12 april 2018 daily global regional local rice e newsletter

Rice News Headlines…                            

Pilibhit farmers demand groundwater survey, write to CM; DM assures help Bangladesh's rice imports set to skid as domestic output rebounds FOU Customs vows to enforce FG’s ban on importation of foreign rice Land borders: Importers defy FG as smuggling gains steam Rice traders off to Iran Rice exporters pin high hopes on Iran visit Madhya Pradesh’s Basmati claim 14 rice mills to attract N250bn investment –FG Nigerian Govt. To Create Additional 14 Rice Mills To Meet Local Demands Rice to sell for N10,000 a bag soon, says Kebbi governor Pakistani Rice Exporters Pin Hopes on Iran Visit Vigilance sleuths start probe into paddy embezzlement USA Rice Briefs House Ag on Rice in Food Aid Programs Pilibhit farmers demand groundwater survey, write to CM; DM assures help California's Lost Wetlands Get Help From Sacramento Valley Rice Farms Webinar focus on next farm bill, ongoing trade issues – April 12 Modified rice grown in saline fields to hit China market The economics of rice in Southeast Asia P351,650 worth of shabu seized on Holy Week Monday, No hike in NFA buying price in bid to boost rice supply Philippines to import 250,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam or Thailand Government allots P6.1 B for emergency rice imports Bangladesh's rice imports set to skid as domestic output rebounds -officials Rice exports increase by 29pc in 3rd Quarter of FY-17 Philippines to import 250,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam or Thailand Modified rice grown in saline fields to hit China market Research Check: is it true pasta doesn’t make you gain weight, and could even help you lose it?

Rice researchers unveil augmented reality app to help with Parkinson's patient safety

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News Detail…

Pilibhit farmers demand groundwater survey, write to CM; DM assures help Keshav Agrawal| TNN | Apr 11, 2018, 23:34 IST Pilibhit: Farmers in Pilibhit district have complained of depleting groundwater level fearing it will hit the cultivation of summer paddy crop. According to them, the groundwater has depleted 3-4 feet in the past three years; however, the district still does not have any baseline survey of the groundwater level in different tehsils.

Chief development officer Dinesh Kumar Singh said groundwater survey was never conducted in Pilibhit for reasons unknown to him.

Expressing concern over rapidly depleting groundwater, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) district president Satvinder Singh Kahlon has written a letter to chief minister Yogi Adityanath, demanding a baseline survey for groundwater in the district. ―The groundwater depletion by 3-4 feet in the same number of years is a serious matter for a district which is fed by 10 rivers,‖ Kahlon told TOI. Jal Nigam executive engineer Girish Chandra said, ―The department will soon conduct a survey to ascertain the groundwater level the district.‖ According to scientists of plant physiology, 1.6 kilogram of summer paddy needs at least 2000 litres of groundwater to grow, while Pilibhit has an estimated 25,000 hectares under summer paddy cultivation.

Shailendra Singh Dhaka, plant physiologist at Krashi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Pilibhit, said ―The summer paddy crop is sown in March and takes 90 days to ripe. Since this period normally does

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not have the required amount of rainwater for irrigation, the crop needs groundwater irrigation after every three days for survival.‖ ―Since 1.6 kilogram of paddy needs around 2000 litres of groundwater, with the reported production of 80-85 quintals of paddy per hectare in the district, the total area under cultivation, 25,000 hectares, needs 266 crore litres of groundwater,‖ Dhaka said.

Ravindra Kumar, a former plant physiology scientist at International Rice Research Institute, the Philippines, who is a professor at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology in Meerut, told TOI, ―Around 40-45% of the total groundwater used for summer paddy irrigating evaporates, 35% transpires (released by plants in the environment due to heating), 5-7% is lost in runoff and only 13-20% of water that percolates down through the soil recharges it.‖

With this period also being the harvesting season for wheat crop, canal water is also not available for the irrigation of summer paddy and most of the canals run dry.

Dalip Kumar, executive engineer, canal department, said, ―Pilibhit has a network of 90 canals, of which 87 irrigate fields while the remaining three are feeder canals, which supply water to minor canals. We keep most of these canals dry during this period to save wheat crop from accidental waterlogging. Besides, farmers, too, don‘t need water during the harvesting of rabi crops.‖ It is noticeable that many states, including neighbouring Uttarakhand, have already enacted laws banning summer paddy cultivation to check excessive discharge of the groundwater. Punjab was the first state to issue ordinance in April, 2008, prohibiting transplanting of paddy saplings before June10, during pre-monsoon season.

Mohan Singh of Khandepur village under Puranpur block and Sukhveer Singh of Amaria tehsil, who are cultivating summer paddy, told TOI, ―About three years ago, the groundwater was available at a depth of 18-20 feet, which has now fallen to 21-25 feet. This is evident from borewells dug by farmers at different period.‖

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Acknowledging the importance of groundwater survey, district magistrate Akhilesh Kumar Mishra said, ―I will soon invite a team of state hydrology department to Pilibhit to conduc https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bareilly/pilibhit-farmers-demand-groundwater-surveywrite-to-cm-dm-assures-help/articleshow/63720320.cmst a survey of groundwater, which is very important.

Bangladesh's rice imports set to skid as domestic output rebounds

A farmer sprays pesticide on a rice paddy field, outside Hanoi, June 8, 2011. Fresh demand from the Middle East, Africa and Bangladesh has lifted Asian rice prices this week but the increase may not stick because supply is rising in the world's top two exporters, Thailand and Vietnam, traders said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Kham Kham

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By Ruma Paul and Rajendra Jadhav, Reuters News DHAKA/MUMBAI - Bangladesh's rice imports are likely to plunge 66 percent from a year ago to 1.2 million tonnes in 2018/19 as the south Asian country is likely to harvest a bigger crop after prices jumped in the domestic market, industry officials told Reuters.

Lower imports by Bangladesh could reduce rice exports by India, the biggest supplier to the neighbouring country.

"Bangladesh is unlikely to buy actively in the market next fiscal year like this year.

It's importswould be around 1.2 million tonnes," Nitin Gupta, vice president, rice business at Olam India, told Reuters.

Bangladesh has imported 3.5 million tonnes of rice so far in the current fiscal year ending in June, massively up from 133,000 tonnes in the previous year as floods ravaged its domestic crop.

"There won't be panic buying from the government next year. Stock level has improved significantly," said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm. He declined to be identified citing company policy.

As well as higher supplies, a bigger inventory will cut the country's imports in coming months, said Badrul Hasan, head of Bangladesh's state grain buyer.

Rice stocks have risen to 1 million tonnes after falling to 245,000 tonnes in May 2017, the lowest in 10 years, food ministry data showed.

In 2017, rice prices in Bangladesh jumped due to depleting inventory and forced the government to seek supplies from Asian countries like India, Thailand and Vietnam.

The price rise prompted farmers to expand areas under the summer-sown crop, also known as 'Boro', to more than 4.9 million hectares, exceeding the target of 4.7 million hectares, said Mohammad Mohsin, director general of Department of Agriculture Extension.

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The country's rice output from the summer crop could rise nearly 6 percent to 19 million tonnes, he said. Boro crop usually contributes more than half of Bangladesh's typical rice production of around 35 million tonnes.

The harvesting of Boro crop has started and likely to be completed by first week of July.

Bangladesh's rice production in 2018/19 is expected to recover to 34.7 million tonnes, up 6.3 percent from a year ago, estimates the U.S. Department of Agriculture attache in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile lower imports by Bangladesh will dent India's exports, which surged to a record in 2017.

India, the world's biggest rice exporter, managed to ship more than usual in 2017 due to good demand from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, but this year exports could be 1 million tonnes lower than last year's 12.5 million tonnes, said Olam's Gupta.

(Reporting by Ruma Paul in DHAKA and Rajendra Jadhav in MUMBAI; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)

FOU Customs vows to enforce FG‘s ban on importation of foreign rice

by AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE | April 11, 2018 4:27 pm The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‗A‘ has vowed to continue to enforce the Federal Government‘s rice policy, which prohibits the importation of foreign parboiled rice into the country.

The policy, which was put in place to encourage local rice production, was aimed at making Nigeria self sufficient in rice production and creating more employment opportunities for the youths. Aside from ban on importation of rice from the land border, the Federal Government has technically ban import of rice from seaports as Customs vowed not to issue any Form ‗M‘ to importers of rice.

Also, the unit reported the interception of several contraband goods with duty paid value (DPV) of over N1.5 billion including an additional N166.2 billion generated from duty payment and

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demand notices on general goods from seaports, airports and land borders, which had wrong classification, transfer of value and underpayment of duty.

The seized items include Indian hemp, 64 exotic vehicles; 6,003 bags of foreign parboiled rice equivalent to 10 trailers; 963 cartons of frozen poultry products; 431 jerrycans of vegetable oil; 163 bales of used clothing; 569 pieces of used tyres; 69 bags of sugar and four containers of general goods.

Speaking in Lagos on Wednesday, Mohammed Uba, area controller of the command, told newsmen that among the seizures was the interception of 570 parcels and 98 sacks of Indian hemp weighing 1,550kg along Olorunda axis of Ogun State. The seizure, which Uba rated as the highest seizure of hard drug in the history of the command, was facilitated by intelligence gathering.

Uba disclosed that the command together with the help of Lagos Roving Team, also evacuated 2,672 bags of rice from a storage house in Ilogbo, Abeokuta.

On the 64 impounded vehicles, Uba said that 13 of the exotic vehicles including 2018 model of one Toyota Land Cruiser; one Escalades Cardilac; one Range Rover; three Toyota Camry; one Toyota Rav4; one Toyota Highlander; one Honda CRV; one Honda Accord; one BMW Salon; one Toyota Sienna and one Hyundai, were also intercepted while on patrol at various locations.

He however disclosed that the vehicles are still under detention pending the grace period given to the importers to bring the relevant Customs document. ―Additionally, four containers including

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three by 40 foot containers and one by 20 foot container were also seized for breaches of Customs import processes.

Uba, who said that some culprits have been arrested in connection with the seizures, warned smugglers to desist from trade malpractices and invest their money in legitimate business as the command has devised other operational modalities to not only give them a run for their money but also make them to count their losses. http://www.businessdayonline.com/fou-customs-vows-enforce-fgs-ban-importation-foreign-rice/

Land borders: Importers defy FG as smuggling gains steam April 12, 2018

By Bayo Akomolafe Efforts by the Federal Government to boost trade facilitation at the local ports have suffered major setback, especially in the last four months. Some dubious importers have smuggled more luxury vehicles into the country as against the same period of last year.According to investigations carried out by New Telegraph, between the months of January and April last year, only one unit of Range Rover Sports, worth N298 million, was seized by men of the Nigeria Customs Service as against 126 varieties of that, that have been confiscated within the same period this year.

The rise in the illegal trade, our correspondent gathered, might not be un connected with the smugglers‘ ability to re-oil their network with the security officials, especially some dubious customs officers, who are normally bribed for easy access through the forests.

The Federal Government had, two years ago, placed a ban on the importation of vehicles into Nigeria through the land borders.

According to the service, ―the prohibition order covers all new and used vehicles and sequel to a presidential directive restricting all vehicle imports to Nigeria sea ports only.‖ The order took effect from January 1, 2017. The restriction followed that of rice, whose imports through the land borders had been banned since April 2016.

At the early stage of the directive, stakeholders called for close and strict monitoring of the activities of officials of the NCS and other uniformed men involved in smuggling across the Nigerian borders, which they said constituted about 40 per cent revenue loss to the country.

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According to reports from the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja, in January alone, no fewer than 31 vehicles, valued at N1.6 billion, were illegally imported into the country through the land borders.

The vehicles included four Rolls Royce, one Porche Panamera, one Jaguar, one Bentley, two Lexus jeep, 2 G-Wagon, one Toyota Land Cruiser, five Toyota Corolla, seven Mercedes Benz, mostly 2017 models.

Others are two Lexus jeep (RS350, 2016 and 2017 models), one Rolls Royce, one Lincoln Limousine (2014), three Toyota Camry, one Toyota Rav 4 and one Toyota Avalon, 2016 models.

Also in February, 18 exotic vehicles, valued at N303.4 million, were illegally imported into the country.

With the latest seizures, the service has seized 126 vehicles, valued at N3.51 billion, between January and April 2018.

The latest seizures, valued at N1.17 billion, include one Toyota Land Cruiser (2018 model), one customised Escalade Cardilac (2017 model), one Range Rover 2014 model, three Toyota Camry (2009, 2010 and 2017 models), one Toyota RAV 4, one Toyota Highlander (2014), one Honda CRV, one Honda Accord, one BMW Saloon, one Toyota Sienna, one Hyundai, among others.

While speaking on the current seizure yesterday in Lagos, FOU unit Controller, Comptroller Mohammed Uba, said other seizures included 77 exotic vehicles valued at N1.17 billion.

He noted that 13 of the vehicles, valued at N258.1 million, had been detained, while 64 vehicles, valued at N918.67 million, had been converted to seizure after all necessary legal procedures were followed.

Uba said that the vehicles were smuggled into the country without customs papers.Apart from vehicles, Uba also disclosed that a 20 feet container, marked 80992/0, with 2,660 cartons of Gonca Spagetti and 530 packages of Riffle Energy drinks, were falsely declared as baking powder.

He explained that the unit recovered N166.2 million from duty payment and demand notices on general goods from seaports, airports and border stations through wrong classifications, transfer of value and short change in duty payment meant for the Federal Government. ―Indian hemp, weighing 1,550 kilogrammes, was intercepted along Olorunda axis of Ogun State based on intelligence, making it the highest seizure in the history of FOUA. You all know what would have happened if it got to the wrong hands undetected. ―Also worthy of note is the evacuation of 2,671 bags of 50 kilogrammes of rice using nine hired trucks from makeshift storage houses in Ilogbo, Abeokuta, based on credible intelligence despite resistance led by the Lagos Roving Team complemented by other team.‖

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Uba added that there were mob attacks against the FOU operatives while performing their statutory responsibilities.

Other seizures include 6,003 bags of rice, 69 bags of sugar, 163 bales of second hand clothing, 963 frozen poultry products, 515 (5 litres) of vegetable oil, 569 used tyres, 40 feet container marked TCNU 526853/7 laden with 11 pallets and 83 cartons of toiletries and HTC fittings, 40 feet container with number PCIU 865957/9 containing 420 cartons, 26 sacks and 2, 790 cartons of different goods falsely declared as keyboards and mouse.

Others are 20 feet container with CSNU106087/4, laden with 385 cartons of tiffany cream biscuits and 2,300 cartons of tiffany chocolate cream sweet falsely declared as tapet for fuel pump complete .

https://newtelegraphonline.com/2018/04/land-borders-importers-defy-fg-assmuggling-gains-steam/

Rice traders off to Iran LAHORE: A 16-member delegation of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) leaves for Iran to explore trade potential, a statement said on Monday. The delegation, which includes top exporters of basmati and long grain rice, will meet with the officials of the Ministry of Commerce of Iran, for selling Pakistani rice through government tenders and Iranian Ministry of Health regarding GMP issues.

The delegation will also participate in lunch arranged by Iranian Rice Importers Association, it added. https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/302423-rice-traders-off-to-iran

Rice exporters pin high hopes on Iran visit Salman Abduhu April 10, 2018

LAHORE - A 16-member delegation of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has left for Iran to explore trade and investment opportunities in general and enhance rice export to the neighbouring country in particular.

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The delegation, led by REAP chairman Ch Samee Ullah Naeem, will visit Tehran as well as the city of Mashhad where it will have meetings with representatives of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines and Mashhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Delegation will conclude meetings with Ministry of Health regarding GMP issues, Ministry of Commerce, GTC for buying Pakistani rice through government tenders. The delegation will be also participating in lunch arranged by Irani Rice Importers Association.

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The deliberations are aimed at increasing bilateral trade and investment between the two friendly countries.

The chairman said the REAP would discuss the issues related to the resumption of rice exports, which nosedived after sanctions, from Pakistan, implementation of currency swap agreement and the condition of good manufacturing practices (GMP) certification with Iranian authorities. He said that Iran used to be 800,000 tons basmati rice market until sanctions were imposed in 2010 and exports have drastically reduced to barely 60,000 tons only. REAP considers unavailability of banking channel the only barrier for drop in trade, he added.

These dialogues between the leading businessmen and industrialists are meant to inspire the Iranian importers as well as investors to explore the healthy business opportunities in Pakistan, and foster new profitable ventures. The REAP members will invite the Iranians to visit Pakistan, where Association could arrange fruitful B2B meetings with progressive business groups, to seek fresh collaborative ventures. The Pakistan exporters‘ team will also hold meetings with Government Trading Corporation (GTC) of Iran, besides meeting with Health Ministry to raise the issue of GMP certification for Pakistani rice exporters, which presently has become a major hurdle in the way of rice export to Iran. The Iranian health ministry has set health standards for the rice import and only those who are registered under its GMP certification programme can export rice to the country.

REAP chairman, talking to The Nation, said that Pakistan team will also convince the GTC to announce tenders for super basmati and long grain 386 rice so that REAP members could avail the facility to book export orders for Iran.

With a view to enhance liaison between the businessmen of two countries, the REAP members‘ group will hold B2B meetings with Rice Importers Association of Iran. The REAP chairman will also call on the Pakistan commercial counsel in Mashhad. REAP chairman hoped that visit of the delegation will not only bring Pakistani and Iranian businessmen closer but would also open doors for boosting the rice export to Iran which is going to be a great market for Pakistan. ―I hope that the country would regain its share in the Iranian market, which can become the good destination for their basmati exports,‖ he said. ―Iran is one of the largest rice importers and purchases rice worth $2 billion every year. However, Pakistan‘s rice accounts for nearly an eight percent of Iran‘s market,‖ he said

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https://nation.com.pk/10-Apr-2018/rice-exporters-pin-high-hopes-on-iran-visit

Madhya Pradesh’s Basmati claim The Narendra Modi government may find itself in a tricky situation over the issue of extending geographical indication (GI) certification for basmati paddy grown in Madhya Pradesh (MP).

Written by Harish Damodaran | New Delhi | Published: April 12, 2018 10:02:30 am

Currently, around 80,000 farmers are growing basmati on nearly 75,000 hectares in 13 districts. (Express Photo)

The Narendra Modi government may find itself in a tricky situation over the issue of extending geographical indication (GI) certification for basmati paddy grown in Madhya Pradesh (MP).

The Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) are both vociferously opposed to MP‘s inclusion as a basmati-growing state.

The APEDA, which had originally filed the application to register ―basmati‖ as a GI, has included only 77 districts in the Indo-Gangetic Plain along the foothills of the Himalayas — covering the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir — where this premium rice can be legally cultivation.

MP, which is scheduled to go to the polls later this year, has opposed APEDA‘s application, while demanding that 13 of its districts — Morena, Bhind, Sheopur, Gwalior, Datia, Shivpuri, Guna, Vidisha, Raisen, Sehore, Hoshangabad, Narsinghpur and Jabalpur — also be given the GI tag. That would allow farmers there to continue cultivating this paddy and selling it as basmati.

Currently, there are around 80,000 farmers growing basmati on nearly 75,000 hectares in these 13 districts. MP‘s estimated annual milled basmati rice production is about 3 lakh tonnes (lt), of which roughly 70% is exported and the balance sold within the country.

The above numbers are a fraction of the all-India basmati area of over 16 lakh hectares (lh): 7 lh in Haryana, six lh in Punjab, 2.6 lh in UP, 0.6 lh in J&K, 0.15 lh in Uttaranchal and 0.07 lh in HP. India‘s total basmati rice output is roughly 60 lt, 40 lt of which is exported and valued at Rs 25,000 crore. The rest 20 lt is sold domestically and worth another Rs 10,000 crore. Half of

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this 20 lt comprises branded basmati rice and the remaining sold in loose form. The top brands include India Gate, Daawat, Fortune, Kohinoor, Patanjali and Lal Qilla. ―Politically speaking, it is difficult to ignore MP‘s claim, more so with Assembly elections likely in November. Also, while 80,000 farmers may not be large compared to the two million growers in the main basmati states, they aren‘t small either,‖ an industry source pointed out.

Besides, there is the commercial side. Many exporters — such as LT Foods, SSA International and Narmada Cereal Pvt. Ltd. — have established modern rice mills near Bhopal, sourcing the raw material at a relatively cheaper rate. ―In the 2017-18 season, Pusa Basmati-1 paddy prices in Punjab and Haryana mandis started at Rs 3,000 per quintal in late-October and rose to Rs 3,350 towards January. The average cost was roughly Rs 3,100. But in MP, prices ranged from Rs 2,600 to Rs 3,000, while averaging Rs 2,800 per quintal. The Rs 300/quintal difference translates into a cost advantage of Rs 4.5-5 per kg of rice (milled rice accounts for 64-65% of paddy grains),‖ noted a leading Delhi-based exporter.

Scientists at the ICAR‘s Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) are clear that the grain quality of basmati grown in MP — including the improved high-yielding and less photoperiodsensitive ―Pusa‖ varieties — cannot match that of the crop farmed in the Indo-Gangetic plains.

Basmati rice‘s most distinctive trait is its aroma, which derives from a compound called 2Acetyl-1-Pyrroline. The accumulation of this highly volatile compound in the grain is largely a function of environmental conditions. ―The aroma retention is best when the plant‘s flowering and grain-filling stages coincide with a cool climate, with temperatures below 30 degree Celsius during daytime and just over 20 degrees at night. You get these conditions from end-September through October only in the traditional basmati belt,‖ explained an IARI scientist, involved in the breeding of the blockbuster Pusa-1121 and Pusa-1509 basmati varieties.

Higher temperatures during the roughly one-month period from flowering to maturity can, moreover, impact the grain‘s texture and milling quality. ―When temperatures are high at the time of grain-filling, the packing of the starch granules in the rice tends to be loose. You, then,

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get grains with more chalkiness (opaque areas caused by incomplete filling) and leading to higher percentage of broken rice during milling,‖ added the scientist.

Scientific opinion may not, of course, matter as much in a case where politics and other interests also count. ―This is a premium paddy that last season fetched Rs 2,800 per quintal, when the minimum support price for common non-basmati varieties was Rs 1,550. How can you deny farmers, especially in a less agriculturally-prosperous state, the opportunity to grow basmati?,‖ said the earlier-quoted industry source.

Therein lies the dilemma. The idea behind GI is to certify premium character to a product attributable to its geographical origin. APEDA‘s GI application for basmati rested on its supposed uniqueness as a rice grown in a specific region of the Indo-Gangetic plain, ―situated below the foothills of the Himalayas‖. MP, according to it, did not fall within this specified geography, being situated far away from the Himalayan foothills The GI Registry under the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, in an order dated March 15, rejected MP‘s claim for inclusion as a basmati-growing state. The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government in the state has filed a petition in the Madras High Court challenging the order. ―Today, we have a Rs 35,000-crore industry built primarily on the premium value of this rice.

The danger is of it getting diluted, with more and more states staking claim for the GI tag,‖ warned the source. http://indianexpress.com/article/india/madhya-pradeshs-basmati-claim-5134034/

14 rice mills to attract N250bn investment –FG April 11, 2018 Okechukwu Nnodim, Abuja The 14 new rice mills being expected in Nigeria in few weeks‘ time will attract N250bn worth of investments to the sector, the Federal Government has said.On March 4 this

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year, The PUNCH reported a statement by the Federal Government that Thailand had commenced moves to establish rice mills in Nigeria following the over 90 per cent reduction in the importation of rice from the country.

Although the government did not name those who were to establish the 14 new rice mills, it told participants at the AgroNigeria High-level Rice Conference in Abuja that the move would attract hundreds of billions of naira to Nigeria‘s rice value chain.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said, ―There are presently 21 large integrated rice mills with a total processing capacity of 1.22 million metric tonnes yearly and spreading across the country, from Kano, Enugu, Ebonyi, Kebbi, Anambra, Edo, Nasarawa, Benue, Kwara, Jigawa, Niger and Kogi states. The challenge associated with local rice, which has discouraged consumers, especially when compared to imported rice, has been overcome. ―Today, several integrated local rice mills have their milled rice in the Nigerian market and consumer demand and preference for local rice has risen due to better quality an d taste compared to imported rice. Home-grown international grade rice can be found across Nigerian markets and a total of 14 mills will soon come on board.‖ http://punchng.com/14-rice-mills-to-attract-n250bn-investment-fg/

Nigerian Govt. To Create Additional 14 Rice Mills To Meet Local Demands A massive rice farm in Jega, Kebbi State The Federal Government says it will establish no fewer than 14 additional rice mills in the country to meet increasing demand for local rice and achieve self sufficiency.Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said this at the AgroNigeria High Level Rice Conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

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Ogbeh, who was represented by Alhaji Muyiwa Azeez, the Director, Agribusiness and Marketing in the ministry, said the mills would be sited in different states. ― Different brands of home grown international grade rice can now be found in the market. This has been a great stride.

A total of 14 number mills will soon come on board and expected to provide an additional investment of 250 billion in the rice processing sector. ―It will also attract a savings of 300 million dollars in foreign exchange from import substitution through local processing. ―Government policy under the current administration of substituting import rice with intense local production has boosted the morale of farmers and rice millers. ―That in the past three years, paddy production has seen exponential growth, reaching 6.9 million metric tonnes in 2016 that is 4.41 million tonnes of milled rice and 8.019 million metric tonnes that is 4.81 million tonnes of milled rice in 2017. ―We are on track to self sufficiency in rice production.‘‘ He said the growth recorded in the rice value chain was due to improved access to finance and inputs from the Anchor Borrowers Programme of the CBN. The minister said the current demand for paddy rice was about 9.5 million metric tonnes while the deficit stood at about 1.99 million metric tonnes.Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State on his part said the country should aim to be among global competitors in rice production.Bagudu who described imported rice as `chaff and not fit for human consumption‘, said that smugglers bring in these rice for citizens to buy them at cheaper prices. ―The major misrepresentation in the rice story is that there is rice out there in other countries that is cheaper than the Nigerian rice―I think if there is anything we can do collectively as stakeholders, it is to appreciate the significance of that, so that we can be better stakeholders. ―Because no matter the policy platform that is provided, if we stakeholders do not serve as guards of our interest, then it cannot be sustained.

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―We are not dealing with a case where somebody is bringing rice of equivalent quality and selling it cheaper. ―It is a situation where somebody is bringing rice that is of poorer quality and because people do not discriminate, they just want lower price and they don‘t know any better so, that rice is been sold lower.Mr Aliyu Abdulhameed, the Managing Director of the Nigeria Incentive Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), said that the organisation has introduced some financial models to inject fresh drive into agriculture. Abdulhameed listed the models to include Agricultural Primary Production Aggregation Service System (A-PASS), FAM-SMART (Farm Aggregation Model for Smallholder Farmer Agriculture Based on Technology), among others.

He said that NIRSAL had assisted 27,000 smallholder farmers with loans of approximately N3.4billion largely in Kebbi State through the Anchor Borrrowers Programme (ABP). ―This is a system developed to enable Small-holder Farmers to aggregate their land holdings (maximum of 250 Ha), and adopt single commodity of production. ―Input and mechanisation services are provided in a structured manner‘‘.Dr Luzius Caviezel, the Regional Director (Africa) of Syngenta, Switzerland, said the organisation could assist the country in crops protection and improved seeds.

He said that smallholder aggregation, training and market access was crucial to promoting agriculture in the country.The two day conference was to create a rice alliance that would incorporate the public and private sectors to find solution to challenges in the rice value chain https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2018/04/10/nigerian-govt-to-create-additional-14-rice-mills-to-meetlocal-demands/

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Rice to sell for N10,000 a bag soon, says Kebbi governor

By Editor 11 April 2018 | 12:46 am

Kebbi State Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu

Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu says the price of local rice will soon drop to N 10,000 a bag. He stated this at the opening of the two-day AgroNigeria High-Level Rice Conference yesterday in Abuja.Bagudu noted that Nigeria had the capacity to tap into the 600-700 MT Global Rice Market as rice is grown in all the states of the federation and the FCT. He stated that stakeholders must cooperate to sustain the growth already recorded in the sector. The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on rice noted that Nigeria must emulate Japan, which imposes a 777 per cent tariff on imported rice as against the current 50 per cent tariff on imported rice in Nigeria.He added that smuggling must be tackled to grow the sector.

Delivering the first keynote address, Dr. Luzius Cavieziel, Regional Director Africa, Syngenta, Switzerland stated that his organisation Syngenta had been investing in different crops across the world. He added that Syngenta was engaged in 26 Commercial Operations and 6 Research & Development sites.

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In his welcome remark, the Chief Host and Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh represented by Director Agribusiness in the ministry, Alhaji Musibau Azeez, stated that the Agricultural Promotion Policy had helped to improve the volume of production, capacity of farmers as well as improved the quality and prevent Nigeria from being a dumping site for imported rice.

He expressed that there were 21 integrated rice mills in Nigeria currently producing 1. 22 million metric tonnes yearly across rice-processing states like Kano, Enugu, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Kogi amongst others. He added that the federal government was prioritising the fight against the smuggling of agricultural commodities including rice.

Delivering a second keynote address, the Managing Director of NIRSAL, Mr Aliyu Abdulhameed commended AgroNigeria for expanding its scope of coverage to the whole of Africa and for initiating the Rice Conference.

He stated that NIRSAL had developed production models to boost productivity of farmers.He added that the agency had facilitated access to N3. 4billion by 57,000 farmers, 90 per cent of them from Kebbi.

On her part, Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Adepeju Adebajo noted that farmers could only be economically viable if they formed clusters.

She stated that the state government was prioritising the adoption of agritech such as aquaponics to reduce the cultivation of large expanse of land.

Highlights of the two-day session, which continues tomorrow, include plenary sessions as well as exhibition of products and services by agriculture-based firms. https://guardian.ng/politics/rice-to-sell-for-n10000-a-bag-soon-says-kebbi-governor/

Pakistani Rice Exporters Pin Hopes on Iran Visit Wednesday, April 11, 2018

A16-member delegation of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan has left for Iran to explore trade and investment opportunities in general and enhance rice export to the neighboring country in particular.

The delegation, led by REAP Chairman Samee Ullah Naeem, will visit Tehran as well as the city of Mashhad where it will have meetings with representatives of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines and Mashhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Pakistani newspaper The Nation reported on Tuesday.

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The delegation will have meetings with the officials of Health Ministry regarding good manufacturing practices, Industries Ministry and Government Trading Corporation of Iran for buying Pakistani rice through government tenders. The delegation will be hosted by Iranian Rice Importers Association.

GTC is an Iranian government-owned company specializing in the purchase, import and distribution of essential foodstuff. It is the lever for enforcing market controls. The company is also in charge of maintaining a supply of wheat, rice, cooking oil and meat, as the country‘s strategic reserve of essential commodities.

The deliberations are aimed at increasing bilateral trade and investment between the two friendly countries.

The REAP chairman said the association would discuss issues related to the resumption of rice exports, which nosedived after international nuclear sanctions against Iran, from Pakistan, implementation of currency swap agreement and the condition of GMP certification with Iranian authorities.

Naeem said Iran used to be a 800,000-ton basmati rice market until sanctions were imposed in 2010 and exports have drastically reduced to barely 60,000 tons. ―REAP considers unavailability of banking channel the only barrier for drop in trade,‖ he added.

Talks between the leading businessmen and industrialists are meant to inspire Iranian importers as well as investors to explore the business opportunities in Pakistan, and foster new profitable ventures.

The REAP members will invite Iranians to visit Pakistan where the association could arrange B2B meetings with progressive business groups to seek fresh collaborative ventures.The Pakistan exporters‘ team will also hold meetings with GTC to raise the issue of GMP certification for Pakistani rice exporters, which presently has become a hurdle in the way of rice export to Iran.

The Iranian Health Ministry has set standards for the rice import and only those who are registered under its GMP certification program can export rice to the country.

The REAP chairman said the Pakistan team will also try to convince GTC to announce tenders for super basmati and so-called long grain 386 rice so that REAP members could avail the facility to book export orders for Iran.

With a view to enhance liaison between the businessmen of two countries, the REAP members‘ group will hold B2B meetings with Rice Importers Association of Iran.

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Naeem will also call on the Pakistani commercial attache in Mashhad. He hoped the visit of the delegation will not only bring Pakistani and Iranian businessmen closer but would also open doors for boosting rice export to Iran, which is going to be a great market for Pakistan. ―I hope that the country (Pakistan) would regain its share in the Iranian market, which can become a good destination for their basmati exports,‖ he said. ―Iran is one of the largest rice importers and purchases rice worth $2 billion every year.

However, Pakistan‘s rice accounts for nearly 8% of Iran‘s market,‖ he said. https://financialtribune.com/articles/economy-domestic-economy/84461/pakistani-rice-exporters-pinhopes-on-iran-visit

Nigeria’s rice sub-sector to attract N250bn investment ON APRIL 11, 20187:04

By Gabriel Ewepu ABUJA- FOLLOWING efforts to boost food security by the Federal Government, the nation‘s rice sub-sector will attract N250 billion investment based high paddy rice production and increased milling capacity. rice farmers This was disclosed by the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, during a Rice Conference organised by AgroNigeria, Wednesday, in Abuja. Ogbeh who was represented by the Director, Agribusiness, Processing and Marketing, Muyiwa Azeez, also stated that home-grown international grade rice can be found across Nigerian markets and a total of 14 mills will soon come on board.

According to him there are presently 21 large integrated rice mills with a total processing capacity of 1.22 million metric tonnes annually, which spread across the country including Kano, Enugu, Ebonyi, Kebbi, Anambra, Edo, Nasarawa, Benue, Kwara, Jigawa, Niger and Kogi States, which the integrated rice mills have also employed about 2 million unskilled workers. He said: ―Today, several integrated local rice mills have their milled rice in the Nigerian market and consumer demand and preference for local rice has risen due to better quality and taste compared to imported rice. Home-grown international grade rice can be found across Nigerian markets and a total of 14 mills will soon come on board. ―Members of Rice Producers Association of Nigeria, RIFAN, currently have a direct workforce of 5,000 skilled Nigerians including women as off-takers of rice paddy, and as created jobs for over 5 million rice farmers out of the existing 11 million rice farmers in Nigeria. ―The integrated rice mills have also employed about two million unskilled workers.

Nigeria‘s rice import bill has dropped appreciably by over 90 per cent. Presently we have 21 large-scale mills with a capacity with a capacity of 1.2 million MT, while additional mills are springing up.‖ In his assertion, he said in the past three years, paddy production had experienced exponential growth, recording 6.9 million metric tonnes in 2016, which represented 4.14 million metric tonnes of milled rice, while 8.019 million metric tonnes, representing 4.81 million metric tonnes of milled rice in 2017. ―Estimated

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crop area of rice in 2017 was 3.9 million hectares, which represent an increase of about 6.9 per cent over the 3.17 million hectares cultivated in 2016. All the states of the federation recorded an increase in rice production, with Kebbi and Lagos having the highest increase. Over the last three years, we have recorded increase in production from an average of 2.5 tonnes to five tonnes per hectare‖, he said.

According to the Minister on per capita consumption, Nigeria‘s demand for rice stands at 9.5 million million tonnes of rice paddy, representing 6.8 million metric tonnes of milled rice, which the deficit which used to stand at between three to four million metric tonnes had been reduced to 1.99 million metric tonnes He said to sustain the tempo of the current growth in the subsector government would continue to ensure that investors were given the enabling environment to operate. ―Government would continue to provide conducive environment to rice farmers and millers in the area of ensuring adequate agro-chemicals, fertilisers, land development and irrigation facilities, mechanisation, modern extension services, power supply, access to good roads, farmlands and favourable pricing.

Essentially, forestalling the illegal activities of smugglers across Nigeria‘s borders remain a priority‖, he stated. In his earlier remarks, the Governor of Kebbi State, who also doubles as Chairman, Presidential Initiative on Rice, Abubakar Bagudu, said operators in the rice value chain cost of rice production in countries Nigeria competes with remains cheaper. ―Operators in the rice value chain must appreciate the fact that the cost of production in countries we are competing with is cheaper than the production cost for the same commodity in Nigeria. This needs to be addressed in order to ensure sustainability‖, Bagudu said.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/04/nigerias-rice-sub-sector-to-attract-n250bn-investment/

Vigilance sleuths start probe

into paddy embezzlement

Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 11 The Vigilance Bureau has started a probe into the siphoning of government paddy from the godown of Veerumal Mulkhraj Jain Rice Mill at Jandiala Guru. Questions are being raised over

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the functioning of a bank which issued huge cash credit limit worth crores of rupees to rice millers and private firms, thereby losing a big amount of public money to fraudsters.

Officials of the Department of Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, who had examined the stock at the aforementioned mill, were surprised to find that the bank had given huge loans to the rice mill without even checking the stock properly.

The authorities of Punjab National Bank, who had reportedly given a huge credit limit to Gulshan Jain and his family, had put forth their claim on the paddy found in the mill. Officials of the department had also maintained their claim on paddy.

Amarjit Singh, Deputy Director, Department of Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, pointed out that the department would issue notices to the bank for submitting their documents on the basis of which they had issued cash credit limit to the tune of Rs 200 crore. If they can‘t produce the same, they can‘t claim the paddy.

Highly placed sources in the department also added that Gulshan Jain, now absconding, owed hundreds of crores of rupees to people, including commission agents and exporters.

Similarly, the department had carried out inspection at a rice sheller located on the AmritsarTarn Taran road following a complaint submitted by Gurmeet Bablu, president, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Youth Front.

However, Anindita Mitra, Director, Department of Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, said no bungling of paddy was found at the mill on the Tarn Taran road. She said officials from Pungrain and Punsup were taken along to carry out the inspection.

Meanwhile, SSP (Vigilance) RK Bakshi said investigation into the Jandiala Guru rice mill bungling case had begun. He said vigilance had sought record from the department and it would take a couple of days to examine the record and ascertaining anything. http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/health/story/572798.html

Brazil Reactivates Domestic Support Programs as Exports to the U.S. Rise

By Sarah Moran

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BRASĂ?LIA, BRAZIL -Exports of Brazilian rice to the United States have jumped nearly 60 percent in the first two months of 2018 over the same time period last year. On the heels of that news, Brazil has rebooted two dormant rice support policies that USA Rice says appear to be being used to push their export prices below production costs in direct violation of World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations.

Over the years, Brazil has used various domestic support programs when corn, wheat, and rice commodity prices are low, and for the first time since 2011, they have authorized the use of two programs for rice: Premium for Product Outflow (PEP) and Equalization Premium Paid to the Producer (PEPRO). The purpose of these programs is to move commodities from high producing areas to any of the ten grain-deficient states in the north of Brazil. The program is not prohibited from fueling exports, however when used this way, it is a WTO violation and Brazilian rice enjoys a clear and unfair advantage.

The programs are similar in nature in that the Brazilian government guarantees a minimum price to producers by paying the difference between the prevailing market price and the governmentestablished minimum guaranteed price, either to the commercial buyer (PEP) or directly to the producer (PEPRO).

Brazil is the tenth largest rice exporter in the world and supplies rice to many nearby U.S. export markets, such as Venezuela, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Peru.

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The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture has held several rounds of auctions under these programs in the first four months of this year, purchasing more than 300,000 MT of rice. (The country typically produces 11-13 million MT of rice and exports between 0.5-1 million MT.) Brazil's rice exports have increased 240 percent in the first three months of 2018 over the same time period in 2017. This is primarily due to more than 160,000 MT of rice shipments to Venezuela in addition to the increased shipments to the United States.

"Although the programs are intended to facilitate the movement of commodities within Brazil, nothing bars them from exporting the rice," says Bobby Hanks, chairman of the USA Rice International Trade Policy Committee. "If rice is indeed being exported under these programs, then this is a WTO violation, of great concern to us, and exactly the sort of unfair trade practices that hurt U.S. farmers and that the Trump Administration is cracking down on."

Hanks said USA Rice will raise the issue later this week in previously scheduled meetings with senior Administration trade officials and in Congress with committees that have jurisdiction over the issue.

USA RICE DAILY

USA Rice Briefs House Ag on Rice in Food Aid Programs

By Deborah Willenborg U.S. rice plays a vital role WASHINGTON, DC -- Yesterday, USA Rice joined a select panel of commodity organizations to brief House Agriculture Committee Members' staff on U.S. food aid programs and the central role the U.S. agriculture industry plays in supporting those programs. Specifically, the groups warned that any attempts to reduce program funding, or shift funding away from the procurement of U.S. commodities and products would diminish Congressional support of the programs by farm state lawmakers and would be strongly opposed.

USA Rice staff reminded the congressional aides that rice is the most consumed commodity in the world, making it the perfect vehicle to deliver critical micronutrients needed in countries receiving food aid assistance.

"The briefing was a great opportunity to provide staff with food aid program success stories that are humanitarian, diplomatic, and strategic," said Frank Leach, USA Rice manager of government affairs, who presented at the briefing. "The group was particularly interested in fortified rice that is a powerful

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tool to fight malnutrition and other diseases and is just beginning to become a standard part of global feeding programs."

USA Rice's Leach along with the other food aid coalition members will be making their case in the Senate tomorrow at a similar briefing that is open to staff from all Senate offices.

Leach said, "With action on the next Farm Bill heating up in the House this week, along with increased efforts in the Senate to remove U.S. farmers from the equation, the briefings couldn't be more timely and worthwhile."

Pilibhit farmers demand groundwater survey, write to CM; DM assures help Keshav Agrawal| TNN | Apr 11, 2018, 23:34 IST Pilibhit: Farmers in Pilibhit district have complained of depleting groundwater level fearing it will hit the cultivation of summer paddy crop. According to them, the groundwater has depleted 3-4 feet in the past three years; however, the district still does not have any baseline survey of the groundwater level in different tehsils.

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Chief development officer Dinesh Kumar Singh said groundwater survey was never conducted in Pilibhit for reasons unknown to him.

Expressing concern over rapidly depleting groundwater, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) district president Satvinder Singh Kahlon has written a letter to chief minister Yogi Adityanath, demanding a baseline survey for groundwater in the district. ―The groundwater depletion by 3-4 feet in the same number of years is a serious matter for a district which is fed by 10 rivers,‖ Kahlon told TOI. Jal Nigam executive engineer Girish Chandra said, ―The department will soon conduct a survey to ascertain the groundwater level the district.‖According to scientists of plant physiology, 1.6 kilogram of summer paddy needs at least 2000 litres of groundwater to grow, while Pilibhit has an estimated 25,000 hectares under summer paddy cultivation.

Shailendra Singh Dhaka, plant physiologist at Krashi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Pilibhit, said ―The summer paddy crop is sown in March and takes 90 days to ripe. Since this period normally does not have the required amount of rainwater for irrigation, the crop needs groundwater irrigation after every three days for survival.‖ ―Since 1.6 kilogram of paddy needs around 2000 litres of groundwater, with the reported production of 80-85 quintals of paddy per hectare in the district, the total area under cultivation, 25,000 hectares, needs 266 crore litres of groundwater,‖ Dhaka said.

Ravindra Kumar, a former plant physiology scientist at International Rice Research Institute, the Philippines, who is a professor at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology in Meerut, told TOI, ―Around 40-45% of the total groundwater used for summer paddy irrigating evaporates, 35% transpires (released by plants in the environment due to heating), 5-7% is lost in runoff and only 13-20% of water that percolates down through the soil recharges it.‖

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With this period also being the harvesting season for wheat crop, canal water is also not available for the irrigation of summer paddy and most of the canals run dry.

Dalip Kumar, executive engineer, canal department, said, ―Pilibhit has a network of 90 canals, of which 87 irrigate fields while the remaining three are feeder canals, which supply water to minor canals. We keep most of these canals dry during this period to save wheat crop from accidental waterlogging. Besides, farmers, too, don‘t need water during the harvesting of rabi crops.‖ It is noticeable that many states, including neighbouring Uttarakhand, have already enacted laws banning summer paddy cultivation to check excessive discharge of the groundwater. Punjab was the first state to issue ordinance in April, 2008, prohibiting transplanting of paddy saplings before June10, during pre-monsoon season.

Mohan Singh of Khandepur village under Puranpur block and Sukhveer Singh of Amaria tehsil, who are cultivating summer paddy, told TOI, ―About three years ago, the groundwater was available at a depth of 18-20 feet, which has now fallen to 21-25 feet. This is evident from borewells dug by farmers at different period.‖ Acknowledging the importance of groundwater survey, district magistrate Akhilesh Kumar Mishra said, ―I will soon invite a team of state hydrology department to Pilibhit to conduct a survey of groundwater, which is very important. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bareilly/pilibhit-farmers-demand-groundwater-surveywrite-to-cm-dm-assures-help/articleshow/63720320.cms

California's Lost Wetlands Get Help From Sacramento Valley Rice Farms Snow geese feed in a rice field in the Williams area of Colusa County. (Jim Morris/California Rice Commission)

Listen to this and more in-depth storytelling by subscribing to The California Report Magazine podcast.Before the Gold Rush, the Central Valley in California was like a bathtub. Rivers full of water from the mountains meandered through the valley, spreading the water far and wide across a vast expanse of natural wetlands.

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This created rich feeding grounds for migrating species: salmon going to and from the ocean, or birds flying through from Alaska or Argentina. But with the development of farms, dams, houses and roads over the course of the 20th Century, California lost more than 90 percent of its natural wetlands -- and that, in turn, threatened the wildlife.

Now, the northern part of the Central Valley -- the Sacramento Valley -- looks like a quilt of perfectly-level rice fields. It‘s a vastly productive area that has made the state second only to the Mississippi Delta in rice production.

That dramatic change in the landscape may sound grim, but in California‘s rice country, some strange bedfellows are working together to address the historic loss of wildlife habitat, in a way that makes rice farming part of the solution.

Just outside the tiny town of Richvale this past winter, fourth-generation farmer Josh Sheppard maneuvered his ATV over the leveesfarm, his dog Tonka in tow.

When Sheppard talked about the Calrose sushi rice he grows, he became almost poetic. ―It‘s an amazing thing to witness. You can see the plants growing under the water on nice warm night,‖ he said. Driving up the next morning, ―It‘s satisfying to see rice seed come through the water and totally change the landscape of the field.‖ He showed me rice fields flooded with a few inches of water but it felt more like we were on a bird-watching tour. Sheppard pointed out egrets and herons, Sandhill Cranes, curlews, ibis and countless ducks and geese filling whole sections of rice fields.

A lot of these are migratory birds, but here they had found a welcome rest stop on a working farm.

Josh Sheppard removes wooden boards, releasing water from a rice field as part of a "variable draw down," releasing water from a quarter of his fields at a time, creating a variety of habitat for different migrating birds. (Lisa Morehouse/KQED)

―They use these rice fields as their surrogate wetlands that used to naturally exist 100 years ago,‖ Sheppard explained. ―Most of those natural wetlands have been developed over, but these rice fields are a perfect substitute.‖ When I met Sheppard in early February, he was purposely adjusting the water levels in his fields — all for the birds. As his dog splashed around in the water, Sheppard kneeled on a levee at a concrete gate, tugging at a few boards of lumber which hold back all the water in the field.

Government and non-profit groups pay Sheppard and other farmers to add water to some fields or release it bit by bit over a month. That gives migrating birds a few more weeks of feeding time by turning the Sacramento Valley into a checkerboard of simulated wetlands and mudflats. Some

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birds prefer fields with a few inches of water on them, while others like looking for bugs in shallow puddles. These different habitats attract various types of birds that need to fuel up before their long journeys north to nest.

'You only conserve what you know. We all have to come together for that as Californians, whether we agree on all of that or not. Habitat and conservation are crucial.'Regina Stafford, California Waterfowl Association

I‘m no birder, but I spotted a curlew with a long, curved beak, and Sheppard pointed out a piper: ―That shorter-legged guy, see them dipping into the shallow water there, looking for bugs?

Eating breakfast is what they‘re doing.‖ It would be much more efficient, and less risky for his whole farming season, to release all of this water at once, and early.

He said, ―To hold water a little longer, that was a concept a little bit foreign to us at the beginning.‖ Sheppard described a meeting he attended in 2008. A bunch of bird conservationists and rice farmers gathered in a room with a whiteboard to share ideas. The bird experts offered ideas about what certain bird species needed to thrive, and talked about what farmers could do after harvest to make the Sacramento Valley hospitable for migrating birds. ―When we really realized the benefit of it, it became kind of like ‗Oh heck yeah, we're going to do that,‘‖ Sheppard said. Especially with conservation groups offering to offset some of the costs of labor and water, he said, ―Why would we not?‖ Snow Geese in fly over a rice field in the Pleasant Grove area of Sutter County. (Jim Morris/California Rice Commission)

A recent study of just one of these programs, The Nature Conservancy‘s BirdReturns, showed that the actively-managed rice fields were attracting two to three times as many birds as before.

Of course, creating good bird habitat also helps create good publicity for the rice industry. Rice is among California‘s top-ten most water-intensive crops. The homepage of the California Rice Commission is dominated by a dramatic video of snow geese landing on a rice field. And the Commission‘s logo features a rice plant topped by a wading bird.

But Sheppard himself admitted, ―There was a time even when the rice industry, we weren‘t the poster child of all the environmental stuff that we have adopted.‖ He‘s talking about the old practice of burning rice fields.As kid, Jessica Lundberg — a thirdgeneration member of Lundberg Family Farms -- heard people complain that rice farmers

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mucked up the air by burning fields, a cheap and effective way to get rid of the straw left over after the rice harvest.

"It was terrible,‖ she remembered. ―All of the fields would go up and maybe a two- or threeweek period in the valley [everything] was just socked in with smoke, and you couldn't really even see the foothills."

Jessica Lundberg of Lundberg Family Farms. (Lisa Morehouse/KQED)

Her family‘s business stopped burning in the 1960s. Her grandparents, originally from Scandinavia, then the Midwest, lived through the Dust Bowl before settling here, and saw how farmers needed to steward the land. ―If that's your mentality, if you're going into it thinking, ‗I have to take care of all of this,‘ then you start looking for solutions, you start asking questions,‖ she said.

They passed that belief system on to their sons who took over the business. Lundberg says her dad always kept an Audubon book in his truck, and taught her to learn the seasons of wildlife, as well as farming.

In the 1990s, the state significantly restricted burning in rice country, so farmers started flooding fields, instead, to decompose that rice straw.

Lundberg said, ―The water in the fields, it‘s a great habitat for insects.‖ Those in turn attract the birds.

She pointed out that the area sits right on the Pacific Flyway for migrating birds. So once the burning stopped, the birds began landing and feeding again. ―It took several years, but it doesn't take birds long to tell their friends that there's some good stuff going on over here,‖ she said.

Millions of migrating birds visit the Sacramento Valley, but it‘s still working farmland, which means there are birds and farm machines wanting to be on the same fields at the same time.

Saving Eggs From Machines Early last summer, I met up with Regina Stafford and her team from the California Waterfowl Association in a rice field that was about to get tilled. They had two big ATVs, a rope, and tin cans filled with gravel. It‘s called a ―drag rope‖ and they tied it between the two ATVs. In early June 2017, the Egg Salvage team from the California Waterfowl Association "drags" a rice field before it's tilled. They attach tin cans filled with gravel to rope tied between two ATVs, and then drive slowly down the field, hoping to flush ducks nesting in the field. (Lisa Morehouse/KQED)

―The rope spins on swivels as we go. It‘s nothing high-tech for sure!‖ Stafford said.

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Ducks love to nest in dry rice fields before planting season. But when workers bring out the big machinery, they could easily miss the nests and crush them, eggs and all. To avoid that, Stafford and her Egg Salvage team drove the ATVs slowly, in parallel, down the bumpy field, using the gravel-filled cans as simple noisemakers to flush the ducks.

Suddenly, one of her colleagues called out, ―Bird! Bird! Bird!‖ Stafford explained, ―We just had a hen flush from the nest so we‘re going to stop and check it out.‖ Team members placed the eggs in cartons and added some down for protection.

All the salvaged eggs this team collects are sent to a nearby hatchery, where they mature into ducks.

A few weeks later, Regina Stafford was on a private ranch, leading an educational program and teaching kids how to put identifying bands on the young ducklings‘ legs, and how to release them into the habitat.

She warned a group of kids, each hanging onto a duck, ―Remember, they can‘t fly, so we can‘t do any duck chucking.‖ The kids squatted at the edge of the water, and on the count of three released the ducks.

Young people prepare to release ducks raised from salvaged eggs onto habitat at a private hunting club. (Lisa Morehouse/KQED)

Stafford‘s organization, California Waterfowl, saved nearly 4,000 eggs last year -- but it‘s a hunters‘ organization, and it‘s a private hunting club that houses the hatchery and habitat. So I asked: Are they just saving eggs to make more ducks for hunting? She replied that, habitat like this, paid for by hunters, helps support all the birds that migrate through this area. ―You only conserve what you know,‖ she explained. "We all have to come together for that as Californians, whether we agree on all of that or not. Habitat and conservation are crucial.‖

A Side-Benefit For Salmon?

So, if hunters, farmers and conservationists can come together for birds who find surrogate wetlands in these fields, could other wildlife also benefit from sharing space with rice? The answer is yes, according to Jacob Katz, a scientist with the organization California Trout. ―Two million salmon once came through the Golden Gate into the rivers of the Central Valley.

What we think we‘re looking at here is the key to that kind of abundance again,‖ he said.

I met Katz at a large rice farm full of swans, dowitchers and Sand Hill Cranes. To demonstrate his theory, Katz took me to three different bodies of water. First, the Sacramento River, where Katz‘s colleague Jacob Montgomery donned waders and tossed a plankton net into the river to take samples, which he then deposited in a plastic bag.

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―What you‘re looking for is movement,‖ Katz said, peering into the bag. ―What we'd like to see in a fertile water sample is bugs, which we simplify to fish food. What we see here is drifting sand, a little bit of plant parts, but very few bugs.‖ Scientist Jacob Katz compares water samples from a flooded rice field, a canal and a river. The rice field sample contains tens of thousands of bugs, great food for fish. (Lisa Morehouse/KQED)

In a nearby canal, the results were similar. ―Some floating debris, but not a lot of life, not a lot of wiggling invertebrates,‖ Katz said.

Finally, Montgomery gathered water from a flooded rice field. When Katz held up the plastic bag, he smiled. ―It‘s teeming, it‘s writhing,‖ he said. ―The truth is there‘s probably hundreds of thousands of individuals.‖ At least tens of thousands, anyway. They‘ll find the exact number later at their UC Davis laboratory. If a young salmon lives in the rice fields, Katz said, ―It‘s going to get big, fat, robust.

It‘s going to pack a big lunch to trip down to the ocean, and have a much better chance of returning as an adult.‖ Katz and his team found that by letting salmon feed in flooded rice fields they grew seven times faster than fish in the nearby river channel. ―First we'd like to see gates in our levees and our bypasses that would allow water and fish to flow out of the river and onto managed floodplains that provide them with food access with incredible habitat,‖ Katz said. ―We upgrade our cell phones every six months, it seems like 100 years is long enough to wait for levees 2.0.‖ But for some agricultural landscapes, getting fish access to rice fields and back to the rivers would be really difficult.

Since this water from flooded rice fields is so thick with great fish food, Katz would like to see hundreds of thousands of acres drained strategically back into rivers, where endangered fish populations feed. ―I think most people think that endangered species are inevitable and what our work is showing us is that that‘s not the case. We‘re trying to say— we‘re not going back, we‘re never going to be able to recreate tens or hundreds of thousands of acres of waving tule and wetland. But if we understand how that system works, if we understand the mechanisms that created that kind of abundance...‖ then, he said, we can learn how to create landscapes for the benefit of fish, birds, and agriculture.

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This piece is part of the series California Foodways. It was produced in collaboration with the Food & Environment Reporting Network, a non-profit, investigative news organization. https://www.kqed.org/news/11660045/californias-lost-wetlands-reborn-thanks-to-central-valley-ricefarms

Webinar focus on next farm bill, ongoing trade issues – April 12 Dr. Patrick Westhoff, FAPRI director, will discuss the challenges of writing the next farm bill.

Apr 09, 2018 Dr. Patrick Westhoff, director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri–Columbia and a professor in the MU Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, will discuss challenges of writing the next farm bill and ongoing trade issues during the next University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture webinar set for April 12, 10 a.m. Central Time.

Writing a farm bill is a challenging activity given budget constraints, the economic importance to the U.S. agricultural sector and the American public, varying stakeholder interests and the importance to global economic and trade relationships.

Westhoff will discuss the economic, trade and biofuels considerations, crop and livestock market outlook, and other issues that congressional leadership and members are considering as they pen the next farm bill.

He provides perspective into the monumental task of writing and passing the next farm bill and ongoing trade issues and considerations.

Register for the webinar at http://bit.ly/UA-FarmBillWeb. http://www.deltafarmpress.com/legislative/webinar-focus-next-farm-bill-ongoing-trade-issues-april-12

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Modified rice grown in saline fields to hit China market China aims to grow rice in polluted, saline fields. Photo: Xinhua

ASIA UNHEDGED As researchers try to find a variety suited to arid ares, public mistrust is high with tips on how to identify 'saline rice' circulating online

By ASIA TIMES STAFF APRIL 11, 2018 7:37 PM (UTC+8)

Beijing has sounded the food security alarm as sweeping industrialization nibbles away at the nation‘s farmland, along with pollution and erosion further complicating the situation. China‘s shrinking arable land has forced agriculturalists to devise ways of growing alkali-resistant rice in barren, saline-alkaline soil, which is estimated to total 100 million hectares.

State broadcaster China Central Television has reported that experts from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences have selected 176 types of rice for nationwide trials.

The goal is to find at least one type of rice that will pass the academy‘s tests, according to

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Zhang Guodong, the deputy director of the Qingdao Sea Rice Research and Development Center.

The aim is to get the optimum yield and best quality rice that can be grown in the nation‘s northwestern provinces, including the arid and semi-arid regions in Northwest China‘s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and the Yellow River Delta. These are areas that reply on rice grown and shipped from elsewhere. ―The rice will be promoted and planted across the country next year if the tests proves successful,‖ Li Xinqi, a research fellow at the China National Hybrid Rice R&D Center, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Chinese consumers are wary about the quality and dangers of rice grown in polluted fields and tips about identifying what‘s known as ―saline rice‖ have been circulating on social media after rumors of the rice being on sale for a long time.

Li told Global Times, in a bid to dispel the skepticism, that the rice may contain different elements, but its taste and nutritional value would only be slightly different from ordinary rice.

This rice was developed by Yuan Longping, China‘s ―father of hybrid rice,‖ who helped establish the Qingdao center in October 2016.

Another report that appeared in the Agriculture Daily noted that ―saline rice‖ would only be used to feed cattle and was not genetically-modified, so consumers should not worry too much about potential health risks http://www.atimes.com/article/modified-rice-grown-saline-fields-hit-china-market/

The economics of rice in Southeast Asia 37

Arief Subhan 11 April 2018

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This photo taken on November 16, 2017 shows Thai Muslim and Buddhist farmers working together to harvest rice during a multicultural gathering in Mai Kaen district in Thailand's restive province of Pattani. (AFP Photo/Madaree Tohlala) It is irrefutable that rice is the staple food of Southeast Asia. This love affair with the seed of the grass species, oryza sativa is not only rooted in the tangible world but has its own mystical underpinnings to it. Such a relationship is observed through the worshipping of the goddess of rice, fertility, and wealth, Dewi Sri, by communities in what is now modern-day Indonesia, prior to the advent of Islam. In today‘s world, this religious adulation has now turned into economic endeavour with the cultivation and export of rice. Among some ASEAN member countries, rice cultivation and export has become an important contributor to their respective Gross Domestic Products (GDPs).

The Asian Development Bank has projected that total rice output in ASEAN will grow at 1.37% annually, from nearly 110.5 million tonnes in 2010-2011 to 128.3 million tonnes by 2021-2022.

In addition, most of this projected output is contingent on improved yields, increasing by 1.22% per annum.

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Amidst the rice pledging scheme that is now synonymous with the country, Thailand retains top spot as the region‘s largest exporter of rice. This scheme was introduced by Yingluck Shinawatra in her 2011 election campaign and was subsequently implemented after she was given the mandate to lead the nation. One of the components within the scheme is the direct buying of unmilled rice by the Thai government from farmers at approximately twice the market rate. It is argued that such a move would put money into the pockets of poor farmers and stimulate domestic demand. However, according to a report by the Global Legal Monitor, the government would end up having to provide subsidies amounting to a whopping US$9.375 billion, an amount that would surely place a burden on the Thai economy.

Considering the fact that two-fifths of Thais work in agriculture (with most of them being rice farmers), the incumbent leader of Thailand, General Prayuth Chan-ocha has not done away with the aforesaid scheme, rather he has re-evaluated it. His state budget for subsidies is less than 10 percent of what was implemented prior. Chan-ocha has realised that he needs to implement policies that will facilitate an equilibrium in supply and demand. This is to avoid excessive price fluctuations and a heavy burden on public finances when market intervention is necessary to ease the hardships of farmers.

It is interesting to note that in 2017, Thailand exported 11.25 million tonnes of rice, an all-time record, up 14.8 percent year-on-year. As for 2018, The Land of Smiles is expected to export 9.5 million tonnes of rice, which indicates an improvement through Chan-ocha‘s smart recalculation of the plan implemented by his predecessor.

Another point of concern is the quality of rice piling up in Thailand‘s warehouses. There are growing claims that substandard rice of a dissimilar grain has contaminated the stocks. Criminal groups and less than honest officials are said to have smuggled in thousands of tonnes of cheap grain from Cambodia and Myanmar, in the hope of taking advantage of the government‘s generosity.

The significance of rice economics in the region is further exemplified by Indonesia‘s production of this commodity. Agriculture Minister of the Republic, Amran Sulaiman pointed out that the country had produced more rice than it needed in 2017, meeting President Joko Widodo‘s target of rice self-sufficiency. Not only that, Sulaiman also mentioned that rice production in January 2018 reached 8 million tonnes, more than the average monthly comption of 2.5 million tonnes.

Considering the multifaceted nature of rice economics in the region, it is important that proper regulation be put in place and implemented so as to do away with the tampering of rice stockpiles. Also, rice schemes ought to be thoroughly studied by governments and regulating bodies before their implementation. As in the case of Thailand during Shinawatra‘s rule, an attempt to pander to the whims and fancies of the agribusiness sector and fulfilling an election campaign promise made prior to being elected, has had damaging repercussions on the country‘s economy. General Prayuth‘s timely re-evaluating of the scheme has to a certain extent prevented more serious financial implications on Thailand‘s economy.

https://theaseanpost.com/article/economics-rice-southeast-asia-

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P351,650 worth of shabu seized on Holy Week Monday, April 02, 2018

By GLAZYL Y. MASCULINO AN ESTIMATED P351,650 worth of suspected shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) was seized from 13 persons in separate anti-illegal drugs operations in Negros Occidental during the Lenten season. In Bacolod City, a college professor and two others were arrested in a drug bust inside an inn on Araneta-Luzuriaga Streets in Barangay 13 around 11:50 p.m. of March 31. Joint operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Western Visayas and Police Station 1 collared Alexander Enarle, 50, of Silay City, Negros Occidental, a high-value target; Cristita Caramit, 53, also of Silay City; and Ramil Mahilum, 48, of Sitio Sibucao, Barangay Banago, a drug surrenderer. Authorities recovered from them seven sachets of suspected shabu, two improvised tooters, and marked money.

All three suspects were detained at Police Station 1. Also arrested in a drug bust in the city last March 30 were Jason Bayson, 22, of Purok Lubi, Barangay 3, after police confiscated from him 12 sachets of suspected shabu amounting to P15,000, the P200 marked money, and an empty sachet. His companion, Jovito Talaver, was able to escape during the operation. Bayson was detained at Police Station 2. On the same day, a 15-year-old boy of Barangay Handumanan was arrested in a stakeout operation in the said village. He yielded two sachets of suspected shabu worth P7,500, a pouch, and an improvised tooter. He was turned over to Social Development Center for custody. On March 29, the younger brother of the city's top drug suspect, Ramy Poja, and his right-hand were arrested in a drug bust on Murcia Road in Barangay Singcang-Airport around 1 a.m. Collared were target subject Rex Poja, 36, of Barangay Estefania, a high-value target; and right-hand Mario Ferrer, 43, of Barangay Banago. Inspector Adrian James Albaytar, assistant team leader of City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU), said Poja and Ferrer on board a pick-up truck sold a shabu to a police agent for P1,000. Police recovered from them six sachets of suspected shabu amounting to P250,000, the P1,000 marked money and a pick-up truck.

Albaytar said Poja has been engaging in the illegal drug trade even before authorities went after his elder brother. He took over his elder brother's drug transaction, Albaytar added. Both are detained at Police Station 8 for the filing of charges for sale and illegal possession of dangerous drugs. Last Tuesday, a female newly-identified drug personality and her partner were arrested in a drug raid at Purok Star Apple 2 in Barangay 27 around 10 p.m. Police identified the suspects as Ruffa Ubas and Gregg Aruda.

Authorities confiscated from them five sachets of suspected shabu amounting to P75,000, and the P500 marked money. Ubas and Aruda are detained at Police Station 4.

In Negros Occidental, Gil Lee, 59, of Barangay Old Sagay, Sagay City, was arrested on March 30 after police seized from him two sachets of suspected shabu worth P1,500, P50 in cash, a cellular phone, the P500 marked money, and a cellular phone. On Friday, Junmar Kyamko, 34, of Barangay 6, San Carlos City, a newly-identified drug suspect, was collared in a buy-bust in the said village that resulted to a confiscation of a sachet of suspected shabu worth P650; drug paraphernalia, the P500 marked money; and P140 in cash. Four days ago, Ken Christian Robles, 19, of Barangay Binicuil, Kabankalan City, was collared in the said village after he dropped a sachet of suspected shabu amounting to P1,000 on the street. Police also recovered from him a lighter. On March 28, Robert Ambrosio, 31, of Barangay Maquiling, Sagay City, was arrested for sale and illegal possession of dangerous drugs in the said village

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that led to a recovery of three sachets of suspected shabu worth P1,000, the P600 marked money, and P690 in cash

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/local-news/2018/04/02/p351650-worth-shabu-seized-holy-week596372

No hike in NFA buying price in bid to boost rice supply By: Karl R. Ocampo - @inquirerdotnet Philippine Daily Inquirer / 07:00 AM April 11, 2018

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Food Authority (NFA), which was once under the DA until its transfer to the Office of the President, have listed several measures that officials of the two agencies said could lure farmers to sell rice to the government but increasing the NFA‘s buying price appeared to be out of the picture.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said his department and the NFA, under administrator Jason Aquino, were expected to sign an agreement next week putting on paper the agencies‘ cooperation in efforts to get more farmers to sell to the government amid a crisis in the NFA‘s supply.

The coordinated effort, according to Piñol, had been approved by President Rodrigo Duterte in a meeting in Malacañang last week.

Incentives The agreement would have the DA and NFA identify areas where the buying prices of palay were lower and not controlled by private traders and middlemen, Piñol said.

These would be the areas where the NFA would double efforts to buy rice from farmers, he said.

The deal would also require the DA to set up drying facilities in NFA‘s buying stations which farmers could use for free provided that they sell their produce to the NFA.

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The DA, according to the deal, would offer incentives fo farmers‘ groups which would participate in the NFA procurement program. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/981587/no-hike-in-nfa-buying-price-in-bid-to-boost-ricesupply#ixzz5CS8Hv7OE

Philippines to import 250,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam or Thailand VNA WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018 - 10:02:00

Philippines to import 250,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam or Thailand - Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippines is considering an emergency purchase of up to 250,000 tonnes of rice

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from Vietnam or Thailand to ensure enough rice for domestic consumption during months of bad harvest.

According to the Philippines‘ National Food Authority (NFA), officials concerned are in the process of reference for the emergency purchase.

Under a new decree of President Rodrigo Duterte, the state-run grains agency may resort to alternative methods of procurement, especially during emergency cases. Therefore, the NFA said that whoever can bring in the rice requirement the fastest and the cheapest will be awarded the supply contract.

Duterte on April 5 met with rice traders to appeal to them not to hoard rice or sell the grains at higher price.Rice traders promised to sell white rice at a price lower than the current market price and provide market with 700,000 sacks of rice.-VNA https://en.vietnamplus.vn/philippines-to-import-250000-tonnes-of-rice-from-vietnam-orthailand/129364.vnp

Government allots P6.1 B for emergency rice imports NFA is set to send the letter of invitation to the governments of Thailand and Vietnam for the supply of 250,000 MT of 25 percent brokens long grain white rice well-milled.

Louise Maureen Simeon (The Philippine Star) - April 11, 2018 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — State-run National Food Authority (NFA) is allocating around P6.12 billion for the procurement of the 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice as part of the emergency importation via the government to government (G2G) scheme.NFA is set to send the letter of invitation to the governments of Thailand and Vietnam for the supply of 250,000 MT of 25 percent brokens long grain white rice well-milled.Only Thailand and Vietnam can participate in the bidding process since they are the only ones with an existing memorandum of agreement with the Philippines.

NFA will open sealed bids on April 19 and issue the notice to proceed on April 24.Of the total volume, 200,000 MT are expected to arrive not later than May 31 and the remaining 50,000 MT will arrive not later than June 30.

The rice imports will be discharged in the ports of La Union, Subic, Manila, Tabaco, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu, Tacloban, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos City, Davao and Surigao.

The P6.1 billion budget estimate is based on the average prevailing world market price of rice and foreign exchange rate at P53 per dollar.President Duterte used his emergency power to bring in much-needed rice into the country to replenish NFA‘s rice buffer stock.

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NFA is required to maintain a food security reserve good for at least 15 days at any given time.

While the interagency council preferred the government-to-private (G2P) scheme, G2G is the best option right now to immediately replenish stocks of cheap rice in the market and stabilize prices of commercial rice.

The emergency import is also on top of the earlier approved 250,000 MT of rice via G2P

https://www.philstar.com/business/2018/04/11/1804698/government-allots-p61-b-emergencyrice-imports#1a8DoiR8j4Kl7KES.99

Bangladesh's rice imports set to skid as domestic output rebounds -officials APRIL 11, 2018 / 1:50 PM

Reuters Staff * Bigger summer rice crop trims import needs * Imports seen at 1.2 mln T vs 3.5 mln T yr ago

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* India‘s exports could fall by 1 mln T in 2018

By Ruma Paul and Rajendra Jadhav DHAKA/MUMBAI, April 11 (Reuters) - Bangladesh‘s rice imports are likely to plunge 66 percent from a year ago to 1.2 million tonnes in 2018/19 as the south Asian country is likely to harvest a bigger crop after prices jumped in the domestic market, industry officials told Reuters.

Lower imports by Bangladesh could reduce rice exports by India, the biggest supplier to the neighbouring country. ―Bangladesh is unlikely to buy actively in the market next fiscal year like this year. It‘s imports would be around 1.2 million tonnes,‖ Nitin Gupta, vice president, rice business at Olam India, told Reuters.

Bangladesh has imported 3.5 million tonnes of rice so far in the current fiscal year ending in June, massively up from 133,000 tonnes in the previous year as floods ravaged its domestic crop. ―There won‘t be panic buying from the government next year. Stock level has improved significantly,‖ said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm. He declined to be identified citing company policy.

As well as higher supplies, a bigger inventory will cut the country‘s imports in coming months, said Badrul Hasan, head of Bangladesh‘s state grain buyer.

Rice stocks have risen to 1 million tonnes after falling to 245,000 tonnes in May 2017, the lowest in 10 years, food ministry data showed.

In 2017, rice prices in Bangladesh jumped due to depleting inventory and forced the government to seek supplies from Asian countries like India, Thailand and Vietnam.

The price rise prompted farmers to expand areas under the summer-sown crop, also known as ‗Boro‘, to more than 4.9 million hectares, exceeding the target of 4.7 million hectares, said Mohammad Mohsin, director general of Department of Agriculture Extension.

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The country‘s rice output from the summer crop could rise nearly 6 percent to 19 million tonnes, he said. Boro crop usually contributes more than half of Bangladesh‘s typical rice production of around 35 million tonnes.

The harvesting of Boro crop has started and likely to be completed by first week of July.

Bangladesh‘s rice production in 2018/19 is expected to recover to 34.7 million tonnes, up 6.3 percent from a year ago, estimates the U.S. Department of Agriculture attache in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile lower imports by Bangladesh will dent India‘s exports, which surged to a record in 2017.

India, the world‘s biggest rice exporter, managed to ship more than usual in 2017 due to good demand from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, but this year exports could be 1 million tonnes lower than last year‘s 12.5 million tonnes, said Olam‘s Gupta.

Reporting by Ruma Paul in DHAKA and Rajendra Jadhav in MUMBAI Editing by Kenneth https://in.reuters.com/article/bangladesh-rice-imports/bangladeshs-rice-imports-set-to-skid-as-domesticoutput-rebounds-officials-idINL3N1RO32I

Rice exports increase by 29pc in 3rd Quarter of FY-17 KARACHI: Rice exports of the country has increased by 29 percent in terms of value during the period of July 2017 to March 2018 in comparison to the same period of the previous fiscal year.

Senior Vice Chairman, Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), Rafique Suleman, in a statement here on Tuesday, said this year, total 2.95 million metric tons of Rice amounting to $ 1.412 billion, whereas in the same period of last year the volume was 2.53 million metric tons that amounted to $.1.09 billion.

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He said the REAP members were putting their untiring efforts to increase the rice exports and to earn more foreign exchange for the country. He said the REAP had been sending trade delegations to various countries for aggressive marketing for Rice. At present, a REAP delegation was on visit to Iran, which was very and potential market for Basmati rice. He said Kenya was the largest buyer of Pakistani non -Basmati rice and during last nine months, Pakistan exported 342,000 metric tons of rice amounting to $ 122 million. He also mentioned that China was the 2nd largest destination for Pakistani non- Basmati rice. From July 2017 to March 2018, 270,000 metric tons of rice valuing $ 99 million was exported. https://www.brecorder.com/2018/04/11/410867/rice-exports-increase-by-29pc-in-3rd-quarter-of-fy-17/

Philippines to import 250,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam or Thailand Philippines to import 250,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam or Thailand - Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippines is considering an emergency purchase of up to 250,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam or Thailand to ensure enough rice for domestic consumption during months of bad harvest. According

to the Philippines‘ National Food Authority (NFA), officials concerned are in the process of reference for the

48

emergency purchase. Under a new decree of President Rodrigo Duterte, the state-run grains agency may resort to alternative methods of procurement, especially during emergency cases. Therefore, the NFA said that whoever can bring in the rice requirement the fastest and the cheapest will be awarded the supply contract.

Duterte on April 5 met with rice traders to appeal to them not to hoard rice or sell the grains at higher price.

Rice traders promised to sell white rice at a price lower than the current market price and provide market with 700,000 sacks of rice.-VNA

Research Check: is it true pasta doesn’t make you gain weight, and could even help you lose it?

April 12, 2018 6.04am AEST Pasta has a low glycaemic index. Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash Reviewer 1. Rebecca Charlotte Reynolds Lecturer in Nutrition, UNSW Disclosure statement Clare Collins is affiliated with the Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition, the University of Newcastle, NSW. She is an NHMRC Senior Research and Gladys M Brawn Research Fellow. She has received research grants from NHMRC, ARC, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Meat and Livestock Australia, Diabetes Australia, Heart Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, nib foundation. She has consulted to SHINE Australia, Novo Nordisk, Quality Bakers and the Sax Institute. She was a team member conducting systematic reviews to inform the Australian Dietary Guidelines update and 2017 evidence review on dietary patterns for the Heart Foundation.

Rebecca Charlotte Reynolds owns The Real Bok Choy, a nutrition and lifestyle consultancy.

Eating pasta 3 times a week won’t make you gain weight, according to a new study – and it could even help you lose it And The Daily Meal said: Eat Pasta to Lose Weight, Study Says But before you get the pasta pot boiling, there‘s an important provision to keep in mind. The groups of people who ate pasta and lost weight were following an overall low glycaemic index (GI) diet. This means that the weight loss wasn‘t the result of eating pasta alone, but the effect of the low GI diet.

What‘s glycaemic index?

Glycaemic index, or GI, ranks foods that contain carbohydrates based from 0-100 on how quickly and to what level they raise your blood sugar after you‘ve eaten them. The higher the GI, the faster and higher the rise in blood glucose concentration.

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Foods ranked as having a low glycaemic index have a GI of less than 55. Medium GI foods are ranked between 55-70, while those with a GI greater than 70 have a high GI index.

Participants who ate pasta were also on a low GI diet. from shutterstock.com

Pasta has a lower GI as does some multigrain bread, rolled oats, apples, oranges, sweet potato, sweetcorn, lentils and chickpeas, milk and cashew nuts. High GI foods include some white breads, corn flakes, jasmine rice, potato, watermelon and rice crackers.

Eating foods from the low-GI list more frequently than those on the medium or high GI list leads to an overall dietary pattern with a lower mean GI value. This is thought to be important in terms of regulating blood sugars and appetite, particularly for people with type 2 diabetesand those who are overweight or obese.

How was the study conducted?

The study design is called a systematic review, which combines a number of already published studies answering a similar question to generate an overall conclusion. In this case, the

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researchers analysed the results from 29 randomised controlled trials in adults – where diets including pasta (the main intervention) were compared with another type of diet (the control).

The trials reviewed had investigated the impact of eating pasta on body weight and other indicators of body composition including changes in body fat, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, abdominal diameter and body mass index (BMI). The studies lasted for a median of 12 weeks and included 2,448 participants.

This review originally set out to see whether eating more pasta, independent of what else you were eating, affected body weight. However, the researchers didn‘t find any studies that had tested whether eating more pasta impacted body weight. All of the studies included in the review looked at the effect of eating pasta as part of an overall dietary prescription to follow a low GI diet.

That the pasta diets tested were, in fact, low GI diets is a major provision to interpreting the results. This means that the pasta groups (active arms) included people following an eating pattern with an overall low GI, compared to the control arms where the dietary patterns had a higher GI.

Rolled oats and apples are both low GI foods. from shutterstock.com

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What were the results?

The systematic review‘s main findings were that eating pasta was associated with a greater mean reduction in body weight of about 630 grams, and a reduction in BMI of 0.26 kg per square metre more in the pasta eating groups compared to the controls. There were no significant differences between groups when it came to other indicators of body weight or body composition.

The authors concluded that eating pasta in the context of low GI dietary patterns does not negatively affect body fatness, and reduces body weight and BMI, compared with higher GI dietary patterns.

The amount of weight loss was similar (mean of 630 grams more in the pasta/low-GI group) in the studies that ran for less than 24 weeks, compared to those that ran for longer (mean of 570 grams more for the pasta/low GI group). When the sub-group of studies were examined in those with type 2 diabetes or adults with overweight or obesity, the results were similar.

This is important because it means people in these categories can eat and enjoy pasta without compromising their weight status. The catch is how much pasta was eaten on each occasion.

Issues with portion sizes There were only 11 trials in which the amount of pasta eaten could be quantified, and the authors did not report how the dietary intake data was extracted from these trials and converted to serve sizes. This pasta intake data is a potential source of error.

The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating defines one serve of pasta as being equivalent to half a cup of cooked pasta. But internationally what is called a serving size varies.

There‘s no international consensus on what constitutes one serving of pasta. from shutterstock.com

The median number of pasta servings across the studies was reported as 3.3 per week, ranging from from nearly two to seven per week. In this group of studies, the mean weight loss was 700 grams more in the pasta eating low GI groups compared to higher GI groups.

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Of note is that the median pasta intake in the pasta groups was not very high. The median of 3.3

equates to only 1.7 cups of cooked pasta per week, varying from 0.9-3.5 cups. In the trials where there was also a kilojoule restriction, the median pasta intake was 2.3 servings (1.2 cups) per week.

The authors also looked at whether there was a dose-response effect for eating pasta. This means they checked whether those who ate more pasta, lost more weight. The answer was no – there was no dose-response effect.

So, what‘s the verdict?

So the conclusion of this study could equally, and perhaps more accurately, be that following a low GI diet reduces body weight and BMI compared with a high GI diet. And following a lowGI diet does not have a negative effect on body composition.

The authors suggest that future trials are needed to assess the effect of eating pasta over longer periods of time or in the context of other ―healthy‖ dietary patterns. Overall though, rigorous reviews like the current one are excellent in helping to dispel diet myths, particularly those related to carbohydrates. - Clare Collins

Read more: What is a balanced diet anyway?

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Peer Review I believe this is a fair, and mostly accurate and balanced assessment of the study and its findings.

However, I would say it‘s more accurate the conclusion of this study is that: Following a low GI diet that includes pasta reduces body weight and BMI more compared with a high(er) GI diet that doesn’t include pasta. - Rebecca Reynolds http://theconversation.com/research-check-is-it-true-pasta-doesnt-make-you-gain-weight-and-could-evenhelp-you-lose-it-94570

Rice researchers unveil augmented reality app to help with Parkinson's patient safety Rice University student developers have designed the application, which could help with some of the gait problems that can affect people with Parkinson's.

By Mike Miliard April 11, 2018,09:49 AM

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A user points the phone at the ground and the app can cast the image of a block or circle where the person's foot should land in order to keep walking. Credit: YouTube Engineering students at Rice University have created a new iPhone app they say could help patients with Parkinson's manage a symptom of the disease called "freezing," a temporary and involuntary inability to move when the legs are unable to follow the brain's command.

Visual, audio or vibratory cues can help overcome that, research has shown, and the Rice developers say their new app offers a comprehensive way to deliver those cues.

Specifically, it incorporates augmented reality technology. A user simply points the phone at the ground and the app can cast the image of a block or circle where the person's foot should land in order to keep walking.

That simple cue can be enough to allow patients resume their natural gait.

The developers say the app can also provide audio or sensory signals through the iPhone's existing capability. (It's not available for Android devices yet, but should be adaptable to that platform, they said.)

"This is for patients who, in their day-to-day lives, experience freezing episodes," said Rice student Gaby Perez. "There are a couple of devices on the market to help them, but none of them incorporate all three kinds of cues."

Currently, many Parkinson's patients use a cane with a laser attachment to help them with gait freezing. This is more affordable and easy to use, they said.

"Every time you place the cane down, the laser line pops up in front of you, cueing the user to step over it," said co-developer Theresa Sonka. "But a lot of the time, these laser solutions have trouble working outdoors."

"What's cool about our project is that the cheapest solutions available right now are about $200, with some solutions costing as much as $3,000," added fellow team member Jeremy David. "Our solution, however, has the potential to work more effectively and at a fraction of the cost."

Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/rice-researchers-unveil-augmented-reality-app-help-parkinsonspatient-safety

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Rice exports up by 29pc in nine months April 12, 2018

Kenya largest buyer of Pakistani Non-Basmati Rice and China second Masroor Afzal Pasha Karachi Pakistani rice exports have registered a sizeable growth of overall 29 percent in terms of value and 16 percent in quantity during first nine months of current fiscal year 2017-18.

This was stated by the Senior Vice Chairman, Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), Rafique Suleman while talking to newsmen here.

He further shared the figures of rice exports during the period of July to March 2018, rice exports during fiscal year 2017-18 (July to March 2018) a 29 percent of significant growth has been registered as compared to same period of last fiscal year 2016-17.

This year, he said we exported a total of 2.95 million metric tons of rice amounting to $1.412 billion, whereas last fiscal year in the same period we had exported 2.53 million metric tons of rice at $1.09 billion, which registered an overall of growth of 29 percent in terms values and 16 percent in terms of quantity.

He informed that the rice sector has refloated and come out of the crisis after a lapse of three years.

With the coordination of REAP, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and Customs, value of rice export trade is showing improvement which is a positive sign for the country‘s economy. The REAP members are putting their untiring efforts and aggressive marketing to increase the rice exports and to earn valuable foreign exchange for our beloved country Pakistan.

He said that the REAP‘s trade delegations visited various countries for an aggressive marketing of Pakistani rice.

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In this regard, a delegation is currently on a visit to Iran, which is a very lucrative and potential market for Basmati Rice, he said, adding, few years back Pakistan was exporting huge quantity of rice to Iran, however, since last year, we can only export up to 100,000 metric tons of rice.

Kenya is the largest buyer of Pakistani Non-Basmati Rice and during nine months of current fiscal year (July to Mar 2018), he said, we have exported 342,000 Metric Tons of rice amounting to $ 122 million. China is the second largest destination for Pakistani Non-Basmati Rice. At the end of March 2018, we have exported 270,000 metric tons of rice valuing $99 million, he revealed.

Currently, the demand of rice in the international market has been increased and during the current fiscal year, we had a very good crop in terms of quality and quantity, Suleman said, adding, prices of Pakistani rice are comparatively cheaper than our competitors, Thailand, Vietnam etc., which is also in our favour.

Pakistani rice exporters working hard for the growth of economy and making huge investment for installing world‘s latest rice machinery and most modern technology for rice value addition, he added.

Recently, Indonesian state own body, BULOG has floated a tender for the procurement of rice and (8) Pakistani rice exporters were successful to supply 50,000 metric tons and resultantly, we will be able to export $22.625 million value of rice from the country, he added.

He further informed that Indian rice is being banned by European Union due to the excess limit of pesticide residue and the Pakistani rice exporters are taking advantage of this vacuum. He hoped that the export of Pakistani Brown Rice will be increased phenomenally.

Global Rice Transplanter Machine Market 2018 Analysis & Forecasts 2015-2027 April 12, 2018 04:36 AM Eastern Daylight Time

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Global Rice Transplanter Machine Market Analysis & Trends - Industry Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

―Global Rice Transplanter Machine Market Analysis & Trends - Industry Forecast to 2027‖ The Global Rice Transplanter Machine Market is poised to grow over the next decade. Some of the prominent trends that the market is witnessing include procurement of the machinery in low-mechanized regions, growth

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of mechanization in agriculture, introduction of microcontrollers in field machinery and growth opportunities/investment opportunities.

This industry report analyzes the market estimates and forecasts of all the given segments on global as well as regional levels presented in the research scope. The study provides historical market data for 2015, 2016 revenue estimations are presented for 2017 and forecasts from 2018 till 2027.

The study focuses on market trends, leading players, supply chain trends, technological innovations, key developments, and future strategies. With comprehensive market assessment across the major geographies such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Latin America and Rest of the world the report is a valuable asset for the existing players, new entrants and the future investors.

Based on Distribution Channel, market is divided into Offline and Online.

Key Topics Covered 1 Market Outline 2 Executive Summary 3 Market Overview 4 Rice Transplanter Machine Market, by Distribution Channel 5 Rice Transplanter Machine Market, by Geography 6 Key Player Activities 7 Leading Companies 

TYM



Jiangsu World Agriculture Machinery

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CLAAS

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Mitsubishi Mahindra Agricultural Machinery



Changfa Agricultural Equipment



Shandong Fuerwo Agricultural Equipment



Dongfeng Agricultural Machinery



Kubota



Iseki



Yanmar

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For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/4xxpkm/global_rice?w=4

Contacts ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Related Topics: Agricultural Machinery and Equipment

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180412005529/en/Global-Rice-Transplanter-MachineMarket-2018-Analysis

Rice exports observe 29 pc increase at end of 3rd quarter of fiscal year Last Updated On 11 April,2018 09:45 am

Rafique Suleman shared the figures of rice exports during the period of July to March 2018.

LAHORE (Dunya News) – Rice exports from Pakistan have seen sizeable growth of overall 29% at the end of 3rd Quarter of current fiscal year 2017-2018. This statement was given by Mr.

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Rafique Suleman, Senior Vice Chairman, Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), while talking with news reporters.

He shared the figures of rice exports during the period of July to March 2018. He said that at the end of March 2018, rice exports for fiscal year 2017-18 (July to Mar 2018), a significant growth of 29% has been observed as compared to Last fiscal year 2016-17 (July to Mar 2017).

He said that this year, we exported a total of 2.95 million metric tons of rice amounting to US$.

1.412 billion, whereas last fiscal year in the same period, we had exported 2.53 million metric tons of rice amounting to US$.1.09 billion, which shows over all a significant growth of 29% in terms values and 16% in terms of quantity.

He expressed his pleasure to inform the media persons that by the grace of Almighty Allah, we have come out of the crisis which we have been observing since last three years. Further with the coordination of REAP Office Bearers with Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and Customs, value of rice export trade is showing improvement which is a good sign for our country. Further, REAP members are putting their untiring efforts and aggressive marketing to increase the rice exports and to earn valueable foreign exchange for our beloved country Pakistan.

He informed that REAP is sending trade delegation to various countries for the forceful marketing of Pakistani rice. In this regard, a delegation is currently on a visit to Iran, which is very lucrative and potential market for Basmati rice. Few years back Pakistan was exporting huge quantity of rice to Iran, however, since last year, we can only export upto One lac tons of rice.

He added that Kenya is the largest buyer of Pakistani Non Basmati rice and during Nine months of this fiscal year (July to Mar 2018) we have exported 342,000 Metric Tons of rice amounting to US$ 122 Million. He also said that China is the 2nd largest destination for Pakistani Non Basmati rice. As at the end of March 2018, we have exported 270,000 Metric tons of rice valueing US$ 99 Million.

He briefed that right now international demand for rice has been increased around the globe. He was happy to inform that this year we had a very good crop in terms of quality and quantity.

Further, prices of Pakistani rice are comparatively cheaper than our competitors, Thailand, Vietnam etc. which is also in our favour.

He added that Pakistani rice exporters are putting their extra ordinary efforts for fetching valueable foreign exchange for the growth of economy of our beloved country and making huge investment for installing world‘s latest rice machinery and most modern technology for value addition in rice.

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He expressed with pleasure that recently Indonesian state own body, BULOG has floated a tender for the procurement of rice and (8) Pakistani rice exporters were successful to supply 50,000 Metric Tons and in result we will be able to fetch approx.US$ 22.625 Million valuable foreign exchange for our beloved country Pakistan He further informed that Indian rice is being banned by EU countries due to the excess limit of pesticide residue and Pakistani rice exporters are taking advantage of this and hopefully export of Pakistani Brown rice will be increased with remarkable ratio https://dunyanews.tv/en/Business/434861-Rice-exports-observe-increase-end-3rd-quarter-fiscal-year

Rice Transplanter Machines Market SWOT Analysis by Leading Key Players | Yanmar, Iseki, Kubota, TYM April 12, 2018 - by info@htfmarketreport.com

Latest research study from HTF MI with title China Rice Transplanter Machines by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2023. The Research report presents a complete assessment of the market and contains Future trend, Current Growth Factors, attentive opinions, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry validated market data.

The study is segmented by products type, application/end-users. The research study provides estimates for China Rice Transplanter Machines Forecast till 2023.

If you are involved in the Rice Transplanter Machines industry or intend to be, then this study will provide you comprehensive outlook. It’s vital you keep your market knowledge up to date segmented by Applications Commercial & Household, Product Types such as [Mechanical & Manual] and some major players in the industry. If you have a different set of players/manufacturers according to geography or needs regional or country segmented reports we can provide customization according to your requirement.

Request Sample of China Rice Transplanter Machines Market Research Report 2018 @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/1084140-china-rice-transplantermachines-market Key Companies/players: Yanmar, Iseki, Kubota, TYM, Jiangsu World Agriculture Machinery, CLAAS, Shandong Fuerwo Agricultural Equipment, Mitsubishi Mahindra Agricultural Machinery, Dongfeng Agricultural Machinery & Changfa Agricultural Equipment.

Application: Commercial & Household, Product Type: Mechanical & Manual.

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The research covers the current & Future market size of the China Rice Transplanter Machines market and its growth rates based on 5 year history data. It also covers various types of segmentation such as by geography [South China, East China, Southwest China, Northeast China, North China, Central China & Northwest China]. The market competition is constantly growing higher with the rise in technological innovation and M&A activities in the industry.

Moreover, many local and regional vendors are offering specific application products for varied end-users. On the basis of attributes such as company overview, recent developments, strategies adopted by the market leaders to ensure growth, sustainability, financial overview and recent developments.

Stay up-to-date with Rice Transplanter Machines market research offered by HTF MI. Check how key trends and emerging drivers are shaping this industry growth as the study avails you with market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional breakdowns, competitive landscape, shares, trend and strategies for this market. In the China Rice Transplanter Machines Market Analysis & Forecast 2018-2023, the revenue is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2018 and 2023. The production is estimated at XX million in 2017 and is forecasted to reach XX million by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2018 and 2023.

Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/1084140-china-rice-transplanter-machinesmarket Key questions answered in this report – China Rice Transplanter Machines Market Research Report 2018 What will the market size be in 2023 and what will the growth rate be What are the key market trends What is driving China Rice Transplanter Machines Market?

What are the challenges to market growth?

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What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the China Rice Transplanter Machines Market?

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There are 15 Chapters to display the China Rice Transplanter Machines market.

Chapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of China Rice Transplanter Machines, Applications of Rice Transplanter Machines, Market Segment by Regions; Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure; Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of , Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, Export & Import, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis; Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment); Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes South China, East China, Southwest China, Northeast China, North China, Central China & Northwest China, Rice Transplanter Machines Segment Market Analysis (by Type); Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the Rice Transplanter Machines Segment Market Analysis (by Application [Commercial & Household]) Major Manufacturers Analysis; Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [Mechanical & Manual], Market Trend by Application [Commercial & Household]; Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis; Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of China Rice Transplanter Machines by region, type and application ; Chapter 12, to describe Rice Transplanter Machines Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source; Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Rice Transplanter Machines sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.

Buy this research report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buynow?format=1&report=1084140 Reasons for Buying this Report This report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics It provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growth It provides a 5-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to grow It helps in understanding the key product segments and their future It provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitors It helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segments

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Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.

About Author: HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the ―Accurate Forecast‖ in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their ―Goals & Objectives‖.

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Long-Grain Rice Seeds Market Cost Structure & Future Demands including key players April 11, 2018 - by info@htfmarketreport.com

The qualitative research study conducted by HTF MI titled ― Long-Grain Rice Seeds Market Cost Structure & Future Demands including key players‖ provides primary Data, surveys, Scope of the Product and vendor briefings. The market dynamic forces have been determined after conducting a detailed study of the Long-Grain Rice Seeds market. The study provides forecasts for Long-Grain Rice Seeds investments till 2022.

If you are involved in the Long-Grain Rice Seeds industry or intend to be, then this study will provide you comprehensive outlook. It offers a consequential analysis of the Long-Grain Rice Seeds company, key tactics followed by leading manufactures and trending segments.

Get the inside scoop of the Sample report @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/samplereport/849843–long-grain-rice-seeds-sales-market-1 The research study is segmented by Types [Japonica Rice & Indica Rice] as well as Key Applications [Agricultural Planting & Scientific and Research Planting] with historical and projected market share along with the growth rate, revenue figures and gross profit margin in

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tabular format which makes easy to understand product/service differences, market concentration rate and product distribution for past 5 years.

Major geographical regions like United States, China, Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia & India and leading players such as Dupont Pioneer, Bayer, Nuziveedu Seeds, Kaveri, Mahyco, RiceTec, Krishidhan, Rasi Seeds, JK seeds, Syngenta, Longping High-tech, China National Seed, Dabei Nong Group, Hefei Fengle, Gansu Dunhuang Seed, Dongya Seed Industry, Keeplong Seeds, Anhui Nongken & Beijing Doneed Seeds involved in this report. The report gives a clear idea about the growth factors, reasons for deterioration of Long-Grain Rice Seeds in recent years and different opportunities and strategies to expand market.

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Buy this research @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=849843 Reasons to Buy: – What will be the market size in 2022 and at what rate will it grow?

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To add, value to product and services research report comprises of valuable insights with distinguishable traits that influence consumer’s behavior and demand. The report offers a

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measurable and verifiable method made towards analysis of market concentration, new entrants and the technological trends in future.

Some of the key questions answered in this report: – Detailed Overview of Long-Grain Rice Seeds market helps deliver clients and businesses making strategies.

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Any Query or Specific Requirement? Ask to our Expert @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/849843–long-grain-rice-seedssales-market-1 There are 15 Chapters to display the Long-Grain Rice Seeds market Chapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Long-Grain Rice Seeds, Applications of Long-Grain Rice Seeds, Market Segment by Regions; Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure; Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of , Capacity and Commercial Production Rate, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, Export & Import, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis; Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment); Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes United States, China, Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia & India, Long-Grain Rice Seeds Segment Market Analysis (by Type); Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the Long-Grain Rice Seeds Segment Market Analysis (by Application [Agricultural Planting & Scientific and Research Planting]) & Type [Japonica Rice & Indica Rice] Major Manufacturers Analysis of Long-Grain Rice Seeds; Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [Japonica Rice & Indica Rice], Market Trend by Application Agricultural Planting & Scientific and Research Planting; Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;

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Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of Long-Grain Rice Seeds; Chapter 12, to describe Long-Grain Rice Seeds Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source; Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Long-Grain Rice Seeds sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.

Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.

Check for discount @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/request-discount/849843–long-grainrice-seeds-sales-market-1 About Author: HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the ―Accurate Forecast‖ in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their ―Goals & Objectives‖. https://businessservices24.com/486478/long-grain-rice-seeds-market-cost-structure-future-demandsincluding-key-players/

United States Rice Cooker market Research Report Released with growth, latest trends & forecasts till 2022 April 11, 2018

Questale has just released a comprehensive market research report for United States Rice Cooker Market. This report focuses on top players in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, covering Midea , Joyoung and Panasonic . ―This report is a professional account, which gives thorough knowledge along with complete details pertaining to United States Rice Cooker Market. The research experts have evaluated the general sales of United States Rice Cooker Market and its revenue generation. Furthermore, it also gives extensive study of root market trends and many governing elements along with improvements in the market in every segment., it contains diverse profiles of key market players such as Midea , Joyoung and Panasonic .‖ – said a Spokesperson with Questale.

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You can get free access to samples from the report here: https://questale.com/report/united-states-rice-cooker-market-report-2018/324661 The potential of the products has been rigorously tested in conjunction with the key market challenges. The existing condition of the market and future prospects of this segment has also been studied. Furthermore, key market strategies, which include product developments, scope of product, and market strategies are also discussed. It constitutes quantitative and qualitative evaluation by industry experts, assistance from industry analysts, and first-hand data.

This research report for United States Rice Cooker Market explore different topics such as product scope, product market by end users or application, product market by region, market size for the specific product, sales and revenue by region, manufacturing cost analysis, Industrial

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Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers, Market Effect Factors Analysis, market size forecast, and more. The research gives a forecast for the United States Rice Cooker industry till the year 2022.

The research experts have evaluated the general sales of United States Rice Cooker Market and its revenue generation. Furthermore, it also gives extensive study of root market trends and many governing elements along with improvements in the market in every segment. Furthermore, it contains diverse profiles of key market players.Mazor countries have a very crucial role in the global market and the latest report for United States Rice Cooker Market study the status of development and future trends in China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, India, Southeast Asia & Australia. The report also splits the products by applications and by type to deeply and fully research and disclose the market situation and future prediction.

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They are primarily divided into Electric Rice Cookers , Gas Rice Cookers and On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate for each application, including .

Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at:: https://questale.com/report/united-statesrice-cooker-market-report-2018/324661 https://tokenfolks.com/united-states-rice-cooker-market-research-report-released-with-growth-latesttrends-forecasts-till-2022/88843/

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