7th May ,2016 Daily Global,Regional & Local Rice -Enewsletter by Riceplus Magazine

8/17/2019 7th May ,2016 Daily Global,Regional & Local Rice -Enewsletter by Riceplus Magazine

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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.cowww.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com

Vol 7,Issue IVMay 07 ,2016









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"We know that right now expansion into new markets isn't really on the top of everyone's mind,"said James Williamson, analyst at Rabobank and author of the report. "However, it is going to becritical for the long-term growth and profitability of premium California medium-grain rice tolook to expansion markets even in times of tight supply."

The report goes on to examine the situations surrounding medium- and long-grain rice in thesouthern states:Many southern medium-grain producers planted more acreage in 2015/16, planning to takeadvantage of supply gaps from California production. These gaps were limited, leaving manywith an unsellable surplus. Faced with lower demand and high supply, Rabobank expects thatsouthern medium grain growers will need to work through their 2016/17 crop as well as theirsurplus stocks to bring prices to a more profitable level.Southern long-grain acreage is expected to be up 30% from the 2015/16 crops year, with

significant conversion coming from soybean acreage. It is expected that with this large crop,combined with nearly half of the prior year's production still in storage, southern growers will beunable to compete on price alone. This presents the opportunity for producers to concentrate ongrowing and maintaining the quality of their product to gain premium prices in this space.The report concludes by noting that for export-driven countries such as the United States,changes in production in a competing country or region can help or hurt local industries. The best way, according to the report, to stay in front of this is for producers and processors to do allthey can to differentiate themselves by segregating by quality.





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http://www.agprofessional.com/news/drought-and-gobal-competition-continue-challenge-us-rice-industry

Umahi pledges support for rice farmers in Ebonyi

Friday, May 6, 2016 Guardian News

Umahi

Gov donates N1 bn revolving loan to farmers

As part of efforts to make Ebonyi State the number one rice-producingarea in Nigeria, the state governor David Umahi, has ordered thedisbursement of N1 billion to rice farmers while unveiling several

measures that would fast-track the plan.Umahi, made the disclosure ata special stakeholder‘s forum on rice production in Abakaliki, the state

capital on Wednesday.He also ordered council chairmen, development centre coordinators,management committee members and Liaison officers of the councils, to acquire some hectaresof land for rice production.

The governor however, clarified that the money would not be given to them in cash, but asseedlings, fertilizers, and pesticides among other facilities.He said, ―It is not going to be free; it isgoing to be loan and when you produce, we will take over the rice and pay you the difference. Itis a loan. We borrowed it from the Federal Government, which they will deduct from our

allocation every month.‖ According to him, the state should be able to recover the loan and ―give it again, so it is going to

be a revolving loan.‖Under the latest arrangement, council chairmen are to acquire 20 hectares ofland each, coordinators 10 hectares, while management committee, as well as Liaison officers,would acquire five hectares each.To ensure an all-encompassing commitment, Umahi tasked political office holders that their survival on their jobs would be predicated on their performancein the task.Board members and heads of parastatals, according to the governor, should also ownone farm for agricultural production, adding that the state Executive Council would manage theEzillo Farms

PM calls for expedited action over rice lossesTHE NATION May 6, 2016 1:00 am

PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed the Commerce Ministry to expedite action inseeking Bt20 billion in damages caused by the previous administration‘s allegedly bogus government -to-government rice deals, the government spokesman said.The Comptroller-General's Department recentlyconcluded that six former top officials of the Commerce Ministry, including former commerce minister

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http://guardian.ng/news/umahi-pledges-support-for-rice-farmers-in-ebonyi/






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Boonsong Teriyapirom and his deputy Phum Saraphol, were held responsible for Bt20 billion inlosses to the state.

This week, the Finance Ministry instructed the Commerce Ministry to obtain an administrativeorder seeking compensation from Boonsong and the others deemed responsible.The G2G ricedeals were part of the Yingluck Shinawatra government's rice-pledging scheme that was

allegedly plagued with corruption and was estimated to cost the state more than Bt500 billion.Government Spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkanerd said yesterday that the premier hadinstructed the Commerce Ministry to deal with the matter carefully but that it also had tocomplete the task within a legal time frame."The prime minister would like to tell all bureaucratsthat this was an expensive lesson. They should bear in mind that they have to adhere torighteousness, integrity and the law," the spokesman said. "Bureaucrats should not allowthemselves to become a tool of politicians."

The four others named by the Comptroller-General's Department as responsible for the Bt20 billion in damages were former ministerial secretary Weerawut Wajanaphukka, formerDepartment of Foreign Trade director-general Manas Soiploy, the department's former rice-tradedirector Tikhumporn Natvaratat, and the department's former secretary AkharaphongChuaikliang.

The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders was told in an ongoing trialthat four G2G deals for 6.2 million tonnes of government rice were bogus, as the rice was neverexported.A group of farmers is seeking help from the prime minister to expedite the payment of





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funds some local cooperatives owe them for the rice purchased under the last government's rice- pledging scheme.

Sawat Chaisian, a representative of farmers from the provinces of Kamphaeng Phet and Nakhon

Sawan, said yesterday that some 50 members of the group had handed the petition over at thecomplaint office in Government House on Wednesday. They said the cooperatives still owed 83farmers in the group some Bt16 million

Thai govt to auction 1.2 mn tons of rice

BY EDITOR ON 2016-05-06THAILAND

Govt to auction 1.2 mn tons of riceBANGKOK, 6 May 2016 (NNT) – The Ministry of Commerce is preparing to organize a new

round auction for 1.2 million tons of rice in thegovernment‘s warehouses. Rice traders cansubmit their document for the auction on 17 May and tender bids on 19 May.

Director-General of the Department of Foreign Trade Duangporn Rodphaya said the coming riceauction would be the third time in this year. The amount of rice to be auctioned would be thehighest following rising demands in the market for broken-milled rice.

The official added that now was a good time to sell rice from the government‘s wareh ouses sincesecond-season rice had not yet been harvested and some of the rice in the warehouses had beendamaged. More damage was expected if the rice was not sold before the rainy season, she said.The department allows those who want to participate in the auction to check rice in the

warehouses from 10 -16 May.http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/thai-govt-to-auction-1-2-mn-tons-of-rice/140947/

Chinese to Check Cambodian Rice

Khmer Times/Sok Chan

Thursday, 05 May 2016

Officials from China will arrive in Cambodia soon to audit and evaluate rice producing companies and tocheck warehouses.Officials from China‘s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection andQuarantine (AQSIQ) will soon arrive and carry out auditing and evaluation of registered rice producingcompanies, rice processors and warehouses, a senior official from the General Department of Agriculturesaid after a meeting with Cambodia Rice Federation members yesterday. Hean Vanhan, the agriculturedeputy director general of the ministry, said the ministry had sent the first registration list of producersand processors of Cambodia rice to be exported to China.

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However, Chinese rice authorities will re-check and re-audit those registered as producers and processors of Cambodian rice before starting imports.―On behalf of the government, we alwaysguide all Cambodian rice producers and processors to clean themselves by sticking the phyto-sanitary sign in all places in the warehouse and on rice milling machines,‖ Mr. Vanhan said. ―Itis to make sure that the agriculture ministry awards export contracts to China and we also wantthem to get business after the Chinese auditing and evaluation.

‖ He said the exact date for the Chinese inspectors to come to Cambodia has not yet been set, buthis Chinese counterpart has suggested the Cambodian side send them invitation letters to do theinspection by the middle of this month.In December last year, China asked Cambodia to evaluateits rice exporters to determine whether they adhered to hygiene laws in China, because officialsin the world‘s second largest economy did not trust all of the 71 rice exporters registered with theMinistry of Commerce. They sent them the final registration list of rice producers and processors by the end of December last year and they will come to Cambodia to re-check and re-audit.―China is strengthening hygiene and food safety standards so they have some conditions forCambodia to implement for Cambodian rice exporters,‖ Mr. Vanhan said.

―They asked the Cambodian government to re-check whether rice exporters are fully complyingwith their standards.‖Sok Puthyvuth, the president of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), saidhe welcomes the Chinese inspectors‘ presence in Cambodia to ensure that Cambodia follows t hestandards and conditions set by China and to show China that Cambodia has new processing and

producing companies to build trust with them to purchase rice.―Last year, China ordered about100,000 tons of milled rice from Cambodia and another 100,000 tons this year and we expect toget more orders for the following years after auditing and evaluation,‖ Mr. Puthyvuth said.

While China is strengthening the phyto-sanitary conditions for rice imported from Cambodia, theEuropean Union recently expressed its concerns about milled rice from Cambodia, saying it wasnot 100 percent fragrant rice from Cambodia.The EU concerns were raised in the 9th EU-Cambodia Joint Committee meeting held in Phnom Penh this week. The EU warned that mixedmilled rice from Cambodia to the EU would be an obstacle for Cambodian rice to be sold on theEU market. The EU has called for more serious inspections of fragrant rice exported to the EUmarket.The Cambodia Rice Federation president said that for weeks the CRF has been workingto solve this issue to ensure Cambodian rice adheres to standards. The federation has enlistedinternational inspectors, the CRF‘s representatives and people from the government to make sureCambodian rice complies with standards to meet the purchaser demand.

Mr. Vanhan said the warning and announcement from the EU was taken on board and that the private sector must show its willingness and honesty to the customer to maintain the EUmarket.Song Saran, the CEO of Amru Rice Cambodia, told Khmer Times that if the EU getsgood cooperation on the phyto-sanitary conditions from sellers, Cambodia can also ask for DNAtesting on its fragrant rice.―We are calling for the EU to re -check the milled rice arriving and toscan or assign a third party to check the DNA to make sure that Cambodian rice is 100 percent ormixed,‖ he said.―Generally, good quality rice is from 80 to 85 percent in a minimum and ifmixed it is about 55 percent. We have to check if there is mixed rice,‖ Mr. Saran said.He added





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that the private sector has already shown honesty, but there is one or two companies which donot comply with the rules.―We could not guarantee that all members of the CRF are honest, butwe have laws, policies, codes of conduct and seriouslypunish or withdraw export licenses fromthose who don‘t comply,‖ Mr. Saran said http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/24664/chinese-to-check-cambodian-rice/

Thai Commerce Ministry to scramble for 20 billion bahtdamage pay over G-to-G rice scam

BY EDITOR ON 2016-05-06THAILAND

Commerce Ministry to scramble for 20 billion baht damage pay over G-to-G rice scam

BANGKOK, 6 May 2016 (NNT) – The Ministry of Finance has called on the Ministry of

Commerce to have six politicians and government officials pay an estimated 20 billion baht indamage compensation concerning a government-to-government rice scam.The Ministry ofCommerce is currently examining legal details of the issue and will notify those who might belegally obliged to pay for such damage to the government, said government spokesman SansernKaewkamnerd.He said the government did not delay the case involving a previous government‘srice subsidy program but was working on it.

http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/thai-commerce-ministry-to-scramble-for-20-billion-baht-damage-pay-over-g-to-g-rice-scam/140952/

Trade deficit contracts by 9.1% in January 2016 as exports andimports fall

Published inDevelopment - Provincial

Sri Lanka's trade deficit contracted by 9.1 percent to US$ 695 million in January 2016 from US$765 million a year earlier, according to the Central Bank data released in its External SectorPerformance Review Friday (May 06).Earnings from exports continued to decline for theeleventh consecutive month in January 2016 recording a 2.5 percent decline, year-on-year, toUS$ 894 million largely reflecting continuous decline recorded in commodity prices in theinternational market.

Decline in export earnings of petroleum products, gems, diamonds and jewelry, tea, and spicesmainly contributed for the drop.Expenditure on imports meanwhile, contracted by 5.5 percent,year-on-year, to US$ 1.589 billion in January 2016. Significant decline recoded in expenditureon fuel imports followed by rice imports and vehicle imports.Tourist arrivals continued toexpand, recording a growth of 19.4 percent in February 2016. Earnings from tourism for themonth of January increased 24.3 percent to US$ 322 million from US$ 259 a year ago.





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Workers' remittances grew by 7.6 percent to US 563.4 million in January 2016 compared to US523.5 million in January 2015.The government securities market continued to experience a netoutflow in terms of foreign investments with a cumulative outflow of US$ 253.6 million duringthe first two months of 2016 compared to an outflow of US$ 12.8 million in the corresponding period of 2015.In January 2016, the BOP is estimated to have recorded a deficit of US$ 619.3million, compared to the deficit of US$ 696.5 million in the corresponding period of 2015.SriLanka's gross official reserves as at end January 2016 amounted to US$ 6.3 billion, equivalent to4.0 months of imports while total foreign assets amounted to US$ 8.4 billion, equivalent to 5.4months of imports.During 2016 up to 05 May, the rupee depreciated by 1.1 percent against theUS dollarhttp://www.news.lk/news/business/item/13244-trade-deficit-contracts-by-9-1-in-january-2016-as-exports-and-imports-fall

Sri Lanka exports fall for 11th straight monthMay 06, 2016 20:21 PM GMT+0530

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka‘s trade deficit contracted in January 2016 by 9.1 percent from ayear ago to 695 million US dollars with export earnings falling for the eleventh straight monthwhile imports fell faster than exports.―The trade deficit narrowed on account of the higherdecline in import expenditure mainly due to the drop in fuel, vehicle and rice imports, comparedto the decline in earnings from exports during January 2016,‖ the central bank said.Exportearnings fell 2.5 per cent in January to 894 million US dollars from the year before largelyreflecting continuous declines recorded in commodity prices in the international market, it said ina statement.

Continuing the declining trend in the last six months, expenditure on imports contracted by 5.5 per cent, year-on-year, to 1,589 million US dollars in January 2016. The continuous weakeningof demand for Ceylon tea from the major buyers, mainly Russia, Turkey and some Middle-Eastern countries, caused export earnings from tea to decline by 12.4 per cent in January 2016,year-on-year.―Both the export volume and the average price of tea were lower than previousyear,‖ the central bank said. But export earnings from textiles and garments, which contributednearly 52 per cent to the total exports, improved by 13.3 per cent year-on-year in January 2016,reversing the declining trend prevailed in last quarter of 2015. Garment exports to bothtraditional and non-traditional markets improved during the month.

In line with the growth in export earnings from textiles and garments, import expenditure on

textile and textile articles increased by 25.4 per cent, in January 2016 owing to the 34.0 per centincrease recorded in fabrics imports. Imports fell in January 2016 mainly because of thesignificant decline in expenditure on fuel imports followed by rice imports and vehicle importsfor personal use and investment purposes. Import expenditure on fuel declined significantly by39.6 per cent, year-on-year, to 175 million US dollars, due to the drop in average import pricesof all categories of fuel together with lower import volume of refined petroleum and coal.





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Reflecting the impact of increase in taxes for motor vehicles by the budget for 2016 expenditureon importation of vehicles for personal use and investment purposes which is categorised underconsumer goods and investment goods declined significantly by 12.6 per cent and 42.3 per cent,respectively, in January 2016. Due to this tax increase, importation of personal motor vehicles,such as motor cars and motor cycles and road vehicles such as lorries, trishaws and buses whichimport specially for investment purposes declined during the month.(Colombo/May 06 2016)

http://www.economynext.com/Sri_Lanka_exports_fall_for_11th_straight_month-3-4917.html

05/06/2016 Farm Bureau Market ReportRice

High Low

Long Grain Cash Bids - - - - - -

Long Grain New Crop - - - - - -

Futures: ROUGH RICE

High Low Last Change

May '16 1121.0 +9.0

Jul '16 1146.5 1127.5 1141.0 +3.5

Sep '16 1161.0 1157.0 1157.5 +3.5

Nov '16 1170.0 1169.5 1168.0 +5.0

Jan '17 1181.0 +4.0

Mar '17 1198.0 +4.0

May '17 1217.0 +4.0

http://click.aristotle.net/click.aspx?lid=CG0B2dIjQwZ

http://click.aristotle.net/click.aspx?lid=CG4Q6cIyUgd

http://click.aristotle.net/click.aspx?lid=CG4A6cMyQhd





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Rice CommentRice futures ended the day on an up-turn. Weekly exports were disappointing at 45,500 metrictons. July completed a 38% retracement this week, with the next upside objective at the 50%level of $11.93. The market will be watching crop progress closely. If farmers plant what they

reported to USDA in the survey, the large crop will limit the upside potential. Currently, USDAsays 72% of the crop in the ground and 55% emerged. In Arkansas, the totals are 87% plantedand 66% emerged, so Arkansas farmers made lots of progress in a week ’s time. However, world production is in question as dry conditions persist in Asia due to El Nino, and that is providingsupport and possibly pricing opportunities for the time being.

USA Rice's Mosely Named USACC Legislative CommitteeChair

By Peter BachmannMay 6, 2016

Mosely (left) takes the lead

WASHINGTON, DC -- This week, the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC) selected USA RiceVice President of Government Affairs Ben Mosely as a co-chair of its Legislative Committee. TheLegislative Committee works to manage the Coalition's collective federal lobbying efforts to removefinancing and trade barriers currently in place with Cuba.USA Rice is one of USACC's founding

members and makes up one of more than 100 organizations that share a similar goal of normalizingagriculture trade with Cuba.

Devry Boughner Vorwerk, chair of the USACC, said, "Ben has been a strong contributor to ourlegislative efforts and is a strategic and innovative thinker on Hill strategy. We are pleased that he is





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willing to step up and lead."

In reference to his new role, Mosely said, "USA Rice has been working to end this embargo for decades

so it makes sense for us to hold a leadership role in the Coalition and help provide direction for ourmomentum."Mosely concluded, "We plan to ramp up our advocacy efforts on the Hill before Congressheads out of town for summer recess and look forward to building on our existing successes over the last18 months."To learn more about the USACC and the issues they have focused on, visit their website.

Riceland's Trevor Freemyer

Rice Stewardship Partnership Growing Exponentially

By Peter Bachmann

MEMPHIS, TN -- This week, more than 30 people associated with the implementation processof the National Rice Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project and workingunder the umbrella of the Rice Stewardship Partnership convened here at the Ducks Unlimited





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(DU) headquarters.

Staff representing USA Rice, DU, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)spent a day and a half engaging in more than 20 presentations encompassing NRCS training,technical conservation education, and increasing the Stewardship Partnership programcoordination. Several of the Partnership's key partners were also in attendance to provide insighton how the National Rice RCPP project is working and how to best synchronize efforts toincrease the implementation of conservation across the rice landscape.

One of the partners in attendance was USA Rice member, Trevor Freemyer, sustainabilitycoordinator for Riceland Foods. Freemyer addressed the group saying, "Riceland Foods is gladto be a part of this successful Rice Stewardship Partnership effort and it's been exciting to listento what all of the staff in the field, working with rice farmers across the Mid-South andCalifornia have to say."

He added, "It's also been enlightening to hear from the NRCS staff here about the technical sideof implementing all of these rice-friendly conservation practices. It's much more complex than Ianticipated and definitely gives you a greater appreciation for the work their staff does behindthe scenes on a daily basis."

USA Rice is continuing to work with DU, NRCS, and other partners to develop sustainable conservation programs designed to address the unique needs of rice farmers and increase the financial assistance provided for implementation of those practices





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Rice Stewardship Partnership Growing Exponentially

By Peter Bachmann

Riceland's Trevor Freemyer

MEMPHIS, TN -- This week, more than 30 people associated with the implementation processof the National Rice Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project and workingunder the umbrella of the Rice Stewardship Partnership convened here at the Ducks Unlimited

(DU) headquarters.Staff representing USA Rice, DU, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)spent a day and a half engaging in more than 20 presentations encompassing NRCS training,technical conservation education, and increasing the Stewardship Partnership programcoordination. Several of the Partnership's key partners were also in attendance to provide insighton how the National Rice RCPP project is working and how to best synchronize efforts toincrease the implementation of conservation across the rice landscape.

One of the partners in attendance was USA Rice member, Trevor Freemyer, sustainabilitycoordinator for Riceland Foods. Freemyer addressed the group saying, "Riceland Foods is gladto be a part of this successful Rice Stewardship Partnership effort and it's been exciting to listento what all of the staff in the field, working with rice farmers across the Mid-South andCalifornia have to say."

He added, "It's also been enlightening to hear from the NRCS staff here about the technical sideof implementing all of these rice-friendly conservation practices. It's much more complex than Ianticipated and definitely gives you a greater appreciation for the work their staff does behindthe scenes on a daily basis."

USA Rice is continuing to work with DU, NRCS, and other partners to develop sustainable

conservation programs designed to address the unique needs of rice farmers and increase thefinancial assistance provided for implementation of those practices

http://southwestfarmpress.com/grains/texas-rice-belt-flooded-heavy-rains

mailto:[email protected]








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Continue Treading Carefully With Amira Nature FoodsStock

By Modest MoneyStock MarketsMay 05, 2016 01:42AM ET

Amira Nature Fds (NYSE :ANFI )

Back on February 25, 2016, this humble writer had written a piece highlighting the potentialinvestment pros and cons of Amira Nature Foods. In that article, I took an overview of thecompany and came to the conclusion that while it looked like a relative bargain based on itstrailing twelve months earnings, before committing capital to this investment, one shouldconduct their own thorough due diligence before making any investment as some red flagsexisted that needed to be answered before making a commitment to ownership of this company.

When that article got released back in February, it got thrashed by what I would dub the ―fan boys‖ of Amira Nature Foods stock on various stock message boards and forums. That in it ofitself should raise eyebrows of any prospective investor looking to commit their hard earnedcapital to this particular stock: when people lash out at you for asking legitimate questions abouta business, that should make you wonder how much rationality is surrounding the stock of that business.On February 25, 2016, Amira‘s stock traded at $12.50. Fast forward a little over 2 months andthe stock trades today at just under $7.00. If you had decided to commit your hard earned moneyto Amira‘s stock back when this article was released, you would be staring at a 44% decline inyour investment.This is not to gloat about being right or wrong. I didn‘t provide any predictions and projectionsof where I thought the stock was going back in February and Iwon‘t be predicting anythingtoday. What I did advise was that a potential investor should tread carefully as there were – andstill are – a plethora of issues surrounding the business that is Amira Nature Foods that need to

be answered to one‘s satisfacti on in a thorough and rigorous fashion.It is easy to get caught up in the excitement and potential of a seemingly promising soundinggrowth stock opportunity at low valuations. It gets even more dangerous when you actively startseeking out confirmation bias online in various stock forums and messaging boards on a particular stock you find so exciting.

A true investor conducts thorough due diligence on the company they are looking to invest in.You absolutely need to know accounting and possess financial and mathematical literacy. Ifthere are accounting red flags that pop up, you need to be able to understand if they are serious ornot. You need to be able to gauge whether management has integrity and an eye towardsshareholders. The right company should be able to withstand the skeptical scrutiny that you put itthrough.

With all of that said, the primary reason Amira‘s stock has fallen so badly has to do with the fallin the commodity price of basmati rice. Along with a decrease in international revenue, revenuehas fallen by 17.3%. One of the factors a potential investor has to be aware of when analyzing acommodity-based company is the concept of peak earnings and value traps. While Amira‘s

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http://www.modestmoney.com/tread-carefully-with-amira-nature-foods-anfi-stock/31566




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One day he fell down due to weakness, and a shepherd girl passing by saw it and offered him a bowl of simple rice pudding which Gautama gratefully accepted, ate and felt refreshed sat inmeditation to be enlightened and found the middle path is real path to salvation with the rider ofleading a life without desires.

This event of enlightenment happened during the full moon in Taurus. This timing is importantas Gautama was born during the full moon in Taurus and attained Nirvana also during the fullmoon in Taurus.The best Vesak rice pudding is made with sushi rice, but in Indiabasmati ricecan be a good substitute. Sprinkle some light dusting of cinnamon on the pudding to add someflavor to it.

However, I am having Buddha Pudding on Vesak night for the last few years, but have not ableto get into deep meditation after having it. The spiritual awakening of knowledge and wisdomcomes by striving for perception of the reality beyond ordinary vision of the people who indulgein the ritual of cooking rice pudding and enjoying it.Awakening signifies realization of true andinner reality of higher consciousness which is achieved after many years of struggle and tough practice of meditation.

http://www.merinews.com/article/celebrate-vesak-with-buddhas-rice- pudding/15915965.shtml#sthash.8ls4CwV4.dpuf

APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1467

International Benchmark Price

Price on: 05-05-2016

Product Benchmark Indicators Name Price

Honey

1 Argentine 85mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 2140



Garlic

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

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





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

Ginger

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

Source:agra-net For more info

Market Watch

Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 05-05-2016

Domestic Prices Unit Price : Rs per Qty

Product Market Center Variety Min Price Max Price

Rice

1 Manjeri (Kerala) Other 2700 3700

2 Nagpur (Maharashtra) Other 2000 2300

3 Samsi (West Bengal) Fine 2990 3020

Wheat

1 Gangavathi (Karnataka) Local 1525 1525

2 Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh) Other 1540 1951

3 Kalol (Gujarat) Other 1585 1875

Orange

1 Kalyan (Maharashtra) Other 1400 1500

2 Sitapur (Uttar Pradesh) Other 2800 3300

3 Chittorgarh (Rajasthan) Other 3000 3500

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Carrot

1 Surat (Gujarat) Other 1500 1750

2 Nilagiri (Orissa) Other 1000 1200

3 Sirhind (Punjab) Other 500 1000

Source:agmarknet.nic.in For more info

Egg Rs per 100 No

Price on 05-05-2016

Product Market Center Price

1 Ahmedabad 370

2 Mysore 375

3 Nagapur 345

Source: e2necc.com

Other International Prices Unit Price : US$ per package

Price on 05-05-2016

Product Market Center Origin Variety Low High

Potatoes Package: 50 lb cartons

1 Atlanta Colorado Russet 16.50 17.50

2 Chicago California Russet 21 21

2 Detroit Idaho Russet 12 13.50

Cabbage Package: 50 lb sacks

1 Atlanta Florida Round GreenType 11.50 12.50

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http://e2necc.com/

http://e2necc.com/

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2 Dallas Texas Round GreenType 11 11

3 Detroit Canada Round Green

Type14 14.50

Grapefruit Package: 4/5 bushel cartons

1 Atlanta Florida Red 26 26

2 Chicago Florida Red 21.50 21.50

3 Miami Florida Red 12 15

Source:USDA

Video claiming agreement at WTO to stop rice distributionvia PDS is wrong: Govt

Khabar India Exclusive May 6, 2016

Government has come down heavily over a factually wrong video put on social media that showsthat government has signed an agreement at WTO Ministrial conference that will stopdistribution of rice and other provision via PDS. Department of Commerce, Government ofIndia has come across a video in Tamil, posted on the social networking site Facebook, whereThirumurugan Gandhi has made factually incorrect statements regarding signing of anAgreement to stop distribution of rice and other provisions through Public DistributionSystem(PDS), discontinuation of agricultural subsidies and allowing import of food items.―Thisis completely wrong. No such Agreement was signed. There were no proposals for closure ofration shops, for discontinuing subsidies to farmers or for allowing imports of food items.TheStatement about the Government stopping procurement of rice/food products and subsidies tofarmers is also completely wrong,‖ says the Government press release.

Thirumurugan Gandhi‘s claim that the agreement has been kept secret is not only baseless, it alsoreflects upon the knowledge of the speaker about the procedures of the World TradeOrganization. The Tenth Ministerial Conference of the WTO resulted in Decisions in the area ofagriculture, development and some issues relating to the Least Developed Countries. All theseare public documents and are available at the official website of the WTO.The WTO rules do not bar public procurement for food security purposes. As far as the limit of support is concerned,India has been working to have the WTO rules in this regard updated. This is to ensure that weare not constrained by the WTO rules in making public procurement in future also.The

http://www.khabarindia.in/category/khabar-india-exclusive/







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Ministerial Decision on the issue of Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes wasachieved mainly due to the efforts made by India.This Government has ensured that no countrywill ever be able to challenge our procurement/public food distribution programmes for violationof the relevant WTO rules. At the Nairobi Conference, this Government has further ensured thatthe WTO will have to continue to work on this issue, even if there is no progress on other issuesunder negotiation.

The Ministerial Decision on the issue of public stockholding for food security purposes adoptedin the Nairobi Ministerial Conference reaffirms earlier decisions on the issue adopted at the BaliMinisterial Conference and subsequently by the General Council on 27 November 2014 whichwhen read together, mandate a permanent solution by the 11th Ministerial Conference of theWTO. Even without the permanent solution, India can continue with its public procurement programmes.The Government of India is conducting Minimum Support Price Scheme for distribution of Riceand other food items through the Public Distribution System through FCI and the agencies of

States. This system will in no way be impacted by any of the Decisions taken at the WTOMinisterial Conference. Similarly, there will be no impact of the Decisions on the procurementfrom the farmers at the MSP, which the Government of India will continue to announce as before. The decision does not, in any way, affect the ability of FCI to procure and storefoodstuffs in its godowns.

The statement about stoppage of subsidies to farmers lacks any substance. No agreementwas signed that would require the Indian Government to stop giving electricity subsidy,

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fertiliser subsidy etc. Protecting India’s agricultural sector is a priority with theGovernment in trade negotiations.

At the Nairobi Ministerial Conference of the WTO, India also sought and obtained anotherMinisterial decision on a Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) for agricultural products fordeveloping country Members. The SSM is intended to help developing countries protect theiragriculture sector from the effects of, inter alia, a surge in imports of agricultural products. Indianegotiated a Ministerial Decision which recognizes that developing countries will have the rightto have recourse to an SSM as envisaged in the mandate of the Doha Round of tradenegotiations. Negotiations for an SSM are to be held in dedicated sessions and the WTO GeneralCouncil has been mandated to regularly review progress of these negotiations.

Agriculture is a priority with the Government of India and it is also taking a number of steps toensure the welfare of the farmers. The Government is fully committed to ensure that thesubsidies reach the intended beneficiaries in the most efficient manners. Government is alsoensuring that the vagaries of nature and other calamities do not affect our farmers throughrecently introduced Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna. There are many other positive stepstaken by the Government to protect the interests and for the welfare of our farmers.

http://www.khabarindia.in/video-claiming-agreement-at-wto-to-stop-rice-distribution-via-pds-is-wrong-govt/

Disaster-affected rice farmers in Central Luzon reap firstharvest for 2016

May 05, 2016

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, May 5 (PIA) -- Rice farmers in Central Luzon areseeing a glimmer of hope after successive natural disasters swept their crop fields in 2015.About 18, 900 of them who were able to re-plant their damaged farms with support from theFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with theDepartment of Agriculture (DA) are now reaping their first harvest for 2016.Typhoon Koppu(Lando) made landfall in Aurora Province in October last year and was followed by TyphoonMelor (Nona) two months later.

In both instances, the region was among the hardest hit in terms of damage to agriculture, with

total production losses estimated at over USD 175 million.Many of the farmers who lost theirnewly harvested and ready-to-harvest rice to the two typhoons already suffered from the impactsof dry spells and drought earlier in 2015.

―This first harvest represents the recovery of thousands of households spread across 36municipalities in the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Aurora,‖ said FAORepresentative in the Philippines José Luis Fernández who joined beneficiary farmers inCandaba, Pampanga for a ceremonial harvest.





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―With the assistance they received, we hope that the incomes they lost as well as the crisis theyendured would not continue to destabilize their livelihoods and undermine food and nutritionsecurity for much longer,‖ he added. At the request of DA, FAO mobilized its Typhoon KoppuResponse in December 2015.Bags of certified rice seeds and complete fertilizer were deliveredto affected rice-farming households to complement the farm inputs that the Government provided.

The timely assistance enabled them to catch the imminent planting season, which ended inJanuary. Missing that window could have resulted in six more months without adequate incomeor falling into greater debt – a serious issue that farmers face especially in times of crisis.―Assmall farmers, what we received is a big thing for us even if it was just one bag of certified riceseeds and fertilizer for each of us. It is a big help to not have to buy those seeds and fertilizer sothat we can start over,‖ said farmer Eugenia Liwag of Candaba, Pampanga.

―The income we will earn from this will be used to pay our debt from the last cropping that wasdamaged by the typhoons. Some of the rice we harvested will be for our family‘s consumption.We will also save some of the seeds for the next planting season,‖ she added. Farmer beneficiaries are expected to produce a total of 99 200 metric tonnes of palay (paddy rice), whichcould generate 59 500 metric tonnes of milled rice that can feed about 522 000 people for oneyear.

Farmer Ignacio Sagum explained that before typhoons Koppu and Melor, he harvested anaverage of 80 bags of palay per hectare.―Now we were able to harvest about 100 bags also

because of what we have learned through FAO,‖ he said. With significant savings from theTyphoon Koppu response, FAO is also distributing assorted vegetable seeds such as bitter gourd,ampalaya, string beans, squash, eggplant, okra and tomato to 7 400 farming households and ureafertilizer to 13,490 households affected by Typhoon Melor.

FAO‘s Typhoon Koppu and Typhoon Melor response is supported by the United Nations CentralEmergency Response Fund, the Government of Belgium, through FAO‘s Special Fund forEmergency and Rehabilitation Activities, and through re-programmed savings from thecontributions of Ireland, New Zealand and Norway to FAO‘s earlier Typhoon HaiyanEmergency, Recovery and Rehabilitation Programme.

―We remain committed to supporting the Government in helping the most vulnerable agriculturalcommunities affected by disasters to rise from hardship and come out even stronger,‖ Fernándezadded. (FAO

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/561462436695/disaster-affected-rice-farmers-in-central-luzon-reap-first-harvest-for-2016-





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Nigeria: Firm Secures 5000 Hectares of Land for RiceProduction in Adamawa

By Abbas Jimoh

A wholly indigenous agribusiness firm, Haske and Williams, has acquired 5,000 hectares of landin Demsa, Adamawa State to commence development of an integrated rice production project.Speaking to newsmen in Abuja on the signing of the development lease agreement for the paddy cultivation component of the project, the President and Founder of the firm, Mr. AbdullahiBashir Haske, said the agreement was between the Batta Traditional Council of Demsa andManomi support services limited, a subsidiary of Haske and Williams limited.

He described the execution of the development lease agreement as a critical milestone for thedevelopment of the company's 5,000 Hectare Irrigated and Mechanized Paddy Cultivation

Estate, stressing that it is the first of its kind private sector led initiative in north eastern Nigeriahttp://allafrica.com/stories/201605050936.html

Rains Batter Rice Other Crops; But Cotton May Be BrightSpotLSU AgCenter , All, All

Recent rains have drenched Louisiana, and LSU AgCenter experts and farmers say the outlook is not

good for the state’s rice crop.

Corn and wheat also have taken a beating – but specialists believe the Louisiana cotton crop mayhave weathered the storm.

Double-digit rainfall was recorded in many areas of the state over the past couple of weeks, andtotals exceeding 20 inches were seen in some places. Observers even reported as much as 24-27inches in spots, according to LSU AgCenter faculty members.

In the case of rice, Dr. Johnny Saichuk, an LSU AgCenter rice specialist, said many Louisianafarmers‘ crops were not affected by the high water, but for others the damage is done – bothimmediate and long-term.

"It‘s not a pretty picture right now," Saichuk said, adding some rice -producing areas he wasinformed about recorded rainfall exceeding 20 inches in 10 days.

Rice farmers as far north as Avoyelles and Rapides parishes are among the worst hit because of backwater flooding that has kept their fields submerged for several days, Saichuk said. Acreagein the southwestern part of the state appeared to drain better, he said.

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Heavy rains also have caused other problems for producers, Saichuk said. For example, aviationcompanies haven‘t been able to get in the air to spray for rice water weevils and weeds. Andfertilizer applications by airplane also have been delayed because of bad weather, he said.

"This is going to hurt us," Saichuk said.

Moist conditions often are the prelude for plant diseases, according to the LSU AgCenter expert,who said he‘s already hearing reports of sheath blight in rice in Vermilion Parish.

In addition to those complications, rice fields that are being drained to help them recover fromthe flooding may then have to be partially flooded again by the farmers. That means pumpingwater back onto the fields, Saichuk said, point out that will cost farmers money.

Much of the rice is stunted, Saichuk said, because it was covered with too much water. He‘srecommending against completely draining rice fields because the young plants lack freestandingcapability, and water can help support the spindly stems.

The LSU AgCenter expert said some rice farmers will decide to replant, but yields from late planting can be reduced by as much as 50 percent.

Even more, farmers who planted fields with Clearfield rice varieties may have trouble findingreplacement herbicide-resistant seed, he said. And if an application of Newpath herbicide – which is used with Clearfield to control the nuisance red rice – already been made, it coulddamage conventional rice.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 95 percent of the state‘s rice acreage was planted as of May 16. Of that total, 7 percent of the acreage was classified as poor, up from 3 percent in the previous week, according to the USDA, and the acreage considered excellentdropped from 12 percent to 9 percent.

Like Saichuk, LSU AgCenter assistant professor Dr. David Lanclos, who works with researchand educational programs on soybeans, corn, and grain sorghum in the state, said submergedcrops and missed pesticide and fertilizer applications were among the most obvious problems.

Lanclos said that while all plant commodities are suffering from the heavy rainfall in Central andSouth Louisiana, soybeans seem to be suffering the most.

"Approximately 60 percent of the soybeans have been planted in the state," he said, "And largeacreages of soybeans are planted in Central and South Louisiana on soils less tolerant to highrainfall."

Traditionally, the heavy clay soils found in those areas require more time to drain and dryfollowing a major rain, Lanclos explained.





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Lanclos said corn and wheat crops also were damaged by the wet conditions in CentralLouisiana.

Specialists said the wheat harvest, which was looking promising, was stopped by the rain. Now,the rainfall, moving water and wind caused wheat to lodge in some areas of the field, which willmake it difficult to harvest, and the quality of the grain is likely to be reduced – thus making theseason less successful than had been expected just a couple of weeks ago.

LSU AgCenter experts say corn damage is expected to be less serious in the state, because alarge portion of the state‘s acreage is plante d north of the heavily flooded areas. But experts stillsay some corn in the flooded areas may suffer because of the loss of nitrogen from the soil brought on by the flooding.

"There is going to be a lot of replanting – especially in the low areas of the field," Lanclos said.

In one bright spot, although the recent rains hampered many of the state‘s crops, the state‘scotton crop has faired the weather well, according to LSU AgCenter cotton specialist Dr. SandyStewart.

Stewart, who works out of the LSU AgCenter‘s Dean Lee Research Station near Alexandria, saidhe still holds an optimistic outlook for this year‘s cotton crop.

"Statewide, the crop looks better than I thought it would," Stewart said. "There will have to besome replanting – but not as much as we originally thought it would be."

The youngest cotton in the state was planted just before the rains came, but there also are somecotton fields with plants that are at the four-leaf to-five-leaf stages, Stewart said.

"These larger plants likely will resume normal growth once the fields drain and the sunshinereturns," he said, adding, however, "Some of the fields where the cotton was just planted and the plants had not emerged will most probably have to be replanted."

Cotton generally can tolerate 24-36 hours of submerged, waterlogged conditions, Stewart said.But decay can occur if cotton is submerged in standing water for longer periods.

"The bottom line is that older and larger cotton plants are more likely to tolerate this problem andrecover normally," Stewart said. "There is little a producer can do to improve crop health untilsome drying occurs. Once that happens, we‘ll know more about where the crop is in terms ofgrowth and development."

Cotton planting season in Louisiana is from mid-April to mid-May. As of May 13, about 90 percent of the state‘s cotton crop had been planted, Stewart said.

"We have a drying forecast right now," he said. "If this forecast stays, the fields will dry and producers will be able to get back in them to work."





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Those seem to be the issues for farmers, according to the experts, who explain farmers probablyneed anywhere from a week to 10 days of good weather before they can resume planting orreplanting their fields.

Parishes receiving the heaviest rain include Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu,Cameron, Evangeline, Iberville, Jeff Davis, Lafayette, Natchitoches, Point Coupee, Rapides, St.Landry and St. Martin.

Northern parishes also received rain but escaped the losses caused by heavy rainfall.

On the other hand, even moderate rainfall can make it more difficult to take heavy plantingequipment into the fields to finish planting or to replant areas that need it, the experts say.

As an example of the types of problems farmers face, LSU AgCenter county agent Eddie Eskewsaid losses in Jefferson Davis Parish, where rainfall totals reportedly ranged from 11 inches to 22inches, may not be huge – but that‘s still a problem.

"Believe it or not, our losses are not that severe – although any loss in agriculture is not good,"Eskew said, explaining that farming profitably generally requires getting the maximum backfrom what you put into it.

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/crops/corn/rains-batter-rice-other-crops-but-cotton-may-be-bright-spot

Stop burning ‘dayami,’ PhilRice tells farmers May 07, 2016 at 12:01 amby The Standard

SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ, Nueva Ecija — The Philipine Rice Research Institute has

cautioned Filipino farmers to refrain from burning―dayami‖ (rice straw), saying this could

reduce nutrients in soil and make farmlands less productive.Evelyn Javier, supervising science

research specialist of the PhilRice‘s agronomy, soil and physiology division, said rice straw -

burning, which is practiced during the harvest season, causes air pollutants such as carbon

dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide.

When done frequently, she said this could reduce the soil‘s nitrogen content and phosphorus

content by 25 percent. It also cuts potassium content in soil by 20 percent and sulphur by 5

percent to 60 percent.Javier said this practice also damages food resources of beneficial insects

in the rice field.

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The institute said Republic Act 9003, also known as the Solid Waste Management Act (RA

9003) and the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 both prohibit open-field burning, including

burning of rice straws.According to PhilRice statistics, the country produces 15.2 million tons of

rice annually of which 11.3 millions are turned into rice straw.To minimize post-harvest waste,

rice straws can be used by farmers as organic fertilizer and primary material for mushroom

production. Also, rice straw and other biomass from farm by-products can help farmers save

expenses from chemical fertilizer inputs.

Javier said when rice straws are scattered in the field during land preparation, they maintain the

soil‘s nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, silicon and carbon as well as

moisture.They also preserve the biodiversity of microorganisms that helps in nutrient cycling andefficient fertilizer utilization.Rice straws can also be used as mulch to protect the roots of the

plants from heat and cold and reduce the evaporation rate and prevent weeds from growing in

the paddy.

Rizal G. Corales of PhilRice‘s Palayamanan Plus recommended the use of rice straws as

substrate for oyster mushroom (Pleurotus spp.) production.Corales said the bulk of the rice

biomass produced is still being disposed indiscriminately despite its many knownuses. ―Using

rice straw as mushroom substrate is economically profitable for farmers and people engaged inagribusiness,‖ he said, adding waste from mushroom production is also the main substrate for

vermicomposting, one of the best organic fertilizers produced.

http://thestandard.com.ph/news/-provinces/205067/stop-burning-dayami-philrice-tells-farmers.html

PhilRice engineers, studies recognized

POSTED BY WEB TEAM POSTED ON MAY - 6 - 2016 The Philippine Society of Agricultural Engineers (PSAE) commended agricultural engineers andresearchers of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) for their studies and outstandingcontribution in agriculture during the 66th PSAE Annual Convention at Mariano Marcos StateUniversity, Batac City, Ilocos Norte, April 24-30. PhilRice Scientist, Dr. Ricardo F. Orge wonthe Most Outstanding Agricultural Engineer or Maramba Award, the highest recognition givenduring the event.

http://www.philrice.gov.ph/philrice-engineers-studies-recognized/

http://www.philrice.gov.ph/philrice-engineers-studies-recognized/




The same award was given to PhilRice Scientist, Dr. Manuel Jose C. Regalado in 2015. Orge isthe former center director of the Institute‘s Climate Change Center and current program lead ofCoping with Climate Change Program. Researchers Arnold S. Juliano, Romeo B. Gavino,Melissa E. Agulto, Victorino T. Taylan, Armando N. Espino Jr., and Emmanuel V. Sicat wonfirst place in the agricultural power, energy, and waste utilization category for their studyImprovement of PhilRice-designed rice hull gasifier engine-pump system for rainfed lowlandirrigation. They developed a rice hull gasifier engine-pump system with a 30cm diameter reactorthat uses an average of 8.5kg of fresh rice hull per hour to supply fuel to a 16hp gasoline engine.The same research team won second place for their study Optimizing water utilization from a

developed rice hull gasifier engine-pump system for rainfed lowland farm in the soil, and waterconservation category.

The team established an optimization scheme in using the developed gasifier system for threecrops in a hectare farm. Results showed that using the gasifier system for continuous pumpingoperation can generate savings of P20, 705 per year with an investment payback period of 2.62years and P1.23 per cubic meter pumping water cost. Posters derived from these studies wonthird place in their respective categories. Regalado, Alexis T. Belonio, Marvelin L. Rafael,Katherine C. Villota, Phoebe R. Castillo, and Eden C. Gagelonia‘s Design, testing, andevaluation of hydrous bioethanol distiller for the production of fuel-grade alcohol from nipa sap

(Nypafruiticans) won second place in the agricultural power, energy, and waste utilizationcategory. The distiller is consist of an internal-heated boiler/steamer, a packed-column, and awater-jacketed condenser. It is capable of distilling fuel-grade bioethanol at a rate of 2-4l/hrusing fermented sap and 5l/hr for pre-processed feed. PSAE was founded in 1950 to advance thetheory and practice of agricultural engineering. It is an accredited national organization andhome to more than 7,000 licensed agricultural engineers in the country.

http://www.philrice.gov.ph/philrice-engineers-studies-recognized/#sthash.52aJdbld.dpuf

7th May ,2016 Daily Global,Regional & Local Rice -Enewsletter by Riceplus Magazine

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