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TOP Contents - Tailored for YOU
Latest News Headlines
Thai rice exporters say top ranking regained
World needs UN GMO watchdog Russia
Chainats BAAC expedites rice pledging payments to farmers
Government criticised for ignoring rice exporters in budget
Rabi Paddy Procurement Begins
Myanmar's Parboiled Rice Exports Expected To Surge This Year
Burma needs modernized rice mills, says industry association
USA Rice Welcomes Summer Intern
Rice Research to be Highlighted at Upcoming Field Days
ME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
Dow AgroSciences rice sponsorship invests in future of ag
China accounts for 41.75 pct of Vietnam's rice export in 4 months
Exporter under attack in rice row
DA reports near-full rice harvest from E. Visayas
China accounts for 41.75 pct of Vietnam's rice export in 4 months
High school seniors in rice states eligible for $8,500 in scholarships



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Changing crops with changing climate: Can Pakistan learn from Nepal?
Research proposes formal trade in rice seeds between India and Bangladesh
Tanzania: Research Helps Mvomero Farmers Double Rice Production
FCI should procure rice, not paddy
Green energy dream nears reality in Nueva Ecija
Rabi Paddy Procurement Begins
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- June 06
Monsoon reaches India coast slightly later than usual
Government criticised for ignoring rice exporters in budget
Nigeria Is The Largest Importer Of Rice In The World
News Detail
Thai rice exporters say top ranking regained

By Associated Press, Published: June 4
BANGKOK Thailands rice association said Wednesday the country has regained its spot as the worlds top rice
exporter by volume, after sliding behind India and Vietnam last year due to a failed subsidy and stockpiling policy.The
news website of the state-owned Mass Communications Organization of Thailand said the country exported 3.93 million
tons of rice from January to May 20. It cited Thai Rice Exporters Association president Charoen Laothamatas
Thai rice exporters say top ranking regained

The report said India exported 3.74 million tons in the same period and Vietnam exported 2.4 million
tons.Thailands former government, ousted by a coup last month, implemented a program to buy rice from
farmers at above market prices.As the top rice exporter, Thailand hoped to control the market and push prices
up. But India and Vietnam increased exports, which prompted stockpiling by Thailand as it tried to contain
losses from its subsidy policy aimed at boosting rural incomes.
Its unclear if Thailand will maintain the top exporter spot for the whole year.The U.N. Food and Agriculture
Organization forecast in April that Thailand will export 8.7 million tons in 2014, behind India at 9.5 million



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tons.Despite higher export volumes, Thai rice is commanding a lower price on world markets than other major
exporters. The price is constrained by Thailands large stockpile and questions about quality due to holding the
grain in storage for longer than usual.Rice association data shows Thai 5-percent grade rice is fetching an
average of $390 a ton compared with $405 a ton for Vietnam and $435 a ton for India.Copyright 2014 The
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
World needs UN GMO watchdog Russia
Russian lawmakers advocate creation of an international UN agency not only to strictly control the turnover of
GMO products worldwide, but with a top priority mission to scrutinize how consuming GMO foods would
affect human health in the long run.Aggressive distribution of GMO worldwide is raising huge concerns for
human health, said Russian Federation Council speaker Valentina Matvienko.The speaker urged the executive
branch to make a request to the UN General Assembly to initiate the creation of an international GMO
watchdog.
Its absolutely clear that the GMO problem is a global issue, Valentina Matvienko said.

The speaker of the upper chamber of the Russian
parliament also spoke in favor of facilitating
production of organic food in the country as the
volumes of imported agricultural goods and food
remain substantial, Matvienko said.Russian
authorities are taking measures to contain
uncontrollable spread of GMO foods against the
background of regular worldwide mass rallies over
the distribution of GMO products created by
transnational corporations, such as Monsanto.

In the US, where agricultural producers are not obliged to mark their products if they contain GMO-originated
ingredients, people stage large protests, claiming that from 80 to 95 percent of the American population
would want to have GMO foods labeled.In Russia, where parliament is seeking a moratorium on GMO
production, the situation with GMO consumption has not yet developed into a serious problem, though
membership in the WTO hasopened up the Russian market for GMO products.




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In April, Russias prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, told the countrys parliament that Russia could be self-
sufficient with organic foods only, without allowing GMO food production.
A draft law submitted to the Russian parliament seeks to impose punishment up to criminal prosecution to
producers of genetically-modified organisms harmful to health or the environment.On Thursday, the Federal
Service for Consumer Rights and Human Welfare Protection presented a draft bill that would fine producers
and resellers of food products containing GMO if they fail to mark it properly with GMO inside mark.Russian
citizens do no welcome the products containing GMO either.

According to the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center, a survey taken on May 24-25 in 42 regions of
the Russian Federation found that 54 percent of respondents would not buy food marked with a GMO inside
label.A majority of Russian citizens would prefer organic food to its genetically modified counterpart, even if
that one is considerably cheaper (74 percent), packed in a more attractive manner (76 percent) or has a longer
expiry date (78 percent).Russian citizens also distrust artificial additives to food, such as preservatives (50
percent), food coloring (40 percent), flavor enhancer (33 percent) and antioxidants (31 percent).Only 10 percent
of respondents agreed to definitely buy GMO food, which has these ingredients.

Image: Valentina Matvienko (RIA Novosti / Maksim Blinov)

Chainats BAAC expedites rice pledging payments to farmers
Friday, 06 June 2014By NNT
CHAINAT, 5 June 2014 Chainat provinces Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) is
speeding up the payments that are still due for farmers who have participated in the rice pledging
program.Director of the Chainat BAAC Preecha Puangnoipapha stated that the bank is currently expediting the
payments to rice farmers. He went on to say that the payments for the 2013/2014 rice season totaled 5.2 billion
baht according to the receipts handed by the farmers.
On June 2, Mr. Preecha stated that around 11,500 farmers came to the bank to receive their overdue payments,
which totaled 1.43 billion baht. Recently, the Chainat BAAC would receive an additional 880 million baht from
the budget disbursement by June 6.The Chainat BAAC stated that it will finish allocating the remaining 880
million baht budget from the state and pay rice farmers in the province by June 8. In regards to the rest of the
farmers still in need of payment, the BAAC said that the last sums of payments should all be delivered by June
12.




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Government criticised for ignoring rice exporters in budget
June 06, 2014
RECORDER REPORT
Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) Senior Vice-Chairman Chela Ram Kewlani has criticised the
government for ignoring the association's proposals in the federal budget 2014-15. Speaking toBusiness
Recorder here on Thursday, Kewlani said that the rice export industry was the country's second largest earner of
foreign exchange, but this key export sector had been ignored in the recently announced budget. "In a recent
meeting with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, REAP had presented some proposals for the benefit of the rice export
sector and the finance minister had promised to consider the proposals in the budget but not a single
recommendation of the association was considered," he regretted.

He said that the rice exporters were facing serious problems including harassment by government departments
and poor law and order situation. Kewlani said that the rice exporters had been badly affected by the fluctuation
of dollar during the last couple of months and after several meetings with the commerce ministry and the
finance ministry, the exporters had been assured that they would be compensated in the federal budget, but
unfortunately the government did not honour its commitment. He said that the rice exporters had been expecting
some relief from the government but they were disappointed after the announcement of the budget. He urged
the government to look into the issues being faced by the rice exporters and provide them relief.

Rabi Paddy Procurement Begins
By Express News Service
Published: 06th June 2014 10:33 AM
Last Updated: 06th June 2014 10:33 AM

JEYPORE: More than 3,000 quintals of rabi paddy were procured in Jeypore, Kundra and Borrigumma mandis
as per the schedule on Monday. Jeypore MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati along with Government officials, LAMP
staff, millers and farmers were present on the first day of procurement. The officials checked several godowns
of millers in the district to avoid dumping by middlemen.Koraput Collector Yamini Sarangi said the
administration would complete the procurement process with transparency.She warned stern action against the
middlemen and millers if they harass the farmers.
Myanmar's Parboiled Rice Exports Expected To Surge This Year



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HANOI, June 6 (Bernama) -- Myanmar's parboiled rice exports are likely to surge to 300,000 tonnes in the
2014-2015 fiscal year, the Myanmar Rice Industry Association said.The figure is up almost nine times higher
than the 30,000 tonnes shipped abroad in the previous fiscal year, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.The
government is keen to expand the local market for parboiled rice besides increasing foreign demand for the
commodity.The Myanmar Agribusiness Public Corporation said the government hopes to raise domestic sales
of parboiled rice to 300,000 tonnes per annum.Construction of new rice mills will be completed before the
monsoon harvest and are expected to produce up to 1,800 tonnes of parboiled rice per day.Rice mills with
production capacity of between 50 tonnes and 100 tonnes per day are currently being constructed.
Burma needs modernized rice mills, says industry association
Farmers plant rice seedlings in a paddy field on the outskirts of Rangoon in 2012. (Photo:
Reuters)

The Myanmar Rice Millers Association (MRMA) has stressed the need
for setting up modernized rice milling units in the country to be able to
increase exports of high-quality 5 percent broken rice, according to local
sources. The MRMA noted that Burmas high-quality 5 percent broken
rice (locally known as tann myint) has huge demand from Europe and
Japan, but local millers lack facilities to meet the demands.
They say sophisticated milling units with rice polishers and colour-sorter machines, which can produce high-grade 5
percent broken rice, are needed to keep abreast with the market needs. Currently, there are less than 10 high-tech and
modernized rice mills that can produce 100 to 400 tons in the country, according to the MRMA. Owing to the high
cost of producing 5 percent broken rice, most of the millers have stopped its production.
The MRMA has been demanding government assistance in setting up hi-tech milling units but the government has
allegedly been indifferent to the rice millers demands. The Association says even the 25 percent broken rice (locally
known as ae-ma-hta), which is largely exported to Africa, and many other varieties of rice produced in Burma do not
get higher prices in foreign markets as they are not polished during the milling process.Also, falling rice prices and
surging electricity charges have forced many small- and medium-sized millers to shut down their operations, says a
former MRMA chairman. MRMA data shows that there are about 2,000 regular mills with an average milling
capacity between 15 and 100 tons.




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The Myanmar Agribusiness Public Corporation (MAPC) is constructing new parboiling rice mills with a combined
capacity of 200,000 tons and 300,000 tons of parboiled rice annually. The general secretary of MRMA expressed
hope that the government takes some initiative to construct a few tann myint mills also in the country.Burmas
government is keen on regaining its once top rice exporter status and accordingly plans to increase its rice exports to
about three million tons over the next five years, up almost three times the current exports of around one million
tons.
It is also working on a new trade policy and would help rice exporters gain access to new markets. However,
inadequate funding and government subsidies are discouraging farmers from producing high-quality rice suitable for
international sales, say local sources.USDA estimates Burma to export 1.3 million tons of rice in 2014 (January
December), up 12 percent from an estimated 1.16 million tons in 2013. The agency estimates the country to produce
12 million tons of rice in 2013-14, up about 2 percent from an estimated 11.7 million tons in 2012-13.

This article was originally published in Oryza on 5 June 2014. Oryza is an industry leader in rice and a media
partner of DVB.
USA Rice Welcomes Summer Intern

ARLINGTON, VA -- Summer is intern season in
Washington, DC, and the USA Rice Federation is
pleased to have Lydia Holmes filling this role for
the next few months. Lydia recently graduated
from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee,
with a degree in political science, and will be
returning to the classroom in the fall when she
begins her master's program in public
administration at George Washington
University.Lydia will be helping the Government
Affairs, Domestic Promotion, and
Communications teams this summer, and will be
on hand for this year's Rice Millers' Association
meeting as well.Lydia is no stranger to the rice
industry, having grown up on a rice farm in
Forrest City, Arkansas, and serving as Miss
Arkansas Rice in 2009. She is the only daughter
of Brenda and Byron Holmes.



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Image: Hard at work in the USA Rice prep kitchen.
Rice Research to be Highlighted at Upcoming Field Days
KINDER, LA -- During the coming weeks rice growers will have the
opportunity to receive the latest research results and recommendations
from scientists throughout rice country. Mark your calendars and plan
to attend the field day nearest you.

Contact: Randy Jemison, (337) 738-7009


June 12 -- Acadia Parish and Rice Research Station South Farm Field Day
8:00 a.m.
LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station South Farm
Hwy 13 South, Crowley, LA
Contact: Barrett A. Courville, bcourville@agcenter.lsu.edu

June 24 -- 40th Eagle Lake Field Day and Program
4:00 p.m.
Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center
Eagle Lake, TX
Contact: Dr. Ted Wilson, lt-wilson@aesrg.tamu.edu
June 25 -- LSU AgCenter Rice Field Day
7:30-9:15 a.m.
Field Tours -- Program begins at 10:45 a.m. and concludes with lunch
LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station
1373 Caffey Rd., Rayne, LA
Contact: Dr. Steve Linscombe (337) 788-7531 or slinscombe@agcenter.lsu.edu

Attendees gather at Southwest LA
Field Day yesterday on J immy
Hoppe's farm.
ME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for June 6
Month Price Net Change
July 2014 $14.175 + $0.095



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September 2014 $13.900 + $0.060
November 2014 $14.025 + $0.050
January 2015 $14.165 + $0.050
March 2015 $14.310 + $0.045
May 2015 $14.310 + $0.045
July 2015 $14.310 + $0.0


Dow AgroSciences rice sponsorship invests in future of ag

Dow AgroSciences | Updated: 06/05/2014

Dow AgroSciences is investing in its future leaders by supporting educational initiatives that focus on the
importance of U.S.-grown rice.For the fifth year, Dow AgroSciences is sponsoring the USA Rice Federations
National Rice Month 2014 scholarship program. Students who are high school seniors in the 2014-15 school
year and live in rice-producing counties in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas are
eligible to apply for scholarships totaling $8,500. To apply, students are required to develop a promotional
tactic in their local community that highlights U.S.-grown rice as part of National Rice Month in September.

The USA Rice Federation is proud to support education in partnership with Dow AgroSciences, which funds
three scholarship awards, says Betsy Ward, president and CEO of the USA Rice Federation. High school
seniors who participate do an excellent job applying their energy and creativity to promote the importance of
U.S.-grown rice and its role in their home states.The USA Rice Federation will award three scholarships based
on the creativity and impressions of the promotional entries.




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The 2013 Rice Month Scholarship grand prize was awarded to Jessica Whitaker of McGehee, Arkansas, for a
mass media promotion about the benefits of the rice industry. Whitakers news articles reached an estimated
audience of 21,000 throughout southeastern Arkansas.
We at Dow AgroSciences feel its important to get students excited about agriculture, and the USA Rice
Federation scholarships are a great way to spark that enthusiasm, says Darla Huff, U.S. rice product manager
from Dow AgroSciences. The students efforts also help build awareness of the valuable contributions the rice
industry makes to this countrys economy.Promotions must be executed in September, and applications must
be submitted by Oct. 13, 2014. Students are encouraged to obtain their applications before the end of the school
year. Scholarship forms and additional guidelines are available at the USA Rice Federationwebsite

.Many of the scholarship applicants grew up on a rice farm or in a community where rice plays a vital role in
the economy, Ward says. Conducting a rice promotion is an opportunity to show support and helps develop
organizational and communications skills needed in college and future careers.The grand-prize winner will
receive a $4,000 scholarship and a trip with a chaperone to the award ceremony at the 2014 USA Rice Outlook
conference this December in Little Rock, Arkansas. The second-place winner will receive a $3,000 scholarship,
and the third-place winner will receive a $1,500 scholarship.

Dow AgroSciences has a strong portfolio of rice herbicides that keep fields clean and help growers maximize
yield potential. The portfolio includes Grasp, RebelEX, Grasp Xtra, Grandstand and Clincher SF herbicides for
rice grown in Southern states and Granite SC, Granite GR, Grandstand CA and Clincher CA herbicides for use
in California water-seeded rice.
Visit www.DowRiceHerbicides.com for more information.

China accounts for 41.75 pct of Vietnam's rice export in 4 months
06.06.2014
China remained Vietnam's largest rice importer in the first four months of 2014, accounting for 41.75 percent of
Vietnam's rice export, said Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on
Thursday.According to the MARD's latest report, during the January-April period, China imported some
913,957 tons of Vietnamese rice, worth 392.46 million U.S. dollars, up 2.39 percent in volume and 4.94 percent
in value year on year.In the period, Vietnam's average rice export price enjoyed a year-on-year increase of 4.4
percent to hit 456.19 U.S. dollars per ton, said the MARD.In May, Vietnam sold 591,000 tons of rice worth 259
million U.S. dollars to overseas markets.



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During the first five months, the country earned 1.19 billion U. S. dollars from exporting 2.65 million tons of
rice, down 7.3 percent in value and 10.2 percent in volume year on year, said the report.The decrease of
Vietnamese rice exports during the period resulted from remarkable decline in demand of several Vietnamese
rice markets including Malaysia, Ivory Coast and Singapore, assessed Vietnam Industry and Trade Information
Center (VITIC) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.Vietnam Food Association was quoted by VITIC as
saying that in 2014, Vietnam's rice export will face further difficulties with shrinking market and strong
competition from Thailand.According to Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, Vietnam is one of the most
important rice producers and exporters in the world.

Rice plays the most important role among agricultural commodities in Vietnam in terms of food security, rural
wages and employment, as well as export revenues.In 2013, Vietnam earned 2.99 billion U.S. dollars from
exporting 6.72 million tons of rice. and it is expected to meet the target of exporting 7 million tons in 2014.



Exporter under attack in rice row

Fri, 6 June 2014
Daniel de Carteret and May Kunmakara
In December 2011, the managing director of Megagreen
Imex Cambodia, Renne Outh, proudly announced that his
firm had inked a $21 million deal to be the first to ship
Cambodian rice to the Philippines.Nearly two and a half
years on, not a single Cambodian grain has reached Manila.
Export figures for the first five months of 2014 show that
Megagreen, once among the top 10 rice exporters in the
country, has fallen to 48th out of 84.The failed Philippines
deal marks a pattern of broken promises, as the agricultural
wholesaler now finds itself besieged by creditors and
lawsuits seeking damages in excess of $1 million, with flawed agreements from one end of the supply chain to
the other.
So what went wrong?



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The answer, at least in part, is that for many doing business with Megagreen, the dealings have been far from
agreeable.Megagreen owes money to farmers, millers, a large foreign investor, one of the regions biggest
banks and the governments own agricultural export business, Green Trade.In two sale and purchase documents
obtained by the Post, one for 16,200 square metres of land in Siem Reaps Pouk district, and the other for a rice
mill on which it sits, Megagreen agreed to buy the assets from Singapore-based agricultural investment fund
Nagathom for a combined total of $670,000. Both contracts are dated March 14, 2012, and signed by
Megagreen directors Outh and Prince Sisowath Pheanuroth.According to emails and documentation leaked to
the Post, the rice exporter paid just $400,000 of the sale price and has agreed to several new deals with
Nagathom for the remaining balance in the intervening years.
Globally you give us a delay until 31 December 2012. In this regard, we consider that the fine of 5% of interest
is reasonable. We accept the facts, reads an email dated October 10, 2012, from Megagreen director
Pheanuroth to Nagathoms director Erez Shalev.So we ready to sign the SPA [sale purchase agreement] at
your convenient time knowing that the situation will be solved entirely before December, it continues,
referring to an amended agreement for the balance.
But the money never came, the Siem Reap mill remains unused, and Nagathom, after more than two years of
go-nowhere negotiations, filed a court claim two months ago. Following two hearings, Megagreen has
requested more time and the case is set to resume on June 20.Headquartered in Phnom Penh, Megagreen says it
has exported to, and is currently working with, entities in the European Union, Africa, Australia, the Middle
East and the United States.
The firm launched its rice production and export business in 2010, the same year that the government
announced its rice policy, which included the ambitious target to export 1 million tonnes in 2015.Fuelled by a
rising demand from overseas buyers, and with the support from the European Unions Everything But Arms
duty-free access to member states, Cambodian rice exports have almost doubled in two years, from 202,000
tonnes exported in 2011 to 379,000 in 2013.A fattening market, however, means greater competition, and not
everyone has the ability to keep up, according to David Van, executive director at rice exporter Boost Riche
Cambodia.

I would say that rice trading is highly competitive and that many exporters may not be savvy enough to
suspend their commercial activities, said Van, who declined to point the finger at any single exporter.
Therefore, all I would say is to urge more effort for professionalism as to how people manage their
corporation.According to Nagathoms Shalev, Megagreen hasnt met expectations.A revised purchase
agreement dated January 9, 2013, was sent to the Nagathom director from Megagreens Outh, with an amended
value of $1.2 million for both the Siem Reap land and the rice mill.




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Basically, they told me that in order for them to pay, they want to inflate the price of the rice mill and the land
in order for them to get a higher mortgage from the bank and in return to be able to pay for the rice mill,
Shalev said.In what might be the exporters biggest creditor, regional banking giant Maybank is pursuing
Megagreen through the courts for default on a loan of more than $800,000, according to documents obtained by
the Post.Maybank declined to comment on the details of the case.And the broken deals do not end there.
Megagreen has suppliers, who collect their paddy from farmers and other millers, still awaiting payments on
agreements dating back nearly two years.
The exporter, they say, refuses to even acknowledge their claims.I previously sold to him [Rene Outh] around
200 to 300 tonnes and I always got paid. Though, on the last deal, 150 tonnes has not been paid since 2012,
said one miller who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the subject. I have not prepared anything
against him yet. I am waiting to see the response back from him to me.One mill supplier who is still awaiting
payment on a deal to supply 500 tonnes of paddy says Megareen director Outh has cut off contact.I have tried
to meet him face-to-face to talk about a resolution, but so far we have not met, said the supplier from Kampong
Thom province who also asked not to be named.
Before, he told me that the administrative staff were in charge, but when I contacted them, they were not in
charge, he said, adding that he was in discussions with his partner as to how to pursue the nearly $20,000 that
is allegedly still owed.The state-owned agricultural producer and exporter Green Trade confirmed that they
have also filed a legal suit against Megagreen, but said they are currently negotiating an out-of-court settlement
and declined to provide the size of the claim.With more than 20 years industry experience, Kim Savuth,
president of the leading rice exporter Khmer Food, said broken promises from a few exporters were hurting the
industry.
Some exporters are just going to sign the big deal with buyers, however, in fact, they just sign it and drop it. It
gives a bad image to the whole industry, he said, declining to name any specific exporter. They sign and then
throw it into the bin thats a really bad image to our country as we are already well-known for our rice
quality.For more than a month, Megagreen has declined to comment to the Post, but in the experience of
foreign investor Nagathom, the inability of the rice exporter to hold a promise means the damage has spilled
beyond the reputation of one of Cambodias primary industries into the economy at large.
It is either, I will not make business in Cambodia at all that is my conclusion right now and what I am
trying to do is to basically sell all the assets and move out to other countries, Shalev said. The other option is
to join with a very strong local partner, that maybe, will be able to take you through the roots, that will protect
you from such events, but who can count on this local partner [not becoming] another Megagreen?

Image: The interior of a rice milling plant in 2010. The plant was closed after a failed deal left it without finance. PHOTO
SUPPLIED
DA reports near-full rice harvest from E. Visayas



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THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA) said that in typhoon-hit Eastern Visayas, farmers have already
harvested most of the rice from fields under a state rehabilitation program and that the salvaging of damaged
coconut trees is still underway.
In a brief statement yesterday, DA Secretary Proceso J. Alcala cited internal data when he said that "at least"
96% of rice from seeds under a post-typhoon-Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) rehabilitation program were
harvested last month from some 55,280 hectares.He added that this was the first crop since the disaster for
56,500 farmers, some of whom saw "much higher yields than the usual, largely because of the timely provision
production inputs" and had received the seeds and urea fertilizer under the rehabilitation for the December-
January planting season.
Some 284,682 trees, or 75% of the 391,696 felled tress that the DA cut and turned between March and May,
were in Tacloban and 13 other towns in Leyte, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) director
Asis G. Perez was quoted saying in the statement.The DA added that at least 70% of the 1.16 million coconut
seedlings that sub-agency Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) distributed in the same three months had already
been planted, half of which were in Eastern Samar.

The PCA estimated that typhoon Yolanda caused some P16.6-million worth of damages to 33.82-million trees
in Eastern Visayas -- 15.04 million of which were classified as totally damaged.The super storm, which had
maximum sustained winds of 315 kilometers per hour, tore through the central Philippines on November 8,
2013, causing tsunami-like storm surges that devastated coastal settlements.The government placed the official
death toll at approximately 6,200, with damage to farms and properties pegged at some P39 billion. -- Anton
Joshua M. Santos

China accounts for 41.75 pct of Vietnam's rice export in 4 months
06.06.2014
China remained Vietnam's largest rice importer in the first four months of 2014, accounting for 41.75 percent of
Vietnam's rice export, said Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on
Thursday.According to the MARD's latest report, during the January-April period, China imported some
913,957 tons of Vietnamese rice, worth 392.46 million U.S. dollars, up 2.39 percent in volume and 4.94 percent
in value year on year.In the period, Vietnam's average rice export price enjoyed a year-on-year increase of 4.4
percent to hit 456.19 U.S. dollars per ton, said the MARD.In May, Vietnam sold 591,000 tons of rice worth 259
million U.S. dollars to overseas markets.



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During the first five months, the country earned 1.19 billion U. S. dollars from exporting 2.65 million tons of
rice, down 7.3 percent in value and 10.2 percent in volume year on year, said the report.The decrease of
Vietnamese rice exports during the period resulted from remarkable decline in demand of several Vietnamese
rice markets including Malaysia, Ivory Coast and Singapore, assessed Vietnam Industry and Trade Information
Center (VITIC) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.Vietnam Food Association was quoted by VITIC as
saying that in 2014, Vietnam's rice export will face further difficulties with shrinking market and strong
competition from Thailand.

According to Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, Vietnam is one of the most important rice producers and
exporters in the world. Rice plays the most important role among agricultural commodities in Vietnam in terms
of food security, rural wages and employment, as well as export revenues.In 2013, Vietnam earned 2.99 billion
U.S. dollars from exporting 6.72 million tons of rice. and it is expected to meet the target of exporting 7 million
tons in 2014.

High school seniors in rice states eligible for $8,500 in scholarships
Jun 6, 2014
Dow sponsoring USA Rice Federation scholarship.
For the fifth year, Dow AgroSciences is sponsoring the USA Rice Federations National Rice Month 2014
scholarship program. Students who are high school seniors in the 2014-15 school year and live in rice-producing
counties or parishes in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas are eligible to apply for
scholarships totaling $8,500. To apply, students are required to develop a promotional tactic in their local
community that highlights U.S.-grown rice as part of National Rice Month in September.
The USA Rice Federation is proud to support education in partnership with Dow AgroSciences, which funds three
scholarship awards, says Betsy Ward, president and CEO of the USA Rice Federation. High school seniors who
participate do an excellent job applying their energy and creativity to promote the importance of U.S.-grown rice and
its role in their home states.The USA Rice Federation will award three scholarships based on the creativity and
impressions of the promotional entries. The 2013 Rice Month Scholarship grand prize was awarded to Jessica
Whitaker of McGehee, Arkansas, for a mass media promotion about the benefits of the rice industry.
Whitakers news articles reached an estimated audience of 21,000 throughout southeastern Arkansas.We at Dow
AgroSciences feel its important to get students excited about agriculture, and the USA Rice Federation scholarships
are a great way to spark that enthusiasm, says Darla Huff, U.S. rice product manager from Dow AgroSciences.



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The students efforts also help build awareness of the valuable contributions the rice industry makes to this
countrys economy.Promotions must be executed in September, and applications must be submitted by Oct. 13,
2014. Students are encouraged to obtain their applications before the end of the school year. Scholarship forms and
additional guidelines are available at the USA Rice Federation website.
Many of the scholarship applicants grew up on a rice farm or in a community where rice plays a vital role in the
economy, Ward says. Conducting a rice promotion is an opportunity to show support and helps develop
organizational and communications skills needed in college and future careers.The grand-prize winner will receive
a $4,000 scholarship and a trip with a chaperone to the award ceremony at the 2014 USA Rice Outlook conference
this December in Little Rock, Arkansas. The second-place winner will receive a $3,000 scholarship, and the third-
place winner will receive a $1,500 scholarship.Dow AgroSciences portfolio of rice herbicides includes Grasp,
RebelEX, Grasp Xtra, Grandstand and Clincher SF herbicides for rice grown in Southern states and Granite SC,
Granite GR, Grandstand CA and Clincher CA herbicides for use in California water-seeded rice.
Visit www.DowRiceHerbicides.com for more information.

Changing crops with changing climate: Can Pakistan learn from Nepal?
By Zofeen T. Ebrahim
Published 2 days ago
Draupadi Basnet is a smallholder farmer in her 40s from the village of Agyuali in Nepal's terai (plains)
land. She used to grow rice and only rice on the 1.5 hectares of land belonging to her in-laws. Like 75 per
cent of the working population engaged in rice farming, that's all she knew, until 2012.
With no irrigation canal near her
village, she says, she would just sit
back after the sowing and wait for the
rains. In a good year she earned as
much as 15,000 Nepali rupees (PKR
15,834).That year, Draupadi turned
her paddy into a banana
plantation."Climate induced her to
change," says Atiq Rahman,
executive director of Bangladesh
Centre for Advanced Studies. Hers,
he says, is a perfect example of how



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communities are making adaptations to climate.
In the last several years, Basnet had begun to notice a shift in the monsoon season. The rains she would wait for
endlessly would never come at the right time and she began to feel the impact of climate change."The rains
became more and more erratic and the growing season
kept shortening."
On the sidelines of the 8th Annual Community-based
Adaptation (CBA) Conference in Khatmandu, Rahman
told Dawn.com:"Extreme events will occur more
frequently and more intensely by climate change though
they may not necessarily be caused by it. But
unfortunately, it is the poor who will bear the brunt of
it."Also participating in the conference organised by the
International Institute for Environment and Development
was Sam Bickersteth, chief executive of Climate and
Development Knowledge Network (CDKN). Bickersteth
emphasised the power of CBA and how it "harnesses
local capacity and resources, builds on indigenous knowledge and recognises the potential of autonomous
adaptation."
Rice is, by far, the most important staple crop of
Nepal and is grown in 1.53 million hectares and the
productivity is 2.56 t/ha on about 50 per cent of the
total agricultural area. It contributes to nearly 20 per
cent to the agricultural gross domestic product,
accounting for 50 per cent of the total calorie
requirement of the Nepalese people.However, with
Nepal in the throes of climate aberrations, and the
farmers clinging on to ancient farming practices, it is
becoming increasingly difficult to be productive.
A rice field in Nepal. -Photo by Zofeen T Ebrahim.
Basnet's case is not too different from those of smallholder farmers in Pakistan, who also talk of fluctuating
temperatures and unpredictable precipitation. Perhaps, then, some lessons can be learnt from Nepal.Pakistani
economist and water expert Dr Pervaiz Amir says that while the best quality rice that is grown in Pakistan is
dependent on rains and supplemented by irrigation, it would be prudent to use "water which is scarce for high
value fruits and vegetables for export".Both geographically and topographically, the tarai in Nepal can be
likened to some areas below the motorway, like Lillah, parts of Mianwali, and the delta region in Sindh.
Although not too enthusiastic about the idea of growing bananas (which can be grown in the delta area), Dr
Amir says: "We can look at alternatives like citrus, vegetables and fish".And where there is no irrigation, he



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suggests taking up dry-land farming growing pomegranate, almonds, investing in honey production and rearing
livestock and ostrich, (which has a very high value for export). He also places a lot of emphasis on growing
trees for fuelwood and fodder. "More trees will bring more rain!"Additionally, Dr Amir says, "Maize should
come in fast as it has numerous by-products. You see, it is the market that determines what will be produced in
an economical way. Complex crops require a lot of institutional support with the latter creating or generating
high value from exports.
"Meanwhile, Rahman says: "What needs to be done is use indigenous knowledge, add scientific knowledge to it
and then transfer it back to the communities." If that does not happen, "the knowledge gap will consequently
threaten productivity."But it's easier said than done.Prabha Pokhrel, who has been working with the smallholder
farmer community for years as a social development expert and chairperson of the Integrated Development
Society in Nepal, knows that too well."It's very difficult to change the mindset here. People are very reluctant to
change crops. We've tried to encourage them to change from rice to water melon and peanuts which uses less
water and can be 10 times more profitable but it took a very rigorous effort to bring about the changeover.
"Even for Basnet, the decision to change her decades old practice of cultivating rice to something totally alien to
her was not an easy one. But after seeing how much she profited, four farmers decide to follow her and took to
cultivating bananas.Saraswati Bhurtyal, a project officer with the non-governmental organisation LI-BIRD
(Local Initiatives for Biodiversity Research and Development) in Nepal, has known Basnet since 2007. Back
then, her organisation first began work in Agyauli and provided Basnet with technical assistance, as well as
the sucker (shoot) through which the fruit is propagated.
"After she converted her land into a banana plantation, we've all noticed the change in her and her household.
She is happier, more confident and her family is eating well. Her two younger children are continuing with
education instead of dropping out as many do, and her eldest, a son, who had gone as a migrant worker, to some
Gulf country, has returned and wants to help his mother in farming. He realises there is more money in this."
Bhurtyal says her son will cultivate another 1.5 ha of their land that remained uncultivated, as she didn't want to
take the risk given the unpredictable weather condition. "It's easier to grow bananas than rice," she says.She has
also experimented with intercropping and grows pumpkin, radishes and carrots. "Now, she earns NPR 40,000
(PKR 42,226) from the bananas and about Rs 30,000 (PKR 31,669) from intercropping," says Bhurtyal.Unlike
banana, rice (a water-intensive crop needs three or four waterings in a season that lasts two-and-a-half months
and) there is a long wait before farmers can reap the benefit.On the other hand, with bananas, the time between
planting and harvesting is shorter and she gets a regular amount of money by selling bunches every other week.
Image: Draupadi Basnet, a farmer in her 40s belonging to the village of Agyuali, Nepal. -Photo by Zofeen T
Ebrahim.
Research proposes formal trade in rice seeds between India and
Bangladesh
PTI Jun 5, 2014, 05.02PM IST




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Tags:Trade|rice seeds|product|open|Insurability|India|Bangladesh
(Formal trade in rice seeds)


KOLKATA: A research paper has proposed that formal tradein rice
seeds between India and Bangladesh could open up a tremendous market opportunity
and improve livelihood of the farmers of both the countries.The paper, based on a
Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) study, said that farmers of both the
countries could immensely gain from the formalisation of trade in rice seeds which at
present was smuggled out from India and Bangladesh.Quoting the Indian Council of
Agri cultural Research (ICAR), the paper said gains could be in terms of market
opportunity estimated to be worth more than USD 20 million, improved crop yield and better livelihood.S P
Singh, policy analyst with CUTS which was a leading NGO which does studies on regional trade barriers and
other issues, told reporters that research had shown that farmers from both the countries use rice seeds which
were smuggled out."Farmers in West Bengal and certain other states use smuggled rice seeds from Bangladesh
and vice versa," Singh said.

Singh said if these exchanges were made through the formal route, both the countries could generate export
earnings, besides engaging into R&D activity to improve the crop yield.He said informally traded seeds were of
poor quality which was affecting rice yields.Singh said it was matter of policy advocacy by CUTS for both the
governments to take note of and act accordingly.According to him, there were no trade barriers between formal
trading in rice seeds. What was required was sensitising both the governments, he said.

Tanzania: Research Helps Mvomero Farmers Double Rice Production
BY ORTON KIISHWEKO, 6 JUNE 2014
FARMERS in Mvomero District have doubled rice production from four to eight tonnes per acre following
innovation produced by researchers at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA).The innovation involves
moving away from traditional methods and producing more food with less water which is one of the main
challenges facing irrigated agriculture.SUA researchers have done it under a mechanism known as system of
Rice Intensification (SRI) project, funded by Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) aimed at
investigating the performance of System of Rice Intensification.
Speaking to the 'Daily News,' various farmers reported having their production doubling and as a result
improving quality of their lives. A farmer from Mkindo Village, Athumani Kazumba, said that the project had
been effective and efficient in seeds and water management in their rice farms.He said they started in 2012 with
the days of planting rice seeds reducing from 21 days to only eight days, and reducing amount of rice seeds and
water utilization in their fields.A peasant, Costa Kongo, commended initiatives being taken by the government
saying if COSTECH injected more funds into the project to reach more farmers, the district would attain food
self-sufficiency.Another farmer, Stamili Kassimu, urged the government to give priority to women especially
the elderly so that they benefit from the project.



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The farmers, however, said there was need to improve the district's irrigation infrastructure to scale up
production and ensure reliable markets for the farmers.He said they have received education on SRI, adding that
because of its importance, there should be deliberate efforts to train other farmers so they can raise rice
productivity and income.A technical personnel of the project from Mvomero District Council, Jackson Kimodi,
said that the farmers should make sure that they comply with rules stipulated by ensuring that their irrigation
systems are clean throughout the rice growing season.
He said the good results are part of Big Results Now (BRN) because through SRI they have been able to
increase production from four to eight tonnes per hectare.The National Coordinator of the Open Forum on
Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB), Tanzania chapter operating under COSTECH, Mr Philbert
Nyinondi , said that there are 56 projects funded by COSTECH through public funds.He said the projects are
implemented by local scientists using government funds, confirming many of the projects as doing well. COSTECH
has funded some 56 projects from 30 research institutes and universities across the country.
Tanzania: Research Helps Mvomero Farmers Double Rice Production

BY ORTON KIISHWEKO, 6 JUNE 2014
FARMERS in Mvomero District have doubled rice production from four to eight tonnes per acre following
innovation produced by researchers at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA).The innovation involves
moving away from traditional methods and producing more food with less water which is one of the main
challenges facing irrigated agriculture.SUA researchers have done it under a mechanism known as system of
Rice Intensification (SRI) project, funded by Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) aimed at
investigating the performance of System of Rice Intensification.Speaking to the 'Daily News,' various farmers
reported having their production doubling and as a result improving quality of their lives. A farmer from
Mkindo Village, Athumani Kazumba, said that the project had been effective and efficient in seeds and water
management in their rice farms.He said they started in 2012 with the days of planting rice seeds reducing from
21 days to only eight days, and reducing amount of rice seeds and water utilization in their fields.
A peasant, Costa Kongo, commended initiatives being taken by the government saying if COSTECH injected
more funds into the project to reach more farmers, the district would attain food self-sufficiency.Another
farmer, Stamili Kassimu, urged the government to give priority to women especially the elderly so that they
benefit from the project.The farmers, however, said there was need to improve the district's irrigation
infrastructure to scale up production and ensure reliable markets for the farmers.He said they have received
education on SRI, adding that because of its importance, there should be deliberate efforts to train other farmers
so they can raise rice productivity and income.A technical personnel of the project from Mvomero District
Council, Jackson Kimodi, said that the farmers should make sure that they comply with rules stipulated by
ensuring that their irrigation systems are clean throughout the rice growing season.
He said the good results are part of Big Results Now (BRN) because through SRI they have been able to
increase production from four to eight tonnes per hectare.The National Coordinator of the Open Forum on
Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB), Tanzania chapter operating under COSTECH, Mr Philbert



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Nyinondi , said that there are 56 projects funded by COSTECH through public funds.He said the projects are
implemented by local scientists using government funds, confirming many of the projects as doing well.
COSTECH has funded some 56 projects from 30 research institutes and universities across the country.
FCI should procure rice, not paddy
TEJINDER NARANG

Official agencies will be insulated from paddy operations and market diversion
June 5, 2014:
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) and State Government Agencies under current dispensation first procure
paddy and then get it custom-milled from rice millers by paying fixed tolling charges. This system is exposed to
massive abuse that needs correction by the new Government without affecting farmers interests.Total paddy
(un-milled rice) production in the country is about 160 million tonnes, including 16 million tonnes of basmati
paddy.
Currently, all official agencies procure about 49-53 million
tonnes of non-basmati paddy, equal to 32-35 million tonnes of
milled rice every year. More than 107 million tonnes of paddy
of non-basmati and basmati rice is annually traded between
farmers/millers/traders privately. Farmers are thus fully
familiar with open market operations.Indias output of grains,
oilseeds, sugarcane,fruits, vegetables, spices and cotton output
is about 800 million tonnes. Ninety per cent of the produce is
transacted by farmers privately. Thus, it is factually incorrect
to argue that farmers will be hurt if state sponsorship of paddy
procurement is dismantled.
Gross misappropriation
Currently, FCI official agencies make payment to farmers for the procurement of paddy at minimum support
price (MSP), while stocks are stored with rice millers under Custom Milling of Rice (CMR) agreement. As of
April 1, , millers held about 15 million tonnes of paddy alone, costing 20,000 crore at a MSP of 13,450 a
tonne.Millers act as bailees of state agencies having possession but not ownership of paddy. Since long-term
stocking of paddy is challenging they generally sell paddy or milled rice in the market and replenish the FCI
when demanded, by purchasing it back from the market.
Commercially, the transaction may be squared up on tonne-to-tonne basis and not on grain-to-grain basis that
means paddy supplied by FCI may not milled for FCI, but rice bought from the market is finally lodged with
FCI.This amounts to unchecked misuse of official funding and leakages.Between 1995 and 2005, Punjab,
Haryana and Andhra Pradesh were prime producers of surplus rice. FCI agencies procured paddy and then



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despatched milled rice to deficient regions. Since 2005, there is a remarkable turnaround. Paddy is harvested by
more than 10 States with West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh being the leading provinces.

Rice production has scaled up from 85 million tonnes to 103 million tonnes during the period. In the last 25
years, India has not imported any rice on Government account. For the last three years we are the worlds
largest exporter of rice. Sufficiency of paddy/rice is thus affirmed.Paddy is a water guzzler and results into
depletion of water table. Its state-sponsored over-production is unreasonable specially when need and necessity
of procuring and storing large volumes in north and then moving it elsewhere, is diminished.
Remedy

FCI should limit itself to procurement of milled rice and dispense dealing with paddy purchases, which
should be left to millers. Procedurally, FCI may need to work out a fresh/revised Custom Milling of Rice
agreement (CMR-REV) in which responsibility of paddy procurement at MSP will be of millers. Obligation of
FCI will be to source predetermined tonnage of milled rice at a price notified and based upon MSP of paddy.
Banks can finance approved milers based upon letter of comfort from FCI\state agencies. Present procedure
of distribution and subsidisation to targeted beneficiaries will continue as per PDS entitlements.
Selective intervention
Vested groups will cry wolf saying that farmers will realise below-MSP from millers under the proposed
arrangement. To offset such a fear, Government can vest itself with power of price intervention to raise price to
MSP, as in the case of maize.This may be necessary for two-three years to keep millers in check and for farmers
to plan alternatives. If farmers can trade 720 million tonnes of agri items privately, paddy cannot be an
exception. China, Indonesia, Philippines dealing with subsidised distribution of grains source rice and not
paddy.
Benefits
This systemic change means that official agencies will remain insulated from the paddy operations, bungling
and diversion in market; double handling will cease. Transportation cost will be economised. Greed for growing
water-guzzler paddy will decline. Instead, alternate cropping pattern will be incentivised. Rice reform will mean
50 per cent restructuring of FCI operations.
The writer is a trade analyst
(This article was published on June 5, 2014)



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Green energy dream nears reality in Nueva Ecija
By Anselmo Roque
Inquirer Central Luzon
12:04 am | Friday, June 6th, 2014
THE BUILDING that houses a biodegradable waste-to-energy facility rises in San Jose City, offering hope for
the future of green energy not only in Nueva Ecija, but the rest of the country. ANSELMO
ROQUE/INQUIRER CENTRAL LUZON

SAN JOSE CITY, PhilippinesThe countrys first commercial biodegradable waste-to-energy
commercial power plant would be ready for operation by August to help boost electric supply in Luzon,
according to energy officials and proponents of the project.The plant was put up by rice millers here through
San Jose City I Power Corp. (SJC I-Power), a joint venture they have with Union Energy Corp. owned by
businessman Lucio Co.

Our plant will be 100 percent fired by rice husk, said
Edgardo Alfonso, chief executive officer of SJI I-
Power.He said the plant would have a gross generating
capacity of 12 megawatts and feed 10.5 megawatts of it
to the Luzon grid.The generating plant sits on a six-
hectare lot in Barangay (village) Tulat here. The city is
host to 26 rice millers, who are reputed to have cornered
palay harvests not only in Nueva Ecija but also in
Isabela, Pangasinan, Ilocos and nearby provinces.These
millers supply rice to Metro Manila and Southern Luzon.

They had problems with disposing of rice husk in the past. They used to transport the husks to cement
manufacturing plants in Batangas province which use these for fuel until the millers realized they could use the
waste materials to generate electricity.Our decision [to venture into the power business ] was an offshoot of
the study on enhancing the energy self-sufficiency of rice mills, said Alfonso, who is also head of the San Jose
City Rice Millers Association.He said the city government also advocated the technology .Power plants fueled
by rice husks also operate in Isabela and in Mindanao but these are not operated on a commercial scale,
meaning they produce electricity in small amounts.

Former Energy Secretary Jose Almendras launched the project in groundbreaking rites here in October last year.
He called the project as a model for renewable energy.Ernest Lura, acting plant manager, said the rice husk-
fueled plant was put up by experts from various countries contracted by the corporation.We will be using 12 to



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14 tons of rice husks per hour to operate the plant, Lura said. The husks can be bought from the millers.So we
will need about 300 tons of rice husks on a 24-hour basis, he said.

He said the supply of rice husks here is more than enough for the operation. We will have a problem with
supply only when rice mills no longer have palay to mill, he said.In three to four months, we hope we will be
fully operational, he added.

Rabi Paddy Procurement Begins
By Express News Service
Published: 06th June 2014 10:33 AM
Last Updated: 06th June 2014 10:33 AM

JEYPORE: More than 3,000 quintals of rabi paddy were procured in Jeypore, Kundra and Borrigumma mandis
as per the schedule on Monday. Jeypore MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati along with Government officials, LAMP
staff, millers and farmers were present on the first day of procurement. The officials checked several godowns
of millers in the district to avoid dumping by middlemen. Koraput Collector Yamini Sarangi said the
administration would complete the procurement process with transparency.She warned stern action against the
middlemen and millers if they harass the farmers.
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- June 06
Fri Jun 6, 2014 2:28pm IST
GRAM
* Desi gram suffered heavily in open market in absence of buyers amid healthy supply
from producing belts.

TUAR
* Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market here matching the demand and supply
position.

* Moong varieties recovered handsomely in open market here on renewed marriage season
demand from local traders amid thin supply from producing regions.

* In Akola, Tuar - 4,100-4,300, Tuar dal - 6,300-6,500, Udid at 6,500-6,800,
Udid Mogar (clean) - 7,600-8,100, Moong - 8,000-8,200, Moong Mogar
(clean) 9,200-10,000, Gram - 2,400-2,600, Gram Super best bold - 3,300-3,600
for 100 kg.




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* Wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market in thin trading
activity, according to sources.

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

FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 2,100-2,500 2,180-2,550
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction n.a. 3,700-4,270
Moong Auction n.a. 5,200-5,500
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Gram Super Best Bold 3,850-4,000 3,850-4,000
Gram Super Best n.a.
Gram Medium Best 3,500-3,700 3,500-3,700
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a.
Gram Mill Quality 3,300-3,400 3,300-3,400
Desi gram Raw 2,450-2,550 2,500-2,650
Gram Filter new 3,200-3,400 3,200-3,400
Gram Kabuli 8,500-10,500 8,500-10,500
Gram Pink 7,700-8,100 7,700-8,100
Tuar Fataka Best 6,300-6,500 6,400-6,600
Tuar Fataka Medium 6,100-6,200 6,200-6,300
Tuar Dal Best Phod 5,700-5,900 5,700-5,900
Tuar Dal Medium phod 5,300-5,600 5,300-5,600
Tuar Gavarani 4,350-4,450 4,350-4,450
Tuar Karnataka 4,250-4,350 4,250-4,350
Tuar Black 7,600-7,900 7,600-7,900
Masoor dal best 6,200-6,400 6,200-6,400
Masoor dal medium 6,000-6,200 6,000-6,200
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold 9,700-10,300 9,600-10,200
Moong Mogar Medium best 9,000-9,500 8,900-9,400
Moong dal super best 9,100-9,500 9,000-9,400
Moong dal Chilka 8,900-9,300 8,800-9,200
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 8,200-9,500 8,200-9,500
Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 8,200-8,500 8,200-8,500
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,800-7,600 6,800-7,600
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,700-6,000 5,700-6,000



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Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 4,000-5,000 4,000-5,000
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 3,000-3,100 3,000-3,100
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,350-3,450 3,350-3,450
Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,600-3,700 3,600-3,700
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 4,900-5,400 4,900-5,400
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,700 1,400-1,700
Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,750 1,700-1,750
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,600 1,400-1,600
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,450 2,100-2,450
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,850-2,000 1,850-2,000
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,500 2,800-3,500
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,700 2,200-2,700
Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG) 1,300-1,500 1,100-1,400
Wheat Best (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,200 1,700-2,000
Rice BPT (100 INR/KG) 3,600-4,000 3,600-4,000
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100
Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,200 3,000-3,200
Rice HMT (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,100 3,800-4,100
Rice HMT Shriram (100 INR/KG) 4,600-5,400 4,600-5,400
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 10,400-13,900 10,400-13,900
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,300-10,000 7,300-10,500
Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 5,500-5,800 5,500-5,800
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,300-1,500 1,300-1,500
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,700 1,600-1,700

WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 45.2 degree Celsius (113.4 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
27.9 degree Celsius (82.2 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.
Rainfall : 0.0 mm
FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum and Minimum temperature likely to be around 45 and 29 degree Celsius
respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)
Monsoon reaches India coast slightly later than usual



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BY RATNAJYOTI DUTTA
NEW DELHI Fri Jun 6, 2014 3:45am EDT
A fisherman arranges his fishing net at a beach against the backdrop of pre-monsoon clouds in the southern
Indian city of Kochi June 5, 2014. (Reuters)

Monsoon rains reached India's southern coast a few
days later than usual on Friday, offering relief to
farmers eagerly waiting for the start of the wet season
that is crucial for their summer crops. But the slight
delay in the monsoon's onset is unlikely to have a major
impact on sowing of rice, pulses and cotton that has
started in many growing areas of northwest and
southern India, taking advantage of pre-monsoon
showers.The formation of a possible El Nino weather
phenomenon, which can cause drought in South Asia, is only expected to have an impact later in the four-month
rainy season.

"We don't foresee any El Nino impact in the first month of the monsoon season," said B.P. Yadav, head of the
National Weather Forecasting Centre at the India Meteorological Department in New Delhi.Last month, the
IMD forecast a patchy monsoon season with a high chance of El Nino. [ID:nL3N0NG3LO] Weather officials
on Friday confirmed the monsoon's onset - a decision that takes into account rainfall measured at weather
stations in the southern state of Kerala and westerly wind speeds.

Rainfall was around 40 percent below average across India in the first week of the season. Progress northwards
of the annual rains is expected to be slow and they are unlikely to cover half the nation by the first half of
June.Farmers have heeded the advice issued by the newly elected government to sow crops early this year to
take advantage of pre-monsoon showers. They were also advised to use short duration seeds of cotton, pulses,
corn and soybeans.
FIVE DAYS LATE
In 2013 the monsoon hit Kerala on June 1, two days ahead of the official forecast and in line with the long-term
average. The season brought above-average rainfall across the country, resulting in a record grain harvest. Rains
are vital to rejuvenate an economy battling its longest economic slowdown since the 1980s and to cool inflation
that has averaged nearly 10 percent for the past two years.
The farm sector accounts for 14 percent of India's nearly $2 trillion economy, with two-thirds of its 1.2 billion
population living in rural areas. Half of India's farmland still lacks access to irrigation. The country plans to
expand irrigation coverage by at least a tenth by 2017 to cut its dependence on the seasonal rains. Poor rains



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could hit summer crops such as rice, soybean, corn and cotton, raising food prices and pressuring economic
growth that has nearly halved to below 5 percent in the past two years. India's weather office had forecast the
monsoon would arrive over Kerala on June 5, give or take four days.
The chance of dry spells in this year's monsoon is 40-45 percent compared to the usual 33 percent, said Andrew
Colman, senior climate scientist at the UK Met Office. Southern India, mainly parts of rice-growing areas of
Andhra Pradesh, and cane areas of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, received plenty of rains in May, providing a
cushion against any delay in progress of the wind-borne monsoon rains towards the mainland. Farm
Commissioner J.S. Sandhu said contingency plans have been in place for around 500 drought-prone districts, if
the monsoon fails to arrive on time.The healthy showers prior to the monsoon season raised water levels in the
country's reservoirs to nearly half-way above normal, he added.Usually, the monsoon covers half of India by
mid-June, and engulfs its entire landmass by mid-July.
Government criticised for ignoring rice exporters in budget
June 06, 2014
RECORDER REPORT
Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) Senior Vice-Chairman Chela Ram Kewlani has criticised the
government for ignoring the association's proposals in the federal budget 2014-15. Speaking toBusiness
Recorder here on Thursday, Kewlani said that the rice export industry was the country's second largest earner of
foreign exchange, but this key export sector had been ignored in the recently announced budget. "In a recent
meeting with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, REAP had presented some proposals for the benefit of the rice export
sector and the finance minister had promised to consider the proposals in the budget but not a single
recommendation of the association was considered," he regretted. He said that the rice exporters were facing
serious problems including harassment by government departments and poor law and order situation.
Kewlani said that the rice exporters had been badly affected by the fluctuation of dollar during the last couple of
months and after several meetings with the commerce ministry and the finance ministry, the exporters had been
assured that they would be compensated in the federal budget, but unfortunately the government did not honour
its commitment. He said that the rice exporters had been expecting some relief from the government but they
were disappointed after the announcement of the budget. He urged the government to look into the issues being
faced by the rice exporters and provide them relief.

Nigeria Is The Largest Importer Of Rice In The World
Friday, 06 June 2014 17:05
Written by DEBO OLADIMEJI



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RICHARD Olafare is the President of Seeds Entrepreneurs
Association of Nigeria and the Managing Director and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of Savannah Seeds And Livestock Ltd.,Jos,
Plateau State. He spoke with DEBO OLADIMEJI on the agricultural
transformation agenda of the Federal Government and how to ensure
food security in Nigeria. WHAT is the history of seed industry in
Nigeria? .Seed industry in Nigeria started developing in 1993. I was
working with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
(IITA), Ibadan then when we decided to have an association that will
govern seed production, marketing, research and all the rest of them.
There were three seed companies in Nigeria then. We had Premier
Seed, United Africa Company (UAC ) and UT seed. The problem was
that before then, there were not enough improved seeds for farmers to
obtain good yields. Most of them were relying on their saved seeds.
And some of the germplasm in terms of yield, were very low. The
principal actor that brought about the seed industry in Nigeria was maize. Through hybridization, I think it was
during the regime of former Head of State, Olusegun Obasanjo, they contracted the production of hybrid seeds
to IITA to develop hybrid seeds for Nigeria which they did. The seed industry primarily is to produce and
market improved seed varieties and sell them to farmers in Nigeria. Unfortunately, initially, the output was
very low.
How did you overcome the initial challenges?
There were a lot of challenges as regards adoption. Farmers who were used to old varieties were reluctant to
change to new improved ones. It was not free. They had to pay for the improved seeds. Nigerian farmers are
resource poor. We were faced with market problems. We were faced with adoption problems. When you
produce and you dont have market, it is a problem. The market is the farmers, and when the farmers are not
adopting, there is little profit coming in. There were other attendant costs like other inputs that you use to
produce seeds. The cost of fertilizer was very high, ditto agro chemicals. Government comes, government goes,
they left their different policies.
You know Nigerian governments policies are not sustainable. And getting financial assistance from the banks
is another problem. Over the years, not many banks want to lend money to farmers. Nigerian banks are
commercial-oriented. Initially, some big companies came to Nigeria like Premier Seeds. Obasanjo later sold it
to Pioneer. Pioneer folded up. UAC was a big company before it folded up. At the end of the day, you find out
that there was huge overhead to produce seeds. Until recent developments in Nigeria, there had been some
interventions by the government but they were not sustainable.



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Why were those interventions not sustainable?
There is this subsidy that ought to get to farmers, subsidy on seeds, fertilizers and agro chemicals. The principal
driver there was fertilizer. Fertilizer was supposed to be a secondary input to quality seeds. Most of the
fertilizers then that were supposed to get to farmers as subsidy didnt get to them. Until about two years ago, all
our resources were limited to petroleum.
What has changed in the sector?
When President Goodluck Jonathan came with his programme of agricultural transformation, it was like
bringing back the hope that we thought that was lost. We started seeing green light. We embraced it and
supported it under the food security programme of the Federal Government.
Before 2009, all the seed companies in Nigeria were just about eight and the production was not up to 4,000
metric tons. One single seed company in Nigeria today is producing that. The government contacted the
association to produce seeds and sell to farmers. Unlike before, this present government backed us with bank
guarantee of about 75 per cent of loan. Although it is a trading fund that cannot sustain us, but we dont have
any alternative. At least they help us to buy back the seeds from the farmers. Now I can tell you that we have
about 69 seed companies in Nigeria.
Why do we import food items when we have the capacity to feed ourselves?
Nigeria is a blessed country. We have land and we have the ecology that can grow both swamp, irrigated and
upland rice. But the breeding stock is limited. What it entails is to get large quality of classes of breeders seeds,
foundation seeds to produce certified seeds. And it is these certified seeds that we give to farmers to produce
large quantities of grains. At least we have about 10 millers in the country today that produce quality rice than
the one they make in India, China and all that. And our own rice is even sweeter than their own.
What they do is that they bring those rice that were produced over 10 years ago. All that the farmers produce in
those countries, the government buys back from them. The older ones in the stores, that is the one they milled
and send across to Africa whereas if we are producing on our own, it is on a yearly basis that we will be putting
new rice into the market.
As it is coming out from the field, we distribute to the millers and they mill. Most people prefer that.



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We have the advantage to produce some crops that can compete favourably anywhere in the world. We can
produce rice, maize, wheat. The land is there, the farmers are there. Over the years, interventions come in and
out. You will find out that some of the farmers are knowledgeable enough to produce these seeds and grains.
What has been their problem is market. When they produce, they dont have the market to sell.
So, they are limited to subsistence farming, produce and eat. Now with the food value chain approach, we have
the producer in there and the end user there. We try to link the farmers who are the producers to the users who
are the millers. What is not there is how these farmers can get finance to produce. The farmers are there. It is
just to encourage them to have access to facility. How many small scale farmers have access to funding? It is
the big farmers, the commercial farmers, that have the access.
Almost about 70 percent of our production in Nigeria is by small scale farmers. Very few commercial farms
are obtainable. If you aggregate the production of all the small scale holders, it is very big. We can produce
enough to feed ourselves, it is just the will. You know, most of the things we produced in Nigeria, like maize,
we feed the neigbouring countries like Niger.
What are the efforts you are making to solicit for foreign investors to partner with you?
There are Nigerian investors who are actually going into rice milling everyday. In 2009, there was one Alhaji
Mohammed in Kano, he owns Homezat Farms International. He invested all his income in bringing in mills
from Indian and China. He is one of the primary investors in rice milling in Nigeria. Today, he competes
favourably with whatever rice that comes to this country. He invited me to the National Assembly, when he was
still there serving. He said his limitation was raw materials, how to get paddy rice to feed his mill? He said that
he got to know that I produce large quantity of paddy rice in Plateau and in the South West. When I got to his
mill in Kano I saw the effort of this man...
What he needed then was the operating cost to run the mill. He was looking for assistance from the bank. They
were all reluctant. I then married him with a bank. He got half a billion naira that year as loan. He is running the
factory comfortably now. We have Nigerians who have actually invested in the production of rice. What we are
doing now is to reduce the quantity of imported rice into the country. At this level, the government should be
able to stand on its feet and slam the door like most other countries did for importation of rice.
If you know how much we spend everyday on rice importation. Nigeria is the largest importer of rice in the
whole world. We are still fighting it. When the people at the National Assembly were trying to say that because



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the Federal Government put embargo on rice they are losing about N300billon or so. I let them know the profits
we have generated within that period. I think they have kept quiet or I would have followed it with series of
facts and figures. What the farmers need is the funds to equip their mills with machinery. I think this
government is bringing in about one hundred units of improved and modern milling machine to the country that
they are going to distribute across.
Have you been able to address the problem of the yearly scarcity of maize?
I was a pioneer member of Maize Association of Nigeria when it started in 1992- 93. What works then was for
us to coordinate the distribution of improved varieties of seeds. We coordinate the buy back of it or let the
farmers do the marketing. Over the years, the challenges has been one, adoption, quality seeds is another.
Financial assistance to buy fertilizers, to buy agro chemicals for mechanization is not there. So it has been up
and down like that. And we have limited yields. The adoption rate was between 9 and 12 percent now.
Above the lowest in Africa. The little the farmers are producing they produce for self -sufficiency. When
Obasanjo in 2005 -2006 released money for fertilizers to produce maize. He encouraged our farmers. He put
them into cooperative groups. He led them to the banks, they collected loans. These farmers produced. The
arrangement was that the government will buy back from the farmers. The farmers produced a lot that year
2006-2007. There was a glut of maize in the country there was no market.
The price of maize came down to N1,800 per bag. The government was suppose to buy from the farmers at
N3,200 to N3,600. At the end of the day it was not to be. That discouraged the farmers, the following year to go
into maize production. Many of them went into other crops. It has always been like that. This year about
N48,000 metric tons of seed were distributed to about eight million farmers. So there is going to be large
quantity of maize in the market. You see our taste is so high. We dont like to taste what is produced in Nigeria
that is the problem. There is always policy summersault, how do you ensure the continuity of the transformation
agenda.. The transformation agenda, the growth enhancement programme of the government to increase food
security. It has gone to the National Assembly if it become an Act
We can be sure of its sustainability. We have had of some many agricultural interventions. Green revolution
among others. But this one, I think the government is doing a lot of things and we are not leaving any stone
unturned to put it in our legislative act to make sure that it is sustainable. What is limiting agriculture generally
is still there and has to be addressed. That is, the approach from the bank. We have to do a lot on rural
development. We need good roads that can link what is produce in hinterlands to the markets.



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Then encourage youth to go into agriculture. We have been recommending that at least ten percent of the
National budget should go into agriculture. In advanced countries they are collecting loans at about single digit.
In Nigeria it is about 25 percent. Until the government is able to address that. We have seen the enhancement
programme of this present administration and their transformation programme. We are saying let it be
continued. It is cheaper to bring some of these things into the country because our production cost is still too
high.
Background information?
I am from Osun State, Ifewara. I am an agriculturist from University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo
University). I was trained in IITA on seed development and I was seconded to United Trading Company (UTC)
International in Jos. When I knew that there was going to be a vacuum in the industry in 1998, that was when I
started on my own. By that time the UTC had diverted from Nigeria to other parts of Africa. I had already
developed UT seed.
As seed entrepreneur. I registered my seeds, Savannah Seeds, that is operating as Savannah Seeds and
Livestock today. I established the industry in Jos, Plateau. Savannah Seeds and Livestock do consultancy
services for government, individuals, corporate bodies and private entrepreneurs. I have a consortium of out
growers across the country. And we consult across the country. I produced seeds that we processed and
packaged into 2kg, 5kg, 10kg, 25kg for the farmers to
their planting.
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