News Headlines...
·
Biryani Festival/Cooking Competitions to
promote Basmati Exports
·
Pakistan exports get more boost
·
Rice export to Iran: Reap fears Pakistan may
not take advantage
·
Group aims to reduce rice imports
·
Mentoring to Take Charge
·
Vietnam needs new policy for rice production
·
CSIR-Crops Research Institute releases 12 crop
varieties
·
U.S. and China to sign rice protocol agreement
·
Royal Rejuvenates The Rice Industry With A
Commitment To Authenticity
·
Aquino: Gov’t to import more rice as severe El
Niño looms
·
Final protocols struck for U.S. rice exports to
China
·
Paddy price dips by 60%, Karnal farmers worried
·
Limited Rice Trade Resumes as Govt Weighs New
Export Policy
·
Preserving “Heirloom” Collections – Microbial,
That Is
·
Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
News detail...
BIRYANI FESTIVAL/COOKING COMPETITIONS TO PROMOTE BASMATI EXPORTS
Sep 15, 2015 | thaver
The
Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has urged S.M. Muneer chief
executive officer (CEO)Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to
arrange Biryani Festivals and cooking competitions at our embassies and
consulates abroad to promote export of white and parboiled Pakistani basmati
rice.President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said our basmati rice and super basmati
rice and also our rice of other varieties namely 1121, 386 and C9 are
considered as fine rice and liked by overseas Pakistanis and rice lovers in
Europe, Middle East and Far East and since our exporters are a little behind in
publicizing the TDAP needs to play its role and beat the drum. The festivals
and competitions could serve as exhibitions and the superiority of our rice
varieties could be highlighted. Our super basmati rice is aromatic and
elongates on cooking, it is very tasty and meant for banquets and is very much
liked in Iran, Gulf and the affluent.
He
appreciated that the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) is holding
cricket matches to promote goodwill amongst members but it would be far better
if REAP could join hands with TDAP and arrange biryani festivals in different
provinces and also in foreign countries.Thaver also suggested the holding of
cooking competitions on electronic media at home and abroad for cooking various
dishes of rice like pulao, biryani, fried rice as in Chinese sweet dishes like
Zardah, Kheer (porridges), firni, bread (chappati).
http://www.unisame.org/biryani-festivalcooking-competitions-to-promote-basmati-exports/
Pakistan exports get more
boost
Mm. Aftab
Filed on 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
Rice export to Iran: Reap fears Pakistan may not take advantage
The Rice
Exporters Association of Pakistan has feared that Pakistan may not take
advantage of opening of rice export to Iran from October 2015 because of energy
crisis and lack of the Research and Development which has turned Pakistan
regionally uncompetitive. In a speech at press conference on Saturday REAP
Chairman Rafique Suleman also called for devising a comprehensive mechanism and
appropriate currency transfer arrangements by the State Bank of Pakistan to
take full benefit of reopening of rice trade with Iran. “Iran is the one of the
largest rice importer of the world, which imports around 11 percent of the
world rice worth $2.5 billion.
He said that the demand for rice in Iran has
doubled during 2012-13 and in the last five years, import of rice grew more
than 35 percent. Hence, there exists a huge opportunity for the exporters of
Pakistani rice. Pakistan, once, was the largest exporter of rice to Iran,
before imposition of sanctions on Iran, which it has lost to India and now
almost 90 percent of rice is coming to Iran from India though import from
Pakistan is more economical,” he said. He also said, “Pakistan rice export has
been stagnant for the past many years, both in quantitative and value terms and
is hovering around 4 million tonnes in quantity and $2 billion in worth because
of devastating energy crisis and inconsistent and discouraging export policies
of the government. India has entered the global rice market with a huge surplus
and a 20-percent devaluation of its rupee, giving it almost unbeatable
comparative advantage against Pakistani exporters. The State Bank of Pakistan
also honoured sanctions against Iran, resulting in drastic drop in basmati
exports to it. But the exporters still maintained their share and were able to
achieve the mark.”
Giving
the latest data of rice export, he said, “Pakistan’s rice exports posted a
sharp decline of 27 percent during the first month of this fiscal year mainly
due to declining price trend in the world market. The country exported rice
amounting to $91 million in July 2015, compared to $125 million in July 2014,
depicting a decline of 27.24 percent. Major drop has been witnessed in the
export of Basmati Rice, which registered a 30 percent decline to $34 million
exports during the period while non-Basmati exports stood at $57 million in
July 2015, down by 25 percent. The government will have to announce freight
subsidy of at least $200 per ton on rice export to make it globally
competitive, the chairman proposed.” He urged the government to refund mark-up
amount of 2013-14 and 2014-15 loans of rice exporters, besides withdrawing
withholding tax of this period, suggesting a slash in this tax to 0.25 per cent
for fiscal year 2015-16 and suggested to extend export refinance period to 360
days from 80 days to facilitate the rice exporters.
Source:
Business Recorder
Group aims to reduce rice imports
Monika Singh
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Grace Road Group president Daniel Kim, right,
with Agriculture Minister Inia Seruiratu at the construction site of the rice
milling factory in Navua. The group aims to make Fiji self-sufficient in rice
production. Picture: SUPPLIED
A
CHURCH-based organisation has plans to help Government reduce its rice imports
and make Fiji self-sufficient in rice production with the revival of rice
farming.Grace Road Group started operations in Fiji last year with an initial
investment of more than $10million.South Korean investor Daniel Kim, who is
also the president of the group, says Fiji has the potential to grow more rice
and become self-sufficient by the year 2020.Mr Kim said Government had the same
plans but lacked the machinery to be able to achieve its goals.
"But we have brought the machines with us and we have the
expertise and the manpower to achieve this goal." Our headquarters is in
Navua and we are planning to build the biggest rice milling factory in Fiji
there," he said.He said they planned to finish building the rice milling
factory by January or February next year.Mr Kim said the group had a 100-acre
farm in Navua and a 200-acre farm in Nausori where they had planted rice while
they still waited on another 1000-acre land in Nausori/Tailevu to be cleared by
Government.He said they had plans to start rice revival projects on Vanua Levu
and they had already moved their machinery to help them with the development.
Mr Kim said they planned to produce 44,000 tonnes of rice because
that was roughly the amount of rice that was imported by Fiji. To do that, the
group needed 13000 acres of land. Some of the challenges that the company faced
was regarding land issues but Mr Kim said the Government had been very
supportive in the process."We are doing organic farming and our rice farms
are also organic because we do not want to use chemicals and other harmful
substance," he said.Mr Kim said the group also had six restaurants in the
country and it used products that were planted on their farm in Navua."We
supply the rice to our own restaurant and we plan to supply organic rice to
other resorts and restaurants once the other farms are ready," he said.
According to Mr Kim, they had a program for the landowners and the
response from the mataqali had been very positive.He said they had training
programs for members of the church, who would then train the landowners so that
they could pass the knowledge to their own landowning unit members and
villagers.Mr Kim said they also had plans to start potato farming and help
reduce the import bill for potatoes.
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=321850
Mentoring to Take Charge
Tue, 09/15/2015 - 02:36 admin
-WAAPP Boss Wants Young Liberian Scientists Play Lead-Role in Agric
Sector
By: William Q. Harmon & Alvin Worzi
The
Coordinator of the Liberia office of the West Africa Agriculture Productivity
Program (WAAPP), Mr. Cyrus Sargbe, has called for young Liberian scientists,
who have returned from studies abroad and are working in partnership with the
Ministry of Agriculture, to be properly mentored to take charge of the sector
in the next few years.
Mr. Sargbe said young Liberian scientists, who are working as apprentices under Ministry of Agriculture’s (MOA) implementing partners, AfricaRice, must play leading a role in the field during the learning period, because when the mentors leave, they will have to rise to the occasion.The MOA through its implementing partners, Africa Rice Center (Africa Rice) and The Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) with support from WAAPP, are leading the country’s rice development program. The program is intended to improve the rice production in the country and reduce its dependency on the importation of the commodity.“When we come on the field, we want to see the Liberians carrying out the demonstration exercises in order to convince us that when you are gone they will be able to take charge of the sector.
Mr. Sargbe said young Liberian scientists, who are working as apprentices under Ministry of Agriculture’s (MOA) implementing partners, AfricaRice, must play leading a role in the field during the learning period, because when the mentors leave, they will have to rise to the occasion.The MOA through its implementing partners, Africa Rice Center (Africa Rice) and The Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) with support from WAAPP, are leading the country’s rice development program. The program is intended to improve the rice production in the country and reduce its dependency on the importation of the commodity.“When we come on the field, we want to see the Liberians carrying out the demonstration exercises in order to convince us that when you are gone they will be able to take charge of the sector.
I really want to see them at the forefront of
the various exercises, because when this is done, we will know how far we have
gone in this project,” the WAAPP Coordinator said.He made these remarks during
a tour of AfriaRice’s rice demonstration site at CARI’s headquarters in
Suakoko, Bong County over the weekend. The tour was led by WAAP in
collaboration with a representative of the World Bank, a major financier of the
project.Agriculture, notably food sufficiency is one of two priority sectors of
the World Bank’s regional strategies because, according to the bank, the sector
provides the source of livelihoods for almost two-thirds of the population in
Africa. The bank believes that its intervention would bring about high poverty
reduction on the majority of the population.The Country Representative of
AfricaRice, Dr. Inousa Akintayo, took the two officials and their teams on a
sight-seeing expedition to many of interventions in the county, including the
lowland rice varietal development and testing segregating population for yield,
demonstration of improved upland rice varieties treatment sponsored by WAAPP
and the AfricaRice Center-Liberia Station at CARI.
The first phase of the WAAPP project in the country is about to elapse and Mr. Sargbe told the experts from AfricaRice to make more use of the young people so that they can drink from the organization’s fountain of knowledge.The WAAPP boss was impressed by a splendid presentation made by a local scientist at the Rice Demonstration Plot. The presenter, Joseph Ndebe, spoke about the 20 varieties of improved rice that are being processed to be distributed to farmers across the country.World Bank Senior Agricultural Specialist, Abimbola Adubi, also stressed that the level of capacity at CARI is very low and as such there is a need for more scientists at the institution. He said Liberia, as a country, needs more scientists that will work in the research department in order to improve the sector.
Liberia
currently has about four PhD holders at the nation’s premier research
institute, CARI, and Mr. Adubi noted that the situation is pathetic, though he
acknowledged that the country has been through a lot of crisis.“To have three
or four PhDs in a research institution is not enough, the least should be
twenty. This is because this is a technical area that requires a lot of
knowledgeable people,” Mr. Adubi said, calling on AfricaRice to ensure that all
is done for the country to reach that benchmark.Dr. Akintayo also lauded the
students for the swift pace at which they are learning on the field. The
AfricaRice boss, who has worked in Liberia’s rice sector for the last thirty
years, firstly with ADA and then AfricaRice, said the country is actually
improving in the sector.
WAAPP boss Cyrus Sargbe speaks to Liberian agriculture scientists
Vietnam
needs new policy for rice production
VietNamNet Bridge - To enhance the competitiveness of Vietnam’s
rice production and value, and bring more profits to farmers, Vietnam needs new
breakthrough policies.
Since the late 1980s, Vietnam's rice industry has developed
strongly. This helped Vietnam not only ensure food security in the country but
also become one of the top three rice exporters in the world.However, the
expansion in scale of Vietnam’s rice sector instead of being greeted cheerfully
has become a concern despite the increase of rice output because farmers'
income has not improved, accompanied with a risk of degraded soils and
pollution.
The over-emphasis on increasing rice production has led to the low
quality of Vietnam's export rice. As a result, the export markets are
concentrated in the lower segments, are less diverse, and are focused on the
Chinese market. When the export markets are in trouble, the pressure of
lowering prices is placed on the domestic market, causing losses to the
components in the production chain in the country, especially for
farmers.VietNamNet talks with economic and agricultural experts to find a
solution.
New policy needed
In 2016, Vietnam marks 30 years of renovation. This breakthrough
economic policy, which helped Vietnam made a complete makeover of both economic
and social reforms, originated from agricultural renovation policies to
"untie" agriculture and farmers.After a long journey, the rice sector
has created "miracles", taking Vietnam from an importer of rice into
a leading rice exporting country. Vietnam no longer has to worry about food
security, but focuses on rice production as a key commodity for export.However,
this achievement has not brought added value to the sector, and has not created
many positive changes in income for farmers. Vietnam's farmers have the lowest
average income in the country, and in Southeast Asia their average income is
only higher than that of Cambodian farmers.
Among many reasons for that situation, the most notable is that in
the last 30 years, Vietnam has focused only on strategies to increase rice
output, instead of improving rice quality, creating a rice brand with higher
added value.The current policy is still in this direction: increasing
production and encouraging exports. This will continue to cause
over-production, low quality of rice and many negative implications for the
sustainable development of agriculture and the livelihoods of farmers. In this
case, overproduction of rice is not good.Prof. Vo Tong Xuan, a well-known rice
expert, Rector of the University of South Can Tho, said that Vietnamese
farmers, "under the cheers of the state”, just plant rice to achieve high
productivity and pay little attention to quality.
The emphasis on increasing rice production is also reflected in the
density of rice planting. In 1990, farmers in the Mekong Delta planted 1.6
crops/year, and as of 2010, this figure rose to 2.1 crops/year. Notably, this
process causes weaker soil, and farmers use more fertilizers and plant
protection chemicals. The grain quality has deteriorated over time.
Vietnam’s rice exports to countries, 2010-2013 (% of export value
The world rice market is increasingly competitive
According to UN Comtrade, in 2010 Vietnam mainly exported rice to
the Philippines (about 29% of the total export value), in 2012-2013; Vietnam
largely exported to China (24.53% and 30.88% of the total export value of the
corresponding year), compared to only 1.71% in 2010.In the world rice market,
the segment for low grade rice has tended toward oversupply. According to FAO’s
forecast, rice production will have strong growth in the coming years due to
the increase in rice acreage, number of rice crops, and improvement of
productivity. Global demand for rice will increase to 2030, then will
reduce.Vietnam’s rice importers like Indonesia and the Philippines have had a
rice self-sufficiency strategy.
Indonesia, the largest rice importer in the world in 2011, with 3.1
million tons, reduced rice imports sharply in 2013 with 650,000 tons.Meanwhile,
countries like India, Cambodia and Myanmar are seeing strong growth in rice
exports. India has had the most powerful breakthrough in rice export, with
export volume increasing by nearly 2-fold, from 4,637 thousand tons in 2010/11
to 10,901 tons in the 2013/14 crop, to become the second largest rice exporter
in the world. Cambodia increased the export volume from 750,000 tons in 2009/10
to 1 million tons in the 2013/14 crop to the markets of Europe, Malaysia,
Thailand and China. Myanmar also nearly doubled the export volume from 700,000
tons to 1.3 million tons in this period.
In this context, if Vietnam keeps focusing on an increase in rice
production and does not pay attention to the quality of rice, the entire rice
value chain of Vietnam will suffer heavy losses, and the farmers will suffer
the worst losses.Following this trend, in the future, the position of the
countries on the rice export market depends on the ability to supply
high-quality and specific rice to different customer groups. Output is no
longer a problem, but rather the quality and value of exports.The rice
exporters in the world are all aware of that. Thailand, India, and even an
emerging rice exporter like Cambodia have their own "weapons" – their
own rice brands. At the Food Fair held in Bangkok in 2013, Thailand had more
than a dozen rice brands; Cambodia also had eight brands while Vietnam had
nothing.
To be continued…
Nguyen Quang Thai - Nguyen Khac Giang
(Vietnam Institute for Economic Policy Research - VEPR)
CSIR-Crops Research Institute releases 12 crop varieties
The
Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR) has released twelve new crop varieties onto the market.Four
cowpea, seven maize varieties and a new rice variety capable to withstand hash
weather conditions were released on Friday.The varieties are made up of
different types of hybrids that are adapted to the major agro-ecologies
especially in these times of climate change challenges.Authorities at the
research institute explain that the new varieties are in line with current
national issues-climate change and malnutrition.
The intensity of the climate change effects for instance have
become severe threatening food security in Ghana because the rains have escaped
most farmers in recent months.It is therefore prudent to develop early and
extra early maturing varieties or drought tolerant varieties.The four new
cowpea varieties are drought and pest resistance. They have shorter maturity
period compared to the existing ones on the market.It was named “Agyinkwa”
meaning saviour because farmers were excited by the outcome during the
experimental period. Local materials were used in the production so they can
well adapt to the local environment.Three of the seven maize varieties released
– Crops Afriyie (named after Dr. S. Twumasi Afriyie), Crops Obotantim (meaning
rock) and Crops Nkabom (meaning unity) – are drought tolerant.Maturity period
is 80 to 85 days better than the existing drought tolerant maize varieties with
intermediate maturity of 110 days.
Director of the Crop Research Institute, Dr. Stella Ama Ennin, says
these varieties are critical to achieve moderate yields in the midst of the
climate change.Malnutrition is one of the major issues Ghana has had to deal
because it is a major contributor to child mortality.They observe that there
are limited availability of Vitamin A, Zinc and Iron.According to Dr. Ennin,
the researchers put these qualities in these new varieties to help address both
infant and maternal nutritional needs.
Four of the seven maize varieties (Crop Nkunim meaning Unity, Crops
Aho?dzin meaning Strength, Crop Aho?f? meaning Beauty and Crops Dzifoo meaning
Eat Plenty) for instance are rich in pro-Vitamin A nutrients-good for children
and nursing mothers.This will in addition address the Millennium Development
Goals 4 and 5 of reducing child mortality and improving maternal health
respectively.Ghana, in recent times has been battling with huge import bills
especially yellow maize and rice.The country, for instance, has had to raise
500 million US dollars to import rice every year; situation researchers believe
needs putting a stop to.
Dr. Stella Ama Ennin explains that researchers have a duty to
ensure that these import bills reduce.
“So if you look at our efforts towards developing Yellow maize and
rice, this is towards reducing the huge import bills that have saddled the
nation,” she said.Hence the development of the new Hybrid rice (ARIZE 6444
GOLD) and yellow maize (Crop Nkabom and Nkumin).The Director has therefore
implored government to pass the Plant Breeders Bill to address these
challenges.The bill will also ensure private participation to fund and promote
new varieties to reach end users, because currently the institute rely mainly
on foreign donor support to undertake new research due to unavailability of
funds from government.The crops have had to undergo stringent observation,
analysis and recommendation for two consecutive occasions to assess the
crops.The varieties proposed for release fall under 4 major projects, namely
Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa,
HarvestPlus and WIENCO.Bill and Melinda Gates foundation also funded part of
the projects.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/CSIR-Crops-Research-Institute-releases-12-crop-varieties-382067
U.S. and China to sign rice protocol agreement
By US Rice Producers Association September 15, 2015 | 8:20 am EDT
September 15, 2015 | 8:20 am EDT
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, D.C.
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.
http://www.agprofessional.com/news/us-and-china-sign-rice-protocol-agreement
Royal Rejuvenates The Rice Industry With A Commitment To Authenticity
Multinational Rice Brand Is Dedicated To Farm-To-Fork Philosophy
PR Newswire
CYPRESS, Calif., Sept. 15, 2015
CYPRESS, Calif., Sept. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal, the #1
selling Basmati rice brand in America under the LT Foods Americas umbrella,
brings global taste and tradition to a pantry staple. Under its Royal flagship,
LT Foods Americas has led the Basmati rice industry for 25 years due to
exceptional flavor and a commitment to sourcing ingredients from the country of
origin. As a family-owned business of three generations of rice-growers, LT
Foods Americas has extensive culinary roots and is devoted to comprehensive
traceability.
Basmati rice can only be considered authentic
if it comes from the foothills of the Himalayas, which is where Royal Basmati
rice is cultivated by India's most expert farmers. This region provides the
ideal harmony of climate, fertile soil and pure spring water that yields
extraordinary grains. Royal's Basmati rice is gluten-free, Non-GMO
Project Verified and is aged for a minimum of 12 months to intensify the
delicately sweet flavor. Additionally, Royal's long-grain rice has a low
glycemic index, meaning that Basmati rice digests slower than other types of
rice. The brand's high caliber Basmati rice offers a fluffy, non-sticky rice
that has a distinct nutty flavor and a floral fragrance.
"Our seed-to-table commitment and
celebration of culinary traditions differentiates Royal and sets us
apart," said Abhinav Arora, President of LT
Foods Americas. "Consumers are becoming more conscious of where their
food originates and at Royal we are thrilled to deliver authentic and
delicious flavors from around the world."
Royal has developed strong relationships with farming
communities and has established cultivation awareness programs that aim to
educate farmers on sustainable, natural farming practices. The brand's roster
also includes Arborio rice from the Italian region of Piedmont, Thai Hom Mali Jasmine rice from the mountain
highlands of Thailand, Quinoa from Peru and
many other authentic products. Royal Basmati rice is available at
retailers nationally in a wide range of pack sizes. For more information on LT
Foods Americas, please visit www.ltfoodsamericas.com and for more information about the
Royal brand, please visit www.authenticroyal.com.
About LT Foods Americas
LT Foods Americas, located in Cypress, California, was established in 1992 and for more than 25 years, has been a leading expert in Basmati rice. LT Foods Americas has evolved from a distributor of rice to a full-fledged, authentic "farm-to-fork" enterprise with comprehensive traceability responsibility.
SOURCE LT Foods Americas
Vietnam: Rice exports continue to decline
9/15/2015
Thai News Service
Vietnam exported over
3.8 million tonnes of rice, raking in 1.6 billion USD in the period from
January 1 to August 31, showing considerable drops in both volume and value
over the same period last year.Thai News Service
In the same period of 2014, the country shipped more than 4.2 million tonnes of rice and grossed over 1.8 billion USD, according to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA).
Vietnam is the only one among the five biggest rice exporters in the world to record a decrease in the period.
On September 9, the Philippines' National Food Authority (NFA) invited Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia to join a tender to supply 750,000 tonnes of rice, in addition to the planned import of 1.8 million tonnes of rice this year due to El Nino impacts.
This can be a good opportunity for Vietnam to boost rice exports in the remaining months of this year.
The prices of rice in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's largest granary, have dropped slightly from last month.
As of September 11, Mekong Delta provinces and cities have harvested summer-autumn rice on nearly 1.3 million hectares of land with a total output of 7.34 tonnes of brown rice. The localities have also planted summer-winter rice on 640,000 hectares out of the planned 886,000 ha.-VNA
www.world-grain.com/
Aquino: Gov’t to import more rice as severe El Niño looms
ILOILO CITY — Additional rice importation
and cloud seeding operations are part of the government efforts in preparation
of a severe El Niño phenomenon later this year.President Aquino has unveiled
the government roadmap to mitigate the impact of the dry spell on the country’s
food and water supply during a recent visit to Iloilo City.The El
Niño dry weather, the President said, has started to affect several provinces
and is expected to intensify from December to February
2016.“Nakikipag-negotiations na rin ang NFA para mag-angkat tayo ng dagdag na
bigas para nga masiguradong maski tamaan ‘yung ating sariling ani, meron tayong
bigas pagdating ng kasagsagan nitong El Niño [The National Food Authority is
conducting negotiations to import additional rice to ensure we will have
sufficient rice in the event our harvests are severely hit by the El Niño
weather],” Aquino said in a media interview last Tuesday
in Iloilo City.
“Iyong talagang maaapektuhan nang husto ‘yung
taniman ng Disyembre dahil ‘yan nga ‘yung talagang patindi nang patindi na
‘yung El Niño na inaasahan ayon sa PAGASA [The harvest this December will be
the strongest hit because thats the time when El Niño is expected to worsen,
according to PAGASA],” Aquino added.Aquino did not specify the amount of rice
stocks that will be purchased abroad. The NFA however earlier said the county
may import an additional 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice to beef up the
country’s stocks in preparation of the El Niño season.
Apart from rice importation, Aquino said the
government will continue to carry out cloud seeding operations to boost
rainfall on farmlands and reservoirs.“Habang tag-ulan pinararami
natin ‘yung ulan na bumabagsak sa atin, sana pumunta doon sa
ating mga dams, mga dikes, sana makapasok rin doon sa tinatawag na aquifer na
para may pagkukunan tayo pagdating ‘nung kasagsagan ng El Niño [While it is
still rainy weather, we are trying to augment the rainfall to fall on our dams,
dikes and aquifers so we will have supply during the El Niño],” he said.At
present, Aquino said the water level in Angat Dam has reached 186 meters above
sea level, compared to the normal range of 180 this period. But due to El Niño
impact this December, he said authorities no longer expect Angat Dam’s water
level to reach the normal level of 210 meters.
(File photo by Mark Balmores)
http://www.mb.com.ph/aquino-govt-to-import-more-rice-as-severe-el-nino-looms/#i3PFD1xZqzRMXB1B.99
Final protocols struck for U.S. rice exports to China
Deal to be signed September 23 in D.C.
Aug 26, 2015 | Delta Farm Press
- Years-long negotiations to get U.S. rice to China close.
- Major market for U.S. rice to finally open.
The long
courtship of the U.S. rice industry and China is finally set to bear fruit,
according to a report from the U.S. Rice Producers Association (USRPA).The
USDA and several agencies under its umbrella have yet to comment on the
report.After years of back-and-forth negotiations – largely based on
phytosanitary protocols – Chinese officials have agreed to a set of standards
paving the way for U.S. rice imports, the RPA says. The protocol is expected to
be signed September 23 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Washington,
D.C.“This is a done deal,” says Greg Yielding, executive director of the
Arkansas Rice Growers Association, which is part of the USRPA. Yielding
recently returned from China after meeting with rice industry
counterparts and conducting rice-tasting surveys.Shortly before Yielding headed
to China, he spoke with Delta Farm Press about the long
road to a rice trade deal. Among his comments:
I think
the last story we did was in late 2012 and the Chinese had put a draft proposal
in to APHIS. What’s happened in the intervening time?“When you left off, the Chinese had sent in the protocol and APHIS was looking at it. Basically, since then, we’ve been back and forth with this. We should have already been selling rice in China.“The Chinese wanted traps in processing facilities for quarantined pests that they don’t want getting to their rice in their own country. They wanted fumigation – just normal things, really. They want the U.S. rice to be placed in permeable packaging. They want to ensure no pests get into their rice crop.
“Rice is the most important crop and food source for them. So, they want to be extra careful. That’s understandable.“All countries have protocols for commodities that are imported. Those vary, but everyone has different concerns. That’s certainly true for China just like it is for the United States.“So we went through a period where some of our folks didn’t want to test for Khapra beetle since it isn’t in the United States. ‘We don’t have it, so why do we have to test for it? Why should we put traps out for it when it isn’t here?’
“Well, the answer to that is China wants to make damned sure we don’t have it, and we don’t get it in coming years without them getting a heads up.”
On the willingness of U.S. mills to provide the Chinese what they want…
“It’s worth noting that from the get-go we’ve had mills in every rice-producing state willing to do exactly what the Chinese were asking for. They want the Chinese business and many already have strict procedures in place because U.S. food companies require them to.
“You know, we’d send something on the protocols over to China and then, after a while, they’d respond. It would then take a long period for us to respond back. Truth is, this is on us not the Chinese. The Chinese haven’t been a problem in this process.”
Sep 15 2015 1:03AM
Paddy price dips by 60%, Karnal farmers worried
Tribune News Service
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/news/haryana/paddy-price-dips-by-60-karnal-farmers-worried/133030.html
Limited Rice Trade Resumes as Govt Weighs New Export Policy
ByTuesday, September 15, 2015 |
A man carries a sack of rice from a boat on the
banks of the Rangoon River, Rangoon, November, 2013. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun /
Reuters)
RANGOON
— While limited rice exports resumed on Tuesday after a 45-day halt, the
government announced overland rice exports would remain suspended as it
considered a new trade policy on the back of recent severe flooding.Flooding
across the country over the last two months inundated more than 1.3 million
acres of paddy fields and, in early August, the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF)
called on its members to halt rice exports until mid-September.But while rice
exports via sea routes resumed on Tuesday, Myint Cho, Director of Trade
Promotion in the Ministry of Commerce, said the government would not yet resume
overland exports as it mulled a new export policy.“Even during these past 45
days, some exporters, on a case-by-case basis, were granted special permission
to trade by sea,” Myint Cho said.
He added that the government was focused on
ensuring local consumption needs were met and ongoing concerns had convinced
officials to consider adjusting Burma’s rice export policy.“As of now, an
exporter may have to save at least 2 percent of his rice volume as surplus,” he
said.Following a meeting between MRF members and officials from the Ministry of
Commerce on Tuesday, the federation said the government would soon issue new
export licenses, but no date was specified.Ye Min Aung, general secretary of
the MRF, told The Irrawaddy the federation was waiting to see details of the new
export policy. He said the ministry would have to weigh local consumption,
prices and export volumes in determining a new approach.“If the government has
plans for a surplus of rice, we will have to check how to store it, who will
handle it and what the volume will be,” he said.
Chan Tha Oo, a rice exporter based in Muse,
Shan State, said that the new export policy would be of national importance and
that exporters would just have to wait and see how it played out.“Rice policy
must look out for all farmers, traders, and consumers. We therefore shouldn’t
rush to implement a new policy,” he said. “Rice exports across border check
points have been stopped now, only local consumption is allowed here.”Of the
approximately 15 million tons of rice produced in Burma in the 2014-15 fiscal
year, about 1.5 million tons, or 10 percent, were exported, according to the
MRF.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/limited-rice-trade-resumes-as-govt-weighs-new-export-policy.htmlPreserving “Heirloom” Collections – Microbial, That Is
Posted by Jan
Suszkiw, Agricultural Research Service, on September 15, 2015 at
3:00 PM
Plant molecular pathologist Yulin Jia samples a
field in Columbia for rice blast disease. (Photo by Fernando Correa).
This
post is part of the Science
Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we
showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.
As a plant pathologist with USDA’s Agricultural
Research Service (ARS) Rice Research Unit in Beaumont, Texas, Toni Marchetti
oversaw a new program in 1972 to develop new cultivars that better resisted
costly diseases like rice blast. Marchetti retired from ARS in 2001, leaving
behind not only a legacy of excellence in rice breeding and plant pathology,
but also a prized collection of 1,000 rice blast specimens he isolated from
Texas, Arkansas, and other rice-growing states.
The Beaumont unit was closed in 2012, and the
collection was relocated to ARS’s Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center in
Stuttgart, Arkansas.There, ARS research plant pathologist Yulin Jia has managed
Marchetti’s legacy collection while conducting his own research on rice blast
genomics. This is no easy feat considering the fungus that causes rice
blast, Magnaporthe oryzae, has a
tendency to mutate when cultured in the lab, resulting in new races with a
different genetic makeup.
To get around the problem, Jia devised a new
procedure for storing rice blast spores on filter paper strips at extremely
cold temperature—minus 20 degrees Celsius. Using the new approach, he expanded
the collection to 1,800 total rice blast specimens, allowing him to compare
genetic changes in specimens Marchetti obtained as far back as the 1950s to
specimens that he collected.Despite this success, a gnawing worry remained. “My
nightmare has always been that my freezer with fungi will lose power,” says
Jia. “If this were to happen, then all of these genetic resources would be
lost.”So last summer, Jia contacted the ARS National Center for Genetic
Resources Preservation (NCGRP) in Fort Collins, Colorado, about establishing a
backup collection there using duplicate specimens from Stuttgart. The Center
agreed, and Jia prepared the spores for 629 duplicates of Marchetti’s specimens
for back-up storage—and more submissions are planned.
Jia and
research leader Anna McClung’s desire to preserve the rice blast collection
underscores a broader issue facing research institutions the world over: the
potential loss of valuable germplasm to personnel departures, budgetary
constraints, natural disasters, contamination, or other unforeseen events.“The
relevance of this pathogen collection for rice blast is that it may offer
opportunities to determine if the pathogen changes over time—for example, in
response to climate change—or to do other sorts of population genetics
studies,” says McClung.Preserving this collection is critical for having
potential solutions to developing new rice varieties that are resistant to this
costly disease.A diseased rice leaf infected with rice blast fungus under
greenhouse conditions at Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center, Stuttgart,
Arkansas. (Photo by Peggy Grebb)
- See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2015/09/15/preserving-heirloom-collections-microbial-that-is/#sthash.WcN33flN.dpuf
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
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High
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Low
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Cash Bids
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918
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871
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New Crop
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914
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822
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Riceland Foods
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Cash Bids
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Stuttgart: - - -
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Pendleton: - - -
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New Crop
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Stuttgart: - - -
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Pendleton: - - -
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Futures:
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Soybean Comment
Soybeans managed a higher close today, despite yesterday's
improvement in the percentage of the crop rated excellent. Prices were
supported as today's NOPA report again beat trade expectations. The trend of
strong domestic demand continues to hold as the market continues to see strong
crush demand. With prices lower, the market continues to watch exports for this
year as we wait to see if sales can catch up this year.
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High
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Low
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Cash Bids
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--
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--
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New Crop
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510
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485
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Futures:
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Wheat Comment
Wheat prices failed to hold support today as we once again saw
prices slip back below $5. Weak overall fundamental continue to prevent
meaningful gains to be held in wheat. Prices are likely to remain depressed as
U.S. exports remain scarce.
|
High
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Low
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Cash Bids
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414
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375
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New Crop
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414
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378
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High
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Low
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Cash Bids
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384
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349
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New Crop
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405
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356
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Futures:
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Corn Comment
Corn prices closed lower today. After 6-sessions of gains prices finally
gave into good crop ratings and slow demand. While the overall balabpnce sheet
remains supportive, there remains a lot of uncertainty in the corn market which
has prices locked in a sideways pattern.
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Futures:
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Cotton Comment
Cotton futures traded in a narrow range before closing lower. The
monthly supply/demand reports didn't provide great news for prices. The
estimates pegged U.S. production at 13.428 million bales, up 3% from the August
estimate but down 18% from 2014. Average yield is projected at 789 pounds per
acre, down from the previous report, but abandonment is expected to only 4.56%,
down from the previous estimate of 11.35%. Ending stocks were raised to 3.2
million bales. December continues to be confined in the two-cent trading range
between 62 cents and 64 cents.
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High
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Low
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Long Grain
Cash Bids
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- - -
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- - -
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Long Grain
New Crop
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- - -
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- - -
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Futures:
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Rice Comment
Rice futures continued to move higher as the sharp up-trend remains
intact. The U.S. long-grain crop was pegged at 131.5 million hundredweight,
down from 149 million just last month due to reduced harvested acres and yield
estimates. The long grain export forecast was cut by 10 million cwt, but the
net result was still a carryout estimate that is down 15% from last month.
November failed at $13. Trendline support is currently near $12.30.
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Futures:
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Live Cattle:
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Feeders:
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Arkansas Prices
Ft. Smith Livestock Auction
Heber Springs Livestock Auction
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City - Feeder Cattle Auction Weighted Average Report
Cattle Comment
Cattle prices were down again today. Prices remain under pressure
from weak demand and lower boxed beef prices. Overall cattle will remain on the
defensive as demand concerns are likely to continue in the face of the stronger
dollar.
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Futures:
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http://www.arfb.com/ag-markets-statistics/report/
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