Thursday, May 05, 2016

5th May 2016 Daily Global,Regional & Local Rice -eNewsletter by Riceplus Magazine

·        News headlines...








Global rice shortage expected: Ghori
·         UNISAME REGRETS BIG BUSINESS WITH IRAN SUFFERING DUE TO NON CLARITY
·         Global rice shortage caused by El Nino threatens price crisis
·         Experts say a bad monsoon season could see grain costs spiral by the end of the year
·         Gabriel Samuels
·         S.Korea buys 37,000 T rice for Oct-Nov
·         Sedges hit Arkansas rice: is it yellow nutsedge or rice flatsedge?
·         Drought and Global Competition Continue to Challenge U.S. Rice Industry
·         Food security fears rise as Asia’s top rice producers suffer from drought
·         Commerce to seek B20bn for 'corrupt' G2G rice deals
·         Global rice shortage threatens price crisis
·         Thai farmers told to depend on rains for rice farming this year
·         Rice output losses higher than expected as El Nino bites
·         Despite heavy rain, Arkansas farmers blasting through planting
·         Bidding set for 1.2m tonnes of rice amid low supply during dry season
·         Global Rice Events
·         Adequate foodgrain stocks in central pool: Paswan
·         As the climate shifts, tradition threatens Sri Lanka's rice harvest
·         Rice Prices
·         Philippines lifts rice output losses as drought bites
·         TNAU researching on ways to fortifiy rice with zinc, iron
·         El NiƱo-caused rice shortage could happen this year, lead to higher prices
·         A WORLDWIDE SHORTAGE OF RICE CAUSED BY 'EL NINO' COULD RESULT IN SKY-HIGH PRICES
·         05/04/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
·         Seeds for Contract Rice Farming Planted
·         Nigeria: Emefiele's Devt Focus Boosts Rice, Wheat Production
·         K to 12 teachers train on climate-smart rice agriculture
·         PhilRice Midsayap wins as 2015 Best Station
·         ECOWAS programme targets increase in rice production
·         Lawsuit Could Put an End to Treated Seeds
·         APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1465
·         Sean Doherty credits teamwork for rice farm’s success
·         Rice man Nipon dies, aged 71
·         Wheat softens on ample stocks

·         Thailand takes world's top rice exporter crown in Q1 Say goodbye to hunger with this easy tomato pulao recipeNews Detail...

Global rice shortage expected: Ghori

May 04, 2016
RECORDER REPORT
For the first time in last six years, global rice production is expected to sharply decline this year. According to Jawed Ali Ghori, former Chairman Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (Reap), the main reason is the drought and heat wave that has been linked with the El Nino weather pattern. "The top four rice producing countries, accounting for 60 percent of global production including India, Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan, are all expected to see a 30 percent drop in their inventories," he added. 


Thailand is now in its second year of drought and its production is expected to fall by 20 percent, he informed. While, China, the world's largest rice importer is once again expected to import around 5 million tons of rice as its own consumption will outpace production for a third year in a row, Ghori added. 

"The United States Department of Agriculture in its monthly agriculture update has slashed its estimate for world ending stocks to 18 percent for the 2015-16 rice season. This means that there are now 65 days of supply or rice in reserve as compared to 80 days last year," he said. 

With expectation of shortfall in production, world prices have already started to reflect this supply strain and are already up 13 percent since September, he said and added that the market is not panic levels seen in 2008, when a similar El Nino pattern caused India to ban exports causing global prices to increase by more than 300 percent. In addition, scenes of riots were witnessed in Haiti while supermarkets in Philippines got cleaned out of rice in two days. 

"New rice crops are expected to be harvested during November to December. However any adverse weather change, especially the threat of drought can affect the size of the final crop," he said. Exporters are closely monitoring rice sowing for price direction as farmers are switching from rice to other less water intensive crops due to lack of water availability," Ghori said. 
http://www.brecorder.com/agriculture-a-allied/183:pakistan/42752:global-rice-shortage-expected-ghori/?date=2016-05-04
UNISAME REGRETS BIG BUSINESS WITH IRAN SUFFERING DUE TO NON CLARITY
The SME rice exporters are contacting the Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) and complaining that commercial banks are not clearing online Form E for exports to Iran and are not yet ready for transactions with Iran as no procedure has been outlined.  President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said the exporters are facing hardships and are unable to finalize orders from Iran despite no sanctions exist against Iran. It is pertinent to note that no sanctions can ever be imposed on food and medicine items as per United Nations charter but since Iran was boycotted by SWIFT, trade with Iran became impossible and goods were shipped to Dubai and from there to Iran. Now that the sanctions have been removed businessmen  have become active for exports and imports to and from Iran but are unable to go forward due to lack of clarity about procedure.
 
  Thaver said for export of rice, the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) needs to take up the matter and not sit hand on hand. However he said that " on our part we will invite the attention of the policy makers on the subject for trade with Iran as the exporters and importers are both waiting to begin business with Iran "
 
  One leading commercial bank said that they have not received any clear instructions from State Bank of Pakistan and are therefore not ready yet.
 
  Another bank also said that the goods are being shipped to Iran but payment is being made by banks in other countries because payment mechanism has not yet been defined and the banks in Pakistan need to appoint their correspondents in Iran but they need the support and framework from State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)
 
  One other leading bank informed  that although SBP has issued a circular that Iran has been removed from the list of countries against whom there are sanctions but the names of 13 Iranian banks are in the black list. Secondly it is very important for SBP to outline the procedure and determine the payment mechanism for import and export with Iran. 
 
  Thaver said the commercial banks also need to take the initiative and nominate correspondents in Iran form the list of banks open for business transaction and seek approval from the SBP to expedite matters rather than sitting hand on hand.
 
  UNISAME has requested SBP Exchange Control Department to examine the matter and inform all commercial banks the procedure and mechanism for export and import to and from Iran.
  Time is the essence and we need to move fast to meet global competition and commence business with Iran promptly.
 
  As far as rice is concerned we really need to move fast as the new crop is expected in the last quarter and before that we need to sell our existing stock. 

 

Global rice shortage caused by El Nino threatens price crisis

Experts say a bad monsoon season could see grain costs spiral by the end of the year
A rice workers harvest rice from a paddy in Ninh Binh, Vietnam, in the shadow of the karst peaks Jeremy Woodhouse/Getty Images
The world is expected to suffer a major rice shortage after global production was hit by extreme weather patterns - potentially fuelling an international price crisis.
Hot weather and droughts brought on by the El Nino system continue to affect production in India, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam, where 60% of the world’s rice is grown.
Grain stocks in those countries are forecast to plummet to 19 million tons by the end of the year, down from a peak of 43 million tons in 2013.
Dr Samarendu Mohanty from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) toldThe Independent: “There is no doubt that the supply situation is very tight, and this will inevitably cause a spiral in demand.
“The extent of this crisis all depends on what happens during the upcoming monsoon season. If it goes badly in India and Indonesia and the crops don’t get the rain, there could be real trouble ahead.”
The monsoon season in India lasts from July to September and supplies up to four-fifths of the country’s annual rain.
He continued: “At the moment it looks like the situation won’t be as serious as in 2008 but the countries affected must act more rationally this time rather than panicking, and they must learn from the mistakes of the past.”
El Nino is a major fluctuation in the Earth's climate system and see changes in the sea-surface temperature of the tropical Pacific Ocean every few years.
During the 2008 crisis in Asia, lower rice output caused by El Nino prompted India to impose a blanket ban on exports and prices hit a record $1,000 per ton worldwide.
The benchmark price for a ton of rice last month was $389.50, the strongest since July last year, and rates continue to increase.
Thailand’s last major crop haul was around half the peak production from 2013 and output is expected to fall to just 15.8 million tons this year.
Meanwhile, 593,000 acres of paddy fields have been destroyed by recent drought and salination in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region.
The situation has not been helped by the one million wells built in the country since the 1960s, which have worsened the saline problem and contaminated the Vietnamese product.
The Phillippines is weighing up whether to import an extra 500,000 tons of rice this year in an effort to boost state reserve stocks in case of a future crisis

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/global-rice-crisis-el-nino-prices-increase-a7012526.html

 

S.Korea buys 37,000 T rice for Oct-Nov

Wed May 4, 2016 5:47am GMT
 SEOUL, May 4 (Reuters) - South Korea bought 37,000 tonnes of
non-glutinous rice for arrival between October and November via
tenders, which closed on May 3, the state-run Agro-Fisheries &
Food Trade Corp said on its website (www.at.or.kr).
    Initially, the agency sought to buy a total of 58,111 tonnes
of rice via seven tenders, but passed on two, as they received
only one qualified bids each, a source from the agency said. 
    The bids for the remaining tender will open after sample
tests are complete, he said.
    
    Details of the purchases are as follows:
    TONNES(M/T) GRAIN TYPE   SUPPLIER           ORIGIN  PRICE/T
    12,000      Brown Short  Posco Daewoo Corp  China   $867
                             
    10,000      Brown Short  Sinsong Food Corp  China   $867.97
    10,000      Brown Medium Sinsong Food Corp  U.S.    $568.39
     5,000      Brown Medium Sinsong Food Corp  U.S.    $568.98 
  
 
 (Reporting by Rebecca Jang; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N1811O2

Sedges hit Arkansas rice: is it yellow nutsedge or rice flatsedge?

May 3, 2016Ford Baldwin | Delta Farm Press

If yellow nutsedge is suspected, dig carefully and look for the small, round tubers or nuts. Keep in mind they are sometimes difficult to find.
Photo: Ford Baldwin
My rice calls to date can be summarized with one word — sedges! I have never received so many early-season sedge calls.
My university counterparts are telling me the same thing.A lot of the calls are about situations where there has been no previous history of severe sedge problems. In some cases the sedges are emerging before the rice.
Given the increase in sedges over the past few years, this problem must be dealt with very seriously.
The predominant two sedges infesting rice in Arkansas are yellow nutsedge and rice flatsedge. These two weeds can be difficult to identify in the seedling stage and the management practices for the two are very different.The University of Arkansas has a fact sheet that is helpful, but identification in the seedling stage can be more anecdotal than scientific.
What has complicated things for me somewhat this year is I am identifying a lot of the plants as yellow nutsedge, but they are coming from fields with a previous history of rice flatsedge.
Identification is much easier when you have the two to compare, but often this is not possible.
Yellow nutsedge plants tend to be more solitary and the leaves are wider than those of rice flatsedge. Yellow nutsedge tends to start developing white fleshy rhizomes early; whereas the roots on rice flatsedge are very fibrous.
If yellow nutsedge is suspected, dig carefully and look for the small, round tubers or nuts. Keep in mind they are sometimes difficult to find.
DELTA FARM PRESS DAILY
Rice flatsedge tends to occur in very dense populations, making it difficult to separate individual plants. The leaves are very narrow and the roots have a very distinct and sweet smell when crushed between your fingers. It also normally only germinates after periods of saturated soil.
With yellow nutsedge, the ALS inhibiting herbicides — Permit, Permit Plus and Halomax — are required.
Some consultants are going after these early populations very quickly and I do not disagree. If you are 100 percent confident the plants are all yellow nutsedge, timing of the Permit/Halomax-type of applications is not extremely critical.
Management of rice flatsedge is totally different. As far as I am concerned you can treat every infestation of rice flatsedge like it was ALS-resistant. One reason it has been such a huge issue the past couple of years is folks treated with Permit or Halomax assuming control and didn’t recognize a failure until flatsedge blew through postflood.
The herbicides that have good activity on rice flatsedge are propanil, thiobencarb (Bolero) and bentazon (Basagran and Broadloom). Also, timing is important and the earlier the better. On very small rice flatsedge I like RiceBeaux because it contains propanil and thiobencarb.
As the sedge gets larger, adding bentazon to the RiceBeaux or propanil is the most effective treatment. With a lot of the calls this year I have been hedging the bet so to speak.
Not being 100 percent confident a proper identification has been made, I have been recommending RiceBeaux plus Permit, Permit Plus or Halomax. The RiceBeaux will be good if it is small rice flatsedge, and I like thiobencarb in the program anyway. If it is yellow nutsedge, the Permit treatment will be effective and if it is a mixture of the two weeds, the treatment will still cover it.
Ford Baldwin served as a weed scientist with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service from 1974 to 2001. Since 2002, he has been a partner in Practical Weed Consultants with his wife, Tomilea. Contact him at ford@weedconsultants.com
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/sedges-hit-arkansas-rice-it-yellow-nutsedge-or-rice-flatsedge

Drought and Global Competition Continue to Challenge U.S. Rice Industry

Rabobank Report Examines Strategies for Success in U.S. Growing Regions


 FRESNO, CA--(Marketwired - May 03, 2016) -  U.S. rice growers will continue to face lower prices in the 2016/17 growing season as stocks of more types of rice are elevated domestically, total planted acreage will be close to record levels and quality continues to improve from other global producers. The report, "Reaching Boiling Point - U.S. Rice Producers are Feeling the Heat of Global Competition," focuses attention on these factors and how they impact the different rice types in the growing regions of California and the Midwest.
In California, the challenge is to deal with the pressure of the severe drought that has been ongoing since 2011, while also managing supply to longstanding, profitable markets.
"We know that right now expansion into new markets isn't really on the top of everyone's mind," said James Williamson, analyst at Rabobank and author of the report. "However, it is going to be critical for the long-term growth and profitability of premium California medium-grain rice to look to expansion markets even in times of tight supply."
The report goes on to examine the situations surrounding medium- and long-grain rice in the southern states:
Many southern medium-grain producers planted more acreage in 2015/16, planning to take advantage of supply gaps from California production. These gaps were limited, leaving many with an unsellable surplus. Faced with lower demand and high supply, Rabobank expects that southern medium grain growers will need to work through their 2016/17 crop as well as their surplus stocks to bring prices to a more profitable level.Southern long-grain acreage is expected to be up 30% from the 2015/16 crops year, with significant conversion coming from soybean acreage. It is expected that with this large crop, combined with nearly half of the prior year's production still in storage, southern growers will be unable to compete on price alone. This presents the opportunity for producers to concentrate on growing and maintaining the quality of their product to gain premium prices in this space.
The report concludes by noting that for export-driven countries such as the United States, changes in production in a competing country or region can help or hurt local industries. The best way, according to the report, to stay in front of this is for producers and processors to do all they can to differentiate themselves by segregating by quality.
The full report is available exclusively to clients of Rabobank and to media upon request.
About Rabobank, N.A.
Rabobank, N.A. is a California community bank and a leading provider of agricultural financing and full-service banking products to California consumers, businesses and the agriculture industry. With more than 100 retail branches, we serve the needs of communities from Redding to the Imperial Valley through a regional structure that promotes local decision-making and active community involvement by our employees.
Rabobank, N.A. is a division of the Rabobank Group, the premier lender to the global food and agricultural industry and a financial services leader providing commercial, retail and agricultural finance solutions in 48 countries around the world. From its century-old roots in the Netherlands, Rabobank has grown into one of the world's largest and safest banks. Rabobank, N.A. is a Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. www.rabobankamerica.com
About Rabo AgriFinance
As a leading financial services provider for agricultural producers and agribusinesses in the United States, Rabo AgriFinance adds value using industry expertise, client-focused solutions, and by creating long-term business relationships. Rabo AgriFinance offers a comprehensive portfolio of services that give producers the right products to prepare for, and take advantage of, market opportunities. Rabo AgriFinance representatives offer a wide array of financial services and knowledge to help customers realize their ambitions. This comprehensive suite of services includes loans, insurance, middle market agribusiness, input finance and sophisticated risk management products. Rabo AgriFinance is a division of Rabobank, the premier bank to the global agriculture industry and one of the world's largest and safest banks.
About Rabobank Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory (FAR)
The Rabobank Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory (FAR) group is a global team of more than 80 analysts who monitor and evaluate global market events that affect agriculture worldwide. This international team works to collect key insights into commodity markets; conduct in-depth analysis of the factors that drive sector success (or failure); and examine the megatrends that ultimately influence clients' business strategy. These analysts are internationally respected experts in sectors from protein to produce, inputs to oilseeds, and their knowledge is shared with Rabobank customers.
CONTACTS: 

FAR Report Requests/Media Inquiries
 

Jessup Wiley
Rabobank, N.A.
D: 559-447-7946
Jessup.Wiley@rabobank.com

Sarah Kolell 
Rabo AgriFinance 
D: 816-516-7984 
Sarah.Kolell@RaboAg.com

Food security fears rise as Asia’s top rice producers suffer from drought


By Reuters | 3 May, 2016, 03.30AM IST
World rice production is expected to decline for the first time this year since 2010, as failing rains linked to an El Nino weather pattern cut crop yields in Asia’s rice bowl.Nearly a decade after a spike in global food prices sent shockwaves around the world, Asia's top rice producers are suffering from a blistering drought that threatens to cut output and boost prices of a staple for half the world's population. World rice production is expected to decline for the first time this year since 2010, as failing rains linked to an El Nino weather pattern cut crop yields in Asia's rice bowl.

A heat wave is sweeping top rice exporter India, while the No 2 supplier Thailand is facing a second year of drought. Swathes of farmland in Vietnam are also parched as irrigation fed by the Mekong river runs dry.

The three account for more than 60% of the global rice trade of about 43 million tonnes. "As of now we haven't seen a large price reaction to hot and dry weather because we have had such significant surplus stocks in India and Thailand. But that can't last forever," said James Fell, an economist at the International Grains Council (IGC).

Rice inventories in the three top exporters are set to fall by about a third at the end of 2016 to 19 million tonnes, the biggest year-on-year drop since 2003.

Commerce to seek B20bn for 'corrupt' G2G rice deals

Former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom is likely to receive a state demand for compensation for allegedly corrupt government-to-government rice deals during his time in office. (Photo by Pattanapong Hirunard)
Finance officials have told the Commerce Ministry to demand 20 billion baht in compensation for allegedly corrupt government-to-government rice deals allegedly made by six former top ministry officials.Chutima Bunyapraphasara, permanent secretary for commerce, said on Tuesday that the Finance Ministry sent the directive via letter on Monday. It instructed her ministry to obtain an administrative order to seek compensation from former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and five ex-officials over four bogus G2G deals covering 6.2 million tonnes of government rice.
Comptroller-General Manas Jamveha already has concluded that Mr Boonsong, former deputy Poom Sarapol, ex-secretary Weerawut Wajanaphukka, former Department of Foreign Trade director-general Manas Soiploy, ex-DFT rice-trade director Tikhumporn Natvaratat, and former DFT secretary Akharaphong Chuaikliang were responsible for 20 billion baht in damages."The letter sent with thousands of pages (of documentation) was received last night and I have not read the details," she said. "As far as I know, the compensation demanded from each person varies," Miss Chutima said.The Foreign Trade Department would handle the matter and letters would be sent to the six, Mrs Chutima said, admitting they had the right to petition a court.Mr Boonsong, the commerce minister in the Yingluck Shinawatra government, along with 20 other individuals and companies already are on trial in the Supreme Court over the G2G rice deals with two Chinese trading companies: Guangdong Stationery and Sporting Goods Import and Export, and Hainan Grain and Oil Industrial Trading Co.The suit was filed after the National Anti-Corruption Commission found neither foreign company was authorised by Beijing to make the deals.

Global rice shortage threatens price crisis

By: Gabriel Samuels Wednesday, 04 May 2016 14:02
Published in International News
The world is expected to suffer a major rice shortage after global production was hit by extreme weather patterns - potentially fuelling an international price crisis. Hot weather and droughts brought on by the El Nino system continue to affect production in India, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam, where 60% of the world’s rice is grown.Grain stocks in those countries are forecast to plummet to 19 million tons by the end of the year, down from a peak of 43 million tons in 2013.
Dr Samarendu Mohanty from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) told The Independent: “There is no doubt that the supply situation is very tight, and this will inevitably cause a spiral in demand.“The extent of this crisis all depends on what happens during the upcoming monsoon season. If it goes badly in India and Indonesia and the crops don’t get the rain, there could be real trouble ahead.”
The monsoon season in India lasts from July to September and supplies up to four-fifths of the country’s annual rain.He continued: “At the moment it looks like the situation won’t be as serious as in 2008 but the countries affected must act more rationally this time rather than panicking, and they must learn from the mistakes of the past.”El Nino is a major fluctuation in the Earth's climate system and see changes in the sea-surface temperature of the tropical Pacific Ocean every few years.During the 2008 crisis in Asia, lower rice output caused by El Nino prompted India to impose a blanket ban on exports and prices hit a record $1,000 per ton worldwide.The benchmark price for a ton of rice last month was $389.50, the strongest since July last year, and rates continue to increase.Thailand’s last major crop haul was around half the peak production from 2013 and output is expected to fall to just 15.8 million tons this year.
Meanwhile, 593,000 acres of paddy fields have been destroyed by recent drought and salination in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region.
The situation has not been helped by the one million wells built in the country since the 1960s, which have worsened the saline problem and contaminated the Vietnamese product.
The Phillippines is weighing up whether to import an extra 500,000 tons of rice this year in an effort to boost state reserve stocks in case of a future crisis.
http://www.graphic.com.gh/international/international-news/63291-global-rice-shortage-threatens-price-crisis.html#sthash.zIaQvcxl.dpuf

Thai farmers told to depend on rains for rice farming this year

By editor on 2016-05-04 Thailand
Farmers told to depend on rains for rice farming this year

BANGKOK: — Farmers in the Chao Phraya river basin were told to rely on rains as the source of water for the cultivation of their main crops because there is no water for farming from the four main dams.The Royal Irrigation Department reported that there are only 8 percent of usable water left in the Sirikit, Bhumibol, Kwae Noi Bamrungdaen and Pasak Chonlasit which will be used mainly for consumption and conservation of ecology until July. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department anticipated that the rainy season would start in the third week of May. However, rains might stop in June until July but the Royal Irrigation Department has taken steps to try to supply water for rice farming but to a certain extent only due to water shortage in the main dams.The Royal Irrigation Department needs to store more water in the dams to cope with the arrival of dry season at the end of the year.
http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/162008

 

Rice output losses higher than expected as El Nino bites

 
Reuters
Posted at May 04 2016 06:27 PM
MANILA - The Philippines said on Wednesday that drought had caused the country's rice output to drop by about 300,000 tons, or a third higher than its estimate last month, and there was a risk heavy rains later in the year could inflict more crop damage.The Philippines is one of the world's biggest importers of rice and there is a growing risk it will miss its target of producing 18 million tons after one of the three strongest El Nino weather patterns in the last 20 years."I'm sure there will be adjustment (in the target) because of this damage," Agriculture Undersecretary Emerson Palad told reporters. "But we haven't discussed it yet."The damage report released by the Department of Agriculture also showed 204,245 tonnes of corn had been lost since February last year when an El Nino weather pattern emerged.Government data showed rice paddy losses totaled 299,558 tons as of May 3, more than half the total losses of 540,469 tons during the last 2009-2010 El Nino.
This year alone, paddy losses were about 231,000 tons, Palad said, as he announced the agriculture department was planning to spend more on measures such as cloud-seeding in a bid to increase rainfall.

Palad put total agricultural losses both due to an El Nino and pest infestation since February last year at P8.7 billion ($185 million).The government had yet to discuss contingency measures for a possible La Nina, a weather pattern that sometimes follows an El Nino, that could bring strong rains and further damage crops later this year, Palad said.Government data showed the Philippines had the lowest rice stocks since October in March despite importing 750,000 tons and its grains procurement agency has standby authority to ship an additional 500,000 tons to boost reserves if needed.Domestic rice production in the first quarter to be announced next week could be about 8 percent lower than initially projected because of insufficient water and intense heat, based on the government's latest estimate.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/business/05/04/16/rice-output-losses-higher-than-expected-as-el-nino-bites

 

Despite heavy rain, Arkansas farmers blasting through planting


Last week’s rain dropped between 1 and 8 inches across Arkansas and set at least one daily rainfall record: 5.04 inches at North Little Rock. Extension agents and agronomists reported full drainage ditches, water standing on fields and some levee washouts in rice fields.

By Mary Hightower
UofA Division of Ag

Posted May. 3, 2016 at 12:43 PM 

ARKANSAS —
Despite weekly waves of heavy rains, Arkansas farmers pushed across their fields, planting soybeans, rice, cotton and corn ahead of the five-year average pace, according to Monday’s report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service.Last week’s rain dropped between 1 and 8 inches across Arkansas and set at least one daily rainfall record: 5.04 inches at North Little Rock. Extension agents and agronomists reported full drainage ditches, water standing on fields and some levee washouts in rice fields.
Rice on pace
Rice was 87 percent planted, ahead of last week’s 75 percent and well ahead of the 59 percent five-year average.
“Rice progress looks right on,” said Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “I had it figured about 90 percent planted versus the 87 percent reported.”He said the remaining 10-plus percent is largely scattered around the southern half of the state with a few outliers in the north.“Rice planting completion is notoriously trickle-down where it takes a month to plant the final 10 percent of acreage, so we could easily still not be completed until late May or June depending on the weather,” Hardke said. “As always if it stays wet for too long some of that rice magically starts turning into soybeans.”
Rain may not be the only factor in the rice-to-soybean sleight-of-hand.

Scott Stiles, extension economist for the Division of Agriculture, said soybean prices continued upward, with the November 2016 contract closing at its highest level of the year -- $10.17 3/4 – a $1.50-a-bushel gain since March 2.
“Considering the challenges in the southeast counties getting rice and corn planted this year, I think we'll see final soybean acreage in the state higher than the 3.05 million indicated in the March 31 Prospective Plantings report,” he said. “And, simply the size of the soybean price rally may have shifted some acres from the competing crops regardless of planting delays. The $10 price is still attractive in the minds of growers and was a surprise to see a recovery to that level this year.”November soybean futures settled 10 cents higher Monday on talk that crop losses in Argentina may shift some additional soybean and soy meal demand to the U.S. “Some expect to see U.S. soybean crush and export demand increased in next week's May USDA supply and demand report,” Stiles said.
Hoping for a drier spring
The soybean crop was 32 percent planted. That compared with 17 percent at the same time last year and the 24 percent five-year average.“For the soybean crop, probably will not get much planted until the end of this week,” said Jeremy Ross, extension soybean agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “Some fields may take longer to dry out.

Bidding set for 1.2m tonnes of rice amid low supply during dry season


PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION
May 4, 2016 1:00 am
THE COMMERCE Ministry will open bidding for 1.2 million tonnes of rice on May 19 to ensure enough to dine on during the drought.Duangporn Rodphaya, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, said yesterday that the domestic supply of rice is low during the dry season, so the Rice Management Policy Committee has approved the third sale of broken rice this year.Among the 1.2 million tonnes to be auctioned off are 870,000 tonnes of broken white rice.
The rest is broken rice of other kinds.To systemise the plantation of riceberry, the ministry has initiated a project called "Riceberry Valley" so that the government can control production quality and help farmers reduce costs after grouping.Chutima Bunyapraphasara, permanent secretary of the ministry, said this project should help ensure the good quality of riceberry crops and increase the output of this grain, which is known for its high nutrition value."Nowadays, there are about 5,000 rai for riceberry growing. After the project is launched this year, plantation areas for riceberry are expected to double to 10,000 rai next year," she said.
The project to promote integrated riceberry farming should help cut the cost of production for farmers and increase the supply of this rice grain following higher demand in many markets.Riceberry is raised in the Northeast and some provinces in the North and in the Central region.About 17 groups of riceberry farmers have been integrated in 13 provinces to date.
Following the integration of riceberry farming, the government should be able to control the quality of rice growing and ensure that the rice is organic.Besides rice, the ministry will also encourage the farming of other crops as organic products under the Organic Village project.
This project will be developed under the new organic product promotion strategy from 2017-2021 .In a bid to promote Thailand as Asean's organic production centre, the ministry will host the sixth Organic and Natural Expo - the biggest showcase of organic farms and products at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.
Global Rice Events

May 24, 2016: Vermilion Parish Rice Tour – Klondike area
Contact the LSU AgCenter Vermilion Parish office at 337-898-4335.
May 25, 2016: Southwest Louisiana Rice Tour – Fenton area
Contact Jeremy Hebert at the LSU AgCenter Acadia Parish office.
May 31-June 2, 2016: Rice Market and Technology Convention
Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria, Houston, Texas. For more information, visit ricemtconvention.com.
June 15, 2016: Acadia Parish Rice and Soybean Field Day
Rice Research Station South Farm – Contact Jeremy Hebert at the LSU Agenter Acadia Parish office
June 15, 2016: Deadline to submit 2016 Rice Awards nominations
For more information and to download a nomination form, click here
June 28-July 1, 2016: Rice Millers Association Convention
The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colo. For more information, visit USA Rice.
June 28, 2016: 42nd Annual Eagle Lake Rice Field Day
Begins at 4 p.m. Wintermann Rice Research Station on Farm-to-Market Road 102 just north of Eagle Lake, Texas
June 29, 2016: LSU AgCenter Annual Rice Field Day
LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station, Crowley, La. Check back later for more information.
July 13, 2016: North Louisiana Field Day – Oakville Ridge Area
Event details
July 14, 2016: 69th Annual Beaumont Rice Field Day
Begins at 8 a.m. Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center, 1509 Aggie Dr., Beaumont, Texas
July 19, 2016: Mississippi State University Field Day
Delta Research and Extension Center, Stoneville, Miss. More information to follow.
Aug. 9, 2016: Ribbon cutting ceremony for new Foundation Seed Processing Plant
University of Arkansas Rice Research and Extension Center, Stuttgart, Ark. Check back later for more information.
Aug. 10, 2016: Annual Arkansas Rice Expo
Grand Prairie Center, Stuttgart, Ark. Check back later for more information.
Aug. 18, 2016: Missouri Rice Research and Merchandising Council’s Field Day
Check back later for more information.
Aug. 31, 2016 — Annual Rice Field Day
California Rice Experiment Station, Biggs, Calif. Check back later for more information.
Sept. 16, 2016: 26th Annual Rice Tasting Luncheon
11 a.m.-1 p.m., Delta State University Walter Sillers Coliseum, Cleveland, Miss. Tickets are available for $5 each by calling Bolivar County Extension at 662-843-8371. Tickets also will be available at the door.
Dec. 7-9, 2016: 2016 USA Rice Outlook Conference
Sheraton Memphis Downtown, Memphis, Tenn. Event details
March 3-4, 2017: 65th Annual Mid-South Farm and Gin Show
Memphis Cook Convention Center, Memphis, Tenn. Event details
If you have an event that you want listed, please send the information to Rice Farming editor Vicky Boyd at vlboyd@onegrower.com.
http://www.ricefarming.com/calendar/
RICE MARKET AND TECHNOLOGY CONVENTION, Houston, May 31-June 2, 2016
http://ricemtconvention.com/

USA Rice conducts educational forums and business meetings.

2016 RMA Convention
June 28-July 1, 2016
The Broadmoor
Colorado Springs, CO

2016 July Business Meetings
July ​9-12, 2016
Four Seasons Hotel
Irving, TX (Dallas Metro Area)

2016 USA Rice December Board Meetings
December 6-7, 2016
Sheraton Memphis Downtown
Memphis, TN

2016 USA Rice Outlook Conference 
December 7-9, 2016
Sheraton Memphis Downtown
Memphis, TN
https://usarice.com/about/meetings

Adequate foodgrain stocks in central pool: Paswan


IANS  |  New Delhi  May 3, 2016 Last Updated at 21:32 IST
Foodgrain stocks available in the central pool are double of the required buffer norms, parliament was told on Tuesday."The stock of foodgrains in the central pool as on April 16 this year was 496.12 lakh tons comprising of 282.35 lakh tons of rice and 213.77 lakh tons of wheat as against the net buffer norms of 210.40 lakh tons," Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan told the Lok Sabha in a written reply. Buffer norms indicate that the central pool must hold 210.40 lakh tons of foodgrain comprising 135.80 lakh tons of rice and 74.60 lakh tons of wheat to tackle an emergency situation.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/adequate-foodgrain-stocks-in-central-pool-paswan-116050301414_1.html

As the climate shifts, tradition threatens Sri Lanka's rice harvest

RAJANGANAYA, Sri Lanka (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - In mid-April, at the same time of year as their families have done for generations, Sri Lanka's paddy farmers started cultivating their rice fields.But this year, that may be too late.President Maithripala Sirisena has warned Sri Lanka' farmers that they may run out of water before their crops are ready to harvest. Devotion to tradition – in particular, planting spring crops after a traditional New Year's holiday in mid-April – could now prove devastating, he said.But many farmers are so far not convinced that old schedules need to change to match new climate patterns – a problem many countries around the world face as they try to adjust to changing weather patterns.Ranjith Sumanadasa, 50, a paddy farmer from Rajanganaya region in Sri Lanka's north-central province, has been cultivating his rice for close to four decades based on traditional timetables.

"I learned from my father that after the March harvest we will celebrate Avurudhu, and then prepare the fields around a week or two later, then the water comes," he said. "There is no other way I know of." In early April, at a public rally in his native Polonnaruwa District, Sirisena explained how he had tried to convince Sri Lanka's rice farmers to start cultivating a few weeks earlier than normal, to take advantage of recent rains that had filled some of the country's reservoirs almost to capacity. Sticking to the traditional timetable, he said, would mean losing much of that needed water to evaporation."I instructed the Water Management Committee to release water for paddy farmers as soon as possible," Sirisena said on April 2. "But the paddy farmers remain unmoved. They want to start the cultivation after the (traditional) New Year."
Rains during the last weeks of March filled some reservoirs in the north and central parts of the country. As authorities released water from hydropower reservoirs to generate electricity, they also sent some to the smaller irrigation reservoirs to water rice fields, in the hopes the farmers would take advantage and use it right away.

But farmers instead waited over two weeks before using it, Sirisena said. With the island experiencing temperatures between 2 degrees Celsius and 4 degrees Celsius above average, according to the Meteorological Department, some of that water was lost."Because of the hot temperatures we are losing hundreds of cubic meters of water daily due to evaporation," the president told the gathering in Polonnaruwa District. "You have to reconsider getting into the fields before the end of the month," he pleaded.

HARVESTS EVAPORATING?
When Sirisena spoke to the country's paddy farmers in early April, the main irrigation tanks in the north central and central provinces were at around 80 percent capacity. But by the third week of April – when farmers wanted to start watering their crops – the levels had dropped by 20 percent, officials said.Water management officials estimate that close to 300 million liters of water were evaporating daily across Sri Lanka. That could mean trouble for the paddy farms, which cover over 10 percent of the country's land area. "You will have to bear responsibility if there is a water shortage mid-season," the president told farmers.
To make matters worse, Sir Lanka has experienced below-average rains across most of the island through April, according to the Met Department. May is also predicted to be unseasonably dry.
In 2014, a similar spell of dry weather hit Sri Lanka's rice farmers, resulting in a harvest of 3.3 million tons, 17 percent less than the year before. Although Sri Lanka's farmers are aware of the shift in the country's climate patterns — and the potentially dire consequences — many refuse to change the way they farm.

Sri Lanka's paddy farmers have long followed a cultivation schedule based on two monsoon seasons: Maha, between November and March, and Yala, between April and October. Based on that timetable, paddy farmers begin to prepare their fields for cultivation only after Avurudhu, the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year that falls between April 13 and April 14. According to Namal Karunaratne, national organizer of the All Ceylon Peasants' Federation, the country’s monsoons used to bring around 4.5 million metric tons of rain each year.

But the seasonal rains have become unreliable, with one study by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology suggesting rainfall over the Indian subcontinent has decreased between 20 and 30 percent over the last century."Our farmers are yet to get used to these changes. They are still used to the government providing water on time," Karunaratne said. "They are not used to water management."
(Reporting by Amantha Perera; editing by Jumana Farouky and Laurie Goering :; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, women's rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit news.trust.org/climate)
BUSINESS STANDARD

Rice Prices

as on : 04-05-2016 08:10:26 PM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
Arrivals
Price
Current
%
change
Season
cumulative
Modal
Prev.
Modal
Prev.Yr
%change
Rice
Gondal(UP)
450.00
-8.16
12472.10
1980
1990
-1.74
Bazpur(Utr)
300.25
36.48
39235.06
2497
2545
34.97
Sitapur(UP)
285.00
38.35
7354.00
2190
2205
4.78
Azamgarh(UP)
213.00
106.8
4750.50
2130
2120
7.58
Bindki(UP)
120.00
150
2622.00
2275
2275
9.38
Bareilly(UP)
116.00
-4.13
7167.60
2325
2325
13.41
Allahabad(UP)
110.00
-21.43
6370.00
2145
2100
-0.69
Dhing(ASM)
86.00
8.86
3024.20
1800
1800
-10.00
Aligarh(UP)
85.00
-5.56
3040.00
2225
2220
15.58
Pilibhit(UP)
80.00
2.56
18652.00
2190
2195
NC
Saharanpur(UP)
75.00
8.7
4755.00
2180
2170
2.83
Thodupuzha(Ker)
70.00
NC
2660.00
2650
2650
8.16
Junagarh(Ori)
64.19
3.78
1375.03
2100
2100
-4.55
Kalahandi(Dharamagarh)(Ori)
62.19
24.75
975.48
2100
2100
-4.55
Jangipur(WB)
61.00
-
132.00
2110
-
-11.72
Etawah(UP)
50.00
-33.33
19080.00
2250
2250
0.90
Samsi(WB)
50.00
-50
15910.00
3000
3000
-
Shahjahanpur(UP)
46.00
240.74
40549.60
2260
2250
6.60
Barasat(WB)
45.00
-25
2610.00
2200
2200
-8.33
Gazipur(UP)
43.00
16.22
1654.00
1990
1990
-1.00
Mainpuri(UP)
43.00
-35.82
1315.50
2050
2040
5.67
Lanka(ASM)
40.00
-11.11
2290.00
1750
1750
-1.41
Karimganj(ASM)
40.00
NC
1600.00
2150
2250
-2.27
Gauripur(ASM)
36.00
16.13
2509.00
4500
4500
NC
Jaunpur(UP)
36.00
2.86
1291.00
1970
1980
-0.51
Purulia(WB)
30.00
25
1897.00
2240
2240
-5.88
Madhoganj(UP)
21.50
-20.37
196.50
2150
2215
-
Cachar(ASM)
20.00
-50
1670.00
2700
2700
NC
Kolaghat(WB)
17.00
NC
562.00
2300
2300
4.55
Tamluk (Medinipur E)(WB)
17.00
NC
578.00
2300
2300
9.52
Giridih(Jha)
15.38
NC
216.48
3500
3500
NC
Sirsa(UP)
14.00
-3.45
475.00
2070
2075
-0.96
Udala(Ori)
13.00
-23.53
831.00
2800
2800
12.00
Lakhimpur(UP)
13.00
-7.14
464.50
2180
2170
3.81
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
12.70
42.7
1375.30
1900
1900
-
Raibareilly(UP)
12.50
108.33
278.50
2075
2060
4.27
Firozabad(UP)
11.00
-8.33
611.00
2120
2120
5.47
Pukhrayan(UP)
11.00
-15.38
249.50
2130
2125
-1.39
Tinsukia(ASM)
10.00
-50
145.00
2200
2200
-12.00
Barikpur(Ori)
10.00
NC
140.00
2500
2400
4.17
Kannauj(UP)
9.50
-5
363.50
2150
2170
-2.27
Raiganj(WB)
9.50
5.56
799.00
2650
2650
3.92
Deogarh(Ori)
9.00
NC
417.00
2500
2500
NC
Dibiapur(UP)
9.00
718.18
116.50
2150
2140
-0.92
Katwa(WB)
8.60
7.5
170.70
2200
2200
NC
Jeypore(Ori)
8.40
-46.15
77.90
6150
3250
89.23
Kasganj(UP)
8.00
-20
571.00
2040
2050
-0.24
Chengannur(Ker)
7.00
7.69
511.00
2500
2400
4.17
Nilagiri(Ori)
7.00
-22.22
438.00
2300
2300
NC
Khairagarh(UP)
7.00
NC
361.00
2900
2130
44.28
Dibrugarh(ASM)
6.70
-52.14
1122.40
2450
2450
-
Karanjia(Ori)
6.00
NC
254.80
2600
2600
4.00
Nimapara(Ori)
6.00
33.33
189.50
2200
2200
15.79
Bolangir(Ori)
5.00
-28.57
242.20
2300
2200
-4.17
Fatehpur(UP)
5.00
-37.5
272.50
2230
2210
2.53
Mirzapur(UP)
5.00
-16.67
1267.10
1975
1970
-0.25
Dankaur(UP)
5.00
-
5.00
2050
-
-
Tusura(Ori)
4.00
-38.46
263.00
2300
2200
-4.17
Khatauli(UP)
4.00
100
28.00
2185
2160
4.05
Imphal(Man)
3.80
8.57
183.00
2900
2900
NC
Rura(UP)
3.50
9.38
103.70
2120
2120
-1.85
Kalyani(WB)
3.50
NC
86.50
3400
3400
NC
Karimpur(WB)
3.00
NC
58.00
3150
3150
NC
Balarampur(WB)
2.60
-7.14
63.40
2250
2250
-3.85
Gulavati(UP)
2.00
-50
55.00
2070
2050
1.22
Lamlong Bazaar(Man)
1.30
-7.14
61.20
2900
2900
NC
Thoubal(Man)
1.20
20
76.10
2900
2900
3.57
Sardhana(UP)
1.00
25
76.70
2200
2200
5.26
Shillong(Meh)
0.80
-20
50.40
3500
3500
NC
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article8556006.ece

Philippines lifts rice output losses as drought bites

  • 4 May 2016 at 16:14
  • WRITER: REUTERS
A farmer carries a bunch of newly harvested rice stalks at a rice field overlooking Mayon volcano in Daraga Albay in central Philippines on April 3, 2016. (Reuters photo)

MANILA - The Philippines said on Wednesday that drought had caused the country's rice output to drop by about 300,000 tonnes, or a third higher than its estimate last month, and there was a risk heavy rains later in the year could inflict more crop damage.The Philippines is one of the world's biggest importers of rice and there is a growing risk it will miss its target of producing 18 million tonnes after one of the three strongest El Nino weather patterns in the last 20 years."I'm sure there will be adjustment (in the target) because of this damage," Agriculture Undersecretary Emerson Palad told reporters. "But we haven't discussed it yet."

The damage report released by the Department of Agriculture also showed 204,245 tonnes of corn had been lost since February last year when an El Nino weather pattern emerged.Government data showed rice paddy losses totaled 299,558 tonnes as of May 3, more than half the total losses of 540,469 tonnes during the last 2009-2010 El Nino.This year alone, paddy losses were about 231,000 tonnes, Palad said, as he announced the agriculture department is planning to spend more on measures such as cloud-seeding in a bid to increase rainfall.Palad put total agricultural losses both due to an El Nino and pest infestation since February last year at The government had yet to discuss contingency measures for a possible La Nina, a weather pattern that sometimes follows an El Nino, that could bring strong rains and further damage crops later this year, Palad said.Government data showed the Philippines had the lowest rice stocks since October in March despite importing 750,000 tonnes and its grains procurement agency has standby authority to ship an additional 500,000 tonnes to boost reserves if needed.
Domestic rice production in the first quarter to be announced next week could be about 8% lower than initially projected because of insufficient water and intense heat, based on the government's latest estimate.
Bangkok Post

TNAU researching on ways to fortifiy rice with zinc, iron


TNN | May 5, 2016, 06.13 AM IST
Coimbatore: At a time when micro nutrition deficiency is slowly becoming rampant in both rural and urban areas, scientists at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) are looking for ways to make rice richer in zinc and iron. They have begun researching ways to bio-fortify the two minerals in rice, considered the staple food across South India. At least two varieties are likely to be readied for testing across the country this year.

TNAU's paddy breeding station has begun breeding a few new varieties of rice, which are expected to contain four to five times the normal content of iron and double the content of zinc. "Besides, starch, protein and vitamins, polished rice contains around 2 to 4 ppm (parts per million) of iron and 8 ppm of zinc," says professor and project director of Centre for Molecular Breeding, S Robin.

"We are targeting raising mineral content of polished rice to 10 to 12 ppm of iron and 24 ppm of zinc," he says. If they are successful, polished rice will contain more minerals than even what is found in brown rice currently-8 to 10 ppm of iron and 12 ppm of zinc.

Iron and zinc deficiencies in our diet can often cause a host of health complications like anemia, low immunity, hair fall, nail breakage and even mental lethargy. Though meat, especially sea food, is a rich source of zinc and iron, with a sizeable population in the region being vegetarian, mineral deficiencies are rampant say both endocrinologists and dermatologists.

"Iron deficiencies are more common than zinc, and is more common in women than men," says hematologist at Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital, Dr Ramaprabhahari Satheshkumar. "It causes tiredness, dizziness and even palpitations,"
"This is why we came up with the idea of fortifying rice, which is a staple food," said Robin. "And we decided to ensure that even milled rice will have these minerals, because most of the population consumes only milled rice, even though milling (polishing) removes most of its nutrients," he added.
The bio-fortification research, sponsored by the central government's department of biotechnology and Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR) is being done in three steps.
First is to screen and identify traditional varieties rich in zinc and iron, study the genes responsible for the mineral content and then breeding them to create a new variety. "We studied and screened almost 200 varieties of rice last year," said Robin. "A majority of them from Tamil Nadu and a few from Orissa and Raipur," he said.
Scientists have identified a few genes, bred a few new varieties and have planted them within their premises. They hope to get at least two new varieties and send them for testing across the country. The other institutes part of the research are M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad and Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya at Raipur.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/TNAU-researching-on-ways-to-fortifiy-rice-with-zinc-iron/articleshow/52116870.cms

 

El NiƱo-caused rice shortage could happen this year, lead to higher prices

 Updated 9:13 pm, Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Photo: Jill K. Robinson, Special To The Chronicle
ETHOPIA - 14-month-old baby boy Kedir Beresp eats emergency nutritional feed for severe acute malnutrition at the Halo Health Post in Ogolcho in Ethiopia's drought affected Oromia region in January. Ethiopia is struggling with its worst drought for 30 years, with millions in dire need of life-saving aid, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned. At least 10.2 million people need food aid in Ethiopia, a figure the UN has warned could double within months, casting a fifth of the population into hunger.
IMAGE 1 OF 22
Immediately outside Hoi An, rice paddies abound in various stages of growth and harvest. There is an expected rice shortage for 2016 due to El Nino, which could cause rice prices to increase.Add on yet another global effect of El NiƱo: A global rice shortage could become a reality this year, due to the weather system. Along with the shortage could come tighter rice supplies and higher prices, should a few key factors happen in the next few months.El NiƱo-related extremes such as hot weather and drought are impacting rice-producing areas, including India, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam, and grain stock is expected to fall, according to an article from the Independent in England.

There are a still a few factors in play if a widespread shortage is to be avoided. One upcoming indicator of the shortage is how the monsoon season performs in Asia."The extent of this crisis all depends on what happens during the upcoming monsoon season," Dr. Samarendu Mohanty from the International Rice Research Institute told the Independent. "If it goes badly in India and Indonesia, and the crops don't get the rain, there could be real trouble ahead."Mohanty said the situation is not quite at the level as when the rice supply dwindled in 2008, although BBC Newsreported last month that rice shortages in the Philippines caused violence in the southern Philippines, where people have been protesting the rice shortages.

Thailand and Vietnam, the second and third largest rice producers respectively, are both experiencing droughts which are affecting rice crops, according to Reuters.Prices have not yet been affected due to a surplus,  but could soon, according to James Feel, an economist at the International Grains Council, who spoke with Reuters."As of now, we haven't seen a large price reaction to hot and dry weather, because we have had such significant surplus stocks in India and Thailand," Fell said. "But that can't last forever."Click through the gallery above to see other effects of El NiƱo, including coral bleaching at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. 

http://www.sfgate.com/world/article/El-Nino-caused-rice-shortage-could-lead-to-higher-7394207.php

A WORLDWIDE SHORTAGE OF RICE CAUSED BY 'EL NINO' COULD RESULT IN SKY-HIGH PRICES

    
Yikes! Harsh weather conditions caused by El Nino, a complex series of climatic changes affecting the equatorial Pacific region, have put a pause on the production of rice in India, potentially leading to higher prices of the food.  “There is no doubt that the supply situation is very tight, and this will inevitably cause a spiral in demand,” Samarendu Mohanty, a doctor who works for the Rice Research Institute, told The Independent. “The extent of this crisis depends on what happens during upcoming monsoon season. If it goes badly in India and Indonesia and the crops don’t get the rain, there could be real trouble ahead.”The monsoon season, which refers to a period of prevailing winds in the regions of South and Southeast Asia, takes place from July to September and accounts for four-fifths of India’s annual rain. In 2008, these weather conditions prompted India to impose a ban on all exports, increasing prices to $1,000 per ton worldwide. Just last month, the average cost of a ton of rice was $389.59, but this doesn’t mean Asia is out of the crosshairs.  

“At the moment it looks like the situation won’t be as serious as in 2008, but the countries affected must act more rationally this time rather than panicking, and they must learn from the mistakes of the past,” Mohanty added.India, Thailand and the United States rank as the top three rice suppliers, producing 60% of the global rice trade, which amounts to 43 million tons. Still, El Nino, soon to be replaced by La Nina, which causes temperatures to turn cold, is predicted to affect Brazil.Only time will tell if Latinos will feel the trickling effects of a global rice shortage

http://www.latina.com/lifestyle/news/worldwide-shortage-rice-el-nino-high-prices


05/04/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
Rice
High
Low
Long Grain Cash Bids
- - -
- - -
Long Grain New Crop
- - -
- - -


Futures:
ROUGH RICE
High
Low
Last
Change
May '16
1117.5
1117.0
1117.5
+0.5
Jul '16
1155.5
1139.5
1144.5
0.0
Sep '16
1170.0
1156.5
1161.0
+2.0
Nov '16
1175.0
1170.0
1170.0
+2.0
Jan '17
1183.0
+4.0
Mar '17
1200.0
1200.0
1200.0
+4.0
May '17
1219.0
+4.0
   

Rice Comment

Rice futures continued higher. July completed a 38% retracement today, with the next upside objective at the 50% level of $11.93. The market will be watching crop progress closely. If farmers plant what they reported to USDA in the survey, the large crop will limit the upside potential. Currently, USDA says 72% of the crop in the ground and 55% emerged. In Arkansas, the totals are 87% planted and 66% emerged, so Arkansas farmers made lots of progress in a weeks time. However, world production is in question as dry conditions persist in Asia due to El Nino, and that is providing support and possibly pricing opportunities for the time being

Seeds for Contract Rice Farming Planted

Khmer Times/May Kunmakara
 Wednesday, 04 May 2016
 The Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) yesterday called on local rice millers, exporters, farmers, development partners and the Ministry of Agriculture to work together to promote contract farming to ensure the sustainable development of the rice industry of the country.Sok Puthy Vuth, chairman of CRF, told Khmer Times that the federation had a meeting with concerned parties yesterday to seek recommendations and ideas and to map out the challenges for millers and farmers who have already been doing contract farming and to set a clear role for the CRF to promote the scheme.
“This morning, we meet all of them to see the problems and successes and to set a clear policy to implement the scheme,” said Mr. Puthy Vuth. “As we are from the federation, we had not set a clear policy on the issue because in the past, we didn’t have our network or staff close to the farming community, although we had had many discussions with them and now we want to hear from them about exactly what role should we play,” he said. Chan Sokheang, the CEO of Signatures of Asia, a local rice miller and exporter, told Khmer Times that his company had been implementing a policy with a few areas in two provinces – Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap – for one year, but many challenges still have to be dealt with.

“We just started to work on the scheme and we are trying to build trust between each other,” said Mr. Sokheang.“When you look at the scheme it is good, but when we started implementing we faced many challenges – like building trust between each other, the fluctuation in the market prices and the quality of the paddy rice. Now we are at the stage of learning from each other and I think we need time for that,” he added.Song Saran is a successful rice miller who implemented the scheme in 2013. He is the managing director of Amru Rice (Cambodia) and told Khmer Times that his company had implemented a sustainable contract rice farming project in 2013 with few agriculture cooperatives involved and with 200 farmer families in Preah Vihear province.

 He said the project had helped alleviate poverty among the farmers, and there are about 28 agriculture cooperatives involved with 4,000 farmers who will be considered in Amru’s contract farming. It will make up approximately 20 percent of the total volume of Amru’s rice.“Contract farming is the key linkage among rice producers, rice millers and exporters. It is a vital part of improving the quality of rice as well as traceability. It has a huge impact on the living standards of the rice producers with guaranteed markets and prices,” said Mr. Saran.

 “We will continue to expand year-by-year until reaching 50 percent of our total export volume by 2020,” he said. He added that Amru Rice has determined that farmers in Preah Vihear, Svay Rieng, Mondulkiri, Kratie, Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, Pursat, Banteay Meachey and Battambang are interested in getting involved in contract farming.  The contract farming volume will increase to 10,000 tons in 2016, 15,000 tons in 2017 and 40,000 ton by 2020, he said.“The farmers are guaranteed a price, improved quality of paddy, reduced costs through financing and receive a premier price,” he said.Ieng Sophalet, a spokesman at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said contract farming is one way to boost farmers’ incomes.




“Many farmers only have a landlord, and some of them don’t have the capital to buy things like fertilizer and seeds, but with contact farming they receive a budget to buy seeds and fertilizer,” he said.“Importantly, when their products are harvested, the farmers already have a market for their products,” Mr. Sophalet added. “Contract farming is a win-win policy for farmers and traders.”
Mr. Sophalet said the agriculture ministry is encouraging all farmers to get into contract farming.
However, Mr. Puthy Vuth of the federation said not many millers are working on the scheme due to a lack of trust with farmers and millers over contracts.“We don’t have many rice millers who have been working on this scheme,” he said.

“At the same time, we also heard there are a lot of challenges implementing the policy and they have a lot of work to do with farmers, so they need to have a clear process in order to build trust between farmers and themselves.“That’s why we at the federation want to set a clear policy to deal with the issues before we jump in.“Now we are trying to collaborate with all concerned parties over the issues because it is a very good scheme. Now we want to make sure who will lead the scheme, whether it be the federation, development partners or the Ministry of Agriculture,” Mr. Puthy Vuth added.

Mr. Saran recommended other millers who wished to work on the scheme that they need to have a good model and market for this project.“There is a high risk of failure in case of an inaccessible market,” he said.“We have done organic rice since 2013 and the lessons learned and the model encouraged us to go for a conventional contract farming trial in 2016,” he said.“We expect to have results for conventional contract farming by the end of 2016, and we will look at the challenges to address before continuing in 2017 on a larger scale.” Additional reporting by Chea Vannak.


Nigeria: Emefiele's Devt Focus Boosts Rice, Wheat Production


Recently, the Governor of the Central Bank Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh were in Kebbi State to inspect wheat and rice farms under the Anchor Borrowers Programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Led by the Governor of Kebbi, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, Mr. Emefiele and the team carried an on-site assessment tour of some the large farms operated by the over 70,000 farmers being encouraged under the program.Kebbi state is one of the largest rice producing states in the country. This year alone it is projected to produce about 1 million metric tonnes of rice making it a critical part of the Central Bank's plan to stimulate local productive capacity so as to reduce food imports, reduce foreign exchange pressure on the naira, create jobs and grow the local economy.

Speaking to journalists after the inspection tour, the CBN governor said "we have gone round the farms; we got to a place called Suru local government where over 12, 000 farmers were registered under the Anchor Borrowers Programme and over 40,000 kilometers of rice farms have been cultivated. We also stopped somewhere close to Suru where wheat is being harvested. Now we are seeing the reality in Kebbi, that wheat can be cultivated and grown in Nigeria".According to him, 78,000 farmers have so far benefitted from the Anchor Borrowers Programme and the CBN gave them a minimum of N210,000 to cultivate a hectare of land. "Thirteen states would be involved in the rice programme particularly during the rainy season. We would begin from the South-east states of Anambra, Ebonyi, Cross -River, Benue and Plateau. We would also engage northern states of Zamfara, Kaduna and Katsina", he said.

The assessment tour is significant. It serves as practical proof that the CBN Governor beyond the rhetoric and policy prescriptions on stopping imports of goods that could be produced locally, building local productive capacity and creating jobs is indeed ready to step out of the comfort of his office into the heat of the real field to get the job done. The visit also shows his commitment and that of the federal government towards ensuring that the key objectives of the Anchor Borrowers Program are attained.

That he is matching words to action and monitoring closely to see the translation of policy into farms on the ground in places far from Abuja is commendable. The country is in an emergency situation and the actions of its key policy drivers must be seen to reflect the urgency for quick action. Thus, all hands must be on deck and all sleeves rolled up to ensure that we move with speed towards the solution, which we all are now agreed on.Now, the Anchor Borrower's Program which was flagged-off by President Muhammadu Buhari in November last year at Zauro, near Birnin Kebbi for dry season rice farming is one of the several CBN intervention programs that are designed to boost local productive capacity. It seeks to create economic linkages between farmers and processors, not only to ensure increased agricultural output of rice and wheat, but to also close the gap between production and consumption.

Under the programme, the CBN has set aside N40bn out of the N220bn Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund to be given to farmers at single digit interest rate of nine per cent per annum.As part of the scheme's offering, smallholder farmers are entitled to loans ranging from N150,000 to N250,000 to assist them in procuring necessary agricultural inputs like seedlings, fertilizers, pesticides, among others, to help boost agricultural outputs and productivity.So far the CBN has given out N4.9billion in loans under the scheme. A total of 78,581 farmers have been mobilized in Kebbi with a total of 570,000 direct jobs created in the process. Relatedly, about 70,871 rural farmers now own and operate bank accounts and captured under the Bank Verification Number (BVN) biometric project and timely supply of inputs to 73,001 farmers.

It would be recalled that from January 2012 to May 2015 the country spent over 2.41bn dollars on importation of rice. This negative trend resulted in huge stock of paddy rice cultivated by local farmers and the low operating capacities of many integrated rice mills in the country. Relatedly, from the fourth quarter of 2014 to the third quarter of last year alone, Nigeria spent $1.14bn (N227.78bn), while rice imports drained $591.47m (N117.85bn).
With the progress that is being made with the implementation of the Anchor Borrowers' Program, the likelihood of Nigeria achieving self-sufficiency in the local production of rice and wheat seems more probable. It is also proving critics of Emefiele's foreign exchange policies wrong and showing more than ever that a lot can be achieved in Agriculture if local farmers are given the necessary government support and incentives. It also shows that Nigeria has the capacity to produce most of the goods that it imports using its hard earned foreign exchange.

Besides the Anchor Borrowers program which focuses on boosting rice and wheat production, the CBN has also implemented a series of direct financial interventions which are meant to stimulate growth of critical sectors of the economy. One of these is the N300bn Real Sector Support Facility (RSSF). One of the beneficiaries of this facility is Psaltery International Limited. The company which specializes in producing starch for breweries who before now relied on imported starch secured an N850 million loan which it has used to expand its operations, increase its output and increase its workforce.

Other CBN strategic interventions in critical sectors of the economy include the N220bn Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund; N75bn Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending - from where the Anchor Program is funded and the N213bn Nigeria Electricity Market Stabilization Fund whose aim to help stabilize the electricity industry. The CBN has also set up a N50bn Nigeria Export Import Bank Fund and the N500bn Export Refinancing and Restructuring Facility with focus to boost the country's exports. Not too long ago, the CBN disbursed N350 billion to the Nigerian Export Import Bank (NEXIM). The fund is meant to boost the country's exports by proving low interest financial to local companies. All these are helping to bridge the financial handicap which has held down manufacturing growth for decades. It is estimated that the Central Bank has so far committed over 1.3trillion naira towards providing credit to the real sector of the economy.

These historic initiatives that are being spiritedly pursued by the Central Bank Governor, with the active political support of the President, if continued and sustained within the next couple of years would help to greatly re-calibrate the nation's economy, diversify its resource base and give it the necessary internal resilience to withstand external shocks especially as a result of the volatility in oil prices which we are currently experiencing.

While the prices of oil in the international market have steadily inched up in recent times to record highs of $48 and there is a strong likelihood of it hitting the $50 mark, they can only help to bring temporary or short term stability to the current economic crunch. On the long term, it is only a domestic focused policy - like the one being implemented by Emefiele - that focuses on growing local industry, boosting local production would help to strengthen our economy and ignite sustainable growth.
- Adegboyega is a policy analyst

 

Nigeria


K to 12 teachers train on climate-smart rice agriculture
Recognizing the urgency to tackle impacts of climate change on rice production, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) conducted the Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and rice production training, April 22-26.Forty-seven high school teachers from across the country were trained to teach crop production in the next academic year. The key aim of the training was to integrate lessons on climate-smart rice agriculture in the curriculum of the participating schools. The training was under PhilRice’s Infomediary Campaign, a youth engagement in agriculture initiative.“This is the third year that we are focusing on climate-smart agriculture and rice production,” said Jaime A. Manalo IV, campaign team lead.
Climate-smart rice production technologies such as controlled irrigation, use of the leaf color chart (LCC), and the minus-one element technique (MOET), and use of drought and submergence-tolerant rice varieties were tackled by PhilRice experts. Controlled irrigation is a water management technology to avoid wasteful use of water. It guides a farmer in irrigating his/her crops. MOET and LCC are efficient guides in nutrient management. The LCC is a simple tool to determine nitrogen requirement of the soil. PhilRice studies show savings of up to P3,000 or roughly 2 bags of urea due to LCC. On the other hand, MOET is a simplified kit to diagnose micronutrient deficiencies of the soil. “We learned about pest management, Palayamanan Plus, and other ways to improve our farming. This training is very useful in Kto12,” said Fe De Guzman of the Vicente B. Ylagan National High School in Oriental Mindoro.
Among the key highlights of the training was the lecture on Palayamanan Plus or rice-based farming systems. It is PhilRice’s key strategy to increase income of the rice-farming household.
Palayamanan Plus integrates several activities such as growing vegetables and raising livestock and other farm animals. It tackles the importance of integration, intensification, and diversification concepts in rice farming.   Elizabeth Pajarillo of San Jose Agro-industrial High school, one of the best implementers of the Infomediary Campaign in 2014, presented how she is integrating the campaign in her school.
Pajarillo presented their rice garden managed by their students and talked about the agricultural extension activity, which they conducted in their surrounding community on CSA and rice production.The training was a series of lectures and hands-on activities. The teachers were also exposed to the rice machines developed by PhilRice.  Irwin Husmalaga from the Climate Change Commission (CCC) discussed the science of climate change to the trainees. His lecture aimed to demystify climate change to avoid misinformation on the issue.  The participants also toured around the Science City of MuƱoz and visited the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), and the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMec).
“Two more batches of training on the same subject are slated on May 16-20 and June 20-24. The teacher-trainees will be an addition to the Infomediary Campaign participating schools.  By end of June, there will be more than 200 Infomediary Campaign participating schools nationwide,” Manalo said.  The project is in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS).
PhilRice Midsayap wins as 2015 Best Station
PhilRice’s branch in Midsayap, North Cotabato was awarded as the 2015 Best Station, an annual internal competition among the seven branch stations of the Institute across the country.
The 94-ha station was cited for a very informative farmers’ field day and forum in September 2015 which gathered over 700 farmers from southwestern Mindanao. It was also lauded for good governance. Dr. Sailila E. Abdula, acting branch director, believes that this recognition can be attributed to capacity-building efforts for the 112 staff who serve as the backbone of rice R&D initiatives of the station.
Abdula said that the strategic development plan on ecological R&D programs for southwestern Mindanao is already in the pipeline. Strengthening partnerships and infrastructure development will be their key focus areas. “As a research institution, we want to develop and give direction to a biotechnology center for Mindanao,” Abdula said referring to a molecular laboratory that is expected to be completed this year.Also in 2015, the station was recognized by the local government unit for its community development efforts through rice R&D. Recently, Midsayap was awarded as one of the top rice-producing municipalities in the Philippines by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Meanwhile, PhilRice Agusan and Batac won the 2nd and 3rd places, respectively. They were also recognized for continued innovation and technology promotion.“The Best Station Award shows our culture of continuous improvement that reflects innovation, invention, and discovery,” said Dr. Eduardo Jimmy P. Quilang, deputy executive director for research and project leader of the contest.Quilang added that this is also a way to demonstrate what the Institute promotes on integration, intensification, and diversification in rice and rice-based farming systems to help increase farmers’ income. One of the major criteria of the contest is the performance of the branches in its R&D initiatives (60%). It mainly evaluated a station’s adoption and promotion of the Intensified Rice-Based AgriBioSystems (IRBAS) Program that aims to increase farm productivity and address food security.
The R&D criterion also looked into a station’s level of mechanization, varietal demo, client satisfaction, innovation, and execution of a clean, green, practical, and smart rice farming systems.
Organization and management (40%) was the second major criterion which evaluated a station’s adherence to the Institute’s Integrated Management Systems (IMS) standards in its internal systems and processes. Leadership, income generation, linkages, and networks were also looked into.Personalities and experts from various fields served as the judges of the competition. The group was composed of Dr. Rex Navarro (development communication, R&D management), Dr. Genaro San Valentin (crop management), Engr. Donald Mateo (agricultural machinery), and Ms. Thelma Padolina (plant breeding). 
ECOWAS programme targets increase in rice production
Posted by: APA Posted date : May 4, 2016 at 7:07 pm
ECOWAS-initiated Rice Seed Up Scaling Programme is targeting farmers in seven Nigerian states to produce 60,000 metric tonnes of paddy rice between 2016 and 2017.
Mr. Sunday Okelola, the Coordinator of the programme, said in Abuja on Wednesday that the project was in support of the Rice Offensive Initiative that was inaugurated in 2014.

“The main objective is to scale up the use of improved rice seeds. Rice has been observed to be very important for food security sustainability in the sub-region vis-a-vis increasing the farmers’ income, creating wealth and making life better for the farming populace,” he said.“So, we want to see how to improve on the livelihood of people. One way to do it is by promoting rice production, and you cannot promote production without quality seeds,” he said.According to him, this project is looking at utilising 1,200 metric tonnes of seeds to produce about 60,000 metric tonnes of paddy within the two years and it can be split into what can do in 2016 and what will do in 2017.

Okelola said that the two-year programme would be implemented in Kano, Niger, Kebbi, Zamfara, Benue, Ekiti and Ebonyi states between March 2016 and December 2017.
He said the programme was being spearheaded by the Seed Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria (SEEDAN) in collaboration with the West and Central Africa Council for Agricultural Research and Development(WECARD).Okelola identified other participants in the programme as the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), seed companies, rice millers and financial institutions like the Bank of Agriculture.According to him, the project also covers seed planning, connecting and building the capacity of actors as well as facilitating access to equipment and proper storage.

http://en.starafrica.com/news/ecowas-programme-targets-increase-in-rice-production.html
Lawsuit Could Put an End to Treated Seeds 
 A disturbing lawsuit, Anderson et al. v. McCarthy et al, has been brought against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in federal court by a number of commercial beekeepers, growers and environmental activist groups for not regulating seeds treated with systemic pesticides as pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). These groups allege that dust from the coated seeds has harmed the environment, including honey bees and birds. 
 EPA currently regulates the pesticides used as seed treatments.  A seed may not be treated with a pesticide unless EPA has specifically approved the pesticide for use as a seed treatment on that seed. 
 However, seed is regulated by USDA and individual states.  Currently seed bag tags are clearly marked with the active ingredient used in the seed treatment. There are additional requirements for language on the seed tag for neonic-treated seed.  The treated article exemption for treated seed, which is referenced in the lawsuit, is a longstanding policy of EPA. An article is exempt from regulation under FIFRA by virtue of the treated article exemption if the following three conditions are met:
        the article contains or is treated with a pesticide;
·         the pesticide is intended to protect the article itself; and,
·         the pesticide is registered for this use. 
 Treated seeds meet all of these requirements and thus meet the definition of a treated article.  
 "If rice seeds are registered as a pesticide it could put a heavy burden on growers because each planting will be considered a pesticide application," said Dr. Steve Linscombe, Director of the LSU Ag Center.  "Each farmer could have to register as a pesticide applicator and meet the educational requirements.  In addition, the regulations could easily become overwhelming, basically giving control of planting decisions to EPA as each seed would need to be registered as a pesticide pursuant to FIFRA.  When you potentially incorporate this process into new, incoming regulations including the revised Worker Protection Standards, the Applicator Certification Rule, and WOTUS, you may be seeing the end of treated seeds."
 While EPA acknowledged in its January 4, 2016 preliminary pollinator assessment for imidacloprid that it posed a low-potential risk to bees when used as a seed treatment, EPA's response to the lawsuit is unknown at this time.  USA Rice staff and members met with EPA earlier this year on this issue and USA Rice continues to be engaged on the issue and will encourage EPA to mount a vigorous defense against the lawsuit.  
APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1465


International Benchmark Price
Price on: 29-04-2016
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
Apricots
1
Turkish No. 2 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t)
4625
2
Turkish No. 4 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t)
4125
3
Turkish size 8, CIF UK (USD/t)
3625
Honey
1
Argentine 85mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
2140
2
Argentine 50mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
2160
3
Argentine 34mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
2180
Peanuts
1
South Africa, HPS 70/80 peanuts CFR main European ports (USD/t)
2000
2
South African, HPS 40/50 peanuts CFR main European ports (USD/t)
1950
3
Argentinean 38/42 runners, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
1485
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 03-05-2016
Domestic Prices
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Jowar(Sorghum)
1
Siddhpur (Gujarat)
Other
3790
3835
2
Theni (Tamil Nadu)
Other
1470
1530
3
Pitlam (Telangana)
Local
1570
1570
Maize
1
Hirekerur (Karnataka)
Local
1380
1430
2
Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh)
Other
1340
1626
3
Kota (Rajasthan)
Other
1331
1421
Papaya
1
Barnala (Punjab)
Other
1500
2000
2
Solan (Himachal Pradesh)
Other
1500
2000
3
Bharuch (Gujarat)
Other
600
850
Cabbage
1
Chala (Kerala)
Other
2200
2258
2
Tusura (Orissa)
Other
2000
2200
3
Bharuch (Gujarat)
Other
500
750
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 03-05-2016
Product
Market Center
Price
1
Pune
340
2
Chittoor
343
3
Hyderabad
314
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package
Price on 02-05-2016
Product
Market Center
Origin
Variety
Low
High
Onions Dry
Package: 50 lb cartons
1
Atlanta
Colorado
Russet
17
17.50
2
Chicago
California
Russet
21
21
2
Detroit
Wisconsin
Russet
16
16.50
Carrots
Package: 20 1-lb film bags
1
Atlanta
California
Baby Peeled
20.25
20.75
2
Dallas
Mexico
Baby Peeled
17
19
3
Philadelphia
California
Baby Peeled
16
16
Apples
Package: cartons tray pack
1
Atlanta
Virginia   
Red Delicious
25.50
26
2
Chicago
Washington
Red Delicious
21
21
3
Miami
Washington
Red Delicious
24
28
Source:USDA

 

Sean Doherty credits teamwork for rice farm’s success


Rice grower Sean Doherty believes the success of his northern California farm is based on a “we” attitude, rather than “I” – calling the operation a successful team effort including his wife Melissa and their dedicated, hard-working employees.“We have a great crew,” Sean says. “They are really good people, work hard, and I’m thankful for them. They make the reason for working hard easy.”Sean V. Doherty Farms, located at Arbuckle, includes Sean and Melissa and their 15 full time and up to 30 seasonal employees.Sean says, “I have been blest to have wonderful people who agree to work with me and my wife.”

Doherty is a third generation California farmer, who succeeded his father Michael Doherty and grandfather James “Vince” Doherty after their passing. Vince started the farm from scratch.
Sean and Melissa have three children – Hannah, 14; Gus, 12; and Mary 6. The farm headquarters is located several hundred yards north of the Colusa-Yolo county line.

Diversified operation
The diversified farming operation includes about 2,000 acres of rice (under full water allocations), along with almonds, processing tomatoes, alfalfa, sunflowers, corn for grain, wheat, safflower, and hay crops. Some of crops are grown for seed.The Doherty business also includes custom planting-harvesting services for area farmers.Doherty acknowledges not only his enjoyment of growing rice, but that as a rice connoisseur. Among his favorite dinner dishes is a bowl of Calrose rice with sausage on top.He chuckles, “I would eat rice three meals a day – seven days a week - if my wife would let me. I’d be as happy as a clam.”Doherty says rice is a good crop to grow in California.

“Its great quality rice and we have a great story to tell,” the rice grower says. “We have great quality water and soil, and good people and their families grow the crop. We grow rice efficiently with minimum inputs and take great care of the environment.

http://westernfarmpress.com/rice/sean-doherty-credits-teamwork-rice-farm-s-success

Rice man Nipon dies, aged 71

  • 5 May 2016 at 07:00 1,400
  • NEWSPAPER SECTION: NEWS
Nipon Wongtrangan, a former president of the Thai Rice Millers Association, died from a kidney illness yesterday. He was 71.He was admitted to Phaya Thai Hospital 1 on April 11, having been in and out of hospital for treatment of multiple illnesses. His condition worsened during the Songkran period last month and he died ear­ly yesterday.Nipon was regarded a prominent figure in the country's rice industry, having served in important posts including five terms as president of the Thai Rice Millers Association, president of the Public Warehouse Organisation and director of the government's rice price-intervention agency. He was also appointed a board member of the Maejo University council.A royally-sponsored cremation rite will be held at Wat That Thong on Monday.

Bangkok Post e-new


Wheat softens on ample stocks

PTI | May 3, 2016, 03.10 PM IST
New Delhi, May 3 () In restricted activity, wheat prices shed Rs 5 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today due to adequate stocks on higher supplies from producing belts against reduced offtake by flour mills.
However, other grains remained steady in limited deals.
Traders said adequate stocks position on higher supplies from producing belts against reduced offtake by flour mills kept pressure on wheat prices.
Meanwhile, wheat procurement has increased by 10 per cent to 208.11 lakh tonnes so far in the ongoing marketing season, helped by rise in production.
In the national capital, wheat dara (for mills) eased by Rs 5 to Rs 1,615-1,620 per quintal. Atta chakki delivery followed suit and enquired lower by a similar margin to Rs 1,620-1,625 per 90 kg.
Following are today's quotations (in Rs per quintal):
Wheat MP (desi) Rs 1,850-2,100, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,615-1,620, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,620-1,625, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 265, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 265, Roller flour mill Rs 850-860 (50 kg), Maida Rs 930-950 (50 kg) and Sooji Rs 980-990 (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 5,700-5,800, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 4,600-5,500, 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 1,775-1,800, Bajra Rs 1,600-1,605, Jowar yellow Rs 1,800-1,900, white Rs 3,400-3,500, Maize Rs 1,370-1,380, Barley Rs 1,580-1,585. SUN KPS SRK MKJ

 

Thailand takes world's top rice exporter crown in Q1


Thailand topped the list of the world’s biggest rice exporters in the first quarter, shipping 2.85 million tonnes of the grain, a 34% year-on-year increase.The Thai Rice Exporters Association said Friday that the 44 billion baht in rice exports marked a 23% increase in value over the same period in 2015.By comparison, India shipped 2.3 million tonnes of rice from January-March while Vietnam exported 1.4 million tonnes, Pakistan 1.3 million tonnes and 820,000 tonnes by the United States.

However, Vietnamese customs data released on Wednesday showed the world's No.3 rice exporter shipped 1.55 million tonnes. The country said it expects second-quarter exports to top 1.6 million tonnes.India's export volume was estimated to have risen 2% in the quarter, while that of Vietnam rose by 58% and 4% by the US. Pakistan's export volume dropped 9%.
In the first quarter, the five biggest buyers of Thai rice were Indonesia (317,100 tonnes, an 877% annual increase), Ivory Coast (272,354 tonnes, up 86%), Benin (266,246 tonnes, up 426%), China (257,708 tonnes, up 86%) and Cameroon (191,846 tonnes, up 251%).In March alone, the country exported 990,864 tonnes of rice worth 15.2 billion baht, rising 26% by volume and 17% by value year-on-year. In the month, exporters delivered white rice to governments in China, Indonesia and the Philippines and broken rice to African nations.

The association estimated the rice export at 700,000-750,000 tonnes in April due to the Songkran holidays.Without government-to-government rice deals, rice sales in traditional markets did not increase much because the purchasing power of African countries remains low, the association said.
Bangkok Post

Say goodbye to hunger with this easy tomato pulao recipe

 

Tomato pulao makes for a great healthy evening snack for children.

Written by Ashima Goyal Siraj | Angola | Updated: May 4, 2016 8:10 pm
With a preparation time of less than 30 minutes, tomato pulao makes for a great evening snack option for kids. (Source: Ashima Goyal Siraj)
This tomato pulao is a kids’ favourite. As a child, I used to add dollops of ketchup in my pulao, but now I figured it is better when used during the cooking of pulao itself. Last week I had a children’s gathering at home for some craft activities and I made tomato pulao as an evening snack for all. I kept the chilli to a minimum as most kids weren’t Indians. I wasn’t sure how it would go and to my pleasant surprise it was a big hit! Taking a cue from Bombay’s street vendors, I simply used just pav bhaji masala and salt for seasoning.While I made it with freshly boiled rice, this tomato rice recipe can be made with leftover rice as well.

Tomato Pulao
Preparation: 5 mins| Cooking: 15 mins | Serves: 6-8

Ingredients
2 cups – Basmati rice
2 – Onions, cut in chucks
2 – Tomatoes, cut in chunks
1/2 cup – Tomato ketchup
1 – Green chilli, chopped
1 tbsp – Ginger-garlic paste
1/2 cup – Peas, boiled
4-5 – Fresh curry leaves
1/2 tsp – Cumin seeds
4 tsp – Pav bhaji masala
Salt to taste
2 tbsp – Oil

Method
* Wash rice in running water until the water runs clear. In a deep pan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add the washed and drained rice along with a little salt and 1 tsp oil. Cook covered on low flame until the rice is cooked through. Keep aside.

* Heat oil in a broad wok. Add cumin seeds. When the seeds start to crackle, add the curry leaves, chopped green chillies and ginger-garlic paste. Saute for a minute.* Add chopped onions and mix well. Cook for 2-3 mins till the onions start to turn transparent.* Add the chopped tomatoes, pav bhaji masala and salt. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes.

* Add the tomato ketchup and boiled peas. At this point, you can add more veggies like green capsicums, cauliflower, boiled carrots etc. Since I was specifically making for children, I kept it simple. Cook covered for 2 mins.

* Fluff the rice with a fork and add to the wok. Mix slowly to coat the rice with all the mixture.
* Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot.

Food is never just food. I believe it’s story telling, it’s conversation. It brings people together and it speaks a universal language! I love to play around in my kitchen. The thrill of being able to create something new and sharing it with others is what fuels my passion for cooking. The fact that dear husband is a foodie and an honest critique helps! I blog about my adventures in the kitchen at www.myweekendkitchen.in.
http://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/food-wine/express-recipes-tomato-pulao-recipe-2784211/#sthash.pfXhQKU9.dpuf