Wednesday, February 27, 2019

27th February,2019 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter

‘Saw millers facing hardships in TRS rule’

THE HANS INDIA |    Feb 27,2019 , 01:39 AM IST
      

Description: ‘Saw millers facing hardships in TRS rule’


‘Saw millers facing hardships in TRS rule’
  Gaddiannaram: BJP state president Dr Lakshman alleged that the saw millers were facing lot of difficulties with the TRS government’s recent policies. Addressing “Traders Mann Ki Baat Modi Ke Saath” programme, organised at the Hyderabad Rangareddy Rice Millers Association Building Complex here on Monday evening, he said that the saw millers were forced to down the shutters due to harassment by forest officials in the name of curbing timber smuggling. He said that people could lead happy and prosperous lives only under a government headed by the BJP and it was high time to say good-bye to the dictatorial family rule of TRS government under Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
  
Lakshman assured the people that the party would prepare its manifesto for the upcoming elections after taking suggestions from farmers, agricultural workers, students, intellectuals, traders and others.  Rice Millers Association president Subhash Chander and BJP in-charge Narasimha were present on the
occasion. 

Local rice: AFAN assures consumers of availability in commercial quantities soon

Published Date 
Description: All Farmers Association of Nigeria
All Farmers Association of Nigeria
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Lagos Chapter, has promised that local rice in 50 kg, 25kg, and 10 kg measures would soon be available to consumers in commercial quantities all year round.
Mr Femi Oke, AFAN Lagos chapter Chairman, made this promise on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Oke noted that consumers could be getting impatient with the fact that local rice was not yet readily available in the market in commercial quantity.
He urged consumers of local rice to be patient with the local farmers and millers for local rice not having saturated the market to displace imported rice.
According to the AFAN chairman, rice farmers will soon have breakthrough in providing rice paddy to millers in the country.
He said that the rice millers were ready to produce polish rice, but the problem had been paddy rice which could not meet their plants’ capacity.
The AFAN Chairman said that with the expected World Bank financial support for rice farmers at five per cent interest rate, the farmers hoped to increase their planting and harvesting of paddy plants.
He added that planting and harvesting of paddy plants would also increase, if the kind of support the farmers were getting from government was sustained.
“We are sorry that local rice is yet to saturate the market to displace imported ones.
“However, this gap will soon be filled as time goes on and as the support to rice farmers is sustained.
“Most rice farmers just started farming rice about two years ago.
“Many states can now boast of increase in paddy rice production unlike what it used to be before farmers started getting support from the government.
“What farmers need now from consumers is patience as there will soon be breakthrough in the rice value chain,’’ he said.
Oke said that local rice cottage millers had been sustaining the market with rice being sold with the big tomato tin measure called “derica cup’’ at the rate of N350, N450, or N500 per cup depending on the area.
He said that big-time rice producers also had bags of rice in the markets but not enough to go round yet. (NAN)
China to officially import rice and broken rice from Myanmar
Description: Trucks on Mandalay-Muse road section. (Photo-Tun Nay Hlaing)
Trucks on Mandalay-Muse road section. (Photo-Tun Nay Hlaing)
PUBLISHED 27 FEBRUARY 2019
China will officially import rice and broken rice via China-Myanmar border this year, according to a statement by the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF).
The delegation led by Union Minister for Planning and Finance Soe Win and officials from Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) and the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) attended the 2nd China Myanmar Economic Corridor Forum held in Yunnan of China From February 18 to 23.
At the forum, both sides discussed a plan to export a quota of 400,000 tons of rice to China in 2019. China has warned that it would take effective action against illegal exports. Myanmar allows exports of rice to China at Muse border gate. But China has not designated rice imported from Myanmar as an legal good. Whenever Chinese authorities have made crackdown on rice imports, Chinese merchants have to suspend rice imports from Myanmar frequently. Due to China’s crackdown over the months, the rice exports via border gates have declined by half.
Nay Lin Zin, Secretary of Myanmar Rice Millers Association said: “Since many years, we have long been relying on informal trade. Chinese merchants are unable to buy rice as Chinese authorities are trying to legalize rice imports.”
Myanmar exports rice to EU and African countries via sea route and to China via Muse border trade.
From April, 2018 to January 18, 2019, Myanmar earned over 640 million USD from the exports of over 1.9 million tons of rice.
Rice export via border route accounts for 51 per cent of the total rice exports and the export via sea route for over 48 per cent.

BJP wants ED, IT tab on BJD poll expenses

Listing out names of mining companies and rice mill owners alleged to be beneficiary of Government patronage, the BJP requested the ED and IT departments to keep a close watch on them.
Published: 27th February 2019 03:52 AM  |   Last Updated: 27th February 2019 10:01 AM  |  
By Express News Service
BHUBANESWAR: After registering complaint with the Election Commission of India against the ruling BJD for possible use of Biju Yuva Vahini to rig the ensuing General Elections, the State BJP on Tuesday moved the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to find out the source of money collected for distribution of 20 lakh smartphones to voters ahead of the polls.
A delegation of BJP led by State vice president Samir Mohanty met the Director of ED and Commissioner of Income Tax, Odisha and submitted a memorandum alleging that the State Government is planning to spend `750 crore for distribution of about 20 lakh mobile handsets before the announcement of elections.The memorandum stated that the ruling party is planning to distribute 5,000 mobile handsets in 314 blocks.
Since the Government has not made any budgetary provision for doling out mobile phones, efforts are on to finance the scheme from funds collected from mine owners who were indulged in illegal mining. “We fear that the State Government may divert funds of chit fund companies and money collected from rice millers during the current kharif marketing season for purchase of votes,” Mohanty said.
Listing out names of mining companies and rice mill owners alleged to be beneficiary of Government patronage, the BJP requested the ED and IT departments to keep a close watch on them.

Odisha: Union Agri Min inaugurates Central Genomics & Quality Lab at NRRI

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Description: https://odishasuntimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/lab-inauguration-640x481.jpg
Cuttack: Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Radha Mohan Singh today inaugurated the Central Genomics and Quality Laboratory facility at the National Rice Research Institute (NRRI) in Odisha’s Cuttack in the presence of Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The state-of-the-art laboratory, inaugurated in record time of less than 3 years, will help the farmers in analyzing the quality of soil, water and produce; and accelerate the development of new varieties of rice, Singh said.
The laboratory complex has Environmental Soil Science Laboratory, Soil quality laboratory, Grain quality laboratory, Food proximate laboratory, Molecular Biochemistry Laboratory, Nutrition and sensory laboratory, Genomic Selection laboratory, Marker assisted selection laboratory, QTL mapping laboratory, Bioinformatics and SNP genotyping laboratory.
The Minister praised the NRRI for its stellar role in the development of agriculture not only in Eastern region but also at the national front. Since its inception in 1946, the Institute contributed immensely in country’s Green Revolution and steered groundbreaking research in development of high-yield rice varieties thereby helping achieve self-sufficiency in rice production.
“For ensuring nutritional security, for the first time in the world, the NRRI recently released two high-protein rice varieties (CR Dhan 310, CR Dhan 311) and two climate-smart varieties (CR Dhan 801 and CR Dhan 802), which are tolerant to both submergence and drought and few biotic stresses to face the challenges of climate change,” Singh said.
The Institute is working on developing and popularizing super-yielding varieties and agro-technologies for higher productivity, profitability, climate resilience and sustainability of rice farming, he added.
The Minister congratulated the NRRI for developing Mobile App ‘riceXpert’ which is helping in providing information to farmers in real time besides facilitating the flow of information from scientists to farmers.
On the occasion, Singh also inaugurated the front facade and circulating area at the Cuttack Railway Station, footover bridge and escalator on east side entry of the railway station, and a Post Office at Arunadoya market here.


Mark Denman Retires from Rice Industry
By Deborah Willenborg

HOUSTON, TX -- After 39 years in the rice business, Mark Denman will be retiring this Thursday, February 28, as vice president of Riviana Foods Specialty Brands. 

Originally from Stuttgart, Arkansas, Mark graduated from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, and started his career with Riceland Foods in 1976, as a territory manager of retail sales.  In 1982, Mark made his first move to Texas where he joined Anderson Clayton Foods in Dallas, and in 1985 he started working for Farms of Texas, which later became RiceTec, as their sales and marketing manager.  One of many pioneering accomplishments Mark made while at RiceTec was in 1989, with the introduction of a canister as the primary package for rice, something that still sets the RiceSelect brand apart today.  Mark has worked at Riviana Foods Inc. in Houston since 2015, when Riviana purchased RiceTec's retail business.

"Mark has been a big part of USA Rice through the years, serving on the USA Rice Domestic Promotion Committee (1995-2012), as chair of the Rice Millers' Association (2011-2013), and as chair of USA Rice (2012-2014)," said Betsy Ward, president and CEO of the organization.  "He devoted considerable time and energy to the betterment of the rice industry.  Mark's expertise and leadership will be missed but we truly wish him all the best in his retirement."

Mark has also served as the mayor of Nassau Bay, Texas, since 2012.  He and his wife, Diana, have one daughter, Allison, who is currently enrolled in the Fulbright Honors Program at the University of Arkansas.


Mark and his wife, Diana, flank the International Rice Queen
at the 2013 Rice Millers' Convention


Rice Webinar:  Thursday February 28 

Tune in Thursday, February 28, at 8:00 a.m. Central Time, for a new rice webinar hosted by Dr. Bobby Coats, with the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at the University of Arkansas.  Dr. Lewis Ziska, a plant physiologist with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, will discuss challenges and solutions to climate change and food security.
 
Go here to register for the webinar.


New tariff law will discourage rice farming
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte signed  last week into law  the Rice Tariffication Bill, which he certified  as urgent  when  filed in Congress in October  last year.  This will now remove import restrictions on rice “for the greater good”, according to Malacañang. We are wondering if the measure had the full support of the Department of Agriculture (DA) because this will open the country to a free flow of imported rice. From statements of the DA on Wednesday last week, with the new law, they said Filipino farmers would need immediate help to improve productivity to compete with the imported cereal. Agricultural secretary Manny Piñol himself expressed concern that without the “intervention” local farmers cannot expect to compete with cheaper imports.

Rice tariffication removes tariff barriers for imported rice and will allow the free flow of the staple into the Philippine market. Rowena del Rosario-Sadecon of the Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders Movement said that the measure would create “chaos”. We are taking up this issue in our column because Western Visayas as a major rice producer will be adversely affected by the new law. According to Secrotary Piñol, our country plans to raise our rice production to 20 million metric tons this year, compared to 19.6 million last year.  With a very competitive market because of the imported rice stock, will rice farming be still be viable as a livelihood? Imposing tariff on local rice does not appear to have the full support of our farmers and the DA itself.  But why was the law passed? Why do we heed the advice of politicians instead of listening to our farmers?

We have written a column on Feb. 11 last year with the title “PH should learn from India’s rice program”.  India is the second biggest country in the world with a population of 1.339 billion in 2017, next to China’s 1.410 billion. The Philippines ranked 13th in world population as of 2017 with 104.92 million people. One thing we have in common with China and India is that we are also a rice-eating country like them.  It is interesting to note that with its big population, India was able to increase its rice production and became self-sufficient in the cereal by simply adopting a program of paying their farmers twice the market price of their produce at harvest time.

Under the circumstances, with the expansion of a fast-growing city like Iloilo, although a rice-producing area, we are afraid that farm owners might be attracted to converting their land for residential, commercial or industrial purposes rather than lose money in rice production.


Look beyond cheap paddy markets
Description: https://static.bangkokpost.com/media/content/20190226/c1_1635238_190226044051_620x413.jpg This week is a crucial time for the controversial rice bill as the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), which was hand-picked by the military regime, is expected to have a second reading amid pressing...  Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1635238/look-beyond-cheap-paddy-markets. View our policies at http://goo.gl/9HgTd and http://goo.gl/ou6Ip. © Bangkok Post Public Company Limited. All rights reserved.
Date: 26-Feb-2019

Rice research body releases 4 climate-smart varieties

Our Bureau  New Delhi | Updated on February 26, 2019  Published onFebruary 26, 2019
Description: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/4bg2kb/article26378559.ece/alternates/WIDE_435/BL27AGRIRICEVARIETUIES
The institute has developed 132 high yielding rice varieties for different agro-ecologies. Representative image   -  The Hindu
The Cuttack-based National Rice Research Institute (NRRI), a constituent institute of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, on Tuesday released four new rice varieties, including two high-protein and two climate-smart varieties.
“The institute has recently released two high-protein rice varieties (CR Dhan 310 and CR Dhan 311) and two climate-smart varieties (CR Dhan 801 and CR Dhan 802), which are tolerant to both submergence and drought and few biotic stresses to face the challenges of climate change,” said Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, who visited NRRI to inaugurate a genomics and quality laboratory at the institute.
According to the Minister, the institute has developed 132 high yielding rice varieties for different agro-ecologies, many of which are popular among the farmers of different states.
“About 13 per cent of the rice varieties released in the country have been released by ICAR-NRRI. Out of 43 million hectares of rice area, NRRI varieties cover about 8 million hectares — 18 per cent of the rice-growing area of the country, in 2017-18.
Annual production of rice with NRRI varieties in the country is 27.8 million tonnes with gross returns of 48,643 crore — 13 per cent of India’s gross return from rice is generated with NRRI varieties,” Singh added. NRRI is the nodal agency for planning, implementation and monitoring of the Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India programme.


As rains delay field prep, early planted rice looks less likely, experts say

By Ryan McGeeney Special to The Commercial
  
Continuously wet conditions further delayed the work of field preparation throughout much of Arkansas last week, as intermittent rains continue to saturate soils in the state.
At production meetings organized by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture in January and February, both growers and agronomists have noted the delay in field preparation for the 2019 planting season.
Jarrod Hardke, rice agronomist for the Division of Agriculture, said Feb. 22 that it appears increasingly unlikely that any growers in the state will be able to plant rice on March 15, typically the start of the early planting season.
“Assuming it ever stops raining, you’re looking at seven to 10 days of dry weather before you can get a tractor out in a field,” Hardke said. “Seventy percent of rice acres in this state are rotated with soybeans, and the vast majority of those soybean fields haven’t been worked in any manner.”
Early Feb. 22, the National Weather service issued flash flood watches and warnings for more than 30 counties in the southeastern third of the state, from Chicot to Pulaski counties, and as far north as Mississippi County.
Many growers will need to till their fields to a significantly greater degree than in typical years, Hardke said, due to widespread rutting caused by the 2018 harvest.
“We’re not talking about standard tillage,” Hardke said. “This will require excessive tillage.”
According to data from the National Weather Service’s Little Rock station, every county in the southeastern half of Arkansas received 30-50 inches of rain between Aug. 22, 2018, and Feb. 22, 2019. The measured rainfall ranged from 110 to 200 percent of typical rainfall within the same six-month period.
Furthermore, many fields in the state likely still require fertilization.
Soil testing, which growers use to determine the nutrient needs of a field, typically precedes fertilization. Linda Moore, a technician with the University of Arkansas Soil Testing Laboratory in Marianna, said the laboratory had received about 13,800 soil samples from agricultural plots around the state from Jan. 22-Feb. 22, a notable decline from the norm, which is closer to 18,500 samples during the same period.
Robert Goodson, Phillips County extension agent for the Division of Agriculture, said most fields in his county are saturated, although water was draining well as of Friday morning, although “that has the possibility of changing,” he said.
“The Mississippi River is at 43.8 feet, with a flood stage of 44,” Goodson said. The river is predicted to crest at 47.5 feet on March 5.
Other rivers in the state are also at or near flood stage. Data from the National Weather Service show the Black River, measured at Corning in Clay County, at about 12 feet at of 3 p.m. Feb. 22. Flood stage at that location is 15 feet. In Patterson, the Cache River, which floods at 9 feet, was also recorded at 12 feet. In White County, the White River was measured at Georgetown at 24.6 feet, more than 4 feet above flood stage.
“This is really affecting corn producers,” he said, adding that most corn in the county will probably need to be late-planted, if at all.
To learn about row crop agriculture in Arkansas, contact a local Cooperative Extension Service agent, visit www.uaex.edu or Twitter at @UAEX_edu.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without discrimination.
— Ryan McGeeney is with the U of A System Division of Agriculture.
https://www.pbcommercial.com/news/20190223/as-rains-delay-field-prep-early-planted-rice-looks-less-likely-experts-say

Thailand’s Farmers Applaud the Shelving of Controversial Rice Bill
Thai Rice Growers Association chairman Suthep Kongmak support the deferral of the Rice Bill as it was a positive move and a mutual way out of the current impasse on the matter.BANGKOK – Thailand’s Rice Growers Association has hailed the move by the Thai Junta Government the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) to shelve the controversial Rice Bill as a positive move and a mutual way out of the current impasse on the matter. Rice Growers Association chairman, Suthep Kongmak, said Tuesday the deferral was a positive move and a mutual way out of the current impasse on the matter. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said he was informed lawmakers had decided to put the bill on hold in a bid to boost public understanding about its provisions. “They did not want to have this issue distorted. There are a lot of people who understand it and a lot who don’t,” said Gen Prayut. “I’m worried about those farmers who haven’t yet grasped it.” The bill was scheduled to be deliberated in its second and third readings Tuesday afternoon, but NLA president Pornpetch Wichitcholchai told legislators that the bill had been pulled. Kittisak Ratanawaraha, spokesman of an NLA committee vetting the bill, said it was a pity the bill was not on the agenda but that this was agreed on in a meeting between Mr Pornpetch, NLA whip Somchai Sawangkarn, the committee’s chairman Gen Marut Patchotasing, the committee’s chief adviser Singsuek Singprai, as well as himself. The group decided to postpone the matter indefinitely and parliament will decide whether to pursue it after the March 24 election, Mr Kittisak said. “The bill is still with parliament. When a new government comes into office, they could take it up for consideration,” said Mr Kittisak. “The NLA will not deliberate it anymore for fear of sparking social conflict.”


China to officially import rice and broken rice from Myanmar
Description: Trucks on Mandalay-Muse road section. (Photo-Tun Nay Hlaing)
China will officially import rice and broken rice via China-Myanmar border this year, according to a statement by the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF).
The delegation led by Union Minister for Planning and Finance Soe Win and officials from Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) and the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) attended the 2nd China Myanmar Economic Corridor Forum held in Yunnan of China From February 18 to 23.
At the forum, both sides discussed a plan to export a quota of 400,000 tons of rice to China in 2019. China has warned that it would take effective action against illegal exports. Myanmar allows exports of rice to China at Muse border gate. But China has not designated rice imported from Myanmar as an legal good. Whenever Chinese authorities have made crackdown on rice imports, Chinese merchants have to suspend rice imports from Myanmar frequently. Due to China’s crackdown over the months, the rice exports via border gates have declined by half.
Nay Lin Zin, Secretary of Myanmar Rice Millers Association said: “Since many years, we have long been relying on informal trade. Chinese merchants are unable to buy rice as Chinese authorities are trying to legalize rice imports.”
Myanmar exports rice to EU and African countries via sea route and to China via Muse border trade.
From April, 2018 to January 18, 2019, Myanmar earned over 640 million USD from the exports of over 1.9 million tons of rice.
Rice export via border route accounts for 51 per cent of the total rice exports and the export via sea route for over 48 per cent.

As rains delay field prep, early planted rice looks less likely, experts say

By Ryan McGeeney Special to The Commercial
  
Continuously wet conditions further delayed the work of field preparation throughout much of Arkansas last week, as intermittent rains continue to saturate soils in the state.
At production meetings organized by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture in January and February, both growers and agronomists have noted the delay in field preparation for the 2019 planting season.
Jarrod Hardke, rice agronomist for the Division of Agriculture, said Feb. 22 that it appears increasingly unlikely that any growers in the state will be able to plant rice on March 15, typically the start of the early planting season.
“Assuming it ever stops raining, you’re looking at seven to 10 days of dry weather before you can get a tractor out in a field,” Hardke said. “Seventy percent of rice acres in this state are rotated with soybeans, and the vast majority of those soybean fields haven’t been worked in any manner.”
Early Feb. 22, the National Weather service issued flash flood watches and warnings for more than 30 counties in the southeastern third of the state, from Chicot to Pulaski counties, and as far north as Mississippi County.
Many growers will need to till their fields to a significantly greater degree than in typical years, Hardke said, due to widespread rutting caused by the 2018 harvest.
“We’re not talking about standard tillage,” Hardke said. “This will require excessive tillage.”
According to data from the National Weather Service’s Little Rock station, every county in the southeastern half of Arkansas received 30-50 inches of rain between Aug. 22, 2018, and Feb. 22, 2019. The measured rainfall ranged from 110 to 200 percent of typical rainfall within the same six-month period.
Furthermore, many fields in the state likely still require fertilization.
Soil testing, which growers use to determine the nutrient needs of a field, typically precedes fertilization. Linda Moore, a technician with the University of Arkansas Soil Testing Laboratory in Marianna, said the laboratory had received about 13,800 soil samples from agricultural plots around the state from Jan. 22-Feb. 22, a notable decline from the norm, which is closer to 18,500 samples during the same period.
Robert Goodson, Phillips County extension agent for the Division of Agriculture, said most fields in his county are saturated, although water was draining well as of Friday morning, although “that has the possibility of changing,” he said.
“The Mississippi River is at 43.8 feet, with a flood stage of 44,” Goodson said. The river is predicted to crest at 47.5 feet on March 5.
Other rivers in the state are also at or near flood stage. Data from the National Weather Service show the Black River, measured at Corning in Clay County, at about 12 feet at of 3 p.m. Feb. 22. Flood stage at that location is 15 feet. In Patterson, the Cache River, which floods at 9 feet, was also recorded at 12 feet. In White County, the White River was measured at Georgetown at 24.6 feet, more than 4 feet above flood stage.
“This is really affecting corn producers,” he said, adding that most corn in the county will probably need to be late-planted, if at all.
To learn about row crop agriculture in Arkansas, contact a local Cooperative Extension Service agent, visit www.uaex.edu or Twitter at @UAEX_edu.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without discrimination.
— Ryan McGeeney is with the U of A System Division of Agriculture.
https://www.pbcommercial.com/news/20190223/as-rains-delay-field-prep-early-planted-rice-looks-less-likely-experts-say

Photo/The Nation

Rice bill ‘postponed indefinitely’ as champion predicts next attempt will be more difficult

national February 26, 2019 14:28
By The Nation

Description: Photo/The Nation
A controversial rice bill has been “postponed indefinitely” from deliberation by parliament, the key drafter Kittisak Rattanawaraha announced shortly after the National Legislative Assembly began deliberating the seven laws scheduled for today, including the rice bill.


The bill was initially placed at the top of the day’s agenda before the assembly decided to switch it with the second item, deliberation on the anti-market dumping bill.
Kittisak told a press conference that before deliberations began, he had met with NLA president Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, whip Somchai Sawangkarn, and some others involved in drafting the rice bill. Deliberations for the second and third readings required to pass the bill could not be completed in the time remaining in the NLA's term before the election, they determined. They decided the bill should be postponed indefinitely, with its fate left for the next group of parliamentarians to decide.
Kittisak cited strong opposition and frustrations over the opposition given the NLA’s “good intention to protect the farmers’ benefits”. He rejected the notion that the NLA was instructed by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to drop the deliberation, saying it had nothing to do with him. Prayut was called on in an open letter by 32 civil groups in the Northeast on Sunday to help pressure the NLA to drop the bill. The groups also submitted the letter to the NLA president.
Kittisak said he had no regrets over being the bill’s key champion, but felt “sorry for it” not being passed under this NLA’s term. It would be more difficult to pass such a bill in the future, he predicted.
The rice bill, the first to aim for holistic rice production management in the country, became highly controversial and was rewritten several times before the final draft was finished yesterday.
The most controversial point lies in Section 5, concerning zoning and trade in rice varieties. Critics accuse the section of depriving farmers of their rights to access their favoured, and often local, varieties and forcing them to instead buy certified varieties from big agro firms.

Euricom builds rice manufacturing capacity through Marbour Group deal





By Andy Coyne | 26 February 2019
Description: Euricoms Curtiriso brand
Euricom's Curtiriso brand

Italian rice business Euricom has acquired the rice division of French multinational Marbour Group for an undisclosed sum.

The deal sees Euricom acquiring rice businesses in the Netherlands, Poland and Italy, "becoming, as a matter of fact, a pan-European group".

It has taken over 100% of the capital of Van Sillevoldt Rijst in Papendrecht in the Netherlands, which owns a processing and packaging plant.
The company has acquired Przedsiebiorstwo Rol-Ryz in Gdynia in Poland, which operates in the rice markets of eastern and central Europe and acts as a logistics hub for Scandinavia and the Baltic countries.
The third deal is for Gariboldi, based in Valle Lomellina in Italy, which has a par-boiled rice plant that will complement Euricom's nearby Curti plant.

The three acquired plants have a total production capacity of around 200,000 tons.

Euricom Group said its annual revenue is likely to increase to around EUR630m (of which approximately EUR200m results from the acquisition) and it will now employ around 1,000 people.
Bruno Sempio, president of Euricom, said: "This acquisition will improve the group's ability to serve its customers throughout Europe, strengthening with them a long-term commercial relationship, through an integrated network of plants across the continent, covering the procurement, import, processing, storage and distribution to the major customers in retail, foodservice and industry throughout the European Union.

"The strengths of three acquired companies are perfectly complementary to Euricom activities, especially for their geographical location that allows to easily cover the northern Europe markets, thus completing the group's potential with the already existing plants in southern Europe."

Euricom, a family-owned group, owns 12 companies worldwide and sells its products in 40 countries through well-known rice brands such as Curtiriso.
https://www.just-food.com/news/euricom-builds-rice-manufacturing-capacity-through-marbour-group-deal_id141036.aspx