10th february,2015 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Rice E-Newsletter February 10 , 2015 V o l u m e 5, Issue I

RI, Pakistan to boost bilateral trade The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Business | Tue, February 10 2015, 3:50 PM Business News

Indonesia aims to boost its trade with Pakistan in the future as both countries continue to enjoy the benefits of such activity.Indonesia recorded a US$1.8 billion surplus in its bilateral non oil www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine and gas trade with Pakistan during the January to November 2014 period.The Trade Ministry‘s national export development director general, Nus Nuzulia Ishak, said she was optimistic the trade between Jakarta and Islamabad would continue growing.

―This collaboration will create more opportunities for our trade and investment activities in Pakistan,‖ Nus said in at her office in Jakarta on Tuesday, as quoted by kontan.co.id, after a meeting with Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) senior vice president Ibrahim Kusumbi who is also the Petrogulf Polymer DMCC CEO.As well as the KCCI, she said the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) had also expressed its interest in working with Indonesia.In addition, she said that the Karachi delegations invited Indonesia to join their ―My Karachi-Oasis of Harmony‖ exhibition which would run from Apr. 10 to 12 this year. (nfo)(+++) Source with thanks:http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/02/10/ri-pakistan-boost-bilateraltrade.html#sthash.HQ1IyyIn.dpufhttp://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/02/10/ri-pakistan-boost-bilateral-trade.html

Pakistan, Afghanistan seek to expand trade Pakistani businesses have much to gain by investing in Afghanistan, officials say.

By Zia Ur Rehman 2015-02-09 KARACHI – Government officials and traders from Pakistan and Afghanistan are working to expand trade and investment in each other's country.

Afghan government officials and Pakistani business leaders attend a conference in Karachi January 22. Government officials and traders from Pakistan and Afghanistan have been working to explore ways to expand trade. [Zia Ur Rehman] Afghanistan Ambassador to Pakistan Janan Mosazai visited Karachi to confer with leaders of various associations of commerce and industry January 21 – 24.

He is optimistic about the prospect of boosting trade and investment in both countries."The new unity government of Afghanistan … has shown great interest in increasing bilateral trade with Pakistan," Mosazai told Central Asia Online during his Karachi visit.The Pakistani business community's response was very satisfactory and it has shown great interest in investing in Afghanistan, he added.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Kabul offers incentives to Pakistani traders Officials in Kabul are doing the best they can to persuade Pakistani business leaders to invest."Already, there is co-operation between both governments on trade and transit−trade," Mosazai said. "But now we have mainly focused on investment."Mosazai offered Pakistani investors the ability to establish their industrial units in Afghanistan's special economic zones, especially in northern Afghanistan, which would help them penetrate Afghan as well as Central Asian markets.

"We are ready to offer land, low taxes, full security, cheap electricity, water and other utilities to Pakistan's business community in special economic zones," Mosazai said, adding that Afghanistan's doors were open to Pakistani traders seeking to invest and enhance trade with their counterparts in Afghanistan.Mosazai visited the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and the Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) to meet their leaders.

Pakistani traders are interested, Majyd Aziz, a former KCCI president, told Central Asia Online."The business communities of the two countries can undertake joint ventures in agriculture, textile, construction, cash crops after their processing and other important sectors of the economy," he said, adding that the mining sector commands the greatest interest. Pakistani rice exporters could benefit by selling to Afghanistan as well as to Central Asia, he said.

Education is another sector where the business community can take advantage. A number of Afghan students have been studying at various Pakistani academic institutions."Afghan students are coming to Pakistan to obtain a professional education, especially in information technology, medicine, nursing, business and engineering, on the Pakistani prime minister's scholarship programme," Mosazai said.

Pakistani traders visited Kabul Pakistani businessmen did not take long to follow up on the invitation to visit Afghanistan. A five-member PAJCCI delegation January 31 met President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul to further discuss the matter. The conference with Ghani was fruitful and several issues, including the smuggling of goods, came up for discussion, KCCI President Iftikhar Ahmed Vohra, who led the delegation, said."Ghani assured us that the Afghan government would take the smuggling of goods seriously," he said, adding that Afghanistan was determined to facilitate domestic and international investment.

"We want terrorism, poverty and anarchy eliminated so that the two countries could live in peace," Vohra said, adding that the PAJCCI was prepared to extend its contributions in this regard.Increased economic ties are already in the works. Both countries have vowed to expand annual bilateral trade from US $2.5 billion (Rs. 252.9 billion) to US $5 billion (Rs. 505.8 billion) in two to three years, Zahoor Ali Khan, a commerce analyst based in Islamabad, said."Highways, www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine railway networks and air linkage between the two countries also were discussed in recent meetings between officials of both countries," Khan told Central Asia Online.

Source with thanks:http://centralasiaonline.com/en_GB/articles/caii/features/pakistan/main/2015/02/09/feature-01

JIPM offers rice growers a new resource against the rice water weevil Feb 09, 2015

The rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus, is the most harmful insect pest of rice in the United States, causing yield losses of up to 25%. Adults inflict damage by consuming leaf tissue, and the larvae feed on the roots of rice plants. A native of the southeastern U.S., the rice water weevil invaded Japan in 1976, Korea in 1980, China in 1988, and Italy in 2004.Luckily, rice growers now have a new resource for controlling it. An open-access article appearing in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management discusses the rice water weevil's life history and invasion biology, as well as management strategies and future directions of research.

Authors Mohammad-Amir Aghaee and Larry D. Godfrey, both from the University of California, Davis, tell the story of the weevil since it was first identified as a pest in 1881 by C. V. Riley and L. O. Howard. They then discuss reasons why it has been able to spread so rapidly - up to 36 kilometers per year in some cases -- which is partly because of its ability to reproduce asexually."This invasive ability is aided by a particular and peculiar aspect of this weevil's biology, the fact that a small percentage of the population in its native range reproduces by parthenogenesis," they wrote.

The authors also discuss methods of monitoring and sampling -- including the use of aquatic barrier traps -- as well as management options, including cultural control methods such as draining fields, delayed planting, winter flooding, and nutrient augmentation. They also suggest that insect-resistant transgenic varieties, such as a newly-developed Bt rice plant transformed with the Cry3A gene, might be another management option if approved for cultivation.Microbial control options using the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana and the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis are also discussed, as are other management options which may be available in the future. ### www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine The full article, "A Century of Rice Water Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): A History of Research and Management With an Emphasis on the United States," is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/IPM14011.

The Journal of Integrated Pest Management is an open-access, peer-reviewed, extension journal covering the field of integrated pest management. The journal is multi-disciplinary in scope, publishing articles in all pest management disciplines, including entomology, nematology, plant pathology, weed science, and other subject areas. The intended readership for the journal is any professional who is engaged in any aspect of integrated pest management, including, but not limited to, crop producers, individuals working in crop protection, retailers, manufacturers and suppliers of pest management products, educators, and pest control operators.

JIPM is published by the Entomological Society of America, the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines. Founded in 1889, ESA today has nearly 7,000 members affiliated with educational institutions, health agencies, private industry, and government. Members are researchers, teachers, extension service personnel, administrators, marketing representatives, research technicians, consultants, students, and hobbyists. For more information, visit http://www.entsoc.org.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

Source with thanks:http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-02/esoa-jor020915.php

FSG Sues Government Over GM Rice Feb 10, 2015

Food Sovereignty Ghana has filed a writ of summons against the National Biosafety Committee NBC and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture MoFA, with an application for an interim injunction to restrain the recalcitrant defendants from any release and commercialization of genetically modified cowpeas and rice until the provisions of the Biosafety Act are expressly and fully obeyed. We www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine are not only calling for an injunction on the commercialisation of GM rice and Bt cowpeas, but on all GM crops until the National Biosafety Authority is in place.

Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG)

We are happy to announce that Food Sovereignty Ghana has filed a writ of summons against the National Biosafety Committee NBC and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture MoFA, with an application for an interim injunction to restrain the recalcitrant defendants from any release and commercialization of genetically modified cowpeas and rice until the provisions of the Biosafety Act are expressly and fully obeyed. We are not only calling for an injunction on the commercialisation of GM rice and Bt cowpeas, but on all GM crops until the National Biosafety Authority is in place.We have taken this action as a result of the fact that Ghanaians are being constantly bombarded with news items containing false claims that the attempts to impose GM rice and beans or our precious ―waakye‖, or the famous fried plantain and beans, alias ―red red‖, are being done in accordance with the law!

We maintain that this is certainly and evidently not the case. Our case is very simple. According to Section 13 of the Biosafety Act, 2011, Act 831, on the ―The application to import or place on the market‖, only the National Biosafety Authority has such a power to authorize the commercial release of GM foods in Ghana. The law says: ―13. ( 1) A person shall not, without the prior written approval of the Authority, import or place on the market a genetically modified organism.

(2) An application under subsection (1) shall include (a) The information set out in the Third Schedule (b) a risk assessment as set out in the Third Schedule, and (c) any other information that the applicant may consider necessary for an assessment of the potential risks and benefits of the requested activity.‖ [See: Ghana Biosafety Act 831 31 Dec 2011.pdf] Now, we all know that the National Biosafety Authority does not even exist, because it is yet to be inaugurated. No appointments have been made and approved even for it, so under what authority are those undertaking these dangerous experiments doing so, and who is supervising them? Apparently, even the National Biosafety Committee has no power of its own apart from the authority of the Minister for Industries, Science and Technology, MIST. Ghana is a signatory to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Article 23 of the Protocol requires Parties, on their own and in cooperation with other States and international bodies, to promote and facilitate public awareness and education, including access to information, regarding the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms (LMOs). It also requires Parties to consult the public in the decisionmaking process, to make public the final decision taken and to inform public about the means of access to the Biosafety Clearing-House.

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For example, currently in Malawi, the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, (LUANAR) applied for confined field trials of Bt cowpea, the same crop that Savannah Research Institute, (SARI) has been investigating for years. Whilst a copy of the LUANAR is readily available, there is still no trace of the SARI application even weeks after asking specifically for it! Here is a copy of the LUANAR application: Bunda College Application for Confined Field Trial (CFT) of Bt-Cowpea | Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa AFSA http://afsafrica.org/bunda-college-application-forconfined-field-trial-cft-of-bt-cowpea/ Meanwhile, Section 11 (1) of the Act states very clearly that: ―A person shall not conduct a contained or confined use activity involving genetically modified organisms or their development without the written approval of the Authority‖. The law further stipulates in Section 42 (2) that ―The Authority shall publish notices of final decisions concerning applications made under this Act in the Gazette and electronic and print media‖, in order to ensure public awareness and participation. This is a far cry from the secrecy surrounding the experiments currently going on in Ghana!

We maintain that none of these provisions are being respected. It even appears that the so-called National Biosafety Committee is being run from the office of the Minister of Industries, Science and Technology.

We were extremely surprised to read from the reaction of Mr. Eric Okoree, Secretary to the National Biosafety Committee, stating inter alia, that ―I have printed the request and submitted it to the Minister‘s Secretariat for his information as per the Civil Service Procedure . He will minute it down to the Secretariat for action to be taken.‖!

Up till now, several weeks after calling for copies of the documents on risk assessment and risk management and benefits supporting the application by the Savanna Agricultural research Institute (SARI), for the approval of field trials of Bt cow peas submitted for approval, no such document has been forth-coming. Meanwhile this is the sort of information that must be voluntarily be made available to members of the Ghanaian public in accordance with the law.

We find the situation of lawlessness surrounding the imposition of GMOs on Ghanaians most alarming as bisosafety is a matter of life and death. The most fraudulent aspect of this is the fact that in spite of the flagrant infringement of the Biosafety Act, the scientists behind these dangerous experiments keep informing the public that everything is being done in accordance with the law.

For example, in Ghanaian scientists edge up with GM rice trials http://www.modernghana.com/news/594252/1/ghanaian-scientists-edge-up-with-gm-rice-trials.html, published on 24 January 2015, they claim that ―The confined field trials started in April 2013 at Nobewam in the Ashanti region, after receiving approval from the National Biosafety Committee (NBC).‖ Principal Investigator, Dr. Maxwell Asante, further informed the press that ―If the lead event is confirmed, we will request for permission from the NBC to allow it to be grown by farmers in Ghana after testing. The genes that make the GM rice nitrogen-use efficient will then be transferred to other varieties in Ghana through conventional breeding methods,‖What is most worrisome is the fact these these perpetrators are aware of the fact that ―There is strong opposition to the introduction of GM crops in

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Ghana‘s food production chain.‖Alarmingly, we also read, ―Biosafety advocate, Albert Aubyn, however says there is no cause for worry with the current trials, noting that field activities are strictly in conformity with regulative measures‖.

The story by Kofi Adu Domfeh ends with the assurances that ―Three confined field trials of rice, cowpea and cotton are currently being evaluated in Ghana in compliance with the Biosafety Act 2011, Act 831, which regulates GMOs‖.Meanwhile, according to the Section 13 of the Biosafety Act, 2011, Act 831, on the ―The application to import or place on the market‖, it is the non-existent National Biosafety Authority which has the power to authorise the commercialisation of GM foods in the country, and not the National Biosafety Committee.We call on all Ghanaians who care about the safety and the quality of food they are putting into their bodies, to show keen interest in this matter and provide us with the moral and material support we need to prosecute this case which is set to be a David versus Goliath struggle.

For Life, the Environment and Social Justice!

George Tetteh Wayo, Esq. Spokesperson on Legal Affairs Communications Directorate, FSG Source with thanks:http://www.spyghana.com/fsg-sues-government-gm-rice/

Africa: On-Farm System Turns Rice Plants Into Biofuel and Fodder Tagged:AfricaAsia, Australia, and AfricaBusinessEnergyExternal RelationsInnovationScience

By Aamna Mohdin A technology to create biofuel and animal feed at the same time without any off-site processing has been developed by Japanese researchers.The solid-state fermentation (SSF) system involves wrapping rice plants grown to feed livestock along with yeast, enzymes and bacteria into a bale covered with a plastic film, and capturing the ethanol produced by the resulting fermentation.This technology builds on traditional processes used by farmers around the world to create silage to feed livestock such as cattle, goats and sheep, according to a report published on 30 January in the journal Biotechnology for Biofuels.

"Our SSF system does not require special equipment and large facilities," says Mitsuo Horita, a researcher at the National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences who is the project's lead researcher.

"Harvested materials are immediately packed into a round bale in the field, which is similar to a conventional silo used for silage fermentation. No extra energy needs to be supplied to the system."Horita says the system produces high yields of ethanol and silage, without any plant waste. By processing plants destined for animal feed, it also avoids competing with food crops, he says.As a result, the technology could help address criticism of biofuels, which at present are mostly created from crops such as rice and maize. These first-generation biofuels have come under fire for driving up food prices as their production competes with the farming of crops to feed people. www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Conventional biofuel manufacture also requires energy for transport and to run industrial processing plants.But Jahi Chappell, director of agriculture policy at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, an NGO that promotes sustainable farming, says the SSF system may fail to solve the biofuels conundrum."Competition that lowers food security could still happen if this process led to conversion of lands suitable for other agricultural activities into land used for biofuel and feed production," he says.

According to Horita, the biggest challenge to implementing SSF on a larger scale is the cost of rolling out the technology. Researchers would have to present the advantages of using the system to farmers, who would also need access to power stations that can buy and use the resulting ethanol, he says.But Siwa Msangi, a researcher at the US-based International Food Policy Research Institute, says the technology is a welcome addition to global biofuel options, despite concerns about its shortcomings."We shouldn't stop seeking ways to make better biofuels as we will need to add them to the portfolio of renewable energy sources that are necessary to offset future climate change," he says.

Source with thanks:http://allafrica.com/stories/201502101076.html

Specifications of rice imports for this year to be set soon, NFA says TACLOBAN CITY -- The National Food Authority (NFA) Council will finalize on Friday the specifications of rice to be imported this year.

Workers inside the National Food Authority rice warehouse in Visayas Ave. Quezon City -- Aileen Camille B. Dimatatac

Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization Francis N. Pangilinan said the interagency council will convene on Feb. 13 to discuss the importation details.―We are still collating all data, reviewing the last harvest volume and checking the supply. If at all, stocks that will be imported are only for buffer stocks,‖ said Mr. Pangilinan, who is also NFA Council chairman.He declined to give figures on the volume of rice to be imported but noted that there is an existing standby authority to procure half-a-million metric tons (MT) of milled rice from the usual sources in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia.

Mr. Pangilinan visited Tacloban City on Monday to check stocks of NFA rice in the local market and lead a task force meeting on the recovery of the coconut industry in the region attended by PCA officials and local chief executives in Eastern Visayas.Rice importation is necessary to ensure that the country has a 15-day buffer stock for the off-harvest months, Mr. Pangilinan said. www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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NFA Administrator Renan B. Dalisay also declined to give estimates on the volume of importation and import schedule, citing that speculation may fuel price movements in the world market since the Philippines is one of the world‘s largest rice importers.―I have no authority to talk about details of the importation. We just execute. It is hard to speculate because it caused adjustments of world market prices.

We will find out the specifications on Friday,‖ Mr. Dalisay said.

In a previous statement, the grains agency said the government may import between 500,000 metric tons (MT) and 600,000 MT of milled rice this year.In October 2014, the Philippine government awarded the supply contract for the importation of 500,000 MT of rice from Vietnam and Thailand.Meanwhile, the agency is stepping up its local palay (unhusked rice) procurement program.In 2014, the NFA procured an estimated 1.5 million MT, or 8% of the total 18.97 million MT domestic rice output.The NFA buys clean and dry palay at P17 per kilogram, lower than the P18.90-per-kilogram farm-gate price of palay being offered by commercial rice traders.

The government also provides additional incentives such as graduated delivery fee of up to a maximum of P0.50 per kilogram, drying incentive fee of P0.20 per kilogram, and Cooperative Development Incentive Fund assistance of P0.30 per kilogram.―While the palay buying price of NFA rice cannot be lowered, other incentives are being studied such as the provision of health insurance to farmers that would conform to NFA buying standards,‖ Mr. Dalisay added.

Source with thanks:http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=specifications-ofrice-imports-for-this-year-to-be-set-soon-nfa-says&id=102507

China to help build rice mills Myanmar Eleven February 10, 2015 7:08 pm Myanmar rice producers hope to step up rice exports by collaborating with China to build modernised rice mills.The Myanmar Rice Miller Co, founded under the Millers Association (MRMA), recently signed a contract with China's CAMC Engineering Co (CAMCE) to build international-grade rice mills in Nyaungdone, Ayeyawady region."Under the agreement, both sides will cooperate on the construction of the international-standard rice mills. Afterwards, we will carry out rice grinding and then export quality rice to China as well as to other international markets," said Nay Lin Zin, joint secretary of the MRMA. Construction will start this year and is due to be completed by 2017."We have bought the land plots for the first rice mill in Sarmalauk in Nyaungdone, and we will build two 200-tonne rice mills in the initial phase," Nay Lin Zin added.Under a deal between the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) and the Chinese firm COFCO, China will purchase 100,000 tonnes of rice at market price after the completion of the work. The MRF will coordinate the direct sale of rice with COFCO, with both sides preparing the grinding and export of the rice types and qualities favoured in China.

The plan is in line with one of the recommendations by the World Bank that Myanmar should modernise its rice mills to increase private stocks and trigger productivity and quality improvement at the farm level.Although Myanmar's rice exports amounted to 1.4 million tonnes, rice exports to Southeast Asia the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia - are still modest, according to MRF.China remains Myanmar's

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine major rice buyer, buying nearly 1 million tonnes this fiscal year alone."We have planned to extend to Europe.

We will display rice and agricultural products, including fishery, livestock and forest produce in trade fairs in Italy," said Ye Min Aung, the general secretary of MRF.The MRF has cooperated with other agribusiness owners to improve agricultural crops and equipment in order to promote the country's exports. With the implementation of these plans, officials expect rice exports to increase in the coming years.

Source with thanks:http://www.nationmultimedia.com/aec/China-to-help-build-rice-mills-30253791.html

Malaysia; Where has the S$113.2 rice subsidy gone?

Sin Chew Daily/Asia News NetworkWednesday, Feb 11, 2015

MALAYSIA - Kedah Regency Council deputy chairman and two rice millers have lodged a report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) against Agriculture and AgroBased Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob over suspected power abuse in handling rice subsidy, exposing drawbacks in the RM500 million subsidy for Super Tempatan ST15 per cent broken rice. Poor people are unable to purchase subsidied rice, due to allegedly pocketing problems involving senior officials in the government.

However, Ismail Sabri, who was severely criticised recently for harming racial harmony due to his boycott call, has distanced himself from the allegation, claiming that he has no supreme decision-making power in the government's ST15 per cent national rice subsidy programme. He said that the supply of the subsidised rice is handled by the commission led by the Ministry's Secretary-General. As the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister, how could Ismail Sabri pass the buck just like that? The accusation does not seem to be baseless as it was openly pointed out by the Kedah Regency Council deputy chairman, who is a rice miller himself.

It was reported that the Kedah Regency Council deputy chairman has his rice supply quota cut from 1,000 tons to 100 tons as he refused bribery while the supply of other rice millers were completely cut off. It is believed that many other millers are facing the same problem, showing that corruption problems in the rice subsidy programme has become increasingly serious.

The government implements the ST15 per cent national rice subsidy programme and subsidies 60,000 tons of rice each month, with RM750 subsidy for each ton. However, rice millers receive only RM450 for each ton while the other RM300 was said to have passed to specific officials in the Ministry. If such a saying is true, it shows the existence of corruption practices and who are the so-called specific officials? The MACC must investigate where has the RM300 gone.The purpose of the government to spend RM500 million for rice subsidy each year is to allow the poor buy cheap rice, helping them to ease financial burden.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine The intention is good, but has unfortunately been abused by corrupt officials and unscrupulous rice millers, who turn ST15 per cent broken rice into ST5 per cent rice to gain profits from it, causing ST15 per cent rice can no longer be seen in the market, and the poor still need to buy expensive rice. The government's subsidy has only benefited the senior officials. The Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry has failed to properly implement the rice subsidy programme and many problems have derived from it.

The Minister's capability should be questioned.To solve the problem of abusing rice subsidy, the government must make a thorough reform, such as revoking the quota system for Bumiputera rice millers. The Ministry allegedly allows only Malay rice millers to enjoy the subsidy while shutting the door to Chinese rice millers, rather allowing Malay millers to store up to 6,000 tons of rice and Chinese rice millers to face shortage of supply. Unfair policy is also a factor causing corruption and abuse of power.

Since Kedah Regency Council deputy chairman has lodged a report against the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister and officials, we hope that the MACC can launch a thorough investigation on involving wholesalers, millers and officials in the ministry to lift the doubts of the people, as well as allow the poor to enjoy the rice subsidy.

Source with thanks:http://news.asiaone.com/news/malaysia/malaysia-where-has-s1132-rice-subsidy-gone#sthash.fhqvfQ0U.dpuf

Nigeria, Ghana, Others to Benefit From U.S.$3.3 Million Rice Production Grant Tagged:AgribusinessFood and AgricultureBusinessGhanaNigeriaWest Africa

By Dele Ogbodo Abuja — Four African countries-Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Tanzania - are to benefit from the $3.3 million grant provided by Bill and Melinda Gates (BMGF) and the German Development Cooperation (BMZ), under their Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI) project.The implementing institutions of the grant are led by GIZ, Technoserve, the John A. Kufuor (JAK) and Kili Trust (KT).

The project, which will end in 2017 is targeting about 120,000 small scale rice producers, while secondary beneficiaries are the rural service providers and rice millers. The initiative is geared towards improving their sourcing capacity of quality supply.Speaking on the establishment of the Nigeria/ECOWAS Rice Sector Policy and Regulation Advocacy Platform in Abuja, CARI's project coordinator, Mr. Stefan Kachelriess-Matthess, stated that the main instrument for the implementation of CARI across the four countries on the matching grant will be on the basis of Public Private Partnership (PPP). Kachel-Matthess said: "The projects are implemented at two levels of support, we support up to 40 percent of implementation cost and our Nigerian partners in the private sector have to provide 60 per cent of the implementation cost."

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In her remarks, the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), Mrs. Fidelia Njeze, who was represented by Mrs. Jael Kpatuwak expressed the hope that the CARI project will address coordination failures, create better linkages among rice value chain actors, the result which, she said, will lead to increase in the economic returns for all stakeholders.She said the sector holds the key to getting Nigeria out of poverty as it provides food security, employment for the teeming population and creating the platform for a diversified economy towards an industrialisation revolution.

Njeze said: "this focus on rice commodity is most strategic for Nigeria and the West African sub-region which imports close to 50 percent of rice from foreign countries outside the shores of the African continent."In the last couple of years, Nigeria spent approximately N1 billion daily on rice importation.

This has led to the export of our jobs and financial resources meant for the transformation of the domestic rice sector in order to achieve self-sufficiency and exports."According to her, the German Development Cooperation has been a major partner to NEPAD in the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), adding that GIZ had supported the organisation Nigeria's CAADP country team orientation workshop in 2011.

Also speaking at the event, the ECOWAS Commissioner of Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources, Dr. Lapodini Marc Atouga, represented by a Director at the Commission, said rice consumption in the last two years in the sub-region had increased from 7 to 7.7 million tons, pointing out this clearly shows that production is not matching up with the consumption as it has to depend on international imports for 40 per cent of its rice supply with Thailand and Vietnam as the leading suppliers of the commodity to the region.

As a way of achieving its regional Agriculture Investment Programme (RAIP), he said the Commission went a step further to develop projects and programmes that will increase rice production and productivity in the region.While commending the various initiatives, he said ECOWAS welcomes the setting up of an advocacy platform for rice in Nigeria.He said: "I will like to commend GIZ/CARI foor this timely initiative. The need to have a permanent and functional platform to promote rice development cannot be overemphasised."With the current interventions on rice in the West Africa region we must all endeavour to build sustainable rice value chains with access to finance, technology and knowledge to move the region from a rice deficit to a rice surplus one."

Source with thanks:http://allafrica.com/stories/201502101023.html

World Rice Production 2014/2015 February 2015 This month the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that the World Rice Production 2014/2015 will be 474.56 million metric tons, around 0.91 million tons less than the previous month's projection.

Rice Production last year (*) was 477.08 million tons. This year's 474.56 estimated million tons could represent a decrease of 2.52 million tons or a 0.53% in rice production around the globe.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Rice Production by Country (Values in Metric Tons) China: 144,500,000 India: 102,000,000 Others: 38,768,000 Indonesia: 36,500,000 Bangladesh: 34,600,000 Vietnam: 28,250,000 Thailand: 19,500,000 Philippines: 12,200,000 Burma: 12,150,000 Brazil: 8,300,000 Japan: 7,679,000 United States: 7,068,000 Pakistan: 6,500,000 Cambodia: 4,700,000 Egypt: 4,500,000 Korea, South: 4,241,000 Nepal: 3,100,000 Source with thanks:https://www.worldriceproduction.com/?Referer=Newsletter

UK: Birds Eye Serves Up New Pan-Cooked Meals Range Birds Eye has launched a new range of stir-cooked meals called ‗Stir Your Senses‘, which it says is inspired by cuisines from around the world. The company claims the all-in-one meals will offer consumers a ―completely new, multi-sensorial cooking experience‖, and will provide all the pleasure of quality time in the kitchen without the fuss of preparation‖. All the meals can be prepared by simply stirring the ingredients in a pan, in less than ten minutes. The range includes eight chef-inspired dishes, such as Tagliatelle con Porcini, and chilli & lime infused Thai Chicken with Basmati Rice.

The range will retail at an RRP of £2.99. The launch is supported with a £2.5m TV spend, alongside a sampling campaign, PR, digital and in-store advertising. The first advert is due to go live in April, when the brand plans for over 3,500 outlets to stock the majority of the range, with two price marked packs (Tagliatelle con Porcini and South Indian Curry) also available across the convenience sector. Live at launch, the new range will also feature a ‗Try Me Free‘ message across 1.6 million packs to drive consumer trial.

NamNews - Tuesday 10th February 2015 Source with thanks:www.Kamcityhome.com

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If Apple Made iMilk And Nike Sold Fruit: Designer Groceries As Art February 9, 2015 Fruit by Nike is a piece by designer Peddy Mergui in his exhibit "Wheat is Wheat is Wheat," next on display in May at Expo Milano 2015. (Courtesy of Peddy Mergui)

By MARIA GODOY, NPR Just eat it.It's hard to look at these stylish packages of citrus fruit, bearing Nike's iconic swoosh, without having the athletic company's famous slogan "Just do it" immediately come to mind. And that's precisely the point, says Israelbased designer Peddy Mergui.

He says packaging tells a story, and can imbue consumer goods with value and prestige. And he created the Nike fruit as part of a project that reimagines everyday foods as designer groceries. The goal, he tells The Salt, is to explore how packaging manipulates our perceptions and desires."In my line of work, I was always asking, 'What is the ethical boundary for designers' ability to influence consumption? Are we using our 'tools' wisely? This got me on a three-year journey to explore my field [and] examine the way we think as consumers," he tells us in an email.The result, an exhibit called "Wheat Is Wheat Is Wheat," borrows the visual branding of luxury brands to disturbingly alluring effect.Coffee by Cartier Yogurt containers in Tiffany blue connote a spoonful of privilege. A breakfast of Coffee by Cartier, Eggs by Versace and Soft Butter by Bulgari feels like the ultimate in decadence.And a carton of Mergui's iMilk By Apple is undoubtedly sleeker than anything we're used to seeing in the dairy aisle.

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It would probably look pretty good in my refrigerator.Part of the seduction, says Mergui, is that like many high-end brands, Apple isn't just selling you products. "It represents a certain lifestyle, a community," he says. And that goes to the heart of what Mergui wanted his project to explore: How do the values associated with a brand affect how we feel about a ordinary food products done up in fancy packaging?

MOST POPULAR "Some will find [the resulting products] playful, ridiculous, exaggerated," he says. "Some may even feel they belong."Indeed, there is a certain logic to having Nike – a company whose products are associated with healthy, active lifestyles — peddle fruit. It wouldn't actually be the first consumer goods purveyor to make the leap into foodstuffs. For example, the outdoor clothing and gear company Patagonia sells smoked salmon provisions – a move which Mergui says makes a lot of strategic sense: "They extended their outdoor brand to outdoor foods."Eggs

by Versace For now, the comestibles Mergui imagines remain in the realm of fantasy: Flour by Pradatickles the fancy in part because an essential food product with a luxury label — and presumably, with a luxury pricetag — seems so outlandish.And yet, the uncomfortable truth of modern food shopping is that there is a booming market of luxury foods.

And while they may not have designer labels, they are certainly steeped with a set of values.

Why else would you pay $7 for a half-gallon glass bottle of local, grass-fed milk? Consumers www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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aren't just paying for the taste, but the lifestyle and values it embodies."Wheat is Wheat is Wheat" was a hit when it went on display last April at San Francisco's Museum of Craft and Design, says the venue's executive director, JoAnn Edwards. The reaction from museum visitors "was unbelievable," she says — some left the exhibit asking why more daily goods weren't given a designer gloss.

Excellent packaging, she says, is "becoming more and more something consumers respond to."Mergui says he got a first-hand lesson on that while he was designing a container of "Chanel infant formula.""A colleague of mine saw it in my office ... and asked where can she get it," he says. "She wanted to buy it for her baby. That made me realize the power [these] luxury values have."Basmati rice by HSBC "Wheat is Wheat is Wheat" will next go on display in May at Expo Milano 2015.Update 2/10/15: As a reader notes in an email to The Salt, other artists have also used the concept of designer foods to explore brand obsession and consumption. One of the best-known examples comes from the influential artist Tom Sachs. Back in 1997, Sachs' Hermes Value Meal gave a McDonald's meal a makeover in the spirit of the luxury fashion house — a jarring and cheeky juxtaposition of the high and low end of consumer culture.

Last

year, Tyler

Shields'

"Indulgence"

series

featured Prada

Popcornand

Hermes-

labeled milk and cola.And several years ago, the folks at The Cool Hunter pitched a real-life version of designer fast food. The concept, called McFancy, envisioned a luxe, pop-up version of McDonald's — with menu items like Gucci french fries and Burberry burgers — to be served at Fashion Week in various cities.

Source with thanks:http://www.wbur.org/

USA Rice Participates in World's Largest Annual Food & Hospitality Show Hartwig Schmidt (far right) shares information about U.S. rice

DUBAI, UAE -- This year marks the 20th edition of Gulfood and USA Rice Federation is on the show floor to meet with companies conducting business in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa.

Gulfood attracts importers, manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and government www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine officials from around the world, making this show a central place for USA Rice to tout the quality of U.S.-grown rice and network with potential traders on behalf of the industry.

"This event brings together nearly 5,000 exhibitors from more than 120 countries," said Hartwig Schmidt, USA Rice regional director, international market development.

"Gulfood is one of the most coveted shows for exporters and this year more than 600 companies were on the exhibit waiting list; this confirms that our presence here is invaluable for the U.S. rice industry.

"USA Rice's booth is inside the USA Pavilion, one of the largest national pavilions in the food section of the show, featuring more than 150 exhibitors. USA Rice displays various types of rice including long-grain, medium-grain, parboiled, and wild rice to attract show attendees and help educate those unfamiliar with U.S. rice.

Brochures highlighting U.S. rice facts, recipes, and nutritional information are displayed in both English and Arabic. Six USA Rice members representing American Commodity Company, ADM Rice, Farmers' Rice Cooperative, Riceland Foods, and Sun Valley Rice are joining USA Rice staff and consultants at the booth to meet with existing trade partners and speak with interested importers."The Middle East is a key emerging market for U.S. rice," said Schmidt.

"Major markets in the region include Saudi Arabia and Jordan where 2014 U.S. rice exports totalled 101,000 MT and 88,000 MT respectively."

Eszter Somogyi makes the pitch to potential buyers "This trade show is not only a place to collect more than one hundred potential trade leads for our members, but also a place to meet with FAS representatives from Africa and the Middle East," said Eszter Somogyi, USA Rice international program director of marketing. "It is also important to meet up with our existing trade partners in the region to maintain our relationships."Gulfood remains one of the most significant international food shows for USA Rice. It is an efficient way to connect potential and existing customers in the Middle East region to USA Rice members and also supports our goal of increasing importer loyalty to U.S. rice.

Contact: Katie Maher (703) 236-1453 Source with thanks: USA Rice Federation

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Japan Announces Results of 12th Ordinary Import Tender in FY 2014

Country of Origin

Variety

Number of Importer

Quantity (MT)

Participated Bidders

Amount of Bids (MT)

USA

Non-glutinous milled rice (medium grain)

3

36,000

24

288,000

Thailand

Non-glutinous milled rice

2

14,000

16

112,000

5

50,000

40

400,000

JPY 91,998/mt

(tax excluded)

JPY 99,358/mt

(tax included)

(long grain)

Grand Total

Avg Price for Successful Bids

Source with thanks: USA Rice Federation

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for February 10 Month

Price

Net Change

March 2015

$10.235

- $0.200

May 2015

$10.480

- $0.210

July 2015

$10.735

- $0.210

September 2015

$10.770

- $0.185

November 2015

$10.960

- $0.050

January 2016

$11.050

- $0.050

March 2016

$11.050

- $0.050

Source with thanks:USA Rice Federation

WASDE Report Released

WASHINGTON, DC -- Slight revisions are made to the U.S. all rice and rice-by-class 2014/15 supply and use balance sheets. All rice imports are increased 1 million cwt to 23 million, all in combined medium- and short-grain rice. Imports of broken rice from Australia of about 21,000 tons (milled basis) were reported in the U.S. Census Bureau's December trade data. The all rice export forecast is unchanged at 103 million cwt, but the by-class projections are shifted by increasing long-grain 1 million to 71 million and lowering combined mediumand short-grain 1 million to 30 million. All rice ending stocks are raised 1 million cwt to nearly 42 million with long-grain stocks lowered 1 million to 28.1 million, and combined medium- and short-grain stocks raised 2 million to 11.5 million. Stocks of broken rice, not reported by class, are projected at a little over 2 million cwt.

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The 2014/15 long-grain season-average price range is narrowed to $11.90 to $12.50 per cwt, up 20 cents on the low end of the range and down 20 cents on the upper end-the midpoint is unchanged from a month ago at $12.20 per cwt. The all combined medium- and short-grain season-average price range is narrowed to $17.90 to $18.70 per cwt, down 10 cents on the low end of the range and a decrease of 30 cents on the high end-the midpoint is lowered 20 cents from last month to $18.30 per cwt. Two additional combined medium- and short-grain farm prices are introduced this month: a California price (on an October-September basis) and a price for Other States (on an August-July basis). The California combined medium- and short-grain price is forecast with a midpoint of $20.00 per cwt, and the midpoint for the Other States is $15.10.

Global 2014/15 rice supply and use projections are lowered from last month. Global 2013/14 rice production is forecast at 474.6 million tons, down 900,000 from last month. The largest declines for Thailand and Cambodia are partially offset by increases for Sri Lanka and Iraq. Thailand's 2014/15 rice crop is lowered 1 million tons to 19.5 million due to a reduction in dry-season plantings resulting from an on-going drought and a reduction in irrigation water availability concentrated in the Central Region.

Thailand's 2014/15 crop would be the smallest since 2006/07. Cambodia's crop is lowered 200,000 tons to 4.7 million due mostly to flooding of the main-season crop. Global consumption is down slightly from a month ago. World trade in 2014/15 is lowered 400,000 tons due mostly to reductions for Thailand and Cambodia. Imports are lowered for Iraq. World ending stocks are lowered 800,000 tons to 98.2 million due mostly to a reduction for Thailand, which is partially offset by increases for Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Thailand's 2014/15 ending stocks are lowered 1.4 million tons to 9.6 million, the lowest since 2011/12. Pakistan's 2014/15 ending stocks are raised 500,000 tons owing to a reduction in the 2013/14 export projection.

Read the full report here.

Hundreds of Chinese get a taste of GM rice China Daily Tuesday 10 February 2015

Hundreds of people were invited via the Internet to taste genetically modified rice at restaurants in 23 cities across China on Sunday in a move to further promote GM foods to the general public.Wu Xingchuan, editor-in-chief of the science website scipark.net, the organizer of the event, said: ―We are trying to get a message across to those who still doubt the safety of GM products: We believe that the GM rice is safe, and we are more than willing to eat it.‖According to the first policy document issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee in January, China will strengthen research and manage the safety of GM foods.

The rice variety that was tasted at the restaurants was a genetically modified Bt 63 strain developed by researchers at Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, Hubei province. The name indicates that Bacillus thuringiensis is embedded in the plant‘s genetic makeup. It produces www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine a natural pesticide that protects the plant.The Bt 63 rice, together with another strain, Huahui 1, received safety certification in January for production for another four years, after the initial certificates expired in November.That is only the first step in the commercial cultivation of GM rice.

Another three certificates are required, including a production certificate and business certificate from the biosafety committee of the Ministry of Agriculture.Chen Xiwen, deputy director of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, said last week that the fact that the two GM rice varieties have not been approved for commercial cultivation showed the country‘s cautious attitude toward GM food.―We want them to test the safety for another four years. In a certain sense, it is not science that has failed to provide a verdict about their safety. The public media have not recognized them,‖ he said Source with thanks: Source with thanks:http://www.eco-business.com/news/hundreds-chinese-get-taste-gmrice/?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+February+10%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm _medium=email

Japan sees 50 percent chance of El Nino re-emerging by summer TOKYO Tue Feb 10, 2015 12:06am EST

) - Japan's weather bureau said on Tuesday it sees about a 50 percent chance that an El Nino weather pattern, linked to heavy rainfall in some regions and drought in others, may re-emerge by summer after it subsided over spring.The Japan Meteorological Agency forecast said an El Nino, which emerged last summer for the first time in five years, has been easing.The El Nino weather pattern - a warming of sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific - can trigger drought in Southeast Asia and Australia, and floods in South America, hitting production of key foods such as rice, wheat and sugar.

(Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; Editing by Richard Pullin) Source with thanks:http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/10/us-weather-elnino-japanidUSKBN0LE0BE20150210

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S.Korea buys 35,000 T of rice for April-June Tue Feb 10, 2015 2:29am GMT SEOUL, Feb 10 (Reuters) - South Korea bought a total of 35,000 tonnes of non-glutinous rice for April to June arrival via tenders closed on Jan. 27, the state-run Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade said on its website (www.at.or.kr).

Daewoo International Corp won two bids for the Brown Long grain type, and Seomok Trading Corp won the bid for the Brown Medium.

The agency passed on a tender of 5,000 tonnes because the offers did not meet specification and price standards, the source from the agency said. The agency declined to comment on whether they would reissue the tender.

Details of the purchases are as follows: TONNES GRAIN TYPE

PRICE(CIP/T) ORIGIN

15,000 Brown Long

$442

15,000 Brown Long

$449.60

5,000 Brown Medium $786

Vietnam

April 30

Vietnam U.S.

ARRIVAL

June 30 May 31

* Note: CIP stands for Cost and Insurance Paid.

(Reporting By Brian Kim; Editing by Sunil Nair)

Source with thanks:http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL4N0VK1FC20150210

NFA to boost procurement activities

By Czeriza Valencia (The Philippine Star) | Updated February 11, 2015 - 12:00am NFA rice storage File photo MANILA, Philippines - The National Food Authority (NFA) yesterday announced that it would intensify palay (unhusked rice) procurement this year as the farmgate prices of unmilled rice have begun falling to P14 to P16 per kilogram in several areas.NFA administrator Renan Dalisay

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine said ―massive‖ procurements would be conducted in Iloilo, Palawan, Sultan Kudarat, Antique and Isabela provinces.

As of the second week of January, the average farmgate price of palay has been placed at P18.90 per kilogram, making it more attractive for farmers to sell their produce to traders.The NFA buys clean and dry palay at P17 per kilogram, providing additional incentives such as graduated delivery fee of up to a maximum P0.50 per kilogram, drying incentive fee of P0.20 per kilogram, and Cooperative Development Incentive Fund assistance of P0.30 per kilogram.The NFA targets to procure 189,845 metric tons (MT) of palay from January to June this year.As of Feb. 9, the food agency has already bought a total of 89,497 50-kilogram bags of palay.Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The procurement would be conducted in 413 buying stations nationwide. Mobile procurements units are also ready to be deployed to remote areas where farmers may find it difficult to transport their produce to NFA buying stations.―The NFA is ready to buy everything. We have sufficient funds to buy their palay produce,‖ said Dalisay.Earlier, he said the state-run grains procurement agency is reviewing the incentives that could be provided to farmers who sell their produce to the government.

The agency currently procures the equivalent of seven to eight percent of the total domestic rice production. Last year, domestic rice production reached 18.97 million MT.Dalisay said that while the palay buying price of NFA rice could be lowered, other incentives, such health insurance is being considered for farmers that would conform to NFA buying standards.Food Security chief Francis Pangilinan said the increased procurement to be conducted this year would increase farmers incomes.―This is a very progressive step by the NFA,‖ he said.The public may inquire about palay buying outlets through the Text NFA hotline number 09064363133.

Source

with

thanks:http://www.philstar.com/business/2015/02/11/1422302/nfa-boost-

procurement-activities

NFA to purchase 189,845 MT of palay from farmers

by Alladin S. Diega - February 10, 2015 THE National Food Authority (NFA) said it is targeting to purchase 189,845 metric tons (MT) of palay, or unmilled rice, from farmers until June this year.As of February 9, the NFA said it has already bought a total of 89,497 50-kilogram bags of palay, or 4,474 MT. The food agency attached to the Department of Agriculture (DA) said around 413 buying stations nationwide purchase palay from farmers.The NFA, however, could not say whether its palay procurement target for the first six months of the year is higher than its purchases in the same period last year. www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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NFA Administrator Renan B. Dalisay said field officials have been instructed to go on a ―massive procurement‖ in Iloilo, Palawan, Sultan Kudarat, Antique and Isabela in its bid to stabilize the buying price of unmilled rice.―The NFA intensified its palay buying operations nationwide to provide farmers a better option, as reports of palay prices are going down in some areas from P14 to P16 per kilogram,‖ Dalisay said in a statement.The agency buys palay from farmers at P17 per kilo, depending on quality as measured by moisture content.―Incentives are [also] being offered to individual farmers and farmer cooperatives nationwide, including P0.20per- kilo delivery incentive, P0.20-per-kilo drying incentive, P0.30-per-kilo Cooperative Incentive Fee,‖ Dalisay said.

The NFA said it has offered these incentives, instead of increasing the buying price of palay as the agency does not have enough funds.The purchase of palay from farmers is one of the mandates of the NFA to stabilize the supply and price of rice in the domestic market.For 2015, the DA projected that unmilled rice production would reach 20 million metric tons.

Source with from-farmers/

thanks:http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/nfa-to-purchase-189845-mt-of-palay-

Egyptian rice exporters say tariff is too high REUTERS Published — Tuesday 10 February 2015 Last update 9 February 2015 9:28 pm

DUBAI: Four months after Egypt approved plans for allowing the sale abroad of its medium-grain rice, exporters complain government regulations, namely export tariffs, are preventing their return to the market."The conditions are too tough, a lot of people got the export licences but are now stuck with them as they can't sell abroad," exporter Salah Abdel El-Aziz, chairman of the board of El Alamia 2000 Rice Mills, said on the sidelines of the Gulfood trade exhibition in Dubai.In October Egypt said it would allow the export of rice on condition that traders sell the government one tonne of rice at 2,000 Egyptian pounds ($262) for every tonne of rice they export. Exporters also have to pay a tariff of $280 on every tonne exported.

The value of one tonne of rice is around 3,500 pounds a tonne, exporters said.Abel El-Aziz said he bought a licence to export 500 tons but has failed to do so since then."Effectively, what you are doing is paying the government around $480 a tonne to export while the value of the rice is around $400 which makes you end up with a cost and freight price of around $880 a tonne," another rice exporter, Adham El Welely, executive director of El Welely group, said.

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Egypt, which produced around 4.3 million tons of rice in the 2014 season, only consumes around 3.3 million tonnes.Egyptian medium grain rice mainly competes with US, Russian and Italian rice on the international market with some rice from those countries selling for around $750 a ton.

"We used to export around 120,000 tons a year before the ban was imposed, mainly to Middle East markets such as Syria, Turkey, Kuwait and Dubai," El Welely said.El Welely has licences to export around 5,000 tons under the new system and has so far exported around 1,000 tons, mainly to Syria.

Egypt first imposed a ban on exports in 2008 saying it needed to save the rice for local consumption and wanted to discourage rice farmers from growing the crop to save water.

However, rice exporters have complained that the ban on free exports has led to illicit trading."When smugglers sell the rice at $750 a ton they make an almost 100 percent profit on it and there are a million ways they find to do that," Karim Otabachi, import and export manager of Egyptian grains trader Wakalex said.One way is to buy cheaper Indian rice for re-export and then substitute those exports with Egyptian rice, leaving the Indian rice to be sold on the local market instead.

Source with thanks:http://www.arabnews.com/economy/news/701911

Why Amira Nature Foods Inc. Shares Are Getting Destroyed Today

By MEENA KRISHNAMSETTY | GOOGLE+ in Hedge Funds, News Published: February 9, 2015 at 3:50 pm Amira Nature Foods Ltd (NYSE:ANFI) shares lost around 25% of their value following the publication of a short report by Prescient Point Research Group. A link to Prescient 40-page report can be found at the end of this article. McKinley Capital Management, Harvest Capital Strategies, and Raging Capital Management were among the few hedge funds with positions in Amira at the end of the third quarter. We don‘t agree or disagree with the contents of the report; we will leave it up to the readers to decide themselves. Here are some highlights: ―Amira intends to transfer $30m of $225m of newly raised of debt capital in what amounts to a sham real estate transaction. The purchase price appears to be multiples of both his purchase price and current market rates, amounting to an egregious transfer of shareholder capital into his pockets. We should mention, as discussed extensively in this report, our investigation has revealed that the Indian rice industry is rampant with fraud.‖―…To be clear, we believe Amira Nature Foods if fabricating the financials it files with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

We hope that investors who own ANFI equity and those considering buying debt or equity at

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what appears to be a fundamentally low valuation familiarize themselves with the risks we addressed.

There are many more we do not. We also hope that the SEC and Deloitte take necessary precautions in protecting investors.We have sourced official Indian government Basmati export data that proves ANFI has overstated its international Basmati revenue. We estimate that ANFI inflated this metric by ~145% in FY‘13 and ~117% in FY‘14, implying that in FY‘14, ~19% of ANFI consolidated sales were fabricated. We have also collected evidence indicating Amira is lying about its India Basmati revenue, which it tells US investors is derived wholly from the sale of branded product. Amira claimed ~$224m in Indian Basmati revenue in FY‘14; we estimate it actually generated ~$38m, implying that another 34% of consolidated sales are fabricated.

Over 50% of ANFI‘s consolidated revenue is suspect; that number could be larger, as we are giving the company full credit for its reported revenue from non-Basmati rice and other commodity products.We have identified scores of undisclosed related party entities that are listed to be operating from within Amira‘s headquarters, use Amira email addresses, and are directed

by ANFI CEO Karan Chanana or his wife; at least a couple of these entities are in the business of distributing rice, including Basmati rice, and other commodities.

Source with thanks: Insider Monkey

Did Amira Nature Foods Ltd. Skid On Short-Seller's Allegations?

John Seward , Benzinga Staff Writer

Amira Nature Foods Ltd ANFI fell more than 25 percent after a short-seller said the company is "vastly overstating" its India revenue, in particular its core basmati rice sales.

Amira changed hands recently at $9.91, down $3.49.

Report Origins The report came from Prescience Research Group, which has declined in the past to identify its principals or to explain much regarding its motives.For the third quarter, which ended September

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine 30, 2014, Dubai-based Amira, an Indian specialty rice producer, posted sales growth of 28 percent to $280.2 million.Last week Amira reported 25 percent growth in preliminary fourthquarter adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

About 18 percent of Amira's 28.7 million shares outstanding were held as short interest as of January 15, and the company's current market capitalization is only about $385.71 million.Prescience most recently made news in August 2014 by denouncing Netherlandsbased Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. CBI for allegedly faulty accounting regarding a 2013 acquisition.CB&I shares are down more than 37 percent since the allegations, but the drop appears related to declining oil prices rather than accounting flaws. CB&I provides infrastructure to the energy industry.

Source with thanks:http://www.benzinga.com/news/15/02/5224380/did-amira-nature-foods-ltd-skid-on-shortsellers-allegations#ixzz3RToE96ny

AMIRA NATURE FOODS LTD (ANFI) Amira Nature Foods : SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of Amira Nature Foods Ltd. - ANFI 02/09/2015 | 08:54pm US/Eastern

NEW YORK, Feb. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Amira Nature Foods Ltd. ("Amira" or the "Company") (NYSE: ANFI). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888476-6529, ext. 237.The investigation concerns whether Amira and certain of its officers and/or directors have violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.On February 9, 2015, third-party analyst firm Prescience Point Research Group issued a report on ANFI (the "Prescience Report").

Among other things, the Prescience Report charged that: 1) ANFI had overstated its Indiaproduced Basmati rice revenue by at least 116.9% in 2014, citing Indian government reports on Basmati rice exports; 2) ANFI had engaged in material related-party transactions, including with its largest distributor, one of its largest suppliers, and a company from which ANFI intended to buy $30 million of land; and that ANFI CEO Karan Chanana used company resources for personal use, including to pay salaries for household help.On this news, shares of Amira fell $3.45 per share to $9.95, or more than 25.8%, on February 9, 2015.The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, San Diego and Florida, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 3692774

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 70 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members.

See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz rswilloughby@pomlaw.com

LLP

Source with thanks:To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shareholder-alert-pomerantz-law-firminvestigates-claims-on-behalf-of-investors-of-amira-nature-foods-ltd--anfi-300033382.html

Shareholder Alert: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC Announces Investigation of Amira Nature Foods Ltd. Tue Feb 10, 2015 10:00am EST * Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.

PR Newswire NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 2015 NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney Advertising -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is investigating potential claims on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Amira Nature Foods Ltd. ("Amira" or the "Company") (NYSE: ANFI -News). Such investors are advised to contact Peretz Bronstein or his investor relations coordinator Eitan Kimelmanat info@bgandg.com or 212-697-6484.The investigation concerns whether Amira and certain of its officers and/or directors have violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

On February 9, 2015, third-party analyst firm Prescience Point Research Group issued a report on ANFI (the "Prescience Report"). Among other things, the Prescience Report charged that: 1) ANFI had overstated its India-produced Basmati rice revenue by at least 116.9% in 2014, citing Indian government reports on Basmati rice exports; 2) ANFI had engaged in material related-party transactions, including with its largest distributor, one of its largest suppliers, and a

www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 3692774

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine company from which ANFI intended to buy $30 million of land; and that ANFI CEO Karan Chanana used company resources for personal use, including to pay salaries for household help.

On this news, shares of Amira fell $3.45 or 25.75% to close at $9.95 on February 9, 2015.If you are aware of any facts relating to this investigation, or purchased shares of Amira, you can assist this investigation by contacting Peretz Bronstein or his Investor Relations Coordinator Eitan Kimelman of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 212-697-6484 or via email info@bgandg.com.

Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, email and telephone number.Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a corporate litigation boutique. Our primary expertise is the aggressive pursuit of litigation claims on behalf of our clients. In addition to representing institutions and other investor plaintiffs in class action security litigation, the firm's expertise includes general corporate and commercial litigation, as well as securities arbitration. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contact: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC Peretz Bronstein or Eitan Kimelman 212-697-6484 info@bgandg.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/newsreleases/shareholder-alert-bronstein-gewirtz--grossman-llc-announces-investigation-of-amira-naturefoods-ltd-300033536.html SOURCE Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC

INVESTOR ALERT: Investigation on Behalf of Investors of Amira Nature Foods Ltd. Announced by Law Offices of Howard G. Smith Mon Feb 9, 2015 10:02pm EST * Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.

INVESTOR ALERT: Investigation on Behalf of Investors of Amira Nature Foods Ltd. Announced by Law Offices of Howard G. Smith

Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces that it is investigating potential claims on behalf of investors of Amira Nature Foods Ltd. (―Amira‖ or the ―Company‖) (NYSE:ANFI) concerning www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 3692774

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine possible violations of federal securities laws. Amira is engaged in processing, distributing and marketing packaged specialty rice and other food products.The investigation is related to allegations that the Dubai-based Company misrepresented its business and financial performance and/or failed to disclose material related-party transactions.

On February 9, 2015, a report by the analyst firm Prescience Point Research Group alleged that, according to Indian government reports on Basmati rice exports, Amira had overstated its Indiaproduced Basmati rice revenue by more than 116% in 2014. The report also alleged that, among other things, Amira engaged in material related-party transactions, including with a company from which it intended to buy $30 million of land, and the Company's chief executive officer used Company resources for personal use, including to pay salaries for household help.

Following this news, shares of Amira declined more than 25% on February 9, 2015, to a closing price of $9.95 per share on unusually heavy volume.

If you purchased Amira shares, if you have information or would like to learn more about these claims, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020 by telephone at 215-638-4847, Toll-Free at 888-638-4847, or by email tohowardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com,

Source with thanks: visit our website athttp://www.howardsmithlaw.com.

The Rosen Law Firm Announces Investigation of Shareholder Claims against Amira Nature Foods, Ltd. Mon Feb 9, 2015 6:53pm EST * Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.

The Rosen Law Firm Announces Investigation of Shareholder Claims against Amira Nature Foods, Ltd. The Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights firm, announces that it is investigating potential securities claims against Amira Nature Foods, Ltd. (NYSE:ANFI) resulting from allegations that ANFI may have overstated its revenues and omitted to disclose material related-party transactions.

On February 9, 2015, third-party analyst firm Prescience Point Research Group issued a report on ANFI (the ―Prescience Report‖). Among other things, the Prescience Report charged: that ANFI had www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 3692774

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine overstated its India-produced Basmati rice revenue by at least 116.9% in 2014, citing Indian government reports on Basmati rice exports; that ANFI had engaged in material related-party transactions, including with its largest distributor, one of its largest suppliers, and a company from which ANFI intended to buy $30 million of land; and that ANFI CEO Karan Chanana used company resources for personal use, including to pay salaries for household help.

That day, ANFI‘s stock price fell $3.45, or 25.8%, damaging investors.The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a securities class action lawsuit on behalf of ANFI investors. If you purchased ANFI stock before February 9, 2015, please visit the website athttp://rosenlegal.com/cases-506.html to join the class action or for more information. You may also contact Jonathan Horne, Esq., or Phillip Kim, Esq.

of

The

Rosen

Law

Firm

toll

free

at

866-767-3653

or

via

e-mail

at jhorne@rosenlegal.com or pkim@rosenlegal.com.The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation.Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. Phillip Kim, Esq. Kevin Chan, Esq. Laurence Rosen, Esq. 275 Madison Avenue, 34th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: 212-686-1060 Toll Free: 1-866-767-3653 Fax: 212-202-3827 pkim@rosenlegal.com kchan@rosenlegal.com lrosen@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com

A Statement from Amira Nature Foods Amira Nature Foods Ltd17 hours ago



NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 3692774

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Amira Nature Foods Ltd (ANFI) today made the following statement.We are aware of the recent report released yesterday containing false, factually inaccurate and fictional content obtained from previously released false statements, that have been repackaged and distributed with malafide intention.The author has released this report to clearly benefit themselves to gain monetarily from the subsequent decline in our share price, as already described by their own admission.

They have entered a short position and timed this report with a clear purpose to mislead investors and the general public at a time when the company is marketing a major financing event. This flawed report is not in the interest of investors or the general public.This report is malafide and fictitious. ANFI categorically rejects and denies the many mischaracterizations and factually inaccurate statements put forth in the report that do not reflect reality. We intend to pursue this matter legally.

About Amira Nature Foods Founded in 1915, Amira has evolved into a leading global provider of branded packaged Indian specialty rice, with sales in over 60 countries today. The Company sells Basmati rice, which is a premium long-grain rice grown only in certain regions of the Indian sub-continent, under its flagship Amira brand as well as under other third party brands. Amira sells its products through a broad distribution network in both the developed and emerging markets. The Company‘s global headquarters are in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and it also has offices in India, Malaysia, Singapore, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Amira Nature Foods Ltd is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol ―ANFI.‖ For more information please visit www.amira.net.This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements are made under the ―safe harbor‖ provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as ―may,‖ ―will,‖ ―except,‖ ―anticipate,‖ ―aim,‖ ―estimate,‖ ―intend,‖ ―plan,‖ ―believe,‖ ―is/are likely to,‖ ―future‖ or other similar expressions.

We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. The forward-looking statements in this release include statements regarding the offering of the Notes. These forwardlooking statements include, but are not limited to: our goals and strategies; our expansion plans; www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

Page 33

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 3692774

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine and our future business development. We would like to caution you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and you should read these statements in conjunction with the risk factors disclosed in ―Risk Factors‖ appearing in our Annual Report on Form 20-F as well as other public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Those risks are not exhaustive and reflect our expectations as of the date of this release. We operate in a rapidly evolving environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for our management to predict all risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking statement. We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements except as required under applicable law.

Contact: Amira Nature Foods Ltd Bruce Wacha, 201-960-0745 Chief Financial Officer bruce.wacha@theamiragroup.com or FTI Consulting Steven Balet, 212-850-5717 AmiraNatureFoods@fticonsulting.com

Source with thanks:http://finance.yahoo.com/news/investor-alert-investigation-amira-nature160200523.html

SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of Amira Nature Foods Ltd. ANFI Monday, 9 Feb 2015 | 8:53 PM ET

NEW YORK, Feb. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Amira Nature Foods Ltd. ("Amira" or the "Company") (NYSE: ANFI). Such

www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

Page 34

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 3692774

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888476-6529, ext. 237.The investigation concerns whether Amira and certain of its officers and/or directors have violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.On February 9, 2015, third-party analyst firm Prescience Point Research Group issued a report on ANFI (the "Prescience Report").

Among other things, the Prescience Report charged that: 1) ANFI had overstated its Indiaproduced Basmati rice revenue by at least 116.9% in 2014, citing Indian government reports on Basmati rice exports; 2) ANFI had engaged in material related-party transactions, including with its largest distributor, one of its largest suppliers, and a company from which ANFI intended to buy $30 million of land; and that ANFI CEO Karan Chanana used company resources for personal use, including to pay salaries for household help.On this news, shares of Amira fell $3.45 per share to $9.95, or more than 25.8%, on February 9, 2015.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, San Diego and Florida, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 70 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members.

See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP rswilloughby@pomlaw.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/newsreleases/shareholder-alert-pomerantz-law-firm-investigates-claims-on-behalf-of-investors-ofamira-nature-foods-ltd--anfi-300033382.html SOURCE Pomerantz LLP Source with thanks:http://www.cnbc.com/id/102411012#.

www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 3692774