28 April,2016 daily global regional and local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine

Today Rice News Headlines...

·         Why you can’t cook rice

·         North Korean food supply hit by drought, UN warns, as Kim Jong Un spends on missiles

·         NFA chief quits, cites health reasons

·         Tanzania: Rice Import Permits Suspended

·         El Nino in final phase, monsoon-friendly La Nina likely to set in by September’

·         Philippines cuts Q1 rice output estimate for second time

·         Rice Tariff Confrontation

·         Vegetable prices spikes, rice remains stable

·         Rice famers demand financing fix

·         Rice Prices

·         04/28/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report

·         Drought-hit Telangana: 1000 rice mills down shutters in 2 months

·         VIETNAM RICE PRICES DIP, THAI PRICES STABLE

·         SKUAST-Kashmir adopts Tangdhar for Red Rice promotion

·         San Francisco Rice Noodle Maker Shuts Down Over Contamination

News Detail...

 

Why you can’t cook rice

 

It may come as no surprise to some to hear you’ve probably been cooking rice the wrong way.From the burnt layer stuck to the bottom of a pot to a watery mixture rife with undercooked bits, many people have encountered these common consequences of misjudging the water-to-rice ratio.Now, a cooking expert is bringing science to the kitchen to explain how to make better rice, and he says the key is to minimize evaporationIt may come as no surprise to hear you’ve probably been cooking rice the wrong way all along. Now, a cooking expert is bringing science to the kitchen to explain how to make better rice, and he says the key is to minimize evaporationA quick look on the side of a bag of rice will reveal the recipe commonly used to cook a standard serving – two cups of water per one cup of rice.But, following these seemingly simple instructions doesn’t always lead to perfectly cooked rice.

To get to the bottom of this problem, researchers designed an experiment to determine what the ratio should really be, Business Insider reports.The team including Dan Souza, senior editor of Cook’s Illustrated from America’s Test Kitchen and one of the authors of The Science of Good Cooking, placed sealed bags filled with one cup of water and one cup of rice into boiling water.With this method, it took just a single cup of water to produce a perfectly cooked cup of rice.

HOW TO COOK RICE PERFECTLY 

An ideal method would limit evaporation entirely, but not even a rice cooker is capable of doing thisCooking the perfect pot of rice isn’t likely to be achieved using a standard 2:1 water-to-rice ratio.Instead, Dan Souza, senior editor of Cook’s Illustrated from America’s Test Kitchen and one of the authors of The Science of Good Cooking, suggests perfecting a personalized ratio through trial and error.In an experiment using a sealed bag containing one cup of water and one cup of rice (1:1), the researcher found that this ratio produced a perfectly cooked cup for all types of rice.This is because the key to making the best rice all boils down to evaporation, he explains.When cooking rice at home, a pot with a tight lid is ideal as it will reduce the amount of evaporation.It’s also important to know the humidity in your environment, lid tightness, and the diameter of the pot you’ll be using.These factors all affect the outcome of your rice, so getting to know how they influence evaporation will help you create the perfect ratio for the specific conditions of your kitchen.

This held true for long grain, brown rice, white rice, and more.The answer revealed by this small experiment, according to Souza, lies in the possibility of evaporation.Sealed bags used by the researchers eliminated evaporation, while the pot you use at home may allow more water vapour to escape.‘Evaporation isn’t a consistent thing, cook to cook, kitchen to kitchen,’ Souza told Business Insider.‘If you have a pot with not a very good lid, you’re going to get more evaporation. If it’s really tight, you’re going to get less evaporation.’An ideal method would limit evaporation entirely, though not even a rice cooker is capable of doing this.

+2

In order to make the best rice, Souza suggests getting to know the conditions under which it will be cooked. This means you must consider the diameter of the pot, lid tightness, humidity, and the number of times you lift the lid. Through trial-and-error, you can perfect a ratio based on your own kitchenAs you try to cook larger volumes of rice, it’s especially important to keep evaporation in mind, Souza explained.Doubling the amount of water to make two cups of rice may not be the best way if you’re using the same pot used for a single cup.‘If you have a ratio of 1:2 and you double that to 2:4, you’re saying you’re going to get double evaporating because you doubled it and that’s not true,’ he told Business Insider.‘If you’re using the same pot with the same diameter lid and the same heat you’re going to have the same amount of evaporation as you did the first time. So you end up with an extra cup of water in there.’So, in order to make the best rice, Souza suggests getting to know the conditions under which it will be cooked.This means you must consider the diameter of the pot, lid tightness, humidity, and the number of times you lift the lid to see if it’s finished.Through trial-and-error, you can perfect a ratio based on your own kitchen.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3564374/Why-t-cook-rice-Scientists-reveal-perfect-formula-fluffy-results-say-common-recipes-wrong.html

North Korean food supply hit by drought, UN warns, as Kim Jong Un spends on missiles

Thursday, 28 Apr 2016 | 12:30 AM ETCNBC.com

North Korea's already-low food supply is set to deteriorate this year as dry weather hits crop yields, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned."Given the tight food supplies in 2015/16, the country's food security situation is expected to deteriorate from the previous year when most households were already estimated to have poor or borderline food consumption levels," the agency said in a report on Wednesday.North Korea's total food production fell 9 percent on-year to 5.4 million tons in 2015, with the harvest of rice — a food staple — dropping 26 percent due to poor rains and a lack of irrigation, the FAO said.It was the country's first decline in total food production since 2010, the agency added. The FAO's country monitor, Cristina Coslet, said in a video that the agency was concerned about the expected drop in food production this year, particularly as public rations for 18 million people, or more than two-thirds of the population, had already "decreased considerably" since July 2015. In recent years, most households in North Korea have poor or borderline food consumption rates, she added. In 2015 there were reports of North Koreans, particularly soldiers, crossing the border into China in search of food.

Ben Davies |

Poor weather in North Korea contributed to poor farm yields and a severe famine in the 1990s that reportedly killed hundreds of thousands.Reduced fertilizer and fuel supply last year also limited crop production, the FAO said.A strong ongoing El Nino weather phenomenon is causing hot, dry weather in the Asia Pacific, hitting food crops such as palm oil in Southeast Asia and wheat in Australia. But it's not just the weather North Korean's need worry about; in March a North Korean newspaper warned citizens to prepare for economic hardship ahead, as the rogue nation channeled funding into its weapons program.

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/28/north-korean-food-supply-hit-by-drought-un-warns-as-kim-jong-un-spends-on-missiles.html

NFA chief quits, cites health reasons

by Mary Grace Padin - April 27, 2016

THE head of the National Food Authority (NFA) said on Wednesday he is stepping down from office due to health and personal reasons.NFA Administrator Renan B. Dalisay said he has already submitted his resignation letter to the Office of the President. His resignation will take effect on  April 30.Dalisay, who was appointed as NFA’s administrator in November 2014, said he continues to wait for the President’s feedback on his resignation.“I’m just waiting for the consideration of the President. But I have to do this now. If I don’t do this, it may further cause more damage to my health and also affect the agency,” he said in a phone interview.Despite his resignation, Dalisay made an assurance that the food agency has already made all the necessary preparations to ensure that the country will have enough rice stocks during the lean months.“We have already prepared all the possible rice-importation schemes for the 500,000 MT standby authority given by Malacañang. The next administration can quickly execute these schemes should they decide to,” Dalisay said.

Based on the NFA’s sales, Dalisay said the Philippines is projected to have a rice 31-day buffer stock by June 30.He said the NFA Council was scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss importation schemes and if they should leave the final decision of  buying more imported rice to the next NFA administration.“If you ask me, it’s better to leave the decision to them, since by then, the next president will have made clear his or her importation policy,” he said.

The Philippines imports rice to ensure the stability of supply and price in the domestic market.

 

 

Tanzania: Rice Import Permits Suspended

By Katare Mbashiru

Dodoma — The Prime Minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa, has ordered security organs to tighten security in border points and along coastal areas to curb smuggling and illegal importation of rice.Winding up debate on his office's budget estimates, Mr Majaliwa told the National Assembly here yesterday that the government has suspended all permits for importation of rice in the country because of the current increase in local production.

The premier told the National Assembly that the decision would help local farmers to have good prices of their rice and improve their living standards.According to him, in the 2014/15 financial year, local rice production stood at 1,936,909 tonnes against the target of 926,096 tonnes. Therefore, he said, there was an excess of 1,010, 813 tonnes which is equivalent to 47.8 per cent.On the other hand, following shortage of sugar in the country, Mr Majaliwa has said the government will import sugar to tackle the scarcity.According to the PM, the country has sugar production capacity of 320,000 per year while the required amount of sugar stood at 420,000 tonnes and that there was a scarcity of 100,000 tonnes.

Responding to queries raised by MPs when debating the 2016/17 budget estimates, Mr Majaliwa noted that there was a stock of sugar of about 37,000 tonnes in the country, which he said was in the market.'"The government has already ordered sugar to cover the deficit and a few days from today it should be in the country," said the PM, adding that the government was avoiding ordering a huge consignment to avoid crippling local industries.However, Mr Majaliwa added, the government was putting measures in place to ensure that there was enough production of sugar in the country to avoid importing the essential commodity.The prime minister asked traders and major distributors trying to hoard sugar to create artificial shortage to justify price hikes to release the commodity immediately.

"I hereby direct all business officers in various district councils to make regular follow ups in different shops to ensure businesspeople don't connive to hoard sugar to justify the price hike so that people can purchase the product at an indicative price by the government.The prime minister further said that in implementing the promise delivered during last year's presidential election campaigns - that of empowering Tanzanians, the government has allocated 59bn/- for village empowerment in the 2016/17 financial year.

The money, according to the PM, would be provided through revolving fund, which would be coordinated by the National Economic Empowerment Council.According to the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment, Youth and People living with Disability), Ms Jenister Mhagama, empowerment would be managed by Regional Administration and Local Government.Mr Majaliwa further defended President John Magufuli on the claims by the opposition camp that the Fifth Phase government was operating illegally for what the opposition termed as failure to provide 'instrument' to enable members of the cabinet to discharge their duties.According to the PM, the delay by the Head of State was prompted by the fact that he was still putting up his line-up in the executive."Procedures for a government gazette are afoot because the president signed the instrument since April 20 - and the ministers are currently working legally under the directives of the president," he said.

Mr Majaliwa also said the government was making efforts to clear the Medical Stores Department (MSD) 134bn/- debt."The government has started working on the debt by directing the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) to verify it and as of now the CAG has confirmed 67bn/- and the exercise is still ongoing," he hinted.To reduce backlogs of contracts in the office of the Attorney General (AG) and fast track procurement in local government authorities, Mr Majaliwa said contracts that are below 1bn/- will now be signed by lawyers in the respective district councils."But proper legal procedures should be followed while the government will not hesitate to take appropriate legal action against officials who will abuse this discretion," he added.Yesterday, MPs approved 236.8 billion/- budget estimates for the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for the fiscal year 2016/2017, out of which 71.6 billion is for recurrent expenditure while 165.2 is for development expenditure

http://allafrica.com/stories/201604280097.html

El Nino in final phase, monsoon-friendly La Nina likely to set in by September’

VINSON KURIAN

?

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, APRIL 26:  

The monster 2015-16 El Nino may be entering its last stages, and its alter ego La Nina may begin to establish by September, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

The agency sees a 50 per cent chance of La Nina emerging in the East Equatorial Pacific, prompting it to go into ‘La Nina watch’ mode.

Threshold ‘Nina’

Six of eight international climate models suggest that the tropical Pacific Ocean will return to ‘neutral’ levels during May. Of them, seven indicate that La Nina thresholds may emerge by September. This is despite individual model outlooks showing a large spread between neutral and La Nina scenarios, the Australian agency said. The emerging snippets of information with regard to changing dynamics in the Equatorial Pacific are good news for the Indian monsoon.

La Nina has been associated with a successful Indian monsoon though with exceptions; they do not strictly have a direct cause-effect relationship.

Overall build-up in India towards May/June as evidenced in the sustained heating of the land also suggests that the ground is being prepared for a good monsoon this year.

Performance guarantee

Because, despite all its devastating impact on lives and livelihoods, the searing heat and the heat waves during April, May and June play a big role in the guaranteed performance of the monsoon.

The extent to which the plains heat up determines how far the atmospheric pressure can climb down over North India, setting up an ideal gradient from the South-West (around Kerala). The moisture-laden monsoon winds ride this pressure gradient to blow in with full force into the land and drain down its moisture in the form of heavy rain.

An outlook by India Met Department on Tuesday suggested that the ‘top heat’ driven by heat waves to severe heat waves may begin to shift to North-West India from this weekend itself. This does not mean any respite for East India, which may witness mercury peaking to new highs in the days to come.

During the 24 hours ending on Tuesday morning, Titlagarh in Odisha, the hottest place for days together, saw the maximum temperature climb down to 46 deg Celsius from 48.5 deg Celsius the previous day.

Heating of West

The India Met forecast said that dust storms may continue to hold down mercury over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on Tuesday.

But heat wave conditions are forecast to develop from Wednesday over Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh along with Bihar, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana and Rayalaseema.

According to the US National Centre for Environmental Prediction, heating may extend to Rajasthan during the week ending May 4 with the extreme developing to the North-West of the State.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/el-nino-in-final-phase-monsoonfriendly-la-nina-likely-to-set-in-by-september/article8524553.ece

Philippines cuts Q1 rice output estimate for second time

The Philippines on Thursday lowered its rice output estimate for the first quarter for the second time due to drought linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon.Unmilled rice output in the March quarter is estimated at 4.01 million tonnes, 1.5 percent lower than the previous forecast of 4.07 million tonnes, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said in a report, citing a survey of standing crops as of March 1. The final figure will be announced next month.That would be 8.1 percent lower than the 4.37 million tonnes production in the same period last year.Production losses this year due to an El Nino, which usually delays the onset of the rainy season in the Philippines, had soared to 233,000 tonnes as of mid-April, latest data from the agriculture department showed.The Southeast Asian nation, one of the world's top rice importers, has decided to delay its planned additional rice purchases for this year's requirements because of ample local supply. (Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales and Enrico dela Cruz; Editing by Ed Davies)

http://www.reuters.com/article/philippines-rice-output-idUSP9N11U00O

Rice Tariff Confrontation

he US, Vietnam, China and Thailand.

SEOUL, KOREA

28 April 2016 - 1:45pm

Jung Suk-yee

The disputes between the South Korean government and those of the United States, Australia, Vietnam, China and Thailand over the tariff rate to be applied to rice imported by South Korea are continuing for about a year and four months. Back in September 2014, the South Korean government decided to impose a 513% tariff on the rice for the first time in two decades.The South Korean government had remained opposed to tariffication, which means the opening of the rice market, but changed its mind as the 5% tariff rate quota (TRQ) increased to as much as 409,000 tons, equivalent to 4% of South Korea’s rice consumption, as a result of the objection to tariffication. Then, the five countries resisted, claiming that the tariff rate adopted by the South Korean government was excessive, and have been engaged in negotiations over the appropriateness of the tariff rate.

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EU Exports 146,371 Tons of Rice in September 1, 2015 - April 19, 2016; Down 15% from Previous Year

Apr 28, 2016

According to the latest export data issued by the European Union (EU) for the crop year 2015-16 (September 1, 2015 - August 31, 2016), the EU exported about 146,371 tons of rice during the period September 1, 2015 - April 19, 2016, down about 15% from around 171,446 tons exported during the same period last year.

Japonica rice exports declined about 18% to around 122,000 tons in September 1, 2015 - April 19, 2016 period from around 148,282 tons during the same period last year. Indica rice exports increased about 5% to around 24,371 tons during the said period from around 23,164 tons last year.

Italy remained the largest exporter in September 1, 2015 - April 19, 2016 period with around 75,789 tons followed by Spain (19,013 tons), Greece (18,838 tons), and Portugal (11,780 tons). Other EU countries imported 20,951 tons.

During the week ended April 19, 2016, the EU exported around 5,867 tons of rice, up about 23% from around 4,764 tons exported during the week ended April 12, 2016.

 

  Wholesale Basmati Rice Prices in India Decline on Low Retail Demand

Apr 28, 2016

Wholesale basmati rice prices in the national capital declined today, due to low demand from retailers against adequate supplies from producing regions, according to Business Standard citing the Press Trust of India.

On April 28, 2016, prices of Pusa 1121 declined to around Rs.4,600 - 5,600 per quintal (around $692 - $843 per ton) from previous levels of around Rs.4,800 - 5,800 per quintal (around $726 - $877 per ton).

Prices of common basmati declined to around Rs.5,800 - 5,900 per quintal (around $873 - $888 per ton) from previous levels of around Rs.6,000 - 6,100 per quintal (around $907 - $922 per ton).

“Sluggish demand from retailers against adequate stocks position mainly kept pressure on rice basmati prices,” traders were quoted.

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  Oryza CBOT Rough Rice Futures Recap - Chicago Rough Rice Futures Continue to Slip as Traders Eye Increased Global Production

Apr 28, 2016

Chicago rough rice futures for Jul delivery settled 8.5 cents were cwt (about $2 per ton) lower at $11.005 per cwt (about $243 per ton). The other grains finished the day with mixed results; Soybeans closed about 0.1% lower at $10.2750 per bushel; wheat finished about 0.4% higher at $4.8550 per bushel, and corn finished the day about 1.7% higher at $3.9125 per bushel.

U.S. stocks traded mixed Thursday, shaking off pressure from sharp declines in the Nikkei 225 overnight after the Bank of Japan kept policy unchanged. The major U.S. averages opened lower before coming well off lows. Overnight, the Bank of Japan maintained the pace of its asset purchase program and kept steady its 0.1% negative rate it applies to some deposits. The central bank also cut its inflation forecasts and again pushed back the timing for hitting its 2% price target by six months. In U.S. economic news, the first quarter U.S. GDP advance read was 0.5%, the slowest pace since the first quarter of 2014. Consumer spending increased at a 1.9% rate, the slowest since the first quarter of 2015 and down from the fourth quarter's 2.4% rate. However, most analysts expect growth to recover later in the year, especially as oil prices stabilize and the labor market remains solid. Weekly jobless claims rose to 257,000, but the four-week moving average of claims fell to the lowest since December 1973. In afternoon trade, the Dow Jones industrial average traded down 49 points, or 0.28%, at 18,017. The S&P 500 traded down less than a point, to 2,095, with telecommunications leading seven sectors lower and consumer staples leading advancers. The Nasdaq composite gained 1 point, or 0.3%, to 4,865. Gold is seen trading about 1.3% higher, crude oil is seen trading about 1.5% higher, and the U.S. dollar is seen trading about 0.7% lower at about  1:00pm Chicago time.

Wednesday, there were 3,788 contracts traded, up from 2,814 contracts traded on Tuesday. Open interest – the number of contracts outstanding – on Wednesday decreased by 293 contracts to 10,457. 

 

  TCP Chief Calls for Increased Interaction with REAP to Boost Pakistan Rice Exports

Apr 28, 2016

The Chairman of the Trade Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has called for increased interaction between the TCP and the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) to boost Pakistan's rice exports, according to Business Recorder citing the Associated Press of Pakistan.

He met with the officials of REAP and noted that the two organizations should join hands to prepare a roadmap for enhancing rice exports. He assured that the TCP would support rice exporters to double rice exports in next two years. He reiterated that the TCP had many times in the past extended maximum support to the REAP.

The TCP chief also assured that the state-run organization would provide all the needed support for the REAP delegation to Indonesia. He suggested that Pakistan rice exporters should also focus on new markets such as Qatar and Cuba market as Pakistan rice is competitively priced compared to the Indian rice.

"Recommendation from REAP had always been forwarded to the Ministry of Commerce and other concerned quarters in letter and spirit," he said.

In the same meeting , the  REAP's Patron-in-Chief and Acting Chairman REAP highlighted the hindrances in rice exports to different countries and sought the TCP support. They expressed concern that no new rice seeds have been introduced in the country for a long time, a new seeds are needed to enhance the per hectare yield. They also emphasized on more rice research and called for privatization of the country's rice research institutes such as Kala Shah Kaku and Dokri Rice Research Institutes to ensure better research on rice.

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  Italian NGOs Volunteer to Support Rice Needs of Poor Countries with "We Laughed For a Serious Thing" Campaign

Apr 28, 2016

Italian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) CISV,  ProgettoMondo Mlal and Liva will take up a campaign called "We Laughed For a Serious Thing" to support poorer countries' rice exports without impacting the local Italian rice supplies, according to local sources. The campaign name has been coined from the word "riso," which means rice in Italian. It also means "laughed".

The campaign will take place in Piedmont and in the rest of Italy on May 14 and 15. More that 200 volunteers will promote the campaign in fifty of the main squares, markets, churches, shopping centers and schools. As part of the campaign, they will one kilogram of quality Italian rice, of Roma variety, produced by farmers belonging to Union Coldiretti, against a minimum bid of 5 euro per box (around $5.6). They will gather rice from the small farmers, transfer the returns to the farmers and rice to poor countries, under the campaign.

The NGOs CISV and ProgettoMondo Mlal will donate the proceeds to the people of Burkina Faso; and the NGO Lvia will donate to the people of Guinea Bissau.

The initiative is promoted by Focsiv - Federation International Christian bodies volunteer service,  Mission Foundation Campaign of the CEI (the National Episcopal Conference), Coldiretti and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

The National President of Coldiretti said: "We have a duty to promote a more sustainable development model by eliminating the distorting factors that weigh on the food chain to ensure everyone's right to food, respect the environment and to give concrete responses to climate change. The Italian model of family farming, the center of the Country, is a challenge in which to invest and export".

"Joining an alliance with the north and south, through what is one of the first activities undertaken by humans, agriculture is an extraordinary idea," added the Deputy Minister of Agriculture.

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  AfricaRice to Set Up Rice Training Center in Senegal

Apr 28, 2016

The African Rice Center (AfricaRice) will open a training center dedicated to rice sector on May 7, 2016, in the city of Saint Louis, Senegal, according to reussirbusiness.com.

The training center will help for the improvement of whole rice value chain in the country. "In this center, we will train young people and operators to facilitate the transfer of technology and development of the industry," according to a statement by AfricaRice.

AfricaRice was created in 1971 by 11 African countries - Mauritania, Gabon, Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Madagascar, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo - with an aim to improve livelihoods in Africa through research and international collaborations. The center supports the member countries in improving the rice processing and marketing sectors through providing the necessary training for farmers and other stakeholders.  

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  Oryza U.S. Rough Rice Recap - Bids Fall as Export Sales Numbers Disappoint

Apr 28, 2016

The U.S. cash market was slightly weaker again today as bids continue to retreat with the futures market while most offers remain firm near $11.11 per cwt fob farm (about $245 per ton).  

Analysts note that this week’s export sales were anemic for long grain rice which accounted for less than a third of this week’s totals. Many market participants blame the rapid run up in prices following the completion of recent Iraq tender for the weak sales figures.

The USDA reported that cumulative net export sales for the week that ended on April 21 totaled 31,700 tons, a decrease of 74% from the previous week and 57% lower than the prior 4-week average.

Increases were reported for the following destinations:  12,000 tons to Libya, 6,200 tons Jordan, 4,000 tons to unknown destinations, 3,000 tons to Mexico, 2,500 tons to Canada which were partially offset by reductions of 100 tons for Japan.

U.S. rice exporters shipped 28,000 tons, a decrease of 43% from last week and 64% lower than the prior 4-week average.

Increases were reported for the following destinations: 8,100 tons to Mexico, 6,900 tons to Jordan, 2,700 tons to Canada, 2,200 tons to Saudi Arabia, and 1,900 tons to South Korea.

 

  EU Farmers Unions Stress the Need for New CAP to Enhance Their Competitiveness

Apr 28, 2016

Presidents of the farm organisations and Agri-cooperatives from across Europe met in Brussels to warn of an unprecedented crisis hitting the EU agricultural markets and called on the EU for immediate solutions to tackle it.

The Committee of European Professional Agricultural Organisations (Copa) President expressed concern that the EU Commission is opening up the EU market to imports from the Latin American Trade bloc Mercosur. He said these imports do not meet the EU’s high environmental and quality standards and they are likely to have a catastrophic impact on the EU agricultural market. He, therefore, noted that the EU farmers want a level playing field and imports to the EU must meet their high production standards. He also said that the EU must also step up action to find new markets and boost promotion measures for their produce.

The General Committee for Agricultural Cooperation in the European Union (Cogeca) President highlighted the importance of getting the food chain working properly again so that farmers get a better return from the market and are not squeezed unfairly. He also noted that the European Investment Bank (EIB) should develop the right financial instruments to help farmers invest in their businesses and improve competitiveness. He assured that Agri-cooperatives would help farmers get a better price for their produce and can assist them on new innovative techniques, but they need the EU support to ensure this. He, therefore, stressed for immediately tackling these issues.

Under these circumstances, they noted that the EU needs a truly common agriculture policy (CAP) that is common in all member states and ensures the farmers' competitiveness. The current CAP has failed to address these issues, according to them. They emphasized that addressing these issues is vital not only to solve hunger and malnutrition but also to maintain attractive rural areas and biodiversity.

Copa & Cogeca are set to hold a workshop to start debating the future of the CAP in May.

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  Vietnam Rice Sellers Lowered Some of Their Quotes Today; Other Asia Rice Quotes Unchanged

Apr 28, 2016

Vietnam rice sellers lowered their quotes for 5% broken rice and Jasmine rice by about $5 per ton each to around $365-$375 per ton and $455-$65 per ton respectively today. Other Asia rice sellers kept their quotes unchanged.        

5% Broken Rice

Thailand 5% rice is indicated at around $380 - $390 per ton, about $15 per ton premium on Vietnam 5% rice shown at around $365 - $375 per ton. India 5% rice is indicated at around $365 - $375 per ton, on par with Pakistan 5% rice shown at around $365 - $375 per ton.

25% Broken Rice

Thailand 25% rice is indicated at around $365 - $375 per ton, about $10 per ton premium on Vietnam 25% rice shown at around $355- $365 per ton. India 25% rice is indicated at around $335- $345 per ton, about $10 per ton premium on Pakistan 25% rice shown at around $325 - $335 per ton.

Parboiled Rice           

Thailand parboiled rice is indicated at around $390 - $400 per ton. India parboiled rice is indicated at around $340 - $350 per ton, about $65 per ton discount to Pakistan parboiled rice last shown at around $405 - $415 per ton.

100% Broken Rice

Thailand broken rice, A1 Super is indicated at around $340 - $350 per ton, on par with Vietnam 100% broken rice shown at around $340 - $350 per ton. India's 100% broken rice is shown at around $280 - $290 per ton, about $10 per ton discount to Pakistan broken sortexed rice shown at around $290 - $300 per ton.

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  Major Exporters Oppose South Korea's Rice Import Tariff Levels

Apr 28, 2016

South Korea opened its rice import market in September 2014 and said it would impose a tariff of 513% on rice imports over and above the WTO tariff rate quota (TRQ) of around 409,000 tons from January 2015. However, the rate was opposed by its five major trading partners Australia, Vietnam, China, Thailand and the U.S saying it is too high.

Negotiations between South Korea and the remaining five countries have been on-going on over the appropriateness of the tariff rate. According to the WTO, the tariff rate is to be determined based on the difference between the prices of domestic and foreign rice in 1986 to 1988.

The five countries are claiming that the price used by South Korea to determine the tariff rate was inappropriate, according to Business Korea. They claim that South Korea used the price of imported rice used by China, instead of that of rice it imported, as the international price.

The South Korean government responded to the trading partners' claims that it "used China’s price in the calculation because it did import some rice at that time but the amount was too small and commercially insignificant.” However, the five countries have stated that the price used by China was also inappropriate because at that time, China was not a market economy and the Chinese government would have intervened in the determination of the price.

Under the WTO quotas, South Korea was obligated to import 4% of its annual rice consumption for ten years in 1993. The agreement was extended for another ten years in 2004 obligating the country to import 7.96% of annual rice consumption. With the annual consumption declining, South Korea is planning to limit rice imports to control food supplies in the country. Under current import quota system, South Korea cannot limit imports as it is under obligation to import at least 400,000 per year tons of rice as per WTO rules. If it decides to continue with the import quotas, it has to curtail its own domestic production, which may be not so advisable to the economy and farmers.

  Tanzania Bans Rice Imports, Suspends Import Permits Amid Increased Local Production

Apr 28, 2016

The government of Tanzania has reportedly banned rice imports and suspended all permits for importation of rice into the country amid increased local production, according to dailynews.co.tz citing the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister has reportedly ordered security officials to tighten security in border points and along coastline to curb smuggling and unofficial imports of rice.

He told the National Assembly that the decision would help raise local rice prices, raise incomes of local farmers as well as improve their living standards. He also informed the Assembly that the rice production in the 2014-15 financial year reached around 1.94 million tons against the targeted 926,096 tons.

Tanzania is the largest rice producer in East Africa and according to the government data, the country's annual rice production almost doubled between 2001 and 2012 due to expanded cultivation.

USDA estimates Tanzania to produce around 1.75 million tons of rice, basis milled (around 2.652 million tons, basis paddy), and import around 200,000 tons in MY 2015-16 (June 2015 - May 2016). Tanzania is expected to export around 40,000 tons in MY 2015-16.