3rd june (thursday),2015 daily exclusive oryza e rice newsletter by riceplus magazine

1 Daily Exclusive ORYZA Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine |

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July 3 ,2015




UNISAME Urges Pakistan Government to

Speed Up Closure Process of QRC to Boost

Rice Exports

Jul 02, 2015

The President of the Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has urged the

Commerce Ministry to speed up the process of the closure of the Quality Review Committee

(QRC) and help small and medium rice exporters (SME), according to local sources.

He noted that since the Ministry has already decided to close the QRC as it has become futile and

its committee is not serving any purpose, it should direct the Trade Development Authority of

Pakistan (TDAP) to disband the futile committee and close the body immediately.




The UNISAME President also noted that the QRC has not been monitoring rice quality in line

with the buyers' needs. In most cases, it has been issuing certificates for non-basmati as basmati

to keep business going. For instance, most of the buyers in the Middle East and Gulf nations

prefer blended rice. Some varieties of normal rice such as 1121 and 386 are mixed with basmati

to add a flavor of aroma. Such blended varieties are said to be classified as basmati by the QRC

and helping some exporters to sell this blended rice as basmati and make more money.

Therefore, the UNISAME President says SME rice exporters who export genuine rice are facing

difficulties. QRC is more a hurdle than a monitoring body, he adds.

Pakistan has exported around 3.71 million tons of rice in the first eleven months of FY 2014-15

(July 2014 - June 2015), up about 6% from around 3.49 million tons exported during the same

period in FY 2013-14.

Global Rice Quotes

July 2nd, 2015

Long grain white rice - high quality

Thailand 100% B grade 380-390 ↑

Vietnam 5% broken 345-355 ↓

India 5% broken 380-390 ↔

Pakistan 5% broken 375-385 ↔

Myanmar 5% broken 415-425 ↔

Cambodia 5% broken 425-435 ↔

U.S. 4% broken 450-460 ↔

Uruguay 5% broken 565-575 ↔

Argentina 5% broken 555-565 ↔




Long grain white rice - low quality

Thailand 25% broken 350-360 ↑

Vietnam 25% broken 325-335 ↔

Pakistan 25% broken 335-345 ↔

Cambodia 25% broken 410-420 ↔

India 25% broken 350-360 ↔

U.S. 15% broken 440-450 ↔

Long grain parboiled rice

Thailand parboiled 100% stxd 380-390 ↑

Pakistan parboiled 5% broken stxd NQ ↔

India parboiled 5% broken stxd 365-375 ↔

U.S. parboiled 4% broken 555-565 ↔

Brazil parboiled 5% broken 570-580 ↔

Uruguay parboiled 5% broken NQ ↔

Long grain fragrant rice

Thailand Hommali 92% 830-840 ↔

Vietnam Jasmine 475-485 ↔

India basmati 2% broken NQ ↔

Pakistan basmati 2% broken NQ ↔

Cambodia Phka Mails 835-845 ↔




Brokens

Thailand A1 Super 315-325 ↔

Vietnam 100% broken 310-320 ↔

Pakistan 100% broken stxd 290-300 ↔

Cambodia A1 Super 350-360 ↔

India 100% broken stxd 275-285 ↔

Egypt medium grain brokens NQ ↔

U.S. pet food 350-360 ↔

Brazil half grain NQ ↔

All prices USD per ton, FOB vessel, oryza.com

Indian Researchers Conserving Indigenous

Rice Varieties to Develop New High-Yielding

Ones

Jul 02, 2015

Researchers from the Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) and the State Seed Testing

Laboratory (SSTL) in Odisha along with the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources

(NBPGR) under ICAR and Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority (PPV &

FRA) in New Delhi are collecting and preserving indigenous rice varieties in order to develop

new high-yielding rice varieties, according to local sources.

The CRRI Director told local sources that they have planned to conserve indigenous rice

varieties as they are often destroyed by rapid urbanization and industrialization. Their best genes

can be later used to develop new varieties, he said.

CRRI reportedly has nearly 30,000 indigenous varieties, including 5,000 from Odisha and

11,000 from NBPGR. "We preserve them by maintaining a temperature of 4 degree centigrade




and 30% relative humidity for medium-term conservation of eight years. But, NBPGR has nearly

10, 2000 varieties of different crops, including rice. It stores them by maintaining temperature of

-18 degree centigrade and 15% relative humidity for long-term conservation of over 50 years," a

CRRI scientist was quoted as saying.

A NBPGR official claimed that their stock with the CRRI includes 300 wild varieties that belong

to five rare species in the world. He noted that only 20 wild rice species have been identified in

the world.An official from SSTL told that they genetically cleanse indigenous rice varieties so

that their yield potential increases by 25% on an average.

"Each variety has over 62 traits and it is mandatory to analyze 29 and report to PPV & FRA for

its acceptance," another official from SSTL was quoted as saying.

Usually NBPGR collects and stores up to 20 grams of a variety, the CRRI collects up to 250

grams and SSTL collects 3 to 4 kilograms.




El Nino May Push Up Thai Rice Prices in

Second Half of 2015, Says Official

Jul 02, 2015

The Director-General of the Foreign Trade Department (Dg-FTD) under the Commerce Ministry

has noted that the Thai rice prices, which have fallen significantly since the beginning of this

year, are likely to increase in the second half as El Nino weather pattern is expected to impact

production in many countries, according to Bloomberg.

Demand from China, Indonesia and the Philippines is also expected to support prices. The price

of Thai 5% broken white rice has increased by about 2.7% to around $375 per ton from around

$365 per ton in first week of June.




The Commerce Ministry is putting up around 1.39 million tons of rice for sale on July 7. It sold

about 2.94 million tons of rice in the first seven auctions since it took power in May 2014,

raising about 30.2 billion baht (around $894 million).

The Thai military government currently holds over 16 million tons of rice in its warehouses and

is planning to sell about 10 million tons this year about six million tons next year. It also is

planning to sell about 5.89 million tons of spoilt rice to industrial users in July.

Brunei Stepping Up Efforts to Increase

Quality of Rice Production, Says Minister

Jul 02, 2015




The government of Brunei is stepping up efforts to increase the quality of rice production rather

than focusing on just increasing the volume, Brunei Times quoted the Minister of Industry and

Primary Resources (MIPR).

The Minister who attended the forth planting of Padi Laila at the Kampung Limau Manis

Agricultural Development Area (Kawasan Kemajuan Pertanian, KKP), which was organized by

the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood (DAA), told reporters that the government is also

planning to provide farming entrepreneurs with a quality planting system in order to support

them to achieve quality yields by avoiding threats like birds, rodents, insects and pests. He noted

that more research is needed to identify potential threats accompanying rice production.

Rice production is being carried out in KKP since 2013 by 21 entrepreneurs who completed a

basic padi planting management course through the Brunei Rice Farmers Field School organised

by the DAA and each entrepreneur manages two to three lots. The DAA had supported the KKP

project with a concrete drainage and irrigation technology. The project yielded a total of 100,800

kilograms in the 2013-14 prime season, 42,000 kilograms in the off-season and 79,700 kilograms

in 2014-15 prime season. The project sells its output to the government under a buy-back

agreement.

In March this year, the MIPR Minister apprised the Parliament that the country produced around

1,380 tons of milled rice in 2014, up about 12% from 1,230 tons in 2013 and was far from

achieving the 60% rice-sufficiency target by 2015. He noted that the Ministry has identified

certain problem areas, which have to addressed to achieve a significant increase in rice

production.

Brunei’s milled rice production has remained at around 1,000 tons since 2002, and the country

imports most of rice required for domestic consumption. In 2008, the Sultan of Brunei said that

Brunei Darussalam should not be dependent on other countries for its rice supply and should

have their own strategic plan to ensure food security.

The USDA estimates Brunei's milled rice production to remain at 1,000 tons in the MY 2014-15

(January - December 2015), and estimates the country to import around 40,000 tons in MY

2014-15 to meet an annual consumption demand of around 41,000 tons.




Thailand Rice Sellers Increase Some of Their

Quotes Today; Vietnam Rice Lower Some

Quotes Today

Jul 02, 2015

Thailand rice sellers increased their quotes for 100% broken rice, 5% broken rice and 25%

broken rice each by about $5 per ton around $380-$390 per ton, $370-$380 per ton and $350-

$360 per ton respectively. They increased quotes for parboiled rice by about $7 per ton to around

$380-$390 per ton. Vietnam rice sellers lowered their quotes for 5% broken rice by about $5 per

ton to around $345-$355 per ton. Other Asia rice sellers kept their quotes mostly unchanged

today.

5% Broken Rice

Thailand 5% rice is indicated at around $370 - $380 per ton, up about $5 per ton from yesterday

about a $25 per ton premium on Vietnam 5% rice shown at around $345 - $355 per ton. India 5%

rice is indicated at around $380 - $390 per ton, unchanged from yesterday and about $5 per ton

premium on Pakistan 5% rice shown at around $375 - $385 per ton.

25% Broken Rice

Thailand 25% rice is shown at around $345 - $350 per ton, up about $5 per ton from yesterday

and about a $20 per ton premium on Vietnam 25% rice shown at around $325- $335 per ton.

India 25% rice is indicated at around $350 - $360, about $15 per ton premium on Pakistan 25%

rice shown at around $335 - $345 per ton.

Parboiled Rice

Thailand parboiled rice is indicated at around $375 - $385 per ton, up about a $5 per ton from

yesterday. India parboiled rice is indicated at around $365- $375per ton, unchanged from

yesterday and about a $30 per ton discount to Pakistan parboiled rice last shown at around $395 -

$405 per ton.




100% Broken Rice

Thailand broken rice, A1 Super, is indicated at around $315 - $325 per ton, about $5 per ton

premium on Vietnam 100% broken rice shown at around $310 - $320 per ton. India's 100%

broken rice is shown at around $275 - $285 per ton, unchanged from yesterday and about a $15

per ton discount to Pakistan broken sortexed rice shown at around $290 - $300 per ton.

World Bank to Support Vietnam's Rice

Restructure Plan

Jul 02, 2015




The International Development Fund (IDF) of the World Bank (WB) is providing Vietnam with

a loan of $238 million to support its agricultural restructuring plan, according to local sources.

Vietnam is particularly planning to reform its two major exporting sectors, rice and coffee, under

the plan, according to World Bank’s Lead Rural Development Specialist and team leader for the

project. He noted that Vietnam's rice sector is characterized by unsustainable practices and high-

volume but low-value exports. The project aims to bring structural changes in the pattern of

production and the supply chain in order to benefit small-holder farmers.

The WB's credit is expected to directly benefit about 200,000 rice producing households of about

one million people in the Mekong River Delta (MRD). The project will assist rice farmers in the

provinces of Kien Giang, An Giang, Hua Giang, Tien Giang, Can Tho, Soc Trang, Dong Thap,

and Long An to adopt latest on-farm practices and improved basic production and processing

technologies for producing high quality rice.

Experts have been advising the government to focus on high quality rice production in order to

increase the country's competitiveness in the global market.

DNA Chip Unveils Truth About Two Groups

of Cultivated Rice Varieties

Jul 02, 2015

A DNA chip developed by researchers of the Benares Hindu University (BHU) researchers for

fingerprinting of rice by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) scientists proved

that the two most important groups of cultivated Aus and Aman (Indica) rice varieties were

domesticated in India, according to Times of India.

The findings have gained importance in the light of a debate that has been going on as to whether

the two varieties were first cultivated in India or China.

Scientists told local sources that they have developed the chip based on a comprehensive set of

single-copy rice genes. The lead researcher of the chip project noted that the chip can used to

store and study data related to genetic diversity and phylogenetic characteristics of cultivated and

wild rice varieties. "The chip has also proved useful for monitoring the spread of new rice




varieties, checking the purity and varietal identity of rice seeds and therefore in quality control

and regulation of rice seed business," he was quoted as saying.

"The ICAR rice chip will help identify new useful genes from our vast genetic resources of wild

rice and traditional rice varieties to face the twin challenges of growing population and climate

change," he added.

The BHU spokesperson noted that the DNA chip is a breakthrough in rice genetic research. It is

a high density chip and is capable of storing 50,051 SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism)

genotypes and can be used for both genetic and evolutionary studies as well as molecular

breeding in rice, he added.

3rd june (thursday),2015 daily exclusive oryza e rice newsletter by riceplus magazine

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