Tuesday, September 15, 2015

14th September,2015 Daily global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine



News Headline...

1.      Pakistan exports get more boost

2.      Poland keen to strengthen agri-trade ties with India

3.      Punjab rice millers threaten to boycott milling this season

4.      Rice of an empire

5.      Relief now has a different meaning for farmers

6.      Punjab rice millers threaten to boycott milling for paddy season

7.      Paddy price dips by 60%, Karnal farmers worried

8.      Plastic Tubs May Hold Secrets to Producing More Rice for the World

9.      China Rice Market to Open Up to U.S. Imports With Trade Accord

10.  APEDA COMMODITY NEWS

11.  News by USA Rice Daily News

12.  Is rice cereal the best food for baby?

13.  News by Phil Rice News

14.  Cabinet to be asked to completely ban second-crop farming for 2015-16 season

15.  Severe Drought Expected In Thailand Early 2016

16.  PH to import 750,000 tons of rice

17.  Cambodia businesses fret Myanmar

18.  Tough blow for Thai rice farmers already in debt

19.  U.S. & China to Sign Rice Protocol Agreement

20.  Nepal records imports 210,600t of rice worth Rs5.74b in 2014

21.  Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-Sep 14

22.  Record rice output doesn’t bring smile for Bangla farmers

23.  Rice output hits record, farmers not so happy

24.  Flood damage estimated at 736,000 acres

25.  Myanmar claims rice sufficiency despite flood

26.  Second rice crop to be banned

News Detail...


Pakistan exports get more boost
Mm. Aftab
September 14, 2015 | Last updated on September 14, 2015 at 07.43 am

FDI inflows were $75 million, compared to $18 million in the two comparable months.Pakistan has formed a new strategic policy to make a big push in exports particularly to the booming regions like Middle East, Africa, South East Asia and China.The new target to boost exports to an all time high of $35 billion a year means that within three years the amount has to go up by nearly $10 billion, which will require considerable effort by the industry, businesses and services.The three-year plan called "Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF) - 2015-18 has been okayed by the Cabinet Committee on Production and Exports. Low-cost finance, reduction in procedures, cheaper cargo and freight services, regular supply of electricity and gas and greater cooperation between the government and trade organisations are some of the incentives, which are required to achieve the results.
The STPF was planned by Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan on the back of worrisome performance of the export sector.Exports during the June 30-ended fiscal year 2015 totalled $24.2 billion, against the official target of $27 billion.Fiscal year 2015 was the third consecutive year of declining exports. Compared to fiscal year 2014, exports in fiscal year 2015 were down 3.5 per cent. The exports were $25.1 billion in fiscal year 2014. The actual exports in fiscal year 2015 were only $25.1 billion against the government's target of $29.9 billion."All steps will be taken to enhance export to the $35 billion level by 2018 by expanding production of all currently exported items and those with a future potential in the changing global market," said Finance Minister Ishaq Dar who chaired the Cabinet Committee on Production and Exports.
"The government is cognisant of Pakistan's declining trend in exports. In view of this, we will take all possible steps to reverse the trend," Dar said."While formulating the new strategy for higher exports, we have taken into account the potential of the industry and the economy, as well as the hurdles in growth, which restrained the output. These hurdles include the continued shortage of electricity and gas, rising cost of doing business, appreciation of the rupee against the dollar and other currencies, as well as the growing foreign competition, particularly to our textiles," Khurrum Dastgir said.The STFP has outlined the potential markets, which will be targeted to enhance exports. The focus for export of high-quality, "Basmati" rice will be the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran.
Pakistan will make a push for export of its fruits, including oranges, mangoes, vegetables, potatoes, onions and halal meat products to the Middle East, the UAE and Iran.South East Asia will be the target for export of horticulture products. India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Africa are identified for export of cement. Pakistan will offer a freight subsidy for export of cement to Africa. Items marked for export to China are rice, cotton yarn, fabrics and ready-to-wear garments. Wheat, rice, meat and cement are identified for export to Afghanistan. In order to expand trade, border marketing support, development, expansion of banking facilities, improvement of the rail-link and infra-structure development will be undertaken.
 Products destined for the Iran market will include provision of warehousing support, product branding, "halal" certification.The STFP provides Rs20 billion for research and development to expand and upgrade Pakistani exports and to achieve the targets set by this plan.The government has also decided to undertake immediate steps for expanding farm products, further improving the quality and range of products, especially fruits and vegetables, commodity pricing and to examine the input cost, which will have to be restrained in order to ensure expansion of exports and enable the country to counter foreign competition. The government will have a deeper look at other hurdles being faced by exporters. These issues relate to R&D, technology problems, moving out of the current concentration of traditional products, improvement of resources and financing of the potentially exportable products, upgradation of all products including those needed to match with the new and developing demands of the consumers in foreign markets where incomes, living standards and lifestyles are changing and rising, Commerce Minister Dasgir said.

The government's Committee on Ease of Doing Business, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the central bank, Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Textiles will work jointly to achieve these objectives. Pakistani fashion industry is constantly increasing its exports and arranging fashion show in the UAE, Qatar and other foreign markets. One has to look at the latest foreign trade statistics in order to understand the importance of export volumes and values in the context of the entire external balances. Some improvement is visible in this sector according to the latest SBP statistics.

SBP says the current account deficit has narrowed down by 80 per cent to $150 million in July - the first month of fiscal year 2016.Both exports and imports drop down in July. Exports were down to $1.76 billion from $1.91 billion in the same month last year. Imports declined to $3.5 billion from $4 billion in the two comparable months.FDI inflows were $75 million, compared to $18 million in the two comparable months.For the whole of fiscal year 2015, the overall current account deficit was $2.3 billion - 27 per cent lower than the deficit in FY-14.Fiscal year 2015 also saw the overall imports totalling $41.13 billion as compared to $41.66 billion in fiscal year 2014.

The foreign exchange reserves on September 3 were $18.497 billion, of which SBP held $13.458 billion, enough to cover imports for three months. The forex reserves held by commercial banks were $5.050 billion. Analysts and businesses are also questioning the current rupee-dollar parity. They claim that devaluing the rupee to a "realistic level" can reduce the current export slowdown.The open market rate of dollar was Rs104.45/104.65 and Rs103.80/104 in the inter-bank market over the weekend. Institute for Policy Reforms, a research group said: "The rupee remains significantly overvalued which has impaired the competitiveness of our exports." Several businessmen said the rupee is overvalued up to five percent against the dollar, and lowering it will help exports to rise. But the government has taken no decision on such claims.

IMF's continued disbursement out of the $6.2 billion EFF facility, Pakistan's planned issuance of eurobonds, and ongoing lower prices of imported oil and commodities are expected to continue support the external balances," says SBP.This picture of the external balances indicates that an all out efforts should go on to raise exports. And, now the STFP provides that road map.Views expressed by the author are his own and do not reflect the newspaper's policy.

Khaleej Times

Poland keen to strengthen agri-trade ties with India

 

Last Updated: Mon, Sep 14, 2015 18:20 hrs

 

Poland is keen to strengthen agricultural trade ties with India and wants to import tea, basmati rice, mangoes and spices, a minister from that country said today. "We have a new strategy to promote our agricultural produce in the global market and India is one of them. We would like to import agri produces like spices, basmati rice, mango, cashew, raisins and tea from India," the European country's Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Urban Development, Zofia Szalczyk, told PTI here. The minister is on a four-day visit to the country, leading a 12-member delegation to promote Polish agricultural sector and food companies.

 

Szalczyk will also visit Delhi and meet agriculture ministry officials and industry players. She urged Indian companies to achieve European Union standards as there are vast opportunities in Europe. She said Poland too has a lot to offer India, like dairy products, confectionery, sweets, chocolates, fruits and vegetables. "Our environment and natural resources help in producing the best quality produce. We export to other European Union countries with high quality standards like France, Germany, Italy and the UK. Now we want to focus to strengthen our global export market, including India," she added.

 

 She said 11 years ago, Poland was a net importer of food products. However, the country invested close to 40 million euros in new technologies for farmers, which yielded positive results. This year, Poland has exported 22 billion euros worth of food produce to the global market. Bi-lateral trade between India and Poland is about USD 1.69 billion. India mainly exports cotton, textiles, chemical products, electro mechanical appliances, vehicles and vessels to Poland and imports agro products, mineral and chemical products.

www.sify.com

 

Punjab rice millers threaten to boycott milling this season


Accusing state-owned procurement agencies of harassing them by demanding “unjustified dues”, Punjab-based rice millers on Monday threatened to boycott milling for the upcoming paddy procurement season.Agitating millers under the banner of Punjab Rice Millers’ Association sought a meeting with state Food and Civil Supplies Minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon to resolve their issues on urgent basis.“State-owned procurement agencies have started harassing us unnecessarily by demanding unjustified payments from rice millers,” Punjab Rice Millers Association President Tarsem Saini said.

‘Pay charges’

He added that millers are being asked to pay charges for deviating from the monthly schedule of rice delivery.“As per usual practice, we were never asked to pay any charges for any monthly delay in rice delivery once the rice is delivered at the end of milling season. But now they are asking to pay charges on the same,” he said, adding that Value Added Tax was also being asked to pay on the value cut of crop.Rice Millers further pointed out that the procurement agencies have been asked to pay charges for jute bags used during 2014-15.“We will not participate in rice milling in the coming paddy procurement season if such harassment was not stopped,” he said.Millers said instead of demanding recoveries from them, the agencies should pay them the sum owed.

Transportation charges

“We are yet to be paid about Rs 200 crore of transportation charges for rice delivered to the FCI in 2003-04 despite FCI paying the amount of state agencies to pay us,” he claimed.They further said that they were not paid the transportation charges for transporting paddy for the last two seasons.Accusing procurement agencies of preparing anti-millers policies, Mr Saini said that millers would not tolerate the “unwarranted” stance of these agencies, asking the state government to resolve their issues.Paddy procurement usually starts from October for central pool in Punjab. – PTI



Rice of an empire

Updated: Monday September 14, 2015 MYT 8:41:22 AM
by zieman
Apart from selling 21 different brands of rice, SFSB also offers more than 100 other food products .
A housewife with plenty of energy and ideas in the 1960s, Faiza Bawumi sold bedsheets, opened a spice shop, then moved into the rice wholesale business. Today her company, SFSB, moves RM250mil’s worth of rice a year, writes ZIEMAN.

MOST people her age would prefer to kick back and take things easy, but not Faiza Bawumi Sayed Ahmad. At 73, she is still working hard at consolidating her wholesale rice business.The fact that the founder and managing director of Syarikat Faiza Sdn Bhd (SFSB) has seven children and more than 30 grandchildren has not slowed her quest of building a veritable business empire. Not now and not in the last 47 years. Faiza created SFSB almost single-handedly in 1968.

Today, SFSB is one of the most trusted brands in the region, selling 21 different brands of rice, while its subsidiaries Faiza Marketing and Faiza Food sell more than 100 food products including spices, noodles, ketchup, flour, rock salt and ketupat cubes. SFSB is also known for establishing a niche market for specialty rice like Faiza Emas, Basmathi (Moghul), Moghul Parboiled, Taj Mahal, Lagenda, Great Wall, Mongkut and Mahsuri. The Egypt-born Faiza’s journey to success has been a long and challenging one.“I’ve learn something new every day since I started my business. My mission was to build a brand and help the needy. Even today, I still aspire to strengthen the position of my rice business. There are still many areas that need to be beefed up,” she says.

 Faiza came to Malaysia in 1964 with her husband, a former kadi (a judge who handles religious legal matters), and mastered Bahasa Malaysia within three months. She now considers herself a true Malaysian. A young mother of one at the time in Batu Pahat, Johor, Faiza found she could not stay idle for long, so she started a small business. She may be 73, but rice merchant Faiza is still raring to go.She sewed tablecloths and sold bed sheets, pillowcases and encyclopaedias. Then she moved on to spices.Though an Egyptian, Faiza loved the taste of curry and ventured into the spice business, grinding and selling fresh spices. She mastered the art of making curries and formulated her own spice mixes by watching spice traders at work. Her spices were packed in small packages and marketed under the brand Bunga Raya.“I made all the spices at home, from washing, drying and frying the spices. The spices came from Arab Street in Singapore. Then, I did my marketing from house to house. My sales grew and I had doubled my production within six months.“The only snag was I couldn’t register the Bunga Raya brand. It was already being used and I had no choice but to use my own name for the brand,” she remembers.

The spice business had grown enough by 1968 that she decided to buy grinding machines and open a shop. Her interest soon turned to rice. She was keen to import rice, especially long-grained basmati rice from Thailand, Pakistan and India. Soon, she applied for a wholesaling license to sell various types of rice, including ponni, basmati and fragrant rice from Thailand.“I shopped for the right type of rice in India and Pakistan, and after each trip, I would do a survey by going to a few houses. Getting the license to be a wholesaler for rice was not easy.

 But I finally got it and started selling many types of rice,” says Faiza.In 2009, she bought her first rice milling machine from Japan for RM3mil. By then, Faiza was already an expert in rice. According to SFSB’s head of special marketing projects, Rosli Ahmad, each of the company’s brands has its loyal customers. “Each rice type has its own special characteristics in terms of aroma, grain, stickiness. We try to cater to all the rice needs of Malaysians and will continue to offer value-for-money rice products. Besides rice imported from Thailand and Cambodia, we are also the pioneer in importing high-grade rice like basmati and ponni,” says Rosli.Rice being packaged at the company’s facility.The company’s sale for rice in 2014 was RM257mil, while the sales revenue up to July this year was RM139mil.

“One of the challenges we face in the rice business is that the company is subject to the policies of Padiberas Nasional Bhd or Bernas, the sole permit holder for importing rice into Malaysia. Bernas provides shorter credit terms than we provide to SFSB’s customers. “Recently, the strength of the US dollar has also become an issue. Although we have a contract with Bernas, which eliminates price fluctuation of imported rice, the recent upward trend of the US dollar could have an impact on future contracts,” explains Rosli. According to Faiza, their records indicate that Malaysian consumers still prefer the SST (Super Special Tempatan/Local super special) grades, which is limited in supply and very competitive. This type of rice sells between RM23 to RM26 per 10kg (inclusive of 5% broken rice), whereas the basmati retails at RM40 and above per 5kg.

“There is a huge difference in the pricing of SST grade and basmati. The current market is highly competitive, as competitors had also seen the potential of the niche market of high-grade rice,” Faiza says. “We are still struggling to offer the best quality products and services. We still continue to educate consumers and promote our speciality and high-grade rice brands, especially the Taj Mahal for health-conscious consumers and the premium quality basmati brands like Moghul, Kohinoor and Parboiled Moghul,” adds Faiza. In 1998, Faiza Marketing was incorporated with Faiza’s daughter Najwa Abu Bakar at the helm. The company manufactures and markets a wide range of spices. With more than 20 types of products, its brands, such as Faiza Raja Curry, Faiza Curry, Faiza Beriani and Faiza Bukhari, have become household names.
SFSB now has two facilities, one in Subang Jaya and another in Sri Gading, Batu Pahat, set up at a cost of RM14mil.

The 40,000 sq ft production plant in Batu Pahat handles SFSB’s rice processing and packaging. It has a total production capacity of 200 tonnes a day and has machinery to handle de-stoning, polishing, grading, colour sorting and packaging. Meanwhile the warehouse facility in Subang Jaya can store 2,000 tonnes of goods and deliver 250 tonnes a day.Faiza, who now oversees a company with 550 employees, has no intention of slowing down. She wants to give the best to her customers and is still busy working on a strategy to strengthen SFSB’s position in various businesses.“I want to be one of the biggest taxpayers in Malaysia to help more poor people. That has always been my aspiration,” says Faiza.

Asian News Network

Relief now has a different meaning for farmers

Published: September 14, 2015
Sector keenly awaits PM’s word amid falling commodity prices. PHOTO: AYESHA MIR/EXPRESS
KARACHI: 
While it is too early to paint a complete picture of what is happening in Pakistan’s agricultural sector, one thing is for sure: the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would have to come to the rescue of farmers who are feeling the heat of falling commodity prices.

On its part, Islamabad has come up with a relief package, expected to be announced this week. Details have been kept under a tight wrap and no one seems to be sure which crops will be the main beneficiaries.Punjab Finance Minister Ayesha Ghaus Pasha says that a “significant” package has been worked out, but insisted it was primarily for small farmers who own land measuring up to 12.5 acres. “There is genuineness in the claim that farmers have had difficulty in laying-off stocks. We are also seeing a deflationary trend.

But that could be countered with timely intervention,” she said.She didn’t share details of the package, but stated that it was a nationwide programme and only the premier would announce it.But such words will not be of any comfort for Hamid Malhi, a farmer from Narowal, who says even someone with a thousand acres has equally been affected.“This is an unprecedented situation for us. No one was expecting this to happen and persist for this long,” he says, pointing out that government intervention had become imperative not just for large crops but vegetables too.

The history

Pakistan’s rural economy has seen a boom in the past few years. It started sometime in the mid-2000s, with a rise in demand for commodities the world over, cash changed hands like never before.“Things were on our side. Oil price was up but so was the ethanol demand (which comes from sugarcane), there were sanctions on Iran but it bought grains from us to build up its stocks,” said Malhi.Times and circumstances changed swiftly in the past two years. And the most pronounced affects could be seen in matter of rice, which is the largest commodity the country exports.

Malhi said rice traders and millers have been left holding stocks of a million tons, worth Rs100 billion. “Farmers are even more anxious as to what would happen if they go bankrupt and no one comes to help lift the crop from them.”A delegation of farmers met Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal a couple of days ago and presented its demand, which included a proposal to subsidise rice export by at least $200 a ton.But it is unlikely that a government, which has imposed unpopular taxes in recent months to shore up national reserves, would agree.

Or should it be left to the market forces?

“Maybe so,” says a leading member of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP). “Commodity price did not come down overnight. It was the greed of the trader who waited month after month instead of booking the loss.”Yet, beyond the debate of subsidies and relief, the government must look at the cost-related issues with agriculture. “Hasn’t anyone noticed the kind of money fertiliser makers have been making on subsidised natural gas?”

While stocks of wheat has also been rising, the private sector has not yet felt the heat as most of the excess goes to government go-downs. However, concerns are now being shared about next season’s crop.Aamer Sarfraz, the founder of internationally active investment firm Indus Basin Holdings, has another way of looking at the situation.He agrees that uncertainty remains with regards to the outlook of commodity price, but at the same time he says there is a lot of opportunity in Pakistan.

“A new type of rice is being introduced, which is both drought and flood resistant,” he says, noting that his ventures deal with small rice farmers who are also told about which seeds to use.“While farmers still use diesel-run generators to water the crops, we have seen a general improvement in electricity supply over the years.”“The problem, even bigger than the plunge in price is the lack of guidance,” he said.“Most of the seeds sold to farmers in Pakistan are not classified as basmati. So a grower works hard and grows it and when it reaches the market, he does not get the right price.”

The writer is a staff correspondent
Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th,  2015


Punjab rice millers threaten to boycott milling for paddy season

Press Trust of India  |  Chandigarh  September 14, 2015 Last Updated at 17:02 IST
 Punjab Youth Cong workers protest against "misrule" in Punjab Punjab National Bank Q1 net profit nearly halves Punjab National Bank standalone net profit declines 48.71% in the June 2015 quarter Punjab National Bank standalone net profit declines 61.98% in the March 2015 quarter Punjab National Bank receives capital infusion of Rs 870 crore from GoI

Accusing state-owned procurement agencies of harassing them by demanding "unjustified dues", Punjab-based rice millers today threatened to boycott milling for the upcoming paddy procurement season.Agitating millers under the banner of Punjab Rice Millers' Association sought a meeting with state Food and Civil Supplies Minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon to resolve their issues on urgent basis."State-owned procurement agencies have started harassing us unnecessarily by demanding unjustified payments from rice millers," Punjab Rice Millers Association President Tarsem Saini said today.He added that millers are being asked to pay charges for deviating from the monthly schedule of rice delivery.
"As per usual practice, we were never asked to pay any charges for any monthly delay in rice delivery once the rice is delivered at the end of milling season. But now they are asking to pay charges on the same," he said, adding that Value Added Tax was also being asked to pay on the value cut of crop.Rice Millers further pointed out that the procurement agencies have also been asked to pay charges for jute bags used during 2014-15."We will not participate in rice milling in the coming paddy procurement season if such harassment was not stopped," he said.Millers said instead of demanding recoveries from them, the agencies should pay them the sum owed.
"We are yet to be paid about Rs 200 crore of transportation charges for rice delivered to the FCI in 2003-04 despite FCI paying the amount of state agencies to pay us," he claimed.They further said that they were also not paid the transportation charges for transporting paddy for the last two seasons.Accusing procurement agencies of preparing anti-millers policies, Saini said that millers would not tolerate the "unwarranted" stance of these agencies, asking the state government to resolve their issues.Paddy procurement usually starts from October for central pool in Punjab.

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/pb-rice-millers-threaten-to-boycott-milling-for-paddy-season-115091400661_1.html


Paddy price dips by 60%, Karnal farmers worried


Karnal, September 14

Farmers who planted paddy variety-1509 across the state are a worried lot as the price has taken a sharp hit due to a fall in prices of the crop this year by 50 to 60 per cent, compared to last year.
The variety is being sold at Rs1,200-1,300 per quintal, while it was sold for Rs 2,800-3,400 per quintal last year. Similarly, farmers, who have cultivated other paddy varieties including hybrid-3325, 834, 222, are also in deep trouble as they too are not getting a proper price of their produce.Farmers and commission agents have demanded that the government fix a price of these varieties and to start government auctioning at the earliest.
They alleged that with a game plan several rice millers have been purchasing these varieties at a less price resulting in huge losses to farmers.Surinder, a farmer who came from Dadupur, with the produce of 1509 variety, said he received only Rs1,281 per quintal of his produce, while he got Rs3,400 per quintal last year. This is just a monopoly of the rice millers and it should be stopped. The government should start the auctioning with immediate effect and fix a price for it.Malak Singh from Jalmana said his produce of 1509 variety was sold for a mere Rs1,250 per quintal. He received Rs 2,700-3,000 per quintal last year.Rajinder Kumar, a commission agent at the Karnal grain market, said it was a strategy of the rice sellers and the government should keep a check on such buying.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/

Plastic Tubs May Hold Secrets to Producing More Rice for the World

Released: 14-Sep-2015 10:05 AM EDT
Source Newsroom: Texas A&M AgriLife

Newswise — BEAUMONT — Dozens of plastic tubs stacked in a room may look ordinary, but they store what could be the secrets to more rice to feed the world.The containers are the resting place for what’s known by scientists as a “core collection,” or fraction of all the known varieties of rice on Earth. Yet, even from their plastic vaults housed at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Beaumont, these grains are yielding data scientists say will help make better varieties for years to come.“Beaumont is the only location where the full collection has been grown for the purpose of analyzing the chemical element composition,” said Dr. Lee Tarpley, an AgriLife Research plant physiologist, who is using the collection extensively in his studies there.

In all, thousands of rice varieties made their way into the collection by way of numerous scientists, who over decades ventured across North and South America, Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia in search of samples, Tarpley said.The seeds most recently were used for a massive study to determine which varieties are most capable of using major nutrients, such as phosphorus or potassium, from the soil.“The lines that are most capable of using key elements, which are valued for either plant or human nutrition, could be potentially used in breeding programs to develop new rice varieties,” Tarpley explained.Because of the importance of the world’s diversity of rice for farmers and for human consumption, he teamed with Dr. Shannon Pinson of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Stuttgart, Arkansas, Dr. David Salt at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and Dr. Mary Lou Guerinot at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, on a National Science Foundation-funded research project to examine huge numbers of genotypes of rice varieties to find out what elements they contain.

According to the International Rice Research Institute, the commodity is a staple for about 3.5 billion people and is grown on almost 400 million acres worldwide. U.S. farmers raise the crop on about 3 million acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service.Over a period of five years, the 1,700 varieties were grown in the fields around the Beaumont center, carefully harvested and tagged, then sent to the University of Aberdeen where Salt has a system for measuring 17 different elements simultaneously, Tarpley said.“We measured both leaf and grain so that when we saw differences in the grain, we could start to understand their physiological basis,” Tarpley said. “We could question, ‘Is that something that shows up as a difference in the leaf and therefore might actually be a difference in uptake of the roots changing the level throughout the plant?’ or ‘Is it something that gets sequestered in the leaves that’s never going to make it to the grain?’”

The team found some surprising differences in leaf levels of these various minerals, he said, indicating that some types were taking up higher levels of these elements compared to an average rice variety.“What we found for most of the elements is that there are a few extreme lines that are very good at taking up or have very high levels of one or more of the elements,” he said. “And, it’s easier to find the ones that take up higher amounts than it is low amounts.”The team already has started making crosses with the high accumulating lines and a normal accumulating line. The next step is to screen and evaluate the progeny to determine the kind of inheritance that resulted.“We are working towards identifying possible regions of the chromosomes that might have the genes involved in the results of the progeny,” he said.

“The main goal of the overall research project was gene identification — to take advantage of our knowledge of the rice genome to identify the functions of all the genes. But ultimately that’s for the purpose of more precise breeding of plants.“Take phosphorus, for example, which can be limited in various soil types in Texas,” Tarpley noted. “If we had a line that was better at grabbing the phosphorus that is in the soil, that could potentially save some money in terms of not having to apply phosphorus fertilizer. It could be that we would want a good soil uptake in all the rice we grow, so that it would be more robust for different growing conditions.

“The research provides the potential to allow decreased fertilizer use and increased sustainability in Texas rice production,” he said.Tarpley noted that the extensive data obtained may allow scientists now to do numerous studies without having to grow the 1,700 varieties in the field again.“We are finding some patterns in the grain and leaf material, for example, which seem to indicate different elements are more common in rice varieties from the same part of the world,” he said. “Elements such as molybdenum or cobalt have shown up more in some areas than others. It’s a lot of fun to try and understand why they might’ve had that adaptation.”

http://newswise.com/articles/plastic-tubs-may-hold-secrets-to-producing-more-rice-for-the-world


China Rice Market to Open Up to U.S. Imports With Trade Accord

 

September 14, 2015 — 2:58 PM PDT Updated on September 14, 2015 — 9:01 PM PDT
China, the world’s largest rice market, is poised to open up to U.S. exports with both countries’ governments due to sign an accord later this month ratifying American imports.The so-called phytosanitary protocol for rice is expected to be signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington, the Houston-based U.S. Rice Producers Association said Monday in a statement.“It’s a significant event that they would buy rice from the western hemisphere,” Milo Hamilton, president of Austin, Texas-based Firstgrain, a rice-trading advisory company, said in a telephone interview.

The accord “does not mean they will buy rice from the U.S. It means they can buy rice from the U.S.”China is the biggest producer and importer of rice. While it’s still largely self-sufficient, its imports have gradually climbed in recent years. Inbound shipments of milled rice are expected to be 4.7 million metric tons in the 2015-16 marketing year, up from 540,000 tons five years earlier, according to U.S. government data.Most of the imports come from neighboring Vietnam because of “price, proximity, and quality,” the producers association said. U.S. sellers haven’t been able to ship to China because rice wasn’t included in earlier trade negotiations that now allow the annual sale of millions of tons of other American agricultural commodities including soybeans.The rice producers group has been lobbying for Chinese market access for more than 15 years.

“When we started on this process, China wasn’t involved on the international marketplace,” Dwight Roberts, the group’s president, said in a telephone interview. “We’ve learned that things change. We’re at the end of a long process.”In the short term, China may import 200,000 to 250,000 tons of high-quality U.S. rice per year, providing a "significant boost" to the American industry, the group said. In total, the U.S. is expected to export 3.08 million tons in the year that began Aug. 1, down from 3.21 million in the prior year.The U.S. is forecast to produce 6.02 million tons, equivalent to about 4 percent of Chinese output.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-14/china-rice-market-to-open-up-to-u-s-imports-with-trade-accord

APEDA COMMODITY NEWS
International Benchmark Price
Price on: 11-09-2015
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
Garlic
1
Chinese first grade granules, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
2100
2
Chinese Grade A dehydrated flakes, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
2000
3
Chinese powdered, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
1800
Ginger
1
Chinese sliced, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
4600
2
Chinese whole, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
5100
3
Indian Cochin, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
3000
Guar Gum Powder
1
Indian 100 mesh 3500 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
4280
2
Indian 200 mesh 3500 cps basis, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
1700
3
Indian 200 mesh 3500 cps technical grade, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
3535
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 11-09-2015
Domestic Prices
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Maize
1
Dahod (Gujarat)
Yellow
1475
1575
2
Shikaripura (Karnataka)
Local
1100
1380
3
Thirukovilur (Tamil Nadu)
Other
1063
1589
Wheat
1
Gangavathi (Karnataka)
Local
1500
1510
2
Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh)
Other
1461
2125
3
Baran (Rajasthan)
Other
1490
1675
Mousambi
1
Manjeri (Kerala)
Other
2200
2400
2
Roorkee (Uttrakhand)
Other
600
1500
3
Mechua (West Bengal)
Other
2400
2900
Cabbage
1
Shillong (Meghalaya)
Other
1400
1800
2
Sambalpur (Orissa)
Other
1100
1200
3
Haldwani (Uttrakhand)
Other
700
2000
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 12-09-2015
Product
Market Center
Price
1
Pune
316
2
Hyderabad
295
3
Nagapur
292
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package
Price on 11-09-2015
Product
Market Center
Origin
Variety
Low
High
Potatoes
Package: 50 lb cartons
1
Atlanta
Colorado
Russet
21.75
21.75
2
Baltimore
Canada
Russet
14
14
3
Detroit
Idaho
Russet
12
14.50
Cauliflower
Package: cartons film wrapped
1
Atlanta
Mexico
White
26
26
2
Dallas
California
White
17
17
3
Detroit
California
White
23.50
27.50
Grapes
Package: 19 lb containers bagged
1
Atlanta
California
Red Globe
25
26
2
Chicago
California 
Red Globe
18
20
3
Philadelphia
California
Red Globe
21
22
Source:USDA


Update:  U.S./China Phytosanitary Agreement
ARLINGTON, VA -- The phytosanitary protocol that promises to pave the way for export trade with China appears to be tracking toward a successful resolution, maybe as soon as next week when China's President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit the United States. However, USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said this afternoon they are awaiting agreement on the language of the protocol from AQSIQ, their counterpart in China, before the deal can be finalized.
 
USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward said, "USA Rice has been at the forefront of this process for a very long time.  And while everyone is anxious to complete this deal, it's imperative that the operational details are in place that are in the best interest of the U.S. rice industry.  We will continue to work with APHIS as they finalize this deal and with our members on implementation of this unique protocol."



National Rice Month Issue of Whole Grain Going to Press

ARLINGTON, VA -- The September issue of USA Rice's award-winning publication, Whole Grain, is in production and should be in subscribers' mailboxes soon.The special National Rice Month (NRM) edition features a cover story about the many facets of USA Rice's NRM activities that are designed to raise awareness, and encourage use, of U.S.-grown rice. Readers will also enjoy a preview of the 2015 USA Rice Outlook Conference coming to New Orleans this December; a behind-the-scenes look at why Tariff Rate Quotas - though nobody's first choice when it comes to fair trade - do often bring great benefits to industry when implemented thoughtfully; as well as updates on Iraq, and a look at the surprise number one milled rice market for the U.S., Colombia.All that and more, coming soon.If you do not receive Whole Grain, would like to order a complimentary subscription for someone you know, or are interested in advertising in the newspaper, contact Colleen Klemczewski at (703) 236-1446 or cklem@usarice.com

Contact:  Michael Klein (703) 236-1458


Promote National Rice Month and Earn Scholarship Money

ARLINGTON, VA -- During the month of September, students across the U.S. will be conducting rice promotional programs for entry in the annual National Rice Month (NRM) scholarship contest, sponsored by Dow AgroSciences.  Be on the lookout for promotions going on in your state to support scholarship applicants.  Encourage high school seniors to review the contest application and plan a promotion.   There is still time to compete!

Three scholarship prizes totaling $8,500 will be awarded.  The grand prize is a $4,000 scholarship and a trip to the scholarship presentation in December at the USA Rice Outlook Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Second place is a $3,000 scholarship and the third-place winner will receive $1,500.  Entries will be judged on their creativity and impact in promoting U.S.-grown rice, NRM, and the importance of rice in their state. For more details and the official contest entry form, visit the scholarship web page. High school graduating students from rice-growing states -- Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas -- are eligible.  Entry forms are due October 15.

Contact:  Amy Doane (703) 236-1454
Crop Progress:   2015 Crop 44 Percent Harvested   


WASHINGTON, DC -- Forty-four percent of the nation's 2015 rice acreage is harvested, according to today's U.S. Department of Agriculture's Crop Progress Report.

Rice Headed, Selected States 
Week Ending
State
 Sept 13, 2014  
Sept 6, 2015 
Sept 13, 2015
2010-2014 average
Percent
Arkansas
28
30
41
42
California
5
1
10
3
Louisiana
85
90
94
89
Mississippi
29
34
45
49
Missouri
12
2
24
Texas
89
76
93
95
Six States
35
35
44
44




CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures   
CME Group (Preliminary):  Closing Rough Rice Futures for September 14
Month
Price
Net Change

September 2015
$12.785
+ $0.185
November 2015
$12.995
+ $0.165
January 2016
$13.275
+ $0.165
March 2016
$13.490
+ $0.175
May 2016
$13.645
+ $0.200
July 2016
$13.735
+ $0.140
September 2016
$12.885
+ $0.075
November 2016
$12.885
UNCH

 

Is rice cereal the best food for baby?


By Julie Revelant,Published September 13, 2015
Perhaps one of the most exciting times as a mom is when your pediatrician gives you the green light to start your baby on solid food, which usually happens around 6 months of age.For years, rice cereal has been the standby first food, likely because it’s easily digestible. Marketing has a lot to do with it/ too, since boxed rice cereal is cheap and convenient—just add some breast milk, formula or water and you’ve got a meal.Yet what may surprise you is that babies at this age don’t need rice cereal— or grains for that matter. They need complex carbohydrates like those found in sweet potatoes, which are an excellent source of energy, said Sara Peternell, a master nutrition therapist in Denver, Colo. and co-author of “Little Foodie: Baby Food Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.

”The reason is that until around their first birthdays, babies don’t have amylase, an enzyme which breaks down grains and makes them easily digestible.Nevertheless, grains are a great source vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins which provide energy, support the nervous system and help with metabolism. Grains can also add fiber, protein and variety to your baby’s diet.This combination of calories, carbohydrates and nutrients are what will help babies grow at the rate they need to, said Angela Lemond, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Plano, Texas and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).

Rice cereal might not be the best option

True, rice cereal is fortified with iron, folate and B vitamins, which can help prevent your baby from having nutritional deficiencies. However, since it’s processed in a way that removes all of the nutrients, and then is re-fortified with synthetic vitamins and minerals, it’s not an ideal grain, Peternell said.Another concern that has garnered a lot of attention in recent years is arsenic, which is found in both organic and non-organic rice varieties and has been linked to many types of cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. In fact, data released last year from Consumer Reports showed that a serving of rice cereal can have much more arsenic than levels found in 2012.“Arsenic is a particular concern for rice because most rice in the world is grown in flooded fields.

 When you flood the fields, that anaerobic environment seems to encourage the release of arsenic from the ground and the rice plant readily absorbs it,” said Herman Suhirman, marketing manager for Mighty Rice.Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to set a federal limit for the amount of arsenic in rice, last July, Codex, a joint commission of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), set new standards for governments to allow no more than 200 parts of arsenic per billion in white rice and no more than 400 parts per billion in brown rice. Although it’s a good start, experts agree it’s not necessarily a safe limit.Consumer Reports recommends that if you do feed your baby rice cereal, limit it to one serving a day.

Also, look for rice from regions with upland rice, or rice grown on dry soil, or rice grown in California, India and Pakistan, which have less arsenic.Although brown rice is more nutritious than white, white rice of the same variety will always have less arsenic.“That outer layer [in brown rice] that contains all of the nutrients also holds all the chemicals,” Suhirman said.You can eliminate about 30 percent of arsenic from rice if you rinse it well before cooking, using a ratio of 6 cups of water per 1 cup of rice. Use as much water to cook it as you would for pasta,  and drain the rice halfway through, boil fresh water and finish cooking.

Tasty alternatives for your baby

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents offer their babies a variety of foods such as oats, wheat and barley to avoid arsenic.In fact, feeding your baby too many whole grains— which also equals too much fiber— could be problematic. Since fiber slows down gastric emptying and aids with weight loss, it could slow down your baby’s growth as well, Lemond said.Another thing to consider is that since a baby’s digestive system is still developing, gluten-free grains are a good idea. Peternell says many babies who have tummy troubles after introducing wheat are told by the pediatrician that they’re allergic to wheat, when it might just be that their immature GI tracts are not ready for it.“Often times food sensitivities can arise when we give babies first-year foods with too many of the larger protein molecules,” she said.


All grains have similar nutrient profiles but some are standouts. Oats are naturally gluten-free but be sure to check the label since they’re often grown in fields that are cross-contaminated with wheat. Quinoa is another gluten-free grain but because it’s also a high source of protein, you may want to introduce it slowly and in small amounts. Other grains to try include millet, amaranth, buckwheat and kamut.Soaking and sprouting grains can also help to break down the enzymes that inhibit absorption, Peternell said. Simmering grains for an hour or cooking them in the slow cooker will also ensure they’re the right consistency for your baby.Regardless of whether you offer grains from the get-go or hold off for a while, when it comes to feeding your baby, nutrition, variety and balance should always be the goal.“You want to get that flavor in so when they get older and can handle more fiber and whole grains, they’re going to choose that for themselves,” Lemond said.

Julie Revelant is a health journalist and a consultant who provides content marketing and copywriting services for the healthcare industry. She’s also a mom of two. Learn more about Julie at revelantwriting.com.

Phil Rice News

PhilRice’s scientific publications up by 74%
Researchers from the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) produced over 40 research papers published by major science journals in 2014, 74% higher than the total publications in 2010.In the past 4 years, the Institute has continued to increase the number of refereed scientific papers published in the Thomson Reuters/ Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Science-listed journals.  Of 40 published, 24 came out in ISI journals. From 2010-2014, the Institute published over 140 publications. With a pool of 57 PhD and 266 master’s degree holders, PhilRice has managed to publish in some well-respected journals here and abroad.
Some of them are the Journal of Food Agriculture and Environment, International Journal of Ecology and Conservation, Philippine Journal of Crop Science, and the Philippine Agricultural Scientist.
“The painstaking efforts of PhilRice R&D staff members in carrying out rice science and technology-based knowledge dissemination are indeed commendable. We are not only doing our mandated functions but we are also enriching the body of scientific knowledge on rice through research, publication,  training, and other information dissemination activities,” said Dr. Manuel Jose C. Regalado, PhilRice deputy executive director for research.Regalado hopes the number of scientific publications will steadily increase given the proper training of young and budding scientists and researchers of the Institute.This year alone, PhilRice has already published 29 refereed papers.The Institute’s publications were also recognized in national and international scientific conferences.Eight studies were recipients of best paper awards and four studies received best poster award.

Researchers of the Institute also received major awards in their respective fields of specialization.  Among them were Thelma F. Padolina (International Senadhira Rice Research Award), Gina D. Balleras (Outstanding Filipino Research Leader), and Engr. Noel G. Ganotisi (Outstanding Agricultural Engineer in the Field of Soil and Water Management).“We hope that our researchers will generate more scientific outputs that will not only usher them in the scientific career path, but will also provide our rice farmers the information and technologies they need which have been rigorously developed and tested using scientific R&D methods and passed through the crucible of scientific peer review and critique,” Regalado said.


Policy reforms needed for climate change resiliency – expert

The agriculture sector needs policy reforms in order to be resilient, a prominent climate change expert said.  During the opening of the 28th National Rice Research and Development Conference at PhilRice, 9 Sept, Dennis Dela Torre of the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) and House of Representatives Special Committee on Climate Change, said that there are many challenges that hinder the agriculture sector to become a key development investment area.

Policy reforms

Dele Torre called for policy reforms that would direct the focus of government institutions, the private sector, and even foreign funders to agriculture.The Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997 and the Agri-Agra Act of 2009 which have provisions on finance mobilization also needs to be reviewed.He said that under the Agri-Agra law, the bank sector should devote 25% of loanable amounts to agriculture but studies reveal that banks are just willing to pay the fines.“We should look at our farmers as potential targets for investment in human capital,” Dela Torre argued.Meanwhile, he encouraged the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that skills in agriculture must be one of the conditions in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), a conditional cash transfer scheme of the government to address poverty.

Climate lens and planning
Data from PAGASA on the annual mean temperature in the Philippines projects that there would be a widespread warming in most parts of the country by 2020 and 2050. Dela Torre then emphasized the importance of careful planning based on historical and projected data.According to him, efforts against climate change must look both at the past and what will happen in the future to plan properly.Recently, there have been a growing concern on saline intrusion and the projected sea level rise that affects coastal integrity. This serves as a threat to agricultural production areas near the coastlines.
Hence, research institutions such as PhilRice must continuously develop saline-tolerant crop varieties to address this challenge.Among the saline-tolerant varieties developed by PhilRice are NSIC Rc184 (6.3 t/ha maximum yield), NSIC Rc186 (4.2 t/ha maximum yield), NSIC Rc188 (3.8 t/ha maximum yield), NSIC Rc190 (5.1 t/ha maximum yield), and NSIC Rc290 (5.7 t/ha maximum yield).Dela Torre also cited that if irrigation infrastructures failed to resist environmental threats, its quality would definitely be compromised. As a result, implementing agencies would then reinstitute innovations which would lead to a pain point in funding.The former Chief on Research and Policy Development of CCC said that projection and planning are important keys to withstand all environmental threats.
“That’s what climate change is forcing us to do ― to think better, to design, and plan better,” he reiterated.The 28th National Rice Research and Development Conference is annually hosted by PhilRice that gathers around 500 researchers, academicians, students, farmers, and extension workers from all over the country.

Cabinet to be asked to completely ban second-crop farming for 2015-16 season

By editor on 2015-09-12 Thailand
Cabinet to be asked to completely ban second-crop farming for 2015-16 season

BANGKOK: — The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will ask the cabinet at a meeting next Tuesday to completely ban second rice crop cultivation covering 15 million rai of farmland during the November 1, 2015-April 30, 2016 crop year due to anticipated serious water shortage.

Agriculture Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikalya pointed out that by the end of the rainy season at the end of October, it was anticipated that the country’s main dams would be able to store a total of 3,600 million cubic metres of water which is hardly enough for agricultural purpose. The minister admitted that the anticipated water crisis was beyond the ability of the Agriculture Ministry to handle and, therefore, he would propose the cabinet to completely ban the second crop cultivation which is due to start in November and, at the same time, set up a crisis committee to mobilize all available sources to help the farmers when they cannot cultivate.

Due to water shortage this year, main croup cultivation covering 870,000 rai of farmland was not possible as the Irrigation Department substantially cut down the amount of water released into the Chao Phraya river basin, said the minister.But despite the water cutback, he said farmers defied the warning and cultivated second crop in 6 million rai of farmland.Although water shortage is expected to be serious at the end of this year and next year, General Chatchai noted that the situation would not warrant the invocation of Section 44 of the interim charter.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/cabinet-to-be-asked-to-completely-ban-second-crop-farming-for-2015-16-season

Severe Drought Expected In Thailand Early 2016


BANGKOK, Sept 12 (Bernama) -- Farmers are asked not to grow rice during off-season in 2016 after the state-run Royal Irrigation Department (RID) made a forecast that Thailand would face severe drought, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.Meanwhile, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister General Chatchai Sarikulya plans to propose to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha to assist the farmers, the news agency said.Although several areas in the country are experiencing heavy rainfalls, the amount of rain was still less compared to previous years, said Suthep Noipairoj, deputy director-general of the RID, adding that water stored at major dams was not sufficient to grow off-season rice.
He said that a meeting was held recently with relevant government agencies, and that the Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister has assigned several departments to find ways in assisting farmers who would be affected by the expected severe drought.Suthep said that Gen Chatchai would propose to the prime minister to direct ministries to help farmers in providing temporary jobs.This would enable them to get income to feed their families as they could not grow rice during the off-season, he said.

BERNAMA

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/wn/newsworld.php?id=1170698


PH to import 750,000 tons of rice


By Anna Leah E. Gonzales | Sep. 09, 2015 at 11:50pm

The Philippines will import an additional 250,000 metric tons of rice this year and another 500,000 MT next year under a government-to-government procurement arrangement to prepare for a prolonged El Niño dry spell, state-run National Food Authority said Wednesday.NFA said in a statement the inter-agency Food Security Committee on Rice allowed the NFA Council to proceed with the importation of the volume to beef up the country’s rice stock.The FSC, which is chaired by the National Economic and Development Authority, earlier approved the importation of 250,000 MT.NFA said the importation of 500,000 MT of rice was approved by FSC to cover the projected production deficit in 2016. The shipment would be delivered early next year. 
More to come. A worker carries a sack of rice  at a store in  Manila on Wednesday Sept. 9.  The Aquino administration says it will import additional 750,000 tons of rice to boost stocks and keep local prices stable because of El Niño. DANNY PATA
Weather forecasters said the drought was predicted to intensify beginning October this year and would last until May 2016.NFA administrator Renan Dalisay said an invitation was sent to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia to participate in the supply of 250,000 MT well-milled rice with 25 percent brokens intended for the year and 500,000 MT well-milled rice with 25 percent brokens in 2016.Dalisay assured the food agency would have sufficient stock until the end of the year and that prices would remain stable.

He said the government-to-government bidding for the 250,000 MT would be held on        Sept. 17, with the first shipment of 125,000 MT expected to arrived by end-November and 125,000 MT by end-December.Dalisay said of the 2016 imports of 500,000 MT, the first shipment of 175,000 MT would arrived by end of January, 175,000 MT by end of February and 150,000 MT by end of March next year.NFA said the total volume of rice that entered the country this year already reached 937,000 MT.Weather forecasters said traditional rice granaries including the provinces of Isabela, Mindoro, Quezon, Albay, Aklan, Antique, Iloilo, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Zamboanga were among the provinces that would be hardly hit by El Niño.

Rice harvest is expected to drop this year, because of the impact of the El Niño dry spell that delayed planting and reduced the farm area, the Philippine Statistics Authority said in an earlier report.PSA said in its rice and corn outlook palay (unmilled rice) production in 2015 could decline 0.6 percent to 18.86 million MT from 18.97 million MT  in 2014.Rice production in the first half fell 0.7 percent to 8.32 million MT

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/09/09/ph-to-import-750-000-tons-of-rice/


Cambodia businesses fret Myanmar


By The Phnom Penh Post   |   Monday, 14 September 2015

While Cambodia’s economic development is often compared to that of neighbouring Vietnam and Thailand’s, industry insiders say the Cambodia needs to keep a close eye on the steady progress being made in Myanmar, which is predicted to eat into Cambodia’s exports in the long term.

Cambodian farmers work on a rice field in Kandal province. The country’s rice production faces competition from Myanmar. Photo: EPA

An improved business environment in Myanmar propelled its gross domestic product growth to 7.7 percent in 2014, and it is expected to reach 8.3pc for 2015, according to the Asian Development Bank.While Myanmar may not pose an immediate threat to Cambodia, Jayant Menon, lead economist at the Asian Development Bank’s office of regional economic integration, said Cambodia will need to improve its productivity and increase its pool of skilled labour.Trade costs in Myanmar are still high, given the dearth of investment and infrastructure development, but as economic reforms begin to kick in the country will increasingly grow its presence on the ASEAN stage, Mr Menon added.

“In the longer term, Cambodia may have to lift its productivity if it is to compete with the well-educated workforce available at relatively low cost in Myanmar.”On the rice export front, Cambodia is already facing steep competition from Myanmar. Rice shipments leaving the Kingdom last year totalled a little more than 387,000 tonnes, compared to Myanmar’s 1.7 million tonnes – a large amount of it going to China.Cambodia may currently have the edge in exporting higher-quality fragrant rice, said Song Saran, CEO of leading rice exporter Amru Rice, but Myanmar is fast catching up and moving beyond its export of lower quality broken rice and parboiled rice.“In the long term, Myanmar will be a big threat to Cambodia, because they have started to improve their facilities,” Mr Saran said.

“And in the next four to five years there will be more stress for Cambodian rice in the European market.”Mr Saran said that when Cambodia graduates to a low-middle income economy and loses its European Union-granted Everything But Arms (EBA) status – giving least developed countries duty free exports to the economic bloc – Myanmar, which also enjoys the preferential treatment, could extend its advantage given that its exports will be cheaper than the Kingdom’s.“When EBA is off, we are going to have more hardship and the possibility of losing market share to Myanmar,” he said.“But with jasmine rice, I am still optimistic that we can maintain our market share even if EBA is off.”On the economic front, both countries are using similar sectors, including rice and garments to fuel growth.

However, Myanmar also has to deal with the “overhang of the elections” in November, as well as ethnic and religious tensions, said Grant Knuckey, CEO of ANZ Royal Bank, who is also the head of Myanmar operations for ANZ.“Despite that, Myanmar is a genuine threat based on both potential and clear intent,” Mr Knuckey said, referring to economic reforms that are focused on increasing commodity exports.Infrastructure and logistical capacities are two key issues holding back both nations, but, according to Mr Knuckey, investments made in deep sea ports and a better special economic zone policy can help Myanmar leapfrog the progress made by Cambodia in the past few years.“Myanmar will soon have a real edge, with deep sea capacity at both Thilawa and later Dawei,” he said.

“Myanmar has also moved very aggressively on the SEZ framework, where Thilawa is more of a special administrative zone than an industrial park, which is the current Cambodia model.”Srey Chanthy, an independent economist, said that as Myanmar grapples with the same “pitfalls” that Cambodia has had to address, such as low productivity, it will have to make good use of its young and well-educated population to accelerate its ascent up the ASEAN pecking order.“If the Myanmar government can significantly improve the domestic business-enabling environment to attract direct foreign investment, these things can be done in the short to medium terms, they need not wait for the long term.”

– The Phnom Penh Post http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/business/16458-cambodia-businesses-fret-myanmar.html

 

Tough blow for Thai rice farmers already in debt

By editor on 2015-09-14 Thailand
FARMING
Tough blow for rice farmers already in debt

VISARUT SANKHAM
THE NATION

If cabinet decides to block water for off-season crop ‘it would hit us hard’

BANGKOK: — IF THE Cabinet resolves tomorrow to turn off irrigated water for people seeking to grow off-season rice it would deal another serious blow to farmers already drowning in debt.
“We haven’t planted any paddy three times already (for two off-season crops and one main crop), and now the government tells us not to plant any rice again. Now we have nothing,” Ubolsak Bualuang-ngam, chairman of the central agricultural committee, said last week.“Most rice farmers in Lop Buri have Bt350,000 in debt and some farmers even hung themselves on a tree to avoid debt,” said Ubolsak, who also leads the Lop Buri Farmers Assembly.This central province and the Pasak River basin have already suffered from a severe shortage of water for farming.The idea to suspend the planting of off-season crop on 15 million rai of paddy fields will be proposed to the Cabinet by Agriculture Minister Chatchai Sarikalya because of an estimate that by the end of the wet season next month, stored water would amount to 3.6 billion cubic metres – which is not enough for farming.

“This crisis is more severe than the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry can handle alone, so we have to ask the Cabinet to set up a committee to solve it at the national level,” Chatchai said.“We also have to gather projects under various agencies to hire farmers. This is to let the farmers earn some money to replace the missed income from past rice growing sessions this year (which affected 87,000 rai) and the off-season rice growing at 15 million |rai of irrigation-zoned rice fields from November 1 to April 30,” he said.

The order, to be strictly followed and enforced, would not need to be announced under Section 44 of the provisional charter, he said.Pasak Jolasid Dam, which receives 1.23 million cubic metres of water daily, now has 73 million cu m and was releasing five cu m per second or 1.3 million cu m a day, Irrigation Office 10 director Attaporn Panyachom said.Most dams in Lop Buri were also at less than 50 per cent of capacity, he said. The Kut Ta Phet Reservoir in Lam Sonthi district was down to 23 per cent, Sap Takhian Reservoir in the same district down to 7 per cent and Huai Hin Reservoir in Chai Badan district to 24 per cent, he said.

The government claims that it has arranged income-generating projects to help farmers, but Ong-art Suwanphong from the Farmers’ School in Ang Thong’s Chaiyo district said that he didn’t see any such scheme being implemented. Farmers would actually prefer water supply to compensation, but if the government must stop the water supply for rice, they should make sure the compensation for farmers is sufficient, he said. “Farmers are disheartened. Many of those with five to 10 rai of paddy fields gave up.“Last year they suffered from a rat outbreak and this year saw their hope of regaining rice-growing income shattered by the lack of water supplies – so they turned to doing odd jobs,” he said.

http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/tough-blow-for-thai-rice-farmers-already-in-debt/114136/

U.S. & China to Sign Rice Protocol Agreement


HOUSTON, Sept. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Officials from the United States and the Peoples' Republic of China will sign a phytosanitary protocol during the week of September 21st when Chinese President Xi Jinping leads a delegation on an official visit to Washington, DC.  Culminating an effort that reaches back more than 15 years, the US Rice Producers Association (USRPA) has been pushing to open the Chinese market to U.S. rice. In those intervening ten years, China has switched from being a rice exporter to (in recent years) importing two million tons or more of long grain rice. Vietnam has been the origin of most of the Chinese imports, due to a combination of price, proximity, and quality. The U.S. has not been permitted to ship to China because rice was not included in the original negotiations that resulted in the sale of millions of tons of soybeans and cotton and other grains.

 That now changes with the new phytosanitary protocol.USRPA applied for funding from USDA/FAS under their Emerging Markets Program to travel to China to determine if there would be demand for U.S. long grain milled rice should it ever be permitted. Over the years, consumer preferences were recorded and analyzed, and the conclusion was obvious — rice milled in the United States would be considered a preferred product deserving of a premium price in the opinion of the growing consumer class in China. In recent years, medium grain rice from both the South and California has been included in these consumer surveys, and the result is the same: "When can we buy it?"

A number of importers and distributors in China have been identified, and it is likely that the newly-permitted trade will get off to a fast start. It is not clear how large the trade could become once the logistics and the commercial terms are perfected, but China could represent a significant boost to the U.S. rice market, which recently has been slammed by the loss of markets and low-priced subsidized foreign competition. "This has been a long and exhaustive process and sometimes that's the nature of international market development, while I must compliment the USRPA staff and its board members including past Chairmen, B.J. Campbell of Missouri and Ray Stoesser of Texas, who along with officials of the Foreign Agricultural Service and Animal Plant Health Inspection Service of the USDA, have not hesitated in pursuing this effort that is so important to our rice farming and milling industry," says Dwight Roberts, President & CEO of the organization.  "Our analysis of the China market goes back to 1998 when at the time no one thought China would ever be a significant importer," added Roberts. 

Recently elected Chairman, Tommy Turner from El Campo, Texas who has plans to travel next month to China is excited about the outlook saying, "our focus has already turned towards working with the identified Chinese buyers and importers while continuing to conduct additional promotional surveys of Chinese consumers," while adding, "this is great news for our farmers and is a shot in the arm for the market that is so sorely needed."The US Rice Producers Association, representing rice producers in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas, is the only national rice producers' organization comprised by producers, elected by producers and representing producers in all six rice-producing states.

SOURCE US Rice Producers Association

 

Nepal records imports 210,600t of rice worth Rs5.74b in 2014

 

KATHMANDU: Rice mills in the Bara-Parsa area are having a hard time staying afloat as they can’t compete with cheaper Indian products. In the past four years, 250 out of the 300 rice mills there have closed down. Half of the remaining 50 are also in the red, said traders.Domestic rice producers started facing hard times after India withdrew restrictions on rice exports in September 2011. The Indian government has cancelled the ban on the export of almost all types of rice except Basmati. This led to Nepali markets being flooded with cheap Indian products.Last year, Nepal imported 210,600 tonnes of rice worth Rs5.74 billion through Birgunj Customs alone, its records show. In fiscal 2013-14, rice imports through this customs point amounted to Rs3.54 billion.

http://www.customstoday.com.pk/nepal-records-imports-210600t-of-rice-worth-rs5-74b-in-2014/



Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-Sep 14


Nagpur, Sept 14 Gram prices firmed up again in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and
Marketing Committee (APMC) here on good festival season demand from local millers amid thin
supply from producing regions. Healthy rise in Madhya Pradesh gram prices, reported demand from
South-based millers and notable hike on NCDEX also boosted prices, according to sources. 
 
               *            *              *              *
 
    FOODGRAINS & PULSES
    GRAM
   * Gram varieties reported strong in open market on increased seasonal buying support 
     from local traders amid weak supply from millers.
 
     TUAR
   * Tuar varieties recovered strongly in open market on renewed demand from local 
     traders. Reports about weak overseas arrival also pushed up prices. 
 
   * Batri dal zoomed up in open market on good buying support from local traders amid 
     tight supply from producing regions.
                                                                                       
   * In Akola, Tuar - 9,7900-10,300, Tuar dal - 14,100-14,500, Udid at 9,600-10,000, 
     Udid Mogar (clean) - 12,100-12,600, Moong - 7,600-7,800, Moong Mogar 
    (clean) 9,200-9,800, Gram - 4,900-5,050, Gram Super best bold - 6,400-6,600 
     for 100 kg.
 
   * Wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market 
     in thin trading activity, according to sources.
       
 Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
 
     FOODGRAINS                 Available prices     Previous close   
     Gram Auction                   3,850-4,900         3,850-4,760
     Gram Pink Auction            n.a.           2,100-2,600
     Tuar Auction                n.a.                8,000-9,375
     Moong Auction                n.a.                6,000-6,400
     Udid Auction                n.a.           4,300-4,500
     Masoor Auction                n.a.              2,600-2,800
     Gram Super Best Bold            6,600-6,900        6,500-6,800
     Gram Super Best            n.a.                
     Gram Medium Best            6,000-6,200        5,900-6,100
     Gram Dal Medium            n.a.            n.a.
     Gram Mill Quality            5,900-6,000        5,800-5,900
     Desi gram Raw                5,300-5,350         5,200-5,250
     Gram Filter new            6,300-6,500        6,200-6,400
     Gram Kabuli                6,600-7,600        6,400-7,500
     Gram Pink                7,000-7,200        6,800-7,000
     Tuar Fataka Best             14,600-14,900        14,500-14,800
     Tuar Fataka Medium             13,400-14,000        13,300-13,900
     Tuar Dal Best Phod            13,000-13,200        12,900-13,100
     Tuar Dal Medium phod            12,400-12,900        12,300-12,800
     Tuar Gavarani New             10,400-10,600        10,300-10,500
     Tuar Karnataka             10,500-10,900        10,400-10,800
     Tuar Black                 12,200-12,400           12,100-12,300 
     Masoor dal best            8,500-8,700        8,500-8,700
     Masoor dal medium            8,200-8,400        8,200-8,400
     Masoor                    n.a.            n.a.
     Moong Mogar bold               9,900-10,300        9,900-10,300
     Moong Mogar Medium best        8,800-9,500        8,800-9,500
     Moong dal Chilka            8,700-8,900        8,700-8,900
     Moong Mill quality            n.a.            n.a.
     Moong Chamki best            8,400-9,200        8,400-9,200
     Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG)    12,500-13,700       12,500-13,700
     Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)    11,500-12,000        11,500-12,000
     Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)        10,200-10,400        10,200-10,400
     Batri dal (100 INR/KG)        5,300-5,650        5,200-5,600
     Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)           4,000-4,200         4,000-4,200
     Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)        3,200-3,450        3,200-3,450
     Watana White (100 INR/KG)        3,000-3,200         3,000-3,200
     Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)    3,300-3,600        3,300-3,600
     Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)        1,400-1,500        1,400-1,500
     Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG)    1,650-1,750        1,650-1,750
     Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)        1,350-1,550           1,350-1,550
     Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)    2,300-2,400        2,300-2,400
     Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)    2,000-2,200        2,000-2,200
     Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)    n.a.            n.a.
     MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG)    3,400-3,700        3,400-3,700
     MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)    2,750-2,800        2,750-2,800        
     Rice BPT best(100 INR/KG)        3,100-3,300        3,100-3,300
     Rice BPT medium(100 INR/KG)        2,800-3,000        2,800-3,000
     Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG)        1,700-1,900        1,700-1,900
     Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG)      2,000-2,300        2,000-2,300
     Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG)      1,900-2,000        1,900-2,000
     Rice HMT best(100 INR/KG)        3,500-3,900        3,500-3,900
     Rice HMT medium(100 INR/KG)        3,200-3,300        3,200-3,300
     Rice HMT Shriram best(100 INR/KG)    4,800-5,100        4,800-5,100
     Rice HMT Shriram med.(100 INR/KG)    4,000-4,500        4,000-4,500     
     Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)    8,000-10,000        8,000-10,000
     Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)    7,000-7,500        7,000-7,500
     Rice Chinnor best (100 INR/KG)    5,200-5,400        4,900-5,100
     Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG)    4,700-5,000        4,400-4,800
     Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)        2,100-2,350        2,100-2,350
     Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)        2,400-2,500        2,400-2,500
 
WEATHER (NAGPUR)  
Maximum temp. 35.4 degree Celsius (95.7 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
24.0 degree Celsius (75.2 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.
Rainfall : nil
FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 34 and 24 degree Celsius respectively.
 
Note: n.a.--not available
 
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)


Record rice output doesn’t bring smile for Bangla farmers
ANN/ The Daily Star/ Sohel Parvez
| 14 September, 2015

(Photo: Getty Images)
Farmers in Bangladesh bagged a record 19.1 million tonnes of boro rice last season, enabling the country to log in its highest rice output and attain self-sufficiency in staple food.Overall, rice output stood at a total of 34.7 million tonnes in fiscal 2014-15, up 1 per cent year-on-year, according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.The increased production though has not brought smiles to the farmers' faces: many had to accept prices lower than their production costs.“It felt good to have higher crops, but ultimately it did not benefit me,” said Rafiqul Islam, a farmer in Lalmonirhat, a bordering district in the north.His production costs were higher than the prices he was compelled to accept.Islam grew the hybrid and high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of rice on one acre of land in the last boro season, which started in April and ended in May.
Two months after harvest, he sold each maund of hybrid rice at 460 taka (US$5.9), which is 20 per cent lower than his average production cost, he told The Daily Star by phone last week.Farmers in other growing regions too are having similar experiences.The prices of rice have remained lower than last year's level since April as a result of a supply glut in the market caused by higher output and soaring imports mainly from India.Rice imports by private traders soared nearly four times last fiscal year to 1.49 million tonnes, according to data from the food ministry.
As a result, the total rice availability ended up being higher than Bangladesh's requirement.The country's annual demand for the food grain is 30 million tonnes, according to the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies.The research organisation estimated that the daily per capita food grain consumption is 509 grams, including rice at 462 grams.There is an ample supply of imported rice, so the demand for locally grown rice is low, said Nirod Boron Saha, a paddy and rice wholesaler in northern Naogaon district, one of the main hubs for rice and paddy trade.Traders and millers earlier blamed the soaring rice imports for the price fall.
Coarse rice, which was 32-37 taka each kilogram in Dhaka city in the second week of April, traded at 30-34 taka per kilogram yesterday. On the same day last year, it traded at 35-38 taka.The superior quality rice prices are also lower than last year's, according to Trading Corporation of Bangladesh.Amid repeated calls from farm stakeholders, the government imposed a 10 per cent duty on rice imports, which many found too late a move.Saha said the prices of paddy rose after the government slapped duty on rice imports. But the spike was temporary.
The prices declined later as Indian suppliers came up with lower rates, he said.However, paddy prices have started rising recently, upon news of crop damage from recent floods, he said.Floods, resulting from heavy rainfall, have damaged more than 260,000 hectares of aman crop land, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension.Islam, the farmer from Lalmonirhat district, said he planted aman rice on four acres of land but floods destroyed crops on 1.20 acres of it. “Floods have just eaten up the land. I cannot grow paddy here this aman season anymore. I will have to go for potato,” he added.Mohammad Zahidul Haque, a farmer in Kurigram district, also suffered losses for low prices of boro. And the floods have also damaged part of his aman crop.“All my recently planted seedlings have gone under the water -- it is going to deepen my losses.”



Rice output hits record, farmers not so happy

Photo: Star/File
Farmers bagged a record 1.91 crore tonnes of boro rice last season, enabling the country to log in its highest rice output and attain self-sufficiency in staple food.Overall, rice output stood at a total of 3.47 crore tonnes in fiscal 2014-15, up 1 percent year-on-year, according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.The increased production though has not brought smiles to the farmers' faces: many had to accept prices lower than their production costs.“It felt good to have higher crops, but ultimately it did not benefit me,” said Rafiqul Islam, a farmer in Lalmonirhat, a bordering district in the north.His production costs were higher than the prices he was compelled to accept.Islam grew the hybrid and high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of rice on one acre of land in the last boro season, which started in April and ended in May.Two months after harvest, he sold each maund of hybrid rice at Tk 460, which is 20 percent lower than his average production cost, he told The Daily Star by phone last week.

Farmers in other growing regions too are having similar experiences.The prices of rice have remained lower than last year's level since April as a result of a supply glut in the market caused by higher output and soaring imports mainly from India.Rice imports by private traders soared nearly four times last fiscal year to 14.90 lakh tonnes, according to data from the food ministry. As a result, the total rice availability ended up being higher than Bangladesh's requirement.The country's annual demand for the food grain is three crore tonnes, according to the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies.The research organisation estimated that the daily per capita food grain consumption is 509 grams, including rice at 462 grams.

There is an ample supply of imported rice, so the demand for locally grown rice is low, said Nirod Boron Saha, a paddy and rice wholesaler in Naogaon, one of the main hubs for rice and paddy trade.Traders and millers earlier blamed the soaring rice imports for the price fall.Coarse rice, which was Tk 32-37 each kilogram in Dhaka city in the second week of April, traded at Tk 30-34 per kilogram yesterday. On the same day last year, it traded at Tk 35-38.  The superior quality rice prices are also lower than last year's, according to Trading Corporation of Bangladesh.
Amid repeated calls from farm stakeholders, the government imposed a 10 percent duty on rice imports, which many found too late a move.Saha said the prices of paddy rose after the government slapped duty on rice imports. But the spike was temporary.The prices declined later as Indian suppliers came up with lower rates, he said.However, paddy prices have started rising recently, upon news of crop damage from recent floods, he said.Floods, resulting from heavy rainfall, have damaged more than 2.6 lakh hectares of aman crop land, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension.

Islam, the farmer from Lalmonirhat, said he planted aman rice on four acres of land but floods destroyed crops on 1.20 acres of it. “Floods have just eaten up the land. I cannot grow paddy here this aman season anymore. I will have to go for potato,” he added.Mohammad Zahidul Haque, a farmer in Kurigram, also suffered losses for low prices of boro. And the floods have also damaged part of his aman crop.“All my recently planted seedlings have gone under the water -- it is going to deepen my losses.

”http://www.thedailystar.net/business/rice-output-hits-record-farmers-not-so-happy-142351

Flood damage estimated at 736,000 acres


Farmers re-grow in flood-damaged farms in Rakhine State. (Photo-Min Thein Naing/EMG)
The rain-triggered floods destroyed more than 736,000 acres (283,300 hectares) of monsoon paddy across the country, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation.Cyclone Komen flooded more than 1.4 million acres of farmland in July and August. Of them, 736,000 acres were damaged, the ministry said on September 11.Around 414,000 acres of monsoon paddy have reportedly been re-grown. The damage is estimated at Ks174 billion (US$135 million). Rakhine and Chin states are the worst affected areas, according to the National Natural Disaster Management Committee.The committee’s report says 1,447,000 acres of farmland were flooded. Of them, 842,000 acres were totally ruined.  Myanmar usually grows around 15 million acres of monsoon paddy and three million acres of summer paddy, producing around 1,350 million baskets of rice a year, much of which is exported.The ministry urges farmers to re-grow using short-term strains and direct seeding methods.


Myanmar claims rice sufficiency despite flood


Myanmar claims rice sufficiency despite flood
YANGON, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar has claimed sufficiency of rice supply until the end of this year despite recent flood which slowed down rice production, according to an official report Sunday.Over 500,000 tons of rice are still in stock for the next three months, the Ministry of Commerce was quoted as saying.Flood has affected more than 1.4 million acres (567,000 hectares) of paddy field and destroyed more than 800,000 acres, it said.However, Ayeyawaddy region, the country's prime source of rice, was not affected by the flooding as severely as other regions thanks to the quick recession of flood, it added.

Myanmar's harvest season for rice planted in rain-fed field will start in October.Deadly flood, triggered by heavy rainfall since June, has affected 12 regions and states out of 14 in Myanmar, destroying houses, farmland, railway lines, bridges and roads.The Myanmar government declared on July 31 four disaster zones, namely Rakhine, Chin, Sagaing and Magway, among which Rakhine state was the worst-hit.Nationwide death toll of the severe flooding rose to more than 121 so far, while more than 1.6 million people across the country have been affected.

http://www.globalpost.com/article/6648118/2015/09/12/myanmar-claims-rice-sufficiency-despite-flood

Second rice crop to be banned

12 Sep 2015 at 14:34 5,268

Agriculture Minister Chatchai Sarikulya will propose to the cabinet on Tuesday a ban on the second crop of rice totalling 15 million rai as water shortages have become more serious than previously estimated.Water reserves are expected to total 3.6 million cubic metres at the end of the rainy season on Oct 31, an inadequate amount for farming, said Gen Chatchai.The Agriculture Ministry will also propose that the cabinet set up a national committee to manage the situation. Ministries in charge of government projects must also be instructed to hire farmers so they have some income.

The ban means rice farmers will not be able to grow rice for most part of the 2015 crop year. This involves 870,000 rai that have not been farmed and the 15 million rai on which planting will be banned. Some farmers have ignored the order and continued to farm on 6 million rai anyway."This time it's critical. All farming must be totally banned. All ministries must also try to help farmers," said Gen Chatchai.However, he dismissed the need for the junta chief to use Section 44 of the interim constitution to enforce the ban."The ministry must tell farmers now what they are supposed to do if they can't farm and what relief measures they can expect from the government. We may promote raising animals and find extra jobs for them," he added.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/690620/second-rice-crop-ban-sought

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