Thursday, April 14, 2016

13th april,2016 daily global,regional and local rice e-newsltter by riceplus magazine

1.     AIREA All India Rice Exporters Association : Egypt to ban rice exports amid hoarding
2.     AIREA All India Rice Exporters Association : Basmati rice industry may see revival from H2 of 2016-17: Icra
3.     Calif. rice plantings to increase only slightly from 2015
4.     Rice basmati strengthens on rising demand
5.     This spring, embrace vegetables, but don't overpower them
6.     SPRING VEGETABLE PILAU WITH FENNEL AND ASPARAGUS
7.     China continues releasing water to drought-hit Mekong River countries
8.     IRRI warns of looming global food crisis
9.     More rice varieties starting to show promise for the Tropical North
10. Is there a rice shortage looming due to El Nino drought?   
11. Water Festivals Continue Despite Drought
12. 04/13/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
13. Arkansas leaders form new Engage Cuba state council to promote trade
14. Global food crisis looms anew
15. DUE TO EL NIÑO AND CLIMATE CHANGE, SAYS IRRI
16. Feature: DA-Rice Processing Center: A profitable agriculture enterprise
17. APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1453
18. Chef Contest Features U.S. Rice
19. Firefighters on scene of fire at Doguet Rice Mill
20. LINSCOMBE TALKS RICE RESEARCH, PRODUCTION
21. KAU bags awards

22. Hot, hot day; food shortage feared

AIREA All India Rice Exporters Association : Egypt to ban rice exports amid hoarding


04/13/2016 | 06:55am EDT
Egypt will ban rice exports in its effort to end a surge in prices partly driven by local traders hoarding the grain.The ban, effective April 4, will help 'achieve stability in rice prices for consumers,' the ministry of trade said in an e-mailed statement on Thursday.The decree comes just days before the government's grain purchaser seeks to buy rice in an international tender on Saturday.Even as Egypt produces a surplus of the grain, the country has been hit by local traders holding back supplies to try to push up prices.That has left rice in short supply for weeks at stores selling state-subsidized food. A tender for domestic supplies on March 19 was canceled because of the high prices offered.Food shortages and price jumps carry a political risk for Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi as millions of Egyptians depend on state subsidies to eat.The north African nation is already battling a drop in foreign-currency inflows as Gulf Arab allies cut aid amid tumbling oil prices and as the tourism industry suffers following political tumult and terror attacks.

Egypt lifted a ban on rice exports for six months last October. source by- http://bit.ly/1RTysIo
AIREA - All India Rice Exporters Association issued this content on 13 April 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 13 April 2016 10:54:11 UTC

http://www.airea.net/article-detail/342/breaking-news/Egypt-to-ban-rice-exports-amid-hoarding

 

AIREA All India Rice Exporters Association : Basmati rice industry may see revival from H2 of 2016-17: Icra


04/12/2016 | 03:22am EDT
MUMBAI: The domestic basmati rice industry, which is witnessing excess supply and weak demand, may revive in the next harvest season in the second half of 2016-17, a report said here.'The basmati rice industry faced headwinds - weak demand and oversupply in 'Any improvement in the situation is likely only from the next basmati paddy harvest season in the second half of 2016-17 due to improvement in demand,' rating agency Icra said in its report here.The supply of basmati paddy is expected to witness some moderation as farmers are likely to shift away from basmati, given the non-remunerative prices in the last two crop cycles. Moreover, since Iran has removed the ban on import of rice, demand is also expected to witness some improvement, it said. Rice is one of the most crucial food crops in the world and a staple diet for nearly half the global population.

Over 90 per cent of the global rice output and consumption is centred in Asia, wherein the world's largest rice producers, China and India, are also the world's largest rice consumers. India accounts for over 70 per cent of the world's basmati rice production. Basmati rice constitutes a small portion of the total rice produced in India. By volume, the share of basmati rice is around 6 per cent in 2014-15, even as by value, basmati rice exports account for 57 per cent in 2014-15, of India's total rice exports. Basmati rice exports have increased at a compounded annual growth rate ( CAGR) of 27 per cent from Rs 28.24 billion in 2004-05 to Rs 275.98 billion in 2014-15.The proportion of basmati rice exports in India's total exports has increased from around 0.6 per cent to around 1.3 per cent during the last one decade.While basmati rice is consumed across the globe, West Asian countries account for 75 per cent of Indian basmati rice exports in 2014-15.Within West Asia, Iran and Saudi Arabia are the two largest buyers, together accounting for over 50 per cent of basmati rice exports from India.

However, even as Iran emerged as one of the largest importers of basmati rice in recent years, the country imposed a ban on basmati rice imports from India in 2014-15, citing its own healthy rice crop and large basmati inventory.Commenting on pricing scenario, Icra said basmati paddy is also vulnerable to cyclical price fluctuations. Higher prices in the market encourage higher basmati paddy cultivation, which increases supply in the next season.This depresses the price, thereby erasing gains and shifting farmers away from basmati paddy cultivation.During the procurement season of 2012-13 and 2013-14, there was a steep rise in paddy prices from around Rs 18,000 per tonne (MT) in 2011-12 to around Rs 37,000 MT in 2013-14, due to strong demand in the international market.
AIREA - All India Rice Exporters Association issued this content on 12 April 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 12 April 2016 07:21:39 UTC

 

Calif. rice plantings to increase only slightly from 2015

Capital Press
Published on April 13, 2016 9:42AM

Tim Hearden/Capital Press Worker Virgilio Chavez dumps a load of rice in a field just east of Willows, Calif., during the most recent harvest in October. Although Northern California growers will get their full federal water allocations, growers rice acreage in 2016 is expected to rise only slightly from last year.

SACRAMENTO — Though many Northern California growers will get their full allocations of surface water this year, rice acreage statewide is expected to only slightly rise from 2015 levels, according to a government report.Farmers in the Golden State intend to seed rice on 427,000 acres, 1 percent above the acreage seeded last year, the National Agricultural Statistics Service forecast based on a survey conducted in March.Medium-grain varieties will take up the lion’s share of acreage at 390,000 acres, or 3 percent above last year, according to NASS.Reduced prices for some crops could determine how much rice goes into the ground, said Charley Mathews, a Marysville, Calif., grower and USA Rice Federation executive committee member.
“If we get excess rice acres,” it could drag down prices, Mathews said. “It depends on the areas where they can grow alternative crops. Things like corn, safflower … those prices are not all that great, I’m hearing, so the jury is still out on how many acres we’re going to get.”Rice average $370.48 per metric ton in March, down slightly from $373.19 and continuing a downward trend from a peak of more than $600 per metric ton in 2011 and 2012, according to the IndexMundi online data portal.Meanwhile, the consulting firm AgResource predicts that hefty expected crops and poor U.S. exports could bring nationwide corn and wheat prices to 10-year lows this year, Reuters reports.The reduced prices and continued uncertainty among water supplies are causing the Golden State’s farmers to remain conservative in their planting plans, the California Farm Bureau Federation reports.
The rice acreage predictions came amid a NASS prospective plantings report that predicts record low acreages of hay, oats and upland cotton. Among the other commodities, according to the NASS office in Sacramento:
• California growers expect to plant 440,000 acres of corn in 2016, up 2 percent from last year.
• Growers plan to plant 45,000 acres of upland cotton this year, a record low. In addition, growers were seeding 165,000 acres of American Pima cotton, up 41 percent from last year.
• Producers intend to harvest hay of all types from 1.16 million acres, down 2 percent from last year and also a record low.
• Acreage seeded in winter wheat is forecast at 400,000 acres in California, unchanged from last year, while another 60,000 acres are seeded to Durum wheat, or 8 percent below last year’s amount.
• Spring and sweet potato plantings will increase in 2016, according to the growers’ survey.
• Farmers expect to plant 26,000 acres of spring potatoes, up 13 percent from last year, and 20,000 acres of sweet potatoes, up 8 percent from 2015.
• Sugar beat plantings will be steady compared to last year at 25,000 acres, while this year’s anticipated 42,000 acres of sunflowers for oil would be up 27 percent from 2015. In addition, growers expect to put in 1,400 acres of non-oil sunflowers, unchanged from last year.

http://www.capitalpress.com/California/20160413/calif-rice-plantings-to-increase-only-slightly-from-2015

Rice basmati strengthens on rising demand


PTI | Apr 12, 2016, 03.15 PM IST
New Delhi, Apr 12 () Rice basmati prices firmed up by Rs 200 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today on rising demand from retailers against tight supplies from producing regions.Traders said rising demand from retailers amid restricted supplies from producing regions mainly led to the rise in rice basmati prices.
In the national capital, rice basmati common and Pusa-1121 variety were up by Rs 200 each to Rs 5,800-5,900 and Rs 4,500-5,500 per quintal, respectively.
Non-basmati rice permal raw, wand and IR-8 were also up by Rs 25 each to Rs 1,900-1,950, Rs 2,075-2,125 and Rs 1,725-1,745 per quintal, respectively. Sela too ended higher by Rs 100 to Rs 2,400-2,500 per quintal.
Following are today's quotations (in Rs per quintal):
Wheat MP (desi) Rs 1,850-2,100, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,600-1,605, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,605-1,610, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 230, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 230, Roller flour mill Rs 850-860 (50 kg), Maida Rs 930-940 (50 kg) and Sooji Rs 1,010-1,025 (50 kg).
Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs 10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati Rice Rs 9,700, Basmati common new Rs 5,800-5,900, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 4,500-5,500, Permal raw Rs 1,900-1,950, Permal wand Rs 2,075-2,125, Sela Rs 2,400-2,500 and Rice IR-8 Rs 1,725-1,745, Bajra Rs 1,615-1,620, Jowar yellow Rs 1,800-1,900, white Rs 3,400-3,500, Maize Rs 1,470-1,480, Barley Rs 1,435-1,440. SUN KPS SRK MR

This spring, embrace vegetables, but don't overpower them

By: MEERA SODHA The Associated Press -Meera Sodha The Associated Press 
 April 13, 2016 Updated: April 13, 2016 at 5:55 am
This March 7, 2016 photo shows spring vegetable pilau with fennel and asparagus in Concord, N.H. The combination of rice packed with spiced fennel, onions and garlic cooked slowly until soft and finished with still-crisp asparagus and peas makes for a perfect spring dish. (AP Photo/J.M. Hirsch) 
Spring is nature's fashion week. After winter's endless parade of root vegetables, it feels as though nature has pressed the big green button, refreshing the new season's offerings. Being showcased right now is a new look for your fridge, in a variety of greens.A favorite green supper of mine is this beautiful spring pilau. Buttery rice packed with spiced fennel, onions and garlic cooked slowly until soft and finished with a last-minute addition of still-crisp asparagus and fava beans or peas. A handful of fresh mint and a squeeze of lemon juice is stirred in just before serving to lift and unify all the flavors.It's a gentle dish. The key to spring cooking is never to overpower the flavor of the new vegetables. They've spent a long time getting to the point where they're ready. So don't overwhelm them with bigger, bolder flavors or spices. A little cumin, green chili and garam masala are all they need to help them sing.This dish can be eaten by itself, though adding a little yogurt and mango pickle won't hurt.But for something a bit more special, some spring lamb cutlets flash fried with salt, cumin and chili would make wonderful sidekicks.

SPRING VEGETABLE PILAU WITH FENNEL AND ASPARAGUS
-
Yield: 6 servings
1 1/2 cups basmati rice 3 cups vegetable stock 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 green finger chilies, very thinly sliced 2 medium bulbs fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced 2 bunches asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 9 ounces fresh or frozen peas or fresh fava beans (outer skins removed) 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as mint, dill or cilantro 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Procedure:
Set the rice in a mesh strainer and run under cool water until the water runs clear. Transfer to a bowl, then add enough cool water to cover. Set aside for 20 minutes.
In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Drain the rice, then add to the stock. Return to a simmer, then cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Use a mesh strainer to strain the rice, then set aside, covered with a kitchen towel.
In a larger skillet over medium, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until translucent and softened, but not browned. Add the garlic and chilies, then cook for another 2 minutes. Add the fennel, stir to mix, then add a couple tablespoons of water and cover. Cook for 8 minutes, or until soft. Add the asparagus, peas or fava beans, cumin, garam masala and salt. Stir and cover, then cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Stir the herbs and rice into the vegetable mixture; you might need to delicately break up the clumps of rice using your hands. Transfer to a serving dish and serve with wedges of lemon on the side.
Nutrition information per serving: 330 calories; 40 calories from fat (12 percent of total calories); 4.5 g fat (2.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 10 mg cholesterol; 640 mg sodium; 62 g carbohydrate; 9 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 11 g protein.

China continues releasing water to drought-hit Mekong River countries
China will continue discharging water from a hydropower station into the downstream Mekong River for drought relief, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang said on April 12.

According to Lu, water has been discharged from the Jinghong Hydropower Station in Yunnan province from April 11 and the release will continue until the end of the low water period.The volume of discharged water will be adjusted in accordance with the situation in upstream areas and the demand of downstream countries, Lu said.China had discharged water from the dam from March 15 to April 10 at the request of downstream countries suffering from drought.China is ready to cooperate with countries in the Mekong River basin to deal with severe climate phenomenons and protect water resources, he said.
On April 11, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen said his country is facing a severe drought, and expressed his hope that China would continue to supply water to the downstream Mekong River.The river originates in China and runs through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is known as the Lancang River in China.Since the end of 2015, due to the effects of El Nino, countries along the Lancang-Mekong River have sustained droughts of varying degrees.In Vietnam, drought and salinisation have seriously affected the lives of people in 10 out of the 13 Mekong Delta provinces, with nearly 160,000 hectares of rice damaged and destroyed by the phenomenon since the end of last year.

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/society/154935/china-continues-releasing-water-to-drought-hit-mekong-river-countries.html

IRRI warns of looming global food crisis

by Edd K. Usman
April 13, 2016
MB file photo
A global food crisis is looming which may rival the one in 2007-2008 because of the ongoing El Niño weather phenomenon.The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, Laguna warned that climate change is a factor that can drive a longer span of food crisis across the world.The premier global institution on rice research pointed out that as a result of the current El Niño many rice producing countries had lower harvests and irregular planting season.“Combined with lower stocks in a few key countries, emerging patterns in regional and global grains supply threaten the repeat of the painful rice price crisis in 2007-2008,” the agency said.IRRI was referring to a dramatic rise in world food prices in 2007 and in the first and second quarters of 2008 which resulted in a global crisis.

Political and economic instability as well as social unrest hit both poor and developed countries because of the situation.The Department of Agriculture has reported early this month that the country has already lost about P10 billion worth of crops because of the current dry spell, or El Niño.To combat the effect of the food crisis, IRRI suggested that countries, in particular the Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN)+3 and India  needs to recognize the importance of a joint action “recognizing shared responsibility as well as share investment and regional trade outlook.” The “3″ in ASEAN+3 refers to China, Japan, and South Korea.IRRI called on the ASEAN+3 and India “to immediately invest in the ASEAN Rice Breeding Initiative (ARBI) and the Agriculture Innovation and Research and Development Fund (AIRDF)” now.The international agency said ASEAN+3 and India should view IRRI “as an essential instrument for the achievement of the food security goals of the entire region, united as the ASEAN+3 and India

More rice varieties starting to show promise for the Tropical North

Posted Wed at 8:42am
With just weeks until the Mackay region's third commercial rice harvest begins in the Tropical North, there is plenty of talk around its promise.Cane grower Andrew Barfield has been trialling different varieties of rice for the last few years to determine what type will grow best under the region's conditions.This year he said he planted other varieties of rice, which have started to show potential.: 0        
The research is part of a collaboration between Mr Barfield and Sunrice.Over the past eight years he has conducted small trials with hundreds of rice varieties, and the mostsuccessful variety proved to be doongara.This year, Mr Barfield said there were other varieties showing the same yield potential."Doongara is coming in around eight-tonne to the hectare and the commercial price for doongara is $420 a tonne, so if you have eight-tonne it is [about] $3,200 to $3,400," he said.
"I'm achieving similar stuff with these newer varieties."Another variety showing potential is one which has been sourced from Vietnam.
"This year is interesting because it has been a lot hotter than normal both the minimum and maximum temperatures and it has accelerated all of our crops.
Andrew Barfield
"It is a short variety [and] it is quite an excellent variety … it is a bit longer and approaches nearly sushi-type in its qualities," Mr Barfield said."Sushi-type have zero chalk; that means they are translucent looking and when you eat sushi you notice how the rice holds itself together [well] that cooking characteristic has to be part of this."Another variety Mr Barfield has been trialling is a low-GI variety, of which the Australian industry already has in its doongara variety."All breeding programs are about pursuing the next best thing and we are also looking for varieties which are well adapted for Northern Australia.

"Yields are important, but so are tastebudsWhile the new varieties show good yield potential, there are other hurdles ahead.To sell well on the commercial market the rice must to appeal to tastebuds too."You can have a very high yielding variety but it might be valueless because its cooking qualities are bad, so a new rice has to jump a lot of hoops to get through the system," Mr Barfield said."The Australian rice industry is not about producing commodity rices, it is about producing specialist, high-value rice."
 

More information emerging about growing rice

While practice is now well-established in the Burdekin, 300 kilometres to the north, Mackay receives more rain and humidity and has less capacity for irrigation.However Mr Barfield said there was more interesting information coming to light about the growth of the rice in the tropical north."This year is interesting because it has been a lot hotter than normal both the minimum and maximum temperatures and it has accelerated all of our crops," he said."I've got varieties [coming on] two weeks earlier than they should be … that is a lot of sunshine that they have missed out on."In all agricultural growth the ultimate determiner of your potential yield is the amount of sunshine that is trapped — that is where the game is."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-13/mackay-rice-trials-showing-more-promise/7322374

Is there a rice shortage looming due to El Nino drought?

    ANILA, 12 April 2016: 
Crippling drought brought on by the El Nino weather pattern could cut rice stocks among the world’s top exporters to levels not seen since 2008, potentially fuelling a price crisis similar to one seen that year, an industry expert warned.Total stocks in top shippers of the grain India, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan and the US are likely to fall to 19 million tonnes by the second half of the year, from a peak of nearly 41 million tonnes in 2013, said Samarendu Mohanty, head of the social sciences division at the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute.“If we have a bad monsoon, with drought still persisting in many parts of Asia, the risk significantly increases in terms of price response,” Mohanty said in a telephone interview.Dwindling stockpiles could crimp volumes exporters are willing to ship abroad.Although a severe El Nino is now fading, it has brought drought to swathes of Asia, drying irrigation channels and destroying crops.It has also stoked concerns on the strength of the South Asian monsoon due to start around June.

Export restrictions by major rice producers including India fed panic in the market in 2008, forcing big purchases by countries such as the Philippines that caused Asian benchmark prices to nearly triple to around US$1,000 a tonne.After that, consumers and exporters, mainly in Asia, rebuilt rice inventories to avoid another crisis, but Mohanty said stocks have been declining since 2013.“Last year, nobody was panicking because they were sure that there’s plenty of rice in the market if there’s any shortfall. I think we don’t have that luxury anymore this year.”The price of Thai 5% broken rice touched an eight-month high of US$378.50 a tonne in March, while Vietnam’s own 5% broken rice last month rose to a 2½-month peak of US$385 a tonne.

Mohanty said India and Thailand, the world’s top two exporters, would have combined stocks of around 16 million tonnes by the third quarter, around 70% lower than levels in 2013.That buffer will be much smaller than recent stock levels of 16.2 million tonnes for India and about 12 million tonnes for Thailand.India will be “very cautious in exporting” if its rice output is hit by a weak monsoon, said Mohanty.That could push big buyers such as the Philippines and Indonesia to accumulate the grain, a staple food for nearly half of the world’s population, similar to what happened in 2008.

“We might see the same thing as we move forward and countries get scared about the weather situation around them,” Mohanty said.The Philippines is considering importing another 500,000 tonnes of rice this year to boost state reserve stocks

http://www.therakyatpost.com/business/2016/04/12/el-nino-may-have-caused-global-rice-supply-shortage/Thai

 

Water Festivals Continue Despite Drought

Mass water fights are staged to celebrate the traditional New Year despite a third of Thailand's provinces experiencing drought.
18:15, UK,Wednesday 13 April 2016
Video: Thai Water Festival Celebrations
By Tom Rayner, South East Asia Correspondent, in Bangkok
Throughout South East Asia, Buddhist water festivals marking the traditional New Year have got under way.
As Songkran celebrations began in Bangkok, tourists and locals took part in mass water fights in the streets, armed with high-powered water pistols.The role of water in the festival is to symbolise the washing away of past misfortune, but this year it comes as the wider region is grappling with the most severe drought seen in decades - leaving thousands with restricted access to water.In the build-up to this three-day-long holiday, Thai authorities urged revellers to exercise restraint, avoiding the use of buckets and hoses out of consideration for those struggling with the drought.A third of Thailand's provinces have now been declared drought disaster areas, with those in the north, north east and central regions worst hit.

Celebrations for the Songkran water festival in Ayutthaya province
A number of the Kingdom's largest reservoirs are now below 30% of their capacity, meaning restrictions have been put in place on the volume of tap water being released, and a ban in some areas on farmers pumping river water for their crops.Narong Saithong, a rice farmer from the central Lop Buri province, told Sky News he had been unable to grow his crop for months.His rice paddies, normally filled with water and carpeted in green, have been baked dry.With 10 family members to provide for he is looking at other options, but is in serious trouble."We've suffered a lot. We can't pay our debts. We are really struggling," he said."We're looking for new jobs or at least alternative crops to grow instead. But we haven't found one yet."His situation is one example of that faced by thousands around the country.Economists have predicted the drought could have a major impact on Thailand's exports in the coming year, with rice and sugar-cane production badly affected.Efforts to alleviate some of the hardship have included water truck deliveries to some remote areas by regional irrigation authorities.

A man walks on a dried up swamp in Ayuttaya province
Thailand's Royal Rainmaking airborne unit have also been sent into the skies in an effort to induce rain over reservoirs and major agricultural regions.Their cloud-seeding operations involve releasing chemicals into existing clouds, in order to encourage them to rise and grow in size, before using ice to encourage rain to fall.But despite working closely with meteorologists to determine the right weather conditions for the flights, the extended dry spell has been frustrating the pilots' efforts.At the Jiraprawat Royal air base in the drought-hit Nakhon Sawan province, pilot Suchet Pattanapanjakul told Sky News he and his team were desperate to help more."It's so worrying when the weather isn't right for flying ... It's a big problem for us, because it means we can't target the right areas for rain. When we are in the sky, we must have clouds in the right positions."The severity of this year's drought is thought to be the result of the global El Nino weather phenomenon, whereby warmer sea waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean change normal temperature and rainfall patterns.The impact of the drought has been felt in India as well as across South East Asia.

04/13/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report



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


Futures:
ROUGH RICE
High
Low
Last
Change
May '16
991.5
976.0
989.0
+10.5
Jul '16
1016.5
1003.0
1016.0
+10.5
Sep '16
1033.0
1031.0
1034.5
+10.5
Nov '16
1047.0
1045.0
1050.0
+10.5
Jan '17
1068.0
+10.5
Mar '17
1090.0
+9.5
May '17
1091.0
+9.5
   

Rice Comment

Rice futures ended a bit higher. It looks like futures are attempting to consolidate above the recent spike low.  Technically, the first level of support for May is the recent low of $9.42 1/2, while overhead trendline resistance is currently near $10.09. The supply/demand report released today wasn't changed much from last month's report. World ending stocks were decreased to 90.17 million metric tons. However, the U.S. on-farm expected price was lowered to $12.30-$12.70.

Arkansas leaders form new Engage Cuba state council to promote trade
Apr 12, 2016 Delta Farm Press
 “After 55 years, we have to ask ourselves if the Cuba embargo is performing its intended function, or if instead it is harming the Cuban people and states like Arkansas, which stands to benefit to the tune of a potential $1 billion export market,” said Rep. Rick Crawford.
Dow Brantley speaks at a press conference announcing the formation of the Arkansas State Council of Engage Cuba.The effort to restore Cuba as a major market for U.S. rice and other agricultural commodities took another step forward with the launch Monday (April 11) of the Arkansas State Council for Engage Cuba.The launch was announced at a press conference co-sponsored by the USA Rice Federation in Little Rock. The event was attended by a large group of Arkansas agribusiness, community and academic leaders interested in boosting the state’s agricultural economy.
Arkansas is the nation’s largest rice-producing state, and Cuba once was a major buyer of rice from the United States. Although U.S. rice shipments resumed following passage of the U.S. Trade Sanction Reform and Export Enhancement Act in 2000, sales have never reached pre-embargo levels of the 1940s and 1950s.“Under the leadership of Governor Asa Hutchinson, Senator John Boozman and Representative Rick Crawford, Arkansas is ground zero for our efforts to lift the travel ban and trade embargo,” said James Williams, president of Engage Cuba, speaking at the press conference. “Arkansas is the living and breathing example of why we need to change this policy after 55 years of failure. The fact that Cubans are now eating rice from Vietnam instead of Arkansas is an outrage that needs to be changed.”
With more than 1.5 million acres of rice projected for Arkansas in 2016, removing barriers to trade with Cuba could have a huge impact. “The Arkansas Agriculture industry as a whole stands to benefit from increased trade opportunities with Cuba," said Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward. "As the leading rice producing state, our rice industry would be the biggest benefactor.”
Dow Brantley, Arkansas rice farmer and chairman of the USA Rice Federation, acknowledged the Obama administration has taken steps to try to break down trade barriers between the U.S. and Cuba in recent months
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/arkansas-leaders-form-new-engage-cuba-state-council-promote-trade

Global food crisis looms anew

DUE TO EL NIÑO AND CLIMATE CHANGE, SAYS IRRI

11:46 AM April 13th, 2016
The world is facing the threat of another food crisis similar to what happened in 2007-2008 when prices of commodities like rice spiked, according to the International Rice Research Institute.IRRI attributes the looming crisis to the strong El Niño and the overall trend of climate change.“Combined with lower stocks in a few key countries, emerging patterns in regional and global grain supply threaten the repeat of the painful rice price crisis in 2007-2008,” the Laguna-based institute said.“To address such a crisis at a maximum impact, joint action is needed among countries, particularly the Asean+3 and India—recognizing shared responsibility as well as shared investment—and a regional trade outlook,” it added.

Asean+3 refers to the trading bloc that include the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations — the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam — and Asean’s three nearest dialog partners (China, Japan and South Korea).IRRI noted that the 2007-2008 price crisis prompted the Asean to craft a regional integrated food security framework along with a strategic plan of action.This in turn led to the setting up of the Asean+3 Emergency Rice Reserve (Apterr) in 2012, aimed at ensuring the long-term food security and livelihood of the people in the East Asian region .
“(However, Apterr’s) organization has been quite delayed and its feasibility yet to be tested by a major challenge,” IRRI said.The institute added that beyond the framework and the plan, “much more needs to be done, and regional cooperation will be essential to manage a food crisis.”

Feature: DA-Rice Processing Center: A profitable agriculture enterprise


April 13, 2016
 Sto. Niño Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SNMPC) in Butuan City is now reaping the profit of Department of Agriculture’s (DA's) agricultural modernization projects.The cooperative was organized in 1991 with only 25 members composed of rice farmers. They started their operation on rice milling business from a bank loan. But over the years, the equipment and facility procured were already inefficient. This causes for their operation to be less productive.“For almost 20 years of our rice milling operation the equipment and facility that we have, were already depreciated and less efficient.
This became a hindrance for our customers tried to find another miller which can provide them a better quality output. But thanks to DA’s intervention through Agri-Pinoy Rice Program, the department provided us the Rice Processing Center (RPC) a facility that we need to upgrade our operation,” said Marilyn Aranas, Chairperson of SNMPC.In 2013 the cooperative was a recipient of RPC worth ₱4.5 million in which 15% of the total amount was the cooperative’s counterpart. The center has a two-ton-per-hour multi-pass rice mill that gives the farmers 65% rate of recovery of their produce compared to small rice millers that only gives 50%.RPC is a facility that showcases efficient rice postharvest operation through mechanization and automation. It ensures savings in labor cost, lesser losses, enhanced quality, improved distribution system and maximized use of buy-products.“The facility is cost and energy efficient and makes our operation more productive. Before, the milling capacity was only 10 sacks per hour but today through the RPC it doubled to 20 sacks per hour. This time, we can accept customers thru market linkages who need order by volume every month,” said Aranas.

Aside from their walk-in clienteles, SNMPC has established a marketing agreement with Mangagoy Fishermen Cooperative (MAFISCO) and San Roque Farmers and Displaced Workers Cooperative from Bislig City. They also have market linkages to Sto. Niño Consumers Cooperative from Magallanes, Agusan del Norte and Gingoog Rice Retailer from Gingoog, Misamis Oriental.According to Aranas, an average of 2,430 sacks of rice (50 kilos per sack) valued at ₱ 4,700,900 were sold every month to their identified buyers. DA-Marketing Assistance Division assisted the cooperative to make market linkages for potential buyers, she added.The cooperative is now capable to produce premium milled rice. The enhanced rice quality through the use of the multi-pass rice mill serves an avenue for the National Food Authority (NFA) to link partnership with the cooperative through a milling contract.Furthermore, DA also provided pre and post-harvest facilities with a total worth of ₱ 2.2 million. Over the years, the following equipment were granted to SNMPC: three units of flat- bed dryer, four units of multi-purpose drying pavement, one unit hand tractor and one unit rice transplanter.

Based on the cooperative’s financial statement, the total sale for the year 2011 was ₱17.7 million. While in 2012 it has a total sale of ₱ 21.4 million, or an equivalent of 17% increase. In 2013 a drastic increase of sales was recorded amounting to ₱ 33.2 million, or an equivalent of 35% increase was achieved.This shows that the establishment of RPC is not only a service facility but an enterprising venture for farmers to do and learn how to run an agri-business operation to the best of their ability.Today we have 360 active members of the cooperative. SNMPC members are now receiving their dividend, before the coop is incapable to give the dividend because the operation is not profitable. We are very thankful for the Department of Agriculture in restoring back our profitable operation.

 Now, we saw the great advantage on our part if we have our rice produced milled at the RPC, said Aranas.For the past five years (2011-2015), SNMPC has a yearly total asset worth of ₱10.2M, ₱11.6M, ₱16.4M, ₱20.4M, and ₱21.6M respectively.For years, DA continues to provide the needed support to empower the farmers in Caraga and increase productivity. Through its Rice Program, mechanization is placed as one of its top priority. (Rhea C. Abao, DA-13 Information Section/PIA-Caraga)

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1701460446674/feature-da-rice-processing-center-a-profitable-agriculture-enterprise

 

APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1453
International Benchmark Price
Price on: 11-04-2016
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
Honey
1
Argentine 85mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
2125
2
Argentine 50mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
2180
3
Argentine 34mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
2205
Peanuts
1
South Africa, HPS 70/80 peanuts CFR main European ports (USD/t)
1875
2
South African, HPS 40/50 peanuts CFR main European ports (USD/t)
1000
3
Argentinean 40/50 runners, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
1210
White Sugar
1
CZCE White Sugar Futures (USD/t)
840
2
Kenya Mumias white sugar, EXW (USD/t)
691
3
Pakistani refined sugar, EXW Akbari Mandi (USD/t)
581
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 12-04-2016
Domestic Prices
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Jowar(Sorghum)
1
Mandvi (Gujarat)
Other
2000
2000
2
Gulbarga (Karnataka)
Hybrid
1552
1854
3
Beed (Maharashtra)
Other
1800
2176
Maize
1
Dahod (Gujarat)
Yellow
1400
1450
2
Hirekerur (Karnataka)
Local
1350
1400
3
Palani (Tamil Nadu)
Other
1450
1500
Pine Apple
1
Chala(Kerala)
Other
3300
3359
2
Sirhind (Punjab)
Other
1500
2800
3
Mumbai (Maharashtra)
Other
1000
2400
Cabbage
1
Bonai (Orissa)
Other
2000
2000
2
Jalore (Rajasthan)
Other
600
800
3
Barnala (Punjab)
Other
400
600
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 12-04-2016
Product
Market Center
Price
1
Ahmedabad
335
2
Hyderabad
290
3
Namakkal
350
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package
Price on 11-04-2016
Product
Market Center
Origin
Variety
Low
High
Onions Dry
Package: 40 lb cartons
1
Atlanta
Mexico
Yellow
21
22.25
2
Chicago
Peru
Yellow
24
24
2
Detroit
Texas
Yellow
22
25.50
Cauliflower
Package: cartons film wrapped
1
Atlanta
California
White
21.25
24.50
2
Chicago
Mexico
White
18.50
18.50
3
Dallas
California
White
16
18
Grapes
Package: 18 lb containers bagged
1
Atlanta
Peru
Red Globe
22
24.50
2
Chicago
Chile
Red Globe
20
22
3
Miami
Peru
Red Globe
17
20
Source:USDA

Chef Contest Features U.S. Rice 
 TOKYO, JAPAN -- The U.S. Embassy's Agriculture Trade Office conducted the second in a series of hands-on cooking contests, called the United Tastes of America Asian Competition, at the Hattori Nutrition College last month.  Five teams, consisting of two chefs each, from Beijing, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, and Tokyo who won in a competition held in each city beforehand, participated.

The competing chefs used fresh, high quality U.S. food ingredients to produce exquisite dishes.  U.S. medium grain was one of the 19 designated ingredients and the resulting menus highlighted the versatility of the U.S. grain.  The Tokyo and Hong Kong teams used U.S. rice to make appetizers, the Taipei and Seoul teams made soup, and the first place Beijing team fashioned U.S. medium grain into an award-winning dessert.
 "This particular competition aims at introducing potentialities of U.S. foods," said USA Rice Vice President of International Promotion Jim Guinn.  "Over the past several years, we have worked with the foodservice sector and importers to make them aware of our high quality rice and are enjoying increasing sales." 

Firefighters on scene of fire at Doguet Rice Mill

 
Update: Investigators say around 11:30 a fire ignited inside one of the rice dryers. Douget's Vice President Greg Devillier tells KFDM "It appears a chaff, the husk of the rice seed, caught fire." Investigators say the high heat in those dryers could have easily ignited the chaff. Firefighters attacked the fire quickly and kept it confined to the chaff house.Firefighters have been responding to a reported fire at the Doguet Rice Mill. The mill is located off College and Major. An employee at the rice mill tells our photographer that it appears a rice dryer caught on fire. He says the fire has shut down most operations except for packaging. More updates to follow.
http://kfdm.com/news/local/firefighters-on-scene-of-fire-at-doguet-rice-mill

LINSCOMBE TALKS RICE RESEARCH, PRODUCTION

Wed, 04/13/2016 - 8:18am
President-elect of the Rotary Club of Crowley Tracy Young, right, along with program organizer Michael Hensgens, left, welcomed Dr. Steven Linscombe from the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station to discuss the rice industry.
Jeannine LeJeune

Online Editor

Crowley Post-Signal
CROWLEY –
Since Dr. Steve Linscombe, rice breeder and director of the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station, joined LSU in 1982, things have changed mightily in the rice industry.Now, the industry may not be staring down the best prices, but it is one that sees a future through continued work by the research station and more.Speaking to the Rotary Club of Crowley Tuesday, Linscombe explained just how far the industry has come.Last year, he explained, Louisiana had over 1,000 growers in 29 parishes. They combined to farm roughly 412,000 acres and produced 7,300 pounds of rice per acre.Despite technically being down a few numbers, it is still miles ahead of where the industry was decades ago.In fact, even the type of rice grown has changed. Years ago, medium grain was the rice to grow with farmers opting for the grain on a two-to-one ratio.

Now? Last year alone, 85 percent of rice grown in Louisiana was long grain.But growing rice is just one part of the industry’s puzzle that increasingly turns to research in order to keep up with both demand and to survive.Case in point, for years, cultivated rice had to fight for room in a field that would also grow red rice. That nuisance – a rice plant that was so much like its cultivated counterpart that it was impossible to single out a trait to create a herbicide for it – led to the creation of the Clearfield rice plant.

But, as the old adage goes, “nature always wins.” After years of success with Clearfield’s plant and the Clearfield pesticide, the red rice plant is mounting a comeback in fields as it has begun cross pollinating with Clearfield rice and is creating its own hybrid.It’s factors like this that have made continued research and development critical in the rice industry.Now, once again, those involved in research feel they are close to the next great answer – Provisia – but, odds are it will be back to the drawing board for the next great discovery after Provisia is released to combat the next problem.It’s the circle of research that has become vital to the industry, and why stations like the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station are offering critical services to the industry.
The other side of the research coin has become the traveling it involves. Some of that is the numerous trips to the Puerto Rico station, which Linscombe explained is hardly a vacation.

“No one wants to come with me to Puerto Rico more than once,” he said.Then, there are other trips made across the world that have seen the research station give research to other countries but received so much more in return.The current site of the research station is about 720 acres in size; there is also the South Farm, located along Louisiana Highway 13 south of Crowley, which houses much of the station’s crawfish and soybean research.
Those looking for more information about the station and the work it does can visit them on Facebook or make plans to attend the annual Field Day, set for Wednesday, June 29.“We have one of the biggest in the state,” said Linscombe of the station’s Field Day. “If you’ve never been, make plans to hop onto a trailer and go around the station, or, at least be there around noon and let us feed you a great lunch.”
http://www.crowleytoday.com/news-local/linscombe-talks-rice-research-production

KAU bags awards

 Wed,13 Apr 2 016
 Summary: Awards for rice research projectsThe Rice Research Station, Moncompu and Regional Agricultural Research Station, Pattambi, under Kerala Agricultural University have won the national award for the best AICRIP (All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Project) centre for the year 2016. The awards have been instituted by the Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad. While RRS, Moncompu, bagged the award for crop improvement, RARS, Pattambi, secured the award in the crop protection category. S.Leena Kumari, Professor and Head, RRS, Moncompu, and P. Raji and K. Karthikeyan, Plant Protection scientists from RARS, Pattambi, received the awards from S. K. Patil, Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi Krishi Viswa Vidyalaya, Raipur. The awards were presented at the 51st annual Rice Group Meeting held at Raipur, Chattisgarh, last week.
Awards for rice research projects The Rice Research Station, Moncompu and Regional Agricultural Research Station, Pattambi, under Kerala Agricultural University have won the national award for the best AICRIP (All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Project) centre for the year 2016. While RRS, Moncompu, bagged the award for crop improvement, RARS, Pattambi, secured the award in the crop protection category. The awards have been instituted by the Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad. The awards were presented at the 51st annual Rice Group Meeting held at Raipur, Chattisgarh, last week. S.Leena Kumari, Professor and Head, RRS, Moncompu, and P. Raji and K. Karthikeyan, Plant Protection scientists from RARS, Pattambi, received the awards from S. K. Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/kau-bags-awards/article8469115.ece
Hot, hot day; food shortage feared

Philippine Daily Inquirer

01:24 AM April 14th, 2016

PARCHED LAND Corn stalks in Tuguegarao City have turned brown as temperatures rise, intensified by El Niño. Nearby, the Cagayan River water level has dropped to one of its lowest. RICHARD A. REYES
Temperatures around the Philippines soared close to “extremely dangerous” levels Wednesday as the International Rice Research Institute (Irri) warned that the world faced another food crisis similar to the 2007-2008 crunch caused by El Niño.The heat index—the actual temperature felt by the body—reached 52.3 degrees Celsius Wednesday in Nueva Ecija, breaking the record 51 degrees reported by the weather station in the province on Monday.This was the highest heat index recorded so far since the onset of the dry season in March.It was also just 1.7 degrees lower than the “extreme danger” level of 54 degrees Celsius at which, according to the state weather bureau, heatstroke is “imminent” under continued exposure to the sun.

The heat was so intense that students at Wesleyan University-Philippines in Cabanatuan City were allowed to ditch their uniforms for more comfortable clothing, while other residents gulped down thousands of liters of iced water and made halo-halo vendors rich.Other residents sought refuge in air-conditioned shopping malls or took a dip in the sea.Herminio Ambrocio, a retired military officer, said he stayed in his air-conditioned room after his morning walk.Hadji Santaygilio, a farmer from Cabu village, chose to stay at his nipa hut on his citrus farm, as using the air conditioner in his house was expensive.Buddy Balajadia said men in his village, Caalibangbangan, went around half-naked, while his family tried to cope with the heat by eating halo-halo.

Above 50 degrees
Two other weather stations recorded above-50-degree  maximum heat index on Tuesday—Clark Airport in Pampanga province, 51.9 degrees, and Sangley Point, Cavite province, 50.2 degrees, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).Pagasa said 24 other weather stations recorded a maximum heat index of at least 40 degrees.At 23 other weather stations, the highest heat index ranged from 35.3 degrees to 39.9 degrees.In the three weather stations in Metro Manila, the maximum heat index on Tuesday was 39 degrees in Port Area, Manila; 41.1 degrees at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City and 45.4 degrees at the Science Garden in Quezon City.The heat index, Pagasa said, is the temperature actually felt by the body and measured based on air temperature and humidity.

The weather bureau has warned that the country will continue to have “generally warmer than average” temperatures this month as El Niño shows signs of ending by the middle of the year.According to Pagasa, a heat index of at least 41 degrees to 53 degrees Celsius is considered the “danger” level due to probable heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke from continued activity under the sun.When the heat index ranges from 32 degrees to 41 degrees Celsius, the weather bureau calls for “extreme caution.”Once the heat index breaches 54 degrees Celsius, Pagasa considers it the “extreme danger” level.

Looming food crisis
In 2007-2008, a strong El Niño ravaged farms around the world, drastically affecting harvests and pushing up prices of commodities, including rice.The Laguna-based Irri sees another food crisis threatening the world and attributes it to El Niño and the overall trend of climate change.The situation remains stable and the threat will advance or decline depending on whether rice importing countries panic as they did almost 10 years ago, Irri said in a statement Wednesday.The Food and Agriculture Organization, in an update on the impact of the current El Niño on food security and the needed interventions, placed 25 countries, including the Philippines, on “high priority” for early action and response.Irri said the current El Niño had resulted in lower harvests and irregular planting in several rice-producing countries.“Combined with lower stocks in a few key countries, emerging patterns in regional and global grain supply threaten the repeat of the painful rice price crisis in 2007-2008,” Irri said.
Joint action
“To address such a crisis at a maximum impact, joint action is needed among countries, particularly the Asean+3 and India—recognizing shared responsibility as well as shared investment—and a regional trade outlook,” it said.Asean+3 refers to the trading bloc that includes the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations—the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Burma (Myanmar) and Vietnam—and the group’s three nearest dialog partners (China, Japan and South Korea).
Irri said the 2007-2008 price spike prompted Asean to draw up a regional integrated food security framework along with a strategic plan of action.This in turn led to the setting up of the Asean+3 Emergency Rice Reserve (Apterr) in 2012, aimed at ensuring the long-term food security and livelihood of the people in the East Asian region .“[But Apterr’s] organization has been quite delayed and its feasibility yet to be tested by a major challenge,” Irri said.The institute added that beyond the framework and the plan, “much more needs to be done, and regional cooperation will be essential to manage a food crisis.”

Rice reserve
In September 2011, the Asean+3 nations signed the agreement to create Apterr, committing the 13 signatories to build up a reserve of 787,000 tons of rice in anticipation of instabilities in supply resulting from natural disasters.The Apterr pact also commits the 13 countries, which together account for two-thirds of global rice production and more than half of global rice exports, to raise $4 million for an endowment fund.
The Philippines was committed to contribute 12,000 tons of rice for the stock and $107,500 for the fund.

Sam Mohanty, chief of Irri’s social sciences division, said in a blog post the risk of another global price spike largely depended on whether importing countries would panic as they did in 2007-2008.“Despite the current stability in the rice market, there are reasons for concern about the direction of the market in the medium term,” Mohanty said, referring to mid-to-late 2016.Citing data from the US Department of Agriculture, Mohanty noted that the world’s five major exporters—India, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan and the United States—continue to decrease every year since peaking at about 41 million tons in 2013.

Shrinking inventory
Data from the USDA show that the Top 5’s combined inventory will shrink by the biggest amount this year, by 40 percent to 19 million tons from 32 million tons in 2015—the tightest supply situation since the price spikes of 2007-2008.Still, prices are expected to remain “fairly stable” until early next year, especially if harvests in the major rice-growing countries in the coming wet season turn out to be normal.But a less-than-usual crop due to some major weather event might push major exporting and importing countries like the Philippines to the limit.“If they panic similar to what happened in 2007-2008 and resort to excessive buying and export restrictions, then another price spike is in the offing,” he said.“However, if they keep their cool and remain rational regarding their needs, the market price may still go up, but only to a level that is consistent with market fundamentals,” he said. With a report from Armand Galang, Inquirer Central Luzon

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/779478/hot-hot-day-food-shortage-feared#ixzz45nhk8DOy 
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