Friday, January 29, 2016

28th january 2016 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine-Latest Rice News Updates

Today Rice News Headlines...

·         Rice exporters pessimistic about market prospects
·         Rice self-sufficiency tack was a mistake–Neda
·         Experts for more aromatic rice cultivation
·         Financing for Cuba Trade OK'd, Ag Left Out 
·         OU biology research helps protect world’s food supply
·         Water likely for rice crop this year
·         Will Vietnam have to compete with Lao rice in China?
·         News in numbers | India becomes world’s largest rice exporter, as Thailand declines
·         Quick. Healthy. Here.
·         NFA may delay 400K MT rice import
·         APEDA RICE COMMODITY NEWS
·         01/28/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
·         Rice Prices
News Detail...
Rice exporters pessimistic about market prospects
28 Jan 2016 at 08:11
Rice exports are expected to have another difficult year as the world market is likely to be volatile amid foreign exchange and oil price risks, according to exporters.Charoen Laothammatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said the association projected shipments would slip to 9 million tonnes this year worth about US$4.3 billion.Last year Thailand exported 9.79 million tonnes, down 10.8% from 10.97 million tonnes in 2014. Export value also dropped by 15.2% to $4.61 billion from $5.43 billion.Thailand shipped 1.2 million tonnes of in December, a fall of 17.5% from the same month last year. Export value dropped 22.5% to $536 million.Thailand was the second-largest rice exporter last year. India led the way with 10.2 million tonnes, down 5.3%, while Vietnam was third after shipping 6.61 million tonnes, up 2.4%.
"This year will be another year of much uncertainty, not only because of low oil prices that affect the purchasing power of our clients in the Middle East and Africa but also because of volatile foreign exchange and drought conditions that are expected to trim milled rice production by 4-5 million tonnes," Mr Charoen said.He said the global rice market was expected to see stiffer competition thanks to widespread drought.

We believe Thai rice prices have bottomed out and should pick up after now being quoted at only $360-$365 a tonne, the lowest in 10 years," Mr Charoen said.
Thai rice prices averaged $471 per tonne last year.Chookiat Ophaswongse, an honorary president of the association, said white rice was expected to account for 4.9 million tonnes of this year's exports, down from 5.26 million in 2015.Vietnam, which will be less affected by drought because its rice fields are along river basins, will export more white rice. Drought conditions will also trim Thailand's opportunity to ship new grains.Shipments of Thai Hom Mali fragrant rice are expected to fall to 1.8 million tonnes this year from 1.99 million in 2015 because demand for premium rice in the world market is expected to fall given the global economic slowdown.
Mr Chookiat said parboiled rice shipments were also expected to fall to 2.2 million tonnes this year from 2.32 million last year because the economies of African countries remained in poor condition, while more African consumers were buying cheaper parboiled rice from India.Vichai Sriprasert, another honorary president, said rice exporters were worried about the impact of falling oil prices on the African market, particularly Nigeria.Nigeria normally buys about 3 million tonnes of Thai rice, but last year it imported only 644,000 tonnes. 
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/842220/rice-exporters-pessimistic-about-market-prospects

Rice self-sufficiency tack was a mistake–Neda

by BusinessMirror - January 28, 2016

By Cai U. Ordinario & Mary Grace Padin
The Aquino administration committed a mistake in gunning for rice self-sufficiency as it proved to be too costly, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said on Thursday.Outgoing Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said the government’s self-sufficiency policy even contributed to the increase in poverty incidence in 2014.“We might have to revisit our self-sufficiency paradigm. As we have seen in some cases, it has been very costly. For example, in the case of rice in 2013-2014, when domestic prices shot up as global prices were declining, our poverty incidence rose rather than declined even as the economy grew faster,” Balisacan said.Studies including those made by Philippine Institute for Development Studies research fellow Roehlano Briones said the government’s resources were largely focused on rice, a water-loving crop and the country’s food staple.

Briones said the government’s rice spending reached P37.44 billion in 2012, almost half of the government’s total agriculture spending for that year. Data showed the government spent a total of P62.64 billion for agriculture-related programs and projects. This was significantly higher than the P14.38 billion spent in 2005.Despite this, government spending for other crops like corn amounted to only P951 million in 2012; high-value crops, P1.63 billion; coconut, P2.08 billion; livestock, P2.72 billion; and P3.3 billion for fisheries.“If we let the numbers for the past six years speak for themselves, the agricultural sector persists to be the biggest road block in our goal for attaining a higher and more inclusive growth,” said Balisacan, who is also Neda director general.


“There is an urgent need to rethink the development strategy for this sector, especially in view of El Niño and other natural disasters that could hit the country,” he added.Former Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the anemic performance of the agriculture sector slowed GDP growth in 2015. He said agriculture “strikes at the heart of the inclusiveness” of the country’s economic performance last year.Agriculture contracted by 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2015, from 4.2 percent in the same period a year ago. He added that the six years of the Aquino administration also did not do much to improve agriculture growth. Diokno said the current administration neglected agriculture.He said that from 2011 to 2015, agriculture only grew by 1.6 percent, significantly lower than the country’s population growth rate.“President Aquino ranked second to the last among past five presidents [in terms of agriculture performance]. Agriculture grew, on average, by 6.5 percent during Estrada’s truncated term; 2.8 percent under Arroyo’s; 1.9 percent under Corazon Aquino’s; and 0.8 percent during Ramos’s term,” Diokno said.The Aquino administration rolled out the Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP) to make the country self-sufficient in rice.

Rice provides 45 percent of Filipino’s calorie intake and its production is considered the main source of livelihood in rural areas.The average rice-consumption spending accounts for 20 percent of a household’s budget. This is higher at 30 percent for the bottom 30 percent of Filipino families.The government also said more than 2 million households are engaged in rice farming, millions more are farm laborers, and thousands are into rice trading.

Despite the difficulties posed by El Niño to the rice sector, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Thursday it is targeting a higher palay output of 19 million metric tons (MMT) for 2016.This figure is 4.68 percent higher than the country’s total palay production of 18.15 MMT for the whole year of 2015.Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala told reporters in an interview the department’s total palay output target is still short of the volume needed to achieve 100-percent rice self-sufficiency in the country. He said this is due to budget constraints.“For us to meet rice self-sufficiency, we need to produce about 20 MMT of palay.

 But the budget we requested to meet the 20 MMT was not approved,” Alcala said.He said the DA has submitted a higher budget for 2016 so it can meet its 100-percent self-sufficiency target this year. He, however, did not provide the specific figure.Alcala said the additional amount would have been used to provide more seeds to farmers and to
implement more interventions to help them.“We have requested for additional budget but it was not granted. So don’t expect higher rice production,” Alcala said.The DA and seven of its attached agencies received a total of P48.45 billion in budget for 2016.

 But aside from the general appropriations, special provisions were also given to DA programs and projects.The national programs for rice, corn, high-value crops, organic agriculture and livestock, received a total provision of P14.04 billion, according to data from the Department of Budget and Management.Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the country’s total palay production for 2015 declined by 4.31 percent to 18.15 MMT from 18.97 MMT recorded in 2014.The PSA said the country’s palay sector, along with the corn industry, suffered the brunt of El Niño and the strong typhoons which hit the country last year.For the first half of 2016, the PSA projected that the country’s palay production would reach 8.20 MMT, 1.48 percent lower than the 8.32 MMT recorded in the same period last year.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/rice-self-sufficiency-tack-was-a-mistake-neda/

Experts for more aromatic rice cultivation


Published : 28 Jan 2016, 17:34:39 | Updated : 28 Jan 2016, 17:37:32

Expanded cultivation of the highly environment-adaptive indigenous aromatic rice varieties could save those from extinction and bring more profits to the farmers than other rice varieties.Agriculture experts expressed the opinion at a result-sharing workshop styled 'Yield Performance of Five Local Aromatic Rice Cultivars' organised by RDRS Bangladesh, a reputed NGO, at its Training Centre here on Wednesday.
The NGO organised an aroma test followed by the workshop to disclose cultivation results of five selected indigenous aromatic rice varieties of 'Kalijira', 'Kataribhog', 'Jirakatari', 'Chinigura' and 'Ijon' at its Mathona Farm here. Rangpur Regional Acting Additional Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) SM Ashraf Ali attended the workshop as the chief guest with Head of Rangpur Regional Station of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute and its Principal Scientific Officer Dr Shahidul Islam in chair. Principal Scientific Officer of the On-farm Research Division at Rangpur Regional Station of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute Dr Mazharul Anwar, former Deputy Director of the DAE Ali Azam, Betar Farm Broadcasting Officer of Rangpur Regional Agriculture Information Service Abu Sayem, Head of Micro-finance Programme of RDRS Bangladesh Humayun Khaled and its Head of Human Resources Sabrina Shamshad addressed as the special guests.
 Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid delivered keynote presentation on the research work titled "Yield Performance of Five Local Aromatic Rice Cultivars". He said the filed level experimental cultivation of the selected aromatic rice varieties was conducted adopting scientific ways at Manthona Farm during the just ended Aman season from July to December in 2015. The main objective of this study was to explore the yielding ability of the selected five local aromatic rice cultivars with a view to select high yielding varieties with strong aroma for promotion of their cultivation in northwestern Bangladesh. "Among the cultivated rice varieties, the highest grain yield rate of 3.5 tonne per hectare was obtained from 'Ijon' followed by 3.4 tonne form 'Kataribhog', 3.3 tonne from 'Jirakatari', 3.15 tonne from 'Chinigura' and 3 tonne per hectare from 'Kalijira'," he said.
 In this regard, a crop cutting ceremony was arranged in presence of Dr. Shahidul Islam on November 29 last at Manthona Farm with participation of 29 farmers and 11 agricultural scientists and extension workers. "After the crop cutting ceremony, the participants ranked 'Jirakatari' with top marks followed by 'Kataribhog', 'Kalijira', 'Chinigura' and 'Ijon' respectively," Mamunur Rashid added. The experts said aromatic rice varieties are rated best in quality and fetch much higher price in both national and international markets having long been popular in the orient and are now becoming more popular in Middle East, Europe and the United States. Ali Azam said aromatic rice cultivars in Bangladesh are of traditional types, photo period-sensitive and are grown during the Aman season in the rain-fed low land ecosystem surviving for time immemorial as the most adaptive to the environment.
 "The yield of aromatic rice is low between 1.5 to 2 tonne in term of clean rice per hectare but its high price and low cultivation cost generate higher profit margins for farmers compared to other rice cultivars," he added. Predicting brighter prospect for expanded cultivation of indigenous aromatic rice varieties, the chief guest said these cultivars might play vital role as parent varieties in developing high yielding aromatic rice to bring more profits to the farmers, according to BSS. - biplab 
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2016/01/28/12925
Financing for Cuba Trade OK'd, Ag Left Out  


WASHINGTON, DC -- This week, the Obama administration announced a new Treasury rulethat authorizes additional U.S. exports to Cuba and permits the private financing of these exports in an effort to strengthen trade relations not controlled by the Cuban government.  In a joint announcement with the Secretary of the Treasury, Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said the changes are designed to "strengthen civil society" in Cuba. Exports of U.S. food and agriculture to Cuba, which have been permitted in U.S. statute for more than 10 years, were not affected.  Sales of U.S. food and agriculture products to Cuba continue to remain ineligible for direct financing as they "primarily generate revenue for the state."  For example, all rice imports into Cuba are controlled by ALIMPORT, the government agency that coordinates all overseas purchases and authorizes the import of products to Cuba.

"While this announcement is another move towards normalized commercial relations with Cuba, it's disappointing that U.S. rice farmers and exporters remain hampered by U.S. government regulations and laws that stand in our way of fully meeting Cuba's import demand for rice," said Dow Brantley, an Arkansas rice farmer and chairman of USA Rice. 

On February 10, USA Rice will support the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC) event commemorating both the coalition's public launch one year ago and all changes to U.S.-Cuba policy since December 2014.  U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will speak at the event as will two key rice-state allies on Cuba policy, Congressmen Rick Crawford (R-AR) and Ted Poe (R-TX).  A panel of representatives from various agricultural commodity groups, including rice, will discuss our relations at present and the impact access to Cuba could have for U.S. agriculture.

OU biology research helps protect world’s food supply
Wednesday, Jan 27, 2016

Zijuan Liu, associate professor of biological sciences, and student Joseph McDermott are working together to identify arsenic transporters in plants.For the past several years, Zijuan Liu, Ph.D. and doctoral student Joseph McDermott, from Oakland University's Department of Biological Sciences, have been working on groundbreaking research that promises to stave off a major threat to the world’s food supply. They are collaborating with a team of scientists from China, Germany and the United States to discover how arsenic accumulates in plant seeds.  Arsenic is a toxin and carcinogen that is pervasive in food and water, endangering the health of tens of millions of people worldwide. While the process of how arsenic is taken into roots and shoots of plants is fairly well understood, little is known about how arsenic gets into seeds.

Understanding how arsenic is accumulated in seeds – such as rice grain – is of critical importance to global health. Rice is a staple food for more than half the world’s population. In China, for example, about 60 percent of daily dietary arsenic comes from rice consumption, as reported in the journal “Metallomics.” In the U.S., the average person consumes about 25 pounds of rice per year, according the U.S. Rice Producers Association.Fortunately, Dr. Liu and the research team are making strides in finding out how arsenic builds up in plant seeds. As reported in the journal "Nature Plants," the researchers discovered that the plant "A. thaliana" uses transport systems for inositol, a type of sugar, to load arsenite, the toxic form of arsenic, into seeds.

According to Dr. Liu, this is the first identification of transporters responsible for arsenic accumulation in seeds. The discovery could lead to far-reaching breakthroughs in protecting the world’s food supply, she says.“If this same pathway of how arsenic accumulates also exists in rice, it will lead to the generation of new rice cultivators with less arsenic in the grain, a major advance toward minimizing the global health risks posed by arsenic in rice, and possibly in the near future, in other food sources,” Dr. Liu said.

As the research team continues to make progress, Dr. Liu is proud of her collaboration with McDermott, who was an undergraduate student when the work began.“I put a lot of faith in undergraduate student research,” Dr. Liu said. “This result indicates our school has run a successful program to attract students who are interested in research.”

To learn more about Oakland’s Department of Biological Sciences, visit oakland.edu/biology.
https://wwwp.oakland.edu/biology/news/2016/biology-student-professor-research-how-arsenic-builds-up-in-plant-seeds

Water likely for rice crop this year

Posted: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 6:00 am
News that downstream rice farmers will most-likely receive water from the upper reservoirs this year topped the agenda at the Western Rice Belt Production Conference.Ryan Rowney, Lower Colorado River Authority vice president of water operations, addressed the full house last Wednesday at the El Campo Civic Center.
http://www.leader-news.com/news/article_8598ee3a-c471-11e5-8ae0-4bcef166d807.html
Will Vietnam have to compete with Lao rice in China?
VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam has been warned that China will import rice from Laos instead of Vietnam, but many Vietnamese in the industry do not believe this will occur in the near future. 


Shenzhen officials on January 10 announced that the first consignment of rice imports from Laos, 87.8 tons, worth $746 million, passed quarantine procedures at the Shenzhen port in the southern part of China.China, which has been mostly importing rice from Vietnam, Thailand and Pakistan, has added Laos to the list of rice suppliers.Meanwhile, Vietnam has reported a decrease in rice exports. The General Statistics Office (GSO) showed that Vietnam had exported 6.07 million tons of rice by the end of November, worth $2.58 billion, a 7.4 percent decrease from the same period of 2014.

China remains the biggest export market for Vietnam, which consumed 33.4 percent of the total rice exports.However, Nguyen Trung Kien from Ipsard, an institute on agriculture development, noted that Vietnam rice’s market share in China is on the decrease. 
China remains the biggest export market for Vietnam, which consumed 33.4 percent of the total rice exports.
Sixty five percent of Chinese rice imports were from Vietnam in 2012-2013, while the figure dropped to 53 percent in 2014 and 47 percent in the first fourth months of 2015.Experts say Vietnamese want to export to China because it is an easy-to-please market, which has high demand for rice. Meanwhile, China wants Vietnam’s rice because it is cheap thanks to geographical conditions.

However, Vietnam no longer has the advantage as its 25 percent and 5 percent broken rice prices are near prices offered by Thailand and India.Therefore, experts have warned that Vietnam, in the future, would have to compete with a lot of rivals to penetrate the Chinese market. They said the volume of rice from Laos and Cambodia remains modest, but the rice has higher quality than Vietnam’s and therefore, has a competitive edge in the Chinese market.
Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh warned that if Vietnam cannot reform the way it organizes production, processing and trading, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar would become formidable rivals.

Nguyen Van Ngai from the HCM City Agriculture and Forestry Agriculture pointed out that while Vietnam has exploited nearly all the advantages it has, Laos and Cambodia still have great natural advantages. Meanwhile, Vo Thanh Do from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said there was no need to be too worried about this.
Do said that China’s actual rice demand was much higher than 4 million tons that it had announced before. China would still need Vietnam’s rice, and this will not change in the short term.

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/150335/will-vietnam-have-to-compete-with-lao-rice-in-china-.html

News in numbers | India becomes world’s largest rice exporter, as Thailand declines

Apple iPhone sales grow at slowest rate ever; India ranks 76th in global corruption index
India’s total rice shipments saw a 7.3% decline in volumes and an 18% fall in value in the April-November period of the current fiscal. Photo: Hemant Mishra/Mint
800,000
What is it? The number of iPhones sold by Apple in India in the last three months of 2015, according to Counterpoint Technology Research.
Why is it important? This is the highest ever sales recorded in the country, a 76% growth from a year ago. However, this is less than 3% of the total smartphones sold in India during the period. Globally, Apple reported flat sales of its flagship smartphone, which accounts for over two-thirds of its revenue, in this period, a reason it’s turning its attention on India. The company said it is “increasingly putting more energy” into the country’s youth and their rising disposable income. Recently, it sought the government’s approval to open its own retail stores in India.
Tell me more: Analysts are worried that China’s economic slowdown (it reported the lowest numbers in 25 years) might impact Apple’s growth. Greater China accounted for nearly a fourth of Apple’s fourth quarter revenue.
76
What is it? India’s ranking in 2015’s global corruption index (out of 168 countries) by Transparency International.
Why is it important? It has moved up nine positions from the previous year’s 85th ranking. Its grade index score of 38 out of 100 (100 is the least corrupt) compares poorly with Denmark’s 91, the top country in the index. This shows India has a long way to go in weeding out corruption. One of the key promises by the National Democratic Alliance government has been to improve India’s ranking in the ease of doing business index and position it among the top 50 countries. To do so, India would have to tackle corruption quickly, which has been cited as the main obstacle in doing business in the country by a 2014 KPMG report.
Tell me more: Brazil reported the worst decline in rankings, down seven positions to the 76th position, as a massive scandal erupted at its state-run companies.
Rs.6 trillion
What is it? The amount the Indian government could earnbased on the telecom regulator’s recommendations on the reserve price for spectrum in the 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz and 2500 MHz bands.
Why is it important? This would be the highest-everamount earned by the government from spectrum auction, if it accepts the regulator’s recommendations. The 700 MHz band, which is known to be the best for offering mobile broadband and 4G services and is being offered under the auction for the first time, could alone contribute to aroundRs.4 trillion. The telecom companies are reeling under massive debt (Rs.3.5 trillion as of April 2015) and it remains to be seen how far they are willing to stretch their balance sheets to participate in the next round of auction.
Tell me more: Telecom operators, including Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular, have opposed the sale of spectrum in the 700 MHz band, saying it should be done only when the operators are ready with the devices and equipment to operate the airwaves.
$3 billion
What is it? India’s arms export target by 2025.
Why is it important? The Indian government is seeking to not only become self-sufficient in the defence sector but also to become one of the world’s biggest arms exporters. If India achieves the $3 billion target, it would transform the country from an arms importer to a major seller. In 2014-15, it sold defence equipment worth around $150 million to other countries, a mere 0.25% of the $64 billion global defence trade. In contrast, India’s arms imports totalled to $5.57 billion in 2014.
Tell me more: According to Anurag Garg, director of defense at Strategy&, a consulting group of PwC, state companies account for 80% of defence production and there is heavy reliance on the private sector to design military hardware, which is “no easy task”.
10.23 million tonnes
What is it? India’s rice exports in 2015, according to a Thai rice exporters organisation.
Why is it important? This makes India the world’s largest rice exporter, beating Thailand. India’s top position comes not from its scaling up, but by Thailand’s decline. Thailand’s rice exports were down by 10.8% to 9.8 million tonnes on a year-on-year basis. The Southeast Asian country attributed this to global economic slowdown, particularly in countries with high rice demand and decrease in purchasing power of nations due to falling oil prices. India’s total rice shipments saw a 7.3% decline in volumes and an 18% fall in value in the April-November period of the current fiscal. It is likely to post lower export figures in 2015-16 than the 11.92 million tonnes shipped in 2014-15.
Tell me more: Fall in shipments of the basmati rice variety to Iran, one of the largest buyers from India, and tepid demand from African countries (mainly Nigeria) are the main reasons for the fall in India’s rice exports.
howindialives.com is a search engine for public data

Quick. Healthy. Here.

Fast-casual restaurants go fresh and delicious
JANUARY 28, 2016
 
PAULIUS MUSTEIKIS
“Fresh. Local. Gluten-free. Healthy. Small Batch.” All the buzzwords.With that lingo, you might easily mistake the restaurant being described for someplace like Graze, James Beard Award-winning Madison chef Tory Miller’s farm-to-table, “fresh from local pastures” gastropub on the Capitol Square.It is, however, the tagline for Glaze, a New York City-based chain of eight counter-service teriyaki restaurants — call it a boutique chain — spread across the U.S. from Manhattan to San Francisco, with a location slated to open this spring in Madison.

Glaze is just one of a handful of fast-casual spots that have found Madison an attractive market in recent months — Freshii, Naf Naf Grill, Bowl of Heaven, Forage Kitchen and Freska Mediterranean Grill have all opened within the past year. They share similar concepts, focusing on customizable bowls, salads and wraps, and often freshly squeezed juices and fruit smoothies.
Fresher, healthier eating is coming to fast food in a big way, and we’re not talking about McDonald’s serving more salads. These spots don’t serve burgers; fruits and vegetables are the focus, not a sidelight. “Proteins” — from steak to tofu — are add-ons, not the centerpiece of the dish.
A decade ago, the big hamburger chains began seeing competition from more upscale chains dubbed “fast-casual” — places like Panera Bread, Chipotle and Noodles. Though these spots still had counter service, they offered more attractive decor than the standard burger joint, more customizable dishes and the perception of better-quality ingredients.

Fast-casual continues to gain market share in the restaurant industry, encompassing everything from upscale burgers (think Five Guys, Mooyah) to pizza, but there’s recently been a strong upsurge of fresh and healthy. FastCasual, an industry website, publishes a yearly “Top 100” list of movers and shakers in the fast-casual segment, and it’s full of descriptions not normally associated with chain food. These up-and-comers “source local and organic ingredients from local farmers” (sweetgreen); serve “chef-crafted foods that are grown responsibly and sustainably” (the vegan Native Foods Cafe); are “farm-to-table” and committed to “ingredients with no added hormones or antibiotics” (Modern Market); reduce their food miles to increase flavor (MAD Greens); butcher their own meat (Asian Box); and pick most produce “fresh daily” for “slow food done fast”(Tender Greens).


These restaurants have an array of fresh veggies at the ready. Grain choices from quinoa to black rice. Proteins from free-range organic chicken to goji-chipotle organic tempeh. Staff whip up your salad or bowl in a matter of minutes, usually for less than $10 a meal.
Is this for real?
Best of both worlds
Diners are looking to get the “best of both worlds,” says Craig Thompson, professor of marketing at the UW-Madison business school. They want convenient, fast food that tastes good and is also good for their health.
Thompson, who studies alternative food systems, thinks the rise of healthier fast-casual restaurants is part of an overall backlash against fast food that’s been ongoing for well over a decade, spurred by the publication of Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation and the release of Morgan Spurlock’s film Super Size Me.
But since these works raised the public’s consciousness, even the way we talk about food has shifted. “Ten or 15 years ago it was all about fat,” Thompson says. He credits food writers like Michael Pollan and Mark Bittman with shifting the emphasis away from counting calories. Now, consumers are more likely to look for food that is fresh and unprocessed.
When customers see their salads, wraps and bowls created right in front of them, it highlights that “this is being freshly prepared,” says Thompson. “This translates into ‘This must be good for me.’”
And what is “good for me,” exactly?
“There’s so much conflicting information out there,” Thompson notes. “Who do you trust? At some point as a consumer, you can’t research every option.”
That’s why consumers are often willing to pay a premium to let a brand — like Whole Foods or Chipotle — do their vetting for them. “Consumers rely on the brand and place faith in that, until proven otherwise,” says Thompson. That’s why Chipotle’s recent incidents nationwide with food-borne illnesses have been so devastating. Sales have plummeted and confidence in the chain is at a low.
At Freshii, the message is as important as the menu.
“I built that”
Making your own meal without having to cook it yourself brings new meaning to the phrase “have it your way.” And it’s fun. A smorgasbord of colorful fruits and veggies are at the ready, to be combined in kaleidoscopic variations. Go slightly southwestern with a rice bowl topped with avocados, black beans and a cilantro lime vinaigrette, or head east with tofu, cabbage, carrots and lemongrass dressing all rolled up in a wrap of kale. Go crazy and add beet slaw, even though it matches neither of these cuisines. Because you love beets. It really is all up to you.
Greater customer control over what’s on the plate is key in today’s dining scene. That’s why choose-your-own assembly line ordering has become so widespread in fast-casual.
Susan Quam, executive vice president of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, says her group has definitely taken note of the trend.
Consumers aren’t just saying they want healthier options — they’re actually putting their money where their mouths are and acting upon it, says Quam.
“Build-your-own” is clearly on the rise here in Wisconsin, Quam confirms, with sandwiches, wraps, salads, bowls, ramen, even fresher takes on pizza (where customers have been building their own for years) being created at the order counter.
“The build-your-own concept is being driven especially by younger diners, who look at food as an expression of themselves and not just fuel for their bodies,” says Quam. It’s important for them to “be able to choose what’s in their food, even though someone else is making it for them.”
Customization also makes it easier to cope with many diet needs — vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, paleo, raw, low-carb. Several restaurants (Chipotle and Naf Naf, for instance) have dynamic nutrition calculators on their websites. Calories, sodium and grams of fat automatically add up on the right side of the screen as you add options like steak or chicken, tofu, rice, pickles and hummus to your meal.
This extensive info on everything from amounts of saturated fat to cholesterol, sodium, carbs and protein is a hidden benefit to eating at a chain restaurant. It’s unusual for an independent, locally owned restaurant to have this kind of accounting available, althoughFit Fresh Cuisine in Fitchburg has been a pioneer in this locally. The six-year-old restaurant lists calories, carbs, fiber, fat and protein for its small menu of açaí bowls, smoothies, scrambles, salads and sandwiches.
But Thompson sees an overall change in customer mindset: These days, people feel less of a need to count calories. “A restaurant like Freshii is saying, ‘We are serving you fresh, healthy food, so you can eat this without worries or guilt,’” says Thompson. And that’s liberating. “The consumer is thinking, ‘I don’t have to worry about rice; rice is natural, I can just eat and relax.’ I think that’s a big part of the promise.”
The bottom line? It’s okay because it’s not a McNugget.
Kathy Humiston, a longtime member at the Willy Street Co-op, penned a history of “hippie food” for the co-op’s Reader back in 2008. Brown rice, tempeh, soy, beans, sprouts — these staples of today’s “bowl” cuisine were introduced in the late 1960s and early ’70s by what were then called “natural food” advocates, reacting against the canned vegetables and Wonder Bread diets of their childhoods.
Once obscure even to those who started the co-op, these ingredients are now close to mainstream. “I love it that whole foods are starting to show up in many different restaurant venues,” says Humiston. “I would love to see this become the new standard.”
Humiston got serious about changing her diet when she became pregnant with her first child in 1983, and like many of her peers, vowed she would raise her children on better food than she ate when she was a kid.
Now that members of that generation are adults, they expect to find better food options when dining out, Humiston notes: “They’ve eaten this way virtually their entire lives. Other stuff doesn’t taste right or have the appeal to them.”
Having grains like quinoa, forbidden rice and brown rice available at chains “opens up new possibilities for more people,” says Humiston. And isn’t that what the hippies were all about?
State Street’s Forage Kitchen prioritizes local sourcing in entrees like the Local Roots salad.
Not a chain
Not every healthy fast-casual restaurant is a chain. State Street’s new Forage Kitchen, which opened last fall, is owned and operated by Henry Aschauer and Doug Hamaker, who also run Roast Public House. The two had the idea for Forage even before they opened Roast in 2012, says Aschauer, but it was more of a challenge to create: “If it were easy, everyone would do it.” A salad- and grain-bowl-based restaurant that tries to source its ingredients locally is a lot easier to do in a place like California, he notes.
Forage “is in tune with how we live our lives these days,” says Aschauer. “Madison is ready for this; we are ready for this as a nation.”
Katie Brozen, chef at Forage Kitchen, created its menu. Brozen attended the health-focused Natural Gourmet Institute culinary school in New York City (its motto is “Kale, quinoa and community since 1977”).
In addition to teaching all the traditional culinary skills, the school goes into sourcing, nutrition and the healthy, healing side of cooking, says Brozen.
After working in restaurants in Manhattan and opening a small vegetarian restaurant in Brooklyn, Brozen moved to Madison to help open Forage. She liked Aschauer and Hamaker’s focus on global inspiration: “I love how other cultures have a better relationship with food than America,” says Brozen.
Build-your-own bowl and salad spots are huge in New York City, and Brozen visited many to “see what they were doing and how they were doing it.” If the mission is to attract people who are just learning how to eat healthy, says Brozen, variety is crucial. “We need to bring those people over to the other side and show them that healthy food doesn’t have to be boring. Or just lettuce.”
Brozen likes to “take an ordinary vegetable and give it its own personality and a ton of flavor.” She spends a lot of her time trying to source as many local products as possible for the restaurant. Wisconsin “has fantastic product, but in the colder months, it has been a challenge,” says Brozen.
One of Forage’s most popular items is the “Power Bowl,” a grain base (brown rice is the default, but it can be made with black rice or quinoa) topped with tender rosemary lentils, sweet potatoes, poblano slaw, jerk chicken, guacamole and a green goddess dressing. It’s creamy and crunchy, sweet and savory, hot and cold — craveable 21st-century comfort food.
“We care about everything that goes into the food, so people get that idea of home,” says Brozen. “It’s a well-cooked meal on the go that’s not just flying at you as fast as possible.”
Thomas Paras, former owner of Amy’s Cafe downtown, has just opened a fast-casual restaurant, Freska Mediterranean Grill, at Greenway Station. He terms it “like a Chipotle, but what I like to serve and the way I like to serve it.” The customizable sandwiches, salads and plates with a variety of toppings and sauces vary in healthfulness, says Paras — “Gyros meat is not diet, but chicken is” — and other add-ons like hummus, babaghanoush and tabouli are healthy. He also points to his “super slaw,” with kale, beets and cabbage.
Paras researched other Mediterranean/Chipotle-style fast-casual restaurants via the Internet before opening Freska. “Everybody’s doing it,” he says. “Probably somebody else is checking me out now.”
Inspiration?
Outright health claims from these restaurants vary, as does the transparency of their sourcing.
A spot like Naf Naf limits itself to describing its fare as “fresh, authentic Middle Eastern food,” while Bowl of Heaven goes more overtly into the health benefits of its signature ingredient, the açaí berry (“twice the antioxidants of blueberries, plus omega fats, amino acids, proteins, anthocyanins, fiber, iron, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and other phytonutrients”).
Other claims from restaurants about being more responsible and sustainable bring up other, more thorny, questions. Has a location of a national chain devoted to sustainable sourcing put a locally owned mom-and-pop restaurant out of business?
Has the sudden, ravenous American quest for healthy quinoa caused environmental damage where the crop is grown in Bolivia and Peru?
And what about some of those processed alternative foods for vegans, like Tofutti cream cheese (which includes partially hydrogenated soy bean oil, maltodextrin, nondairy lactic acid, locust bean, guar and carrageenan gums, vegetable mono and digycerids and potassium sorbet)?
Locally, Forage Kitchen lists some of its purveyors on its website — bread from Batch, tempeh from Milwaukee’s Simple Soyman, goat cheese from Nordic Creamery, cage-free eggs from Lake Mills and sprouts from Supercharge here in Madison. This kind of accountability is easier for a one-location restaurant than it is for a chain with outlets from coast to coast, where getting enough of the same ingredient to create a consistent product from outlet to outlet remains a challenge.
Chef Katie Brozen of Forage Kitchen strives to give vegetables “a ton of flavor.”
Katie Brozen of Forage limits the amount of fat, salt and sugar in her foods. Only extra-virgin olive oil is used in dressings; some are oil-free. “We use pure sweeteners like organic cane sugar, coconut sugar and honey, and sparingly, only to bring the flavors together,” says Brozen. “Same for salt. It’s an essential ingredient that we use to enhance the natural flavors in the vegetables, versus having everything just taste like salt.”
Freshii takes a more inspirational route, with slogans emblazoned across wall-sized blackboards in-store: “Let’s eat without regret. Let’s love kale. Let’s embrace quinoa.... Let’s eat things that make us feel good.” Sourcing is not specified.
Is this food always healthy? It’s certainly possible to pile on enough dressings, cheeses, rice, pita sides and guacamole to rack up a considerable number of calories, but even so, grains and fresh vegetables are going to be healthier than processed and fried foods.
Craig Thompson is doubtful, however, about some of the more specific health claims for certain ingredients. From a marketing standpoint, he says, “Some of these chains are benefiting from the hype around alternative diets and the quest for magic-bullet solutions to what ails us as a society.”
And there are differing opinions on what constitutes a healthy diet. “Some people claim there are tremendous health benefits [to an açaí berry];” says Thompson. “Others will say, that’s just an expensive blueberry.”
Is Dane County full?
Madison, with its college population and growing millennial workforce, does have a demographic desirable for chains like Freshii and other vegetable-centric leaders like Lyfe Kitchen, sweetgrass and Native Foods. But Susan Quam of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association says that such chains would look not only at our demographics but at how many restaurants we already have. And Dane County is very dense.
Plus, the location needs to be just right, one that younger diners want to be in and can get to easily. “They all want to have the best spaces available,” says Quam.
Still, as people dine out more frequently (in April of 2015, the U.S. Dept. of Commerce reported that for the first time ever, Americans spent more money eating out than they did at grocery stores), diners are likely to continue to want more healthy options across the eating spectrum and even more customizability. And they’re going to continue to want to eat these on the run or bring them home for easy post-work dinners.
“That’s not going away,” says Quam.

The latest in fast and healthy

Bowl of Heaven
717 Hilldale Court
The star is açaí bowls and smoothies. Açaí bowls are more or less smoothies served in a bowl, composed of a blend of fruits like açaí berries, strawberries, pineapple, blueberries and banana, and even fresh kale and spinach, topped with organic hemp flax, granola and honey. Served icy cold, they’re better that way. Fresh juices, too, are made to order.
Unique ingredients: MAQ7, a blend of the maqui berry, the gac fruit and five others you’ve never heard of; purple corn

Forage Kitchen
665 State St.
Salads and grain bowls form the heart of the menu. A dozen pre-designed salads and two pre-designed bowls are on the chalkboard, or have the staff build your own from a wide variety of veggies and other add-ons. Small dining area; there is a lot of take-out. Açaí bowls; fresh fruit/veggie juices made on site but pre-bottled at the counter.
Unique ingredients: citrus-marinated fennel, goji-chipotle organic tempeh, black (“forbidden”) rice

Freshii
422 Gammon Place
Freshii has a large menu of salads, wraps, grain bowls, soups, burritos and juices. Customers can also create their own by checking off options on a printed ticket; then counter staff will make it up. This speeds up the assembly line process (there’s no last-minute indecision, or “what’s that?” conversations with the staff) and makes pricing and extras completely clear. You can also sign up for a juice cleanse program. Juices are made-to-order.
Unique ingredients: turkey carnitas, spicy lemongrass, mango

Freska Mediterranean Grill
8310 Greenway Blvd., Middleton
Build-your-own pita sandwiches, rice plates, salads and platters, plus four soups.
Unique ingredients: lamb, marinated pork, babaghanoush, couscous, tabouleh, roasted pepper aioli, harissa sauce

Naf Naf Mediterranean Grill
555 State St.
Build-your-own pita sandwiches, rice bowls, salads.
Unique ingredients: steak shawarma, sumac onions, s’khug sauce, basmati rice
Source with thanks Isthmus

NFA may delay 400K MT rice import

by Reuters
January 28, 2016
The Philippines, one of the world’s top rice importers, could delay its planned additional purchase of up to 400,000 tons of the staple food as local supply remains adequate, the National Food Authority (NFA) said yesterday.The country’srice stocks stood at around 900,000 tons as of last week, enough to cover 29 days of local consumption, with an additional 500,000 tons of grain imports from Vietnam and Thailand expected to arrive within the first quarter, the National Food Authority said.The NFA Council, a panel composed of government economic managers that approves rice importation, met on Tuesday to discuss the country’s rice purchases but did not finalize the volume and timing of the next deal.
“There is no decision yet because there is no urgency to import. We have sufficient supply,” an aide of NFA Administrator Renan Dalisay told Reuters.The Philippines was looking to buy up to 400,000 tons of the grain for delivery in the second quarter, and may need an additional 800,000 tons to cover this year’s requirements, Dalisay said in a Jan. 12 interview with Reuters.On Monday, the statistics agency said paddy harvest in the first quarter is likely to be more than 5 percent lower than a previous forecast due to a crop-damaging dryness linked to the El Niño weather pattern.Crop losses last year due to El Niño turned out much smaller than expected.Rice demand from the Philippines is keenly watched by traders as it could underpin export prices of the grain from Vietnam and Thailand, the country’s main suppliers and the world’s third- and second-biggest sellers respectively.

http://www.mb.com.ph/nfa-may-delay-400k-mt-rice-import/#jeVGOKfJIS1VUEKz.99
APEDA RICE COMMODITY NEWS
International Benchmark Price
Price on: 26-01-2016
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
Apricots
1
Turkish No. 2 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t)
4875
2
Turkish No. 4 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t)
4375
3
Turkish size 8, CIF UK (USD/t)
3625
Sultanas
1
Australian 5 Crown, CIF UK (USD/t)
2736
2
South African Orange River, CIF UK (USD/t)
2609
3
Turkish No 9 standard, FOB Izmir (USD/t)
1925
White Sugar
1
CZCE White Sugar Futures (USD/t)
816
2
Kenya Mumias white sugar, EXW (USD/t)
691
3
Pakistani refined sugar, EXW Akbari Mandi (USD/t)
546
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 27-01-2016
Domestic Prices
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Jowar(Sorgham)
1
Siddhpur (Gujarat)
Other
3530
3930
2
Pune (Maharashtra)
Other
2800
3200
3
Theni (Tamil  Nadu)
Other 
1400
1480
Maize
1
Amreli (Gujarat)
Other
1560
1825
2
Pune (Maharashtra)
Yellow
1700
1725
3
Koraput (Orissa)
Other
1325
1335
Papaya
1
Aroor (Kerala)
Other
2400
2600
2
Malout (Punjab)
Other
1000
1500
3
Reasi (Jammu and Kashmir )
Other
2600
2900
Cucumber
1
Chala (Kerala)
Other
2700
2751
2
Nasik (Maharashtra)
Other
1125
2500
3
Sirhind (Punjab)
Other
1300
2300
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 27-01-2016
Product
Market Center
Price
1
Pune
450
2
Hyderabad
410
3
Namakkal
415
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package
Price on 26-01-2016
Product
Market Center
Origin
Variety
Low
High
Potatoes
Package: 50 lb cartons
1
Atlanta
Colorado
Russet
16
16.50
2
Chicago
Idaho
Russet
15
18
3
Detroit
Wisconsin
Russet
16
16.50
Cucumbers
Package: cartons film wrapped
1
Atlanta
Mexico
Long Seedless
20
21
2
Chicago
Canada
Long Seedless
14
15
3
Dallas
California
Long Seedless
15
16.50
Apples
Package: cartons tray pack
1
Atlanta
Virginia 
Red Delicious
27
28
2
Chicago
Washington
Red Delicious
21
22.50
3
Miami
Washington
Red Delicious
22
22
Source:USDA

01/28/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
Rice
High
Low
Long Grain Cash Bids
- - -
- - -
Long Grain New Crop
- - -
- - -


Futures:
ROUGH RICE
High
Low
Last
Change
Mar '16
1148.0
1116.0
1131.0
+4.5
May '16
1176.0
1144.0
1159.5
+4.5
Jul '16
1186.5
+4.5
Sep '16
1197.0
+10.0
Nov '16
1220.0
+10.0
Jan '17
1220.5
+10.0
Mar '17
1220.5
+10.0
   
Rice Comment
Rice futures traded in a wide range on either side of unchanged before closing higher near the middle of the day's trading range. March approached resistance at $11.50 before reversing course. A close above $11.50 could signal a move toward a retest of the $12 area, while support is at the recent low of $11.65. The weekly export reports were delayed until tomorrow due to the blizzard that has affected DC this week.

Rice Prices

as on : 29-01-2016 02:49:03 PM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
Arrivals
Price
Current
%
change
Season 
cumulative
Modal
Prev.
Modal
Prev.Yr
%change
Rice
Gadarpur(Utr)
870.00
-11.5
51599.00
2095
2010
50.94
Chaandpur(UP)
680.00
-
1980.00
2200
-
-
Bazpur(Utr)
643.20
-51.64
13996.10
2207
1714
57.64
Kopaganj(UP)
450.00
-
450.00
2085
-
0.48
Pilibhit(UP)
300.00
20
14250.00
2195
2185
-
Shahjahanpur(UP)
260.90
80.8
36698.90
2150
2150
7.23
Gorakhpur(UP)
220.00
-12
2102.00
2090
2140
4.50
Azamgarh(UP)
208.00
-0.95
2654.00
2125
2110
-
Bahraich(UP)
176.00
-2.22
1601.50
2075
2075
0.24
Basti(UP)
153.50
-0.32
2374.50
2065
2060
2.48
Faizabad(UP)
140.00
-22.22
1861.50
2100
2080
-
Sitapur(UP)
135.00
2.27
3075.00
2225
2222
5.50
Asansol(WB)
132.00
-
396.00
2400
-
-
Mathabhanga(WB)
110.00
-15.38
1750.00
1950
1950
-
Saharanpur(UP)
72.00
12.5
2621.00
2030
2030
-3.33
Kalipur(WB)
72.00
2.86
2069.00
2150
2150
-
P.O. Uparhali Guwahati(ASM)
65.00
-1.52
1479.00
2100
2100
-19.23
Achalda(UP)
65.00
-7.14
1795.00
2240
2240
-
Ghaziabad(UP)
60.00
-25
1100.00
2075
2065
1.22
Shikohabad(UP)
50.00
-23.08
202.50
1940
1940
-
Gazipur(UP)
50.00
4.17
687.50
1900
1900
3.26
Nadia(WB)
50.00
NC
700.00
3200
3200
3.23
Bindki(UP)
48.00
11.63
1300.00
2220
2245
6.73
Kasimbazar(WB)
44.00
-2.22
654.00
2320
2330
-10.77
Udala(Ori)
40.00
11.11
489.00
2700
2700
-
Dadri(UP)
40.00
-11.11
981.00
2080
2070
1.46
Purulia(WB)
36.00
50
996.00
2200
2200
-9.84
Vasai(Mah)
32.00
-
32.00
2860
-
-
Taliamura(Tri)
32.00
-11.11
143.00
2250
2300
-
Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah)
30.00
NC
500.00
3000
3000
-
Mirzapur(UP)
30.00
3.45
594.50
1920
1915
4.35
Sirsa(UP)
27.00
-
121.00
2020
-
-
Dibrugarh(ASM)
26.00
13.04
405.20
2550
2550
-
Lohardaga(Jha)
26.00
18.18
295.50
1965
1760
12.93
Fatehabad(UP)
26.00
-
86.00
2100
-
-
Jarar(UP)
25.00
-
80.00
2100
-
-
Dhanura(UP)
24.00
-
30.00
2225
-
-
Diamond Harbour(South 24-pgs)(WB)
22.00
10
62.00
1850
1850
-
Partaval(UP)
20.00
NC
719.50
2025
2025
3.85
Palghar(Mah)
19.00
-71.21
342.00
2150
2628
-
Banda(UP)
19.00
26.67
171.50
2175
2170
-
Champadanga(WB)
18.00
28.57
330.00
2400
2400
-
Alipurduar(WB)
18.00
NC
125.00
2200
2200
-
Chhibramau(Kannuj)(UP)
16.00
NC
169.00
2130
2150
-
Medinipur(West)(WB)
16.00
6.67
262.00
2400
2400
-
Lakhimpur(UP)
15.00
-25
116.00
2085
2100
-
Yusufpur(UP)
15.00
-31.82
302.00
1850
1850
-0.54
Raiganj(WB)
15.00
NC
446.00
2700
2700
-
Kolaghat(WB)
15.00
NC
240.00
2300
2300
-
Tamluk (Medinipur E)(WB)
14.00
NC
283.00
2300
2300
-
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
13.70
39.8
646.70
1900
1900
-
Jhansi(UP)
13.00
116.67
117.50
2100
2100
-
Giridih(Jha)
12.55
-
108.24
3500
-
NC
Karvi(UP)
12.50
-7.41
54.50
2125
2125
18.06
Jahanabad(UP)
12.00
-4
128.50
2150
2130
-
Jagnair(UP)
11.00
-
27.00
2100
-
-
Mannargudi(Ker)
10.00
NC
255.00
4600
3100
-
Muradabad(UP)
10.00
25
260.50
2240
2230
12.00
Buland Shahr(UP)
10.00
66.67
195.00
2040
2055
0.74
Bhivandi(Mah)
8.00
-11.11
104.00
3070
3500
80.59
Bijnaur(UP)
8.00
-36
250.50
2180
2210
-
Naugarh(UP)
8.00
-27.27
295.50
2040
2040
7.37
Jeypore(Kotpad)(Ori)
7.90
46.3
106.30
4100
3100
26.15
Soharatgarh(UP)
7.50
-
16.50
2045
-
-
Chengannur(Ker)
7.00
NC
276.00
2500
2450
-13.79
Raibareilly(UP)
6.50
-23.53
136.50
2030
2020
-0.98
Silapathar(ASM)
5.20
-89.6
419.80
3000
3000
NC
Khairagarh(UP)
5.00
NC
190.00
2090
2080
2.96
Nimapara(Ori)
4.50
NC
94.00
2200
2200
NC
Hailakandi(ASM)
4.00
NC
63.00
2700
2700
NC
Jeypore(Ori)
3.60
-18.18
110.40
325
410
-
Mahoba(UP)
3.50
-
3.50
1750
-
-2.78
Melaghar(Tri)
3.00
NC
59.30
2350
2350
-
Islampur(WB)
3.00
-25
141.00
2150
2150
-
Siyana(UP)
2.50
25
37.00
2060
2050
0.98
Bonai(Bonai)(Ori)
1.50
50
14.10
2000
2000
-16.67
Karsiyang(Matigara)(WB)
1.40
-12.5
25.60
2600
2600
-
Mangaon(Mah)
1.00
-66.67
18.00
2800
2800
-
Bharuasumerpur(UP)
1.00
-
1.00
1750
-
-
Sardhana(UP)
1.00
NC
38.30
2080
2070
0.48
Kalimpong(WB)
0.80
-11.11
12.60
2450
2450
-
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article8167886.ece

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29th january,2016 Daily Exclusive ORYZA Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Indonesia Hopes to Control Price Hikes with Sufficient Supplies

Jan 28, 2016
Description: http://oryza.com/sites/default/files/field/image/160128indonesiariceprices.jpg
The government of Indonesia is planning to prioritize achieving a supply-demand balance to control rice and food price hikes, Tempo.Co quoted the Trade Minister as saying.
"The ups and downs in prices are market signals. We do not wish to be inflexible as we try to control prices but would rather decide on the best course of action to restrain prices from rising," he said. "If the prices were too high, some sort of incentive or market operation could be carried out, and if prices are too low, more stocks would be bought," he added.
He noted that in order to exercise this activity, the government needs to check and enhance the capacity of warehouses. He assured that the government was already in the process of building more warehouses.
The Minister stated that a mechanism to set the floor and ceiling prices for various commodities, including rice, would be proposed at a coordination meeting involving all the concerned officers and Ministers.
According to the Staples Market Monitoring System of the Trade Ministry, the average retail price of the medium-quality rice increased to Rp 10,904.55 per kilogram (around $787 per ton) this week from around 10,748.14 per kilogram (around $776 per ton) in December last week. The Ministry stated that prices increased despite an increase of supply.
Based on the data of staples price development of the Ministry, rice supply at the Cipinang Rice Market increased about 17.61% y/y as of January 18, 2016.
The President reportedly held a meeting with the Chief Economic Minister, Agriculture Minister, Trade Minister and other concerned Ministers, to discuss the issue of increase in food prices over the past few weeks.

Bangladesh Plans to Build Five Steel Silos to Store 345,000 Tons of Rice; May Invite Bids in August 2015
Jan 28, 2016

The government of Bangladesh is planning to build five steel silos with total capacity to store about 345,000 tons of rice, Bloomberg quoted a news release by the Directorate General of Food.
It is proposing to build rice silos of 48,000 tons capacity each in Dhaka, Narayangani,     Barisal, Madhupur, Mymensingh and a silo of 105,000 tons capacity in Ashuganj.
The government is also proposing to build two wheat silos of 190,500 tons capacity in Chittagong (114,300 tons) and Maheshwaspasha (76,200 tons).
The Bangladesh government is planning to invite bids from interested companies in August. Meanwhile, it has asked interested companies to submit application by March 14, 2016 for pre-qualification purposes. Companies can apply for pre-qualification of one or more contracts.

India 2015-16 Winter Crop Rice Planting So Far Lags Behind Last Year

Jan 28, 2016
India 2015-16 winter/rabi rice (November - May) planting area has reached around 2.241 million hectares as of January 28, 2016, down about 7% from around 2.408 million hectares planted during the same period in 2014-15, according to a press release by the Ministry of Agriculture.
The decline is reportedly due to scanty rains and low moisture in some of the rice growing regions. However, this year's planting is ahead of the previous 4-year average of about 2.0195 million hectares.
The total rabi planting of all crops stood at around 59.15 million hectares as on January 28, 2015, down about 3% from last year's 60.93 million hectares.
In 2014-15, the rabi rice acreage reached around 4 million hectares, down about 9% from around 4.488 million hectares in 2013-14.

Malaysia to Distribute 20 Kilograms of Rice per Month to Families in Need Under New Aid Program


The Malaysian Prime Minister has announced that the government has decided to distribute 20 kilograms of rice per month to families registered with the government’s welfare database under the new aid scheme, according to local sources.
The government reported introduced MyBeras program as one of the recalibration measures in the 2016 Budget. The program will being from March 1, 2016, and will last until December 31, 2016. Around 200,000 people are expected to benefit from the program.
The Prime Minister noted that the program was aimed to reduce the burden of financially weaker families amid the increasing living costs. The Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister added the Ministry would work with the relevant agencies, including Village Development and Security Committees (JKKKs), to identify individuals who deserved the aid. "The government would strive to provide the best quality rice to the recipients through the programme," he said.
MyBeras program will reportedly be implements besides the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) program.

EU Rice Imports Increase Sharply in September 1, 2015 - January 19, 2016

Jan 28, 2016
According to the latest data issued by the European Union (EU), rice imports by the EU increased sharply since the beginning of the crop year 2015-16 (September 1, 2015 - August 31, 2016).
The EU imported about 441,465 tons of rice during the period September 1, 2015 - January 19, 2016, up about 28% from around 345,163 tons imported during the same period last year.
Japonica rice imports increased about 8% to around 32,114 tons in September 1, 2015 - January 19, 2015 period from around 29,619 tons during the same period last year. Indica rice imports increased about 30% to around 409,351 tons during the said period from around 315,544 tons last year.
The UK remained the largest importer in September 1, 2015 - January 19, 2016 period with around 105,407 tons followed by France (78,689 tons), The Netherlands (49,535 tons), Germany (33,480 tons), Poland (31,047 tons) and Italy (30,404 tons). Other EU countries imported 112,903 tons.
During the week ended January 19, 2015, the EU imported around 21,941 tons of rice, down about 17% from around 26,514 tons imported during the week ended January 12, 2015.
The EU imported around 1.143 million tons of rice in the crop year 2014-15, up about 12.7% from around 1.013 million tons imported in the crop year 2013-14.

Philippines Must Focus on Achieving Rice Self-Sufficiency as El Nino Impact Lesser than Expected, Says Official

Jan 28, 2016

The government of the Philippines must focus on achieving rice self-sufficiency as the El Nino impact on rice production has been lesser than expected, Bloomberg quoted the Economic Planning Secretary.
Speaking at a media briefing in Manila following the release of the GDP data, he noted that though the government estimated that the El Nino would get worse during November and December 2015, the forecast didn't turn out to be true in many provinces.
He also noted that the government is still monitoring the impact of El Nino on rice production and supplies.
Yesterday, the National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator said that the government has decided to stop rice imports for the lean season due to adequate stocks. However, there is reportedly no information on rice imports under the minimum access volume (MAV).

Oryza U.S. Rough Rice Recap - Higher Prices Seen as U.S. and China Agree to Phytosanitary Protocol

Jan 29, 2016

The U.S. cash market was slightly firmer today although the trade was mostly quiet as buyers and sellers could not come together on price. 
This week’s firming of prices has been partially fueled by news that the U.S. and China have come to an agreement regarding a phytosanitary protocol that would allow the U.S to export rice to China, the world’s largest importer.
Analysts note that although the agreement has not yet been formally signed, once the first sale to China is confirmed, it will likely change the sentiment of the market for the foreseeable future. 
Global Rice Quotes

January 28th, 2016
Long grain white rice - high quality
Thailand 100% B grade          375-385           ↔
Vietnam 5% broken    350-360           ↔
India 5% broken         355-365           ↔
Pakistan 5% broken    340-350           ↔
Myanmar 5% broken   415-425           ↔
Cambodia 5% broken             425-435           ↔
U.S. 4% broken           465-475           ↔
Uruguay 5% broken    465-475           ↔
Argentina 5% broken 460-470           ↔
Long grain white rice - low quality
Thailand 25% broken 350-360           ↔
Vietnam 25% broken 340-350           ↑
Pakistan 25% broken 305-315           ↔
Cambodia 25% broken           405-415           ↔
India 25% broken       325-335           ↔
U.S. 15% broken         445-455           ↔
Long grain parboiled rice
Thailand parboiled 100% stxd            370-380           ↔
Pakistan parboiled 5% broken stxd    405-415           ↔
India parboiled 5% broken stxd         345-355           ↔
U.S. parboiled 4% broken       500-510           ↔
Brazil parboiled 5% broken    520-530           ↔
Uruguay parboiled 5% broken            NQ      ↔
Long grain fragrant rice
Thailand Hommali 92%          685-695           ↔
Vietnam Jasmine         425-435           ↔
India basmati 2% broken        NQ      ↔
Pakistan basmati 2% broken   NQ      ↔
Cambodia Phka Mails             750-760           ↔
Brokens
Thailand A1 Super      320-330           ↔
Vietnam 100% broken            325-335           ↑
Pakistan 100% broken stxd    290-300           ↔
Cambodia A1 Super   345-355           ↔
India 100% broken stxd         260-270           ↔
Egypt medium grain brokens NQ      ↔
U.S. pet food 280-290           ↔
Brazil half grain          NQ      ↔
All prices USD per ton, FOB vessel, oryza.com



Thailand Hopes to Regain Top Rice Exporter Status from India in 2016

Jan 28, 2016

The President of the Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA) expressed optimism that Thai rice exports will increase this year after passing the lowest point for the last three years, according to local sources.
Thai 2015 rice exports declined about 10.7% to around 9.8 million tons from around 10.97 million tons in 2014. The TREA reported that Thailand lost its top rice exporter status to India, which exported about 10.23 million tons in 2015.
The TREA President attributed the fall in exports to a global economic slowdown. He also noted that falling oil prices and extending drought conditions in many countries are expected to impact rice trading this year also.
"Thailand's rice shipment this year will not increase. Although world rice production and stockpiles will decrease from the drought impact and more trading, the falling oil price will hit the purchasing power of many rice-importing countries, mainly in Africa and the Middle East," he said. The official noted that rice prices are also unpredictable but may gradually increase by 10% on lower supplies.
He, however, noted that Thailand could again reclaim its top rice exporter status from India in 2016 as the South Asian nation expects to export only 8.5 million tons during the year. He also noted that there are several positive signs for Thailand's rice exports this year, including the depreciation of Thai baht, competitive Thai rice prices, and support from the government. "The Commerce Ministry is also striving to expand the market for Thai rice while maintaining the market share," he added.

Oryza CBOT Rough Rice Futures Recap - Chicago Rough Rice Futures Add Slightly to Gains but Close off of Session High as Recent Rally Runs into Resistance

Jan 29, 2016

Chicago rough rice futures for Mar delivery settled 4.5 cents per cwt (about $1 per ton) higher at $11.310 per cwt (about $249 per ton). The other grains finished the day lower; Soybeans closed about 1.7% lower at $8.6775 per bushel; wheat finished about 0.9% lower at $4.7225 per bushel, and corn finished the day about 1% lower at $3.6550 per bushel.
U.S. stocks tried for gains Thursday, amid declines in biotech stocks, as oil prices rose and Facebook soared on a solid quarterly report. U.S. crude oil futures pared gains but still held about 3.5% higher, near $33.50 a barrel in afternoon trade. WTI surged above $34.50 to their highest since Jan. 6. Brent traded just above $34 a barrel in afternoon trade after earlier topping $35.50 a barrel on speculation that major producers may cooperate to cut production.
 Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Thursday that Saudi Arabia had proposed to cut oil production by up to 5% by each country in order to support weak oil prices, Reuters reported. But Saudi Arabia has not proposed cutting back production or asked Russia to do the same, Dow Jones reported, citing a senior Gulf OPEC delegate. In afternoon trade, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 63 points, or 0.40%, to 16,011. The S&P 500 rose 9 points, or 0.46%, to 1,891, with energy leading nine sectors higher and health care the only laggard. The Nasdaq composite gained 30 points, or 0.66%, to 4,498. Gold is seen trading about 0.1% lower, crude oil is seen trading about 2.3% higher, and the U.S. dollar is seen trading about 0.4% lower at about  1:45pm Chicago time.
Wednesday, there were 429 contracts traded, down from 467 contracts traded on Tuesday. Open interest – the number of contracts outstanding – on Wednesday increased by 158 contracts to 13,381. 


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

Jan 28, 2016

Vietnam rice sellers increased their quotes for 25% broken rice and 100% broken rice by about $5 per ton each to around $340-$350 per ton and $325-$335 per ton respectively today.  Asia rice sellers kept their quotes mostly unchanged today.                                
5% Broken Rice
Thailand 5% rice is indicated at around $365 - $375 per ton, about $15 per ton premium on Vietnam 5% rice shown at around $350 - $360 per ton. India 5% rice is indicated at around $355 - $365 per ton, about $15 per ton premium on Pakistan 5% rice shown at around $340 - $350 per ton.
25% Broken Rice
Thailand 25% rice is indicated at around $350 - $360 per ton, about $10 per ton premium o Vietnam 25% rice shown at around $340- $350 per ton. India 25% rice is indicated at around $325 - $335 per ton, about $20 per ton premium on Pakistan 25% rice shown at around $305 - $315 per ton.
Parboiled Rice           
Thailand parboiled rice is indicated at around $370 - $380 per ton. India parboiled rice is indicated at around $345 - $355 per ton, about $60 per ton discount to Pakistan parboiled rice last shown at around $405 - $415 per ton.
100% Broken Rice
Thailand broken rice, A1 Super is indicated at around $320 - $330 per ton, on par with Vietnam 100% broken rice shown at around $320 - $330 per ton. India's 100% broken rice is shown at around $260 - $270 per ton, about $30 per ton discount to Pakistan broken sortexed rice shown at around $290 - $300 per ton.


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