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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Rice E-Newsletter
May 4 , 2015
V o l u m e 5, Issue I

Thailand occupies more than 60% of rice market in


Hong Kong
2015-05-04THAILAND
[GOOGLE-TRANSLATOR]

Thailand occupies more than 60% of rice market in Hong Kong


BANGKOK, 4 May 2015 (NNT) The Hong Kong Trade and Industry Department
imported 49,900 tons of rice from Thailand in the first quarter 2015, a 48.9% increase
compared to the same period last year. The higher rice exports to Hong Kong brought
Thailands rice exports to all markets to 62.2% in the first quarter 2015.
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce Duangkamon Chiambut said the Hong Kong Trade
and Industry imported 80,400 tons of rice during the first three months this year, increasing by
0.75%. Drop in Thai Hom Mali rice price and importers higher confidence in Thai rice were
important factors which led to the first quarter growth, the spokesperson added. The
strengthening of relations between the Thai government and Hong Kong rice importers also
helped Thai rice exports achieved a growth target of higher than 60%, she said.In 2013, Thailand
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exported 6.6 million tons of rice, worth 4.42 billion USD, worldwide. In 2014, Thai rice exports
were 10.9 million tons or 5.34 billion USD

PM calls for a halt to collusion

Tue, 5 May 2015

Chan Muyhong
Prime Minister Hun Sen urged provincial governors yesterday to stop government officials from
colluding with traders to fix agricultural commodity prices, giving farmers no choice but to sell their
products at below-market rates. The PMs call comes a day after the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries released an announcement stating that an investigation would be launched into the possible
scheme.Please look into the issue. Do not only wait for the Ministry of Commerce or the Agriculture
Ministry [to take action], he said speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of National Road 55 in
Pursat province.This is a serious case. If found to be the case, officials who are found plotting with
traders will be punished, he added.
The premier went on to say that prices for agricultural products should be determined by free market
mechanisms.Those who offer the highest price will get the products. Let the price be set by the free
market, he said.Chan Sophal, the governor of Battambang province, said there were no such cases of
official involvement in price rigging schemes in his province.He said, however, that he would encourage
rice millers to trade directly with farmers instead of having to go through traders.Now I have talked to
rice millers to be more open to buying paddy from farmers and giving them a good price instead of
buying from traders.
Big traders often block smaller brokers from competing with them, said Kan Vesna, a rice farmers
representative in Battambang province, leaving fewer options to farmers who are often under pressure to
sell because of outstanding loans.It is good that the government is now trying to strengthen the local
authorities capacity to tackle this issue, but we still need to wait and see how effective the
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implementation will be, he said.So far, there is not much action. It would be more effective if
there was a hotline so farmers could report any irregularities to officials.Middlemen dealing
Cambodian agricultural commodities are mainly traders from neighbouring countries who round
up goods from farmers to sell to buyers across the border, said David Van, senior adviser to the
Cambodia Rice Federation.
In this instance the middlemen are rich and even lend money to farmers to buy seeds and
fertilisers to use, and in return buy back the crops from farmers at harvest time, he said in an
email yesterday.The government has not been able to provide any assistance to alleviate the
burden of access to loans or working capital for millers/exporters despite repeated pleas over the
last few years.Van added that provincial departments of ministries like the Ministry of
Commerce should provide weekly updates on global market prices to farmers and traders so they
do not fall prey to manipulation
A girl adds rice to a stockpile in the middle of a rice paddy in Battambang province earlier this year. Heng Chivoan

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/pm-calls-halt-collusion

FG Rice Policy: Adesina Lacks Power To Waive Import Duty


Reps
Bode Gbadebo, Edegbe Odemwingie
May 5, 2015 4:42 am

The House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Rice Imports Quota and Duty Payments
has said that the minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has no
power to grant duty waivers to rice importers under the current rice policy of the federal
government.The committee chairman and deputy leader of the House, Hon. Leo Ogor, made the
disclosure yesterday during on-going investigative public hearing being conducted by the Adhoc Committee on alleged fraud, abuses and non-payment of import duties by some rice
importers and investors in the country.
The lawmakers also resolved to invite Adesina to appear before the public hearing to tell the
committee what he knows about the flagrant violations of rice import quota and illegal waivers
granted to some importers, who refused to pay import duties on their excess importations.The
committee therefore questioned the powers of the minister to grant such waivers on the basis of
encouraging investment and job creation when in actual sense, the practice is discouraging local
investors who dont even have the capacity to utilise their allotted quotas.The minister lacks this
power, he shouldnt even deceive himself. He need to come and explain to us, Nigerians want to
hear and rice millers want to hear, Ogo said.
Earlier in his welcome address to declare the session open, Ogor stated that the public hearing
was sequel to a resolution of the House. mandating the Ad-hoc Committee to investigate alleged
fraud abuses, evasion of import duties by rice importers in the country.The aim is to uncover

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fraud and expose the endemic corruption in the importation of rice with a view to stemming the
tide and boost employment generation as well as strengthen the nations depleting foreign
reserve.The minister has no reason not to be here because the Ministry was duly served the
invitation. I see no reason why people would be invited to a hearing thats for the benefit of the
people and will not turn up.
You are a servant of the people just like we all are. What we are doing here is for the benefit of
our nations economy. So, before the end of the hearing, we are hoping to see people from the
Ministry come in, otherwise we might be forced to make some very strong pronouncements, he
declared.One of the concerned importers, Olams Nigeria Ltd, who has failed to pay duty accruals
for exceeded importation quota to the tune of over N3.5billion, the companys representative,
Mr. Anil Nair, told the committee that as the largest farm owner on the African continent, it
couldnt have grown its business by disobeying the rules, insisting that there was no directive
asking the company to pay import duties for exceeding its quota.
According to Nair, Olams will gladly pay what is due to it as import duty or levy if the
government require it to do so, a development which confirmed that the minister actually waived
such duties without due diligence.Olams farm is the single largest farm on the continent of
Africa with the capacity to import 243,747 tons of rice on 10% levi and 20% duty. If you look at
all the rice value chain, we have made up to date payment of duties and levies as applicable for
which we made presentation previously.If we are asked to pay for the excess in importation, we
will oblige and pay without any hesitation,, Nair said.
The Customs delegation led by ACG Adeoye Ajade had told the Committee in a position paper
that import duty defaulters were communicated to after the rice policy was reviewed in July,
2014.Olam import was over 245.000 metric tons with excess quota amounting to over
N3.5billion which is the duty liability arising from that importation.Given the review of the
policy, rice millers tried to make false declaration of duty values by under-declaring their actual
import volume. So the policy review now came with dual rate of 10per cent duty raise and 20 per
cent levy, Ajade said.
http://leadership.ng/news/430982/fg-rice-policy-adesina-lacks-power-to-waive-import-duty-reps

No relief to rice consumers


B. CHANDRASHEKHAR
The consumers of rice, the staple food of people in Telangana, are facing a paradoxical situation with no signs
of any letup in its increasing price in the open market on one hand and the millers claiming that the wholesale
prices in the international markets are heading southwards on the other.Against the claims of the

Rice Millers Association of Telangana that the wholesale price of superfine quality rice in the
State had been hovering around Rs. 30 per kg for the last seven years, its price in the open
market witnessed a constant rise during the period.In the upward supermarkets the retail price of
quality superfine variety rice is ranging from Rs. 47 to Rs. 52 per kg.

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The wholesale price of preferred varieties of rice is constantly ranging between Rs. 30 and Rs.
35. The fact that we have supplied 44,873 tonnes of superfine-old rice at Rs. 36 per kg and
superfine-new rice of 1.29 lakh tonnes at Rs. 32.5 per kg to the State government so far for the
purpose of welfare hostels and mid-day meal scheme buttresses our claims, says president of
the association G. Nagendra.

Govt. green signal


The rice millers succeeded in getting government
nod recently for export of one-lakh tonnes of
superfine varieties of rice sale in the
international markets or in other States in the
country on the premise that there were stocks of
over 14 lakh tonnes rice available in the State and
it was more than sufficient compared to the
needs.As the stocks of rice piled up with the
millers, the impending milling of paddy being
procured in rabi season adds to our woes as there
is no demand for rice in the local markets,
reasoned association general secretary V. Mohan
Reddy.Supporting the argument of Mr. Mohan
Reddy, president of South India Rice Millers
Association T. Devendar Reddy stated that
average prices of rice in the international markets
was less than the prices in the country by over Rs.
400 per quintal.
Behind the variation
Asked why there was so much variation in the price of preferred varieties of rice in the retail
market in spite of lesser prices in the international market and availability of more than sufficient
stocks in the State,Mr. Nagendra explained that it would depend on overhead costs involved,
type of retailer and quality within the preferred varieties.Superfine rice is available at the prices
being quoted by me with the wholesale rice stores even in the cities like Hyderabad, he argued.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/no-relief-to-rice-consumers/article7172034.ece

Pakistan sets up Nepal earthquake relief fund at home and


missions abroad
(PTI) / 3 May 2015

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The Foreign Secretary said the Prime Minister has established an exclusive Relief Fund for
Nepal.

Islamabad - Pakistan has set up a special fund to collect


donations for the victims of earthquake in Nepal and will airlift
20,000 tents and 20 tonnes rice for the battered country.Foreign
Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry briefed media on Pakistans
response to help Nepal after the quake on April 25 which has
killed over 7,000 people.He said Pakistan was quickly
responding to the needs of Nepal under the guidance of Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was constantly monitoring the
situation in Nepal in the aftermath of the devastating
Earthquake.Chaudhry said the Prime Minister has established
an exclusive Relief Fund for Nepal.He said accounts under the
Relief Fund will be opened within the country and in Pakistani Missions abroad and Pakistanis
at home and abroad would be mobilised to generously contribute to it.
In response to the Nepal governments request, (Pakistan) Prime Minister has further approved
provision of 20,000 tents and 20 tons rice. The part consignment was delivered yesterday
(Saturday) by two C-130 aircrafts, he said.He said PakistanS Prime Minister, who was on an
official visit to the UK when the Earthquake struck Nepal spoke with his Nepalese counterpart
Sushil Koirala to offer all out assistance.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display1.asp?xfile=data/international/2015/May/international_May101.xml&section=international

PARC introduces 11 new high-yielding rice varieties


BY INP

The Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) approved 11 new high-yielding rice
varieties including seven hybrid and four open-pollinated seed for cultivation in various
ecologies.The Variety Evaluation Committee (VEC) on Rice was held here at PARC
headquarters under the Chairmanship of Member Plant Sciences Division Dr Muhammad Shahid
Masood.In total, 19 rice varieties were presented before the VEC including 14 hybrid and five
OP varieties, out of which 11 were approved and eight were rejected due to Bacterial-LeafBlight (BLB) disease susceptibility and poor grain quality performance. The approved varieties
have been recommended to the National Seed Council.
Details show that the hybrid varieties approved by the VEC have yield potential up to 92 mound
per acre whereas the OP rice varieties have potential to produce much yield than the existing
IRRI-6 and KSK-133 varieties.The OP varieties have been developed from the Green Super Rice
(GSR) germ-plasm provided by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Philippines to
PARC and National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE).These OP
varieties have high yield potential and also submergence, salinity and water stress tolerance
characters.With the addition of new recommended hybrids of rice in the national system of the
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country, it is expected that there will be a significant improvement in rice production in


Pakistan, VET Chairman Dr M Shahid Masood said.He appreciated the role of stakeholders for
taking interest in rice research and development and working in close collaboration with the
public sector.The VEC meeting, among others, was attended by 20 technical members of the
committee from National Agriculture Research System (NARS) of the country including rice
breeders, agronomists, entomologists, pathologists, seed experts, policy-makers, private seed
companies representatives and provincial seed cooperation representatives.
It is pertinent to mention here that the VEC on wheat recently
released four new rust resistant wheat varieties including a bio-fortified variety having 50
percent Zinc (Zn) contents. The bio-fortified variety is the first-ever such introduction in the list
of recommended varieties for farmers choice in any agro-ecology.Meanwhile, Chairman PARC
Dr Iftikhar Ahmad lauded the efforts of the scientists and other stakeholders for introducing new
rice varieties.I expect that the introduction of new rice varieties would not only produce
promising crop yield but would also help farmers to raise their incomes to improve their
livelihood and ultimately play role in building of overall economy of the country, he remarked.
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2015/05/03/business/parc-introduces-11-new-high-yielding-ricevarieties/

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MyPlate Video Search is a Success


Get healthy with Hamilton

ARLINGTON, VA -- Last week


marked the end of the two-month
Check Out MyPlate Video Search
for kids, a MyPlate promotional
activity launched by USA Rice and
six other MyPlate National
Strategic Partners to reach children
and parents with healthy eating
messages.
The video search
received more than 10,000 unique
visitors and generated more than 100 video entries from kids across the country.
"We challenged kids to submit a video about how they eat healthy using MyPlate and get
moving with their favorite physical activity," said Katie Maher, USA Rice's manager of
domestic promotion. "This was the first time we hosted a promotion like this and we are very
impressed with the engagement we received as well as the quality and creativity of the videos."
This month, all of the entries will be reviewed and judged by MyPlate and Let's Move! There
will be one Grand Prize winner ($1,000) and one Runner-Up ($300) for each age category: 2 10, 11 - 13, and 14 - 18. Winners will be announced in early June.If you're looking for a good
laugh or something to brighten your day, take a look at some of the video entries here.

Contact: Deborah Willenborg (703) 236-1444

USA Rice Fuels a Local Charity Race


Rice wins every time!
FALLS CHURCH, VA -- USA Rice participated in a charity race at a local high school here to help
support the school's athletic program. More than 400 adults and children took part in the annual "Raider

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5K

Run"

that

raised

an

estimated

$10,000

for

the

community.

USA Rice used the new Think Rice logo on t-shirts all the runners received. In addition, staff was onhand to pass out Think Rice-branded rice marshmallow treats to the finishers. "Not only was this a fun
event on a beautiful spring day, but we literally reminded runners that they should 'Think Rice' -- it's a
complex carbohydrate that helps fuel the body and is a great food for athletes," said Katie Maher, USA
Rice's manager of domestic promotion who also ran the race.
Contact: Michael Klein (703) 236-1458

Crop Progress: 2015 Crop 61 Percent Planted


WASHINGTON, DC -- Sixty-one percent of the nation's 2015 rice acreage is planted, according to today's U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Crop Progress Report.

Rice Planted, Selected States


Week Ending

State

May
3, 2014

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Page 9

May 3,
2015

2010-2014
average

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Percent
Arkansas

62

37

64

68

California

11

38

15

Louisiana

92

85

88

93

Mississippi

47

49

66

62

Missouri

54

37

63

Texas

84

64

65

91

Six States

55

39

61

62

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures


CME Group (Preliminary): Closing Rough Rice Futures for May 4

Month

Price

Net Change

May 2015

$9.850

- $0.100

July 2015

$10.105

- $0.100

September 2015

$10.375

- $0.100

November 2015

$10.625

- $0.100

January 2016

$10.875

- $0.100

March 2016

$10.925

- $0.100

May 2016

$10.925

- $0.100

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Weighing in on the farm bill safety net: Part 2


May 4, 2015Forrest Laws | Delta Farm Press

Greg Cole makes no secret of the fact he believes farmers, particularly those in the Mid-South,
would have been better off from a safety net point of view if Congress had kept direct payments
in the Agricultural Act of 2014.Cole, president and CEO of AgHeritage Farm Credit Services,
has told several audiences the loss of direct payments in the new farm bill will have a greater
impact on farmers in the Mid-South than in any other part of the country, a comment he
repeated at the Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference in Memphis,
Tenn.You only get help when things are not so good, said Cole, who spoke on his impressions
of the signup for the new farm bill. So if you trigger a payment, more than likely youre already
losing money on an overall basis. So thats a fundamental shift.
The new law ended direct payments, which Cole said creates a different dynamic in
farm country. Obviously, we liked direct payments. Producers liked them. They were easy to
quantify; you knew how much they were. You knew when you were going to get them. And for
lenders, it was easy to make that link. Cole says it appears most farmers in the area served by
AgHeritage selected the Agricultural Risk Coverage or ARC program for corn and soybeans.
Most rice producers chose Price Loss Coverage or the PLC program for their crop.With the
rapid decline in rice prices, it looks like if they did get signed up, there will be a pretty good
payment for the 2014 crop, said Cole. Obviously, we want receive that until later at the end of
the fall.Those who follow rice know it has joined other markets as a crop with an excess of
supply and a rapid decline in price to about $4.50 per bushel after selling for $6 to $7 per bushel
during the 2013-14 marketing year.
The new farm bill, on the other hand, offers a $6.30 per bushel reference price for PLC
calculations for rice (minus any discounts and multiplying it by 85 percent of a growers base
acres. But some observers may not have considered all the dynamics of the situation.You may
think that if I sell my rice for $4.50 per bushel, Im going to get $6.30 because of the reference
price, says Cole. But if the price of rice rises for the remainder of the year, you may not get a
payment. So you basically just sold your rice for $4.50. He suggested growers try to hedge
against such developments by using co-op pools.Cole said he was somewhat surprised to see that
sales of federal crop insurance coverage, which was supposed to be the underpinning of the new
farm programs, did not increase in the Mid-South for the 2015 crop year.In the Mid-South, we
havent used crop insurance to the same level they have in the Midwest, he said. But I thought
we have a lot more producers buying crop insurance. But in our area, in our part of the
Mississippi Delta we havent seen that. Actually the sales are flat or down where I thought they
would skyrocket.
To read more about the Agricultural Act of 2014,
visithttp://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=farmbill

What Latin Americas rice sector offers the world


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Written by Adriana Varn Molina.

There is one occasion that Brazilian farmer Geovano Parcianello never misses. Every year, he
travels 503 kilometers from his farm in the municipality of Alegrete to the city of Cachoeirinha,
where the most important rice experiment station in the state of Rio Grande do Sul is located.
Being there with a thousand other rice growers gives Mr. Parcianello an opportunity to find out
about new varieties, disease control measures, and options for crop rotationknowledge he can
apply on his own 900 hectares of rice.
An international technology festival
This year, the technology festival organized by the Rice Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (IRGA)
had an extra dimension. Not only did participants come from places such as Alegrete, Santiago,
San Antonio, and Itaqui but they also came from 33 countries of Latin America and the
Caribbean (LAC), Europe, and Asia, making the field day international. The foreign guests were
among 460 participants at the XII International Conference on Rice in Latin America and the
Caribbean, which took place in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, on 23-26 February 2015.
Listening to presentations on topics such as genetics, crop improvement, agronomy, and climate
change, and visiting the field plots opened our minds to whats happening in the rice sector, not
only in the region but in the whole world, said Elicer Araya, president of Costa Ricas National

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Rice Corporation (Conarroz, its acronym in Spanish). This also gave us an opportunity to
further reinforce the knowledge network that strengthens us all.
Taking LACs rice sector to new horizons of competitivenessthe slogan of the conference
is a central aim for organizations such as the Latin American Fund for Irrigated Rice (FLAR) and
its 35 members, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), IRGA, and
the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa). The regional alliance draws as well
on support from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), CGIARs lead center for
the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP)which believes in the important role of this
region in the coming decades to meet the rising global demand for rice.

A world-stage performance
High productivity (with some countries obtaining yield as high as 16 tons per hectare), extensive
mechanization, the use of direct seeding, and excellent grain quality are among the key features
of LACs production that are attracting world attention.Latin America has enormous land
resources and abundant water, and its rice production is technically advanced, said Robert
Zeigler, IRRI director general. The challenge for this region is to analyze global markets
carefully and design strategies that will enable production to meet demand.
Joe Tohme, director of CIATs Agrobiodiversity Research Area, stressed the importance of
regional integration through networks such as FLAR and the Consortium on Hybrid Rice for
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Latin America (HIAAL). CIATs Rice Program helps countries across the region to strengthen
their capacity and make production more competitive by using the genetic materials and
agronomic practices that we and FLAR are developing, Dr. Tohme said.Strategic alliances are
what can make us strong as a region, said Flavio Breseghello, director general of Embrapa Rice
and Beans. The presence of Asian scientists in Latin America, thanks to GRiSP, makes them
more aware of our strengths and us more aware of theirs. The good practices of each continent
complement one another.
National governments have a key role to play in building strategic alliances, explained Bas
Bouman, GRiSP director. The way forward is to strengthen national capacity, working side by
side with governments and their programs, and devise strategies that enable countries in LAC to
compete with the biggest rice producers in the world.
Ingredients of a production miracle
Theres little point in doing research without extension. The most important thing is transferring
knowledge to producersthats the key, said Carlos Pereira, former president of IRGA, who
now works as an agronomist with the states Agricultural Secretariat.
IRGA, with its 75-year history, offers a good example of how the rice production chain can be
strengthened. In 10 years, growers in Rio Grande do Sul managed to raise average rice yield by
50%. This production miracle resulted mostly from a training program created for 100 IRGA
technicians and extension agents from private companies and farmer cooperatives.
We reviewed the latest knowledge from different research centersCIAT, IRGA, IRRI, and
universitiesand took it to the field by means of the technicians, said Sergio Gindri, an IRGA
researcher. It was important to develop consistent messages on basic concepts, such as early
weed control and the use of high-quality seed of improved varieties. But the route by which the
Latin America and the Caribbean region reaches its goal of serving as a food basket for the world
wont be easy.
To position ourselves in international markets, we have to tackle basic issues such as seed
quality, improved infrastructure for exports, and lower operating costs, with the aim of offering a
higher quality product at a lower price, said Eduardo Graterol, FLARs executive director. The
goal is to place surplus production in international markets, while ensuring that each country can
supply enough rice for its own population.
The sun-drenched international field day ended with a banquet for Mr. Parcianello and the rest of
the 1,500 guests, who feasted on carreteiro, a typical dish of Rio Grande do Sul, in which rice,
of course, is the main ingredientjust as it is in the daily diets of more than half of the global
population.
_________________________________________

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Ms. Varn Molina is communications coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean at CIAT
http://irri.org/rice-today/what-latin-america-s-rice-sector-offers-theworld?utm_source=IRRI+email+subscriptions&utm_campaign=ee469805c6RiceToday_Weekly5_05_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c803adc7cf-ee469805c640925885

Yield rises with WeRise


Written by Keiichi Hayashi, Anita Boling, and Tsutomu Ishimaru.

Unreliable weather can make or break rice farmers that rely on rainfall for water. Climate change
makes it even harder to predict weather conditions, thus lowering the chances of recovering
farmers investments in mitigating the impact of erratic rainfall patterns on their crops. To help
solve this problem, a prototype weather rice-nutrient integrated decision support system
(WeRise) came about. WeRise is a web application tool that integrates rice nutrients with
weather data to provide farmers with weather and crop advisories.
Rice roulette
Growing rice in rainfed environments is like gambling. It is difficult for farmers to decide when
to sow or transplant rice because they cannot predict the arrival of the monsoon. They also
cannot foresee whether the seasons rainfall will be enough to sustain their crops. Even with
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sufficient rainfall at the beginning of the season, they have no guarantee the rain will continue.
Obviously, too much or too little rainfall can lead to a poor harvest. The weather can also inflict
damage during harvest time. If harvesting coincides with rains, farmers need plastic sheets to
keep grains dry. The bottom line is that no one can tell how much of their investment can be
recovered after a cropping season.
Optimal production can be achieved through good agricultural practices, which can be designed
to fit the different types of rainy season. For example, a long-cycle rice variety should be chosen
for long rainy seasons with sufficient rainfall. In areas where the rainy season is short, a shortcycle variety is suitable for coping when water is scarce. If the rainy season is long enough but
rainfall is insufficient, a droughttolerant rice variety can be a good candidate.
When drought occurs, a short-cycle variety should be used to avoid water shortage at the critical
stages of plant growth. However, these decisions are made at the start of the planting season.
Farmers cannot change the variety of their choice after they have planted it.

Tailor-made weather and yield reports


WeRise is a product of collaboration between the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
and Japan on the project Climate Change Adaptation in Rainfed Rice Areas (CCARA). WeRise
aims to improve the chances of farmers of having good rice yields even with unpredictable
weather patterns. Japans Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries funds CCARA.
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WeRise provides crucial weather and grain yield advisories in the form of a narrative summary.
This includes the start and end of the rainy season, the expected rainfall distribution and flooding
or drought that might occur during the season, when to sow and transplant the crop, what variety
is appropriate, and how to apply fertilizer efficiently. It also contains graphical outputs of
rainfall, minimum and maximum temperatures, wind speed, vapor pressure, and solar radiation.
These sets of information are location-specific to subdistrict levels of countries in Southeast
Asia. The seasonal weather predictions are based on the localized outputs of the Scale Interaction
Experiment-Frontier (SINTEX-F) Research Center for Global Change developed byJapans
Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology. SINTEX-F is designed to predict when the El
Nio Southern Oscillation will occur, 1 to 24 months in advance. Thus, WeRise can provide
farmers with predicted weather and yield information with enough lead time for them to prepare
and decide what and when to plant.
WeRise can also predict yield based on recommended sowing and fertilizer application timings
using the ORYZA crop modeling tool, which simulates the growth and development of rice as
well as water under different conditions, including local weather. The grain yield advisory is also
location-specific so that end-users can choose a subdistrict for this advisory.
From theory to field reality
In rainfed rice farming, the timing of sowing is crucial because good yield is linked to a
sufficient water supply and good crop growth. Some farmers plant early while others are more
cautious and start sowing late in the monsoon. Relying mostly on guesswork, farmers can have
high or low yields as a result of coincidence; thus, they cannot obtain the same result in the
following year.
In 2014, WeRise was tested in Indonesia to see whether it could minimize the effect of poor
timing. Although many farmers started sowing rice after a downpour at the beginning of the
rainy season, the WeRise team, following its weather prediction, planted rice much later.
A few weeks after the farmers planted, rainfall stopped. The young rice seedlings planted by the
farmers suffered from water scarcity and some plants did not survive. The WeRise team, on the
other hand, obtained significantly higher yield than the farmers who did not receive any weather
advisory and relied on their instincts.

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A user-friendly tool
WeRise is designed for agricultural extension agents and farmers who can access the Internet
through smartphones or computers. Local millers and retailers of agricultural inputs are potential
users who can be sources of information for farmers with no Internet access. WeRise is now
available in English, Bahasa, and Lao, making information dissemination even simpler for smallscale rice farmers who are not tech-savvy.
The feedback from 53 research and extension workers in Indonesia, Lao PDR, and the
Philippines has been positive. They found WeRise easy to use and understand. They also said
that explaining the advisory to farmers was easy.The information is more complete and it has
graphs, said Beby Noviani, an extension worker from Indonesia.Muhammad Jono, another
Indonesian extension worker, summed up his experience with WeRise in one word: simple.
Raising farmers odds
With WeRise, rice farmers will be able to use their resources efficiently by choosing a suitable
variety, avoiding a failure in crop establishment, and using an efficient fertilizer application. This
can help reduce their risks and make rainfed rice farming better and more stable. By providing
farmers with timely, accurate information, farmers can enjoy better harvests, which translate into
higher earnings and more reliable profitability. Thus, WeRise could make rainfed rice farming

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attractive to young people by changing the perception that rainfed agriculture is an all-or-nothing
occupation.
_________________________________________
Drs. Hayashi and Ishimaru are seconded scientists from the Japan International Research
Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) working on the CCARA project. Dr. Hayashi is the
project coordinator who leads the agronomy and soil science component. Dr. Ishimaru is a plant
breeder who leads the genetics and breeding component. Dr. Boling is a former postdoctoral
fellow of CCARA.
http://irri.org/rice-today/yield-rises-withwerise?utm_source=IRRI+email+subscriptions&utm_campaign=ee469805c6RiceToday_Weekly5_05_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c803adc7cf-ee469805c6-40925885

Thailand looks to export rice to China, ASEAN countries


English.news.cn 2014-07-28 16:11:54

BANGKOK, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Thailand is looking to release millions of tons of rice to China
and a few Southeast Asian nations throughout the latter part of this year.According to Duangporn
Rodphayathi, Thai Foreign Trade Department director general, a quantity of 900,000 tons of rice
is yet to be delivered to China under a government-to-government dealing by which China had
earlier agreed to buy a total of one million tons of Thai rice.However, a single volume of
100,000 tons has been delivered to China so far while the relatively huge volume of 900,000 tons
is yet to follow under the bilateral rice dealing, the department chief said.A delegation of the
department is scheduled to visit China on Thursday to negotiate the balance of the rice supply
with COFCO Limited, a Chinese state firm, she added.
Meanwhile, Thailand will seek an increase in purchase volumes for Thai rice in neighboring
Malaysia preferrably under government- to-government dealings while private Thai rice
exporters will look to expand markets in the Philippines and Indonesia.In addition to the Foreign
Trade Department's rice export plans, the private sector will play a stepped-up role in the
expanding of Thai rice markets throughout the rest of this year, according to the department
chief.Top Thai ruler Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha earlier instructed Thai authorities to look for ways
and means to release quantities of rice currently stored up at rented warehouses under a rice
subsidy program earlier implemented by a previous Yingluck Shinawatra government.He chaired
a meeting of the Rice Administrative Policy Committee on Monday in a bid to streamline a
substantial release of the rice to the world markets.
An average of 500 U.S. dollars had been offered for a ton of rice to farmers nationwide under the
populist rice program only to see millions of tons stored up at warehouses without signs of being
released in substantial volume.The previous government had rented more than 1,700 privatelyowned warehouses in all parts of the country for the rice purchased from farmers since last year's
harvest season.Former ministers under the Yingluck cabinet had earlier maintained that the Thai
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rice would have sold at a high price had it been stored in the warehouses for a period of time,
waiting to be released to the world markets.
But a large quantity of the government's rice had been found rotten or stolen from the rented
warehouses over the past several months, apparently prompting the ruling military to begin to
release much of it from now.Gen. Prayuth earlier commented that such rice subsidy programs
will no longer be implemented because it has been allegedly prone to corruption and incurred
immense financial losses.Instead, the authorities will look to cut the costs of farmers' rice
production, including those for fertilizers and pesticides, provide more financial aid for them and
expand current rice markets and find new ones worldwide.Compared to the 500 U.S. dollars for a
ton of rice purchased from farmers by the previous government, only about 283 U.S. dollars a
ton will be offered by an upcoming interim government, according to an official of the
Commerce Ministry.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/business/2014-07/28/c_133515762.htm

The government claims success in new rice production policy


Saturday, 02 May 2015
By NNT
BANGKOK, 1 May 2015 -The Thai government has successfully helped rice farmers produce
more grains at a lower cost via a new program designed to improve rice growing efficiency.The
government has claimed its new program provides full-cycle supervision to every stage of rice
farming starting from production to grain quality control and market opportunities.Under the
program, white rice farmers are able to increase the productivity per rai from 729 kilograms
previously to 870 kilograms nowadays.
Their production costs have declined by around 3,000 baht per ton since the program was
introduced.Jasmine rice growers have also seen their productivity increase with around 100
kilograms more of rice produced per rai and were able to save as much as 3,000 baht per ton in
production capital.Farmers participating in the program have found that they can sell their grains
at 30% higher than the market prices as many silo owners and buyers are joining in the program.
http://www.pattayamail.com/news/the-government-claims-success-in-new-rice-production-policy46774#sthash.ZZ4ZBuDk.dpuf

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Nigeria: N21 Billion Rice Importation Tax Evasion - Reps


Summon Okonjo-Iweala, Adesina
By Emman Ovuakporie
Abuja MEMBERS of the House of Representatives have summoned the Minister of Finance,
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adeshina and others over
alleged N21billion rice importation tax evasion scam.Vanguard reliably gathered that the
ministers and 25 rice importers are expected to explain to the lawmakers how over N21bn tax
was evaded despite the provision of subsidy by the Federal Government to the importers.A
source privy to this development who spoke to Vanguard in confidence said "the whole exercise
was grossly abused by the importers and laced with fraud"."We'll unravel those government
officials who aided these economic saboteurs and ensure that all the tax they cornered is returned
to government coffers".
"The adhoc committee set up by the House will also ensure that they are speedily
prosecuted".Asked whether the Nigeria Customs Service,NCS, was also summoned, the source
said "yes they are the people that will as a matter of law make available all the necessary
statistics at the hearing tomorrow.""We've also discovered that those who got subsidy were the
ones that even evaded tax more than those that did not get a dime from government".Also asked
how the N21bn was arrived at, he said "that was a simple, it was from all the import duty
transactions carried out by the importers".
http://allafrica.com/stories/201505040280.html

Vietnam rice boom puts pressure on farmers


AAP Mon, May 4, 2015 1:01 PM AEST
Rice farmer Nguyen Hien Thien is so busy growing his crops that he has never even visited Can
Tho, a town only a few kilometres from his farm in the southern Mekong Delta."When I was a
child, we grew one crop of rice per year -- now it's three. It's a lot of work," 60-year-old Thien,
who's been farming since childhood, told AFP.Experts say Vietnam's drive to become one of the
world's leading rice exporters is pushing farmers in the fertile delta region to the brink, with
mounting costs to the environment.The communist country is already the world's second largest
exporter of the staple grain. But intensive rice cultivation, particularly the shift to producing
three crops a year, is taking its toll on farmers and the ecosystem."Politicians want to be the
world's number one or two rice exporter.
As a scientist, I want to see more being done to protect farmers and the environment," said
Vietnamese rice expert Vo Tong Xuan.A major famine in 1945 and food shortages in the postwar years led to the government adopting a "rice first" policy.This now generates far more of the
crop than needed to feed Vietnam's 90 million population and has spawned a thriving export
industry.Rice yields have nearly quadrupled since the 1970s, official figures show, thanks to

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high-yield strains and the construction of a network of dykes that today allow farmers to grow up
to three crops per year.
The amount of land under cultivation in the Mekong Delta has also expanded and quotas are in
place to prevent farmers from switching to other crops.But experts question who really
benefits.According to Xuan, farmers don't reap the rewards of the three crop system -- the rice is
low quality and they spend more on pesticides and fertilisers, which become less effective year
by year.He argues the delta would be better off if farmers cultivated a more diverse range of
crops, from coconuts to prawns, with just the most suitable land used to grow rice.The country
should consider abandoning the third crop and focus on improving quality and branding to sell
Vietnamese rice at higher prices, he said.
Currently, the bulk of Vietnam's rice is exported at cut-price costs on government-to-government
contracts through large state-owned enterprises (SOEs) like the Southern Food Corporation,
known as Vinafood 2."Over the last five years, the trend is towards lower-quality rice," admitted
Le Huu Trang, deputy office manager at the firm.Some argue that such SOEs have a vested
interest in maintaining the status quo as they earn lucrative kickbacks from the huge
contracts.But even as salt water intrusion, drought and flooding increase in the delta -- to say
nothing of agricultural chemical pollution -- it is also hard to convince farmers to change."The
prevailing mindset is to grow three crops... we have to explain two crops is better," said Nguyen
Tuan Hiep from the Co Do Agriculture company.
Over the last 20 years, Co Do -- which is state-run but a flagship model of how the industry
could evolve -- has identified the best rice-growing land in the delta and helped farmers expand
their farms.They now work with 2,500 families on 5,900 hectares of land, enough for each
family to make a living -- typically the average rice farm in the delta spans less than one
hectare.The firm invests heavily in high-quality seeds and improving irrigation, while also
advising farmers on the best chemicals to use."Two crops is more sustainable long term -- the
soil is not degraded, the environment isn't polluted, and value of the rice increases," Hiep said.
Climate change is another factor threatening the delta, according to the World Bank Group's vice
president and special envoy for climate change Rachel Kyte."This is really ground zero for some
of the most difficult adaptation, planning challenges that any country in the world has," she
said.Ultimately, Vietnam has tough choices to make, including whether to help people transition
from a rice-based economy to aquaculture or other crops, Kyte added.The environmental costs of
maintaining Vietnam's current level of rice production are also rising.The system of dykes,
which blocks flood water, is preventing soil nutrients from flowing freely and over time "soil
fertility will fade", said Tran Ngoc Thac, deputy director of Vietnam's Rice Research
Institute.Scientists there are busy trying to breed new strains of rice that require fewer fertilisers
and can survive in extreme weather."If farmers don't change, if we can't find a suitable new rice
strain, pollution will continue and incomes will drop," Thac said, adding these measures were
essential to save the delta.
https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/vietnam-rice-boom-puts-pressure-030106442.html

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Rice Importers Take on Customs over N20bn Import Duty


Payment
04 May 2015
By John Iwori
Rice importers have taken on the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) over its resolve to collect the
N20 billion import duty they allegedly evaded paying into the coffers of the federal
government.Following the reluctance of the rice importers to pay the import duty, the Customs
High Command had issued a public notice in selected national newspapers giving the importers
or their agents an ultimatum to pay on or before April 14, 2015.Apparently seeing the ultimatum
as an empty threat, the rice importers treated the public notice with levity.Two weeks after the
expiration of the ultimatum as contained in the public notice, the importers did not pay the
import duty and they were not arrested by NCS or any other security agency.
THISDAY checks revealed that the importers resolve to ignore the ultimatum to pay the import
duty, even as they dared NCS based on superior advice from those backing them.Impeccable
sources close to the importers and their agents said they took the decision to ignore the public
notice due to the fact that the Customs High Command presently lacked what it takes to sanction
them.As far as rice importers are concerned, they regard NCS as a toothless bull dog. This is
because most of them know their way in the system from the presidency to the Federal Ministry
of Finance, Ministry of Trade and Investments, and Agriculture. In fact, as we speak, they are
pushing for the procurement of a waiver. Once they get the waiver, it will make nonsense of the
N20 billion import duty NCS has been demanding from them all these while, the source said.
According to the source who preferred anonymity, the rice importers are adopting a multilayered approach to ensure that they obtain the waiver. They strongly believe the Ministry of
Agriculture lacked the statutory powers to grant such waivers. That is why they are not
restricting their pursuit of the waiver to that ministry alone. Besides, the importers are banking
on the fact of the imminent change in government, as they strongly believe that the out-going
administration of President Goodluck Jonathan may not be keen in pursuing them to recover the
money. It was gathered that while some of the rice importers may be willing to pay the N20
billion import duty, they want to buy time with the belief that the in-coming government of
Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) give them opportunity to re-negotiate the amount and the payment
terms after it takes the reins of power on May 29, 2015.
We are still working at raising the money. We have invested heavily and the commodity is not
even selling as much as we had expected. So, what is the rush, in paying the excess duty? Look,
we will pay. But I do not envisage my company paying everything. Is this not Nigeria? one of
the affected importers said.While no one was willing to speak publicly on the matter, a senior
official of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Abuja confirmed that some rice importers were
granted waivers not long ago just as some others are still being processed.One of those granted
waiver by the ministry is a seasoned rice grower and importer, Olam Nigeria Limited.According
to documents obtained by THISDAY, Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, in the
waiver dated April 13, 2015, said he was glad that domestic rice production was already on the
increase, thereby resulting in a reduction of rice import requirements of the country.
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Given, Olam Nigerias massive rice production and milling investment in Nigeria, being the
largest single existing investor in the sub-sector over the last two years with existing investments
over $120,000,000, the ministry is willing to reduce the amount owed by 50 per cent to 54,000
MT to be applied to 2015 allocations.In response to inquiries, Public Relations Officer (PRO),
NCS Headquarters, Abuja, Alhaji Adewale Adeniyi, said the position of NCS on import duty
collection had not changed.
Adewale, a Deputy Comptroller (DC), maintained that NCS would not fail to apply severe
sanctions if the importers failed to pay the statutory fees.According to him, We are committed
to a total recovery of the duty payable on excess importation of rice. We have the government
backing on this. The President (Jonathan) has given us the mandate to recover fully, the duty on
excess importation on rice and management has no reason whatsoever to shirk its responsibility
in this regard. It is revenue that is due, from any excess importation; and we have President
Jonathans backing to make this recovery.So, despite their foot dragging, they cannot escape
paying it. I can assure on that.
Tags: News, Nigeria, Featured, Rice Importer, Import Duty, Payment

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/rice-importers-take-on-customs-over-n20bn-import-dutypayment/208438/

Organic rice from Thailand targets Mideast markets

Sittichai: Seeking to meet growing demand from the Middle East for healthy rice with halal
certification. PICTURE: Arno Maierbrugger
By Arno Maierbrugger
Gulf Times Correspondent ,Bangkok
In a bid to diversify away from mass rice production and get better access to the lucrative market
for organic food products, Thailand has set up a six-year strategy for organic agricultural
production that includes penetration of international markets including the Middle East.
Especially smaller and family farms are encouraged to grow and sell organic rice, as well as
vegetables and fruits on their own and seek new market channels for it.Acknowledging that
demand for organic rice is especially growing in Muslim countries where it is appreciated as
healthy food with low sugar content that goes nice with Arab dishes organic farmers are
increasingly seeking halal certification for their rice to get access to those markets.
One of these farmers is Sittichai Ruenpakdan, who runs the Family Hydro Farm in Thailands
central Chai Nat province, an area where 90% of locals are engaged in agriculture and, in the
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past, the widespread and heavy use of chemical fertilisers in mass rice production has led to
environmental and health problems. Sittichai, who lost his job as a human relations manager at a
Thai company as it was closed down when the disastrous floods hit the country in 2011, has
since built up a small but profitable family business and produces around 40 tonnes of organic
rice a year which sells for a multiple of normal rice.We are selling the rice through organic
shops in Thailand, but we will also sell it to Saudi Arabia soon after we get the halal
certification, Sittichai told Gulf Times.

Our target is to sell more of the organic rice to the Middle East, as well as to the Muslim South
of Thailand, he added.According to Anupa Panyadilok, head of the Learning and Development
Center for the New Generation of Farmers in Chai Nat, around 60% of farmers in the area have
already turned to organic farming.This province has the aim to become Thailands largest
organic rice-producing area, she said. Organic rice in Thailand is grown and processed without
the use of any synthetic chemicals as found, for example, in fertilisers, insecticides,
preservatives, seed treatment or hormones. Currently, only specially selected high-quality
jasmine rice is planted organically although other types of rice are also looked at as the number
of health-conscious consumers is growing rapidly.
To that end, the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has worked out the National
Organic Agriculture Strategies 2015-2021 to make Thai organic agriculture products better
known in both local and international markets. The strategies aim at spreading knowledge and
innovation in organic agriculture, developing organic agricultural production throughout the
supply chain, expanding marketing and improving the standards of Thai agricultural products.
Sales partnerships are also welcomed and could include foreign partners, namely for the Middle
East markets.Such sales partnerships will be essential for the success of Thai organic rice as most
farmers are struggling to find channels to sell the rice. In Sittichais case, he is relying on social
networks, but will have to forge a sales partnership for the Middle East market.
In fact, organic agriculture has become a major policy theme in Thailand since 2001 when the
administration of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra started agricultural development
programmes to improve living conditions for the rural population. Organic farming was enlisted
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as an important national agenda to promote safe food and boost national export. Many
government authorities have since initiated projects and activities centred around organic
farming. In addition, farmers have joined hands in setting up organic agricultural learning centres
and developing agro-tourism sites for visitors.
http://www.gulf-times.com/eco.-bus.%20news/256/details/437570/organic-rice-from-thailand-targetsmideast-markets

Gov't to purchase 77,000 tons of rice


2015/05/03 14:09

SEOUL, May 3 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government said Sunday it will buy 77,000 tons
of locally produced rice to help stabilize local prices.With the latest purchase plan, the amount of
fresh crop acquired by the government will reach 240,000 tons, equivalent to last year's excess
rice harvests compared with demand, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs.
The government decided to liberalize the rice market for the first time in its history in
2014.Apart from preventing an inflow of cheap rice imports, keeping the price of locally
produced grain from falling has been a part of government efforts to protect local farmers.Last
year, the government purchased 370,000 tons of the grain, with plans to buy 30,000 tons more,
as part of plans to control prices.

yjkim8826@yna.co.kr
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/business/2015/05/03/25/0501000000AEN20150503002500320F.html

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