12th November, 2014 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine
www.ricepluss.com
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter
12th November 2014
Todays News Headlines
Kisan Board seeks reasonable price for paddy

FPCCI deplores slow pace of privatisation process
Bilateral trade: Uganda invites Pakistan to invest
Year of reckoning: paddy prices fall as Iran goes slow on imports
Sensational seafood at Zafran
Geographical location could market your product
Germany eyes energy investments in Pakistan, says Merkel
German Chancellor Angela Merkel shakes hands with PM Nawaz Sharif after
their joint press conference in Berlin. (AFP)
Recipe: Prawn malai-curry (Bengali)
At last, I'm cooking with ghee With five recipes
Cultivation of basmati rice in Visakha Agency mooted
Short course on rice planting to boost production
Ministry plans 2m-tonne rice deal with China
Rice federation seeking loan
Kuban farmers hope for record rice harvest
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Nov 12
Buriram rice growers scale up precaution by camping out next to rice piles
Massive damages reported from the rice pledging scheme
Rice quality control workshop held
Will Gambia achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2016?
Drought forces rice farmers to sell their crops early
Year of reckoning: paddy prices fall as Iran goes slow on imports
Vietnam Eyes Water-Saving Tech For Rice Farms
Vietnam's Mekong delta sees sharp rise in rice exports
Thai govt urged to help ease rice glut
Punjab procures over 111 lakh tonnes paddy
Whenever there's a need
Turkey Announces November 18, 2014 Tender
Japan Announces 6th Ordinary Import Tender in FY 2014
WASDE Report Released Monday
Celebrating Old North State Agriculture
Rice growers turn to USDA for help with Iraq Plenish: The GE health trait
test case Talk of a TPP secretariat grows
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News Detail.
Kisan Board seeks reasonable
price for paddy
November 12, 2014
HAFIZABAD
The growers belonging to the district have
expressed grave concern over the low prices
of different varieties of paddy and have
cops despite registration of a case against

them. They called upon the DPO and RPO
to ensure arrest of the accused policemen to
provide justice. Meanwhile, the District and
Sessions Judge was assigned to hold a
judicial inquiry to ascertain the real fact
regarding the death of Zulifqar Ali alias
Bhutto.
called upon the government to direct Passco

to purchase paddy from them at reasonable
prices. Addressing a press conference, Kisan
Board District President Aman Ullah
Chattha disclosed that Super Karnal Basmati
paddy was being purchased by the
middlemen (Arhties) at Rs1400 per 40 kgs
against Rs2200 per 40 kgs last year which,
he said, causing colossal loss to the growers.
He said that other varieties of paddy were
being purchased by the middlemen (Arhties)
at nominal rates which was tantamount
fleecing by the middlemen. He called upon
the government to take prompt steps to stop
the exploitation of the growers at the hands
of middlemen. He further said that prices of
electricity, seed and fertilizers have been
increased during the year but the low prices
of paddy were not understandable. NONARREST OF SHO, COPS BEMOANED:
The parents of Zulifqar Ali alias Bhutto of
Mangat Uncha who was allegedly torture to
death while in police custody have
expressed resentment against non-arrest of
accused SHO Ali Akbar Chattha and six
FPCCI deplores slow pace of

privatisation process
INP
November 12, 2014
LAHORE: Businessmen have deplored the
stalled privatisation process in the country as
there has been no meaningful privatisation
during the last seven years while the public
sector companies continue to bleed the
national exchequer profusely.
Addressing a meeting of business leaders
and senior office bearers of the Federation
of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and
Industry (FPCCI), Mian Anjum Nisar said
that despite conceding that government has
no business in doing business, instead the
economic planners are moving painfully
slow in the privatisation process.He said that
the government owned power sector
companies remain an unbearable liability of
the government.
He said that no public sector distribution or
power producing company has been
privatised since 2005 when Karachi Electric
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Company (K-Electric) was handed over to
the private sector.The FPCCI president said
that the K-Electric did face some teething
problems initially but has now emerged as a
better managed company.He said that the cost
of power produced by the company managed
power plants is much less than the power
generated by public sector power units.He said
at the time of privatization the power units
operated by K-Electric were more inefficient
than other public sector power companies.
He said business chambers particularly FPCCI
should exert pressure on government to
accelerate the privatisation process.Former
Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(LCCI) president Sohail Lashari said that the
leading cement sector companies listed at
stock market were in red when they were
under government control.
He said after privatisation these companies are
among the top performers in the capital
market. They have upgraded their
technologies and expanded their capacities by
400 percent, he added.He said that since
privatisation there has been no shortage of
cement in the country, adding that in fact
Pakistan is a regular exporter of cement to
India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and some
African countries.
LCCI Senior Vice President Mian Nauman
Kabir said that Pakistan excelled in rice export
after all the rice plants were handed over to
private sector in 1993-1996.He said that
currently private sector through better rice
milling technology is exporting over $2 billion
worth of rice to numerous countries.
Bilateral trade: Uganda invites

Pakistan to invest
By PPI
Published: November 12, 2014
ISLAMABAD: Uganda offers unlimited

business opportunities to Pakistani investors
in many fields, which can be exploited, said
Republic of Uganda Ambassador to Iran Dr
Mohamed Ahmed Kisuule in a meeting at
the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (ICCI).
Foreign
investors
are
earning
300400% margins in
Uganda,
especially in the
steel
sector.
Pakistani
businessmen and
traders
must
enhance their presence there to earn
lucrative returns, he said.
He
identified
sectors
such
as
pharmaceutical,
steel,
marble,
food
processing and many others as potential for
investment in Uganda.He said Uganda was
also a gateway for Pakistan to access East
African countries and it was the right time
for investors to establish themselves there to
tap the available business potential and
penetrate
the
Eastern
African
market.Uganda offers cheap land and full
protection to foreign investors and Pakistan
should take maximum benefit of these
attractive incentives, he said.
Speaking at the occasion, ICCI Senior Vice
President Muhammad Shakeel Munir said
Uganda was still an unexplored market for
local entrepreneurs due to which presence of
Pakistani products there was minimal.He
said both countries should encourage
frequent exchange of business delegations
and organise exhibitions. Measures should
also be taken to remove all bottlenecks that

hamper the promotion of bilateral trade
between the two countries.He said Pakistani
products like rice, textile, pharmaceutical,
surgical, sports and leather goods, marble
products, home appliances and food
products have great potential to meet the
needs of Uganda and East African
markets.He assured that ICCI would like to
work closely with the Embassy of Uganda in
Iran and Pakistan to bring private sectors of
both countries closer.
Envoy
identified
sectors
such
as
pharmaceutical,
steel,
marble,
food
processing and many others as potential for
investment in Uganda. STOCK IMAGE
Published in The Express Tribune,
November 12th, 2014.
Like Business
on
Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to
stay informed and join in the conversation
Year of reckoning: paddy

prices fall as Iran goes slow
on imports
Khanna/ Panipath | Posted: November 11,
2014 1:07 amBy: Sandip Das & Harish
Damodaran
Despondency is writ large on Kuldeep

Singhs face, as the boli (auction) for the
paddy that was unloaded from his tractor
trolley at an open platform in Khannas
grain mandi is concluded.This five-acre
farmer from Behlolpur, a village in Sirhind
tehsil of Punjabs Fatehpur Sahib district,
has managed to realise Rs 3,200 per quintal
for his Pusa-1121 basmati crop, as against
Rs 4,100 last year.
The artiyas (commission agents) and even
other farmers tell me I am lucky. The price I
have received is the highest for this season,
he says, half sarcastically.Kuldeeps

information isnt wrong.
Till a couple of weeks back, Pusa-1121 was
selling for Rs 2,400-2,500 per quintal. It has
since recovered to Rs 3,100, but we are still
way below last years prices which were Rs
3,000-3,100 around October 10, and reached
Rs 4,400-4,500 by the month-end, says
Pritam Singh, who farms 107 acres,
including 77 acres taken on lease, at Urlana
Khurd in Madlauda tehsil of Panipat.
Prices this time have generally ranged

between Rs 2,400 and Rs 3,200 per quintal,
confirms Kuljinder Singh Sidhu, secretary of
the APMC at Rajpura, Punjabs biggest
mandi after Khanna.According to Wazir
Singh Kohar, a 60-acre farmer from Theri
village in Fatehabad district of Haryana,
traders were blaming the price crash on low
export demand: Jo bhi ho, thaggi ho rahi
hai (Whatever be the reason, this is open
loot).
For many farmers, compounding the
disappointment is the fact that last years
record prices had led them to significantly
expand basmati acreage, including by
leasing in land.
Pargat Singh owns four acres at Kaddon
village in Ludhianas Doraha tehsil. This
year, he rented two acres at Rs 15,000 per
acre to plant more area under Pusa-1121.
But the returns on that extra investment
havent matched his expectations.These
stories capture the remarkable phenomenon
of a crop that allowed farmers to ride on a
wave of high export-driven prices, and
simultaneously benefit from new varietal
technology.Pusa-1121, an improved highyielding basmati developed by the Indian
Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), was
released for commercial cultivation in the
2003 kharif season.

Between 2003-04 and 2013-14, Indias
basmati rice exports zoomed from 7.71 lakh
tonnes (lt) to 37.54 lt. The increase was even
more in value terms, from $ 433.73 million
(Rs 1,993.05 crore) to $4.86 billion (Rs
29,291.82 crore). Pusa-1121s share in total
shipments last year was reckoned at over 70
per cent.This year, the situation is
different.To start with, export prices have
dropped. Parboiled Pusa-1121 rice is
currently said to be fetching about $ 1,100
per tonne (landed cost, West Asia),
compared to $ 1,400-plus at this time last
year and $ 1,700 levels in March.
The main reason for this is Iran, which
bought 14.41 lt or over 38 per cent of Indias
basmati shipments in 2013-14.This year,
their own Domsiah crop (a long-grain
Iranian aromatic rice similar to basmati) is
very good. Also, they have huge stocks from
last years basmati purchases, prompting the
government there to clamp a 40 per cent
duty on imports. Lower demand from Iran,
plus our farmers growing more basmati this
time, is what is depressing prices, Anil
Kumar Mittal, chairman of KRBL, Indias
largest rice miller and exporter, told The
Indian Express.
Indias basmati paddy production this year is
seen at 12 million tonnes (mt), up from the
8.5 mt-9 mt of 2013-14. The 12 mt includes
5 mt of Pusa-1121 and 2.5 mt of Pusa-1509,
a newly bred IARI variety. 12 mt paddy
works out to 8 mt of rice. If you take 4 mt
exports and another 1.8 mt-2 mt domestic
consumption, there will still be a surplus of
2 mt, observed a trade source. The bull
run in basmati is clearly over.
The price correction that is happening now
is only a reflection of that, points out
Ashok
Gulati,
former
chairman,
Commission for Agricultural Costs and
Prices. R S Seshadri, general secretary of the
All India Rice Exporters Association,
believes farmers in Punjab and Haryana will

continue to plant basmati even next year.
With Pusa-1121, a farmer can harvest 1820 quintals of paddy per acre, which goes up
to 23-24 quintals for Pusa-1509. On the
other hand, yields in non-basmati parmal
varieties, which are procured for the public
distribution system and attract a minimum
support price of Rs 1,400 per quintal, are
only 30 quintals. Even if basmati prices drop
to Rs 2,000/quintal, farm economics will
still favour it over parmal paddy, he adds.
The shift to basmati is perceptible from
paddy acreage data. Basmati varieties are
estimated to have accounted for 8.2 lakh
hectares or 72 per cent of Haryanas total
paddy area this year. The corresponding
coverage was 8.66 lakh hectares or 31 per
cent for Punjab. No farmer here grows
parmal. The only paddy that comes to our
mandi is basmati, especially Pusa-1121 and
now increasingly Pusa-1509, says Vijay
Arora, a leading artiya at Madlaudas new
grain market. Seshadri projects basmatis
share even in Punjab to cross 50 per cent in
the next 3-4 years. It is a good thing, as
basmati needs less water, and the
government should focus on rice
procurement more from Chhattisgarh and
eastern India.
Sensational seafood at
Zafran
Shrimps to
lobsters,
cooked
Indian
style in a
monthlong
promotion
By Abhishek Sengupta, Staff Reporter
Published: 17:41 November 12, 2014

Image
Credit:
Abhishek
Sengupta/XPRESSDubai: After an authentic
Thai seafood outing last week it was time
for me to cross boundaries this time for a
seafood night of the Indian variety at Zafran,
located on level one at the Central Gallery,
City Centre Mirdif.So sipping on a
Kashmirs Dew (Dh22) - a refreshing drink
made with strawberries and mint in a
lemonade base and a Water Melon Mint
Smash (Dh22) - thick blend of watermelon,
ginger mint and rose syrup I curiously
awaited the first item of their Sensational
Seafood promotion - a Mixed Seafood Soup
(Dh70).
With skewers of prawn, mussel and
calamari, the broth made of tomato and
seafood stock looked the part, ready to
woo any seafood lover. As for me, the
skewers nicely grilled - tasted fresh and
the soup thick and buttery tangy and
nice.The star item of the night though was
their Seafood Platter (Dh179). Good for
three, the dish had half a lobster in a yoghurt
and turmeric marinade - chargrilled tandoori
style, fleshy tikka chunks of a Nile perch
and masala fried prawns - garnished with
mayonnaise and soya ketchup.
The visual spectacle comes to your table,
hot and sizzling. That done, follow it up
with their signature jumbo prawns biryani
(Dh139) made of finely spiced saffron
basmati rice cooked dum style (steamed
over coal in a sealed vessel). The best thing
about it though is their premium jumbo
prawns, quite deliciously stir fried.The
seafood offerings form part of a special
fiesta, on till the end of this month.
You can also try some of their regular
attractions such as Kali Mirch ka Murgh
(Dh59) (a spicy preparation of boneless
chicken in black pepper and curry leaves) or
Dal Bukhari (Dh31), a winning concoction
of kaali daal (black lentil), white butter and
tomatoes in town.
Dont forget though to end your meal with

their dessert platter (Dh36) comprising
Zafrani kulfi, ras malai, a gulab jamun, and
gajar ka halwa.
Details:
Meal for Two: Dh400 (approx)
Timings: Noon to 11.30pm
Location: Central Gallery, Level 1, Mirdiff
City Centre
Booking: 04-284 0987
We recommend: Kashmirs Dew, Seafood
Platter, Jumbo prawns biryani, Dal Bukhari
Geographical location could

market your product
By Dorothy M. Tuma
Posted Tuesday, November 11 2014 at
02:00
These pineapples are from Bugerere, this
coffee is from the slopes of Mt Elgon and
these oranges are from Soroti! A market
vendor successfully gets you to shop at her
stall by announcing that every item she
carries is from the part of the country where
it is believed to grow best.
Does anyone outside Uganda make the same
associations between Ugandan produce and
Ugandan locations? Linking unique products
to the geographic area where they grow and
/or are manufactured is a strategy that may
be used to successfully position a product
and differentiate it from competitors.
Adding value
Product names linked to geographic
locations are a form of valuable intellectual
property known as a geographical indication
(GI). Do you and/or the farmers in your area
grow high quality products that show truly
unique features owing to the soil and climate
in the area? If yes, all of you could be
missing out on the additional value that a GI
adds to a product.

Basmati Rice, Darjeeling Tea, Rooibos Tea
and Scotch Whiskey are examples of how
other countries have successfully used
geographical indications to create successful
products that are sold all over the world.
Basmati Rice for instance, only grows in a
specific geographic area of India and
Pakistan in the Himalayan Mountain
foothills.
It is described as a top quality, slender,
aromatic, long grained, nutty tasting and
delicately textured rice. Those unique
product features are a result of the soils and
climate on the Himalayan foothills. Rice
grown anywhere else does not fit the
description and can never be called basmati
rice. This puts basmati rice in an enviable
position.Could Bugerere pineapples, Mt.
Elgon coffee and Soroti oranges be
examples of Ugandan items with unique
features, not found anywhere else in the
world? Could the pineapples be for instance,
the juiciest in the world and have the highest
concentrations of Vitamin C and Potassium
ever recorded anywhere?
Geographical location
If yes, Uganda is ignoring the opportunity to
use geographic location to both promote and
protect its unique items. Pineapple growers
are letting the opportunity that GI represents
pass them by.Suppose it was established that
Bugerere pineapples or any other items were indeed of the highest quality and were
like no other product in that category
anywhere in the world due to soil and
climate conditions in that part of Uganda;
what should be done to secure a GI?
Pineapple farmers in Bugerere would need
to:
1. Organise themselves into a society,
cooperative or association.
2. Determine the association rules,
regulations and standards.
3. Develop long and short term strategies

and plans for the management of Bugerere
pineapples.
4. Approach the Uganda Registration
Services Bureau (http://www.ursb.go.ug/)
for further guidance.
If you farm in an area that is known for
growing the best of a particular crop contact
URSB for more detailed information on GIs.
You could be missing out on an opportunity
to help increase farmer competitiveness.
E-mail: dorothy_tuma@dmtconsultants.net
Germany eyes energy

investments in Pakistan, says
Merkel
German Chaellor Angela Merkel shakes hands with PM Nawaz Sharif
after their joint press conference in Berlin. (AFP)
REUTERS
Published Wednesday 12 November
2014
Last update 11 November 2014
11:28 pm
BERLIN: Germany is looking to
increase its investment in
Pakistans
energy
sector,
provided
companies are reassured about the security
situation, Chancellor Angela Merkel said
during a visit by Pakistans Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif.Merkel said Germanys KfW
state development bank was already
involved in projects in Pakistan including
hydro power plants, but added that the
security situation was sometimes a deterrent.
We can look at intensifying these
(investments), as long as the conditions are
right, Merkel told a joint news conference
with Sharif.It is important that the prime
minister is successful in improving the
security situation and the legal system so
that investors feel safe, said Merkel, adding
that the agricultural sector also offered

opportunities.Sharif urged German firms to
invest in his country.Pakistan is facing an
acute shortage of energy, he said.
We believe in the next three years we
should be able to have at least additional
capacity of about 4-5,000 megawatts of
electricity, he said adding that would
increase further in the longer term.Sharif
said German firms, some of them world
leaders in renewable energy technology
thanks to the countrys shift to green energy
and away from nuclear power, were keen to
invest.
Germany is Pakistans fourth-biggest trading
partner, and the largest within the European
Union, Sharif said.Bilateral trade totalled
about 1.9 billion euros last year with
Pakistan selling mainly textiles, leather
goods and basmati rice to Germany while
Germany exports predominantly chemical
products, machines and vehicles to Pakistan
Recipe: Prawn malai-curry

(Bengali)
Zinia Sen,TNN | Nov 12, 2014, 12.00 AM IST
Debajyoti Mishra says bhog is the best
pointer to a good Puja Idol, pandal and

ambience are the markers -separat ing
wheat from the chaff -when it comes to Puja.
But when Debajyoti Mishra was young, the
sole pointer to a good Puja was its bhog.
"We even knew where the even knew where
the begun or the kumro bhaja tasted better
and would invariably land up in a group,"
recalls the composer. Rolls, at that time,

were not an option and all one could gorge
on were oil-soaked Moglai parotas. "But it
was home food that ruled the roost," he
says.
Mahalaya onwards, it was a celebration of
Bengali food at the Mishra household. "On
Ashtami, mutton would be cooked at my
grandmother's house. It was cooked without
onions and would be sent, in moderate
portions, to all the neighbours. Even if we
fell short of meat, the jhol was enough for a
meal."
Debajyoti would accompany his uncle to the
meat shop, which was no less than a ritual.
"There would also be luchi, sada bhaat and
aloor dom," he says. With brass vessels
spread all around, his grandmother would sit
to cut thor into tiniest of pieces. "Thakuma
would put oil on her fingers before starting
the task, but she always ended up with a
blackened thumb. From daler bora, neem
pata bhaja, mocha -she would prepare a lot
of delicacies. And before Laxmi Puja, naru,
moa and takti would be made. We
youngsters would swarm around Thakuma
like
flies."
If ever Debajyoti managed to save money
from grocery shopping, he would go out
with friends to have kachuri from a
Bhowanipur shop. "At that time, crossing
Rashbehari was a big thing." Debajyoti says
he picked up cooking from his grandmother.
"My mom was an assistant to her. If ever I
complimented my mother, she would say,
`Tor thakumar moto hoyni'.
On Thursdays, she would have veg food and
Gondhoraaj rice was one of the many
variations that would be cooked".Debajyoti
was also influenced by his guru Salil

Chowdhury . "He was benevolent when it
came to teaching notations but miserly about
sharing recipes. But I'd quietly see him cook
from a distance; watch him add rum to spice
up a chicken dish." The composer still tries
cooking in the evenings during Pujas. "I
make pulao, kash miri chicken, radha
ballabhi, aloor dom and chingrir cut let.
After all, Puja is all about eat ing to your
heart's
con
tent,"
he
adds.
them aside in a bowl. Add cinnamon,

cardamom, cloves and bay leaves to the oil.
Add the paste of onion and ginger and fry it
on medium flame for 4-5 minutes.
Add remaining turmeric powder, kashmiri
chilli powder, salt and garam masala. Add
coconut milk and 12 cup of water and bring
it to boil. Cut the green chillies and add
them to the gravy along with the fried
prawns.
INGREDIENTS
Prawns:
1
White
oil:
150
Onion:
Cinnamon
stick:
Cloves:
Cardamom:
Whole
cumin:
12
Ginger
paste:
2
Cumin
paste:
2
Cumin
powder:
2
Kashmiri
chilli
powder:
1
Turmeric
powder:
12
Sugar:
1
Garam
masala:
1
Coconut
milk:
2
Ghee:
2
Coriander leaves (for garnishing):
Basmati
rice:
500
Gondhoraaj lebu: 1 with leaves Salt to
PREPARATION
FOR
THE
CHINGRIR
kg
gm
4
2
4
6
tbsp
tbsp
tbsp
tsp
tsp
tsp
tsp
tsp
cups
tsp
5-6
gm
taste
MALAIKARI
Clean the prawns with warm salted water

and marinate with 14 teaspoon of turmeric
powder and 14 teaspoon of salt along with a
pinch of onion, ginger and cumin flakes.
Prepare a paste of onion and ginger in a
mixer. Heat ghee in a kadai or pan and fry
the prawns till they turn golden brown. Keep
Allow it to cook for 5-6 minutes. You can

garnish it with coriander leaves and add
some coconut flakes. The chingrir malaikari
is
ready
to
be
served.
FOR
THE
GONDHORAAJ
RICE
Soak the basmati rice for half an hour in

water and keep aside. Put water in a pan as
per requirement and bring it to boil. Add a
pinch of salt, one spoon of gondhoraaj juice,
one small piece of gondhoraaj rind, two
gondhoraaj leaves and one spoon of ghee to
the boiling water and add the soaked rice.
Serve the cooked gondhoraaj rice with
malaikari.
Image:Music composer Debajyoti Mishra in
his kitchen
At last, I'm cooking with ghee

With five recipes
BY LAVANYA RAMANATHAN, THE
WASHINGTON POST NOVEMBER 12, 2014
9:13 AM
Dosas. The secret to the crepelike dosa:

Its in the wrist.

Photograph by: Deb Lindsey , The
Washington Post
A
decade
ago,
after just
a
few
ill-fated
and
highly
self-esteem-damaging attempts to learn my
native South Indian cuisine, I threw in the
rice cooker.Really.
I chucked my tiny four-cup nemesis into a
dumpster, and with it any illusions that Id
ever make dosa, please my parents and
become some sort of hipster Madhur
Jaffrey.Its too complicated! There are too
many spices, Id fume as I toasted mustard
seed, lentils and turmeric into a blackened,
bitter mess.South Indian food is also fairly
unfamiliar stateside, its tamarind, coconut,
tiny-but-potent chilies and fresh herbs more
reminiscent of Southeast Asian flavours than
the vindaloo Americans know.Unlike the
northern regions of India, where wheat
flourishes and is milled into an array of
naans, rotis and ghee-soaked parathas,
southern India is tropical, shaded by coconut
and banana trees and filled with forests of
black pepper as juicy as berries on the vine.
And just beyond the 24-hour clatter of cities
such as Chennai (population: 8 million), the
southern plains are covered in a lush, green
carpet of rice paddies.For the large number
of vegetarians from the coastal state of
Tamil Nadu, where my family is from, rice
is everything. It is boiled for a pantheon of
rice dishes. For crisp dosas and spongy idlis,
its ground into a batter. Its even pounded
flat and fried for crunchy hot mixes that
serve as a midday snack.Rice is in my blood.
But Ive never been able to cook it.Oh, sure,
I have charred it. I have pulled it from that
rice cooker so waterlogged that, as my

friends arrived for the Indian feast I had
promised, I sobbed large, panicked
tears.Among children of immigrants,
cooking is often fraught: Its a way of
carrying on cultural traditions, of fighting
off the anxious feeling that you are a
generation away from blurring into everyone
else. Each narrowly avoided grease fire was
evidence that my very Indian-ness was
tenuous.
You were not interested, my mother,
Lakshmi, tells me in her lilting, faintly
accented English when I ask her why I never
embedded myself in her spacious suburban
kitchen, where a zillion pungent spices hide
in as many burnt-orange Tupperware
containers.
A few years ago, Mom optimistically
presented me with my own stainless-steel
spice box. The boxes are staples of Indian
households, offering quick access to
frequently used spices. Perhaps because she
knew I was a lost cause, mine is so small its
almost dainty, about the right size for a 5year-olds Easy Bake kitchen. I left its seven
tiny little cups empty for years.It has not
been all my fault.
There are no cookbooks in most South
Indian households, no binders full of
casserole recipes from which to pull dinner
plans. There are no measuring cups or
spoons in our home. Ask my mother how to
make rice and she suggests that one can
take two fingers water, and one finger
rice, or something to that effect.These are
not recipes, I often chide her. They are
riddles
Cultivation of basmati rice

in Visakha Agency mooted
SUMIT BHATTACHARJEE

Basmati rice sown by Regional Agriculture
Research Station at Chintapalli on
experimental basis in Visakha agency area.Photo: By Arrangement
Girijans who are into paddy cultivation in
the Agency area of Visakhapatnam district,
might have a reason to smile in the next two
years. Plans are afoot by the government to
cultivate basmati rice in the 11 mandals of

the Agency area.The Regional Agriculture
Research Station (RARS), at RV Nagar in
Chintapalli mandal, has sowed 30 varieties
of basmati on a few acres, on experimental
basis.
According to Senior Scientist of RARS, D.
Sekhar, they had been toying with the idea
since last two years. In 2013, the scientists
of RARS sowed two varieties Sumathi and
Sugandhi - both failed due to pests and other
problems.This year, we sowed 30 export
quality varieties, and are hopeful that a few
would click, he said.
Basmati rice is mostly cultivated in states
like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu and
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand
and in some parts of Uttar Pradesh and
Bihar.According to Mr. Sekhar, this variety
of flavoured rice needs a cooler climate and
the climatic condition of the Agency area
suits it.
The normal temperature in the Agency
area between October and January is about 8
to 13 degree Celsius and this suits the
basmati variety, he said.According to him
the yield per acre could be between 20 to 22
quintals and the pricing could vary between

Rs. 80 to 110 per kg.In the Agency area,
about 40,000 acres are under paddy
cultivation by the Girijans, which includes
terrace farming.
If we are successful with our experiment,
then at least 20,000 acres can be converted
to basmati cultivation. The rate per kg is
twice more than what is being presently
cultivated and if packaging and marketing is
taken up by some government agency such
as GCC, it will hugely benefit the Girijans,
said Mr. Sekhar.According to him, the
demand for the Indian varieties is high from
countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran and if
the Girijans can contribute a small
percentage to the total export, which was
around 37 lakh tonnes, valued at over Rs.
29,000 crore in the last year, good days are
ahead for the paddy cultivators in the
Agency areas.
Keywords: Basmati Rice, Visakhapatnam Agency
area, yield per acre could be between 20 to 22
quintals
Short course on rice planting to

boost production
November 12, 2014
By Ma. Nila Argel
Cabugao, Ilocos Sur, Nov. 12 (PIA) At
least 24 farmers have completed a short
course on rice planting technology at the
Season-Long
Farmers
Field
School
here.Nereo Somera Daproza, Agriculture
Technician and Municipal Rice Program
Coordinator, said the course on Sustainable
Rice Production for farmers was sponsored
by the Department of Agriculture- regional
foeld office, the provincial government and
Cabugao government.

Town council member Benedicto M.
Savellano, Committee Chair on Agriculture,
said new planting technology will increase
rice productivity noting that Cabugao was
identified as suitable for rice crop based on a
soil
fertility
mapping.According
to
Constante B. Botacion, Jr., Provincial
Agriculturist, the field school aims to
increase rice production and mitigate the
effects of climate change in the agriculture
sector.The technology also involves ecofriendly and lesser expense for farmers, he
said. (MCA/MNOA /PIA1 Ilocos Sur)
value. China is one of the largest import

markets for Thai rice, with jasmine rice
picking up interest among consumers.
Ministry plans 2m-tonne rice

deal with China
To promote Thai rice in China, the

Commerce Ministry will launch a series of
activities including a cooking pavilion at a
Chinese supermarket to raise awareness of
Thai products. With closer cooperation
between Thai and China agencies, it is
hoped that Chinese consumers will develop
a preference for Thai rice. Moreover,
Thailand will work closely with Chinese
importers to tackle the problem of lowerquality grains being mixed with Thai rice.
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION,BEIJING
November 13, 2014 1:00 am
THAILAND PLANS to sell a further 2
million tonnes of rice to China under a
government-to-government contract after
the delivery of an existing order for 1
million tonnes to that country is completed
next year.Commerce Minister General
Chatchai Sarikulya said his ministry would
discuss the new G2G rice contract with the
China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs
Corporation (COFCO), a state agency for
oil, rice and foodstuff imports, with a view
to further sales.
"The country will accelerate shipments of
the existing order for 1 million tonnes. We
will sell another 2 million tonnes to China
after completion of the 1-million-tonne
shipment," he said.Thailand so far has
shipped 300,000 of the 1 million tonnes
under the existing contract, and is scheduled
to ship the rest by next July. Chatchai said
that for the remaining 700,000 tonnes, the
government would encourage China to
import jasmine rice, as it has more added
During a trip to Thailand by COFCO

officials this week, the delegation will be
taken on a tour of rice and jasmine-rice
fields and witness the production process
from milling to packaging, in order to gain
confidence in Thai products. Also, the
ministry's Foreign Trade Department will
demonstrate the DNA inspection process to
the visitors.
The ministry will insist on the display of the

Thai rice-certification logo to ensure that all
Thai rice sold in China is pure. Any rice
trader found mixing Thai rice with other
products will be subject to punishment for
breaching Thai intellectual-property rights.
The ministry will encourage Thai rice
exporters to use the certification logo for
jasmine rice to boost the confidence of
buyers. China imports about 4 million
tonnes of rice each year, mainly from
Vietnam and Thailand.
Rice federation seeking loan

12 Nov 2014 , The Phnom Penh Post
The Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF) is seeking

financing from Chinas Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im)
to
build
much-needed
infrastructure
such
as

warehouses and drying facilities to
hopefully increase milled rice export
capacities.Sok Puthyvuth, president of the
CRF told the Post yesterday that the CRF
had set up a working group charged with
studying Cambodias rice industry and
preparing a proposal for the Chinese banks
funds.
In May, during the CRFs presidential
appointment, Puthyvuth said Cambodias
rice industry needed more than $500 million
in financial assistance for industrial
development. Managing director of milled
rice exporter Mekong Oryza Trading, Hun
Lak said the industry was in urgent need of
hundreds of millions of dollars to build
the warehouses and silos needed to house
Cambodias rice.
the Minister of Agriculture Sergey Garkusha

declared during a round-table discussion
with landowners and scientists.He also said
that in the coming days he will negotiate
with the Ministry of Agriculture on the
allocation of support for the industry to the
amount of 500 million rubles, the press
service of the governor of Krasnodar
Territory reports.
Landowners of Krasnodar Territory plan to
increase rice production to 1 million tons,
the Minister of Agriculture Sergey Garkusha
declared during a round-table discussion
with landowners and scientists.He also said
that in the coming days he will negotiate
with the Ministry of Agriculture on the
allocation of support for the industry to the
amount of 500 million rubles, the press
service of the governor of Krasnodar
Territory reports.
May Kunmakara
http://phnompenhpost.com/business/rice-federationseeking-loan
Kuban farmers hope for record

rice harvest
12 November 2014 - 6:21pm
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices

Open- Nov 12
Wed Nov 12, 2014 3:13pm IST
Nagpur, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Gram prices in
Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing
Committee (APMC) moved down on poor
demand from local millers amid poor quality
arrival. Easy condition on NCDEX,
downward trend in Madhya Pradesh gram
prices and increased supply from producing
regions also pulled down prices, according
to sources.
*
Landowners of Krasnodar Territory plan to

increase rice production to 1 million tons,
FOODGRAINS & PULSES

GRAM
* Desi gram raw firmed up again in open
market on increased buying support from
local

traders amid tight supply from millers.
TUAR
* Tuar varieties ruled steady here but
demand was poor.
* Masoor varieties zoomed up in open
market on good seasonal demand from
local traders amid thin arrival from
producing belts.
* Udid varieties reported down in open
market on lack of demand from local traders
amid profit-taking selling by stockists at
higher level.
* In Akola, Tuar - 5,000-5,200, Tuar dal 7,300-7,700, Udid at 7,000-7,200,
Udid Mogar (clean) - 7,800-8,100,
Moong - 7,500-7,800, Moong Mogar
(clean) 9,500-10,000, Gram - 2,8003,000, Gram Super best bold - 3,800-4,100
for 100 kg.
* Wheat, rice and other commodities
remained steady in open market
in thin trading activity, according to
sources.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/openmarket prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS
prices Previous close
Gram Auction
2,400-2,960
Gram Pink Auction
2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction
3,950-4,200
Moong Auction
5,200-5,500
Udid Auction
4,500
Masoor Auction
2,600-2,800
Available
2,400-2,850
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
4,300-
Gram Super Best Bold

4,1004,300
4,100-4,300
Gram Super Best
n.a.
Gram Medium Best
3,900-4,000
3,900-4,000
Gram Dal Medium
n.a.
n.a.
Gram Mill Quality
3,700-3,800
3,700-3,800
Desi gram Raw
3,150-3,200
3,100-3,150
Gram Filter new
3,300-3,700
3,300-3,700
Gram Kabuli
8,500-9,800
8,500-9,800
Gram Pink
7,200-7,400
7,200-7,400
Tuar Fataka Best
7,800-8,000
7,800-7,800
Tuar Fataka Medium
7,500-7,700
7,500-7,700
Tuar Dal Best Phod
7,150-7,250
7,150-7,250
Tuar Dal Medium phod
6,8507,050
6,850-7,050
Tuar Gavarani
5,300-5,500
5,300-5,500
Tuar Karnataka
5,700-5,800
5,700-5,800
Tuar Black
8,400-8,700
8,400-8,700
Masoor dal best
6,900-7,200
6,700-6,800
Masoor dal medium
6,700-6,900
6,500-6,600
Masoor
n.a.
n.a.
Moong Mogar bold
10,20010,500
10,200-10,500
Moong Mogar Medium best
9,4009,800
9,400-9,800
Moong dal super best
8,800-9,000
8,800-9,000
Moong dal Chilka
8,300-8,500
8,300-8,500
Moong Mill quality
n.a.
n.a.

Moong Chamki best
8,000-9,300
8,000-9,300
Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG)
8,200-8,400
8,300-8,500
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)
7,600-7,800
7,600-8,000
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)
6,300-6,800
6,600-7,100
Batri dal (100 INR/KG)
4,200-5,000
4,200-5,000
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)
3,0503,200
3,050-3,200
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)
3,2503,400
3,250-3,400
Watana White (100 INR/KG)
3,1503,300
3,150-3,300
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)
4,200-4,800
4,200-4,800
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)
1,2001,500
1,200-1,500
Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG)
1,650-1,700
1,650-1,700
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)
1,2001,400
1,200-1,400
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)
2,100-2,350
2,100-2,350
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)
1,800-2,000
1,800-2,000
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a.
n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 2,8003,200
2,800-3,200
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)
1,950-2,350
1,950-2,350
Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG)
1,2001,300
1,200-1,300
Wheat Best (100 INR/KG)
1,5001,800
1,500-1,800
Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG)
3,2003,500
3,200-3,500
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG)
1,8001,950
1,800-1,900
Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG)
2,500-2,800
2,500-2,800
Rice HMT new (100 INR/KG)
4,100-4,500
4,100-4,500
Rice HMT Shriram (100 INR/KG)

5,200-5,800
5,200-5,800
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)
10,200-13,300
10,200-13,300
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)
7,200-9,800
7,200-9,800
Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG)
5,4005,800
5,400-5,800
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)
1,300-1,500
1,400-1,600
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)
1,7001,800
1,700-1,800
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 33.1 degree Celsius (91.6
degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
20.4 degree Celsius (68.7 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.
Rainfall : n.a.
FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky. Rains
or thunder-showers likely towards evening
or night.
Maximum and minimum temperature would
be around and 34 and 20 degree Celsius
respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from
plant delivery prices, but
included in market prices.)
Buriram rice growers scale up

precaution by camping out
next to rice piles
Wednesday, 12 November 2014
By NNT
BANGKOK, 11 November 2014 - Rice
growers in Buriram are taking precautions
against rice theft to the next level, by

camping out next to the piles of unhusked
rice they have set out to dry so their produce
can be kept under 24-hour watch.Members
of almost every household in Ban Sai Yong
village in Krasang sub-district, Mueang
district, Buriram have brought out tents and
set up other amenities in open fields and on
the sides of the road where the rice piles
have been set out.
The locals told reporters they have scaled up
precautions because of frequent rice thefts
experienced in previous years.The harvested
rice needs to be set out to dry for 2-3 days
before selling, otherwise the price will fall to
just 10 baht 50 satang per kilogram due to
the undesirable moisture content; locals said
dried unhusked rice fetches at least 15 baht
per kilogram. Locals are expecting that they
will fetch at least 16 baht per kilogram for
their rice, although they will get by if they
can sell it for 15 baht per kilogram.
Massive damages reported

from the rice pledging
scheme
BANGKOK, 12 Nov 2014, (NNT) According to a finding by Kasetsart
University's Faculty of Economy, farmers
participating in the rice pledging scheme did
not make substantial increase in their
income compared to others who did not take
part in the program.
The report shows that participating farmers
were able to make less than 1,000 baht
higher than those who did not take part in
the scheme, while indicating that the rice
pledging scheme had cost the previous
Government 985 billion baht. The damage
incurred by the program is expected to be in
the range of 540 - 750 billion baht.The
finding indicated that the pledging scheme

was extremely not worth the budget spent,
and farmers who participated in the scheme
did not use additional income for improving
their production capacity as originally
intended.
The report thus strongly suggested the next
administration to take the long term effects
into consideration when issuing policies
pertaining to agricultural development.It
pointed out that a better approach to farm
assistance
is
to
increase
farmers'
competitiveness by reducing operation costs,
and increasing the quality of their crops.
Rice quality control

workshop held
Published on Wednesday, 12 November
2014 18:40
A workshop took place in Yangon
yesterday, aiming to boost rice quality ahead
of the start of legall rice exports to China
some time next year.The workshop was
organised by Myanmar Rice Federation
(MRF) and Myanmar Paddy Federation and
Rice Traders Association.Rice exports to
China should meet the requirements and
procedures set by the World Trade
Organisation, said Ye Min Aung, the
general secretary of the MRF.As such,
sanitising procedures would be applied with
paddy fields and rice output will be tested
for harmful chemical fertilisers.
The workshop organisers also alerted
businesses or associations which are
involved with rice milling and warehousing
that in exporting rice to China, they need
official licenses. Meanwhile, Chinas
approval
is
necessary
for
such
activity.According to the MRF, the list of
licenced exporters will be released on an

annual basis.Myanmars rice price has been
plummeting as authorities of both countries
reign in illegal border trade. In the 20122013 fiscal year, rice exports to China
amounted to 752,000 tonnes, entirely
through border trade.
If they (China) still dont want to buy
Myanmar rice, the price will keep falling,
said Aung Than Oo, the vice president for
the MRF.There are attempts to legalise the
rice exports. In September, a memorandum
of understanding on agricultural standards
was
signed
by
Chinas
General
Administration of Quality Supervision,
Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) with
Asean member states. Myanmar still needs a
government-to-government agreement to
legalise the exports to China.
Will Gambia achieve rice selfsufficiency by 2016?

Wed Nov 12, 2014 8:13AM GMT
Africa Today
Rice is a staple consumed all over Africa,
the perfect addition to meat, fish or stew.
And at 20 million tons a year and rising,
Africans just can't get enough of it.But the
continent, which has 60% of the worlds
uncultivated arable land, imports nearly half
the rice it needs, costing governments
billions of dollars.The Gambias President
Yahya Jammeh has launched an ambitious
plan to grow enough rice for the country to
become self-sufficient within two years.Yet,
to overcome their rice deficit, countries like
the Gambia will have to invest not only in
the capacity of their farmers, but also in
technology.
Drought forces rice farmers

to sell their crops early
Date : 12 2557
KALASIN, 12 November 2014 (NNT)
According to officials in Kalasin, the
province's Lam Pao Dam would continue to
distribute water for irrigation. Meanwhile,
rice farmers in Suphanburi who ignored the
government's warning and engaged in offseason farming are now forced to sell off
their crops early.
Farmers in Suphanburi told the media that
their crops will be used to feed cattle, as
drought has damaged their paddy fields,
effectively ruining the crops for human
consumption. Ten rai worth of the damaged
crops can only be sold for a thousand baht.
Earlier, the local Irrigation Office had urged
agricultural operators to refrain from
engaging in off-season farming, warning
them that this particular predicament would
likely happen due to the intensity of this
year's drought.
In Kalasin, Lam Pao Dam would continue
to release water for irrigation within the
province as well as in Roi Et, Yasothon, and
Ubon Ratchathani. Currently, the Chi
Rivers water level falls below the normal
level, making it difficult for agricultural
operations. Officials have, therefore,
encouraged the local farmers to farm lowwater demanding crops such as sugar cane
and sprouts.
Year of reckoning: paddy

prices fall as Iran goes slow
on imports
Khanna/ Panipath | Posted: November 11,
2014 1:07 am

imports. Lower demand from Iran, plus our
farmers growing more basmati this time, is
what is depressing prices, Anil Kumar
Mittal, chairman of KRBL, Indias largest
rice miller and exporter, told The Indian
Express.Indias basmati paddy production
this year is seen at 12 million tonnes (mt),
up from the 8.5 mt-9 mt of 2013-14.
The 12 mt includes 5 mt of Pusa-1121 and
2.5 mt of Pusa-1509, a newly bred IARI
variety. 12 mt paddy works out to 8 mt of
rice. If you take 4 mt exports and another
1.8 mt-2 mt domestic consumption, there
will still be a surplus of 2 mt, observed a
trade source.The bull run in basmati is
clearly over. The price correction that is
happening now is only a reflection of that,
points out Ashok Gulati, former chairman,
Commission for Agricultural Costs and
Prices.
R S Seshadri, general secretary of the All
India Rice Exporters Association, believes
farmers in Punjab and Haryana will continue
to plant basmati even next year. With Pusa1121, a farmer can harvest 18-20 quintals of
paddy per acre, which goes up to 23-24
quintals for Pusa-1509. On the other hand,
yields in non-basmati parmal varieties,
which are procured for the public
distribution system and attract a minimum
support price of Rs 1,400 per quintal, are
only 30 quintals.
Even if basmati prices drop to Rs
2,000/quintal, farm economics will still
favour it over parmal paddy, he adds.The
shift to basmati is perceptible from paddy
acreage data. Basmati varieties are estimated
to have accounted for 8.2 lakh hectares or 72
per cent of Haryanas total paddy area this
year. The corresponding coverage was 8.66
lakh hectares or 31 per cent for Punjab.
No farmer here grows parmal. The only

paddy that comes to our mandi is basmati,
especially Pusa-1121 and now increasingly
Pusa-1509, says Vijay Arora, a leading
artiya
at
Madlaudas
new
grain
market.Seshadri projects basmatis share
even in Punjab to cross 50 per cent in the
next 3-4 years. It is a good thing, as
basmati needs less water, and the
government should focus on rice
procurement more from Chhattisgarh and
eastern India.
Vietnam Eyes Water-Saving

Tech For Rice Farms
By Science
and
Network |Editorials
Development
November 11, 2014

Although alternate wetting and drying
technology can reduce water usage and
greenhouse gas emissions, getting rice
farmers to adopt this practice could be
difficult.
AsianScientist
(Nov.
11, 2014) Agriculture
experts say application
of alternate wetting and
drying
(AWD)
technology in Vietnams rice farms, one of
South-East Asias largest rice-producing
countries, holds great promise in cutting
water use and greenhouse gas emissions
from rice cultivation without sacrificing
yield output.
Vietnam along with Bangladesh and
Colombia recently partnered with the
Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to

introduce the large-scale application of
AWD, also known as controlled irrigation in
which farmers periodically drain rice
paddies rather than keeping them
perpetually flooded.
The number of non-flooded days can range
from one to ten days. The technology can
reduce water use by 25 percent and
estimated to cut methane from flooded rice
field by 50 percent.But getting farmers to
adopt it will be a struggle, Nguyen Hong
Son, vice-president of the Vietnam
Academy
of
Agricultural
Sciences,
tells SciDev.Net during an interview at the
Fourth International Rice Congress in
Bangkok, Thailand, held from October 27 to
November 1, 2014.
Its something that will give the farmers
complications in application, he notes. Its
really hard for them to understand the
benefits of reducing greenhouse gas
emissions. We will try to convince them of
the benefits of AWD since it can also help
them save money in irrigation.Aside from
economic savings through lower water
consumption and pumping costs, there is
also evidence that AWD can help crops
perform better and improve soil conditions
so that machines can operate more
efficiently in the fields, says Bjrn Ole
Sander, who is coordinating the effort.
But AWD is not without controversy.
Adopting the irrigation method will increase
nitrous oxide emissions, which Sander
himself acknowledges will be anywhere
from 20 to 100 percent. Still, given that
paddy rice does not produce much nitrous
oxide to begin with, the decrease in
methane, which the crop produces in heaps,
will more than offset any increase in nitrous

oxide, says Sander.We still have a huge
overall reduction in greenhouse gas
emissions, he adds.
The planned wide-scale adoption of AWD is
in line with the Vietnamese governments
commitment to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions especially in the agricultural
sector, which is predicted to account for
almost 73 percent of emissions in the
country by 2030, according to a UN fact
sheet produced in 2013.The first phase to
expand AWD in Vietnam as well as in
Bangladesh and Colombia will run for the
next 18 months and will involve preliminary
research in each of the participating
countries to identify the best areas where
AWD can be applied, possible barriers and
the needs for investment.
Representatives from the CCAC will soon
hold roundtable working groups with
various national stakeholders, including
scientists.A central information kiosk
containing extensive information on rice
management and greenhouse gas emissions
will be hosted by the Philippines-based
International Rice Research Institute, which
along with the International Center for
Tropical Agriculture in Colombia, will
provide technical advice and services.
Vietnam's Mekong delta sees

sharp rise in rice exports
Vietnam's Mekong delta sees sharp rise in
rice exports

HO CHI MINH CITY, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -High-quality rice exports from Vietnam's
southern Mekong delta sharply increased in
the first 10 months of this year, up 44
percent year on year, according to the local
Southwest
Steering
Committee.Local
VietnamNet news portal reported on
Tuesday, quoting data from the steering
committee as saying that the region exported
over 2.7 million tons of high-quality rice,
worth 2.32 billion U.S. dollars, accounting
for 52 percent of the total rice export volume
during the reviewed period.
According to the Vietnam Food Association
(VFA), the average prices of Vietnamese
rice exports in the first 10 months has
declined, however, thanks to the increasing
output of high-quality paddy harvested from
the region, the export revenues have been
maintained.The average export price
reached 455.26 U.S. dollars per ton in the
first nine months, up 3.6 percent year on
year.Rice supplies for exports from the
Mekong delta are abundant.
Total paddy output from the recent winterspring, summer-autumn and autumn-winter
crops reached 24.3 million tons, of which,
over 70 percent are high-quality, fragrant
paddy that meet criteria for exports.In
addition, the Mekong Delta Rice Research
Institute in recent years has produced dozens
of cross-bred rice strains with high quality
and output, supporting the farmers in their
intensive rice farming in specific locations.
Vietnam's Mekong delta comprises 12
provinces and Can Tho City.Currently,
about four million hectares of land in the
region are used for rice cultivation during
three crops per year.Generally, more than 50
percent of the country's paddy and 90
percent of the nation's rice exports come
from the delta.
Thai govt urged to help ease

rice glut
Farmers harvest rice in a field in Thailand's southern
Narathiwat province. (Photo: AFP/File)
BANGKOK: The Thai rice industry is still

dealing with the impact of the now-defunct
state rice subsidy scheme. That policy has
left Thailand with tonnes of rice, and experts
are calling on the government to formulate a
long-term policy to help ease the glut in the
sector.
As a result of the previous government's rice
subsidy scheme, Prayuth Chan-ocha's
administration is now sitting on some 18
million tonnes of milled rice. Thai exporters
say the stockpile is hurting the Thai rice
trade in both the short- and longterm.Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary
president of Thai
Rice Exporters
Association, said: "In the eyes of the buying
countries, they will look at Thai stock and
say, 'wow, there are still plenty of rice in
Thailand'. We are the exporting country, so
psychologically, they (import countries)
won't see the price going up."
Global rice prices have dropped 18 percent
this year to its lowest in four years. The
price of Thai rice has dropped even more down by 30 percent from before the
implementation of the rice subsidy scheme.
That means lower returns from the
government's attempts to accelerate rice sale
from its stock.Dr Nipon Poapongsakorn,
Distinguished
Fellow
at
Thailand
Development Research Institute, said: "We
cannot get enough revenue from the selling
of our stockpile of rice.

And if we want to sell it now, the price will
drop even further, because the world market
knows that we have a large amount of
stockpile of rice on hand."At the end of the
day, that means lower returns for farmers,
prompting Prime Minister Prayuth Chanocha to introduce a one-time cash handout.
His administration is doling out more than
US$1.2b to about 4 million farming
households.Professor Medhi Krongkaew
from the National Institute of Development
Administration's School of Development
Economics, said: "This policy is only for
short term, aimed at helping farmers cope
with the drop in the price of rice.
The government is still in the process of
finding a long-term approach, which is not
apparent yet."But there is yet another
problem. The government claims that 90
percent of the rice in state stockpiles has
deteriorated. The full audit will be released
in coming days. But one thing that is sure is
that less rice sold means a large dent to
farmers' rice bowls.
Punjab procures over 111 lakh

tonnes paddy
Published: November 11, 2014
Chandigarh, Nov 11 (IANS) Over 111
lakh tonnes of paddy has been procured in
Punjab this season, food and supplies
department officials said Tuesday.Ludhiana
district was leading in paddy procurement
with over 14.13 lakh tonnes being procured
there. Sangrur and Moga followed with
13.66 and 11.07 lakh tonnes.The Punjab
government has set up 1,806 purchase
centres across the state. Procurement started
Oct 1.Over 98.4 percent of the paddy has
been procured by government agencies.
IANS 2014-11-11 18:02:13
USA Rice Talks New Food Security

Challenges and Opportunities with USDA,
USAID, Others
Whenever there's a need

WASHINGTON, DC -- Last week, the USA
Rice Federation joined members of the food
aid community to participate in the Food
Aid Consultative Group (FACG) to discuss
the latest developments and responses in the
U.S. government's food security programs.
In addition to an overview of U.S. crop
production, including a large rice crop, the
meeting focused on the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's (USDA) and the U.S. Agency
for International Development's food
assistance programming for the coming
year,
particularly
on
the
recent
announcement of a new round of funding for
USDA's McGovern Dole (MGD) and Food
For Progress Programs (FFpr).
Both
programs have used significant quantities of
rice in the past.
This year's
programmin
g will only
fund
three
new
initiatives
under FFpr in Benin, Ghana, and the
Dominican Republic, and five under MGD
in Rwanda, Mozambique, Honduras, Sierra
Leone, and Cote d'Ivoire. It is likely that
Private Volunteer Organizations (PVOs)
will look to program fortified rice in MGD
programs which have a strong focus on
addressing micronutrient deficiencies in
school age children to increase their health
and productivity.

"A significant portion of last week's
meeting was dedicated to the U.S.
government and the World Food
Programme's (WFP) response to the Ebola
epidemic in the hardest hit countries:
Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea," said
Sarah Moran, USA Rice's director of
International Promotion.
"Agencies are
planning for a severe food and nutritional
emergency based on the projections of
USAID's Famine Early Warning Systems
Network.
They are focused on potential problems
including disruption of food availability,
reduced household income, below average
rice harvests, the staple food for west Africa,
and a reduction in overall household food
consumption."
WFP is already prepositioning rice to utilize

in emergency relief programs and USAID
will be looking to ramp up emergency
feeding interventions utilizing ready to eat
supplements and fortified foods.
USA Rice will be meeting with key contacts

in the next month to identify ways to assist
in emergency relief efforts utilizing milled
and fortified rice.
Contact:
1444
Deborah Willenborg (703) 236-
Turkey Announces November 18, 2014 Tender

Announcement: Up to 40,000 tons (-5%) paddy
Tender:
18 November 2014
Shipment Period: 1 December 2014 to 10 January 2015

Delivery Period:
1 December 2014 to 31 January 2015
Place of Delivery: Mersin, Turkey

Discharge Ports:
Mersin, Tekirdag (TDI port), Bandirma
Note: Tender documents (draft contract, technical and administrative specifications) must be taken from
TMO General Directorate
SPECIFICATIONS OF PADDY RICE FOR IMPORTATION

Year of Production
2013 or 2014
Moisture (ISO 712)
(% max)
14.5
Foreign material
(% max)
2.0
Cargo rice
(% max)
10.0
Other types
None of whole or
broken

Milling yield
(% min)
55.0
Broken kernel
(% max)
10.0
Damaged kernel
(% max)
2.0
Red kernel and kernel with red
(% max)
2.0
Raw kernel
(% max)
3.0
Chalky kernel
(% max)
3.0
streaks
Paddy rice kernel length (mm)
above 7.5 mm
7.5<
Rice kernel length (mm)
above 5.2 mm
5.2<
Ratio of rice kernel length (mm)/rice kernel width
2.5 and below

2.5
(mm)
Contact: Eszter Somogyi, 011-49-40-4503-8667
Japan Announces 6th Ordinary Import Tender in FY 2014

Announcement:
Tender:
Offer details:
10 November 2014
14 November 2014
33,000 mt
Country Specified
or Global
Global Tender
Shipping period:
Non-glutinous
milled rice
(medium grain)
Non-glutinous
milled rice
(long grain)
TOTAL
13,000
20,000
33,000
Medium Grain: From 25 December 2014 to 25 January 2015

Long Grain: From 20 December 2014 to 31 January 2015
WASDE Report Released

Monday
WASHINGTON, DC -- All rice supplies
for 2014/15 are increased slightly from last
month due to an increase in production.
U.S. all rice production is forecast at 221.1
million cwt, up 0.2 percent from last month
due to an increase in yield. Average all rice

yield is estimated at 7,597 pounds per acre,
up 13 pounds per acre from a month ago.
Harvested area is unchanged at 2.91 million
acres. Long-grain rice production is up
200,000 cwt to 160.3 million, and combined
medium- and short-grain rice production is
raised 100,000 cwt to 60.8 million cwt.

On the 2014/15 use side, forecast all rice
domestic and residual use and exports are
unchanged from a month ago at 131 million
cwt and 102 million, respectively.
However, the rough rice export component
is raised 1 million cwt to 35 million, up 22
percent from the prior year, and the largest
since 2009/10.
Conversely, exports of milled rice are
lowered 1 million (rough-rice basis) to 67
million. Exports of combined medium- and
short-grain rice are raised 2 million to 34
million, up 10 percent from 2013/14.
Exports of medium-grain rice are expected
to be larger because of forecast tighter
supplies in Australia, and a change in the
export policy in Egypt that likely will
constrain exports. Australia and Egypt are
two principal medium-grain rice competitors
of the United States. Conversely, long-grain
rice exports are lowered 2 million cwt to 68
million, still up 10 percent from the prior
year.
Long-grain milled rice markets in the
Middle East and Africa are expected to be
very competitive and likely will favor lowerpriced rice sourced from Asia. U.S. longgrain exports will be strong to markets in the
Western Hemisphere. All rice ending stocks
are forecast at 40.9 million cwt, up nearly 1
percent from last month, and an increase of
nearly 29 percent from 2013/14.
The 2014/15 long-grain rice season-average
farm price range is projected at $12.20 to
$13.20 per cwt, unchanged from last month.
The combined medium- and short-grain
farm price range is projected at $19.00 to
$20.00 per cwt, up $1.30 per cwt on each

end of the range. The all rice seasonaverage farm price is forecast at $14.20 to
$15.20 per cwt, up 40 cents per cwt on each
end of the range. Tight supplies of
combined medium- and short-grain rice in
California along with reduced supplies
among the major competitors including
Australia and Egypt are expected to support
prices. Conversely, a larger supply of lower
priced Southern medium-grain rice will limit
the increase in the total medium- and shortgrain farm price.
Global 2014/15 ending stocks are lowered
5.7 million tons or nearly 5.5 percent due to
a decrease in total supplies and an increase
in consumption.
Total supplies for 2014/15 are lowered 4.4
million tons due mostly to a reduction in
beginning stocks of 4 million. India's
2013/14 ending stocks are lowered nearly 3
million tons due mostly to an increase in
consumption. Lower procurement of rice by
the government of India coupled with higher
disbursement of rice through the public
distribution system drew down government
rice stocks in 2013/14.
Additionally,
2013/14 rice ending stocks in Thailand and
Vietnam are
lowered 800,000 tons and 500,000,
respectively. World 2014/15 rice production
is lowered 400,000 tons to 475 million tons
due mostly to smaller crops forecast for
Australia and Egypt, which are partially
offset by an increase for South Korea.
Global 2014/15 rice consumption is raised
1.3 million tons to a record 482.9 million
due mostly to increases for India and
Vietnam, partially offset by reductions for

Egypt and South Korea. Global rice trade is
up 400,000 tons from a month ago with an
800,000-ton increase for Thailand, partially
offset by reductions for Australia and Egypt.
Imports are increased for EU and China.
The decline in global ending stocks is due
mostly to reductions for India, Thailand, and
Vietnam, partially offset by increases for
China, Egypt, EU, and South Korea.
Global 2014/15 ending stocks at 98.6
million tons are down nearly 8 million tons
from 2013/14 and the lowest stocks since
2009/10. Stocks among the major foreign
exporters are down 18 percent from
2013/14.
Read the full report here.
Celebrating Old North State

Agriculture
The Census of Agriculture is the most
complete account of U.S. farms and ranches
and the people who operate them. Every
Thursday USDAs National Agricultural
Statistics Service will highlight new Census
data and the power of the information to
shape the future of American agriculture.
Thanks to the fertile lands along the
Missouri river, farming has always had a
major presence in the Show Me State. As of
2012, only Texas has more farms than
Missouri. The latest Census of Agriculture
counted more than 99,000 farms in our state,
which produced more than $9 billion in
agricultural products, nearly equally divided
between crop and livestock products.
Missouri farmers are always looking for
innovative ways to connect our states
residents with local agriculture and to find

new markets.
Thats why, in 2012, there were nearly 4,000
farms selling value-added products, such as
cheese, preserves, or locally-produced wine.
That year, 844 farms in Missouri also
offered agritourism and other recreational
services, such as hay rides. And for those
residents who want to receive fresh local
products, Missouri also had 291 farms
participating in the local communitysupported agriculture programs.
While Missouri agriculture has a nice
mixture of locally-produced commodities, it
is our soybean growers who really stand out.
In 2012, soybeans were the largest single
commodity grown in Missouri. That year
our growers sold nearly $2 billion worth of
this crop. The 2012 Census of Agriculture
counted nearly 20,000 Missouri farms that
produced soybeans.
Two major local crops found in southeast
Missouri are rice and cotton. In 2012, our
farmers produced more than 1.2 billion
pounds of rice valued at more than $150
million, putting Missouri in fourth place in
the nation when it comes to this important
commodity.

And all of this was achieved by only 386
farms on 175,000 acres. Likewise, just 409
cotton farms produced 722,000 bales of
cotton. Cotton sales were $249 million,
ninth highest among states.
The livestock industry also has a very strong
presence in Missouri. In 2012, the ag census
counted more than 53,000 farms with more
than 3.7 million head of cattle or calves.
Missouri also ranked number one in the
nation when it came to farms that raised or
sold veal in 2012.
The best thing is that with all of these
numbers you dont have to simply take my
word for it. You can easily check out these
Census of Agriculture numbers online. Or,
feel free to visit our grand state to see our
farms and ranches firsthand. After all,
theres a reason Missouri is known as the
Show Me State.
Show me farms!! Missouri has lots and lots
of farming almost 100,000 according to
the 2012 Census of Agriculture. Check back
next week for a focus on another state and
the Census of Agriculture.
Rice growers turn to USDA for

help with Iraq Plenish: The
GE health trait test case
Talk of a TPP secretariat
grows
By BILL TOMSON | 11/12/14 10:00 AM
EDT
With help from Chase Purdy, Jenny
Hopkinson and Jason Huffman
RICE GROWERS TURN TO USDA

FOR HELP WITH IRAQ: The U.S. rice
industry has turned to the Agriculture
Department for help in sorting out why Iraq
recently ignored its lower bid for rice. Bob
Cummings, the USA Rice Federations chief
operating officer, tells POLITICO Pro that
he and Alexis Taylor, USDAs deputy
undersecretary for farm and foreign
agricultural services, met Monday to discuss
what the group calls an alarming situation
with Iraqi rice tenders."
The Iraqi grain board chose to purchase
Brazilian and Uruguayan rice over rice from
the U.S. in a 170,000-ton tender last week
despite the fact that the U.S. producer
Archer Daniel Midland offered to sell at
a lower price. An ADM spokesperson
declined to comment, but Cummings said, in
a statement, that the U.S. rice industry hopes
USDA will help it get to the bottom of the
issue before the next tender."
U.S.-origin rice was offered to the Iraqis at
$646 per ton, but Iraq bought rice instead
from Brazil at $663 per ton and Uruguay at
$661 per ton, according to a copy of a bid
summary. Another tender is now open and
results are expected in this weekend, USA
Rice said. See the groups latest report on
Iraq here: http://bit.ly/1o6P0L9
HAPPY
WEDNESDAY,
NOV.
12! Welcome to Morning Ag, where your
host is happy to have Congress back in
town, lame duck or not. You know the deal:

Thoughts, news, tips? Send them
to btomson@politico.com and
@billtomson4. Follow the whole team
@Morning_Ag.
PLENISH: THE GE HEALTH TRAIT
TEST CASE: The future for foods
genetically modified to promote nutrition
and better health likely rests on the success
of DuPont Pioneers high oleic Plenish
soybean, says Susan Knowlton, a DuPont
senior research manager and creator of the
product.
cant make it with [a trans fat-free soybean

oil], you cant make it at all.
Plenish is used in at least one packaged
food on the market, though Knowlton
could not say which products or even how
many due to confidentiality agreements. So
if you happen to notice high oleic soybean
oil on a nutrition label, please let MA
know. We are pretty curious to try Plenish in
a commercial product.
While GE crops largely focus on herbicide

and pest resistance, the Plenish soybean,
which gained regulatory approval in 2012,
produces trans fat-free oil that has a similar
GMO FIELD TRIP: DuPont opened the

doors of its Wilmington, Del., facility to
journalists, including MA, Tuesday as part
of an effort by the biotech industry and
GMO Answers to engage in the discussion
on biotechnology. Among the stops on the
tour, DuPont showed of its gene gun a
nutritional profile as olive oil and does not

spoil as conventional soybean oil does.
Nutritional traits represent a challenge for
biotech companies as their success depends
on acceptance and use by food companies
and consumers, instead of farmers, who
have largely embraced the technology,
Knowlton says. Biotech companies are
reluctant to take the risk on health traits
because of concerns on the return on the
helium blaster that is used to shoot DNA on

a gold plate into plant embryos. While it
does not look like a gun MA wasnt
allowed to take pictures, but this is
it:http://bit.ly/1EyzFMS . Note: Gene guns
were fueled by gunpowder until about 1990.
Also part of the tour: how a 3D microscope
is used in trait development; a look into corn
modified for drought tolerance and nitrogen
use efficiency; and soybean cultivation for
investment in research, says Knowlton, who

adds, as a result people are looking at this.
testing new traits.
You really need these early successes in

order for [companies] to put their money
down next time, Knowlton says. If you
GMO TAG TEAM FIGHT: Beware of

chairs or elbows flying from the ropes on
Wednesday, Dec. 3, when two esteemed
advocates for genetically engineered food
take on two equally respected skeptics of the

science in a nearly two-hour debate in New
York City.
The event, hosted by Intelligence Squared
U.S. at the Kaufman Center, in Manhattan,
will feature: Robert Fraley, Monsantos
executive VP and chief technology officer;
Alison Van Eenennaam, a genomics and
biotechnology researcher at UC Davis;
Charles Benbrook, research professor for the
Center for Sustaining Agriculture and
tariff rate quotas and a lack of imports due

to the countrys crackdown on unapproved
biotech traits in U.S. shipments, FAS notes.
As a result, China bought 80 percent of the
212 million bushels of sorghum the U.S.
exported in the 2013-14 marketing year and
is thus far responsible for 100 percent of
U.S. sorghum purchase commitments in
2014-15. But dont count on the trend to
continue. A recent government agreement
Natural Resources; and Margaret Mellon,

science policy consultant and former senior
scientist at the Union of Concerned
Scientists.
between China and Argentina to facilitate

sorghum exports could bring competition
and pressure prices lower, FAS observes.
However, the United States will remain
Chinas dominant supplier for the next few
months, as new-crop Australian and
Argentine supplies will not be available until
March.
See
FAS
full
analysis
here:http://1.usa.gov/1eKNiuT
Tickets, which are $40 each, can be

purchased
here: http://www.intelligencesquaredus.or
g/ But the debate, which starts at 6:45 p.m.,
also can be viewed live online
at http://bit.ly/1tEDtYb or via IQ2's new
app http://shorefi.re/VTwKwx It will air
soon after as part of the syndicated NPR
show "Intelligence Squared U.S," the
organizers say.
FROM BOOZE TO LIVESTOCK
FEED: China has become the largest market
for U.S. sorghum and also a big buyer of
U.S. barley as the country seeks new
commodities to replace corn in its rapidly
developing industrial animal feed sector,
finds a new report by the USDAs Foreign
Agriculture Services.
Corn prices have risen too high for Chinese
feed makers because of domestic subsidies,
TALK OF A TPP SECRETARIAT

GROWS: BEIJING A final TransPacific Partnership may be months from
conclusion, and it may take even longer to
go into force. But supporters of the
agreement are already fretting about how the
monstrous trade deal will be administered
and talking about the creation of a TPP
secretariat, reports Pro Trades Adam
Behsudi.
The Asia-Pacific trade deal has always been
envisioned as a living agreement, or one
where
rules
evolve
with
future
developments, and new members may join
as long as they can sign on to the standards

of the deal. But in Beijing this week, amid
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
summit, conversations were underway about
how the TPP could be maintained this way.
Deborah Elms, executive director of the
Singapore-based Asian Trade Centre,
expressed concerns about comments from
TPP trade ministers that suggested the use of
committees to address issues. She and others
are recommending the creation of an
administrative office similar to the one used
to manage the World Trade Organization.
You need at a minimum to have a TPP
secretariat to handle issues and revisions to
the agreement, said Elms, who discussed
the topic in a presentation last week to
members of the APEC Business Advisory
Council. Pros can click here to read the rest
program, which it says was designed, in

part, by a team of scientists hired by the
company following an outbreak linked to it
that caused more than 600 illnesses.
POLITICO Pros earlier story can be found
here:http://politico.pro/1yvruNg Read the
companys
statement
here: http://bit.ly/1Eq3qNL.
U.S., BRAZIL BUSINESS GROUPS
LAUNCH FTA STUDIES: A free trade
agreement between the United States and
Brazil? A coalition of business groups in the
United States and Brazil say theyve agreed
to launch studies to examine the possibility
and plan to report the results to their
governments, Pro Trades Victoria Guida
reports. The cooperation agreement was
signed by the Brazil-U.S. Business Council
FOSTER
FARMS
UNVEILS
SALMONELLA
REDUCTION
PLAN: ?After struggling with a 17-month
Salmonella outbreak and investing about
$75 million to overhaul its processing
procedures, Foster Farms has publicly
and the Brazilian National Confederation of

Industry during a trip by the council to
Brasilia, according to a statement released
today by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
But dont get too excited just yet. A bilateral
free trade agreement could prove
complicated because of Brazils deep ties to
the South American trade bloc Mercosur.
Some countries involved in that bloc, such
outlined the plan it used to reduce

Salmonella in its raw products from 25
percent to 5 percent. The California poultry
company, in a statement, describes an
as Venezuela, would likely object to U.S.Brazil negotiations. Read the Chambers

statement
here: http://uscham.com/11eDk4s
of
Behsudis
article:http://politico.pro/1szYUH3
intensive
data
collection
and
analysis

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