Professional Documents
Culture Documents
June 11 ,2015
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"The CFS collected the sample at import level for testing under its regular Food Surveillance Programme.
Test result showed that the sample contained cadmium at a level of 0.19 parts per million (ppm),
exceeding the legal limit of 0.1 ppm.According to the information provided by the importer, the import
quantity of the affected Japanese rice was seven cartons with a total weight of about 50 kg, of which five
cartons were sold to 'YATA Department Store' in Sha Tin and 'YATA Supermarket' in Kwun Tong, while
the remaining two cartons were stored in the importer's warehouse. The CFS has informed the importer
concerned of the above irregularity and instructed it to stop the sale and remove from shelves the affected
batch of product.
The importer has voluntarily recalled the affected batch of product and the Centre has marked and sealed
all recalled product and the remaining stock.Prosecution will be considered," a CFS spokesman
said."Based on the level of cadmium detected in the sample, adverse health effects will not be caused by
normal consumption," the spokesman said.According to the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination)
Regulations (Cap 132V), any person who sells food with metallic contamination above the legal limit is
liable upon conviction to a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months."The CFS advises the public
to maintain a balanced and varied diet and consider complementing rice with other cereals (for example
noodles, oatmeal and bread) as part of the diet so as to avoid excessive intake of particular chemicals or
contaminants because of picky eating," the spokesman added.The CFS will inform the Japanese
authorities and the local trade, closely follow up the incident and take appropriate actions to safeguard
food safety and public health. Investigation is ongoing. Source: HKSAR
Governmenthttp://7thspace.com/headlines/510498/excessive_metallic_contaminant_found_in_rice_sampl
e_imported_from_japan.html
The East Godavari district administration has procured 2.7 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from
farmers through paddy procurement centres for the Rabi season. The centres will remain closed
from June 20, according to S. Satyanarayana, Joint Collector. Reviewing the procurement
process with officials and rice millers, Mr. Satyanarayana asked millers to complete the custom
milling process at the earliest and hand over rice to the Food Corporation of India (FCI). He said
the FCI would soon provide warehousing facilities.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/27-metric-tonnes-of-paddyprocured/article7303572.ece?ref=tpnews
KATHMANDU, JUN 11 - Just as the country is reeling under severe heatwave, meteorologists have
forecast a second consecutive year of weak rainfall. The deficient rains could hit farmers, particularly
those growing paddy in the Tarai districts, and could adversely affect the countrys economy already
shattered by the April 25 earthquake and its powerful aftershocks.The four-month long monsoon season
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normally starts from June 10. However, no rainfall activities
have been recorded throughout the week.The continued dry
conditions and lack of soil moisture due to absence of any
rainfall activities during the pre-monsoon days has already
hit the farmers as they have not been able to sow paddy
seeds, something that should have been done a week
ago.Farmers have not been able to sow paddy seeds that
should have been planted a week ago, said Nawal Kishor
Yadav, coordinator of Dhanusha-based National Rice
Research Centre under the Nepal Agriculture Research
Council (NARC).Paddy sowing period in most of the Tarai districts starts in early June and stretches until
the end of the same month. After sowing period ends, paddy transplantation starts from June 30 in many
Tarai districts.However delay in sowing paddy seeds could affect the paddy transplantation. The
deficient rains in districts with poor irrigation facilities will further aggravate the farmers woes, Yadav
said. There is still time for sowing seeds if the soil gets some moisture.
NARC has been promoting the dry direct seeded rice practice in some Tarai districts.The direct seeded
rice requires 35 to 40 percent less water than the normal paddy sowing and plantation process, according
to NARC.Similarly, NARC has released around 74 varieties of improved paddy seeds, of which 62 are
used widely by the farmers, Yadav said. Some of these seeds are tolerant to extreme climatic changes
and stresses such as drought, flooding and submergence.The government has already decided to distribute
423 tons of improved varieties of paddy seeds for the farmers in 14 earthquake-affected districts and also
provide 25 percent subsidy while purchasing seeds for farmers in other districts.Shiva Nepal, a senior
meteorologist at the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), said that as per the prediction of
the South Asian monsoon prepared by a group of weather experts across the world, except for few places
in the Eastern hilly districts and Western Nepal, the monsoon is expected to be below average across the
country.
There are chances of short to long dry spells along with extreme rainfall events during this monsoon,
both likely to cause impact on overall agriculture sector, said Nepal. The information about the possible
dry spells and extreme rainfall events has been shared with the policy makers, agronomists along with the
farmers so that appropriate measures could be taken to help the farmers to deal with dry conditions, he
added.Last year, the unexpected wet spell caused by heavy rains and thunderstorms during the rice
harvesting period in October affected the farmers a lot. The projected growth with average monsoon rains
last year went down due to the unexpected weather condition, Yadav added.
Brief showers bring respite from heat
Cloudy weather with brief thundershowers in some parts of the Central and Eastern regions on
Wednesday brought some respite from the continued rise in temperatures and heat wave conditions in
Tarai districts.According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD), the sudden change in
weather condition is likely to persist until Thursday evening but heavy rains are very unlikely in the same
period.
Normal life in many western Tarai districts and some parts of Central and Eastern regions has been
affected owing to the rising temperatures and heat wave conditions in the past two weeks. The heat wave
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also claimed three lives in Tarai districts where the temperature rose between 42 and 44 degree Celsius in
the recent days.Strong thunder clouds developed locally in the western region is further intensifying and
moving towards east. This local disturbance is further supported by the moisture inflow from the cyclonic
movement developed along the Arabian Sea, said Shanta Kandel, a meteorologist at the MFD.
She said the system will result in thunder shower activities in Kathmandu as well as some eastern
districts. She, however, added that the sudden rainfall activity on Wednesday is not connected to monsoon
rains and the Far-West Nepal would witness heat conditions for next couple of days.Usually the rainbearing monsoon enters the country on June 10 from the eastern region and takes almost a week to spread
throughout the country. Weatherpersons have predicted that the monsoon is likely to be delayed by a
couple of days this year. On Wednesday, Dharan, among the 19 meteorological stations of the MFD,
recorded the highest rainfall measuring 19.8 millimetres, followed by Pokhara at 7.3 millimetres and
Kathmandu at 6 millimetres.
Posted on: 2015-06-11 07:49
http://www.ekantipur.com/2015/06/11/capital/weak-rainfall-could-hamper-paddy-yield/406413.html
MANILA - The Philippines, one of the world's top rice importers, has made a slight cut to its
estimated output of the staple grain in the second quarter of 2015 due to dry weather and worries
over crop disease.Unmilled rice output in the April-June period is now expected to reach 3.898
million tonnes, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said in an updated production
report.That is down from the 3.902 million tons predicted in April and a January forecast of 3.96
million tons.Philippine farm officials are closely watching the impact of dry weather from an El
Nino weather pattern as they consider importing more grain to boost buffer stocks.
Demand for more cargoes could be good news for key regional exporters Vietnam and
Thailand.The Philippine state grains procurement agency, the National Food Authority (NFA),
has imported 650,000 tons of rice so far this year after purchases in 2014 totaling around 1.7
million tons, the biggest in four years.The NFA already has government approval to buy another
250,000 tons if drought brought on by El Nino hurts its harvest. It also has the option to import
100,000 tons not allocated in a tender held last week.On top of that, the government is ready to
allow traders to bring in up to 805,000 tons more, with tariffs, in the third quarter.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/06/11/15/ph-cuts-estimate-q2-rice-output-due-dry-weather
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Members of the Rice Exporters Association hold signs that say "Stop killing Muslims," and chant slogans
against the massacre of Rohangya Muslims in Burma, in Karachi, Pakistan.
Members of the Rice Exporters Association held a protest and chanted slogans against the massacre of
Rohangya Muslims in Burma, in Karachi, Pakistan.Please note: the text contained in "Rice exporters
protest against massacre of Rohangya Muslims in Burma" has not been corrected, edited or verified by
Demotix and is the raw text submitted by the photojournalist.
All views and opinions expressed are that of the independent photojournalist and do not represent the
views of Demotix Ltd. These details have been included in order to provide as much information as
possible to the Media buyer.Demotix reserves the right to pursue unauthorised users of this content. If
you violate our intellectual property you may be liable for: actual damages, loss of income, and profits
you derive from the use of this image or clip, and, where appropriate, the costs of collection and/or
statutory damages.
http://www.demotix.com/news/7823962/rice-exporters-protest-against-massacre-rohangya-muslimsburma#media-7823937
PAKPATTAN, Pakistan (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Until recently, Ghulam Mustafa made a
living growing sugarcane, rice, barley and wheat on his 10-acre farm in Punjab province.But these
days he is struggling. The water available in wells in the area is dwindling, and the cost of pumping it
to his crops is rising. Like many other farmers in the area, Mustafa, 51, now plans to cultivate only
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10
half his land and leave the rest for his livestock."The groundwater level in our area has gone down
around 15 to 20 feet in the last five to six years," he said.
"And unfortunately it continues to decline each year."Across Punjab province and two districts of
neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, groundwater supplies are depleting at 16 to 55
centimetres (6 to 21 inches) a year, according to a study carried out by the International
Waterlogging and Salinity Research Institute (IWASRI), part of the Pakistani government's Water
and Power Development Authority.Efforts by farmers to find more water are only exacerbating the
problem. Muhammad Saeed, director at IWASRI, said that 42 percent of the land in Punjab is
irrigated using wells and the excessive pumping of groundwater is quickly lowering the water table.
Mustafa, for instance, said he must deepen his well in Pakpattan district almost every year to get
enough water for irrigation. The deeper his well gets, the harder his generator has to work to pump
out the water and that uses more diesel fuel.The farmer's monthly fuel bill for his pump has
increased from 5,000 rupees ($49) to 7,000 rupees ($68) in just the last year."Pakistan lacks a water
recharge system in the area, as we cannot get water from the Sutlej and Beas rivers under the Indus
Water Treaty with India, Saeed said. That water-sharing treaty, signed in 1960, divides the Indus
River system equally between India and Pakistan, giving each country exclusive use of three of the
river's tributaries."In the near future, farmers will no longer be able to grow water-intensive crops
like sugarcane and rice, Saeed predicted.
THREAT TO FOOD SECURITY
According to the 2010 agricultural census carried out by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, almost 64
percent of the country's population lives in rural areas and earns a living from agricultural activities
such as crop cultivation, livestock rearing, and transportation of agricultural products to market.At
present, half of Pakistans population is food insecure and if the current trend of water depletion
continues in Punjab and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa two regions that are home to 80 percent of
Pakistan's farming population food production and farming income will suffer, said Abid Qaiyum
Suleri, executive director of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, an independent non-profit
organization in Islamabad.
"The availability and accessibility of food may become difficult for over 60 percent of the populace
in the next 10 years if immediate steps arent taken to recharge the aquifer, he said.According to the
IWASRI study, about 145 million acre-feet of water flows through Pakistan each year, but the
country's existing storage capacity is only 14 million acre-feet, meaning it can only store enough
water to last 30 days. The international standard is 120 days.
LESS WATER, MORE FOOD?
10
Improving water storage will be important. But Suleri believes another way to combat the growing
water shortage is to teach farmers how to effectively irrigate crops with less water."The government
should introduce water-efficient seed varieties in water-stressed areas and train farmers on using drip
irrigation and sprinkle irrigation to save the scarce resource, he said.Pakistan's wheat farmers have
lost over 1.5 million tonnes of their crop this year due to erratic rainfall, hailstorms and water
shortages, said Pervaiz Amir, country director for the Pakistan Water Partnership.He suggests the
government should work to artificially recharge groundwater in water-short areas by building
structures to capture water during the flood season and hold it in place, allowing it to percolate into
the soil.Like Suleri of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Amir also believes the
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government needs to help show farmers how to more efficiently use limited water, to boost food
production while protecting water sources.
"The government should regulate indiscriminate groundwater extraction by creating water
(protection) zones and introducing water-saving technology in the agriculture sector to boost food
security, he said.For farmers like Mustafa in Pakpattan, solutions to Pakistan's shrinking water
supply cannot come soon enough. He worries he will lose everything if levels of canal water and
groundwater in the area keep decreasing."I fear that my whole farm may turn into a desert in next 10
years if the water scarcity continues at the same alarming pace, he said.(Reporting by Aamir Saeed;
editing by Jumana Farouky and Laurie Goering :; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the
charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers
humanitarian news, climate change, women's rights, trafficking and corruption. Visit
www.trust.org/climate)
http://news.yahoo.com/rapid-groundwater-depletion-threatens-pakistan-food-security-officials104814109--sector.html
11
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In contrast, the country was expected to import higher quantities of oilseeds including canola, said
Majeed, who is also chairman of the wholesale grocers association of Karachi.If you calculate (oilseeds)
... altogether this year, we are expecting to import about 1.5 to 1.6m tonnes, he said. Last year was a
little less about 1.2m tonnes and our crop was better than this year.
Majeed said Pakistan expected a good rice crop although exports were likely to be tempered by slower
demand.Pakistans production is around 6.5m tonnes annually out of which 3.5m tonnes we
export, he said. Prices have come down as the international market has come down, he added.
Therefore, there could be a little less (exports) this year.Majeed said rice exporters were looking to
boost sales to Iran, a major consumer of Basmati grade rice.Iran and six world powers are seeking to
overcome remaining differences with a looming self-imposed June 30 deadline to reach a deal over
Tehrans disputed nuclear programme. The timing of sanctions relief for Iran are among the disputes
holding up a nuclear accord.
Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2015
http://www.dawn.com/news/1187584/who-needs-men-kamila-shamsie-wants-only-women-writerspublished-for-a-year
12
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generation California farmer whose great-grandfather began planting rice 80 years ago. He insists that
California rice is as good as Japan's, if only Japanese consumers had a chance to try it.If I eat California
rice immediately after it's cooked, I can't tell the difference. But if I taste it after long hours, I can tell the
difference.
Expanding U.S. rice shipments to Japan is one of the most contentious and last remaining issues
in talks over the sweeping Trans-Pacific Partnership trade accord. The 12-nation deal is expected
to be concluded this summer if American lawmakers give President Obama authority to speed
passage of trade agreements.The legislation cleared the Senate last month. And although a clutch
of House Republicans has joined many wary Democrats in opposing the bill, the GOP leadership
in the House has indicated it could take a vote on the measure Friday, suggesting that it believes
there is enough support to hand Obama an important and rare legislative victory.Rice growers
and others in the U.S. agricultural industry stand to be among the biggest winners should the
Pacific trade accord go through.
American providers of pharmaceuticals, software, films and other internationally traded services
also would benefit.On the other hand, U.S. makers of cars, textiles and other light industrial
goods could lose more market share to imports from Japan as well as Vietnam and possibly
others.Yet even as California farmers eye what could be a lucrative expansion into the world's
most discriminating rice market in Japan, their ambitions have been complicated by the state's
severe drought and the surge in the dollar.The U.S. last year exported $269 million worth of rice
to Japan, most of that coming from California.
The state's rice planting this year, however, is expected to be the smallest in about a quarter
century. Overall, U.S. farm goods represented $13.2 billion of the $67 billion in total
merchandise exports to Japan in 2014.Despite their relatively small value, rice and some other
agricultural goods are usually among the most sensitive in trade talks because of their industry's
enormous political clout in many countries. The U.S. and Japan locked horns over beef and pork
last year, and the fight over rice is even more delicate in Japan, where political and demographic
forces are pushing against a further opening of that market.
If the USA protected its trade interests as well as the Japanese do - there would not be a Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) Agreement. If you think that the Japanese government is going to change anything
about its trade practices, you are sadly mistaken
13
Given the size of the California congressional delegation and the potential importance of their votes to the
trade pact's approval, the state's 2,000 rice farmers may have an outsized influence on the outcome.In
addition to the symbolism of the small family farm that is part of America's history, "rice has become an
iconic image of America's problems of opening up overseas markets," said Jock O'Connell, a trade
economist at Beacon Economics in Sacramento.And that's true especially in trade relations with Japan,
where the U.S. has long complained about non-tariff barriers for foreign cars, electronics and other
goods.With more than 2 million farmers working on mostly small paddies, Japanese rice farming is
widely considered inefficient. But farmers represent a core constituency for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
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and his Liberal Democratic Party, and Japanese negotiators have been reluctant to give much ground
when rice consumption continues to shrink with the nation's aging population.
It's a hot-button issue in the U.S. too. The lack of access to Japanese markets for U.S. rice and
other farm goods, as well as for automobiles, has long been seen by many Americans as
emblematic of Japan's reluctance to open trade.Japan allows imports of 770,000 metric tons of
rice, about 9% of annual consumption. California farmers account for the lion's share of that
amount, and many of them want Japan to increase its rice imports by 200,000 metric tons or so.
The Japanese have been reported to be offering 50,000, which is less than 1% of the total
consumption.
"From the beginning, we never sought a total opening because of the sensitivities," said Bob
Cummings, chief operating officer at the USA Rice Federation in Arlington, Va. "But when
you're looking at less than 1%, that's unacceptable."The high end of that range could add tens of
millions of dollars to California's annual rice exports, valued at more than $600 million last year.
About a third of that goes to Japan. But experts warn that even a significant increase in the
import quota may not help California farmers as much as they hope.One big stumbling block
now is the California drought, which has reduced the acreage of rice planted in the last two years
about 25%, according to the California Rice Commission. Given the past and likely future water
constraints, economists on both sides of the Pacific wonder whether California farmers can ramp
up production even if American officials succeed in breaking open Japan's rice market.
14
"Unless farmers figure out more ingenious ways to irrigate their lands, we may not be able to
take full advantage" of the trade deal, said O'Connell, the trade expert in Sacramento.In nearby
Yuba City, Jon Munger, operations manager at Montna Farms, hops into his red pickup and
drives along the dirt road that bisects a large field. On one side are lush green paddies, inundated
with waters from the nearby Feather River. A white-faced ibis, stilts and other birds dance on the
surface. On the other side, the square plots are bone dry, covered with browning weeds."People
from the highway think we've got wall-to-wall watered fields," he said, alluding to the
sensitivities stirred by drought-induced ordinances for consumers to ratchet back water use. But
he said about 40% of Montna's entire 4,000-acre farmland was left unplanted this spring for the
second year in a row because of water restrictions and costs."It's the most they've ever fallowed,"
said the 38-year-old. "It's definitely not sustainable.
We need some help from Mother Nature."Sure, Munger said, increasing the Japanese rice
market would be great for California farmers, especially for operations such as his that specialize
in premium short-grain rice used for sushi. But at the moment, he isn't thinking about that
potential benefit.Another challenge is that the price of Japan's domestically grown rice has fallen
sharply in recent years as production and supplies have outstripped consumption.At the same
time, the value of the Japanese yen has plunged against the dollar, largely reflecting the
weakness of Japan's economy versus America's, making U.S. exports much more expensive.
Since fall 2012, the yen has lost nearly 60% of its value against the dollar.
The upshot is that California exporters of short-grain rice, the sticky variety favored in Japan,
have lost practically all of the price advantage they once enjoyed in Japan, said Kazuhito
Yamashita, an agricultural policy expert at the Canon Institute for Global Studies in Tokyo.Ten
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years ago, he noted, Japanese rice was triple the cost of California's, and even two years ago, it
was 50% more.With the price gap now gone, Yamashita said, some Japanese trading companies
are even thinking about exporting Japanese rice to California.
"It's very amazing," he said.Many Japanese also question whether California rice can compete
on quality. Foreign rice generally doesn't have a good reputation among Japanese consumers."If I
eat California rice immediately after it's cooked, I can't tell the difference," said a Japanese
government official, who asked for anonymity given the sensitivity of the trade talks."But if I
taste it after long hours, I can tell the difference," he said. A colleague nodded in agreement.
"The Japanese rice, even after long hours, is still sticky."
don.lee@latimes.com
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-rice-trade-20150611-story.html#page=2
Rice exports are set to continue rising on the back of increased shipments to China,
according to U Ye Min Aung, general secretary of the Myanmar Rice Federation.
Rice farmers may receive a higher price if exports grow, though domestic consumers may suffer. Photo: AFP
Myanmar launches its first official rice exports to China in May, and
aims to export the next portion of its 100,000 tonne quota at the end of
June, he said.Rice exports to China have generally been illegal from
Chinas point of view, until the two sides reached an agreement last year
to begin legal shipments.With the start of the official trade with China,
Myanmar exports have to meet certain health standards and can now be
shipped by sea, rather than the informal trade which generally goes
overland past Muse in northern Shan State.
Official exports to China are succeeding, said U Ye
Min Aung. The next round of official exports will
start this month and in July. In the meantime, we are
also expanding in African markets, so we expect next
years exports to be stronger.The price of 1 metric
tonne of emahta rice is from US$330 to $350, an
increase from about $320 last month. Rice prices
traditionally climb the furthest in the year from the
November-to-December harvest.A total of 29
companies now have permission to legally sell rice to
15
China.
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Nine companies were initially approved for the trade earlier this year. At the time, industry
insiders questioned the fairness of some of the firms, which have to meet Chinas stringent health
standards, saying many of the selected companies were small or not yet formed.Myanmar hopes
to export 2 million tonnes of rice this year. The country had previously average over 2 million
tonnes of exports a year until World War II, before steadily declining until the 1990s, according
to a World Bank report last year. Rice exports have since been steadily increasing, it added.Much
of the recent growth in exports has come from Chinese demand. It went from insignificant in
2011 to 747,000 tonnes in 2013, more than half of the total 1.277 million tonnes traded that year,
the report said.
U Ye Min Aung said domestic exporters see bigger opportunities from growing demand along
the Chinese border, even though it does not official recognise the trade.Growing exports have
been blamed for putting upward pressure on domestic prices, but U Ye Min Aung said there is
still room for both exports and domestic consumption.High prices in the domestic market are
not good for consumers, he said.It is hard to handle, but we need to find ways to lower the gap
between wholesale and retail prices.U Chit Khine, a prominent businessperson and official with
the Myanmar Rice Industry Association, said prices surges do not always end up with
farmers.Rising rice prices increase the price for paddy.
When this happens, its good for farmers. But if there are restrictions by way of price controls,
farmers dont receive the benefits, he said.Instead of the old method of restricting price rises,
we should seek more exports and find other ways to import for domestic consumption, such as
importing cheap rice from Thailand.Thailand has been attempting to sell off its buffer stocks of
rice following a failed attempt to corner the global market by its previous government.
Translation by Zar Zar Soe
http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/business/14987-rice-hopes-pinned-on-china.html
16
Government-to-government negotiations will be conducted next week for the 100,000 MT,
NFA Public Affairs Director Angel G. Imperial, Jr. said via text when asked on the governments
plans after Vietnam bagged a contract earlier this month to supply just 150,000 MT.Mr. Imperial
said Vietnam received the notice of award last Wednesday, adding that 60% of the 150,000 MT
will be delivered not later than July 15, while the remaining 40% will be delivered not later than
Aug. 15. Vietnam was the only country that matched the $410.12/MT floor price set for 25%
broken rice variety in the June 5 auction.
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Existing bilateral agreements allow the Philippines to import rice from Thailand, Vietnam and
Cambodia through government-to-government procurement mode. All three countries were
invited again for the negotiated procurement, said Mr. Imperial.NFA last month said it was
prepared to import an additional 250,000 MT should El Nio turn out to be more intense than
expected.
Last March, Vietnam and Thailand bagged contracts to supply a total of 500,000 MT in time for
the three-month annual lean season that starts in July.All this comes as the government has cut
further its second-quarter estimates for grain staples, citing an expected contraction of harvest
areas due to adverse effects of dry spell, insufficient water supply, and incidence of pests and
diseases in some provinces.
The Philippine Statistics Authority-Bureau of Agricultural Statistics May update shows
second-quarter palay production is now expected at 3.898 million MT, compared to Aprils
3.902 million MT estimate and 4.3% less than the 4.073 million MT actual output in 2014s
comparable quarter. For corn, production this quarter may total 997,000 MT against Aprils
1.029 million MT forecast and 17% less than the 1.202 million MT actual output in the same
period last year. This is the second downward revision of second-quarter estimates from the
original 3.96 million MT and 1.25 million MT respective forecasts last January.
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=TopStory&title=Gov%E2%80%99t-togov%E2%80%99t-talks-slated-for-remaining-rice-imports&id=109598
Philippine farm officials are closely watching the impact of dry weather from an El Nino weather
pattern as they consider importing more grain to boost buffer stocks.Demand for more cargoes
could be good news for key regional exporters Vietnam and Thailand.The Philippine state grains
procurement agency, the National Food Authority (NFA), has imported 650,000 tons of rice so
far this year after purchases in 2014 totaling around 1.7 million tons, the biggest in four
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18
years.The NFA already has government approval to buy another 250,000 tons if drought brought
on by El Nino hurts its harvest. It also has the option to import 100,000 tons not allocated in a
tender held last week.On top of that, the government is ready to allow traders to bring in up to
805,000 tons more, with tariffs, in the third quarter.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/06/11/15/ph-cuts-estimate-q2-rice-output-due-dry-weather
Stephen Chenbinglin.chen@scmp.com
Scientists have cloned a gene from one strain of rice and inserted it into another that requires less
fertilisation, which causes smog. Photo: Xinhua
Chinese scientists have found a way to change the genetic make-up of a popular species of rice, a
move they claim could ease the countrys chronic smog problem by lowering the amount of
fertilisers containing nitrogen that farmers use.China suffers from more severe nitrogen pollution
than any other country.
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19
Although it has just 7 per cent of the worlds farm land, China consumes over one-third, or 35
per cent, of the worlds nitrogen fertilisers. Such agricultural usage has led to massive pollution
of the country's soil, water and air.Many scientific studies had warned that smog in China was
being caused by this, in addition to industrial activities.When nitric oxides are released into the
atmosphere they undergo a series of photochemical reactions that transform them into harmful
fine particulates, which in turn become smog.But it was difficult to persuade farmers to scale
back their use of the offending fertilisers. Chinese rice, especially the japonica subspecies grown
in northern provinces like Heilongjiang, requires heavy use of fertilisers because of the poor rate
at which it absorbs nitride from soil and water. Plants need nitride in order to grow healthily.
The breakthrough may support the international 'green super rice project', which is aimed at
finding newer and more productive strains of rice. Photo: Xinhua
Now scientists claim to have unlocked the problem by cloning a gene called NRT1 from indica
rice and inserting it into the japonica's genetic sequence. This boosts the rate at which the rice
can absorb nitride by more than one-third. The breakthrough, published in the latest issue of the
journal Nature Genetics, was hailed as a great discovery by an anonymous peer reviewer. It
will have enormous application value in the fight against nitrogen pollution, the authors
wrote.The transplantation of the nitric booster gene had significantly improved grain yield and
nitrogen use efficiency, they added.
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During a series of field experiments in Beijing, Shanghai and Changsha, the team found that the
modified rice species only needed half as much fertiliser to achieve similarly high grain yields as
regular japonica. The team was led by professor Chu Chengcai at the Chinese Academy of
Sciences Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology in Beijing.Indica belongs to the same
family as japonica but is grown mostly in southern China as well as in tropical regions like
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20
Thailand and the Philippines, as well as India. It can absorb nitrogen more easily that its northern
cousin.
Yet its area of cultivation is limited because it cannot survive in northern Chinas cold climate,
despite this region serving as the countrys largest rice production centre. Moreover, Chinese
consumers prefer the rich and sticky taste of japonica.In their paper, the scientists said the
discovery also represented an important milestone for the green super rice project," an
international effort to develop new species of rice to meet the growing global demand for food
resources.
http://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/1820233/modified-rice-may-help-combat-chinassmog-problem-chinese
20
The cultivators expected that the BRRI 63 will capture the place of BRRI 26, BRRI 28 and BRRI 29 in
next Boro season as it has become popular this season.Chief agronomist of BRRI's breeding department
Dr Tomal Lata Aditaya, also breeder of BRRI-63, said "Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury has given
us some rice of Amul-3 of Iran.The BRRI -63 was developed with making hybrid between BRRI-28 and
Amul-3. We expect that it will contest with the traditional rice."Nakla upazila agriculture officer M
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21
Ashraf Uddin said the rice can be harvested seven days earlier than any other hybrid rice and its
production and quality is very good. It will be more popular in the next season, he said.
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2015/06/12/96241
21
As such, this is about time for the government to review the board and Bernas functions in order to help
the farmers as well as to scrutinise the padi industrial cycle, he said. He added that with the existence of
the board, it could increase the padi yields and the country will achieve its goals which no longer rely on
imported rice by 2020. It was reported on June 6 that the Agriculture and Agro Based Industries Minister
Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob will bring the matter to the cabinet to reinstate the LPN in order to
monitor
the
production
of
padi
and
rice.
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22
http://www.nst.com.my/node/87953
22
"I have been selling over one hundred dishes daily," he says. Rajiv Ghosh, who runs a roadside dhaba, has
also introduced the Panta varieties, but at a lower price.Panta is really cool. It is also what the doctor
orders.Himadri Haldar, superintendent of Saktinagar district hospital in Krishnagar: "Taking Panta during
lunch on a hot day is a good idea. In a humid situation people generally suffer from digestion problems
and dehydration. Rice soaked in water can be digested easily and it provides energy and fluids to the body
to keep it cool, particularly for those who stay out in the sun."Panta bhat also has more micronutrients
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23
than fresh rice, especially sodium, potassium and calcium. It is traditional in some villages for pregnant
women to have Panta.Not only the passers-by on NH34, but the whole of Krishnagar could have it.The
rise in the mercury level has had an impact, some say, on the attendance in some central and state
government offices in particular during May-June.
A central government official of the district administration said: "Generally we record an average
attendance of about 90 per cent every day. However, during the past 30 days, a fall of about 10 per cent in
attendance has been recorded".However Nadia ADM(G) Utpal Bhadra did not agree."The attendance is
normal at the district administrative headquarters," he said.But the Krishnagar district court was closed
for about a fortnight owing to the scorching heat. Secretary of Nadia district court bar association
Debasish Roy said: "We were compelled to take a break due to heat from May 18 to May 31. The court
resumed work on June 1, but the attendance of lawyers and clients is still very poor. The clients from
distant areas like Debagram, Plassey, Kaliganj are not coming due to the heat, as they have to travel about
60 km. This is a tremendous problem."
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24
The 25th edition of Food Hospitality World (FHW) 2015 exhibition kick-started today at Bengaluru
The 25th edition of Food Hospitality World (FHW) 2015 exhibition kick-started today at the
White Orchid Convention Centre in Bengaluru. This three-day exhibition being held from June
11-13, 2015, was inaugurated by Chef Surjan Singh Jolly, director- F&B, J W Marriott
Bengaluru; Bakkappa Kote, chairman, Karnataka Wine Board, Government of Karnataka; KN
Vasudeva Adiga, honorary president, Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association; K Syama Raju,
president, South India Hotels & Restaurants Association; PK Mohankumar, hospitality
consultant and industry expert, and former managing director and CEO, Roots Corporation; and
Madhukar M Shetty, honorary secretary, Karnataka Pradesh Hotel & Restaurants Association.
24
Speaking at the inauguration, Chef Jolly stated, It is an honour to be at the FHW 2015
exhibition. This exhibition befits the requirements of the hospitality industry for it provides
exposure, a platform to exchange thoughts and ideas, and bring creativity to life. It also provides
networking opportunities and enables the sharing and use of best practices.Sharing his
perspective, Shetty opined, The food industry in India is facing several challenges and
exhibitions like FHW helps to run our industry smoothly. Presently, we need to have more
modern technologies to run this industry. Adding to the same, Adiga stated, FHW is running
successfully for its 25th edition. This exhibition is beneficial to the hospitality industry for it
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25
showcases the latest technologies needed by the hospitality industry. It is also encouraging to see
that the state and central government are providing support to the Indian hospitality and travel
industry. International fast food brands like KFC, Dominos, etc, have taken over our market and
we need to promote Indian cuisine and hoteliers should focus on doing so by promoting it across
the world.Giving a word of advice Mohankumar said, The hospitality industry is thinking
about globalisation.
The Indian hospitality industry has reached a certain level of maturity. During the initial stages
of my career, we used to import all food ingredients, but times have changed now. At present,
the ancillary and the hospitality industry needs to network as they are hardly networking. There
needs to be more awareness about international equipments in the Indian market. South India is a
powerhouse of the Indian economy and it is time that the hospitality industry recognises this.
There is also a huge tourism potential down south and there is a need to improve connectivity
among Kochi, Puducherry, Chennai and Bengaluru. The south has a robust hotel presence with
the highest number of investments taking place across budget, mid and luxury segments. Big
strength is also coming from independent restaurants and people in Bengaluru are dining out five
days a week.
There is also a huge opportunity in the breakfast segment. Presently, no brand in south India can
deliver like the QSRs; for example deliver breakfast at home. We need to develop technology in
this area.The first day of the exhibition will witness a special honours evening felicitating 15
Hospitality Trailblazers who have made a unique distinction in the south Indian dining space.
The second day will have sessions such as the Hospitality Think Tank GMs Conclave, where
general managers from leading hotel brands from south India will speak about Bengalurus
potential as a MICE destination. The conclave will be followed by the CeBIT Insight Series, a
conference on leveraging the digital platform to enhance customer experiences in the hospitality
industry. The Power of Purchase, also to be held on the second day, will focus on the new trends
in purchasing, its role and the challenges for hospitality purchasing professionals.
25
The concluding day will witness Hospitality Knowledge Exchange on Green Housekeeping, and
for the first time Professional Housekeepers Association will be participating in this session. The
Baking Contest will be a first time inclusion at this exhibition. It will have live demos by the
Institute of Baking & Cake Art (IBCA) that will be organised and overseen by one of Indias top
baker, trainer, cake decorator, consultant and food stylist, Chef Manish Gaur who is also the
director of IBCA. This baking contest will provide an opportunity to over 5000 professionals
from the hospitality and F&B industry to showcase their baking skills and talents. IBCA will
provide live demonstrations on baking various creative dishes throughout the three days of the
show.The exhibition, spread over a floor space of 6,000 sq mtrs, will witness a total number of
150 exhibitors. Some of the key clients will include: Amrit Group, Bunge India, Amira Basmati
Rice, ID Fresh Foods, Forstar Foods, VKL Spices, Williams, and many more. This years
exhibition will witness exhibitors coming from different segments of the food and hospitality
industry like F&B, interiors, kitchen equipment, housekeeping, bakery and others, and will aim
at providing solutions to various industry-related problems.
Associations that have signed up for the exhibition include South India Hotels & Restaurant
Association (SIHRA); Bangalore Hotels Association (BHA); HOTREMAI; Hospitality,
Healthcare, Aviation, Travel and Tourism (HATT); Hospitality Purchasing Managers Forum
(HPMF); Kerala Hotels & Restaurants Association (KHRA); Karnataka Pradesh Hotels &
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26
High interest rates have hit the export credit portfolio of banks. Reserve Bank data shows banks'
export credit as on April had fallen by 8.7% from the Rs 48,200 crore a year before to about Rs
44,000 crore.In the same period a year before, export credit had shown 13.4% growth, from Rs
42,500 crore as on April 2013.Among all sectors, export credit saw the sharpest decline in
deployment of gross bank credit as on April this year.
After the government withdrew the 3% interest subvention scheme for exports in April 2014, the
cost of rupee credit has gone up significantly, say exporters. The government withdrew rupee
export credit to the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) sector and from almost all
engineering export products.Getting bills discounted from a foreign bank which have a tie-up
with the importer's bank has become a much more viable option. However, the window is
available to only large export houses, based on their counterpart importer's credit record with
their respective foreign lender."We're getting rupee credit at around 11% from domestic banks.
However, if we get our bills discounted from foreign banks which have a tie-up with importers,
the rate of interest is less than 2% per annum. In addition, we are getting payment in dollars, a
win-win situation for us from the point of view of the present rupee pricing," said P K Shah,
director, Nipha Exports.
26
"We have written to the government to introduce the interest subvention scheme on rupee export
credit, as the rising cost credit is a major issue for exporters," said Rajan Sundaresan, executive
director of All India Rice Exporters Association.According to banks, the low offtake of export
credit is linked to production stagnation and rupee movement."Generally, the cost of credit is
coming down for all businesses. The real problem with export is linked to the rupee, slightly
overvalued at present," said Sanjay Arya, executive director, United Bank of India.
"There has been a decline in export credit. We have also seen that in the past few months, there
had been some impact (of lower demand) on export of basmati rice, iron and steel, and coal.
There are also issues related to dumping from the Chinese market, which has also taken a hit on
exports, particularly iron and steel," said an official of UCO Bank.
Recently, Arundhati Bhattacharya, head of State Bank of India, had said dumping of foreign
products in the iron and steel sector was an area of concern for banks. "We see that of the total
iron and steel demand of 21 million tonnes, nearly 12 mt is getting imported, and we believe
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dumping is going on from China, Russia and Ukraine. That is an area of concern," she had said
here last month.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/finance/banks-cut-back-on-export-credit-115061100683_1.html
"Working land programs not only address resource concerns, they increase productivity yielding
sustainability by making cropland more diverse and efficient," he said. "The consolidation and
streamlining of the conservation title will make these programs more efficient and easier to use for
farmers and ranchers."
27
Allen also discussed the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), "Rice producers have put
years of work into finding new ways to reduce erosion and water usage, and to address a number of other
critical conservation priorities. Because of the unique methods for farming rice compared to other
commodity crops, sensitivity of water quantity/quality and soil stability are particularly essential to
maintain operations. That being said, the RCPP is a natural fit for our industry to further augment our
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already impressive conservation platform." Allen and the other witnesses thanked the Members of the
subcommittee for their support of the 2014 Farm Bill's conservation title and praised the work that NRCS
is doing to implement the programs.
Contact: Peter Bachmann (703) 236-1475
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29
29
Month
Price
Net Change
July 2015
$9.795
- $0.075
September 2015
$10.070
- $0.080
November 2015
$10.335
- $0.080
January 2016
$10.595
- $0.080
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March 2016
$10.795
- $0.080
May 2016
$10.795
- $0.080
July 2016
$10.795
- $0.080
The marshlands, canals and culverts in Williams, Calif., north of Sacramento, are temporary homes to geese and other migratory
birds that use the area as a stop on the Pacific Flyway.
(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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In summer, the rice is used as nesting for native mallards and shore birds, said Mark
Biddlecomb, director for the western region of Ducks Unlimited, a wetlands conservation
group.In the fall, after the rice is harvested, the fields are flooded and the remaining grain
becomes food for up to 7 million ducks and geese in the Sacramento River Valley, he said. If the
crop is reduced, the feeding area becomes more concentrated, which makes the population more
vulnerable to diseases.
I hate to say its cascading, but it kind of is, Biddlecomb said of the droughts effects.The
drought also annually costs the state billions of dollars in economic activity and tens of
thousands of agricultural jobs, the commission noted.In 2014, about 408,000 acres of rice was
planted, which was also below normal, the group said.If not for a fortuitous spell of strong winter
storms in late December that expanded feeding grounds, an outbreak of Avian botulism within
the fowl population would have spread further, Biddlecomb said.This coming winter, if that
doesnt happen, and if we dont use our water resources wisely we can really be in a world of
hurt, Biddlecomb said.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-drought-rice-shortage-20150610story.html?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+June+11%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+Dece
mber+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
31
Sacramento, California - Because of Californias historic drought, the states rice crop will be 30
percent below normal - at 375,000 acres. Experts say the smaller planting will hurt the economy
and wildlife that depend on shallow flooded fields.Tim Johnson, the President of the California
Rice Commission says the largest impact will be felt in the small towns like Colusa, Marysville
and Yuba City where farmers and workers depend on the rice industry for jobs.But, also in
places like the Port of West Sacramento where we export our rice internationally and the rice
mills and rice driers you see around the community, says Johnson.The ripples will be felt
statewide. Johnson says the fallowed acreage will costs Californias economy hundreds of
millions of dollars.
Dry fields are also bad news for ducks and geese that depend on flooded rice fields for food and
breeding grounds. Mark Bittlecomb is the Ducks Unlimited Western Regional Director.Were
fearful that disease could happen. Avian botulism outbreaks were just starting last December,
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and that could happen again this year if (waterfowl) are concentrated, he says. And it (disease)
can go through the population rather quickly and you can see massive die-offs.Biologists and
engineers are working with landowners to increase water efficiency so more habitat is available
using less water.This years planting is the smallest since 1991
http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/california-news/3732-california-s-rice-crop-predicted-to-be-30-percent-belownormal.html?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+June+11%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=e
mail
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