 2015
$11.680
- $0.245
January 2016
$11.975
- $0.240
March 2016
$12.220
- $0.235
May 2016
$12.465
- $0.240
July 2016
$12.490
- $0.240
September 2016
$11.500
- $0.240

China produces less early rice in 2015

Aug 22,2015
BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- China produced slightly less rice in the first harvest period of the year compared to 2014 due to a shrinking planting area, but the yield per hectare increased, official data showed on Friday.The country produced 33.69 million tonnes of "early rice," that planted in spring and harvested in early summer. This was a decrease of 320,000 tonnes, or 0.9 percent from a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said.China's early rice planting area for this year stood at 5.72 million hectares, 1.4 percent less than last year, with yield per hectare rising 0.4 percent to 5.89 tonnes.


Senior NBS statistician Hou Rui attributed the increase in yield to favorable weather and local authorities' support to farmers in seeds, pest control and other fields.Early rice is mainly planted in eight central and southern provincial regions: Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi.Rice is a staple food in China, and its total grain output consists of three parts -- early rice, summer grain and autumn production. Autumn grain crops, which include corn and middle- and late-season rice, account for the bulk of the grain production.

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=299094

Area under kharif crops rises just 1% till Aug 21

Areas under various summer-sown crops were just 1% higher than a year before until Friday, almost bridging a 63% year-on-year lead recorded up to July 17, according to the latest agriculture ministry data.

By: FE Bureau | New Delhi | August 22, 2015 12:21 AM

Areas under various summer-sown crops were just 1% higher than a year before until Friday, almost bridging a 63% year-on-year lead recorded up to July 17, according to the latest agriculture ministry data. The coverage of oilseeds recorded a fall — albeit marginal — for the first time this season, having risen by 1.8% until August 14 from a year earlier.This is partly due to the fact that after initial dry spells in 2014, farmers ramped up sowing activity significantly from mid-July due to a pick-up in monsoon showers.

The seasonal rainfall so far has dropped from the benchmark long-period average (LPA) by 9%, having worsened from a 5% deficit recorded by the end of July. The slowdown in the intensity of monsoon rains, particularly since early July, has resulted in the country’s water reserves staying lower than a year earlier for a third straight week through August 20.In a research report this week, Crisil said four states (Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh) and five crops (jowar, soyabean, tur, maize and cotton) are likely to be hit the hardest in case the country receives deficient monsoon rains for a second straight year in 2015, as has been forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The four states that are feared to suffer the most this season make up for 34% of the country’s grain output, while jowar, soyabean, tur and maize account for 26% of the total grain and oilseed production. Even a state like Punjab, where almost all farm land is irrigated, is facing pressure after a huge deficit in rainfall last year.The government has maintained that it is taking a series of steps to contain any damaging impact of erratic weather — the latest being the santion of an additional Rs 300 crore earlier this month towards various subsidies to save crops in drought-prone areas.The area under paddy — the most important summer-sown crop — rose just 0.5% until Friday from a year earlier. Up to August 14, the paddy coverage was as high as 4.3% from a year earlier. Moreover, the paddy crop has been severaly damaged due to floods in many parts of the biggest producing state of West Bengal.

Areas under pulses, coarse cereals and cane were up 10.1%, 3.3% and 3.5%, respectively, until August 21 from a year earlier. Cotton, however, has witnessed a 7.2% drop in acreage.The IMD this month retained its earlier forecast of a deficient monsoon season for 2015, with rainfall at 88% of the LPA. It predicted rainfall to be 84% of the benchmark average in the second half of the June-September season, compared with the actual showers of 95% of the LPA in the first two months of the season.Not just the quantum, even the geographical spread of monsoon doesn’t seem to be good. According to the IMD, only 20 of the country’s 36 weather sub-divisions have witnessed normal showers so far. As many as 13 sub-divisions have received deficient rainfall, while 3 have seen excess shower.
First Published on August 22, 2015 12:21 am
Japan's 'Sacred' Rice Farmers Brace for Pacific Trade Deal's Death Sentence
 In small wet rice fields, or suiden, across Japan, farmers don rubber boots to slosh through the fields and check their plantings. Meanwhile, thousands of kilometers away in tropical Hawaii, negotiators are in the final stages of talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade agreement that farmers fear will disrupt the rhythm of their even-metered life.
Rice is one of the five sacred areas of Japanese agriculture (with pork and beef, wheat, barley and sugarcane). To many, especially those living in rural areas, it remains the primary ingredient of the Japanese identity. As one farmer here said, “without rice, there is no Japan; the culture is a rice culture, it is the most basic element.”Japan’s rice farmers have long been the backbone of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. But lately, as their numbers dwindle along with a declining population and demand for rice, this key cultural constituency seems to have lost the strength it once had to demand the government’s support.
There are now around two million rice farmers in Japan, down from four million in 1990 and as many as 12 million in 1960. Some farm part-time, while for others it’s their entire livelihood and passion.Japanese negotiators in Maui, who only a few months ago seemed intent on protecting rice growers by maintaining current import quotas, appear to be bending to American pressure in exchange for allowing more Japanese autos into the United States. The tit for tat of trade negotiations, along with the geopolitics of countering China, now threatens this ancient way of life.I recently spent part of the summer doing fieldwork in Japan and discussing this issue with rice farmers and others in the agriculture industry to learn how the TPP will affect them.“I’m a simple man. I love farming and just want to farm,” a rice grower in Toyama prefecture told me. “Foreign rice is a problem. I’m worried about the TPP and the future of these fields.”
Lifting limits on rice imports
The TPP includes 11 nations (Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and Japan) with the United States. The agreement has a goal of eliminating thousands of current tariffs that exist among these countries and to serve as a template for future trade agreements in the region.Currently rice farmers are shielded by Japan’s limit on rice imports. The US is pushing Japan to increase its duty-free imports of American rice and related products from 10,000 tons a year to 215,000 tons. The US also wants Japan to open up its lands to foreign investment.
Per-capita rice consumption in Japan has declined 15 percent over the past two decades, according to the University of Arkansas. Back in April, Japan’s agriculture minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, cited this declining consumption in arguing the country must hold the line on rice imports to protect the farmers.But that firm stance seems to have softened, though the details remain secret, and that’s bad news for Japan’s rice farmers.
The decline of nokyo
Most of these farmers live a country lifestyle, in a region naturally suited to rice growing because the rice paddies here get water from the melting mountain snow. Farmers in these small villages hundreds of kilometers from Tokyo on the other side of the Japanese Alps said they are most worried about the impact of the TPP on their ability to compete with foreign rice and foreign ownership of agricultural land.Rice is grown in small plots (less than an acre). Currently, it is difficult for outside companies to own land because of legal measures. The TPP would allow for foreign land ownership as a form of investment in Japan’s rice market.
Past trade agreements have already led to a decline in Japanese agricultural cooperatives, known as nokyo, they said, because competition from foreign rice has made farming more difficult. Other reasons for the decline include the fact that fewer young people are taking on these family farms (Japanese farmers are on average in their 70s).A young female soybean farmer in Joge, outside of Hiroshima, reminisced about a time when active farms and their bright shades of green marked the neighborhood.“One by one they stopped farming, the farms are gone,” she said, and now the land has transformed to weeds.This has meant declining influence in the latest trade round. Although the national agriculture union has staged protests, the farmers I spoke with noted the inability of this and other such groups to help and protect farmers.
TPP and the US pivot
The rice issue is one of the stickiest wickets that negotiators have had to deal with as they try to seal a deal. Getting an agreement rests largely upon the decisions made between the US and Japan, by far the biggest economies in the deal whose shared trade is seen as a building block of the partnership.And at the moment, the plight of the rice farmers is being overshadowed by much bigger geopolitical issues that are dominating the trade negotiations. Most notably, the Obama administration views the TPP as a key element in its “pivot” or “rebalancing” toward Asia as it seeks to counter China. And by Asia, in terms of partners, it really means Japan, because of the strong US Japan alliance (or nichibei, in Japanese) dating from the end of WWII.
report prepared by the Congressional Research Service on key TPP negotiation issues notes the US presence in Asia has declined, while America remains “distracted” by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thus, the TPP is increasingly about the US-China rivalry, and the concerns of rice farmers and other citizens are unlikely to derail it.
End of a way of life
In some respects, the TPP is an attempt to get around the recent failure of developed and developing countries to achieve meaningful results at the World Trade Organization Doha round of negotiations that began in 2001 but collapsed in in 2008.If negotiations are successful this week in Hawaii, Japan will not only open up its rice market to more US competition but will also allow for foreign investment and corporate land ownership through its investment protection measure. Foreign investment and corporate ownership mean larger plots of land and high mechanization. Small farms simply can’t compete with this intensive large-scale production.
Saito (who like many Japanese goes only by his last name) fears an influx of foreign rice and landowners and says the TPP and the changes it brings will crush a way of life, and young farmers like him will be unable to survive.“Farmers working by hand can’t compete,” he said. “We are lost.”

http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/international/japans-sacred-rice-farmers-brace-pacific-trade-deals-death-sentence/

Download/View On-Line the above News in pdf format,just click the following link