25th Feb.,2013 Daily Exclusive ORYZA News by Riceplus Magazine

8/12/2019 25th Feb.,2013 Daily Exclusive ORYZA News by Riceplus Magazine

1/33

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section [email protected] Cell # 92 321 369 2874

25 th Feb. , 2014

Chinese COLOR SORTER as low as Pak Rs 22 Lakh Only A Time Limited Offer

Contact: Cell: 0300 414 3493


2/33


Share developments in RICE

and allied sectors,

Promote the Concept of KnowledgeEconomy

Dear Sir/Madam,

YOUR IDEA has a great worth---JUST share it through

RICE PLUS

10000+ stakeholders of rice industry read & apply various ideasand analysis written by the authors.

Be the part of Rice plus authors

Visit: www.ricepluss.com,www.publishpk.net

[email protected]

[email protected]


3/33


TOP Contents - Tailored for YOU

Latest News Headlines

IRRI releases 44 new rice varieties resilient to climate change Advice for growers Japan, U.S. fail to make headway in Pacific trade pact talks Lawyer of couple linked to rice smuggling hits Senate probe With exports beating imports and global prices slumping, desi farming goes global Rice production likely to reach 7mn tonnes this year LSU AgCenter: Crawfish myths persist regarding purging, straight tails Siam Kubota sees lower growth due to lower demand from rice farmers Commerce Ministry is confident it would sell 1 million tons of rice monthly De Lima urges new policy on rice importations Research, legal wrangling reap wild rice protections TABLE-India Grain Prices-Delhi- Feb 25 Stakeholders concerned over non-implementation of proposed rice tariff reduction Rising against rice smuggling Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Feb 25 Why does everyone hate the rice scheme? Thailand's Election Commission frees up some funds to pay rice farmers Jordan and Rutgers ending post-scandal season SC halts release of rice shipment linked to David Tan FG to Slash Import Tariff on Rice, Says Okonjo-Iweala NACC denies fast-tracking Yingluck rice probe EC approves B712m to pay farmers

News Detail .

IRRI releases 44 new rice varieties resilient to climate changeBy: Lilybeth G. Ison, Philippines News Agency

February 23, 2014 2:01 PM

FILE PHOTO BY BERNARD TESTA

InterAksyon.com means BUSINESS


4/33


MANILA -- The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), which has its headquarters in Los Banos, Laguna,has released 44 new and improved ricevarieties that are resilient to climatechange.Around half of the current global

population -- or about 3.5 billion people --rely on rice as their staple food andlivelihood.IRRI said the 44 new types of ricereleased include nine salt-tolerant varieties inthe Philippines, three flood-tolerant varietiesin South Asia, and six in sub-Saharan Africa

"Overall, IRRI has released around a thousand improved rice varieties across 78 countries since itsestablishment in 1960," said Eero Nissila, head of IRRIs breeding division in a statement."These are

considered global public goods. Hence, our partners are free to release these for farmers use or for more breeding work to suit local needs in their countries," he said.Of the 44 new and improved rice varieties released,21 were in the Philippines, six in Bangladesh, five in Myanmar, three in Nigeria, two in Tanzania, two in India,and one each in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mozambique, and Rwanda."We are excited over thesevarieties, especially those released in Nigeria. These are the fruits of many years of collaboration that I have

personally been a part of during my posting at the Africa Rice Center station in Nigeria," said Glenn Gregorio,senior rice breeder at IRRI.

"IRRI worked hard and closely with national breeding programs, and we know that this will lead to morecollaboration a demand for rice increases in sub-Saharan Africa," he said.Aside from tolerance of stresses, IRRIsaid quality of rice is always a pressing requirement in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA)."Releasing these ricevarieties in ESA, including the aromatic ones, is a step toward meeting the demand of the region," said IRRIscientist RK Singh, who coordinated IRRI's regional plant breeding activities in ESA.In an earlierInterAksyon.com article, IRRI officials revealed that development of the crown jewel of climate-resilientvarieties, the so-called "3-in-1" that can survive drought, saltiness and floods , was already in advanced stage ofresearch. Climate change had spurred scientists to fast-track work on a climate-resilient variety that can tolerateflooding while surviving in a prolonged dry season, and saltiness which is a common problem in farms nearcoastal areas in the Philippines.

Windfall from research

An independent assessment by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) foundthat Southeast Asian rice farmers in three countries are harvesting an extra US$ 1.46 billion worth of rice a yearas a result of the research work done by IRRI and its partners.A 13 percent boost in yield gave returns of US$127 per hectare in southern Vietnam, US$ 76 per hectare in Indonesia, and US$ 52 per hectare in thePhilippines.Similarly, a study commissioned by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) onthe impact of investments in rice research suggested that a US$ 12 million investment in rice research has


5/33


returned more than US$ 70 million in benefits to rice farmers and national economies in four Asian countries --Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

More than 50 years ago, IRRI has developed the IR8 rice variety which was later dubbed as the "miracle rice."

This held back the tide of impending starvation and protected the worlds massive rice -eating populations inAsia from the clutches of famine.With the ill effects of climate change to agriculture and with the growing population, IRRI said its main focus is to develop rice varieties that are resilient to this weather disturbance tohelp farmers produce more rice with the same, or declining, amount of resources.

Advice for growers

Feb. 25, 2014, midnight

NSW Department of Primary Industries has released anew rice field guide to pests, diseases and weeds insouthern NSW, which was completed by Yanco-basedresearch and development officer David Troldahl.

RICE growers in the region will benefit from the publication of a new field guide to pests, diseases andweeds in southern NSW.

The guide has been issued by the Department ofPrimary Industries (DPI).

Yanco-based research and development officer DavidTroldahl said it covered a variety of topics and issuesto assist rice growers to achieve increased productionand higher yields."The NSW rice industry leads theworld in terms of crop yield and the sustainable,

efficient use of resources," Mr Troldahl said. "The guide is designed to assist rice growers and advisors in southeastern Australia to identify and manage relevant pest, disease and weed issues that are encountered in ricecrops in the region. "Available in this quick guide are extensive descriptions, photographs, references andinformation on the potential threats to the rice industry.

"To prevent crop damage it is important for growers to understand the life cycle and management of pests suchas bloodworms, water snails, leaf miners, locusts and grasshoppers."Water snails are a major pest of rice crops


6/33


in southern NSW."Damage typically starts to occur within three weeks of sowing in aerial sown crops or afterapplication of permanent water in drill sown crops," Mr Troldahl said."The guide will assist growers torecognise and manage diseases such as damping off, stem rot and sheath spot. "Damping off diseases are themost significant diseases to rice growers in south eastern Australia."These fungal diseases are present every

year and may cause seed and seedling losses."There are also weed management strategies outlined in the guide to prevent problem weed varieties fromimpacting on rice crops. "Some exotic threats and noxious weeds are also displayed in the guide," Mr Troldahlsaid.Copies of the Rice field guide to pests, diseases and weeds in southern NSW are available from MrTroldahl on 6951 2546 or can be downloaded from www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/broadacre/summer-crops/rice/field-guide.

Japan, U.S. fail to make headway in Pacific trade pact talks

February 25, 2014

SINGAPORE--Bilateral talks between Japan and the United States held as part of negotiations on a Pacifictrade pact ended without an agreement on Feb. 24, with Japanese Economics Minister Akira Amari saying thatgaps still remained between the two sides.U.S. and Japanese differences over agricultural tariffs are one of themajor hurdles facing the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and time is running out to find a wayforward at the latest round of talks which wrap up in Singapore on Feb. 25.

"There are still considerable gaps between the positions of Japan andthe United States," Amari told reporters. "But discussions aredeepening," Amari said, adding that, the two sides agreed to continueefforts at the working level to try to narrow the differences.Amari said

that at this stage, no minister-level talks between the United Statesand Japan had been set for Feb. 25.Asked about the prospects for anin-principle agreement on the overall TPP talks, Amari said the talkshad not yet reached a consensus.He added, however, that there weresome areas where there has been a convergence, adding that various

bilateral negotiations had also been moving forward.The TPP, whichwill cover around 40 percent of the world's economy, aims to setcommon standards on a range of issues from regulation to labor andenvironmental protection.But trade officials from the 12 nationsinvolved in the talks have made it clear many of the final hurdlesinvolve more concrete trade barriers such as tariffs on imported goods

and caps on imports of sensitive goods.Japan, which has tried to protect its rice, wheat, beef and pork, dairy and sugar from outsidecompetition, is in particular focus as farmers in big agriculturalexporting nations push for elimination of all tariffs.The Feb. 24 talkswere the second set of bilateral talks between Japan and the United


7/33


States since the four-day TPP talks began in Singapore on Feb. 22.Negotiators are hoping that a draft deal can be ready by the time U.S. President Barack Obama visits the region in April.

Lawyer of couple linked to rice smuggling hits Senate probeBy Tetch Torres-Tupas INQUIRER.net

11:05 pm | Monday, February 24th, 2014

MANILA, Philippines The lawyer of the couple suspected of being involved in rice smuggling has tagged aswitch -hunting the investigation being conducted at the Senate.Lawyer Steve Mendoza, in a statement issuedMonday, said the hearing is like a plane that does not want to land because similar hearings have beenconducted during the last Congress.They already know the modus operandi as adequately discussed and

detailed in the last congress, how come they are still at it, he said. Mendoza is the counsel for couple Davidand Judyline Lim of DGL Commodities Inc.Senator Cynthia Villar earlier cited Judyline Lim in contempt aftershe denied using farmers cooperatives to import rice. Meanwhile, a local consumer group warned that a worsening rice crisis looms even as grandstanding lawmakersare working for a slapdash investigation in its witch hunt of rice importers.

In a statement issued Monday, the Coalition of Filipino Consumers through its secretary general PerfectoTagalog said consumers continue to suffer the effects of the rice crisis even as legitimate importers bear the

brunt of attacks in terms of financial losses.What is truly alarming is that despite the grandstanding bylawmakers, known big time rice smugglers go unscathed and are not even summoned . We are concerned onwhether our lawmakers have lost the point of the proceedings with is to aid in the crafting of relevant laws,

Tagalog said.The NFA system of joint venture importation by farmers cooperatives and and an investor whoenjoyed the patronage of officials had been in practice for at least 10 years yet it was only two years ago thatauthorities insist that the system is illegal. It only shows the governments neglect of rice farmers and thecountrys food supply, T agalog said.

With exports beating imports and global prices slumping, desi farming goes globalFeb 25, 2014, 05.35AM IST

Tags: Wholesale price index |Wheat |Tender period |settlement option | productivity |open |net worth |mentoring |markets |Maize |Insurability |Inflation |currentaccount |Cotton |Comparative Advantage |Commission |Bill of Lading

(The Balassa index of Revealed)

By: Ashok Gulati


8/33


Ten years ago, nobody could have imaginedthat India would be the largest exporter of riceand guar gum, and the second-largest exporterof beef and cotton.In fact, in 2012-13, India

exported 22 million tonnes (mt) of cereals,which it has never done in history. But India isalso one of the largest importers of edible oils,importing more than 10 mt worth $11 billion in2012-13, constituting about 55 per cent ofdomestic consumption. India's farm exports in2012-13 were more than $41 billion vis-a-visimports of $20 billion, a net surplus of morethan $21 billion.Similar, or even larger, surplusin farm trade is expected in 2013-14.TheBalassa index of Revealed Comparative

Advantage for Indian agriculture is 1.68compared to 0.98 for manufacturing in 2012-13,indicating that Indian farming is more competitive than the manufacturing sector. How did India achieve this?

.One of the prime movers behind this is the globalisation of Indian farming. In 1990-91, India's agri-trade(exports plus imports) was only 5 per cent of farm GDP, which rose to more than 18 per cent by 2012-13.Thesharp rise in global farm prices from 2007-08 helped India exploit several export opportunities: from guar gumto grapes, cotton to cereals, and mango to fish.Better incentives for farmers induced them to adopt bettertechnologies and farming practices, invest more in agriculture especially irrigation and farm machinery raising overall productivity and production. New production peaks are being scaled in 2013-14: grains 263 mt,horticulture 269 mt, milk 139 mt and oilseeds 34 mt. Though other policies helped in achieving this, the triggercame from global prices, which percolated to domestic markets.

Cereal Killer

The case of cereals is interesting. In 2006-07, India imported about 6 mt of wheat and its grain production stoodat 217 mt. We imposed a ban on export of wheat and common rice in September 2007, when global food priceswere erupting. However, it raised the minimum support prices (MSPs) of wheat and rice by more than 30 percent, to compensate farmers for the loss of global markets and incentivise production at home.The NationalFood Security Mission was also launched in 2007, to increase grain production by 20 mt within five years. By2011-12, actual grain production increased by 42 mt, touching 259 mt. Government stocks increased to anunprecedented 80 mt on July 1, 2012. The government opened up exports of wheat and rice in September 2011,and in 2012-13, we emerged as the largest exporter of rice, with more than 10 mt of exports.We also exported

6.5 mt of wheat and 4.5 mt of maize, and little quantities of other cereals, all totalling 22 mt. In 2013-14, itcould be a little less, but over both 2012-13 and 2013-14, it seems that India is set to export about 40 mt ofcereals. If cereals export was banned, it would have led to a crash in domestic prices, or government stockwould have crossed 100-mt mark by now.


9/33


Globalisation of farming, with open export and import policies, has led to domestic prices aligning with global prices with a little lag. The Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) food price index, based on fivecommodity groups cereals, edible oils, dairy, meat and sugar stood at 210 in 2013. And India's wholesale

price index for food also stood at 210 in 2013.The correlation between FAO's food price index and India's WPI

of food for calendar years 1998-2013 is 0.91, for cereals 0.89, for vegetable oils and sugar 0.90 each, for meat0.92 and dairy 0.85. So, Indian food prices cannot be divorced from global prices for long, even when exportcontrols are imposed. Domestic prices do catch up with global prices, may be with some time lag and throughvarious channels, including MSPs.

Price Overlap This global alignment of domestic farm prices has its pros and cons. It has given incentive to domestic

producers and exporters, as is clearly revealed by rising production and exports.But it has also put pressure ondomestic food inflation, which has hovered around 10 per cent per annum since 2009. The good news is that theFAO's food price index is on the decline for the last two years: after having touched 230 in 2011, it has rolleddown to 210 in 2013. That should ease the pressure on domestic prices if the rupee holds steady.

Liquidate Excess Stock The high twin deficits, fiscal and current account, have put pressure on India's exchange rate and continuingfood inflation. But there is hope that as global food prices cool, Indian food prices will fall as well.Domestic

policies to contain fiscal deficits, liquidating excess grain stocks with government and building efficient supplychains for perishables by changing APMC laws will help further in taming domestic food inflation and enhanceIndia's global competitiveness in agriculture. I hope our policymakers can take bold steps in that direction,which will benefit millions of farmers.

The writer is chairman, Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices. Co-authored with Shweta Saini,consultant, ICRIER. Views are personal

Rice production likely to reach 7mn tonnes this yearTuesday, 25 February 2014 11:55

Posted by Parvez Jabri

ISLAMABAD: The SUPARCO says that rice production inPakistan is likely to reach around 7 million tons in 2013-14

because of higher than expected rabi season rice productionthis year.Rice is grown in the Sindh, Balochistan andSouthern Punjab regions during the rabi season, TheTechnology Times Reported.The data shows the rice

planting had started in November and reached activevegetative growth stage at the end of January. According to


10/33


the SPOT VGT satellite data at the end of January, the Normalized Differential Vegetative Index profiles of all provinces started to reach their peak stage due to active growth of different crops.SUPARCO says that thecurrent Rabi season received less rain than last season and the Pakistan Meteorological Department forecastsconsiderably less rains also in March based on regional models, which is likely to help rice harvest.Balochistan

has received more cumulative rain among the rice growing areas.The relative humidity in the current rabiseason is about 20 per cent higher in the mornings and 10 per cent higher in the evenings compared to relativehumidity levels in the last rabi season.

LSU AgCenter: Crawfish myths persist regarding purging, straight tails

Published Feb 24, 2014 at 3:24 pm (Updated Feb 24, 2014)

With crawfish season just underway, the LSU AgCenter says

many myths about cooking the iconic south Louisianacrustaceans still persist. Ray McClain, LSU AgCenter crawfishresearcher at the Rice Research Station near Crowley, says oneof the myths involves using salt to clean or purge crawfish

before boiling. "Research at the LSU AgCenter has shown thatthe addition of salt to the wash water provides no significantadvantage in cleansing crawfish despite the numerous claims tothe contrary," he says. Washing crawfish for as little as 10minutes in water helps remove mud and debris but does little toeliminate intestinal wastes, he says, and salt appears to be of no

benefit.

"The only way to significantly reduce size and content of the intestinal tract is with a 12- to 24-hour freshwater purge, which is difficult and impractical for homeowners to do," McClain says. Another widespread myth aboutcrawfish involves those that come out of the pot with a straight tail. Many people won't eat them, believing itmeans the crawfish was dead before it was boiled. But McClain says this isn't necessarily so. Research by theLSU AgCenter concluded that straight tails may have been the result of some physical explanation when boilingoccurred, such as putting too many crawfish in a pot. "While that study did not investigate safety or qualityissues, the results suggest that the age-old adage of avoiding straight-tailed crawfish at a crawfish boil, as ameans of ensuring safety and quality, may not be reliable and certainly has little to do with knowing the livingstatus of the animal at the time of cooking," McClain says.

Siam Kubota sees lower growth due to lower demand from ricefarmersSucheera Pinijparakarn,The Nation February 25, 2014 1:00 am


11/33


Siam Kubota Corporation (SKC), a leading producer of agricultural machinery, and its leasing subsidiary SiamKubota Leasing (SKL) expect to see revenue growth held down by the lower purchasing power of farmers hit

by the long-delayed payments from the rice-pledging programme.Before the payment delays by the caretakergovernment, SKC, a joint venture between Kubota Corp of Japan and Siam Cement Group, had expected salesgrowth this year of not less than 15-20 per cent, said Opart Dhanvarjor, senior executive vice president of SiamKubota.

But SKC, which controls 70 per cent of the rice-tractor market, believes that the delayed payments are only ashort-term problem. Its Japanese major shareholder also believes that they will not result in long-term problemsfor the company, he said.Normally, SKC enjoys annual sales growth of around 20 per cent, but the growth ratethis year could be half that because of reduced demand for new machinery by farmers.Last year, SKC earnedsales revenue of Bt50 billion.Opart said the agricultural-machinery market could resume when farmers finally

get their money from the rice-pledging scheme.

SKL has found that around 0.7 per cent of its total outstanding loans of Bt50 billion are held by farmers affected by the rice-payment delays, said Suksri Punyakorn, managing director of the leasing subsidiary.She noted thatthe problem of delayed payments was similar to the drought and flood problems in the past, which hit around0.6 per cent of SKL's portfolio.Lending to rice harvesters including for tractor purchases accounts for 60 percent, for which customers are allowed to pay twice a year in line with the crop seasons.For rice tractors, SKLoffers loans with a six-year term and an interest rate of 7 per cent per annum.Suksri said some farmers hadasked for repayment-term extensions because they have been waiting for the payment from the governmentunder the rice-pledging scheme.

She said the company did not want to repossess vehicles from farmers because they are key tools for theirincomes. Therefore, SKL and SKC will cooperate to help the farmers in terms of knowledge-based marketingand total process solutions. The repossession rate at SKL is less than 1 per cent.Opart said the group helpedfarmers by focusing on production-cost efficiency.Meanwhile, the company will actively pursue sales for othereconomic crops that still have demand for agricultural machinery, such as palm, sugar cane, rubber andcassava."The sales ratio for rice and non-rice farming is 60:40, and we have attempted to drive the proportion ofsales for non-rice farming close to that of rice farming to diversify our portfolio," he said.He said SKC would

boost export sales to offset the risk in the domestic market, adding that currently exports represented of 20 percent the company's sales. Its main export markets are neighbouring countries, India, and North America.The

company will officially open business units in Cambodia on February 28 and in Laos on March 4, as bothcountries have good potential as export markets for SKC. However, the company will keep its production basein Thailand because of its superior supply chain.Suksri said SKL was conducting a feasibility study inCambodia in preparation to support leasing of SKC products.


12/33


Siam Kubota sees lower growth due to lower demand from rice farmersSucheera Pinijparakarn

The Nation February 25, 2014 1:00 am

Siam Kubota Corporation (SKC), a leading producer of agricultural machinery, and its leasing subsidiary SiamKubota Leasing (SKL) expect to see revenue growth held down by the lower purchasing power of farmers hit

by the long-delayed payments from the rice-pledging programme.Before the payment delays by the caretakergovernment, SKC, a joint venture between Kubota Corp of Japan and Siam Cement Group, had expected salesgrowth this year of not less than 15-20 per cent, said Opart Dhanvarjor, senior executive vice president of SiamKubota. But SKC, which controls 70 per cent of the rice-tractor market, believes that the delayed payments areonly a short-term problem.

Its Japanese major shareholder also believes that they will not result in long-term problems for the company, he

said.Normally, SKC enjoys annual sales growth of around 20 per cent, but the growth rate this year could behalf that because of reduced demand for new machinery by farmers.Last year, SKC earned sales revenue ofBt50 billion.Opart said the agricultural-machinery market could resume when farmers finally get their moneyfrom the rice-pledging scheme. SKL has found that around 0.7 per cent of its total outstanding loans of Bt50

billion are held by farmers affected by the rice-payment delays, said Suksri Punyakorn, managing director of theleasing subsidiary.She noted that the problem of delayed payments was similar to the drought and flood

problems in the past, which hit around 0.6 per cent of SKL's portfolio.Lending to rice harvesters including fortractor purchases accounts for 60 per cent, for which customers are allowed to pay twice a year in line with thecrop seasons.

For rice tractors, SKL offers loans with a six-year term and an interest rate of 7 per cent per annum.Suksri saidsome farmers had asked for repayment-term extensions because they have been waiting for the payment fromthe government under the rice-pledging scheme.She said the company did not want to repossess vehicles fromfarmers because they are key tools for their incomes. Therefore, SKL and SKC will cooperate to help thefarmers in terms of knowledge-based marketing and total process solutions. The repossession rate at SKL is lessthan 1 per cent.Opart said the group helped farmers by focusing on production-cost efficiency.Meanwhile, thecompany will actively pursue sales for other economic crops that still have demand for agricultural machinery,such as palm, sugar cane, rubber and cassava.

"The sales ratio for rice and non-rice farming is 60:40, and we have attempted to drive the proportion of sales

for non-rice farming close to that of rice farming to diversify our portfolio," he said.He said SKC would boostexport sales to offset the risk in the domestic market, adding that currently exports represented of 20 per centthe company's sales. Its main export markets are neighbouring countries, India, and North America.Thecompany will officially open business units in Cambodia on February 28 and in Laos on March 4, as both


13/33


countries have good potential as export markets for SKC. However, the company will keep its production basein Thailand because of its superior supply chain.Suksri said SKL was conducting a feasibility study inCambodia in preparation to support leasing of SKC products

Commerce Ministry is confident it would sell 1 million tons of ricemonthly

BANGKOK, 25 Feb 2014, According to the Director General of the Department of Foreign Trade (DFT)Surasak Riengkrue, the Commerce Ministry is confident that it will be able to sell a million tons of ricemonthly and generate enough revenue to cover the pending rice support program money owed tofarmers.

Mr. Surasak claims that another batch of 800,000 tons of stockpiled rice will be sold between late February and

early March. Of that 300,000 tons will be auctioned in the first two weeks to local rice mills for domesticconsumption. He said another 300,000 tons would be sold to international trading partners, and the remaining200,000 tons will be auctioned through the Agricultural Futures Exchange of Thailand (AFET).

Earlier authorities sold 600,000 tons of rice, netting a profit from the transactions in February of 20 billion baht.Mr Surasak reassured rice farmers that his department would do its best to sell the rice stockpiles so that it canobtain all the funds needed to pay out the governments delayed rice mortgage s cheme debt.

De Lima urges new policy on rice importationsBy Tetch Torres-TupasINQUIRER.net 6:09 pm | Tuesday, February 25th, 2014

Justice Secretary Leila De Lima. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTOMANILA, Philippines Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Tuesday urged the creation of a new policy on riceimportations to prevent local markets from being saturated by imported rice. De Lima told reporters that theexisting policy being implemented by the Department of Agriculture and the National Food Authority is thecontinued imposition of quantitative restriction, or QR.QR allows member-countries of the World TradeOrganization to restrict the importation of sensitive agricultural products like rice.

However, QR restrictions expired on June 30, 2012, which, importers argued, meant that import permits for

rice were no longer required. This is the reason courts are already issuing restraining orders against the Bureauof Customs from seizing imported rice. De Lima said, however, that the issue of QR being extended is stillsubject of discussion by WTO members. She also expressed hope that the Cabinet would take up the matter aswell as the creation of a new policy on rice importation. There are economic implications beyond agriculture.


14/33


We want a clear policy guidance, De Lima said. De Lima earlier admitted that the issue on the lifting of theWTO- QR on the importation of rice has hanging issues on interpretation that needs immediate resolution.

De Limas admission came even as officials fr om both the Legislature and Executive had downplayed the issue

as nothing more than a gray area allegedly being used by traders to illegally import rice into the country. Theinternational law was ratified by the President and concurred by the Senate, and has [since] become part of our

body of laws. Kailangang sagutin ang tanong, alin ba ang mag-pre-prevail, ang [We have to answer thequestion, which should prevail, the] WTO Agreement or the domestic law, de Lima said in an interview. Intwo hearings of the Senate agriculture committee on rice smuggling, senators urged the Department of Justice toissue a definitive position that would plug loopholes on the matter of whether the country could still limit

private-sector importation of rice despite expiration of the WTO-granted privilege in June 2012.

While there is already an initial position taken by the DoJ, De Lima refused to disclose the DoJs position onwhether the country was bound by its commitments to the WTO since the matter was pending in the courts.

We are currently studying the matter and we are looking at varying interpretations. Now if we go by the strictlegal sense of the issue, Im afraid we have some problem there. Because, as we very well know, the WTO, thatis a commitment. Tha t forms part of the law, the maxim pacta sunt servanda [agreements must be kept], deLima told the Senate panel.

Research, legal wrangling reap wild rice protections

Article by: JOSEPHINE MARCOTTY , Star Tribune

Updated: February 25, 2014 - 11:34 PM

More than half a century ago, a renowned biologist discovered that wild rice doesntgrow well in lakes that are high in a type ofmineral salt that comes pouring offMinnesotas Iron Range. Now, after threeyears of lawsuits, legislative wrangling andone of the most comprehensive scientificinvestigations ever conducted on behalf of asingle species, it turns out he was right.Next

week, in a decision with far-reachingimplications for the states mining industryand the preservation of its most famous

plant, state pollution officials are expectedto announce their recommendation for a


15/33


sulfate standard how much of that salt Minnesota industries can discharge into the clear, calm watersacross the state where wild rice likes to grow.If scientific findings are the guide, which has been the oneunifying principal among all the opposing interests, then hundreds of mines, wastewater treatment plants andother facilities may have to come up with new and expensive ways to reduce a pollutant that was long regarded

as fairly benign.There will be a lot of screaming about this, Im sure, said Nancy Schuldt, a water quality expert with the Fonddu Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, which has pushed the state for years to enforce its long-standing ruleto protect wild rice from the mineral salt called sulfate.Craig Pagel, president of the Iron Mining Association ofMinnesota, said the industry cannot estimate the costs of complying, but said: Im sure it would be extremelycostly. And not just for us.Its also clear, now, that its not just wild rice that suffers from too much sulfate.The toxic reaction that occurs in the muck around the plants roots can affect virtually all types of aquatic flora,or any type of living thing that relies on oxygen, scientists say. Its going to affect everything out there, saidJohn Pastor, a biologist at the University of Minnesota Duluth, who ran one of the wild rice studies. Its goingto affect the whole food web. The decision next week by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) will

pertain only to wild rice, however, and will mark a turning point in what has been an unusually contentiousdebate. The MPCA will recommend whether the states existing standard should remain where it is, or go up ordown, or even vary by season.

Next, the standard is likely to be reviewed by a scientific panel convened by the agency, according to ShannonLotthammer, an MPCA director a step that industry groups said they applaud. The public will have a chanceto weigh in as well. A final decision will probably be made by the end of the year, she said.That may be just the

beginning. The rule will apply to waters where wild rice grows or has grown, or could grow. In the land of10,000 lakes, where wild rice used to be ubiquitous, determining the reach of the new standard is in many waysa far more complicated question than the chemistry. A second process will determine which and how manylakes, rivers and wetlands will be defined, and then protected, as a wild rice water. And that, said Schuldt, Iswhere the biggest battles over implementing this rule will fall.

Pioneering science

In the 1930s and 1940s, state biologist John Moyle paddled through lakes and rivers across Minnesota, studyingthe relationships between naturally occurring stands of wild rice and the concentration of sulfate. The plantgrows best in shallow, mucky water with a gentle flow, and it was once common throughout the marshy areasof Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario and beyond. Indian tribes say that historically it was instrumentalin their settlement around the region, and remains a foundation of their diet, culture and spirituality.Today mostof the wild rice grows in northeast Minnesota.Naturally occurring sulfate is not common in the region. Innortheast Minnesota, the primary source of sulfate is what leaches off piles of waste rock and tailings pondsfrom a century of iron and taconite mining on the Range.

Image: hide At the White Earth Land Recovery Project facility, brothers Wayne, seated, and Gordon Stevensharvested wild rice on lower Rice Lake. Indian tribes consider wild rice an important part of their culture.


16/33


Photo: RICHARD TSONG- TAATARII Star Tribune file,

TABLE-India Grain Prices-Delhi- Feb 25

Mon Feb 25, 2013 4:02pm ISTRates by Asian News International, New DelhiTel: 011 2619 1464

Indicative PreviousGrains opening close

(in rupees per 100 kg unless stated)----------------------------------------------------------Wheat Desi 2,100-2,600 2,000-2,550.Wheat Dara 1,800-1,900 1,800-1,900.Atta Chakki (per 10 Kg) 210-215 210-215.Roller Mill (per bag) 1,775-1,800 1,750-1,780.Maida (per bag) 1,875-1,975 1,850-1,950.Sooji (per bag) 1,950-2,000 1,950-2,000.Rice Basmati(Sri Lal Mahal) 10,500 10,500.Rice Basmati(Lal Quila) 10,200 10,200.Rice Basmati(Common) 7,500-7,675 7,500-7,650.Rice Permal 2,200-2,275 2,200-2,250.Rice Sela 3,500-3,700 3,500-3,700.

I.R.-8 1,750-1,850 1,775-1,875.Gram 3,480-4,150 3,470-4,100Peas Green 2,700-2,800 2,700-2,800.Peas White 2,850-3,075 2,850-3,075.Bajra 1,375-1,650 1,375-1,650.Jowar white 2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300.Maize 1,300-1,650 1,300-1,650.Barley 1,400-1,550 1,400-1,550.Guwar 2,700-3,200 2,700-3,200.

Source: Delhi grain market traders.


17/33


Stakeholders concerned over non-implementation of proposed rice tariffreduction

February 26, 2014 | Filed under: Agricultural Business | Author: Osa Victor Obayagbona

The importance of rice to consumers on one hand and its economic viability to the nation on the other cannot beoveremphasised. Rice production and impo rtation into Nigeria have been at the fore of the nations discourse,especially against the backdrop of the Federal Governments determination to boost agriculture, ensure foodsecurity and encourage backward interpretation.However, one serious issue which stakeholders currently

believe is short-changing the potentials of the rice sub-sector is the non-implementation of the $190 per metrictonne import tariff agreed by the government. This is a reduction from the current $570 per metric tonne.

According to Shaibu Mohammed, secretary general, Rice Millers, Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria (RiMIDAN), over 20 vessels conveying the product are trapped and stocked in Nigerian territorial

waters due to non-take off of the new tariff regime. The situation has resulted in massive loss of revenue both tothe government and importers, while consumers continue to groan over smuggled rice from mainlyneighbouring countries, particularly Republic of Benin. It is claimed that over 3 million tons of parboiled ricewere smuggled into Nigeria through Benin Republic last year. Over N300 billion revenue loss to thegovernment was incurred while Benin Republic and others allegedly gained over N200 billion via smuggling.

Most of the rice that come into the country illegally often pass through conditions that reduce their country,according to industry watchers. Recently, the Federal Government through the Inter-ministerial Committee onDutiable Rate held a stakeholders meeting with the rice dealers in Abuja. The meeting was meant to quicklyarrest the rate of smuggled rice through the neighbouring countries like Republic of Benin.It was agreed that in

order to discourage the rate at which the commodity was smuggled into the country, a new duty tariff that wasalmost import-friendly and commensurate with what obtained in the neighbouring countries was good enough,hence the duty for legally imported rice was pegged at $190.

The stakeholders say it is regrettable, though that the government reviewed the dutiable price, the measure wasyet to be implemented leading to dislocations and unease within the rice industry in Nigeria. Stakeholderslament that $570 remains the duty for rice in Nigeria despite international price crash and stiff competition fromthe Benin Republic. The claim is that to further boost the volume ofNigeria-bound rice through its ports, BeninRepublic deliberately crashed dutiable rate to $200 per ton. This made the place a haven of sorts for smugglersof the product into Nigeria.

The apparent inaction of the government has made it impossible to improve the value chain on rice, as less than100,000 tons of rice was legally imported into Nigeria last year.Mohammed Abubakar, chairman, Rice Millers


18/33


Association of Nigeria, said continued inaction will create lack in the present administration, as we all agreedat the meeting to introduce palliative duty and incentive in the sector to reduce smuggling of rice. Somewherealong the line someone is holding the entire nation to ransom. We urged Mr. Preside nt, as a listening leader tointervene in the issue. Quote me any where, smuggling is not only affecting the farmer but it is rather killingthem. The rice protectionist policy human face and Nigeria is losing. To Esther Olumilayo, chairperson, RiceDealers Association of Nigeria, this calls for urgent need to ensure the availability of the product in the countryif the government means well in its transformation agenda, especially as it affect the agricultural sector. Onemajor way to do this, is for the government to further reduce duty on rice or quickly implement the palliativeduty introduced in December last year.

Rising against rice smugglingWritten by Olayinka Olukoya

Tuesday, 25 February 2014 00:00

Smugglers are incredibly ingenious, always trying to put law enforcement agencies at their wits end bydevising new ways to practise their prohibitedenterprise. However, going by the number of arrestsand seizures effected by the Ogun State Command ofthe Nigeria Customs Service, the command seems

poised to run smugglers out of business. OLAYINKAOLUKOYA reports.Just recently, the House ofRepresentatives disclosed that about three milliontonnes of parboiled rice were smuggled into thecountry in 2013 through Benin Republic.

Consequently, the country lost over N200 billion in dutiable levy to Benin Republic.

Worried by this development the House called on the Federal Government to implement the new rice duty

regime as a way to checkmate importation of rice into the country and boost local production.It is worthy ofnote that some of the routes used by smugglers to bring in contraband commodities into Nigeria are the borderareas in Ogun State linked to Benin Republic.Following the alarm raised by the lawmakers, Ogun Statecommand of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) resolved to work round the clock to put smuggling activities


19/33


under control.At a press conference in Idi-Iroko,in Ipokia Local Government Area and a bordertown to Benin Republic recently, the

Comptroller, Alhaji Haruna Mamudu, lamentedthat the illicit business of smugglers washampering government policy.Mamudu, whodescribed the development as alarming, pointedout that the command between December 2013and January 2014 had made seizure of 9,871

bags of rice, 5,431 cartons of frozen poultry products with Duty Value Paid (DVP) put at N59.2 million and N21.7 million respectively.

He said, Immediately I took over, I hit theground running, the results are streaming in, and this is what you are seeing today within this short period of myassumption of office. I personally coordinated a seizure of a truck- load of 600 bags of rice. He said that the

perpetrators of the illicit business, despite efforts to curb their activities, had devised other means of bringing inthe commodities into the country by using motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, and small vehicles totransport rice through illegal routes.Mamudu said the motorcycles carry at least 10 bags each per trip while thesmaller vehicles carry at least 60 to 80 bags of rice at a go.The comptroller explained that the motorcycles andvehicles loaded with rice moved in a convoy, and if not apprehended, the smugglers would have successfully

imported a truck load of rice. However, no fewer than 1,000 motorcycles and over 200 small vehicles loadedwith rice have been seized by Customs officials.

The command recorded revenue collection of N5.5 billion in 2013 as against N5.3 billion in 2012 with a progressive collection of about N174 million.On the anti-smuggling efforts, the comptroller explained that thecommand recorded 1,368 seizures with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1.314 billion as against 1,084 seizures withDPV of N694.1 million recorded in 2012.

This, according to him, showed a progressive difference of 284 seizures with DPV of N619.886 million.For the

first month in 2014, the command said it recorded 83 seizures with DPV of N37.5 million as against 71 seizureswith DPV of N28.4 million recorded in the same period in 2013. He said, The menace of motorcycle smugglersof rice is worrisome. You can see the number of motorcycles we have seized. You can imagine what our


20/33


operatives go through to apprehend one motorcycle, because any mistake may result in death of the smugglerwith a consequent crisis.

The last time we held this press conference you saw trucks and trailers load of rice. What they use in this axis as

against trailer; they use these vehicles. Now, you can see how they arrange rice inside these vehicles. This is aVolvo car, if you count all the bags of rice inside this car, you will get between 70 and 80 bags. A Starlet carcarries close to 40 bags of rice.

Now, this is what they have resolved to doing and when they are attacked inside the bush or anything happensthe society will be made to believe that somebody was attacked because he carried 30 bags of rice. But, you canimagine the number of vehicles that carry these 30 bags of rice a day. And that is why we want to make peopleto see the menace of these vehicles. It is not only in trailer that they carry rice. Just like we take you to wherethey do it with motorcycles, it is the same thing that they are now doing here at this sector; Idi-Iroko sector.

Look at the quantity of rice on these motorcycles; by the time they make three trips, they are carrying threetrailer loads of rice, he said. He said the host communities in the border area are not helping matter in thecommands fight against smuggling. Mamudu explained that his men were being confronted with a lot ofdifficulties in the course of discharging their duties. These are all motorcycles arrested at different times with

bags of rice on them, different quantities of bags of rice. The motorcycles here are over 1, 000, we have some inother places. What the people are now saying is that we have sent them out of business; we have not sent themout of bus iness but they are the ones who have sent themselves out of business because their business is illegal,he said.The Customs boss explained that there are legitimate ways of doing businesses, saying that while riceimportation is not banned, rice is not allowed to be brought into the country through illegal routes.

There are legitimate ways of doing business, there are a lot of items that can be carried across the border andare not prohibited. They dont have to go through prohibition before they can su rvive. Some of them carryfrozen poultry products. It is a Federal Government policy, it is not Customs policy, we are here to executeFederal Government policies but they see us as enemies. We are here only to enforce the law. Rice is not

banned but rice is banned when it comes into the country through unapproved routes. The border stations areunapproved routes for rice but you can make other importations. And this is why we try to encourage thesociety here, across the border, their traditional rulers, the traditional council, traditional institutions to educatetheir people so that they can engage themselves in lawful businesses, he said.

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Feb 25

Tue Feb 25, 2014 3:30pm IST Nagpur, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Gram and tuar prices in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing


21/33


Committee (APMC) moved down here in absence of buyers amid poor quality arrival. Easy conditionin Madhya Pradesh gram prices and release of stock form stockists also pushed down prices,according to sources.

* * * *FOODGRAINS & PULSESGRAM

* Gram varieties showed weak tendency in open market on lack of demand from localtraders amid increased supply from producing regions.

TUAR* Tuar varieties reported down in open market poor buying support from local traders

amid increased overseas supply. Fresh fall in Madhya Pradesh tuar prices alsoaffected sentiment.

* Moong mogar bold and medium best shot up in open market on renewed festival seasondemand from local traders amid thin arrival from producing belts.

* In Akola, Tuar - 3,700-3,900, Tuar dal - 5,900-6,100, Udid at 6,000-6,300,Udid Mogar (clean) - 7,000-6,200, Moong - 8,100-8,300, Moong Mogar

(clean) 9,500-9,700, Gram - 2,600-2,700, Gram Super best bold - 3,300-3,500for 100 kg.

* Wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market

in thin trading activity, according to sources.

Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg

FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous closeGram Auction 2,500-2,800 2,500-2,920Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600Tuar Auction 3,500-3,900 3,700-3,900Moong Auction n.a. 6,100-6,300Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800Gram Super Best Bold 3,750-3,900 3,800-4,000Gram Super Best n.a.Gram Medium Best 3,200-3,400 3,400-3,600


22/33


Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a.Gram Mill Quality 3,200-3,250 3,300-3,400Desi gram Raw 2,800-2,850 2,900-2,950Gram Filter new 3,000-3,500 3,200-3,500Gram Kabuli 7,900-10,300 7,900-10,300Gram Pink 7,700-8,100 7,700-8,100Tuar Fataka Best 6,300-6,500 6,400-6,700Tuar Fataka Medium 6,000-6,100 6,100-6,300Tuar Dal Best Phod 5,800-6,000 6,000-6,150Tuar Dal Medium phod 5,500-5,700 5,600-5,700Tuar Gavarani 4,050-4,100 4,200-4,250Tuar Karnataka 4,200-4,300 4,400-4,500Tuar Black 7,200-7,400 7,200-7,400Masoor dal best 5,400-5,500 5,400-5,500Masoor dal medium 5,100-5,300 5,100-5,300Masoor n.a. n.a.Moong Mogar bold 9,700-9,950 9,600-9,950Moong Mogar Medium best 9,300-9,500 9,200-9,400Moong dal super best 8,500-8,800 8,500-8,800Moong dal Chilka 7,900-8,200 7,900-8,200Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.Moong Chamki best 8,200-8,700 8,200-8,700Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 7,400-7,600 7,400-7,600

Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,800-6,600 5,800-6,600Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 4,700-5,000 4,700-5,000Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 4,000-5,000 4,000-5,000Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 3,100-3,200 3,100-3,200Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,400 3,300-3,400Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,400 3,300-3,400Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 4,300-4,600 4,300-4,600Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,840-1,890 1,840-1,890Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,650-1,850 1,650-1,850Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,200 2,050-2,200Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,600 3,000-3,600


23/33


MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,900 2,400-2,900Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,700 1,600-1,700Wheat Best (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,750 1,700-1,750Rice BPT new(100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,950 2,600-2,950Rice BPT old (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,300 2,800-3,300Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,850 1,700-1,850Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,750 2,500-2,750Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,450 2,300-2,450Rice HMT new (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,200 3,800-4,200Rice HMT Shriram (100 INR/KG) 4,700-5,200 4,700-5,200Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 11,000-13,500 11,000-13,500Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,300-7,600 6,300-7,600Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 5,500-6,000 5,500-6,000Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG) 5,200-5,600 5,200-5,600Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,600 1,400-1,600Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800

WEATHER (NAGPUR)Maximum temp. 28.8 degree Celsius (83.8 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.19.1 degree Celsius (66.3 degree Fahrenheit)Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.Rainfall : 1.7mmFORECAST: Partly cloudy sky. Rains or thunder shower likely to occur. Maximum and Minimum

temperature likely to be around 33 and 19 degree Celsius respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available

(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, butincluded in market prices.)

Why does everyone hate the rice scheme?

Published: 25 Feb 2014 at 00.25

Newspaper section: Business


24/33


As farmers try to recover from the collapse of the governments rice policy, academics, decision -makers andvoters should closely reflect and re-evaluate rice policy and its objectives. However the present-day politicalimpasse is resolved, the next administration will pursue a policy that affects T hailands 4 million farmingfamilies and its 65 million consumers.Much has been written about the rice pledging subsidy and the alternative

of an income guarantee. But the discussion has been overly focused on the supply side. While this is important,it is critical to examine how consumers are affected and to bring the group into the equation when designing policy.The rice policy ultimately failed because the government was unable to increase rice prices enough andsell its rice inventory.

Corruption and inefficiency are contributing factors. For a brief period in 2011, as the scheme commenced,wholesale and export prices rose. But they declined after a huge surplus from India overwhelmed the market,

beginning in December 2011. Without this Indian factor, the discussion would have been very different.It isimportant to note that retail prices remained more or less constant in the last three years, based on data from theInternal Trade Department. While the wholesale price of white rice rose as paddy prices increased from 13.7

baht/kg in May 2011 to 18.38 baht/kg in November 2011, the retail price should have risen. But it remained at

28.67 baht/kg throughout the period.Rice is one of 40 controlled products under the Price of Goods and Services Act. Each product has its specificcontrol measures: for example, the prices of vegetable oil and sugar are subject to an announced price (ormaximum price). Changing the prices requires approval from the Commerce Ministry. Although there is noofficial announced retail price for rice, retailers are informed of the expected price ranges of various types ofrice, and this serves as the basis in determining actual prices. Given the governments control of the stockpile ofrice and increased export prices, the state auctioned or sold rice to wholesalers and retailers at a loss to maintainthe low domestic price. This is a consumption subsidy. It may have been necessary to keep consumerscontented.

These low rice prices induce wasteful consumption, are biased against farmers and discourage properinvestment in the rice market. Furthermore, they benefit the rich and middle-income groups, who could affordhigher prices. This also has a regressive income distribution effect, as it imposes a greater burden on the poorthan the rich.

Taxing the rice farmer and subsidising rice consumers

Effectively, the rice pledging scheme is not a transfer of income to rice farmers. On the contrary, it is adomestic consumption subsidy. The urban consumer is the biggest recipient of the subsidy, not the farmer.Yingluck Shinawatras government and previous governments have been subsidising the consumer. Mostcountries keep domestic prices low and subsidise the production of rice to compensate for a low output of price.In other words, they tax the farmers to subsidise the consumer. This systematic behaviour depresses the price ofrice in the international market. Indeed, since the 1980s, the price index of rice has been the lowest whencompared with other staple food grains.While rice farmers are the biggest group of producers in the world, theyare also among the poorest in many countries. Like the Thai rice farmer, they have been bearing the burden of

biased policy.


25/33


Killing innovation in the rice market

Keeping rice prices artificially low also discourages investment in research and development in the rice market.This is evidenced by limited innovation in marketing, packaging and product differentiation.With higher rice

prices, we would see a new generation of rice farmers who specialise in high-end rice and related products. Wewould see students aspire to become rice farmers.There are more efficient means of subsidising rural and urban poor consumption, such as a rice voucher programme for lower-income families. This approach is moreefficient than keeping prices artificially low.

Going forward

The consumption subsidy should be phased out so that market mechanisms can prevail. This would result in amore flexible, transparent and efficient rice market.In the short run, the government should reduce the riceconsumption subsidy by letting retail prices rise. It would be able to sell the rice in the domestic market at somelevel of profit to generate revenue to pay farmers. A separate consumption subsidy programme can be

introduced to assist needy lower-income households.Thailand needs a clear long-term strategy. As the countrycontinues to develop, rising wages will raise the cost of production and affect competitiveness. The world ricemarket will be changing rapidly in the next few years as C hina and India, the worlds two biggest rice

producers, increase their role in the international arena. Thailand should play to its strengths of quality rice,advanced milling capability, good infrastructure and ideal geographical location while focusing on productdifferentiation and innovation.Rice policy should not divide the country. A strategy for the future of Thai ricewill require resources and the minds of all parties, regardless of political affiliation.

Thailand's Election Commission frees up some funds to pay ricefarmersThe money will go a little way towards appeasing farmers protesting in Bangkok and their home provinces.Thai farmers shout slogans as they protest the government's repeatedly delayed payments for rice submitted tothe pledging scheme at the government's temporary office in Bangkok on Feb. 17, 2014. (PORNCHAIKITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images

Thailand 's Election Commission gave the governmentapproval on Tuesday to use a small sum from thecentral budget 712 million baht ($22 million) to

pay rice farmers who have been waiting months for payment from a state buying program.The money willgo a little way towards appeasing farmers protesting inBangkok and their home provinces, but it is only a


26/33


fraction of the 130 billion baht the government is estimated to owe nearly a million growers.

"The Election Commission has approved a 712 million baht fund to help farmers, as requested by the

government," Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, an election official, said in a message posted on his Facebook page.Thegovernment is now looking for additional funds."The cabinet has approved 20 billion baht from the central

budget to help farmers under the rice scheme and we will send this to the election commission for approvalwhile the government waits for a large loan that the finance ministry is currently working on," CommerceMinister Niwathamrong Boonsongpaisan told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra dissolved parliament in December and called an election for Feb. 2 but polling was disrupted by anti-government protesters and is unlikely to be completed for many weeks.

In the meantime, Yingluck heads a caretaker government with limited borrowing and spending powers. ElectionCommission approval is needed for certain spending and any new project that would bind the next fullgovernment is prohibited.The government has found it hard to sell rice from stocks to replenish the buying fundand it has struggled to raise cash from other sources recently.Niwathamrong also said China was still interestedin buying rice from the government."China's ambassador to Thailand came to meet me today ... China wants tohelp Thailand and lessen the burden on Thai farmers. We believe the details of a deal for China to buy rice will

be clarified in the next week or two," he said.On Feb. 4 he said China had scrapped a deal to buy 400,000 tons because of an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NAAC) into the transparency ofvarious rice deals between Thailand and China.

Yingluck is due to appear at the NAAC on Thursday to face charges of dereliction of duty relating to thescheme.

($1 = 32.5550 Thai baht)

(Reporting by Pracha Hariraksapitak and Aukkarapon Niyomyat; Writing by Alan Raybould; Editing byMichael Perry)

Jordan and Rutgers ending post-scandal seasonUpdated 11:28 am, Monday, February 24, 2014

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) When Eddie Jordan took over as Rutgers' basketball coach in April, he faced anunenviable task rebuilding a program in shambles following Mike Rice's ignominious departure.Six playersdecided to leave the perennial also-ran in the Big East Conference, and the recruiting picture looked bleak in thewake of revelations that Rice threw basketballs at his players and used homophobic slurs to express hisdispleasure with them.Picked to finish last in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll, the Scarlet


27/33


Knights (10-17, 4-10 ACC) enter the last two weeks of the regular season with an outside shot at finishing sixthin the 10-team league.

"That's a little bit of a carrot that we'd like to have," Jordan said. "And that allows us to not play the first night

of the tournament and allow us to be lumped with all the great teams in our conference."Scoring leader EliCarter , as well as Derrick Randall , Mike Poole and Vincent Garrett , all elected to leave the program after lastseason.Jordan was able to round out the roster with freshman Junior Etou , transfers Kerwin Okor and J.J. Mooreand junior college transfers D'Vonn Campbell and Craig Brown ."Yeah, there's some changes, but it's prettymuch basically the same," Jordan said. "It's the same fundamental concepts. It's the same sort of offensive flow.Defensive principles are the same. You just have to keep a little more pace with a team that's new and we're

basically new."

And it wasn't just installing a new system and building a team. Jordan had to heal the wounds of the Ricescandal."I think Eddie has done a tremendous job of installing a family atmosphere," Judge said. "We've hadups and downs as we've seen from previous coaches and I think he brought the camaraderie back. It was hard

bringing in all these new guys with not a lot of returners, but he made everyone feel at home and we bought intothat and the record doesn't show how close we are as brothers.

"Jordan returned to his alma mater as a most welcome choice. He led Rutgers to an undefeated regular season in1976 and the Scarlet Knights' only trip to the Final Four. He came in with instant respect after two decades inthe NBA.Jordan has begun to lay the foundation for the future of the program as it prepares to join the Big Tennext season.The Scarlet Knights are two games behind sixth-place Houston (5-9). So they'd need help with fourgames remaining. But catching the Cougars has become the main goal."I would say no one expected that fromus except for us, but once again, since there's a lot of basketball left," Jack said. "The season could go one ortwo ways and I think we're trying to get it to go in a positive instead of a negative."

SC halts release of rice shipment linked to David TanBy Ina Reformina, ABS-CBN News

Posted at 02/25/2014 4:14 PM | Updated as of 02/25/2014 4:14 PM

MANILA - The Supreme Court (SC) issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the enforcement of aDavao court's ruling ordering the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to release a controversial shipment of importedrice from the ports of Thailand and Singapore last December consigned to a certain Joseph Ngo.SC PublicInformation Office (PIO) chief Atty Theodore Te said the TRO prevents Davao City Regional Trial Court(RTC) Branch 16 Presiding Judge Emmanuel Carpio, brother of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, from

enforcing a preliminary injunction on the BOC.The BOC held Ngo's shipment of 91,800 bags of rice. Theshipment was imported by controversial rice importer Starcraft Trading Corp. which entered into an agreementwith an NGO for the purchase of the shipment.Starcraft became controversial after being linked to businessmanDavidson Bangayan, allegedly the current rice smuggling king in the country today, also known as "David Tan.


28/33


"The subject shipment arrived in the Port of Davao in various dates in October and November 2013, and wereheld by Customs in the absence of the required import permit from the National Food Authority.The NFA limitsthe number of rice importations by implementing quantitative restriction, and allows only registered riceimporters to bring in foreign rice.Ngo sought permanent injunction from the Davao RTC Branch 16 with a

prayer for TRO, pointing out that quantitive restrictions on the importation of rice and securing a rice import permit may no longer be imposed by government in view of the expiration last June 30, 2012 of the SpecialTreatment (ST) for Rice Importation granted to the Philippines under the Agreement of the World TradeOrganization (WTO). The Philippines is now negotiating for an extension of the ST.Customs CommissionerJohn Sevilla and Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala went to the high court to question the trial court'sinjunctive order.The high court gave Carpio and Ngo 10 days to comment on their petition.

SHIPMENT ALREADY RELEASED

The SC's TRO, however, is rendered useless as far as the release of the subject rice shipment is concerned sincethe shipment was ordered released by Sevilla last Jan. 6 in compliance with the Davao RTC's injunction.In a

press statement issued last Jan. 16, Sevilla said he regretted that the BOC had no choice but to release theshipment despite the fact that it was not supported by an import permit and Ngo is not a registered rice importerwith the NFA."The uncontrolled entry of rice into the Philippines will have a devastating effect on our farmers.We will continue to vigorously challenge these court orders in the proper courts."In that endeavor, we hope tohave the support of farmers, the general public, and the rest of the government," Sevilla said.In his January 6order for the release of Ngo's shipment, Sevilla stressed that the rice shipment should only be released after thefiling of proper import entries and full payment of import duties and taxes

FG to Slash Import Tariff on Rice, Says Okonjo-Iweala25 Feb 2014

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Finance Minister

By Crusoe OsagieThe Coordinating Minister for the Economyand Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday announced that consultationsare ongoing between President GoodluckJonathan, the Minister of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, Dr Akinwumi Adesina and herministry, over the review of the current ricetariff policy in the country.


29/33


30/33


any difference and that it they are hinged on corruption. So, I believe that you people who are beneficiaries,whose businesses have been improved by these interventions should speak up and explain that the waivers arehelping you to create jobs and boost economic growth, she said. She disclosed that the medium to long term

development finance institution being planned by the federal government had received a $500 million backingfrom the World Bank and had also been supported by the French and Brazilian development financeinstitutions.The minister also noted that the institution, which would provide medium and long term funds to

businesses at favourable interest rates is expected to start operating by the end of 2014 or the first quarter of2015.The President, MAN, Chief Kola Jamodu, who also spoke at the event, said the main aim of theinteractive session was to provide a platform to brainstorm on the way forward for the manufacturing sector,adding that the quest to transform the manufacturing sector is a joint responsibility, which requires a public

private partnership. He said the role of the manufacturing sector cannot be over-emphasised due to its ability to provide technological acquisition, wealth creation and job opportunities in the country.

He added that 24 out of 100 people are out of job with age brackets of 20 ad 27 years, pointing out the need toempower the manufacturing sector not only to boost the economy, but also to attract investment into the sectorand create job opportunities for the nations teeming unemployed youths. He pointed out that recent globalactivities on the continent and the world over had made it imperative for Nigeria to adopt new survivalstrategies to achieve and maintain its leadership role as the most industrialised nation in the continent.In hiswords, Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS ) countries are countries to watch out forin terms of industrialisation.

We are satisfied with the level of growth of the sector despite daunting challenges but we are hopeful things canonly get better in the nearest future, he said.According to him, the sector was beginning to show some signs ofimprovement as macro economic variables are beginning to show positive results; inflation rates on the lowsides but not much to be said about interest rates.He noted that capacity utilisation had increased, pointing outthat, in 2012, capacity utilisation was around 47 percent as against 51 per cent in 2013. Manufacturinginvestment stood at about N556 billion in 2013, which was 50 per cent more than what was recorded in 2012.There had also been improvement in the use of local raw materials from 47 per cent to 51 per cent in 2013.

Our members have started looking inward in utilising our local resources for manufacturing activities andtaking advantage of areas where the country has comparative advantage, he added.He said the sector was stillfaced with manifold challenges, stating the most recent of them to be the issue of delays at the nations sea

ports. He also lauded the governments intention to boost non -oil exports but stated that the problem of utilising


31/33


the NDCC was still affecting manufacturers in the country.He commended the privatisation of the power sector,maintaining that the association shares the concern of government in the successful improvement of the powersector.

Tags: Business , Nigeria , Featured , Slash Import

NACC denies fast-tracking Yingluck rice probe


Online news: Local News

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has denied that its investigation into caretaker PrimeMinister Yingluck Shinawatra's handling of the rice scheme is being conducted at record speed, as claimed by

the premier.The NACC announced its decision to charge the premier for dereliction of duty on last Tuesday,Feb 18. The commission said Ms Yingluck knew about alleged corruption in the rice scheme but failed to stopit. She must answer the charge by Feb 27.Ms Yingluck last Thursday posted a message on her Facebook pagequestioning the speed at which the NAAC is considering the case.

She alleged that the agency received a petition to examine her management of the pledging scheme and decidedto proceed with the case in a record 21 days.Commissioner Vicha Mahakhun hit back, also on Facebook, sayingthat the investigation into the case had in fact started in December 2012, so had actually taken more than oneyear to complete, not 21 days.He said the NACC had agreed to consider the case after the Democrat Party fileda complaint with the House Speaker asking that Ms Yingluck be impeached for irregularities in the scheme.The

NACC decided to probe whether she should be charged with neglecting her duties after it found evidence thatshe knew about corruption in the rice-pledging scheme but failed to stop it. He said the agency was alreadyinvestigating an earlier complaint regarding fake government-to-government (G2G) rice sales and warned thegovernment twice over problems with the scheme, to no avail.

Mr Vicha said the NACCs investigati on process would use government policy as a starting point to define thescope of the rice-pledging programme. It will also seek academic opinions on the issue, while a sub-committeeappointed to examine the balance sheet of the initiative will attempt to calculate the actual damages incurred bythe scheme. The NACC will then probe G2G rice deals. The caretaker premier must meanwhile answer the

NACC's dereliction of duty charge by 2pm Thursday. She is accused of having breached Section 178 of the

Constitution and of violating Section 157 of the Criminal Code. It is expected that Ms Yingluck will send herrepresentatives to acknowledge the dereliction of duty charge on her behalf.The rice-pledging scheme has beena flagship government policy since Ms Yingluck office in 2011. But the project has been marred by corruption


32/33


allegations, problems with huge unsold rice stockpiles and the governments inability to pay farmers for pledged rice since the House of Representatives was dissolved last year.

Protesting farmers and crowd control police face off outside the Royal Thai Air Force office. (Photos by

Pattanapong Hirunard)

The caretaker government currently owes around 130 billion baht to more than one million farmers nationwide.It has been forced to seek approval from the ElectionCommission (EC) in order to pay farmers to avoidviolating the Election Act.The EC on Tuesday approvedthe caretaker government's request to use 712 million bahtfrom the Central Fund to pay farmers owed money underthe rice-pledging programme.Commissioner Somchai

Srisuthiyakorn said an EC meeting approved the request by the caretaker government after the cabinet asked that712 million baht be taken from the Central Fund to pay3,971 farmers in Chachoengsao, Phetchabun, Prachin Buri, Uthai Thani and Ayutthaya province for the 2013-14 crop.The commissioner said that the government might seek the EC's approval for further payments, addingthat each request would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Caretaker Deputy Commerce Minister YanyongPuangraj said earlier that Tuesday's meeting of thecaretaker cabinet had approved in principle a 20

billion baht allocation from the Central Fund tofinance the rice-pledging scheme.Large crowds offarmers have been staging protests at theCommerce Ministry in Nonthaburi province to

pressure the government to quickly settle the late payments.A group of the protesting farmers wentto the Royal Thai Air Force base on Tuesdayafternoon after learning that Ms Yingluck wouldattend a cabinet meeting there, but they wereunable to meet any government representatives.A

minor clash between riot police and farmers ensued, prompting the growers to retreat to their main protest siteat the Commerce Ministry.


33/33

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com

EC approves B712m to pay farmers

Money from Central Fund for farmers in 5 provinces


Online news: Politics

The Election Commission has approved the caretaker government's use of 712 million baht from the CentralFund to pay farmers owed money under the rice pledging programme.This was announced by commissionerSomchai Srisuthiyakorn on his Facebook page following today's meeting of the Election Commission.MrSomchai said the meeting approved a request by the caretaker government after the cabinet agreed it shoud use712 million baht from the Central Fund to pay 3,971 farmers in Chachoengsao, Phetchabun, Prachin Buri, UthaiThani and Ayutthaya province for the 2013-2014 crop year.He wrote that the government might again seek theEC's approval for payments, and each request would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Caretaker Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Puangraj said earlier that Tuesday's meeting of the caretakercabinet had approved a total 20 billion baht allocation from the Central Fund to finance the rice pledgingscheme.The budget was requested by the National Rice Policy Committee (NRPC) to be used to make longoverdue rice payments, he said.Mr Yanyong said his ministry would seek endorsement from the ElectionCommission for the expenditure, as required of a caretaker government.The caretaker government has beenstruggling to find ways to finance the scheme under which farmers have been delayed payments for their

pledged rice for about five months. They are owed more than 100 billion baht.Attempts to borrow the moneyfrom financial institutions were opposed by anti-government protesters and rejected by the banks.

For Advertising SPECS & RATES

Contact: Advertising Department

Mujahid Ali

[email protected]

+92 321 369 2874

25th Feb.,2013 Daily Exclusive ORYZA News by Riceplus Magazine

Documents