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Daily Rice Global Rice e-Newsletter shared by Riceplus Magazine Riceplus Magazine shares daily International RICE News for global Rice Community. We publish daily two newsletters namely Global Rice News & ORYZA EXCLUSIVE News for readers .You can share any development news with us for Global readers. Dear all guests/Commentators/Researchers/Experts ,You are humbly requested to share One/Two pages write up with Riceplus Magazine . For more information visit (www.ricepluss.com + http://publishpk.net/index.php/riceplus). Share /contribute your rice and agriculture related research write up with Riceplus Magazine to [email protected] , [email protected] For Advertisement & Specs [email protected]
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Rice board head: Cuban trade could be big for Louisiana Posted: Monday, January 19, 2015 3:10 pm
The Advertiser |
LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — Lifting the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba could mean the return
of a major market for Louisiana rice, Louisiana Rice Promotion Board chairman Kevin Berken
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter www.ricepluss.com
January 20, 2015 Volume 5, Issue I
says.He said Cuba imports about 600,000 metric tons of rice a year, with Vietnam as its biggest
supplier."Prior to the embargo, Cuba was the largest importer of Louisiana rice," he told a
conference Friday at the Petroleum Club. "So it is critically important for us to be able open
trade with other countries, Cuba being the main focus.
It has been a focus for the last 20 or 30 years."Berken was among four panelists, The Advertiser
(http://bit.ly/1GfwpKt ) reported. It happened to be a day after the government announced
President Barack Obama's amendments to existing Cuban sanctions.Only Congress can fully end
the 54-year embargo."Eventually, the embargo will be lifted, and there isn't a thing in the world
that Cuba doesn't need," said Gary LaGrange, president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans. Its
location 700 miles from Louisiana's coast makes New Orleans an especially convenient port, he
said.LaGrange said there's talk of a Cuban consulate being built in the U.S. and New Orleans
may be vying against Tampa, Florida, as a host city, he said.
"Louisiana should be next in line," he said. "We need a consulate in New Orleans.Charles
Larroque, executive director of Council for the Development of French in Louisiana; and Larry
Sides, president of SIDES & Associates, also spoke.Sides said he has traveled to Cuba 24 times
in the last 15 year on religious missions and for leisure."I'm simply fascinated with the country,"
he said.The only way the U.S. will fully be able to establish a diplomatic relationship with the
country, and that includes tourism, is for the U.S. to completely lift the embargo, he said. ___
Information from: The Advertiser, http://www.theadvertiser.com
Corporate corner
January 20, 2015
Soomro appointed as Matco Rice director
KARACHI (PR): Pakistan‘s largest bvasmati rice exporter, Matco Rice Processing (Pvt) Limited has
appointed Iftikhar Ahmed Soomro as an independent, non-executive director to its Board of
Directors.Soomro brings along his vast corporate experience of leading many prominent private and
public sector companies of Pakistan.He has previously served as the chairman of APTMA and as a
director of Pakistan State Oil, Pfizer Pakistan, Park-Davis, Wyeth Pakistan, SITE, KESC, Sindh Fine
Textile Mills and other corporates.
Soomro has also distinguished himself in the field of public service, previously as an elected member of
the Sindh Assembly and member of Cabinet.Currently he is the Honorary Consul General of the Republic
of Tunisia.Commenting on the appointment, Jawed Ghori, Chairman of Matco Rice said: ―We are
extremely pleased that Iftikhar Ahmed Soomro has joined the board of our company, bringing with him a
unique mix of skills and experience that will help the board to guide Matco Rice to the next level of
growth.
Rice and wrongs
Posted by: The Nation in Editorial 7 hours ago
The Jonathan administration’s abuse of waivers has moved to the farm sector Scandalously, the country is reportedly losing N20 billion to discretionary concessions and
waivers, especially to lethargic stakeholders under the rice importation scheme and another N20
billion to smugglers of rice through the nation‘s porous borders. The waivers/import allocation
quotas impunity to favour investors who have no investments in the industry or rice mill by
government is making a mockery of the policy.
Of the 28 beneficiaries on the list, only 16 have mills, while
the other 12 that have no mills surprisingly account for higher
imports than the true millers. The disparities in preferential
import quotas, quantity of approved rice imports and the
corresponding size of performance bond to be submitted are
quite alarming. Those powerful armchair rice investors
eventually trade their import allocation quotas to interested
stakeholders at between 60 to 80 per cent levy, having got the
same at 20 per cent levy, thereby short-changing the country
with ripple effects of inflation and pauperisation. This is serious discouragement to those who
remain committed to the plan.
Why should new investors under the present regime, without milling capacity or investments in
the country, receive higher allocation quotas unlike real rice millers that received negligible
allocation or none at all? The strategy deployed in arriving at the supply gap equally becomes
questionable because almost three million metric tonnes of rice was reportedly smuggled from
Cotonou in 2013, while an estimated 1.5 million was accounted for last year. Again, why is it
that the backward integration policy plan approved since May 2014 by the president was delayed
till December?
The sincerity of government regarding the backward integration plan is in doubt. For example, it
is bewildering that investors that merely expressed interests enjoy higher import quotas which
they trade at higher prices to other interested importers. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development‘s new rice policy is geared towards bridging the supply gap of import-grade
rice of 1.5 million metric tonnes through proper deployment of rice import quotas as determined
by the Federal Government. Invariably, the policy was designed to ensure that existing rice
millers and new investors receive a preferential levy of 20 per cent and duty of 10 per cent while
other importers pay a higher levy of 60 per cent and duty of 10 per cent. The current wave of
indiscriminate waivers has made nonsense of this policy.
If the nation truly wants to be self-sufficient in rice production and milling, too much reliance on
paper criteria, including theoretical Domestic Rice Production Plan (DRPP) by prospective
investors will not suffice. For example, it was reported that last year alone, a total of 1.3 million
metric tonnes of rice import quotas was issued to 25 qualifying millers, yet 2.74 million metric
tonnes of imported rice found its way into the country in the same year through illegal routes. his
is possible because of the low tariff on rice in Nigeria‘s neighbouring countries.The nation is far
from self sufficiency in rice production contrary to the nauseating noise and rhetorical egoism of
progress in the sector by Akinwunmi Adesina, the agriculture minister. The sensible path to toe
is to jettison indiscriminate waivers while government should also allow rice importation through
our ports to augment shortfalls. This will definitely go a long way in discouraging smuggling
http://thenationonlineng.net/new/rice-wrongs/
LSU Rice Specialist Dr. Dustin Harrell Receives Award
When Dustin Harrell speaks,
rice farmers listen
BATON ROUGE, LA -- Dr. Dustin Harrell, LSU AgCenter
rice specialist, received the Rice Researcher of the Year award
last week at the National Conservation Systems Cotton and
Rice Conference here. Harrell's agronomy research focuses on
fertility, and he also has identified the significance of zinc
deficiency, shown that seeding rates for drill-seeded rice can be
reduced, and demonstrated how nitrogen use efficiency can be improved.
When receiving the award Harrell credited his fellow researchers for their contributions and
thanked the Louisiana rice farmers for supplying vital check-off funding saying, "Without the
check-off funds, we wouldn't be able to do the things we do."Harrell was selected as a member
of the 2015 Rice Leadership Development Program in December at the USA Rice Outlook
Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Rice Leadership Development Program gives future
leaders a comprehensive understanding of the rice industry, with an emphasis on personal
development and communication skills.
Contact: Chuck Wilson (870) 673-7541
Rice Featured at North Louisiana Ag Expo
Serving up rice samples at LARC booth
WEST MONROE, LA -- An estimated 10,000 people attended the 33nd annual North Louisiana
AgExpo on January 16-17 where they learned about the state's ag industry, especially rice. For
correctly answering questions about rice, visitors to the Louisiana Rice Council (LARC) booth
received sample bags of Louisiana-grown rice, provided by the Louisiana Rice Growers
Association. Attendees also enjoyed a cup of red beans and rice, courtesy of the Northeast
Louisiana Rice Growers Association.
Recipe brochures, nutrition information, and rice-facts sheets from the USA Rice Federation
were distributed. LARC members, including President Eric Unkel, Vice President Charles
Precht, Jr., and Jimmy Hoppe manned the booth with assistance from USA Rice field staff,
Randy and Mary Jemison.The Expo was established by the North Louisiana Agribusiness
Council to educate citizens about the regional and state impact of agriculture.
Contact: Randy Jemison (337) 738-7009
Japan Announces Results of 10th Ordinary Import Tender
in FY 2014
Country of
Origin Variety Number of
Importer Quantity (MT) Participated
Bidders Amount of
Bids (MT) USA Non-glutinous
milled rice
(medium grain)
4 49,000 29 355,000
Thailand Non-glutinous
milled rice (long grain)
2 12,000 16 96,000
Grand Total 6 61,000 45 451,000
Avg Price for
Successful Bids JPY 96,223/mt
JPY 103,921/mt
(tax excluded)
(tax included)
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
CME Group (Preliminary): Closing Rough Rice Futures for January 20
Month Price Net Change
March 2015 $11.265 - $0.060
May 2015 $11.520 - $0.055
July 2015 $11.755 - $0.055
September 2015 $11.380 - $0.050
November 2015 $11.520 - $0.050
January 2016 $11.810 - $0.050
March 2016 $11.810 - $0.050
Lalin’s Column: First 100 days -short list of priorities
Tue, 2015-01-20 06:59 — editor
By Major General (Retd.) Lalin Fernando
Steps to be taken towards national reconciliation should be at the top of the President‘s list of
things to be done in the first 100 days. It is suggested that the following also be accommodated
under the 100 day action plan that is meant to prepare the ground for the promised
future.Reconciliation and National Identity. There was no true reconciliation after SL‘s 26 year
old bitter conflict despite the people of the North warmly welcoming those from the South ever
since it ended. Without genuine reconciliation all other efforts of the government will be worth
very little if not jeopardized.
The 2 minority communities have almost in their entirety supported the winning Sinhalese leader
in the recent Presidential elections. That was a giant step for people power towards
reconciliation. The prevailing circumstances could not be any better for the new government to
follow up and consolidate that victory. Reconciliation should hopefully lead to a break with the
unhappy, mean and distrustful past. It must succeed to forge national unity and develop a true Sri
Lankan identity that sadly did not yet exist in 67 years after Independence.
Remembrance of the war dead. The most important step to achieve true reconciliation will have
to be the jettisoning of the ill advised Victory parade in May. It must be replaced by a
Remembrance ceremony to commemorate the war dead from 1971 to 2009. It will otherwise
continue the (political) estrangement of the Tamils from the Sinhalese.
All communities should be united in their grief for the 100,000 SL lives lost and share the grief
and pain of those who bore the burden of that loss. They must promise themselves there will
never again be a replay of the tragic events that began in 1983.The ‗River for Jaffna‘ or the
Arumugam Plan to bring water from the Iranamadu tank through Elephant Pass lagoon to the
Thondamannaru Barrage, on which work started in 1954, (supported ardently by DLO Mendis
among others) needs to be given priority, restarted and completed without any more delay.Rule
of law. The last regime, as it hurtled to its end, was almost completely lawless. Corruption was
not denied but excused as a global phenomenon.
It turned out to be an act of suicide as a silent revolution took place in the minds of the people.
The impeachment of the Chief Justice showed the utter depravity of the rulers. Beruwala was the
beginning of the end. BBS unchecked or sponsored as it appears now, was the symbol of terror
that stalked the land. Defeat was ordained. The rule of law must now be seen in the streets,
public spaces, residential areas and in Parliament. It must begin by cleaning up the entire judicial
system that includes the judiciary, the police and the prisons for citizens to believe in the
restoration of the rule of law.
Law breakers should be punished quickly.Weapons – DangerWeapons in the hands of private
individuals are the biggest threat to the rule of law. There are probably about 60-80,000
registered weapons with people and probably twice that unlicensed. No one other than those in
the Armed forces and the police should be allowed to keep weapons. Weapons needed for legal
purposes such as sports competition must be stored, at a cost to the individual, at the nearest
police station. A relentless hunt for unlicensed weapons and their owners should begin
immediately.
The police itself should not be armed, unless for special operations (e.g.; terrorist hostage
situation) and then only if approved by the Interior (equivalent) Ministry. The army could
intervene only if the Police request it with the approval of the Interior Ministry.Any armed
escorts or body guards, should be from the police and only for VVIPs. Lesser folk should
manage with unarmed police escort, in special circumstances only, if recommended by the police
and with prior approval of the Ministry. After all, politicians often boast they are willing to
sacrifice their lives so there should be no obstacle to prevent them from proving their noble
intentions. This will save a lot of our lives on the roads as they speed through like the clappers of
hell
SL must prevent any more police shootings in ‗self defence‘ when ‗taking‘ suspects to ‗weapon
caches and hidden loot‘. That and the way the judiciary looks askance when it happens makes a
mockery of the existence of any idea of the rule of law.Health. It is heartening to note that the
new government will make available all the drugs and medicines needed for patients in
Government hospitals. Injections and drugs for children‘s illnesses
and for pregnant mothers must be given priority. Injections for those
bitten by animals-dogs, cats and rats (at least 75 people seek
attention every day at the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital) must also
be made available. Mosquito nets could also be given free to the
poor.Parliamentary meals. A ‗healthy nation‘ is the best motto for
the government to follow. It must start in Parliament where very
expensive and huge meals are given free. It is most disgusting to see
that most MPs are grotesquely obese in a country where
malnutrition is common among many children. These little hippos
are indescribably ugly and evil looking too.
As they believe only they can save the nation and so qualify for most things free, an expert
dietician should prescribe their meals-which should then be given free if they insisted upon it, -
to make or keep them healthy. Anything else, (basmati rice, mutton, chicken, seer fish, prawns
etc and desserts must be paid for at the market rate. This will help protect the MPs health,
especially those who said they are willing to sacrifice their lives for SL but never at the time of
the country‘s greatest need joined the Army.
Sewerage. The most important requirement for the nation‘s health is the need for modern
sewerage systems in the towns and villages. Outside of Colombo, the Galle road sea side part of
Dehiwala and parts of Ratmalana, there are no proper town, city and village sewerage systems.
As a result sewerage tank over flows go not so surreptitiously into the road side drains. This is an
utter and absolute well known disgrace and a looming danger that has been shamelessly ignored
-even when SL was the miracle of Asia. Open drains, seen all over in towns and villages alike,
must also be covered.Laboratory tests. Laboratory testing should be done in the government
hospitals itself. Curiously it is the government hospital laboratory staff in any case that do the
testing (even when the hospital staff are on strike) at private hospitals for patients in government
hospitals for a big fee.
Maybe giving these Lab technicians better pay could help.Schools. The education budget has
thankfully been increased. How soon will the schools infra structure include sufficient rest rooms
(lavatories) for the student and staff together with running water? Let all students who find it
difficult to afford a good meal be given a good quality, free lunch also. Private tuition should be
curtailed and soon prevented. Weak students should be coached in school by the very teacher
who judges them weak.Public Transport-Air Conditioned. Now that the price of petrol has come
down drastically, it is time that public transport be air conditioned as running costs will be at an
all time low.
All senior government servants and their masters in Parliament and various Councils, travel free
in comfortable, luxury air conditioned comfort. They do not pay a cent for it. The public that
travels in the sweltering heat or wet of the monsoon pay the government for their rides. The cost
of travel keeps on increasing but not the comfort of the passengers. Now that Sri Lankans are the
wonder of Asia if not democracies (by the way SL changes rulers at elections) the people in this
21st century, must be rewarded with air conditioned public transport, both road and rail,
whatever happens to the price of oil.Temple Trees. Since the Prime Minister is not going to
occupy Temple Trees but only use it as an office, maybe he could, as a gesture to those who have
borne the burden of war, convert it to a home for seriously disabled servicemen.
Some other 100 days.
USA. The best known 100 days action plan was that of Franklyn D Roosevelt who took over as
American President during the time of USA‘s Great Depression of the 1930s when America
faced its biggest challenge including bankruptcy. It was called the first 100 days. He pushed
through 15 Bills in Congress in that period and brought quick relief to the millions who were
homeless, hungry and jobless.
It was no surprise that he turned out to be possibly the most loved President of the USA.
However the Republicans vilified him in the crudest possible way. He closed banks on 5 Mar
1933, sent teams to inspect them and on 9 Mar, 5,000 banks opened. He had 4 priorities: protect
the people‘s savings, get people back to work and create prosperity, provide relief for sick and
elderly and get industry and agriculture back on their feet. He spoke to the people on radio every
Sunday (when most would be at home) to explain everything he was trying to do. It was believed
that at least 60 million people out of a population at that time of 200 million listened in.
France. Napoleon returned from exile in Elba on 10 March 1815 and marched on Paris on 20
March with 1,500 soldiers. King Louis XVIII bolted. Napoleon then engaged the combined
armies of Prussia, Britain and Russia and after a series of battles was finally defeated at Waterloo
(18-22 June).He then abdicated. Louis XVIII was restored on 8 July ending the 100 days since he
bugged out. On 15 July 1815 Napoleon boarded RNS Rochefort for final exile at St Helena.
Please note it will soon be 200 years since this momentous episode in history happened.Rwanda.
The worst 100 days was in Rwanda when about 800,000 people, 20% of the population, were
slaughtered between 7 April and 4 July 1994.
Asian Tribune –
Poo and paws help in tiger count
By Mark KinverScience and environment reporter, BBC News
While paw prints can identify individuals, scientists say the method is unreliable for assessing
numbers
A system that uses paw prints and faeces
offers scientists a fresh way to determine how
many tigers are left in the wild, a study has
suggested.Scientists hope the new technique will
provide a low-cost and reliable way to accurately
assess big cat numbers.Fewer than 3,500 tigers
remain in the wild, with more than half found in
India where the population is spread over more
than 100,000 sq km of forest.The findings
appear in the Journal of Applied
Ecology."Tigers are cryptic, nocturnal and occur
at low densities so they are extremely difficult to
monitor," said lead author Yadvendradev Jhala
from the Wildlife Institute of India.
"Unless we know how many tigers are left in the wild, and whether their numbers are increasing
or decreasing, we will not be able to conserve them," he added.Current monitoring methods
include using camera traps or looking for paw prints."In the absence of abundance information,
conservation management decisions are often based on crude estimates, expert opinion or
educated guesses - which may result in erroneous decisions that can be counterproductive," the
India-based team observed.While paw prints, otherwise known as pugmarks, allow individual
tigers to be identified, scientists say they are not a reliable way to estimate a region's overall
population.Camera traps offer a much more accurate assessment of an area's tiger density, but the
technique is expensive and labour intensive, resulting in its deployment being limited to places
that have a relatively high number of the big cats.
'Basmati rice'
"By showing that it is possible to accurately estimate tiger numbers from their paw prints and
faeces, we have opened up a new way of cost-effectively keeping our finger on the pulse of the
tiger population and gauging the success of conservation programmes," explained Dr Jhala.
Fresh tiger faeces are normally accompanied by urine sprays that smell like well-cooked
basmati rice”
Dr Yadvendradev JhalaWildlife Intitute of India
"This approach could be applied to monitoring other endangered species across vast landscapes,"
he added.Between 2006 and 2007, Dr Jhala and his team gathered samples from 18 tiger
populations at 21 locations across central and northern India, recording the occurrence of
pugmarks and faeces."Tiger faeces are the size of large beetroots and have a characteristic
pungent, musky odour," he explained."Fresh tiger faeces are normally accompanied by urine
sprays that smell like well-cooked basmati rice.
"Tigers are solitary animals, and use the spray to mark their territory - hence the presence of scat
offered an insight into the species density in the area.When the team compared its findings with
data from camera traps, the group found the new system provided similar results but for just 7%
of the cost.Writing in the British Ecology Society journal, the team concluded: "The approach
and models... permit rapid and cost-effective assessments of abundance to monitor the status of
tigers at landscape scales."This information is vital for conservation investment, habitat
management, planning development projects, formulation of policy and for law enforcement."
BBC News
Credit Suisse Sues REI Agro in Singapore Over
Alleged Fraud
Andrea TanJan 20, 2015 1:44 am ET
(Updates share price in eighth paragraph.)
REI Agro founders Sandip and Sanjay Jhunjhunwala used a web of sham rice-trading companies
in Singapore and Hong Kong to support a 2012 $115.5 million loan agreement by REI Agro‘s
Dubai-based Ammalay Commoditiess JLT, according to a lawsuit in the Singapore High
Court.Credit Suisse, leading a group of lenders who are seeking at least $80 million in damages,
said in the October suit that the loan agreement was breached when Ammalay failed to provide
audited accounts and defaulted on a $20 million payment.
Sanjay Jhunjhunwala said in November court filings that trades by his two companies being sued
were genuine and denied involvement in any fraud. The next hearing is scheduled for Jan.
26.New Delhi-based REI Agro, which guaranteed the loan, and Ammalay haven‘t filed their
defenses and didn‘t respond to e- mails seeking comment. Eugene Thuraisingam and Muralli
Rajaram, lawyers for eight other companies being sued, declined to comment, as did Credit
Suisse.
The lenders have an ―overly suspicious approach‖ and misunderstood the trades, Sanjay, who
was succeeded as REI Agro chairman last year by his younger brother Sandip, said in his court
filing.The Jhunjhunwalas are Marawari Indians who are known to be risk takers and sometimes
adopt unconventional business practices, he said.REI Agro has the equivalent of $318 million of
debt due by the end of 2017, of which 80 percent comprises loans, data complied by Bloomberg
shows. Both Fitch and Standard & Poor‘s withdrew their ratings on REI Agro‘s debt last
year.REI Agro fell 3.7 percent to 1.30 rupees as of 12:13 p.m. in Mumbai. The stock has
slumped 82 percent in the past 12 months.The case is Credit Suisse AG, Singapore branch v
Ammalay Commoditiess JLT, S840/2014. Singapore High Court.
The Washington Post
Butte County rice growers do it again, topping charts on
production
Heather Hacking-Enterprise-Record A rice field along the Midway, July 26.
Rice fields near Gridley Aug. 20.Heather Hacking-Enterprise-Record
By Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record
POSTED: 01/17/15, 7:45 PM PST | UPDATED: 29 SECS AGO
If you‘re rooting for your home team in the race for agricultural production, it‘s easy to be a fair
weather fan of Butte County Rice.
In Butte County, rice growers can consistently chant ―We‘re No. 1.‖
In 2013, the average Butte County rice grower produced
8,830 sacs per acre, with each bag at 100 pounds. The next
highest average produce was neighboring Glenn County
with 8,680 sacs to the acre.The numbers have been similar
for the past dozen years, with a few anomalies that can‘t be
blamed on anyone who grows rice in the county.Every hot
spot has a hottest spot, and rice farm adviser Cass Mutters
said many factors come together in Butte County.
The University of California Cooperative Extension adviser said Butte County is slightly warmer
than just an hour‘s drive south and has ―nice, uniform soils.‖Adobe soil holds water. In fact, for
the past 100 years these same soils have proved difficult for growing anything else.
Rice farms sit side-by side, which also makes it easier for
growers to move from one place to another without
machinery from other crops hogging the roads.He said it
might also make a difference that families have farmed the
land for generations, which means a higher percentage of
farmers own the land and have been making continuous
improvements to infrastructure.Carl Hoff, president of the
Butte County Rice Growers Association, noted that farmers
near Richvale were among the first to laser-level their field
and ―routinely touch them up,‖ to make sure the fields are efficient for irrigation.
Then again, Butte County growers also have excellent water rights and water delivery
infrastructure. Fields can be flooded quickly, Hoff noted.The Richvale area seems to be an
especially fertilie area for rice. When people hear the Butte County Rice Growers Association
average yield they figure the state average will be 4-5 sacs lower per acre.This year, a few Butte
County Rice Growers Association members had record yields, some topping 100 bags an acre,
which is worth bragging about.
The average announced at a recent BUCRA annual meeting was 96.7 100-pound bags per
acre.Perhaps some of the story is because the Rice Experiment station is located in Biggs.When
higher-yielding varieties are developed and tested, they‘re tested in the heart of Butte
County.Whatever the factors, they simply add up. The yield per acre has gone up consistently
over the past decades, from an average of under 7,000 100-pound sacs in 1998, statistic show,
http://goo.gl/K8dIjB
The state average over the past few years has been about 87 sacs per acre, said rice marketer
Mark Kimmelshue, at ARMCO. Part of Butte County‘s prowess may be due to a greater
percentage of medium-grain, CalRose rice being grown locally. The varieties grown here tend to
have higher yield, he said.
All of this said, that doesn‘t mean it will be a bonanza year for rice.
RICE CROP DOWN OVERALL
Many growers grew nothing at all.Farm adviser Mutters pointed out that the drought resulted in
about 20 percent fewer acres planted in rice, which is 100,000 acres fewer than 2013, for a total
of 425,000 acres statewide.However, on land that was planted yields per acre this year may be
extremely high because farmers chose their best fields when water was limited.Glenn-Colusa
Irrigation District, for example, received only 75 percent of its surface water allocation, Mutters
said.The Rice Experiment Station noted that this year was especially good for those who were
able to grow rice because there was a long growing season, which allows more starch to slowly
fill the rice kernels.
LOCAL PRIDE
With all the factors people threw into the equation, rice farmer Stacy Gore summed it up fairly
simply.―It‘s not terribly hot. It‘s not terribly cold.‖It‘s the ―Goldilocks land for growing
rice.‖Clearly, it‘s because Butte County growers are the best, he said, only partly joking.―You
can‘t help but feel prideful about where you are,‖ and what growers are able to do, Gore said. He
said its similar to rooting for your home team.
Contact reporter Heather Hacking at 896-7758.
http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20150117/butte-county-rice-growers-do-it-again-topping-
charts-on-production
Rice Farmers set state meeting William Johnson, Louisiana3:57 p.m. CST January 19, 2015
(Photo: Submitted photo)
1CONNECT 1TWEETLINKEDINCOMMENTEMAILMORE
The Louisiana Rice Council and the
Louisiana Rice Growers Association,
Louisiana's two largest grower
organizations, have scheduled their annual
joint membership meeting for Feb. 10 in
Jennings.Rice is an important agricultural
product in St. Landry Parish, second only to
soybeans, and Parish‘s County Agent Vince
Deshotel urges local rice producers to
attend.
―Prices on rice have fallen. They are lower than they have been in recent years. Any marketing
information our rice producers can get is important,‖ Deshotel said.This year‘s meeting will be
held at a new location, the Grande Marais Center, and will open with a trade show and reception
at 4 p.m. followed by the program at 5:45. Dinner will be served.―This meeting provides an
annual report to rice farmers on programs funded by the Louisiana rice promotion check-off as
well as timely information on other important issues,‖ said Eric Unkel, a rice farmer from Allen
Parish and LARC president.
―I encourage all rice industry stakeholders to attend.‖The featured speaker will be Kevin Norton,
state conservationist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation
Service, who will discuss conservation opportunities for rice farmers through Farm Bill
programs. USA Rice Federation staff will report on the Federation‘s activities and promotional
achievements. Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain will
address issues of concern to the Louisiana rice industry.―This is the largest gathering of rice
farmers in the state each year,‖ said Jeffery Sylvester, an Evangeline Parish rice farmer and
LARGA president. ―It‘s what makes this event the perfect place to display rice-related
equipment, technology, products and services and show support for the Louisiana rice industry.
‖USA Rice also will participate in the Central Louisiana Rice Growers Association Annual
Membership meeting that begins at 11 a.m. Feb. 11 at the Dean Lee Experiment station in
Alexandria and the Northeast Louisiana Rice Growers Association Rice Forum that begins at 9
a.m. Feb. 12 at the Delhi Civic Center in Delhi.For information on the meetings, including
sponsorship and exhibit opportunities, contact Randy Jemison at 337-738-7009.
WANT TO GO? Rice Producers Meeting
4 p.m. Feb. 10
Grande Marais Center
919 N. Lake Arthur Ave., Jennings
Call 337-738-7009 for more information
http://www.dailyworld.com/story/news/local/2015/01/19/rice-farmers-set-state-meeting/22016995/
Thai rice exports to dominate
Shipments pegged at 10-11 million tonnes
Published: 20 Jan 2015 at 06.00
Newspaper section: Business
Thailand is expected to return to dominate global rice exports,
with shipments estimated at 10-11 million tonnes this year. In a
statement Monday, the Commerce Ministry said Thailand
exported 10.8 million tonnes of rice last year, a rise of 63.6%
from 2013.Export value rose by 22% to US$5.37 billion from
$4.42 billion in 2013.Commerce Minister Chatchai Sarikulya
attributed the surge mainly to the joint
effort by the private and public sectors
to rev up selling annual produce and
the government's rice stocks.The
Commerce Ministry forecasts global
rice production will fall slightly by
0.3% this year to 475 million tonnes
due to lower production anticipated in
India, Japan, Pakistan, Egypt, Sri
Lanka and Nigeria.The world's rice
consumption, meanwhile, is estimated
at 483 million tonnes, about 7.7 million
tonnes higher than global output.
The global rice trade is expected to hit 41.9 million tonnes this year, up slightly from 41.88
million tonnes last year.Strong import demand is anticipated, particularly for China (4 million
tonnes), Nigeria (3.5 million tonnes), Iran and the Philippines (1.7 million tonnes each).Gen
Chatchai said the government was committed to working closely with the private sector to both
expand the market and retain market share with rice importers worldwide.The government will
also place equal focus on potential buyers in each region including Asia, Africa, the Middle East,
the EU and the US.The Office of Agriculture and Economics (OAE) estimates Thailand's rice
production from the main crop of 2014-15 at 27.1 million tonnes, a slight increase of 0.06% from
the previous season.
Overall, rice planting in the season was on the decline following the state's policy to discourage
farmers from growing several crops a year for fear of water shortages, especially in irrigated
areas.The falling rice price was another factor that turned farmers to other crops, OAE secretary-
general Lersak Riewtrakulpaibul said.Farmers earned an average 7,862 and 7,878 baht a tonne of
paddy in November and December, respectively, when a large volume of paddy entered the
market.
The figures were lower than the 8,130 baht farmers received from selling paddy last year. The
OAE reported that since the start of the season last October, 25.5 million tonnes of paddy were
harvested, accounting for 94% of total production.Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of
the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said the global rice market would be challenging this year,
as higher supplies were anticipated from other rice-producing nations, particularly Vietnam and
India.Higher supplies and exports from small rice-producing countries such as Myanmar and
Cambodia are also likely, he said.
Despite a sharp drop, the price of Thai rice remains relatively high, notably against grains from
Vietnam."We expect the country to ship at best 10 million tonnes this year," Mr Chookiat
said.The Office of Agriculture and Economics estimates Thailand's rice production from the
main crop of the 2014-15 season at 27.1 million tonnes, a slight increase of 0.06% from last year.
(Photo by Kitja Apichonrojarek)
Bangkok Post
NACC targets Boonsong, others in rice deals
Published: 20 Jan 2015 at 18.42
Online news: Politics
Writer: Online Reporters
The National Anti-Corruption Commission has
passed a resolution to take legal action against
former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom,
his ex-deputy Poom Sarapol and 19 others for graft
in government-to-government rice sales which
might have incurred a loss of over 600 billion baht,
NACC member Vicha Mahakhun said at a press
conference on Tuesday. Former commerce minister
Boonsong Teriyapirom and 20 other officials would be charged with collusion to benefit
companies on the rice-pledging scheme. (Photo by Pattanapong Hirunard)
The NACC's action came two days before former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra delivers a
closing defence statement to the National Legislative Assembly in the rice-pledging scheme on
Thursday and three days before the NLA votes on an impeachment motion against her the next
day. Mr Vicha, who leads an NACC subcommittee investigating the G-to-G rice deals, said the
decision was reached at Tuesday's meeting of the anti-graft agency.He said more than 100 rice
trading companies involved would be investigated in order to complete the investigation report
before the case is filed with the Office of the Attorney General.Mr Boonsong, Mr Poom and 19
others, including high-level Commerce Ministry officials and businessmen, would be charged
with collaborating to allow companies not authorised by China to enter into G-to-G deals,
causing severe damage to the country and the monetary system, he said.
Mr Vicha said the NACC also made a resolution for the Finance Ministry and the Commerce
Ministry's International Trade Department to demand compensation from the companies accused
of involvement for the damages which might amount to more than 600 billion baht.Asked
whether the NACC's decision was intentional as the NLA is scheduled to vote on an
impeachment motion against former prime minister Yingluck Shinwatra over the rice-pledging
scheme on Friday, Mr Vicha said this was a coincident.He said the NACC was investigating this
matter long before the NLA scheduled the impeachment vote. Every step had been carried out in
normal proceedings, he added.
Mr Boonsong, meanwhile, said he had learned of the NACC's decision."Although the the NACC
has decided to take action against me, the legal proceedings have not ended. The NACC still has
to forward the case to the Office of the Attorney General for consideration. It is still not known
whether the OAG will go ahead with the indictment."Even if the OAG decides to indict me in
court, I believe the court will give me justice because I did not do anything wrong as accused,"
Mr Boonsong said.Mr Boonsong said the NACC, in deciding against him today, was likely to
have a hidden agenda."The decision against me was made only two days before Ms Yingluck
was to deliver her closing defence statement to the NLA. I'm only a political bait. They hope my
case will add weight to Ms Yingluck's impeachment. In fact, these are two separate cases," Mr
Boonsong said.
Rice prices drop by P1
By Reuel John F. Lumawag
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
THE National Food Authority (NFA)-Davao City said reported P1 decrease in the price of
regular and well-milled rice brought by the end of the final cropping season last year.Based on
the agency's monitoring, the retail price of regular milled rice is from P31 to P35 per kilograms
(kg) with a prevailing price of P34/kg as of yesterday as compared to P32 to P35/kg last
month.Well-milled rice is at P34 to P38/kg with a prevailing price of P37/kg as compared to P35
to P39/kg last month.
However, in earlier interviews last December 2014, NFA-Davao City also reported that regular
milled rice ranged from P31 to P39 per kilograms (kg) with a prevailing price of P35/kg while
well-milled rice was at P35 to P42/kg with a prevailing price of P38.50/kg.NFA-Davao City
provincial manager Virgilio B. Alerta, in a phone interview with Sun.Star Davao yesterday, said
the decrease in the price of rice was due to an increase in the supply and availability of rice
brought by the harvest during the final cropping season of 2014.He said the rice in the city is
being sourced from Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, and Compostela Valley.
Alerta also said surplus coming from the rice producing provinces of North Cotabato and Sultan
Kudarat are also being sold to the city thus lowering the prices of rice.He said consumers can
expect a stable and low price of rice up until March, the end of the summer cropping.Beginning
April until July, consumers can expect an increase in the prices of rice since it will be the months
wherein there will be little to no harvest of rice.Alerta said the prices are expected to stabilize
and go down beginning August or September, which are the beginning of the final cropping
season.
Commerce Minister visits Hong Kong for cooperation Tuesday, 20 January 2015By NNT
HONG KONG, 18 January 2015 – The Thai Minster of Commerce is on a business trip visiting
Hong Kong to enhance the trade cooperation and push forward the ASEAN - Hong Kong FTA
framework to be completed by 2016.The Minster of Commerce Gen. Chatchai Sarikulya has
revealed his official meeting with the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of
Hong Kong Gregory So, that he is satisfied with the meeting‘s outcome.
He has said that both sides have agreed to extend the trade cooperation and exchanged beneficial
comments for trade developments in the future, especially for the ASEAN - Hong Kong Free
Trade Area (FTA) agreement, which Thailand is appointed as the coordinating country to push
the FTA framework forward towards the targeted time in the year 2016.The ASEAN - Hong
Kong FTA will benefit ASEAN countries in the inclusion of utilizing the trade gateway of Hong
Kong to mainland China free of tax, while Hong Kong can extend its trade and investment to the
ASEAN market that houses 600 million residents.
The Thai Minister has said that the Ministry of Commerce has settled the strategies and plans to
extend the Thai rice exports to the Hong Kong market through various strains of rice to comply
with the individual demands in Hong Kong.For example, the Hom Mali Rice is aimed for the
domestic consumption market through modern trade, and the Hom Patum Rice is aimed for
restaurants and hotels market, while the organic rice will be introduced to the younger
generations.In this occasion, the Minster of Commerce has given the Best Friend of Thai Rice
Award to the seven Hong Kong rice importers that have imported Thai rice in the past ten
years.He has also stressed that the Thai government is aware of the Hong Kong market's
importance to Thai rice, and will control the quality of rice exports to be high in accordance with
demand of consumers in Hong Kong.
http://www.pattayamail.com/business/commerce-minister-visits-hong-kong-for-cooperation-
44422#sthash.9Wt8hJMb.dpuf
Thai anti-graft body charges ex-commerce minister over rice
deal
BANGKOK Tue Jan 20, 2015 7:17am EST
(Reuters) - A former commerce minister and 20 state officials and employees of private firms
will be charged for alleged graft related to rice export deals with two Chinese firms, Thailand's
anti-corruption commission said on Tuesday.Boonsong Teriyapirom, a former commerce
minister, and his deputy in the government of ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, are
accused of falsifying government-to-government rice deals between Thailand and China in 2013.
The Thai government said at the time it had sold 1.2 million tonnes of rice from its stockpiles
to China to reduce stocks."The accused colluded to violate criminal law. The deal never
happened. There was no government-to-government deal," said Wicha Mahakun, a member of
Thailand's National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC)."The NACC has resolved to charge
former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and Poom Sarapol, former deputy commerce
minister, a total of 21 ministers and private sector employees," Wicha said.
The decision comes as Thailand's legislature prepares to vote this week in a case against
Yingluck over her role in a rice buying scheme that lost the state $15 billion, according to the
latest finance ministry estimates.Yingluck faces a separate criminal case over the scheme. Public
prosecutors and the NACC said on Tuesday they would forward the case against her to the
Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders for deliberation.
NACC member Wicha said the government-to-government deal announced by Boonsong and
Pool had caused "huge losses" and that this case would also be forwarded to the Supreme Court's
Criminal Division for Political Office Holders.The NACC said the rice was sold locally and not
exported, as claimed by the then-government. It said it was sold to China-based Guandong
Stationery & Sporting Goods Imp. & Exp. Corp. and Hainan Grain and Oil Industrial Trading
Company, who in turn sold it back to Thailand's Siam Indica, a rice trading company.None of the
companies could immediately be reached for comment.The two Chinese firms were in no way
acting on behalf of the Chinese government, the NACC said in its statement.
Wicha did not give any indication of the price of the rice deals, nor how much money was lost,
but said the NACC would ask the commerce ministry to investigate the alleged losses.Yingluck's
government built up huge stockpiles under the rice buying scheme, in which it bought the grain
from farmers at prices way above the market level, making exports uncompetitive.Opponents of
the scheme, which ended in February 2014, say it was riddled with corruption and led to
smuggling of rice from neighboring countries to take advantage of the prices on offer.(Reporting
by Aukkarapon Niyomyat and Panarat Thepgumpanat; writing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; editing
by David Clarke)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/20/us-thailand-rice-corruption-idUSKBN0KT19120150120
Prices of vegetables and rice dip
K.LAKSHMI AND
As the chilly winter is on, it‘s not just temperature alone
that has dipped. The prices of vegetables and rice have
also seen a considerable drop, much to the relief of
consumers.The Koyambedu wholesale market has been
witnessing 10 per cent hike in sales as winter crops
arrive.Traders say the prices of most vegetables have
come down by 10 per cent as the market gets more
produce.S. Chandran, a wholesale merchant, said several
vegetables like broad beans, carrots and beans have
become affordable compared to last month. Green peas, a
seasonal vegetable, is priced at Rs.40 a kg in wholesale
market.
However, retail prices vary according to the area as vendors also include transportation and
labour charges.P. Selvakumar, a retailer in Adyar, said: ―Only drumsticks are sold for Rs.200 a
kg. If a customer spent Rs.300 to purchase few vegetables last month, the bill has reduced to
Rs.200 now.‖An increase in arrivals due to the harvest season is also the reason for a fall in
prices of rice.
According to D. Thulasingam, president of Federation of Tamil Nadu Rice Mill Owners and
Paddy – Rice Dealers Association, both wholesale and retail prices have come down and these
prices are likely to stay till April.D. Mohan of Saravana Rice Mandy, Adyar depot, said many
customers prefer par boiled rice ( venn puzhungal arisi ) that does not become sticky.―Unusually,
this year the prices started reducing 15 days ago. Many hoteliers buy Sona Massuri rice from
Karnataka. A 25-kg bag used to cost Rs.1050. Now it is Rs. 875,‖ he explained
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/prices-of-vegetables-and-rice-dip/article6803687.ece