11th april ,2016 daily global,regional & local rice enewsletter by riceplus magazine

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter 2016

www.ricepluss.com www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For information : Mujahid Ali [email protected] 0321 369 2874

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www.ricepluss.com www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com

Vol 7,Issue IV April 11 ,2016



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Editorial Board Chief Editor

Hamlik Managing Editor

Abdul Sattar Shah

Rahmat Ullah

Rozeen Shaukat English Editor

Maryam Editor

Legal Advisor

Advocate Zaheer Minhas

Editorial Associates

Admiral (R) Hamid Khalid

Javed Islam Agha

Ch.Hamid Malhi

Dr.Akhtar Hussain

Dr.Fayyaz Ahmad Siddiqui

Dr.Abdul Rasheed (UAF)

Islam Akhtar Khan Editorial Advisory Board

Dr.Malik Mohammad Hashim Assistant Professor, Gomal University DIK

Dr.Hasina Gul Assistant Director, Agriculture KPK

Dr.Hidayat Ullah Assistant Professor, University of Swabi

Dr.Abdul Basir Assistant Professor, University of Swabi

Zahid Mehmood PSO,NIFA Peshawar

Falak Naz Shah Head Food Science & Technology ART, Peshawar

Today Rice News Headlines...

Pakistan seeks to be Iran's top rice exporter

3rd Meeting of FPCC&I Standing Committee on Rice urged to

discuss serious issues of SMEs

Qatar Foods and Services to distribute Unikai products

Vietnam could disrupt plans to bolster NFA’s rice buffers

Experts: Third rice crop may lead drought and salinity to worsen

Rice planting off to good start

Despite El Niño, global rice output may rise in 2016

Gov’t handling dry spell well, insists Palace

Passage of new rice imports policy a must’

Philippines Should Drop Rice Import Quotas: World Bank

TABLE-THAI-VIETNAMESE 5 PCT GRADE RICE PRICES -

APRIL 11

Russia. Rice exports dropped by 67%

Thailand strikes rice deal with Hong Kong

Good Southwest monsoon expected this year'

Rice prices declining – Palace

Joint Efforts Needed To Enhance Basmati Exports

04/11/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report

Arkansas Leaders Pledge Support for Cuba

APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1451

Causes of rice seedling diseases - what you can do

U.S. rice production declined 13 percent in 2015

Rice Price Going Up By 10 To 15 Per Cent


Gunny Bags Add to Farmers' Woes

Unisame gives roadmap for revival of rice industry

Craft some USPs to boost exports

INDIAN MASTER CHEF RIPU DHAMAN HANDA WOWS

CUSTOMERS AT LULU FOOD FIESTA

News Detail...

Pakistan seeks to be Iran's top rice exporter



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20160410T000000Z

Global English (Middle East and North Africa Financial Network)

Pakistani traders seek an increase of at least 30pct inexport of aromatic Basmati rice to Iran, as

the latter is one of the world's biggest rice importers, based on reports.Iran ships in more than

USD2bn of the commodity yearly and Pakistan on the other hand has a modicum share in the

neighboring market, so it emerges as a top candidate to be a top exporter.Moreover, Pakistan

expects outbound shipments to grow 20-30 percent in the near future; however its biggest

challenge now is to break a long-standing monopoly of Indian aromatic rice in Iran.We are eager

to regain our lost share of basmati rice to India, as in the past few years, India has flooded the

Iranian market with its basmati rice at knockdown prices," said a top Pakistani official.

http://www.world-grain.com/news/news%20home/LexisNexisArticle.aspx?articleid=2567580631

3rd Meeting of FPCC&I Standing Committee on Rice

urged to discuss serious issues of SMEs

The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME has invited the attention of the

Standing Committee (SC) on rice of Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry

(FPCC&I) to include very important issues of the rice sector in the agenda for the meeting to be

held on 13th April 2016 at FPCC&I.

President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver has requested Rafique Suleman Chairman FPCC&I

Standing Committee on Rice to include important points in the agenda namely decline in export

of basmati rice, deteriorating supply chain, geographical indication of basmati rice, trademark of

basmati rice. He lamented that these important issues are not being discussed and are side

tracked.He said the export of basmati rice is negligible as compared to India who has captured

global markets despite the fact that our super basmati rice is superior in taste, look and

cooking.He urged the SC on rice to discuss the ways and means to regain lost markets.Secondly

he pinpointed that the supply chain from the farms to the factories needs the immediate attention

of the stakeholders as the grains supplied by the farmers to the millers and from the millers to the

processors is getting more field mixtures, broken percentage and many times the paddy is not

sufficiently dried as per acceptable standards.

Thirdly Thaver emphasized the need for the Intellectual Property Organization (IPO) to resolve

the issue of GI which has not been advocated properly.Fourthly the Trade Mark issue of basmati

rice needs the immediate attention of all stakeholders to enable our equal claim on the basmati

trademark alongwith India.He urged the chairman SC Rafique Suleman to invite Director

General Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Dr Usman Narejo and Alamgir

Chaudhry CEO of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and



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Asif Hayat an expert in Intellectual Property Rights and Trade Marks to the meeting to make it

meaningful and to seek their support for the agenda and expert advise on the dominating

issues.ocus on

Qatar Foods and Services to distribute Unikai products April 11, 2016 - 2:25:24 am

Doha: Qatar Foods and Services, the wholesale division of Quality Group International, has

announced its distributorship of renowned Unikai food products in Qatar.As per the MoU signed

by Shamsudheen Olakara, Chairman, Quality Group International, and Neeraj Vohra, Managing

Director, UAE-based Unikai Foods, Qatar Foods & Services will be the sole dealer of all Unikai

brand products in Qatar.

Unikai, a 40-year heritage company, mainly produces milk and dairy products, including world-

class ice creams. Also, Basmati rice, juices, snacks, yoghurt and margarine, among others,

are included in its product line.

―Unikai believes in delivering the freshest products to consumers at their nearest point of

purchase. Quality Group International, the fastest growing company in GCC, will be our partner

in Qatar to reach out to the people,‖ Vohra said in a statement.

Quality Group International is very happy to introduce the branded and standardised products of

Unikai to Qatar’s market and is trying to introduce another world-class brand product to the local

market, Olakara said. Moideen K, General Manager, Quality Group of Companies; Mins

Mathew, Finance Controller; and Yasar Al Hamar, Export Manager, Unikai, were present at

the MoU signing ceremony

By Janina C. Lim



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THE strong drought hitting Vietnam, a key source of Philippine rice imports, could disrupt the government’s

plan to build up reserves of the staple held by the National Food Authority (NFA), an industry official said.

Workers unload sacks of rice at a warehouse of the National Food Authority. -- AFP

In a phone interview, Philippine Confederation of Grains Associations (Philcongrains) President

Herculano Co, said that government may not be able to count on additional imports of 500,000 metric

tons (MT) of rice on top of its current government-to-government contract with Vietnam for 500,000 MT,

citing a potential rise in prices as El Niño hurts production across the South China Sea.According to

―Vietnam Consolidated Report on Drought and Saltwater Intrusion‖ collated between October and March

by the United Nations Disaster Risk Management Team (UNDRMT), provinces in the Mekong Delta,

Southern Central and Central Highlands regions have been feeling the impact of the El Niño-induced dry

spell since the end of 2015.The Mekong Delta is Vietnam’s source of about half the country’s rice and

fruit, with 159,000 hectares (ha) of the staple grain reported damaged by the drought as well as by

saltwater intrusion as of March 9.

―Since the end of 2015, water levels in the lower Mekong River have been at their lowest level since

records began nearly 100 years ago. It is estimated that levels of water shortage in the rivers of the

Mekong Delta range from 30-50%,‖ reported the UNDRMT, adding that ―further 500,000 ha of paddy

rice is likely to be damaged by mid-2016.‖As to the possibility of importing the additional 500,00 MT of

rice, Mr. Co said: ―I don’t think so‖ because Vietnam will have a hard time accumulating quantities

needed to supply trading partners.



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NFA spokesperson Angel G. Imperial said that the Philippine plan to import about 500,000 MT more rice

is ―not yet a definite plan... It’s just a possibility‖ being considered to boost buffer stocks as a precaution

against the dry spell, which has been hurting farms here since February 2015.Earlier, the NFA announced

that buffers may be sufficient to rule out import in the first half of the year.―This will be an interesting

few months for the global market, which faces a tight supply situation for the first time since 2007-08,‖

according to a post by Dr. Sam Mohanty, head of the Social Sciences Division of the International Rice

Research Institute (IRRI) dated Feb. 22 on the official IRRI Web site.The rice stocks of five major

exporters -- India, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan and the United States have declined since reaching a peak

of nearly 41 million tons in 2013, according to IRRI, citing United States Department of Agriculture

(USDA) data.

The USDA was quoted as saying that the biggest drawdown of stocks in the exporting countries is under

way this year, with a 40% drop from a year earlier to reach 19 million tons by late 2016.Mr. Co said that

with great crop damage resulting from the dry spell, a potential crisis looms that reminded him of the rice

crisis of 2008, when prices exceeded $1,000 per MT.―If we rely on imports, what happens if the countries

have problems [supplying] their own like what is happening now? We will be hostage to the rise in

prices,‖ said Estrella F. Catarata, executive director of the Philippine Network of Food Security

Programmes, a convenor of the Green Action PH, civil society group.

Ms. Catarata also noted similarities to 2008.―If possible this may be even worse than 2007-2008 crisis

when there were no weather disturbances to spur the crisis,‖ Ms. Catarata said, noting that the violence in

Kidapawan City may be a sign of the worsening situation.―If the government is serious in eradicating

poverty and boosting agriculture, they should invest in irrigation,‖ said Ms. Catarata. She estimated that

nongovernment organizations can establish irrigation systems for P300,000-P400,000 adequate to the

needs of a community of some 200 households.UNIDRMT reported that Vietnam has allocated $23.3

million in emergency funds to compensate farmers suffering from El Niño as well as providing them with

water tanks and other provisions.

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=vietnam-could-disrupt-plans-to-

bolster-nfa&8217s-rice-buffers&id=125840

Experts: Third rice crop may lead drought and salinity to

worsen

VietNamNet Bridge – The Department of Cultivation’s plan to expand the acreage of the 2016 autumn-

winter rice crop, or the third rice crop, in the Mekong Delta to offset the losses in the winter-spring crop

could lead drought and salinity in the region to worsen in the coming years, said experts.



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A farmer uses an excavator to erect dikes to keep water for his rice field in the Mekong Delta in the

previous third crop. The Department of Cultivation’s plan to expand the acreage of the 2016

autumn-winter rice crop, or the third rice crop, in the Mekong Delta could lead drought and salinity

in the region to worsen in the coming years – Photo: Trung Chanh

The department, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, plans to encourage farmers to

start sowing paddy on 900,300 hectares in the third rice crop in the delta in July and early August, up

57,160 hectares year-on-year. Rice output is expected to exceed 4.9 million tons, up 361,000 tons from

the same period last year.The output rise is well above 180,000 tons of paddy damaged by drought and

saltwater intrusion in the 2015-2016 winter-spring rice crop in the key rice producing region in Vietnam,

according to the department.However, Nguyen Huu Thien and other experts said the rice farming

expansion might make matters worse in the region in 2017 because the construction of closed dikes to

retain water for the third rice crop will severely affect water storage capacity in the Mekong Delta during

the flooding season.

Thien said the Mekong River downstream has three natural water reservoirs, namely the Tonle Sap Lake

in Cambodia and Vietnam’s Dong Thap Muoi (the Plain of Reeds) and Long Xuyen Quadrangle. The

700,000-hectare Dong Thap Muoi is on the left bank of the river in the provinces of Dong Thap, Tien



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Giang and Long An, while the Long Xuyen Quadrangle covers 590,000 hectares on the right bank of the

river in An Giang and Kien Giang provinces.

Every year, floodwater from the Mekong River upstream flows into the Tonle Sap Lake, making the lake

expand from approximately 300,000 hectares in the dry season to 1.5 million hectares in the wet season.

Floodwater of the river also runs into the Dong Thap Muoi and Long Xuyen Quadrangle.Thien said the

three natural reservoirs regulate water flows of the Mekong River, store water to ease floods in the wet

season and release water into the Tien and Hau rivers to help reduce salinity in coastal areas during the

dry season.

However, the construction in previous years of closed dikes to keep water for the third rice crop has

compromised water storage in the Dong Thap Muoi and Long Xuyen Quadrangle.Statistics showed water

volume in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle dropped from 9.2 billion cubic meters in 2000 to only 4.5 billion

cubic meters in 2011 due to the construction of 1,100 square kilometers of such dike. As a result, more

flooding hits the areas outside the dikes in the flooding season while drought and saltwater intrusion

worsen in the dry season.The wider area for rice farming in the third rice crop means more dikes would be

built. Relevant agencies need to find ways to solve the drought and salinity problems caused by the third

crop in previous years rather than planning to expand the acreage of the crop as this will result in more

dikes being built.

VietNamNet Bridge

Rice planting off to good start Sat, 04/09/2016 - 10:21am

Rice seeds spread onto a field by airplane have sprouted a few days after planting. (Photo by

Bruce Schultz) By Bruce Schultz [email protected]

Crowley, La.. --Good weather set the stage for good planting conditions for the 2016 rice crop in

Louisiana. ―In general, we’re off to a good start,‖ said Steve Linscombe, director of the LSU AgCenter H.

Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station. ―I think this has probably been the most favorable growing

conditions in the month of March in my career.‖ Some farmers were finished planting as early as March

http://www.eunicetoday.com/sites/eunicetoday.com/files/field/image/040816-sprouted-seed-clr.jpg



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7, he said.Linscombe said most farmers appear to have good stands, with only a few scattered fields

needing to be replanted.The bird repellent AV-1011 is working well at preventing birds from eating rice

seed, he said.

―This has been an outstanding product for us.‖Unlike last year, rains kept farmers out of fields for only a

few days, he said.All research projects on the Rice Research Station are on schedule, with a few plots

remaining to be planted.Louisiana’s rice crop could increase over last year’s 412,000 acres, Linscombe

said. It may be too late to replant flooded corn fields, and a portion of that land could be used to grow

rice.

―By the end of the week, there won’t be too much left to plant in southwest Louisiana,‖ said AgCenter

rice specialist Dustin Harrell.Planting started in early February, and Harrell estimated a third of the crop

had been planted before March 10. Favorable weather this year, unlike 2015, allowed farmers to drill-seed

more of their rice.Farmers prefer to spread their planting over a few weeks to prevent the rice from

ripening and reaching desired moisture levels all at once, Harrell said.―I feel we’ll be close to the acreage

we had last year,‖ he said.Not much rice has been planted in northeast Louisiana, and Harrell expects it

will be at least two weeks before it gets fully underway. ―A lot of that ground is still underwater,‖ he

said.Andrew Granger, AgCenter county agent in Vermilion Parish, said planting is 80 percent complete

there.Farmers who haven’t finished are probably still harvesting crawfish, or they don’t typically plant

early, Granger said.Vermilion Parish rice acreage is likely to decrease by about 10-15 percent this year to

around 40,000. ―The price is the drag,‖ he said.

Todd Fontenot, AgCenter county agent in Evangeline Parish, said farmers are taking advantage of the

good weather. ―If they’re not finished planting, they’re going to be finished this week. It’s moving along

pretty fast,‖ he said.Fontenot estimated 65 percent of the fields are planted and doesn’t expect an acreage

change from 2015 in Evangeline Parish. ―We’ll be pretty much in line with the 40,000 acres last year,‖ he

saidJeremy Hebert, AgCenter county agent in Acadia Parish, said planting is nearly finished. ―It’s going

very, very well, with extremely favorable growing conditions,‖ he said.

Farmers are pleased with the stands. ―It seems like everything planted has germinated,‖ Hebert

said.Acreage will be at least the same as last year’s 82,000 acres, he said. ―I haven’t heard of anybody

reducing rice acreage.‖ Frances Guidry, AgCenter county agent in Jeferson Davis Parish, said planting

has gone smoothly. ‖Some are done. Some actually were done in the middle of March,‖ she said.Farmer

Johnny Hensgens, of Calcasieu Parish, said he only has 100 acres remaining, and he will be finished by

week’s end.He finished planting last year in March. ―I could have finished in March this year, but I held

off,‖ Hensgens said.He said some of his seed seemed reluctant to emerge after cool temperatures that

followed rain, but he didn’t have a problem with blackbirds feeding on seed because he used AV-1011.

Two neighboring farmers who didn’t use the product had blackbird problems, he said.Farmer Clarence

Berken, of Jefferson Davis Parish, said his planting went well. ―We couldn’t have had any better weather

in terms of getting it out there and getting it done,‖ he said.Berken said he finished planting earlier than

ever. ―I think everybody is satisfied with the way things have gone.‖

http://www.eunicetoday.com/local/rice-planting-good-start



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Despite El Niño, global rice output may rise in 2016

GLOBAL rice output in 2016 may grow by 1 percent due to expectations of recovery in the Philippines

and other major rice-growing countries, according to a United Nations-supervised monitoring system.

Based on the latest monthly market report of the Agricultural Market Information System (Amis),

worldwide production of rice is now pencilled in at 495 million tons.

Along with the Philippines, better prospects are also seen for India, Thailand and the United States.

―In the Philippines, the dry season crop conditions are favorable in the northern regions and mixed in the

southern regions due to insufficient water and intense heat brought about by prolonged dry spells,‖ the

Amis said.

Amis, which is supervised by the Food and Agriculture Organization, said the El Niño continued to cause

concern and impact conditions in Southeast Asia, especially in Thailand.

―The ongoing El Niño continues to decline from its peak strength in late 2015, with neutral conditions

expected by June,‖ the Amis said.

Citing estimates by United Nations agencies, the climatic phenomenon has already resulted in 60 million

people affected by droughts, floods and extreme weather.

―Its aftermath impact on food security is expected to continue well into 2017,‖ the Amis said.

As for global rice trade, Amis said this was tentatively forecast to decrease to reflect reduced import

demand by several countries in Asia.

Trade volume is now pegged at 44.1 million tons, down by 1.7 percent from the estimated 44.9 million

tons traded in the previous year.

Last week, National Food Authority administrator Renan B. Dalisay said there was yet no need for fresh

importation as national inventory of milled rice was sufficient.

―The national inventory — is good for 94 days, of which 34-days’ worth of rice is with the NFA and the

rest is with commercial warehouses and households,‖ Dalisay told the Inquirer.

NFA’s most recent purchase from abroad was for a total of 750,000 tons, for which state-run suppliers in

Vietnam and Thailand were contracted through a bidding conducted last year.

Of the total volume, 250,000 tons arrived during the fourth quarter of 2015 while the rest arrived during

the first quarter this year.Dalisay said there was no decision yet on whether importation would be needed

for the months of lean supply which starts in July. This would depend on the assessment of the supply

situation in the runup to the lean months.

http://business.inquirer.net/209375/despite-el-nino-global-rice-output-may-rise-2016#ixzz45bWp5zHi



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Gov’t handling dry spell well, insists Palace Philippine Daily Inquirer

01:57 AM April 11th, 2016

@inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer

01:57 AM April 11th, 2016

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

DESPITE calls for emergency measures to address the laments of Kidapawan farmers,

Malacañang Sunday insisted the impact of the long dry spell on the country has been well

managed and food supplies and prices were stable.Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma

Jr. made the assurance when asked on government radio to comment on Sen. Aquilino Pimentel

III’s call for the government to declare a state of calamity in the country due to the widespread

impact of El Niño on the agricultural sector.

Coloma said the El Niño Task Force, which faced the Senate inquiry into the violent police

dispersal of North Cotabato farmers in Kidapawan City last Friday, had reported that different

programs put up by the government to address the El Niño were able to ease the drought by

ensuring a sufficient food supply as well as stable food prices in the country. He said government

actions included providing appropriate production support for farmers like irrigation and

providing seedlings to non-vulnerable and mildly affected provinces.

The government also increased the buffer stocks of the National Food Authority and imposed a

price freeze in areas that declared they were under a state of calamity.Quoting a report by

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Emmanuel Esguerra, he said inflation data showed that prices

of food, particularly rice, ―have been low and stable in the past months.‖―In fact for March 2016,

despite the El Niño phenomenon, rice prices remained lower than in the previous year (-1.7

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/source/philippine-daily-inquirer

http://www.twitter.com/inquirerdotnet

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/source/philippine-daily-inquirer

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/files/2014/12/coloma-e1390893246601.jpg



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percent in March from 2 percent in February) and have been declining consistently since October

2015,‖ Coloma said, quoting from Esguerra’s report.

Likewise, the report said the price of vegetables was trending downward and declined by 2.9

percent in March 2016 from the previous month or a total decline of 7.8 percent since beginning

of the year, according to Coloma.He said supply and buffer stock management were ―being done

well with timely purchases.‖

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/778916/govt-handling-dry-spell-well-insists-palace#ixzz45bX1o9zc

Passage of new rice imports policy a must’ News

Top News

by Cai Ordinario - April 11, 2016

The next Congress must prioritize the amendment of a law which allowed Manila to protect the

rice sector by limiting the entry of cheap rice imports, a senior official of the National Economic

and Development Authority (Neda) said on Monday.Neda Deputy Director General Rosemarie

Edillon said Republic Act (RA) 8178, or the Agricultural Tariffication Act, should be amended

before the extension of the quantitative restriction (QR) on rice granted by the World Trade

Organization (WTO) expires in July 2017.While the QR on rice has temporarily given palay

farmers a reprieve from the deluge of cheap imports, its extension has necessitated the grant of

concessions that were detrimental to other farm sectors.

―July 2017 is less than two years away and when the new Congress begins its session, I suppose

[the amendment of RA 8178] will have to be one of the first bills that should be filed and

passed,‖ Edillon told the BusinessMirror in an interview.After July 2017, the Philippines may no

longer be allowed to enjoy the QR, as it has been over 20 years since the country joined the

WTO. The Philippines officially became a member of the WTO on January 1, 1995.The

country’s accession to the WTO means it agreed to liberalize trade for all commodities,

including rice—the country’s staple.

Over time, other countries, like Japan and South Korea, were no longer allowed to impose the

QR, allowing rice imports to arrive freely in their markets, provided traders would pay the

corresponding tariff and duties.Edillon said Manila’s decision to retain the protection for rice is

due to the fact that Filipinos consider it irreplaceable as it is a cheap everyday food.The

exemption also aims to protect farmers, many of whom could not compete in the international

market. Only farmers living in plains like those in Central Luzon will be able to compete with

international rice sellers.―What we’re saying is that protection doesn’t have to be in the form of

QR. In fact, if you replace QR with tariffs, the money could be used to modernize our

agriculture,‖ Edillon said.

―The government could help farmers currently planting rice in nonsuitable areas to shift to

cultivating other more

profitable crops. It is a win-win proposition,‖ she added.The Neda and the World Bank said that

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/category/news/

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/category/news/top-news/

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/author/caiordinario/



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in lieu of the QR, the Philippines can set rice tariffs at 35 percent to 40 percent, or even 30

percent, when the WTO waiver expires in July 2017.The World Bank said this is the ―most

acceptable‖ thing to do since assigning a tariff on rice and gradually reducing it will encourage

free trade and result in the decline in local rice prices.The Washington-based multilateral

development bank said poor Filipinos, who allocate 20 percent of their household budgets for

rice, are the ones who suffer the most when the price of the staple goes up.Retaining the QR and

the government’s control over the country’s rice trade did not result in 100 rice self-

sufficiency—a campaign promise made by President Aquino. Farmers have remained poor and

consumers are forced to buy expensive rice. This despite allocating around 65 percent of the

budget of the Department of Agriculture and related government- owned and-controlled

corporations for rice production since the 1960s. Government efforts to boost output were

fraught with low-quality investments and few support mechanisms.

―Decades of substantial budget outlays, even when supported by QR on rice imports with high

in-quota tariffs and government control over rice trade by the National Food Authority, did not

advance the goal of rice self-sufficiency,‖ the World Bank said.―Instead, rice supply has been

inadequate and kept domestic rice prices artificially high relative to world prices,‖ it

added.Philippine Institute for Development Studies senior fellow Roehlano Briones said the

government’s rice spending reached P37.44 billion in 2012, almost half of the government’s total

agriculture spending in that year. Data showed that 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.Also, government spending for other crops like corn only amounted to P951

million in 2012; high-value crops, P1.63 billion; coconut, P2.08 billion; livestock, P2.72 billion;

and 3.308 billion for fisheries

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/passage-of-new-rice-imports-policy-a-must/

Philippines Should Drop Rice Import Quotas: World

Bank

Manila. The Philippines should scrap rice import quotas and instead charge tariffs on shipments

of the grain, the World Bank said on Monday (11/04), as it urged the Southeast Asian country to

open up its economy to more competition. The country is the one of the world's top rice buyers,

but its import controls aimed at protecting farmers have previously caused shortages and in 2014

local prices hit a record high and increased the number of Filipinos living in poverty. World

Bank lead economist Rogier van den Brink said the government should replace import caps with

an initial 30 percent tariff, compared with 35 percent currently imposed. "Simulations show that

these policy changes will reduce poverty and hunger significantly," van den Brink told a news

briefing, citing the private sector's capacity to meet supply shortages efficiently. Easing

restrictions on rice imports has been a hot issue in the Philippines, with the government retaining

tariffs and quotas to protect farmers, despite its commitment to removing global trade barriers.



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The state grains procurement agency, the National Food Authority (NFA), is the only body

allowed to import rice tariff free. Liberalizing rice trading and easing restrictions on local and

foreign capital, and investments in sectors like telecommunications, shipping and construction,

should generate more jobs, increase income and lower prices, van den Brink said. In its latest

outlook, the World Bank kept its 6.4 percent and 6.2 percent growth forecasts for the Philippines

for this year and next, making it among the fastest growing economies in the region. The

economy grew 5.8 percent in 2015. But Karl Kendrick Chua, senior country economist at the

World Bank, said the economy faced a range of risks including an uneven recovery of richer

economies, financial market volatility, slower remittance growth from oil exporting countries,

the El Niño weather pattern, and uncertainty around the May 9 Philippine elections

http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/international/philippines-drop-rice-import-quotas-world-bank/

TABLE-THAI-VIETNAMESE 5 PCT GRADE RICE

PRICES - APRIL 11 4/11/2016

BANGKOK, April 11 (Reuters) - Following is a table of Thai

and Vietnamese 5 percent broken grade supplied by traders.

(Bulk quotations in U.S. dollars per tonne FoB assessed by

Thomson Reuters)



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Shipment Bid Ask Previous

Thai $371-$388 $371-$377 FoB Bangkok

Vietnam $370-$375 $370-$375 FoB Saigon

(Reporting by Pairat Temphairojana in BANGKOK and Ho Binh Minh

in HANOI; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips) http://www.agriculture.com/content/table-thai-vietnamese-5-pct-grade-rice-prices-april-11

Russia. Rice exports dropped by 67%

11.04.2016

During July-February of season 2015/16 rice exports from Russia reached 69.8 KMT that was

almost 67% lower than during the same period of last season (about 200 KMT).Rice exports

reduced despite increase in total crop by 5.8% to 1.11 MMT in Russia in 2015. It was due to

decline of rice purchases by the main Russian importers such as Turkey, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan.

The share of traditional Russian rice purchaser Turkey decreased to 30% against 50% in 2014/15

MY.During the reporting period Turkey reduced purchases by 83 % - to 21.6 KMT compared to

134.1 KMT during July-February last season.On the contrary, China and EU countries increase

purchases of Russian rice. http://www.blackseagrain.net/novosti/russia-rice-exports-dropped-by-67

Thailand strikes rice deal with Hong Kong

BY EDITORON 2016-04-11THAILAND

BANGKOK, 11 April 2016 (NNT) – Thai rice exporters have signed a 120-million-US-

dollar deal with seven rice importers from Hong Kong.Commerce Minister Apiradi

Tantraporn traveled to Hong Kong with a group of Thai rice manufacturers to strike the deal that

will see a total of 150,000 tons of rice exported to the island administration.

This deal puts the Ministry of Commerce on track to achieve its target of doubling trade volume

to 300,000 tons of rice to Hong Kong. Thailand has already exported 33,000 tons of rice worth

28 million dollars within the first two months of this year. The ministry expects Thai rice exports

to decline globally from 10 million tons last year tons to 9.5 million tons this year, due to

drought crisis. The government will explore additional markets to ensure Thailand maintains its

market share.

http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/thailand-strikes-rice-deal-with-hong-kong/138103/

http://news.thaivisa.com/author/editor/

http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/



16

Good Southwest monsoon expected this year' PTI

The Hindu

The Met Department’s predictions will be out later this month, giving a clear picture of

monsoon. Photo: K.R.Deepak

The government directed states to chalk out plans to boost crop acreage and production in kharif

season starting June.

After two years of deficient rainfall, the government on Monday said the monsoon this year is

expected to be normal and directed states to chalk out plans to boost crop acreage and production

in kharif season starting June.―El nino condition is declining. It is expected that La Nina

condition will takeover, and will perhaps favour a good monsoon this year,‖ Agriculture

Secretary Shobhana K Patnaik said addressing a national conference to launch kharif campaign

for 2016-17.The Met Department’s predictions will be out later this month, giving a clear picture

of monsoon, he added.India’s foodgrain production declined to 252.02 million tonnes in 2014-15

crop year (July-June) from the record 265.04 million tonnes in the previous year, due to poor



17

monsoon.The output is estimated to rise slightly to 253.16 in the ongoing 2015-16 crop year due

to 14 per cent less rains.

Two consecutive bad monsoons have led to farm distress and water scarcity in the country.The

Secretary asked the state governments to make advance preparation for sowing of kharif

(summer) crops like rice and pulses by making adequate availability of seeds, fertilisers, and

other agri-nputs.Less-than-normal rainfall in the last two years has left farmers and resources at

stress. There is high moisture stress in soil, he added.Even the Economic Survey in February had

said El Nino, which is held responsible for extreme weather events across the country last year,

is unlikely to repeat this year.However, it had suggested that the government should still be

ready with the contingency plan to deal with any eventuality besides announcing in advance the

MSP for crops like pulses. Keywords: El Nino, La Nina, Southwest monsoon, Kharif crops

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/government-expects-good-southwest-monsoon-this-

year/article8461416.ece

Rice prices declining – Palace By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star) | Updated April 11, 2016 - 12:00am

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/government-expects-good-southwest-monsoon-this-year/article8461416.ece




http://www.philstar.com/author/Delon%20Porcalla/



18

Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. of the Presidential Communications Operations Office said the supply of

rice remained stable based on a report submitted by El Niño task force head and National Economic and

Development Authority chief Emmanuel Esguerra. File photo

MANILA, Philippines – Rice prices have declined steadily since the last quarter of 2015, a

Palace official said yesterday amid the protest of starving farmers in Kidapawan City.Secretary

Herminio Coloma Jr. of the Presidential Communications Operations Office said the supply of

rice remained stable based on a report submitted by El Niño task force head and National

Economic and Development Authority chief Emmanuel Esguerra.

―While drought entails low production leading to high prices of agricultural products, inflation

data showed that prices of food, particularly rice, have been low and stable in the past months,‖

Coloma said.―In fact for March 2016, despite the El Niño, rice prices remained lower compared

to the previous year,‖ Coloma added.He said the prices of vegetables also went down by 2.9

percent last March from the previous month, for a total decline of 7.8 percent since the year

began.The Aquino administration has offered the untouched funds of the National Disaster Risk

Reduction and Management Council to give relief to the Kidapawan farmers.

Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said the

national and local governments have put in place contingency measures to prevent the effects of El Niño

in the countryside – from rice distribution to cash-for-work programs.

Abad said the government could use the NDRRMC funds to help the farmers affected by drought.Abad

refuted the claim of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano that part of the problem was the delay in the release of

funds for El Niño.―Let us not politicize the situation of the farmers and the poor,‖ Abad said.He said the

Department of Agriculture, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and other government

agencies have calamity and emergency funds on top of the Quick Response Funds.―Local government

units, including the provincial government of North Cotabato, can distribute rice using their calamity

funds,‖ Abad said.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/04/11/1571733/rice-prices-declining-palace

Joint Efforts Needed To Enhance Basmati Exports

Apr 10, 2016 | Thaver

The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has given a road map to

the Ministry of Commerce (MINCOM) for the revival of the basmati rice industry

on fast track basisPresident UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said the first step to

enhance basmati rice exports would be to facilitate the rice exporters to export to

third world countries by financing trade with third world countries by insuring the

transaction risk through export credit guarantee insurance. This will make the

commercial banks comfortable in financing the rice exporters.Secondly a currency

http://www.unisame.org/author/thaver/



19

swap agreement with Iran is very essential for smooth exports to Iran. This will

enable Iran to buy basmati rice from Pakistan again.

Thirdly warehousing facilities for goods in many countries are needed for

enhancing exports.Fourthly it is important that Pakiatani basmati rice exporters

have regular basmati festivals in Europe, Latin American countries and

U.S.A.Pakistani basmati rice is no where seen on the super market shelves in these

countries, all that one sees is Indian basmati brands. Pakiatani brands need

aggressive marketing with free gifts , and one plus one marketing schemes.Fifthly

the government needs to remove import duties on packing material of rice. Sixthly

the withholding tax on export of rice must be reduced to quarter percent and export

development surcharge be removed fully.

The government needs to promote Pakistani basmati rice features of aroma, length

and look, superior taste and it’s recognition of world’s number one rice because our

super basmati rice is the rice used for banquets by the royal families. UNISAME

also called upon the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority

(SMEDA) to upgrade the rice industry and improve the supply chain from the

primary sector to exports.The Intellectual Property Organization (IPO) needs to

convene a meeting of stakeholders for the solution of the Geographical Indications

(GI) and the Trade Marks Registrar (TMR) intervention is also required to settle the

issues of GI and TM without loss of time to overcome the erroneous findings of the

Indian forum. http://www.unisame.org/joint-efforts-needed-to-enhance-basmati-exports/

04/11/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report

Rice

High Low

Long Grain Cash Bids - - - - - -

Long Grain New Crop - - - - - -

Futures: ROUGH RICE

High Low Last Change



20

May '16 1003.0 983.5 984.5 -10.5

Jul '16 1030.0 1012.0 1011.5 -10.5

Sep '16 1045.0 1030.0 1030.0 -11.0

Nov '16 1062.0 1052.0 1046.5 -11.0

Jan '17 1075.0 1075.0 1064.5 -10.5

Mar '17

1083.5 -10.0

May '17

1084.5 -9.5

Rice Comment

Rice futures were lower across the board. It looks like futures are attempting to consolidate

above the recent spike low. Weekly exports came in at 91,200 tons for 15-16 and 11,000 tons for

16-17 delivery. The market charted a huge bearish reversal last week in reaction to USDA's

planting intentions report. Rice acres are expected to be up 17% from 2015 at 3.064 million

acres. All of that gain and then some will be in long grain rice, while medium grain acreage will

actually be down 17% across the country. Arkansas is expected to plant 1.581 million acres of

rice consisting of 1.43 million acres of long grain and 150,000 acres of medium grain.

Technically, the first level of support for May is the recent low of $9.42 1/2, while overhead

trendline resistance is currently near $10.15.

Arkansas Leaders Pledge Support for Cuba

By Peter Bachmann

LITTLE ROCK, AR -- This morning, a group of

the top business leaders in Arkansas gathered

here at the Capital Hotel to officially launch the

Arkansas State Council for Cuba sponsored by

USA Rice and Engage Cuba.Engage Cuba is the

leading coalition of private businesses and

organizations working to end the travel and

trade embargo on Cuba. The State Council

mailto:[email protected]

http://click.aristotle.net/click.aspx?lid=CG4A6aU-IBl

http://click.aristotle.net/click.aspx?lid=CG4Q6aQ-MAl

http://click.aristotle.net/click.aspx?lid=CG0B2bQlIQh



21

launched today represents a broad cross-section of agribusiness, community, and academic

leaders from across the state with the common goal of improving U.S.-Cuba relations.Fourteen

of the Council's members work directly within the Arkansas rice industry from the grower,

marketer, and processor perspectives. Arkansas is the fifth state to launch a state council with

the intention to garner support to lift the embargo and end the travel ban from U.S. and state

legislators.

Dow Brantley, Arkansas rice farmer and chairman of USA Rice, spoke at this morning's press

conference as a member of the State Council, and said, "We applaud the positive steps made by

the current Administration but feel we are at the point where further progress is dependent on our

leaders in Congress. We ask our legislators to continue this momentum by normalizing trade

with this nation."

In reference to efforts by USA Rice, Brantley added, "We've been at the forefront of the push to

lift the embargo since the 1990's, before there was the momentum we see today that we welcome

and embrace. Restoring mutually beneficial, two-way commerce is at the heart of all of our

industry's efforts and the movement is making history almost daily."

Other speakers at the press conference included: James Williams, President of Engage Cuba;

Juan Lamiguerio Leon, Deputy Chief of Mission for the Cuban Embassy in Washington; Robert

Moery, Agriculture Liaison for Governor Asa Hutchinson; and Wes Ward, Arkansas Secretary of

Agriculture.

APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1451

International Benchmark Price

Price on: 06-04-2016

Product Benchmark Indicators Name Price

Garlic

1 Chinese first grade granules, CFR NW Europe (USD/t) 3500

2 Chinese Grade A dehydrated flakes, CFR NW Europe (USD/t) 4500

3 Chinese powdered, CFR NW Europe (USD/t) 3000

Ginger



22

1 Chinese sliced, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 2150

2 Chinese whole, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 2300

3 Indian Cochin, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 2850

Guar Gum Powder

1 Indian 100 mesh 3500 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t) 3750

2 Indian 200 mesh 3500 cps technical grade, FOB Kandla (USD/t) 3005

3 Indian 200 mesh 5000 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t) 2270

Source:agra-net For more info

Market Watch

Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 09-04-2016

Domestic Prices Unit Price : Rs per Qty

Product Market Center Variety Min Price Max Price

Rice

1 Jajpur (Orissa) Other 1800 2400

2 Dibrugarh (Assam) Other 2000 2900

3 Sainthia (West Bengal) Common 1750 1770

Wheat

1 Dehgam (Gujarat) Other 1550 1855

2 Satna (Madhya Pradesh) Other 1375 1450

3 Umared (Maharashtra) Other 1500 2250

Mousambi

1 Thirurrangadi(Kerala) Other 3500 3700

2 Ganaur (Haryana) Other 2600 3000

3 Solan (Himachal Pradesh) Other 4500 5000



23

Brinjal

1 Palayam (Kerala) Other 900 1100

2 Nabha (Punjab) Other 600 1000

3 Surat (Gujarat) Other 700 1400

Source:agmarknet.nic.in For more info

Egg Rs per 100 No

Price on 09-04-2016

Product Market Center Price

1 Ahmedabad 335

2 Nagapur 290

3 Namakkal 350

Source: e2necc.com

Other International Prices Unit Price : US$ per package

Price on 07-04-2016

Product Market Center Origin Variety Low High

Potatoes Package: 50 lb cartons

1 Atlanta Colorado Russet 17 17.50

2 Chicago California Russet 21 21

2 Detroit Wisconsin Russet 16 16.50

Carrots Package:20 1-lb film bags

1 Atlanta California Baby Peeled 20.25 20.75

2 Philadelphia California Baby Peeled 16 16

3 Dallas Mexico Baby Peeled 17 20

Apples Package: cartons tray pack

http://agmarknet.nic.in/

http://e2necc.com/



24

1 Atlanta Virginia Red Delicious 25.50 26

2 Chicago Michigan Red Delicious 13.50 13.50

3 Miami Virginia Red Delicious 18 22

Source:USDA

Causes of rice seedling diseases - what you can do Apr 8, 2016Yeshi Wamishe, University of Arkansas | Delta Farm Press

Grape colaspis is known to cause substantial loss in seedling stands. It may also give rice

seedlings a sick appearance, making seedling diseases more complex and difficult for

diagnosis.

Photo: University of Arkansas

Seeds from storage may carry

seed rotting microbes. These

microbes may have been carried

into the storage from fields in the

previous season. Moreover,

secondary infection can also be

caused from soil or water. Certain

environmental conditions such as

puddled spots also favor seed

rotting.Rotting seeds become

mushy and may be surrounded by

gooey substances or white moldy

growth due to microbial activities.

Seedling diseases can be caused by multiple factors: Microbes: Multiple bacterial and fungal microbes may be responsible to cause complex

symptoms in rice seedlings. Problematic seedlings may show brownish discoloration below or

above the soil line causing seedling blight.

When diseases are severe the seedlings are stunted, turn yellow, and eventually could die,

resulting in a poor stand.

Seedlings may also have darker rot at the base of the plant. Pathogen structures such as mycelia

may easily be detected on collar of infected seedlings or may be seen radiating from rotted seeds.

Environmental factors: Low temperatures and wet conditions can make soil conditions

unfavorable for normal growth of rice seedlings. Cool temperatures at or shortly after planting

intensify seedling problems. Likewise, warmer temperatures under wet conditions also favor

some fungi to cause seedling diseases.



25

Water seeding: Seeds for water seeding are not often treated with chemicals and hence, seedling

diseases are usually severe. Even if treated, the chemicals can quickly wash off, lowering the

benefit to seedling protection.

As a result, chemical seed treatment for water seeding is not generally recommended. Therefore,

water molds in water-seeded rice can cause more severe seedling diseases than in drill-planted

fields.

DELTA FARM PRESS DAILY

Freezing nights: Rice seedlings in early spring often show white bands (rings) at the leaf that

started at soil line.Freeze leaf spots are formed when dew or water drops on young and tender

leaves freeze at night. Seedling stands are not usually affected by the white bands or freeze spots

as long as the seedlings continue growing.

Soil types: Seedlings emerge faster and easier in sandier soil than in clay soil provided water and

seed quality are not limiting for seeds to germinate.

Rice cultivar genotypes: Rice varieties may not emerge equally and uniformly even on the same

soil type. Different rice cultivars clearly show differences in emergence and seedling vigor.

Knowledge about your field in relation to cultivar emergence is useful to match the right cultivar

with the right soil type. The faster the seeds germinate and emerge, the higher the chance of

escaping the early-season disease complex.

Herbicides: Chemical compounds applied pre-emergence or postemergence can substantially

affect young and tender seedling tissues making seedling disease diagnosis difficult. The white

bands (rings) formed due to freezing can be confused with symptoms caused by herbicide

damage as with the herbicide Command.

Sometimes damage caused by herbicides can be more substantial than actual seedling diseases.

Herbicide damage on seedlings may also be caused by herbicide carryover or drift from other

fields.

Insects: Grape colaspis is known to cause substantial loss in seedling stands. It may also give

rice seedlings a sick appearance, making seedling diseases more complex and difficult for

diagnosis.

Salt damage: Different soils have different salt levels. Higher levels often kill rice seedlings.

Zinc deficiency in soil can show a distinct leaf bronzing symptom in rice seedlings. Zinc

deficiency affects crop growth.

Symptoms are more prominent at seedling stage. However, the problem can persist throughout

the growth cycle of the crop, ultimately affecting the grain yield unless corrected in a timely

manner.

To read more on zinc deficiency, go to chapter 9 Pages 92-93 in

Consider the following to ensure adequate seed germination, good seedling stand by reducing

seed rots, and seedling disease complex at early stage of your rice crop.

• Plant healthy-looking, plump seeds treated with appropriate fungicides and insecticides.

• Higher rates of seed treatment containing mefenoxam, fludioxonil, metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin,

either individually or in combinations of two fungicides need to be used for early planting or

even for late planting if the season stays cold and wet. A field with a known history of disease

such as rice blast requires higher rates of the appropriate fungicides.

• Gibberellic acid seed treatment may be considered on cultivars with weak seedling vigor to

increase emergence and seedling vigor.



26

• Make sure seeds are treated uniformly.• Avoid using seeds stored inadequately for a lengthy

period. For instance, seeds stored under high moisture and temperature can lose their viability

within a few months.• Before planting, test for germination. Seeding rates may need to be

adjusted based on your germination results.• Check for adequacy of soil moisture to promote

seed germination.

• Correct low areas that puddle in your field so you can have more uniform emergence and less

seed rotting.

• To maximize crop tolerance to diseases, correct nutrient deficiencies in a timely fashion.

Yeshi Wamishe is the Extension Rice Plant Pathologist with the University of Arkansas. Contact

him at [email protected]. http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/causes-rice-seedling-diseases-what-you-can-do

U.S. rice production declined 13 percent in 2015 Apr 8, 2016USDA, Economic Research Service | Delta Farm Press

U.S. rice production declined 13 percent in 2015-16 (August-July) to 192.3 million

hundredweight (cwt), down 29.9 cwt from a year earlier, according to USDA’s Economic

Research Service.The decline in production was the result of both smaller plantings and a lower

average yield.At 2.614 million acres, 2015-16 rice plantings were 11.5 percent below a year

earlier, primarily reflecting weather-related problems that included excessive rain in the

Mississippi Delta early in the growing season and long-term drought in California and Texas.

The U.S. average yield of 7,470 pounds per acre was 1.4 percent below a year earlier, largely due

to the adverse weather in much of the South that delayed plantings and interfered with field

operations during the growing season.Despite the sharp decline in the 2015 crop, reported ERS,

U.S. supplies are projected to contract by only 5 percent due to the substantial quantity of rice

that was carried over from the previous year, when production reached the fourth highest level

on record due to strong prices and normal weather in the South that boosted acreage. http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/us-rice-production-declined-13-percent-2015

Rice Price Going Up By 10 To 15 Per Cent

Published:Monday | April 11, 2016 | 5:06 PM

Currently, Jamaica gets most of its rice from Guyana.

Jamaicans are being warned to brace for a 10 to 15 per cent increase in the price of rice

from Guyana following a hike in the cost to import gain.

mailto:[email protected]



27

Managing Director of

Jamaica Rice Mills

Derrick Nembhard says

in mid-March, the

Guyana Rice

Development Board

introduced a pricing

schedule which

requires Jamaican

importers to pay

US$400 per tonne if

they are importing

1,500 tonnes or

more.However, if the

Jamaican importers

want less than the

1,500 tonnes they will

have to pay more than

US$400

per tonne.Nembhard

says as a result of the increase in the price of rice imported from the region, the cost is being

passed on to consumers.

Recently, the Jamaica Rice Milling Company signed agreements with the Guyana Rice

Development Board to import a total of 80,000 tonnes of rice from Guyana during

2016.However, Nembhard says the Guyana Rice Development Board independently arrived at

the pricing schedule.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20160411/rice-price-going-10-15-cent


THE strong drought hitting Vietnam, a key source of Philippine rice imports, could disrupt the government’s

plan to build up reserves of the staple held by the National Food Authority (NFA), an industry official said.

Workers unload sacks of rice at a warehouse of the National Food Authority. -- AFP

In a phone interview, Philippine Confederation of Grains Associations (Philcongrains) President

Herculano Co, said that government may not be able to count on additional imports of 500,000

metric tons (MT) of rice on top of its current government-to-government contract with Vietnam

for 500,000 MT, citing a potential rise in prices as El Niño hurts production across the South

China Sea.According to ―Vietnam Consolidated Report on Drought and Saltwater Intrusion‖

collated between October and March by the United Nations Disaster Risk Management Team

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20160411/rice-price-going-10-15-cent



28

(UNDRMT), provinces in the Mekong Delta, Southern Central and Central Highlands regions

have been feeling the impact of the El Niño-induced dry spell since the end of 2015.The Mekong

Delta is Vietnam’s source of about half the country’s rice and fruit, with 159,000 hectares (ha) of

the staple grain reported damaged by the drought as well as by saltwater intrusion as of March 9.

―Since the end of 2015, water levels in the lower Mekong River have been at their lowest level

since records began nearly 100 years ago. It is estimated that levels of water shortage in the

rivers of the Mekong Delta range from 30-50%,‖ reported the UNDRMT, adding that ―further

500,000 ha of paddy rice is likely to be damaged by mid-2016.‖As to the possibility of importing

the additional 500,00 MT of rice, Mr. Co said: ―I don’t think so‖ because Vietnam will have a

hard time accumulating quantities needed to supply trading partners.NFA spokesperson Angel G.

Imperial said that the Philippine plan to import about 500,000 MT more rice is ―not yet a definite

plan... It’s just a possibility‖ being considered to boost buffer stocks as a precaution against the

dry spell, which has been hurting farms here since February 2015.Earlier, the NFA announced

that buffers may be sufficient to rule out import in the first half of the year.

―This will be an interesting few months for the global market, which faces a tight supply

situation for the first time since 2007-08,‖ according to a post by Dr. Sam Mohanty, head of the

Social Sciences Division of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) dated Feb. 22 on the

official IRRI Web site.The rice stocks of five major exporters -- India, Thailand, Vietnam,

Pakistan and the United States have declined since reaching a peak of nearly 41 million tons in

2013, according to IRRI, citing United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) data.The

USDA was quoted as saying that the biggest drawdown of stocks in the exporting countries is

under way this year, with a 40% drop from a year earlier to reach 19 million tons by late 2016.

Mr. Co said that with great crop damage resulting from the dry spell, a potential crisis looms that



29

reminded him of the rice crisis of 2008, when prices exceeded $1,000 per MT.―If we rely on

imports, what happens if the countries have problems [supplying] their own like what is

happening now? We will be hostage to the rise in prices,‖ said Estrella F. Catarata, executive

director of the Philippine Network of Food Security Programmes, a convenor of the Green

Action PH, civil society group.

Ms. Catarata also noted similarities to 2008.―If possible this may be even worse than 2007-2008

crisis when there were no weather disturbances to spur the crisis,‖ Ms. Catarata said, noting that

the violence in Kidapawan City may be a sign of the worsening situation.―If the government is

serious in eradicating poverty and boosting agriculture, they should invest in irrigation,‖ said Ms.

Catarata. She estimated that nongovernment organizations can establish irrigation systems for

P300,000-P400,000 adequate to the needs of a community of some 200 households.

UNIDRMT reported that Vietnam has allocated $23.3 million in emergency funds to compensate

farmers suffering from El Niño as well as providing them with water tanks and other provisions.

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=vietnam-could-disrupt-plans-to-

bolster-nfa&8217s-rice-buffers&id=125840

Gunny Bags Add to Farmers' Woes

By Express News Service

Published: 12th April 2016 05:32 AM

Last Updated: 12th April 2016 05:32 AM

BALASORE: Adding to a plethora of problems, the farmers

of Balasore district now face a new issue - gunny bags. The

service cooperative societies have refused to procure paddy

from farmers as the Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation

(OSCSC) Ltd and Food Corporation of India (FCI) fight over

the quality of gunny bags to keep paddy.While the societies

blame millers for not lifting paddy from their respective

godowns, millers hold the FCI responsible for not lifting rice.

The FCI in turn, accuses OSCSC of supplying poor quality

gunny bags which do not match the standard. As per the

prescribed guideline, weight of gunny bags should be

between 550 gms and 580 gms each. However, the bags

supplied by the corporation, as per order of the State

Government, weigh around 450 gms each.

At least 23 millers have made an agreement with the Civil Supplies Department to lift paddy. A

rice miller said the FCI refused to accept rice due to weak gunny bags.Societies claimed that they

are unable to procure paddy as they do not have storage space. They said farmers, who had sold

paddy, have not received payment for over a month.While the farmers have registered their

names to sell nearly 29.11 lakh quintals of paddy, societies have so far procured around 14 lakh



30

quintals. Besides, the farmers who cultivated paddy as share croppers, have been losing at least

`200 to `300 per quintal as the land owners who are registered as farmers take the money for

allowing them to sell paddy through their cards.Although the rice millers are asked to deliver 68

per cent of rice quota to the corporation and 32 per cent to FCI, they are apprehensive of not

receiving much rice as the quality of paddy is low. The farmers are also at the receiving end.

Basanta Dalai, a farmer, said due to the recent rain, moisture content in the grains has gone up.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/Gunny-Bags-Add-to-Farmers-

Woes/2016/04/12/article3375599.ece

Craft some USPs to boost exports India’s exports—now for long on a continuous slippery slope—need a

structural change in the ecosystem By: Raghu Dayal | April 11, 2016 6:12 AM

Indian export basket includes around 60% of manufactured goods

As a sterile debate sporadically rages on the feasibility as much as the desirability of the

country’s export-led economic growth, the continuing contraction of India’s exports has typically

http://www.financialexpress.com/author/raghu-dayal/



31

elicited weather-beaten demand for some quick-fixes such as fiscal incentives and interest rate

subventions. Even if economic growth may not primarily be export-driven, exports signify a

country’s competitiveness across the global value chain of efficiency, quality and pricing of its

products and services.

With an export turnover of $310 billion in 2014-15, India, the world’s third-largest economy,

ranked 19th among all exporting countries, achieving a share of less than 2% of world exports

(vis-a-vis China’s in excess of 11%). Sixty years ago, India’s share in world exports was higher

than China’s; by 2013, India’s exports were less than 15% of China’s.Indian export basket

includes around 60% of manufactured goods (in addition to 20% petroleum, oil and lubricants

products, 15% agricultural and allied products, 5% others), within which there has fortuitously

been a perceptible shift from traditional labour-intensive categories such as textiles and leather to

engineering products—for example, iron and steel, auto parts, automobiles, capital goods.

Even so, India has remained only a peripheral player in industrial sectors which command a

lion’s share in global trade. Its export thrust has remained largely confined to sectors which

constitute a small segment, accounting for less than one-fourth of global exports.World exports

could broadly be put into five categories.Energy and resource-intensive goods such as fuels and

mining products, iron and steel, paper, etc, aggregating about 30% of the $17.3 trillion worth of

total global exports in 2012;

Sunrise industrial goods largely in the electronics and telecom sectors, accounting for about

25%;

Automotive products, machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, etc, approximating another 25%;

Agricultural products, 10%;

Labour-intensive tradeables such as textiles, clothing, leather goods and miscellaneous

manufactures, another 10%.The share of developing countries in world trade doubled from 16%

in 1991 to 32% in 2011 (World Bank: Global Economic Prospects, 2013). Notwithstanding all

talk of ―de-coupling‖, developing countries still rely on economic health of advanced economies.

India’s share of manufactures exports in affluent OECD markets declined from 58% to 41%

during 2000-10. It could secure 5% share in world textile exports in 2012, and 2% in clothing

(against China’s 33% and 38%, respectively); it has but a negligible share in electronic data

processing and office equipment, likewise in integrated circuits and electronic components

versus China’s impressive 41% and 17%.

India’s exports of $10 billion of automotive products represented 0.8% share in this sector;

China’s share was over four times larger. India could muster just 11% share in world tea exports

in 2012, down from 43% share in 1958-60, now trailing behind Sri Lanka (share 22%), China

(16%), Kenya (14%); for garments too, with exports of $13 billion in overall global garment

exports aggregating $409 billion in 2012, India trailed far behind China ($148 billion),

Bangladesh ($22 billion), Vietnam ($15.3 billion).

India’s 2015-16 $325 billion export target remained hugely elusive; its exports in the year trailed

far behind previous year’s level of $310 billion, with merchandise exports during April-

December 2015 declining by 18%, to $196.6 billion, compared to those in corresponding nine

months of the previous year; imports contracted 15.9%, to $295.8 billion. India’s non-oil exports



32

in H1-2015 fell 9% compared to the corresponding period last year; engineering goods exports

were down 12%, from $34.5 billion to $30.2 billion; textiles exports, excluding apparel,

contracted 4%, and leathers 10%. Agricultural and processed food products exports fell 10% to

$38.6 billion in 2014-15. While basmati rice demand declined from Iran and the US, Bangladesh

and Pakistan now buy oilmeals from South America, not from India. Currency fluctuations vis-a-

vis Brazil, for example, eroded India’s price competitiveness in soybean, sugar, buffalo meat,

etc.

The country has underperformed even given weakening global trade growth. While India’s

exports slumped, for example, during H2-2015, those in Bangladesh rose year-on-year by 8%

and Vietnam’s by over 9%. Albeit external factors like sluggish global demand and falling

commodity prices’ impact on foreign trade, the crux of export promotion remains the supply

side. For want of domestic hardware manufacturing capability towards matching the country’s

burgeoning demand for products such as computer hardware, telecom equipment and aircraft

alone accounted, until lately, for more than three-fourths of the total manufacturing trade deficit.

For a breakthrough in industrial manufacturing—essential also for an export jump—India will

need to craft some unique USPs with a ceaseless focus on a few items amenable to the country’s

comparative advantage in terms of cost, quality, supply lines and logistics.

It also needs to identify product sectors conforming to what Carlos Ghosn, the Renault-Nissan

CEO, lauded India’s ―austere engineering‖. With fully-loaded manufacturing wages averaging

$1.80 per hour in Thailand, $0.49 in Vietnam, $0.38 in Indonesia, $0.35 in Cambodia, several

industrialised countries have attracted a significant transfer of work in labour-intensive products.

McKinsey (2011) found that several global clothing firms wanting to shift their sourcing from

China favoured new destinations like Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia, not India.

The country’s trade policy-makers have remained addicted to shibboleths like small-scale, sops

and stimulus. Exports are seldom construed as a national quest generating an environment of

competition to excel in quality, reliability, productivity and customer care. Investment in R&D

has been low, in addition to underinvestment in physical and human capital. Much touted

changes in labour laws remain unrealised. It is often that economies of scale are stifled, thereby

eroding price-competitiveness.

How do people do their business in a country, when, as for many decades, for example, World

Bank’s Doing Business ranks India almost at the bottom? Similarly, the Global Competitiveness

Report, 2013, shows India slipping to 60th rank—31 places below China. Amidst hype on the

country’s ―demographic dividend‖, educated and trained workers are but few; skilled tradesmen

with volitional quality consciousness still fewer. Perceptions matter.

Transport and logistics costs more often pose a barrier at least as large, and frequently larger than

tariffs. Not merely costs, timelines of delivery are affected, adding frozen capital impact.

Notwithstanding debilitating transaction costs remaining on radar for decades, trade

documentation, procedures and processes continue to be labyrinthine, complex, costly, time-

consuming. Despite rampant crackle of ideas and initiatives like Customs Electronic Commerce

Gateway, Risk Management System, On-site Post-Clearance Audit, 24X7 operations, etc, there

is little sustained change towards helpfulness and efficiency. Given modern aids such as

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) for prior filing of documents for regulatory clearances and



33

logistics operations, why must India’s exports and imports continue to dwell at gateways beyond,

say, a maximum of 24 hours?

Much has been expected of the Narendra Modi government to create a climate of confidence for

entrepreneurs’ animal spirits to soar, drastically and urgently, prune the monstrous bureaucracy

for realising avowed ―Minimum Government, Maximum Governance‖, rationalise the panoply

of laws and rules, very many of them archaic and retrograde, free the labour laws of known

rigidities, generate quality-consciousness and commitment to ―zero defect‖, and make India a

really single market. In Prime Minister Modi’s own words, ―men, machines and money must

work together,‖ generating a fervour for ―skill, scale and speed.‖The author is senior fellow,

Asian Institute of Transport Development, and was the first MD of the Container Corporation of

India Ltd. Views are personal

INDIAN MASTER CHEF RIPU DHAMAN HANDA

WOWS CUSTOMERS AT LULU FOOD FIESTA April 10, 2016

MUSCAT -

Master Chef Ripu Dhaman Handa from India

wowed customers who thronged to hear and

interact with him on three consecutive days at

Lulu Food Fiesta in Bausher and Darsait.He

was involved in a series of cooking demos as

well as being the judge in the Al Mudhish

Cookery Contest that was held at Bausher on

April 2. The cookery contest has always been

the highlight of the Food Fiesta with ambitious

chefs, enthusiastic beginners, passionate

foodies and anyone with a skill that fits the cookery bill. The most interesting recipes get a

chance to prove their talent in front of a panel of judges headed by the chef himself.

Competitions were held in three broad categories that included salads, vegetarian and non-

vegetarian cuisines.

The Lulu Food Fiesta has been immensely popular over the years and in a short while into this

edition has received an overwhelming response. Along with an array of fun competitions, for

every RO10 spent on food products, shoppers also became eligible for a raffle draw to win a

grand Jaguar XF 2.0 and fabulous scratch & win prizes that includes iPhones, Samsung LED

TVs, Philips Air Fryers, Lulu Gift Vouchers, Al Mudhish, Minara, Nido, Al Noor Basmati Rice

and Suntop Juice products.There were also five Suzuki Swift hatchback cars to be won in a raffle

and scratch & win prizes of Lulu Gift Vouchers worth RO2,000.

http://www.financialexpress.com/tag/narendra-modi/

11th april ,2016 daily global,regional & local rice enewsletter by riceplus magazine

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