12th december,2014 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: [email protected] +92 321 369 2847

Volume 4 Issue: XI

Today’s News Headlines…

New Reservoir to Help Downstream Rice Farmers

Commerce to hold fourth rice auction

New levy policy gives more leeway to AP millers to boost rice

exports

India exports rice worth Rs 23,161.56 crore in Apr-Sep

Rice exports: Why are Vietnam’s miracle-makers still poor?

Myanmar's rice export earning grows sharply in 8 months

India exports rice worth Rs 23,161.56 crore in Apr-Sep


exports

Rice case against Yingluck postponed


exports

Odisha govt to expedite paddy procurement

Madhya Pradesh CM Chouhan at meeting with representatives

of traders and millers

Rice and shine

Matco Rice represents Pakistan in Canada Trade Expo

Time to revisit Pakistan-Iran economic relations

corporate corner

USA Rice Outlook Conference Wrap

Crawford to Lead House Commodities and Risk Management

Ag Subcommittee

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures

Thailand confident of regaining top rice exporter slot

UN REPORT: 2014 A RECORD YEAR FOR WORLD

CEREAL PRODUCTION

Latest indications confirm that world cereal production will

reach an all-time record of more than

Rice farmers harvest bountiful second crop this year

U.S. West Coast port backups delay apparel, bobbleheads,

french fries

2014 Outlook Conference Photo Gallery

Contact & Visit

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter 12th December,2014

www.ricepluss.com

Vol 4, Issue XII



News Detail….

New Reservoir to Help

Downstream Rice Farmers

By: Alese Underwood

12/11/2014 04:20 PM

TWC News: New

Breaking ground for the Lane City reservoir

is the first big break Haskell Simon has seen

in a while.Like many in Wharton County,

his rice farm was caught in the perfect storm

of drought, legislation and water

management.Since 2012, during one of the

worst droughts in state history, waters from

the Highland Lakes have not flowed to

farmers downstream.

That's because the Highland Lakes are the

main source of water for Central

Texas."We've had businesses that have

failed, we have farmers that are surviving

just barely with some insurance they had,

but we have a lot of the aggregate businesses

that are suffering or actually have gone out

of business," rice farmer Simon said.The

LCRA's planned reservoir will span more

than 1,000 acres and will be 40 feet deep,

holding more water than Marble Falls,

Austin and Lady Bird lakes

combined."That's a big project when you're

looking at the plan this early, it's a large

project,” Bech Bruun with the Texas Water

Development Board said. “It's going to be

important for this part of the state, but for

the Highland Lakes and Austin as well."By

building it off the main channel of the

Colorado River, it will capture precious

raindrops, which have previously gone to

waste.

"We had a huge flood event in Austin, all

the water from that flood ended up in the

Gulf of Mexico,” Bruun said. “There's

millions of acre-feet of water in our basins

that just flows into the Gulf, so to be able to

take that water and scalp it out of the river

during flood events when there's a plenty

and to be able to take that water and put it

use makes a lot of sense."For Haskell

Simon, he hopes what makes sense on paper

becomes a life-saving reality in 2017.We're

hopeful that if there isn't damaging

legislation that's going to be coming out of

the legislature, that the droughts will be over

some day and hopefully we can start to

recover," Simon said.The LCRA and the

Texas Commission on Environmental

Quality did not release water from the

Highland Lakes because Lakes Travis and

Buchanan are only about 33 percent full

right now.Both lakes are the primary sources

of water for many cities including Austin.

Source with thanks:

http://austin.twcnews.com/content/news/317049/new

-reservoir-to-help-downstream-rice-

farmers/#sthash.kViNWCre.dpuf

Commerce to hold fourth

rice auction

Date : 12 ธนัวาคม 2557

http://austin.twcnews.com/content/news/317049/new-reservoir-to-help-downstream-rice-farmers/#sthash.kViNWCre.dpuf





BANGKOK, 12 December 2014 (NNT) --

The Ministry of Commerce is preparing for

the 2014's fourth rice auction for over

400,100 tons of rice in its stockpiles. The

ministry will disclose regulations and other

details on December 12, and he bidding will

be held at the Department of Foreign Trade

on December 22, between 8.30 am- 11.00

am. Currently, there are 17 million tons of

rice sitting in the government's warehouses

nationwide, 14 million of which are

considered sub-standard, according to the

ministry. he ministry has come up with a

plan for 2015, releasing the entire stock as

quickly as possible in order to prevent

further damage caused by deterioration as

well as to increase the efficiency of rice

management. The plan will soon be

submitted to the National Rice Policy

Committee for consideration and approval.

New levy policy gives more

leeway to AP millers to

boost rice exports CH RS SARMA

KAKINADA, DECEMBER 12:

The rice market is witnessing a shake-up

this year, especially in the rice bowl of

Andhra Pradesh (the two Godavari districts

and Krishna). This is mainly in view of the

new levy policy of the Centre, drastically

reducing the quantity they will have to give

for the public distribution system and buffer

stocks.Earlier, millers used to buy paddy

vigorously from farmers in the two Godavari

districts and supply rice to the FCI.They had

to give FCI 75 per cent of what they bought

from growers. In return, they were given

permits to sell the rest of 25 per cent in the

domestic market or for exports.

From this crop season, the ratio has been

reversed and millers have to give only 25

per cent as levy and retain the rest can be

sold in the open market.Millers are finding

the reversal disconcerting and many of the

millers even want the Government to buy

the paddy from farmers at MSP and give it

to them for milling – the kind of custom

milling prevalent in Punjab and Haryana.

Custom milling has never been the practice

in AP in the past.Rice exporters have reacted

to the change in levy policy in a positive

manner, as there will be exportable surplus

in the market, and it may lead to spurt in

exports.But exporters are also wary as

millers in Andhra Pradesh have not yet

made the necessary adjustments.

AP Rice Exporters’ Association President

Vinod Kumar Agarwal is of the view that

the Government should adopt a consistent

levy policy and encourage rice

exports.“With this change in levy policy, it

is now all the more necessary to encourage

non-basmati rice exports, as otherwise the

farmers will not get the MSP. It is a fact that

many of the small millers do not have the

holding capacity and the problem is also

compounded in the two Godavari districts

by the fact that the varieties grown here –



1001 and IR 64 – are either given as levy to

the FCI or exported to African countries.

They are not locally consumed. It is all the

more difficult for the millers to adjust to the

new policy. Therefore, they should be

allowed to sell freely to the exporters. There

should not be any curbs on the export

market,” he said.He said the Government

should extend a helping hand to the millers

in adjusting to the new system and “it is no

wonder that many millers now want custom

milling in AP also as in Punjab and

Haryana.”BV Krishna Rao, Managing

Director of Pattabhi Agro Foods Pvt Ltd, a

leading rice exporter, is of the view that

inspite of the transitional travails the new

policy will be of help to all in the long

run.“Certain adjustments have to be made.

Farmers have all along been cultivating

common varieties for the levy or for exports.

Now they have to grow fine varieties.

Exporters also have to search for new

markets for these varieties instead of relying

on African countries alone. It is a fact that

right now rice millers are in a spot of bother

because of the new policy. But any change

entails some difficulty,” he said.He expects

that there may be considerable spurt in rice

exports through Kakinada port during 2015,

by roughly a million tonnes or so.During

2014, the rice exports totalled 2.4 million

tonnes.

(This article was published on December 12,

2014)

India exports rice worth Rs

23,161.56 crore in Apr-Sep

12.12.2014

India has exported rice worth Rs 23,161.56

crore in the first six months of the current

financial year, Parliament was informed

today.India has exported 16.41 lakh tonnes

of basmati rice in the April-September

period of the current financial year, valued

at Rs 13,846.95 crore.On the other hand,

36.56 lakh tonnes of non-basmati rice was

exported in the same period, valued at Rs

9,314.61 crore.

In the entire 2013-14 fiscal, exports of

basmati rice stood at 37.54 lakh tonnes,

valued at Rs 29,291.82 crore, while in the

same period, outward shipments of non-

basmati rice was 71.48 lakh tonnes, worth

Rs 17,795.21 crore.Meanwhile, Iran, one of

the largest importers of rice from India, has

imposed a temporary restriction on imports

from October 19 this year.

http://www.blackseagrain.net/novosti/india-

exports-rice-worth-rs-23-161-56-crore-in-

apr-sep

Rice exports: Why are

Vietnam’s miracle-makers

still poor?

VietNamNet Bridge - The biggest risk for

Vietnamese rice growers is not the weather

or the market but policies, from exchange

rate policy to tax policy to a range of other

policies.VietNamNet would like to introduce

the next part of the roundtable discussion on

a quarter century of rice exports of Vietnam,

with the participation of Prof. Dr. Vo Tong

Xuan, Dr. Vu Trong Khai and Mr. Nguyen

Minh Nhi.

VietNamNet: There is a question that has

not had a satisfactory explanation in a long

time: Why are Vietnamese farmers -- who

created the miracle of turning Vietnam from

a hungry country into a rice exporter, who

ended the period of starvation and created a

http://www.blackseagrain.net/novosti/india-exports-rice-worth-rs-23-161-56-crore-in-apr-sep





foundation for the rise of the country's

economy -- still poor?

From the left: Mr. Nguyen Minh Nhi, Dr. Vu

Trong Khai and Prof. Vo Tong Xuan.

Prof. Dr. Vo Tong Xuan: This is a paradox

stemming from systemic weaknesses, with

the root being our education. In developed

countries, those who are fully trained are

allowed to do agricultural production. But it

is to the contrary in our country, so our

farmers are just happy with the experience.

They produce not in accordance with

scientific recommendations, with high

production costs, poor product quality, and

even unsafe food hygiene.Meanwhile, many

of the participants in the value chain of rice

have privileges, and they use these

privileges to take the parts that would

belong to farmers.

I still remember when Vietnam resumed rice

exports, I was invited to the United States

and Europe to meet with rice trading groups.

They said frankly that Vietnam had just

joined rice exporters so it would not be easy

for Vietnam to export rice like Thailand or

London. It was because the state-owned rice

trading companies of Vietnam were not

trusted yet and the quality of Vietnamese

rice was not assured, so rice from Vietnam

had to bear the risk cost of $40-50 per ton.

That's why we have long heard that the

quality of Vietnamese rice is equivalent to

Thai rice, but the price is always $40-50/ton

less than Thai rice.

They said at the time that it would be best if

Vietnam produced rice at their quality

standards and then it would be reserved and

sold in Europe and they would only collect

2% of the cost. Then I returned home and

proposed the idea with a central body but it

was not accepted, because they required

export contracts and L/C for rice exports.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Nhi: In my opinion,

Vietnam does not have a specific

agricultural management strategy: who are

our customers, what are the good prices,

who sells the rice, what will the farmers earn

each year, and for each ton of rice increase

... Instead, we completely rely on "familiar

markets" and "business routines" as our

forefathers did hundreds of years ago.

Recently I have heard of "restructuring" but

it seems that it has not moved.We have

exported rice to low-quality rice markets

such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Iran, Iraq,

Syria, Libya, and Cuba where the market is

covered by state-owned food companies and

the rice is supplied to the poor. In the past,

thanks to the monopoly factor and



sometimes corruption the rice business was

smooth and profits were shared between two

sides. Our farmers earned very little benefit,

while under the government’s policy, the

"required minimum profit for farmers must

be 30 percent".

Since those countries changed, that kind of

business was not maintained and our rice

could not compete. Even in traditional

markets like the Philippines, Indonesia,

Malaysia ... we have to seek export contracts

through tenders.People say doing business

needs partners, but now when we no longer

have partners – state-owned firms – how can

our state-owned rice traders do their

business?

Nearly all my life I’ve supported the state-

owned economy, especially in the food

business, but with the current rice trading

policy, only farmers and the government are

the losers.Our way of management is in

heaven and it does not fit with reality. In

1992, I went to Taiwan and I saw that state-

owned firms also held a monopoly in rice,

sugar, salt, alcohol, tobacco trading but their

farmers were extremely happy.For our

farmers, they are very lucky if they earn a

profit of 30 percent.VietNamNet: What

could we learn from the inadequacies of life

of farmers, with the policies as the main

cause?

Dr. Vu Trong Khai: Firstly, in the past 25

years we have exported rice on a small and

fragmented scale, rather than a fundamental

change in nature. If there has been a change,

it has been just in the varieties and

cultivation techniques. Over the past 25

years we still have based rice growing on

household production and raw material

processing enterprises.

That is, we only rely on the

availability.Even the progress of science and

technology that we have, including new

varieties, new farming techniques, are also

difficult to apply. In fact, each farmer has

only several thousand of square meters of

field land on average.Therefore, farmers

cannot get rich in this scenario. We should

remember that the "untie" policy

(Resolution 10 issued in 1988 considering

farmer households as autonomous units) was

only valuable for a short time because it did

not create new elements.Secondly, we have

not looked at the world in order to reposition

ourselves, thereby reorganizing production

in an appropriate and prudent way.

The annual total value of rice exchange is

many times lower than the exchange of fruit

and vegetables. We have a huge advantage

of tropical fruits and vegetables but we have

not realized it. Many Asian countries like

South Korea, Japan, northern China, etc …

have a long winter when they cannot grow

vegetables, not mentioning Europe.We

should also talk about the role of the

entrepreneur. We do not have powerful

forces of entrepreneurs who are aggressively

seeking world markets. For example,

looking to China, their traders go around the

world to buy raw materials and sell their

products.

Dr. Vu Trong Khai: Commercialization of

products is the responsibility of business.

Businesses must do two functions of

processing and consumption. If we had the



right investment policies for businesses, and

not just rely on state corporation as the

Northern Food Corporation (Vinafood 1)

and the Southern Food Corporation

(Vinafood 2), the situation would have been

different.Generally, Vietnamese businesses

don’t dare to accept risk. Why? There are

two elements:Firstly, so far we have not

formed a strong team of entrepreneurs, since

the appearance of big names in the early

20th century as Bach Thai Buoi, the family

of musician Doan Chuan (with fish sauce

firm Van Van) and especially Mr. Nguyen

Son Ha, a businessman and one of the first

National Assembly deputy of Vietnam. As

an NA deputy, he proposed to put the line

"All Vietnamese citizens have the freedom

of doing business" into the Constitution of

1946.

Unfortunately we did not maintain that

atmosphere. The new generation of

businessmen look at the context of general

economic institutions and they see too many

risks. The biggest risk in Vietnam is not the

weather, not the market but the policies,

from the exchange rate policy to tax policy

to a range of other policies. Businesses are

afraid of the changes because many of them

“died” of that change. Bureaucracy and red

tape also contribute to stamp out the will and

aspirations of entrepreneurs.Secondly, the

traditional elements of history, culture and

mechanisms in Vietnam do not encourage

businesses to take risks, do not create the

environment for them to engage, to take

risks. Therefore, the majority of our

businesses accept to do business that is

above average.These problems cannot be

solved overnight. And it must begin with

economic institutions.

VNN

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/special-

reports/118254/rice-exports--why-are-vietnam-

s-miracle-makers-still-poor-.html

Myanmar's rice export

earning grows sharply in 8

months 2014/12/12 15:08:24

YANGON, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar

earned 300 million U.S. dollars through

export of rice in the first eight months

(April- November) of fiscal 2014-15, up 118

million dollars or 64.8 percent from a year

earlier, sources with the Ministry of

Commerce said on Friday.A total of 799,600

tons of rice was exported in the eight

months, an increase of 343,800 tons or 75.4

percent.Myanmar's rice is mainly exported

to the neighboring Chinese

market.According to official statistics, the

rice export in the last fiscal year reached 460

million U.S. dollars, down by 15.4 percent

from the previous fiscal year's 544 million

dollars.

http://english.eastday.com/auto/eastday/busi

ness/u1ai8468020.html


23,161.56 crore in Apr-Sep

Press Trust of India | New Delhi

December 12, 2014 Last Updated at 16:50

IST

India has exported rice worth Rs 23,161.56

crore in the first six months of the current

financial year, Parliament was informed

today. India has exported 16.41 lakh tonnes

of basmati rice in the April-September

period of the current financial year, valued

at Rs 13,846.95 crore. On the other hand,

36.56 lakh tonnes of non-basmati rice was

exported in the same period, valued at Rs

9,314.61 crore. In the entire 2013-14

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/special-reports/118254/rice-exports--why-are-vietnam-s-miracle-makers-still-poor-.html



http://english.eastday.com/auto/eastday/business/u1ai8468020.html

http://english.eastday.com/auto/eastday/business/u1ai8468020.html

http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=India

http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Parliament



fiscal, exports of basmati rice stood at 37.54

lakh tonnes, valued at Rs 29,291.82 crore,

while in the same period, outward shipments

of non-basmati rice was 71.48 lakh tonnes,

worth Rs 17,795.21 crore.

Meanwhile, Iran, one of the largest

importers of rice from India, has imposed a

temporary restriction on imports from

October 19 this year. "Iran has imposed a

temporary restriction on import of rice

w.E.F 19th October, 2014. The government

engages with its trade partners in an

institutional basis and taken up all trade

related issues from time to time," Commerce

and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

said in a written reply to Lok Sabha. The

Minister added that Iran has increased

customs duty on import of rice from 22 per

cent to 40 per cent in view of the domestic

crop season, which will continue till January

21.

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-

stories/india-exports-rice-worth-rs-23-161-56-

crore-in-apr-sep-114121200769_1.html



boost rice exports

CH RS. SARMA






























exports.

But exporters are also wary as millers in

Andhra Pradesh have not yet made the

necessary adjustments.AP Rice Exporters’

Association President Vinod Kumar

Agarwal is of the view that the Government

should adopt a consistent levy policy and

encourage rice exports.“With this change in

levy policy, it is now all the more necessary

to encourage non-basmati rice exports, as

otherwise the farmers will not get the MSP.

It is a fact that many of the small millers do

not have the holding capacity and the

problem is also compounded in the two

Godavari districts by the fact that the

varieties grown here – 1001 and IR 64 – are

either given as levy to the FCI or exported to

African countries.

They are not locally consumed. It is all the

more difficult for the millers to adjust to the

http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Exports

http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Imports

http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Iran

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/india-exports-rice-worth-rs-23-161-56-crore-in-apr-sep-114121200769_1.html





new policy. Therefore, they should be

allowed to sell freely to the exporters. There

should not be any curbs on the export

market,” he said.He said the Government

should extend a helping hand to the millers

in adjusting to the new system and “it is no

wonder that many millers now want custom

milling in AP also as in Punjab and

Haryana.”BV Krishna Rao, Managing

Director of Pattabhi Agro Foods Pvt Ltd, a

leading rice exporter, is of the view that

inspite of the transitional travails the new

policy will be of help to all in the long run.

“Certain adjustments have to be made.

Farmers have all along been cultivating

common varieties for the levy or for exports.

Now they have to grow fine varieties.

Exporters also have to search for new

markets for these varieties instead of relying

on African countries alone. It is a fact that

right now rice millers are in a spot of bother

because of the new policy. But any change

entails some difficulty,” he said.He expects

that there may be considerable spurt in rice

exports through Kakinada port during 2015,

by roughly a million tonnes or so.During

2014, the rice exports totalled 2.4 million

tonnes.


2014)

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/indust

ry-and-economy/agri-biz/new-levy-policy-

gives-more-leeway-to-ap-millers-to-boost-

rice-exports/article6686690.ece

Rice case against Yingluck

postponed

Published: 12 Dec 2014 at 18.46

Online news: General

Writer: King-oua Laohong

Additional evidence is still needed to round

out the case before a decision can be made

on the indictment of former prime minister

Yingluck Shinawatra over the loss-ridden

rice-pledging scheme, the attorney general

has ruled. Former prime minister Yingluck

Shinawatra, centre, samples the rice at a

bagged rice company in 2013 to boost

public confidence in packed rice amid

concerns that chemicals were being used to

preserve the huge government stockpile of

rice.

Surasak Trirattrakul, director-general of the

Office of the Attorney-General's litigation

department, and Kosolwat Inthujanyong,

deputy OAG spokesman, announced the

decision at a press conference.They said

attorney-general Trakul Winitnaiyapak had

accepted the finding of an OAG working

group that the case in its present form was

not complete.Mr Surasak said the attorney-

general ruled more evidence was needed

from the NACC and some more people still

needed to be questioned about the

government-to-government (G2G) rice

trades before a decision could be made on

whether there should be an indictment.

Mr Kosolwat said there was conflicting

evidence about whether G2G rice deals



really happened. Some witnesses had

insisted G2G rice deals were made, but other

witnesses denied this.Information on G2G

rice deals from the NACC was still

incomplete, Mr Kosolwat

said.Representatives of the NACC and the

OAG would this month discuss what further

inquiries were needed. The matter should

become clearer in January, as only a few

more witnesses had yet to be questioned, Mr

Kosolwat said.

The NACC accused Ms Yingluck in her past

capacity as the ex-officio chair of the

National Rice Policy Committee of

dereliction of duty and abuse of authority for

failing to halt or review her government's

loss-ridden rice-pledging scheme, and the

alleged corruption in it.It also proposed

impeachment and her retroactive removal

from the prime minister's position.The

Finance Ministry has estimated the country

faced a total loss of 682 billion baht from

implementing rice-subsidy schemes over the

past 10 years, of which 518 billion baht

occurred under the Yingluck government

while it was in office from 2011 to 2013.

Her government bought rice from growers at

prices up to 40% higher than market prices,

resulting in a major slump in exports as Thai

rice priced itself out of the market.Much or

the previous government's excessive stocks

of rice that could not be sold have

degenerated because of poor storage, posing

quality problems for sellers and buyers.

(Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)



boost rice exports

CH RS. SARMA






























exports.But exporters are also wary as

millers in Andhra Pradesh have not yet

made the necessary adjustments.AP Rice

Exporters’ Association President Vinod

Kumar Agarwal is of the view that the

Government should adopt a consistent levy

policy and encourage rice exports.“With this



change in levy policy, it is now all the more

necessary to encourage non-basmati rice

exports, as otherwise the farmers will not get

the MSP.

It is a fact that many of the small millers do

not have the holding capacity and the

problem is also compounded in the two

Godavari districts by the fact that the

varieties grown here – 1001 and IR 64 – are

either given as levy to the FCI or exported to

African countries. They are not locally

consumed. It is all the more difficult for the

millers to adjust to the new policy.

Therefore, they should be allowed to sell

freely to the exporters. There should not be

any curbs on the export market,” he said.He

said the Government should extend a

helping hand to the millers in adjusting to

the new system and “it is no wonder that

many millers now want custom milling in

AP also as in Punjab and Haryana.

”BV Krishna Rao, Managing Director of

Pattabhi Agro Foods Pvt Ltd, a leading rice

exporter, is of the view that inspite of the

transitional travails the new policy will be of

help to all in the long run.“Certain

adjustments have to be made. Farmers have

all along been cultivating common varieties

for the levy or for exports. Now they have to

grow fine varieties. Exporters also have to

search for new markets for these varieties

instead of relying on African countries

alone. It is a fact that right now rice millers

are in a spot of bother because of the new

policy. But any change entails some

difficulty,” he said.He expects that there

may be considerable spurt in rice exports

through Kakinada port during 2015, by

roughly a million tonnes or so.During 2014,

the rice exports totalled 2.4 million tonnes.


2014)

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/indust

ry-and-economy/agri-biz/new-levy-policy-

gives-more-leeway-to-ap-millers-to-boost-

rice-exports/article6686690.ece

Odisha govt to expedite

paddy procurement

Total procurement is 172,000 tonne so far

against 4.45 mt target

BS Reporter | Bhubaneswar

December 12, 2014 Last Updated at 20:32

IST

The state government today asked 24

districts collectors to take steps to expedite

paddy procurement as the collections have

fallen far behind the target due to disputes

over purchase target and payment issues.For

2014-15 kharif marketing season, the

government had decided to procure paddy

equivalent of 3 million tonne (mt) rice.

However, total paddy procurement has been

just 172,000 tonnes since the process started

on November 14, against the target of 4.45

mt.

“The chief minister today asked the

collectors to take steps for smooth

functioning of the marketing yards by

making surprise visits. He also asked them

to take action against millers procuring

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/new-levy-policy-gives-more-leeway-to-ap-millers-to-boost-rice-exports/article6686690.ece






paddy lower than the fixed rate,” said Sanjay

Dasburma, minister for food and civil

supplies after attending a video conference

meeting with the district collectors along

with the chief minister.The direction from

the government follows complaints related

to non-payment of procurement prices to

farmers in some areas.

Earlier this week, the paddy purchase

programme was stalled at 118 procurement

yards of key rice producing district Bargarh

as the online server meant for direct cash

transfer to farmers’ account failed to

function.“The CM has ordered to make the

payments through account payee cheques

wherever possible,” Dasburma added.In

south Odisha, procurement has been halted

as farmers protested against the purchase

target fixed by the government as per yield

capacity of farm land. According to

guidelines for food grain procurement, the

government will buy 1,200 kg per acre from

non-irrigated land and 1,800 kg from

irrigated land.

In Koraput and Nabarangpur districts,

farmers demanded 2,000 kg procurement per

acre as they grow high yielding variety.

However, no decision was taken today on

this issue in the meeting.The procurement

plan is divided into two phases. While the

first phase began on November 14 in 24

districts, the next phase of paddy

procurement will begin in January in

remaining 6 districts.Odisha produces close

to 8 mt paddy in a year, the fifth largest in

the country. While 60 per cent of the total

production is processed in the state, the rest

amount is exported to other states.

As the state is surplus in rice requirement,

the government has initiated steps to attract

investments in establishments of integrated

rice mills. Under its food processing policy,

investors will get subsidy and interest rate

subvention for setting up of rice mill having

facility to produce rice barn oil and rice husk

power along with rice processing facility.

Read more on: Odisha | Rice | Kharif

Season | Rice Procurement | Rice Bran Oil |

Bio Mass Power

http://www.business-

standard.com/article/economy-policy/odisha-

govt-to-expedite-paddy-procurement-

114121201176_1.html

Madhya Pradesh CM

Chouhan at meeting with

representatives of traders

and millers Thursday, December 11, 2014

Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan

has said that efforts should be made that

minimum price of basmati paddy in the state

should not be less than other states.

Safeguarding farmers’ interests is in

everybody’s interest. Shri Chouhan was

addressing a meeting of traders and millers

in the context of recession caused due to fall

in global demand for basmati here today.

Shri Chouhan directed that rates of basmati

paddy prevailing in all basmati producer

states should be displayed daily in paddy

mandis of the state.

The meeting was informed that government

has decided that such paddy produced in the

state, which is sold by farmers in mandis

http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/odisha-govt-to-expedite-paddy-procurement-114121201176_1.html






and which is used in state’s rice mills for

milling rice or for exporting outside the

state, will be exempted from Mandi Cess till

March 31. The Chief Minister said that the

government has taken all necessary steps to

cooperate with farmers. The meeting

decided that the minimum limit of

exemption from tax on paddy purchase

should be increased from Rs. 10 crore per

annum to Rs. 50 crore per annum.

Tax will be payable only on purchase of

paddy above Rs. 50 crore in a year. Besides,

it has also been decided to rationalize rates

of paddy storage. As a result, both

processors and purchasers will face no

difficulty. The meeting was informed that

the state government will make initiative for

branding and marketing of state’s paddy in

Europe. Agriculture Minister Shri

Gaurishankar Bisen, Food & Civil Supplies

Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah, Chief

Secretary Shri Anthony de Sa, Additional

Chief Secretary Agriculture Shri R.K. Swai,

basmati traders and millers attended the

meeting.

Source with thanks:

http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.as

p?id=55579#sthash.ResZ8Xy7.dpuf

Rice and shine

The rice, originally is not white in colour. It

is light brown in colour and is considered to

be healthier than the white ones you eat

Rice is a grass that produces several grains

consumed by humans. It is believed that

humans started consuming and cultivating

rice for more than 3,500 years in Asia before

which it gradually spread across the world.

Today rice is a common food for almost all

humans on the planet except for those living

in colder regions such as the Antarctica

where it is generally covered with snow all

through the year.

Unlike trees which are planted just once,

rice needs to be resown every year.

It requires a lot of water and is also called as

water guzzler among plants.

It is usually grown in fields which are

partially submerged in water.

Seasons to sow

The plant has two seasons for sowing. These

are the Rabi and Kharif.The Kharif crop is

planted in early summer and depends on the

summer monsoons for irrigation and Rabi

during November – December.Official

records say that there were more than 40,000

different rice varieties in India till 50 -60

years ago. Sadly much of these varieties

have either been lost over time or have

vanished since farmers are not so willing to

grow them. And growing of many old and

traditional rice varieties have vanished from

our system and some rare varieties have

been lost. The rice that you eat today is not

what your grandparents ate.

If you ask them about this they would have

stories to tell you as to how the rice they

consumed as a kid was far more delicious

http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=55579#sthash.ResZ8Xy7.dpuf

http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=55579#sthash.ResZ8Xy7.dpuf



and kept them healthy. Those days when

pizzas or fast foods were alien to our

culture, it was simple rice porridge or

overnight cooked rice soaked in water gruel

which your grandparents must have had for

their morning breakfast.There are certain

varieties of rice that grow only in certain

regions.For example, Basmati rice used for

making biryani and pulav grows well only

in Himalayan regions like

Uttarakhand. Sona Masuri is native to

Karnataka, while varieties such

as Bapatla and Ponni to Andhra Pradesh.

Before it reaches your plate

The rice grains are processed before being

packed and sold. The rice, originally is not

white in colour. It is light brown in colour

and is considered to be healthier than the

white ones you eat.Once the rice is

harvested, it is milled in rice mills to remove

the outer soft coating and polished. This is

called milling.Milling makes rice fluffier

and gives it white to light yellow colour. It is

then sent to markets and department stores

from where you buy it.

Eating white polished rice must have

become a habit some 50 years back

according to well known rice researchers

and historians because in olden times the

poor village folks seldom had the money or

technology to mill the harvested brown rice

into white and had to consume only the

brown rice. Today there are some

organisations and individuals across the

country who have been doing sterling work

in preserving many of the rice varieties

thought to have been lost.

(M.J. Prabu is The Hindu’s Agriculture

correspondent. He writes the popular

Farmer’s Notebook. Write to him at

[email protected])

Keywords: Rice, White rice, brown rice

Matco Rice represents

Pakistan in Canada Trade

Expo

December 12, 2014

RECORDER REPORT

Pakistan's largest basmati rice exporter,

Matco Rice Processing (Pvt) Limited,

represented the country's highest quality rice

at the 3rd Edition of Canada Pakistan Trade

Expo in Ontario, Canada. The exhibition

was organized with Federation of Pakistan

Chambers of Commerce and Industry

(FPCCI), and Consulate General of Pakistan

in Toronto, with the sole purpose of creating

awareness about business opportunities

existing in Pakistan. Matco Rice displayed

its Flagship brand "Falak" which is one of

the highest selling brands in Canada and is

available in all store keeping units.

Expressing his views on the occasion, Jawed

Ali Ghori, Chairman of Matco Rice said,

"We at Matco Rice strongly believe that the

lifeblood of global market is trade. The

Canada Pakistan Trade Expo has given us

the opportunity to display our top quality

rice brands and enhance the economic

significance by creating more demand of our

brands globally." Responding to a question

which was put forward by a Canadian

journalist interviewing him during the

exhibition, Jawed Ali Ghori said, "There is

so much to be gained from improved

branding and marketing practices within the

rice industry in Pakistan, our competitors are

selling our rice by developing them into

their own brands through value-addition and

retail packaging.

http://www.thehindu.com/in-school/signpost/rice-and-shine/article6685702.ece





Pakistan could easily double the current

amount of foreign exchange earnings by

focusing on brand development instead of

exporting in bulk quantity." He emphasised

on the need of holding such exhibitions on

regular basis in Toronto which can prove

significant in expansion of Pakistan's export

to Canada.-PR

http://www.brecorder.com/agriculture-a-

allied/183/1251039/

Time to revisit Pakistan-

Iran economic relations

There should be no embargo on Pakistan-

Iran trade as other countries in the world

are also engaging in trade with Iran

Khurram Minhas December 12, 2014

Iran’s economic minister Ali Tayebnia met

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on December

9, 2014. Iran’s economic delegation, led by

Tayebnia, visited Islamabad to attend the

19th meeting of the Iran-Pakistan Economic

Commission (IPEC) to enhance bilateral

trade and to increase the pace of

implementation of existing agreements.

Earlier, Tayebnia met Pakistan’s finance

minister Ishaq Dar and said that Pakistan is a

reliable partner of Iran in all fields,

including the economy and foreign policy.

He noted that the trade exchange between

Iran and Pakistan stood at $ 893 million

during 2014 and that the two states should

do their best for a 20 percent increase.

Trade between Pakistan and Iran peaked at $

1.32 billion in 2008-2009 but subsequently

declined and is presently around $ 893

million. The elected governments of both

countries want to boost trade, which

remained low due to international sanctions

on Tehran. However, several other countries

like China, Russia and India have been able

to resist these sanctions and have maintained

trade relations with Iran. The trade volume

between the two countries remained low

despite the signing of a preferential trade

agreement on March 4, 2004, which became

operational on September 1, 2006.

Nevertheless, it is understood that the two

countries have a much higher trade volume

through informal channels, such as through

smuggling and third country transactions.

Pakistan has identified five places for the

setting up of trading centres along the Pak-

Iran border, i.e. Taftan-Minjaveh,

Ladgashtjalaq, Parome-Kuhak, Mand-Peshin

and Santsar-Nobandan. The purpose of these

common border markets is to sell goods at

concessional rates of customs duty and other

taxes in order to control growing cross-

border illegal trade. The Iran-Pakistan gas

pipeline will further enhance economic

cooperation between the two countries. It

would ensure the supply of 750 million

cubic feet of natural gas per day to Pakistan,

which is required to keep our industrial and

commercial wheel in perpetual motion.At

present, major commodities exported to Iran

by Pakistan include rice, meat, paper,

paperboard, textiles, fruits (particularly

mangoes and oranges), sesame seeds,

chickpeas, beans and surgical goods.

Rice enjoys the lion’s share of

approximately 35 percent, followed by meat

at 20 percent and paper and paperboard at 19

http://www.brecorder.com/agriculture-a-allied/183/1251039/

http://www.brecorder.com/agriculture-a-allied/183/1251039/

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/Columnist/khurram-minhas



percent. The major commodities imported

from Iran include organic chemicals, plastic,

minerals, oil, iron and steel. The two

countries have agreed to open up bank

branches and facilitate a currency swap but

the details are still inconclusive. Iran had

offered that Iran’s Bank Milli and Pakistan’s

National Bank open branches on a reciprocal

basis but this process is taking time. The

mode of business transactions is through the

Asian Clearing Union (ACU), which is more

time consuming than a normal letter of

credit (LC).

Opening a LC through Iran’s sister

companies in Dubai also adds to the costs

and it only benefits Dubai’s banks. It would

be far more profitable if trade were

permitted in local currencies instead of

dollars.There should be no embargo on

Pakistan-Iran trade as other countries in the

world are also engaging in trade with Iran.

Pakistan has banking channels with various

countries worldwide and therefore there is

no reason that only Iran be excluded in this

respect. Both Pakistan and Iran have joint

chambers of commerce with a number of

countries. These forums, mainly managed

by the private sector, go a long way in

facilitating the growth of bilateral

commercial relations. Pakistan needs to have

a joint chamber of commerce with Iran as

well. It will facilitate greater interaction

between the private sectors of the two

countries.

Moreover, both countries should try to

divert informal trade towards legal channels

by checking ongoing smuggling, a revision

of trade policies and also a reduction of

tariff and non-tariff barriers. It is difficult to

check smuggling through administrative

measures. The best way is through the

elimination or reduction of tariff and non-

tariff barriers.Iran and Pakistan need to

strengthen their economic relationship in the

face of the evolving regional situation and

the depressed global economic growth.

Trade is the best way to strengthen and

sustain mutual relations in the changing

international scenario. The Iranian economic

minister’s recent visit to Pakistan is a breath

of fresh air in the otherwise stagnant geo-

political environment, particularly after the

tense border situation between the two

countries. His visit may enhance the pace of

bilateral projects, including the Iran-

Pakistan gas pipeline project, as he stressed

on implementation of bilateral agreements,

including the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline and

the export of electricity. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/opinion/12-Dec-

2014/time-to-revisit-pakistan-iran-economic-

relations

Corporate corner

December 12, 2014

Chinese journalists team discusses trade

with SM Munir

KARACHI (PR): Liu Xing, Wang Yan &

Wang Yuehua, Chinese Journalists of

Guangzhou Daily Group called on S. M.

Muneer, Chief Executive TDAP on 10th

December 2014 at TDAP. The purpose of

the visit was to discuss the trade matters

between Pakistan and China and to highlight

the same in Chinese media. S. M. Muneer,

Chief Executive TDAP praised role of China

and said that China is all weather friend of

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/opinion/12-Dec-2014/time-to-revisit-pakistan-iran-economic-relations





Pakistan. The Chinese journalists were

communicated that balance of trade between

Pakistan and China is in the favor of China

and next week Chinese delegation is visiting

Islamabad to talk on expansion of list of

items in Pak – China FTA. It was also

communicated that Pakistan has increased

the participation in Chinese trade fairs due

to encouraging response and increased

buying power.

Pakistani Yarn, Leather, Marble and its

products and handcrafts of Pakistan are liked

in China and exports of Pakistan in these

products have increased considerably in last

3 – 5 years. Exponential rise in sea food

exports of China has also been witnessed

and Chinese companies are also investing in

sea food sector to get the maximum benefit /

profit from this sector. Chief Executive

TDAP termed Kunming Fair of China a

good fair in which Pakistani exporters

desires to participate due to its trade and

export potential. He further added that

Pakistan is importing lot of products from

China and Chinese government should

encourage their importers to import from

China for strong trade ties between both the

countries. Mr. Javaid Akhter, D.G. Asia,

provided them data related with trade related

between Pakistan – China to them to

highlight in the Chinese Media.

Dr. M. Yousuf Khan, D.G. Agro Food,

briefed them about the Agro Food trade

between both the countries and informed

that there is no trade barrier as far as

Pakistani agro food products are concerned,

however, due to higher freight costs, it

become difficult for the exporters of

Pakistan to export their agro related products

with China. In the last, Mr. S. M. Muneer,

Chief Executive TDAP gave souvenirs to

the guests.

Resource Academia event

LAHORE (PR): Resource Academia hosted

the CIE O-Level High Achiever Award

Ceremony at the Senior Campus,

recognizing the alumni who achieved

outstanding grades in the Cambridge

International Examinations 2014. The

school also recognized the O Level faculty

members whose students achieved brilliant

results in CIE 2014.

The Dean of University of Central Punjab,

Dr. Mohammad Zafar Iqbal Jadoon presided

over the ceremony as the Guest of Honour.

He was accompanied by the Project Director

of Resource Academia, Dr. Shahid

Mahmood. The prestigious Chief Guests

presented the awards to the students and

faculty members.

Punjab Overseas Commission lauded

LAHORE (PR): Pakistan Overseas Alliance

Forum Europe Ch Ejaz and PML N Youth

Wing, Spain president Shehzad Usman in a



joint statement appreciated the Punjab CM

Shahbaz Sharif for establishing the Punjab

Overseas Commission that would help in

addressing the problems related to the

overseas Pakistanis.PTCL to provide data

centre services to Soneri Bank

KARACHI (PR): PTCL has inked an

agreement with Soneri Bank to provide Data

Center hosting services.

PTCL Data Center will serve Soneri Bank’s

integrated branch banking operations

spanning over 250 branches.

Kamal Ahmed, Chief Digital Services

Officer said “We are pleased to extend

cooperation to Soneri Bank. PTCL business

solutions are designed to enable growth and

the company is striving to empower

organisations and improve efficiencies

through its end-to-end ICT solutions.”

“Our state-of-the-art Data Centers offer

optimum network security and profitability,

thus helping organisations to move up the

value chain,” added Kamal Ahmed.

Muhammad Aftab Manzoor, President &

CEO, Soneri Bank said at the occasion,

“The synergy of PTCL with Soneri Bank is

a welcomed combination to achieve our goal

to deliver exceptional client experiences

through improved operational efficiency.”

Senior management from both the

organisations including Kamal Ahmed,

Chief Digital Services Officer, PTCL;

Muhammad Aftab Manzoor, President &

CEO, Soneri Bank; Amin A. Feerasta, Chief

Risk Officer, Soneri Bank; Ahmed Saqib

Asad, Chief Information Officer, Soneri

Bank; Noman Muzaffar, Head Infrastructure

Services, Soneri Bank and Mirza Sajid Baig,

General Manager Corporate Services, PTCL

were present at the occasion.

PTCL is the leader in the corporate digital

services that provide large network-based

organisations with greater efficiency through

its seamless ICT services.

Berger cricket tournament

AHORE (PR): Berger Paints Pakistan

Limited organised its 10th Inter

Departmental Cricket Tournament. It was a

day & night event in which all departments

from Berger participated with great interest

and excitement. Technical department won

the tournament after a very thrilling and

impressive performance from both teams.

Matco Rice at Canada expo

KARACHI (PR): Pakistan’s largest basmati

rice exporter, Matco Rice Processing (Pvt)

Limited, represented the country’s finest

quality of rice at the 3rd Edition of Canada

Pakistan Trade Expo in Ontario, Canada.

The exhibition was organized with

Federation of Pakistan Chambers of

Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), and

Consulate General of Pakistan in Toronto,

with the sole purpose of creating awareness



about business opportunities that exist in

Pakistan.

Matco Rice displayed its Flagship brand

“Falak” which is one of the highest and most

popular selling brands in Canada, and is

available in all SKUs.

Expressing his views on the occasion, Jawed

Ali Ghori, Chairman of Matco Rice said,

“We at Matco Rice strongly believe that the

lifeblood of global market is trade. The

Canada Pakistan Trade Expo has given us

the opportunity to display our top quality

rice brands and enhance our economic

significance by creating a more global

demand of our brands”. Responding to a

question which was put forward by a

Canadian journalist interviewing him during

the exhibition, Jawed Ali Ghori said, “There

is so much to be gained from improved

branding and marketing practices within the

rice industry in Pakistan. Our competitors

are selling our rice by developing them into

their own brands

http://nation.com.pk/business/12-Dec-

2014/corporate-corner

USA Rice Outlook

Conference Wrap-up

LITTLE ROCK, AR - The 2014 USA Rice

Outlook Conference successfully wrapped

up here on Tuesday. The USA Rice

Federation reports attendance of 840, the

second highest total on record, and the

largest trade show in USA Rice Outlook

Conference history with more than 70

booths featuring rice-related equipment,

technology, products and services.

Arkansas was the host state for this year's

conference and Governor-elect Asa

Hutchinson

welcomed attendees at the opening session.

The program included farm bill

implementation, conservation, the Central

American market for U.S. rice, trade policy,

research, and other issues that affect the

outlook for U.S. rice. The 2015 USA Rice

Outlook Conference will be held December

9-11 in New Orleans, LA.

For more information, contact USA Rice at

(703) 236-2300.

Crawford to Lead House

Commodities and Risk

Management Ag Subcommittee

http://nation.com.pk/business/12-Dec-2014/corporate-corner

http://nation.com.pk/business/12-Dec-2014/corporate-corner

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hlvsWjDvKixALoPjehWh0fYysXKjvCh5lpAqgKIwZ1Vr0qkT-vC_yRZkuE2SMnrRr9pKF4H3A7gGLfBFxfwk6jM49XNL8gbK4w3XqObs050WAskpdyqmy_J15U69lTjoL56B8yoHl8vQ8DGcRFV6Gaki0wvAMDGyZ8kDOT5Sbefihk7mwropPoKlFfuuG4wU9lvw-zBpAE2FsWAJ6KEquZLzsY88_nVF2ngc_iQcN9oH-uzjNNzCSBAQ1WBndF2T-LDaJi01qusElloVmapuhPjNWwoshK9vEKbq-sVEmUI42CuWELYpJvh9MXn18nqkjBfcsqq3rzGDblLKyFfrAiYRgqYocMW-Imn7OUnE13cqwb0Csw1QaJ9hK-IRg9_B3Iii7yvWR1XL83qcqnYCNV1z69oeDpR0CxVCRDeqpH5A9q7z985r_sM7hDf9t8TZbk17L_tAMjQHG5ZMyEqIkyafHuzWGHMMn7auo2acTOw=&c=Kljey5bFhrZ03CF-duCVyY1I8ydkgd_4YI_FCNYoiGvH0tjEVcfn9w==&ch=pQtjDH8vhCKYDYAozSQwVEQHCjoQN9mY-gdhttf-cj18DvQ65ND-qA==



WASHINGTON, DC -- Representative

Michael Conaway (R-TX), the next

chairman of the House Agriculture

Committee, this week named Rep. Rick

Crawford (R-AR) as Chairman of the

General Farm Commodities and Risk

Management Subcommittee. Crawford is

from Arkansas' 1st Congressional District

and is a strong advocate for the U.S. rice

industry. Both Crawford and Conaway

received the USA Rice Federation's Friend

of the U.S. Rice Industry Award earlier this

year.

"Congressman Crawford understands the

inherent risks associated with farming and

the importance of the farm safety net," said

Ben Mosely, USA Rice's vice president of

government affairs. "Rice producers in

Arkansas and every other rice producing

state will be well represented with Mr.

Crawford in this leadership role."The

Commodities and Risk Management

Subcommittee has jurisdiction over

commodity programs and the federal crop

insurance program and was formerly chaired

by Rep. Conaway.

Contact: Michael Klein (703) 236-1458

Correction

In the story entitled "USA Rice Selects

Nicholas Shafer as Scholarship Winner" in the

December 10, 2014 issue, Leslie Rogers was

incorrectly identified as "Leslie Roberts." The

USA Rice Daily regrets the error.

CME Group/Closing

Rough Rice Futures

CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures

for December 12

Month Price Net Change

January 2015 $12.350 + $0.265

March 2015 $12.615 + $0.260

May 2015 $12.890 + $0.265

July 2015 $13.080 + $0.255

September 2015 $12.395 + $0.210

November 2015 $12.285 + $0.175

January 2016 $12.295 + $0.185

Thailand confident of

regaining top rice exporter

slot

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Industry remains in doldrums on back of

ongoing complications related to previous

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hlvsWjDvKixALoPjehWh0fYysXKjvCh5lpAqgKIwZ1Vr0qkT-vC_yWGtBI20XPzx-WCDYeCf8LL5czodTfmOTzMJKK52aHFTdFi4oksxajTmP8p5dklj4KvpmCJdhkShhSNjgbpJfcUzNt4uN54AaxinoWm-SpK9uMgcc5WvNxqo5TVaXlU8JXnmLQ4ssdRV-VW-1gFoa_P9zhlwvvs5MPvQx00w0wBi1qFwh3_9M8D51t5LDqpf5t7XJOyt8QQObeoF2_dgYMv_psfg_G9yxNvluThaZ0Rle1ZXbEZOMsEOzRqM4DjdqUornignEe3yWvoh8ZMNh6Aal9jiPVkPzIqsNhHqaDVBR5n9xf7pygPKojZGg2l9piitHRFIqhBCyLMdz7CP9xiO2JqMDK99JK1LW9I9DENQmf28l6bxTOdDo-DvX0ILC71Ud9e5z8U4pv2S9kLRUT4gyDqgNnQECsAXnSlyc7KB&c=Kljey5bFhrZ03CF-duCVyY1I8ydkgd_4YI_FCNYoiGvH0tjEVcfn9w==&ch=pQtjDH8vhCKYDYAozSQwVEQHCjoQN9mY-gdhttf-cj18DvQ65ND-qA==

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hlvsWjDvKixALoPjehWh0fYysXKjvCh5lpAqgKIwZ1Vr0qkT-vC_yRZkuE2SMnrRikAjsADsVoSD4GBm_fQlRX53vf-2ve8kgqD6M377EF5dyVHV0tho6eD3-sKw3aol3ONmo1sRio-bYeI-RZ3M5NkUrweHrvF2ydgg3aCORVJtdxW_DmBmHE6awOHXAqZvTe60aOMs0sfoimUcSW0iLCxTOEdkhgwLkAQANq9iTYCueJOx_aDJGLvS1uX8tSwsRsIasBQTOp0CADadbFllDyBERmxeYqrNqGLwIcIjGiweVczSAHwf82vzMps2KAWxl5ndy67MXuQIScwV8v1TAThWlKckCmhdHaun3flxtZAlujwPIoKDgsacQdpxxgAQahwj6u2CZWKLePpJFRmSWbCMv7XZ7LveEF8pe37C0mUNYcwEhLiJCgKubk7ewmL6Nx-Rd70zOkRcgYORhCCD9_RLI_4X6ayd-Sz_C-OGyiytySgI58VbJB8pgjdHm4Zq6eZgIazDUUJwx-BcvcJ9nBNG33s0yeD_txHNJGSuVqG5QYffb2zhryNwXiLvDMQKGl33ZPtyQ2hgpZmFxpnxpw==&c=Kljey5bFhrZ03CF-duCVyY1I8ydkgd_4YI_FCNYoiGvH0tjEVcfn9w==&ch=pQtjDH8vhCKYDYAozSQwVEQHCjoQN9mY-gdhttf-cj18DvQ65ND-qA==



goverment's failed rice subsidies-scheme

BANGKOK - Thailand is predicting it will

regain its position as the world's leading

rice-exporter, even though the industry is

still reeling on the back of ongoing

complications related to a failed rice

subsidies-scheme.For decades the Kingdom

led the way, until then Prime Minister

Yingluck Shinawatra instigated a scheme in

2011 that saw farmers paid 30-40 percent

above market level for their rice.

With the government unable to shift the

grains at a profit, stockpiles have grown

dramatically. Chookiat Ophaswongse, the

honorary president of the Thai rice exporters

association, told the Anadolu Agency on

Thursday that the country could again

surpass India and Vietnam.“We are quite

confident that, if our prices are not too far

apart from those of our competitors

worldwide, we should be able to regain and

maintain the position of top world exporter

from now on,” he said.Since 2011, total

losses due to the scheme have risen to $5.8

billion, according to Rangsan Sriworasart,

permanent secretary of the Ministry of

Finance.

Thailand is projected to export 9.8 million

tons of rice this year, compared to 6.5

million tons in 2013.It hopes that the

2014 figure will see it surpass India (8.5

million tons) and Vietnam (6.5), but the

country is still burdened by its excess.Of the

17 million ton stockpile, analysts, however,

say only 10 percent is considered of good

quality.Somporn Isvilanonda, a senior

fellow at the Knowledge Network Institute

of Thailand, told AA that around 14 million

tons "is substandard" and "needs to be

milled again to be sold on the world

market.""The problem is that we don’t know

exactly how large is the loss of quality of the

stored rice, we just have general data," he

added.

Despite the promise of a rise in exports,

Thai rice has been heavily penalized by a

steep decline in price - mostly because of the

massive stockpile and efforts by the

previous government to release it onto the

world market before it

deteriorated.Ophaswongse said that

Shinawatra was forced to sell some of the

pile from mid-2013, as the subsidies scheme

was costing so much."But it did not sell it on

a tender-basis, but rather through secret

channels at very low prices under the guise

of government-to-government agreements,”

he claimed.

In fact, he says, the rice was sold to some

private companies connected to the

government at prices that allowed them to

make a very large profit.“The effect was that

it depressed the market price,”

he underlined.Between November 2011 (the

launch of the subsidies scheme) and

November 2014, the price of Thai rice fell

by 30 percent.The current military appointed

government - which overthrew Shinawatra's

May 22 - is determined to unload the rice

stock as the longer it is kept in warehouses,

the longer its quality deteriorates.

It has called for auctions and is trying to

negotiate new government-to-government



agreements, with its price falling so low that

it is becoming attractive again for large

buyers such as China, India and

Indonesia.Ophaswongse warned that such

agreements should be done with extreme

caution. “The government must release the

rice from warehouses gradually, not in large

volumes, and it has to monitor the market

very closely.""They can do it when the

world market is short of rice, for instance a

few months after the harvest,” he added.The

Thai commerce ministry announced this

week that it plans to sell 400,000 tons of rice

before the end of the year, after having sold

previously 350,000 tons in November.

Copyright © 2014 Anadolu Agency

http://www.turkishpress.com/news/415495/?utm_s

ource=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+December+12%2C

+2014&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+1

3%2C+2013&utm_medium=email

UN REPORT: 2014 A RECORD

YEAR FOR WORLD CEREAL

PRODUCTION Dec. 12, 2014

Source: U.N.'s Food and Agriculture

Organization (FAO) news release

Latest indications confirm that world cereal

production will reach an all-time record of

more than 2.5 billion tonnes in

2014. Buoyed by bumper crops in Europe

and a record maize output in the United

States of America, this year's cereal output

should reach 2.532 billion tonnes, including

rice in milled terms, or 0.3% higher than

2013, according to FAO's latest Crop

Prospects and Food Situation Report.

The record global cereal harvest in 2014 will

outpace projected world cereal utilization in

2014/15, allowing stocks to rise to their

highest level since 2000 and pushing the

worldwide stock-to-use ratio, a proxy

measure for supply conditions, to rise to

25.2 percent, its highest level in 13 years,

according to FAO. However, the report also

warns that food insecurity is worsening in a

number of countries due to civil conflicts,

adverse weather and the Ebola virus disease

(EVD) outbreak.

Some 38 countries are at risk of food

insecurity, including 29 in Africa, 3 more

countries than reported in October. EVD

triggered one of the biggest shocks to West

Africa's agriculture and food sectors, as it

started to spread when crops were being

planted and expanded throughout the

farming cycle, especially in Guinea, Liberia

and Sierra Leone. FAO warned that local

rice prices and those for cassava, the

region's second staple food, showed notable

increases in Freetown and other cities in

September. Adverse weather in the Sahel

region is also expected to result in a sharply

reduced harvest - by as much as 38 percent

below average in Senegal.

Conflict seriously impacts on food

insecurity

The situation in Syria is particularly urgent,

as a weak harvest is exacerbating strains due

to worsening civil conflict. An estimated 6.8

million people - some refugees in

neighboring countries - are facing severe

food insecurity. FAO reports a notable

production decline for the 2014 crop, due to

abandoned land, scarce labor, damaged

power stations and canals as well as drought

conditions. The situation in Iraq is also

acutely serious, where the number of people

displaced due to civil conflict has tripled

since last year to 2.8 million. One third of

the population is in need of urgent food

assistance in the Central African Republic

(CAR), where this year's food crop

production is estimated to be 58 percent

http://www.turkishpress.com/news/415495/?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+December+12%2C+2014&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email






below average despite improving on 2013,

FAO said.

It noted an increase in violence since early

October in a country where one in four

households has resorted to negative coping

strategies, including selling productive

assets and slaughtering livestock. Prices of

agricultural commodities shot up as much as

70 percent this year in the CAR. According

to FAO, the decline in cereal output was

partially mitigated by a large 45 percent

jump in the production of cassava, which

though less nutritious is less reliant on labor

and other inputs. Refugee movements -

especially from Sudan's Darfur region,

northern Nigeria, the CAR and Mali - have

put pressure on local food supplies, notably

in Chad, where more than 550,000 people

need food and livelihood assistance,

according to the report.

While the recent harvest and delivery of

humanitarian aid has offered relief, more

than 6 million people in South Sudan, Sudan

and Somalia are deemed to be in need of

food and livelihood assistance. Prices in

those countries remain at high levels, with

sorghum prices running as much as four

times higher in some of the most conflict-

affected areas, further deteriorating

vulnerable people's access to food.

Maize supplies stable in Southern and

Eastern Africa

Elsewhere in Africa conditions were better,

especially in Southern Africa, where stable

maize prices declined due to ample supplies

from this year's bumper output boosted food

security. More stable maize supplies also led

to a 78 percent drop in the number of food-

insecure persons in Zimbabwe. Recent

harvests and favourable prospects for the

second season crops helped push maize

prices down in some countries of East

Africa. Meanwhile, 2014 cereal crop

production was slightly below average in

North Africa, where Morocco suffered sharp

reductions due to erratic rains while the

output in Tunisia recovered after a poor

2013 harvest.

Dry conditions result in reduced Central

American harvest

Mexico is enjoying a bumper maize crop

and its cereal output is expected to increase

by 7 percent above last year's record harvest,

FAO said. That may ease the production

short-fall expected in Central America,

where a drought earlier in the year pushed

the maize output down by around 9 percent,

resulting in 400,000 families in Honduras,

El Salvador and Guatemala needing food

assistance. Aggregate cereal output from

Europe this year is estimated to be 5.6

percent higher than 2013, while the U.S.'s record

maize output comes despite less acreage being

sowed

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ce=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+December+12%2C+20

14&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%

2C+2013&utm_medium=email

Posted: Dec 11, 2014 11:43 AM PSTUpdated: Dec 11,

2014 11:53 AM PST

Rice farmers harvest

bountiful second crop this

year

Johnny Saichuk

ACADIA

PARISH

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http://katc.images.worldnow.com/images/6191048_G.jpg





Rice farmers harvest bountiful second crop

this year

Rayne man arrested in drug bust

Tune in for music to go with Christmas

lights in Crowley

Public's assistance needed in identifying

shooter

UPDATE: 20-year-old Iota woman dies in

Tuesday morning crash

ACADIA PARISH VIDEOS

Rayne Christmas Parade

Residents in Rayne want to know why they

weren't told the city will no longer work with

them when it comes to paying their utility

bills.

Ideal weather conditions are being touted as

the main reason for a massive second rice

crop this year, John Saichuk, extension rice

specialist with the LSU AgCenter,

said.Farmers generally bring in about five to

10 barrels of rice in their second harvests,

but Saichuk said farmers have been

reporting yields of about 25 to 30 barrels.A

barrel of rice is about 162 pounds, Saichuk

said."We harvested a really dynamite second

crop," he said. "Just based on the my

personal experience over the years, I think

this is the best second crop we've ever

had."The second crop follows a great first

crop this year in which farmers said they

harvested about 50 barrels of rice, Saichuk

said.

The dry weather, lack of rain and abundance

of sunshine are the main reasons for the

bountiful crop, Saichuk said.The second

crop is harvested after farmers re-fertilize

and flood their fields following the first

harvest. Not all rice farmers plant a second

crop.And the economics of the great harvest

will be felt in the rice belt towns like

Gueydan, Kaplan and Crowley, because the

money the farmers make will be put back in

the local economies, bringing in more tax

dollars for cities, Saichuk said.

http://www.katc.com/story/27607001/rice-

farmers-harvest-bountiful-second-crop-this-

year?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+Decemb

er+12%2C+2014&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+D

ecember+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email

U.S. West Coast port

backups delay apparel,

bobbleheads, french fries

By Steve Gorman and Lisa BaertleinDecember 11, 2014

9:28 PM

By Steve Gorman and Lisa Baertlein

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Crippling cargo

backups at U.S. West Coast ports dragged

on into a third month amid industry reports

on Thursday of prolonged shipment delays

for goods ranging from yoga apparel and

rice to NBA bobblehead collectibles and

frozen french fries.Cargo that normally takes

two to three days to flow through the

affected ports, accounting for nearly half of

U.S. maritime trade and over 70 percent of

imports from Asia, now faces lag times of

up to two weeks, the National Retail

Federation said.

The congestion has been most pronounced at

the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long

Beach, the nation's two busiest cargo hubs,

where marine officials reported 11 ships

http://www.katc.com/story/27607001/rice-farmers-harvest-bountiful-second-crop-this-year

http://www.katc.com/story/27607001/rice-farmers-harvest-bountiful-second-crop-this-year

http://www.katc.com/story/27600693/rayne-man-arrested-in-drug-bust

http://www.katc.com/story/27599018/tune-in-for-music-to-go-with-christmas-lights-in-crowley

http://www.katc.com/story/27599018/tune-in-for-music-to-go-with-christmas-lights-in-crowley

http://www.katc.com/story/27595277/publics-assistance-needed-in-identifying-shooter

http://www.katc.com/story/27595277/publics-assistance-needed-in-identifying-shooter

http://www.katc.com/story/27585519/state-police-investigating-single-vehicle-crash-on-la-91

http://www.katc.com/story/27585519/state-police-investigating-single-vehicle-crash-on-la-91

http://www.katc.com/clip/10912437/rayne-christmas-parade

http://www.katc.com/clip/10894690/residents-in-rayne-want-to-know-why-they-werent-told-the-city-will-no-longer-work-with-them-when-it-comes-to-paying-their-utility-bills




http://www.katc.com/story/27607001/rice-farmers-harvest-bountiful-second-crop-this-year?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+December+12%2C+2014&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email







anchored on Thursday waiting for berths to

open.The number of freighters kept waiting

outside the two ports has fluctuated from

about eight to 18 on any given day since the

slowdown began there around mid-October,

said port of Los Angeles spokesman Phillip

Sanfield.

Smaller backups have hit other West Coast

ports, including Seattle and Tacoma in

Washington state.The slowdowns have

coincided with prolonged labor talks

between 20,000 dockworkers and the Pacific

Maritime Association, representing terminal

operators and shipping lines at 29 West

Coast ports. Their latest contract expired

June 30.Management has accused the

International Longshore and Warehouse

Union of orchestrating some slowdowns on

the docks to bolster its leverage at the

bargaining table.

Union officials deny organizing protest

delays but acknowledge individual

dockworkers may have acted out of

frustration over the pace of contract

talks.They point to other factors that port

officials cite as the main reasons for

gridlock. Chief among them has been a

shortage of tractor-trailer chassis used for

hauling cargo containers from the ports, a

situation created when shippers decided to

sell off their chassis to equipment-leasing

companies.Union and port officials also cite

record import levels at the peak cargo

season, rail service delays and the advent of

super-sized container vessels delivering

greater cargo volumes.

BOBBLEHEADS, YOGA WEAR AND

RICE

Port slowdowns have rippled through the

commercial supply chain.Vancouver-based

retailer Lululemon Athletica Inc blamed

West Coast port congestion for its lower

sales forecasts on Thursday. The yoga wear

seller said about 1 million of its garments

were stuck in port, delaying shipments to

stores for up to 10 days.Similar shipment

lags were reported by Ann Inc and Ascena

Retail Group Inc, parent companies of

women's apparel chains Ann Taylor and the

Loft, and Lane Bryant and Justice,

respectively.

Even professional sports have felt the pinch.

The Oakland-based Golden State Warriors

earlier this month had to hand out vouchers

to 10,000 basketball fans after shipments of

the team's Sarunas Marciulionis bobblehead

figures were delayed for weeks.Exports have

been squeezed as well. Among the hardest

hit are Washington state apple growers, who

posted a record harvest of 150 million

cartons this year but have been thwarted in

selling as much of their surplus as hoped to

Asian markets.

Port delay-related apple losses since October

have run in the tens of millions of dollars,

according to Mark Powers, an executive of



the Northwest Horticultural Council.Fast-

food giant McDonald's Corp said its Japan

outlets are among that country's eateries

grappling with a french-fried potato shortage

blamed on port backups.Most U.S.-

processed frozen french fries bound for

Japan and other Asian countries are shipped

in refrigerated containers through Seattle-

Tacoma, said John Toaspern, chief

marketing officer for the U.S. Potato Board.

Japan is the biggest Asian market for U.S.-

made frozen potato products, importing

$336 million worth last year. Toaspern said

port jams have at least doubled transit times

for french fry shipments to Japan from two

to four weeks.Container shipments of

California-grown rice bound for Japan,

South Korea and Taiwan have likewise been

delayed two weeks or more at the height of

growers' winter shipping season.

"You start running short on warehouse

space. It's a mess," said Tim Johnson, head

of the California Rice

Commission.Container shipments of corn

and soybeans also were being held up,

forcing the Illinois-based Prairie Creek

Grain Company to offer some Asian

customers discounts of up to 6 percent.A

roughly $700 discount per $12,000 container

of soybeans is the difference between

making a profit and breaking even, said

Robert Briscoe, Prairie Creek

president.(Additional reporting by Karl

Plume in Chicago; and Solarina Ho and

Euan Rocha in Toronto; Editing by Lisa

Shumaker)

http://news.yahoo.com/u-west-coast-port-backups-

delay-apparel-bobbleheads-004936933--

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23,161.56 crore in April-

September

By PTI | 12 Dec, 2014, 07.05PM IST

India has exported 16.41 lakh tonnes of

basmati rice in the April-September period

of the current financial year, valued at Rs

13,846.95 crore.

NEW DELHI: India has exported rice worth

Rs 23,161.56 crore in the first six months of

the current financial year, Parliament was

informed today. India has exported 16.41

lakh tonnes ofbasmati rice in the April-

September period of the current financial

year, valued at Rs 13,846.95 crore. On the

other hand, 36.56 lakh tonnes of non-

http://news.yahoo.com/u-west-coast-port-backups-delay-apparel-bobbleheads-004936933--finance.html?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+December+12%2C+2014&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email





http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/financial-year

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/basmati-rice



basmati rice was exported in the same

period, valued at Rs 9,314.61 crore.

In the entire 2013-14 fiscal, exports of

basmati rice stood at 37.54 lakh tonnes,

valued at Rs 29,291.82 crore, while in the

same period, outward shipments of non-

basmati rice was 71.48 lakh tonnes, worth

Rs 17,795.21 crore. Meanwhile, Iran, one of

the largest importers of rice from India, has

imposed a temporary restriction on imports

from October 19 this year. "Iran has

imposed a temporary restriction on import of

rice w.e.f 19th October, 2014.

The government engages with its trade

partners in an institutional basis and taken

up all trade related issues from time to

time," Commerce and Industry

Minister Nirmala Sitharamansaid in a

written reply to Lok Sabha. The Minister

added that Iran has increased customs duty

on import of rice from 22 per cent to 40 per

cent in view of the domestic crop season,

which will continue till January 21.

2014 Outlook Conference

Photo Gallery

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/Nirmala-Sitharaman

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/Lok-Sabha

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/domestic-crop

12th december,2014 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

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