13th july ,2017 daily global regional & local rice e newsletter

Daily Global Rice

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July 13,2017 Vol 8 Issue VII

Today Rice News Headlines...                               

Pakistan could eat India’s share of basmati rice exports Fading aroma: Basmati’s latest challenge Varanasi hub for 'miracle rice' maker PH to compensate for extension of QR on rice, says Neda chief Rice export target set at 5.7 million tonnes Rebuilding a damaged agricultural sector Purple rice developed by Chinese scientists Qamrul refuses to give stats of food reserve Rice crisis catches Qamrul napping Proposal to impose season-based rice tariffs welcomed by experts NFA wants more bidders for for 250,000 MT rice imports PH to compensate for extension of QR on rice imports, says Neda chief Changing of the Guard at USA Rice Annual Meeting WASDE Report Released Rice crisis catches Qamrul napping GST impact on rice: Facing 5 pct tax impost, branded suppliers protest zero rate for India Gate Menus released for Epcot International Food Festival Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- JUL 13, 2017 As monsoon takes a break, summer crop yields likely to fall; farmer woes may heighten China’s appetite driving rice export growth as demand continues to outstrip supply Vietnam to attend Philippine rice tender Cambodia rice exports rise 7.6 percent in Jan-June; China is top market Economic team seeks urgent status for rice tariff bill to replace QR NFA wants more bidders for for 250,000 MT rice imports Philippines sets $451.08/tonne price ceiling for rice imports Editorial: Cuba trade small part of positioning U.S. as global leader West Nile farmers get skills in rice growing Cabinet approves setting up a centre in Varanasi for research on new rice breeds Gov’t to Increase Investment in Agricultural Mechanization Centre nod to opening of rice research institution in Varanasi Union cabinet okays international rice research institute in Varanasi

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News Detail...

Pakistan could eat India‘s share of basmati rice exports

13 July,2017 KARACHI: Pakistan could target India‘s basmati rice share in the global market, a likelihood sparked by stringent policies placed by the European Union (EU) on the presence of hazardous pesticides in the commodity, said an official. From January 1, 2018, all countries that export basmati rice to the EU must bring down the maximum residue limit (MRL) level for Tricyclazole, a pesticide, to 0.01 mg per kg. Up till now, the EU was accepting 0.03 mg per kg from different countries, including India.

The chance that Pakistan could eat up a share of India‘s market comes from the fact that the country‘s farmers do not use such chemicals to protect their crops. However, Indian farmers widely use the pesticide under scrutiny and exporters fear that up to 95% of basmati shipments could take a hit by the new regulation. Since new EU regulations could completely choke off

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Indian basmati exports, an Indian government delegation is leaving for Brussels this week to discuss the restrictions.

On the other hand, a Pakistani basmati exporter says this presents an opportunity to grab India‘s market share, because it will at least take two cycles to reduce the consumption of Tricyclazole in the country. ―Pakistan currently exports 100,000 tons of basmati to the EU a year, which can go up to 250,000 tons per annum after EU regulations,‖ Matco Foods Pvt Limited Director Faizan Ali Ghori told The Express Tribune. India, the world‘s biggest exporter of basmati rice with a share of about 70%, exported 350,000 tons of basmati to the EU worth $268 million in fiscal year 2016-17. Raising Rs1 billion from the stock market Meanwhile, Matco Foods – one of the leading basmati rice exporters in Pakistan – is expecting to raise Rs1 billion through the Initial Public Offering (IPO) it has planned for around September this year.

The company plans to invest the proceeds in its two rice glucose plants in Karachi. Rice glucose is the main ingredient for pharmaceutical, confectionery, and juice industries. ―We want to move towards value added products to increase exports,‖ said Ghori. The company exports rice to over 60 countries. Matco‘s first rice glucose with a capacity of 10,000 tons per annum is being commissioned in Karachi at an investment of Rs350 million. The other factory will have a capacity of 20,000 tons that will be set up in the next one to two years. The company will prefer international markets as it expects to fetch as much as $11,000 per ton against a price range of just $400-$500 per ton in the domestic market, Ghori said, adding that there is a growing demand in western markets for rice glucose.

Currently, there are two rice glucose factories in Pakistan – both in Karachi due to proximity to ports and export markets. Matco‘s management believes the demand for rice glucose will increase because it is not genetically modified and safer for children. At present, over 90% domestic demand of pharmaceutical and confectionary industries is being met by corn glucose.

CPEC opens avenues for agri-exports―There is so much room for diversification in rice exports because Pakistan does not make value added products from rice that have huge domestic as well as international demand,‖ he added. Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2017. Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation. https://tribune.com.pk/story/1456663/pakistan-eat-indias-share-basmati-rice-exports/

Fading aroma: Basmati’s latest challenge The AIREA workshops have been focusing on educating farmers about the EU decision and advising them to spray Tricyclazole just once before the ‗boot leaf‘ stage, while the developing panicle is still to emerge from the stem.The AIREA workshops have been focusing on educating farmers about the EU decision and advising them to spray Tricyclazole just once before the ‗boot leaf‘ stage, while the developing panicle is still to emerge from the stem.

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Baldev Kumar is a confused man these days. The source of it is a recommendation that experts made at a recent workshop conducted by the All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA). The 36-year-old farmer, who attended the workshop not far from his village of Lali in Ratia tehsil of Haryana‘s Fatehabad district, was told not to spray the fungicide Tricyclazole beyond 70-75 days after transplanting of the popular Pusa-1401 basmati paddy variety. ―It‘s difficult to follow this recommendation. In some seasons, especially when humidity levels are high, we may have to spray the fungicide (against leaf and neck blast disease in rice) even 34 times. And that could be even after 90 days,‖ Kumar told The Indian Express over phone. The ongoing ―farmer awareness‖ camps — AIREA has already held five of them in Sirsa, Fatehabad and Kaithal, districts having significant acreages under Pusa-1401 and Pusa Basmati-1 varieties that are particularly vulnerable to blast — follows a recent European Union (EU) decision to bring down the maximum residue limits (MRL) for Tricyclazole in imported rice shipments to 0.01 parts per million (ppm).

This is as against the existing tolerance level of one ppm (one ppm is 1 mg/kg; 0.01 ppm equals 1 mg/100 kg). ―Out of India‘s annual 40 lakh tonnes (lt) basmati exports valued at around Rs 22,000 crore, 3.5 lt goes to the EU. Much of it constitutes Pusa-1401 and Pusa Basmati-1 rice.

The EU action reducing the MRL for Tricyclazole to default levels can significantly affect our shipments and amounts to a non-tariff barrier. Our government should take this up, more so because not a single health-related incidence has been reported from the use of this cost-effective fungicide,‖, said Vijay Setia, president of AIREA. The blast fungus primarily infects the leaf and neck nodes of the main stem from which the grain-bearing earheads or panicles emerge.

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The infected tissues after a point turn black and shrivel, causing the stem to break. The panicles may have partially formed grains in their early milky stage. Either way, the end-result is severe yield loss. The AIREA workshops have been focusing on educating farmers about the EU decision and advising them to spray Tricyclazole just once before the ‗boot leaf‘ stage, while the developing panicle is still to emerge from the stem. Booting happens about 70 days after transplantation (or 100 days from seeding in the nursery), which leaves another 45 days for flowering, grain-filling and final ripening. ―Tricyclazole residues remain in the plant for 30-35 days. So, if spraying is done at booting stage, the molecules will break down and there will hardly be any residues during maturity.

Farmers now are applying even at grain-formation stage,‖ explains A.K. Gupta, director of the Basmati Export Development Foundation, a society under the Union Commerce Ministry‘s Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority. Farmers are, however, not fully convinced. ―The scientists are saying that just a single spray is enough. But what if there is a severe attack of gardan-marod (the local term for blast, literally meaning ―curling of neck‖), which is always possible in varieties that take 145-150 days to mature?

If this EU decision was known earlier, I wouldn‘t have sown Pusa-1501. There is nothing more effective against gardan-marod than Tricyclazole,‖ claims Baldev Kumar who has planted the long-duration improved basmati on 16 out of his 22-acres holding. He sums up the dilemma now facing farmers like him: ―If we go against the recommendation of the exporters and scientists, we will lose our market. But if we follow their advice, we may even lose our crop‖. Jaspal Singh from Nangal Shama, a village in the outskirts of Jalandhar, has been cultivating basmati on three out of his six-acre farm for the past 15-odd years.

He has also been spraying Tricyclazole on his crop 2-3 times, often even 80-90 days after transplanting. ―We spray whenever some blackening of the leaves (for leaf blast) or stem (for neck blast) is visible. Nobody from the Punjab Agricultural University or the state agriculture department has provided us any guidelines on application of this fungicide. But suddenly now, we are being told to limit its spraying,‖ he remarked.

Jaspal Singh fortunately grows Pusa-1121, a basmati variety less susceptible to blast, unlike Pusa Basmati-1 and Pusa-1401 that are more widely cultivated in Haryana; Sirsa district alone has an estimated 60,000-70,000 hectares under the latter two varieties. At the same time, Pusa-1121 is prone to bacterial blight attacks that cause wilting of seedlings and drying of leaves. A K Singh, head of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute‘s genetics division, feels that farmers cannot risk too much of pesticide applications in basmati, given the huge export market for this rice and the need to preserve its premium quality character.

The New Delhi-based institute, which has developed all the well-known Pusa basmati varieties, has in recent times been working on ―breeding for disease-resistance‖, as an alternative to spraying of pesticides. Such breeding involves introduction of genes, from both traditional

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landrace cultivars as well as wild relatives of paddy, into existing high-yielding basmati varieties.

The transfer of the target genes from resistant donor lines is being done through advanced molecular breeding based on marker-assisted selection. ―We have just released three such varieties bred specifically for resistance. The first is Pusa-1637, which is an improved Pusa Basmati-1 incorporating resistance to neck and leaf blast. The second is Pusa-1728, an improved Pusa-101 variety having bacterial blight resistance.

The third, Pusa-1718, is Pusa-1121 that is also resistant to bacterial blight,‖ he informed. As these varieties get planted in fields — their seeds have already been supplied to select farmers and companies for multiplication — there should hopefully be less need to spray chemicals encountering increasing buyer resistance in Europe and other premium-value markets. http://indianexpress.com/article/business/business-others/fading-aroma-basmatis-latestchallenge-rice-export-pusa-airea-4748107/

Varanasi hub for 'miracle rice' maker Our Special Correspondent New Delhi, July 12: The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines is set to establish a South Asian Regional Centre in Varanasi that crop scientists say will help improve the yield and quality of rice mainly for eastern Indian states.

The Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today approved the establishment of the IRRI's regional centre to be hosted at the National Seed Research and Training Centre, a government laboratory in Varanasi, and expected to be commissioned within six months.

Indian rice research scientists say the new centre will elevate collaboration with the IRRI that dates back to the 1960s when it worked with Indian scientists to develop IR8, a rice variety with nearly double the yield used in the country then.

"The IR8 variety was called miracle rice - it set off the green revolution in rice in India," said Himanshu Pathak, director of the Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Odisha. The IR8 yield was about eight tonnes per hectare compared with about three tonnes available from varieties used across India then.

The IR8 was a semi-dwarf variety, Pathak said, and different from the rice varieties cultivated in India during the 1960s that were tall, low-yielding, and were not responsive to fertilisers. Its introduction and rice breeding efforts since then have allowed the country to steadily raise production.

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Many crop scientists believe the next big jump in rice production in the country is likely to be driven by increasing per hectare yields in the eastern states where the current average production is lower than in other parts of the country.

The Varanasi centre will work on special rice varieties to further improve the per hectare yields of rice and improve its nutrition content through modern plant breeding strategies and on postharvesting activities to reduce wastage, add value and generate higher in come for farmers.

"We're hoping to get new rice varieties rich in iron and zinc," said Jeet Singh Sandhu, deputy director-general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, a member of the coordination committee of the proposed centre.

"This will be through conventional breeding - our own scientists are already engaged in efforts to improve the nutritional value of rice. Some varieties rich in protein and zinc have been developed," Sandhu said.

Senior officials in the Indian Council of Agricultural Research expect the regional centre to focus on rice varieties for use by farmers in eastern India as well as in South Asian and African countries.

"The average per hectare rice yield in many places in eastern India is significantly lower than in the north-western states," said Arvind Nath Singh, director of the National Seed Research and Training Centre that will host the laboratories and infrastructure for the regional centre.

The IRRI is a member of a consortium of international agricultural research centres engaged in improving food security worldwide. Other consortium members are involved in maize, wheat, potato, semi-arid crops, aquatic resources, food policy and forestry https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170713/jsp/nation/story_161710.jsp

PH to compensate for extension of QR on rice, says Neda chief By: Ben O. de Vera - Reporter / @bendeveraINQ Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:45 PM July 12, 2017

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia (File photo by JOAN BONDOC / Philippine Daily Inquirer) Economic managers will ask President Rodrigo Duterte to certify as urgent a bill that will slap a tariff on all rice imports in order to finally do away with the quota system and avoid sanctions from

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the World Trade Organization (WTO), according to Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia.

Pernia told reporters late Monday that, while the President in April signed Executive Order No. 23, which he said was aimed at eventually lifting the quantitative restriction (QR) on the Filipino food staple, the EO provided for a three-year extension of the QR while in transition towards tariffication.

To ultimately remove the QR, the over one-decade-old Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996 (Republic Act No. 8178), which put the rice import quota in place, must be amended.

Pernia, who also heads the state planning agency National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), said Sen. Ralph Recto already filed in the Senate a measure to remove the QR. ―In the meantime, as the deliberations in Congress will take some time, what we are trying to do is to not infuriate the members of the WTO, in terms of retaliation,‖ Pernia said.

Specifically, Pernia said: ―We are planning to extend the concessions on lower tariffs to certain products or minimum access volume of 5,200 metric tons that will be granted to interested WTO parties up to June 2020 or up to the time Congress approves the official lifting of QR and replacing them with tariffication, whichever comes first.‖

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The concessions would be on agricultural products, Pernia said.

The Neda chief nonetheless said he was hopeful that ―the approval of the tariffication will come sooner so that we don‘t have to be extending concessions.‖ Pernia said Neda would back up the proposal of state-run think tank Philippine Institute of Development Studies to set the import duty on rice at 35 percent.

In 2014, the WTO allowed the Philippines to extend its QR on rice until June 30, 2017, in a bid to buy more time for local farmers to prepare for free trade in light of the government‘s goal of achieving rice self-sufficiency.

Since the government imposes a quota on rice imports, domestic prices are vulnerable to shocks resulting from a meager supply.

The QR puts the burden of rice supply and demand on the government, whereas the market forces are being limited by the quota system.

Pundits say importation should be done by the private sector to allow market forces to determine prices.

The extended QR slaps 35-percent duty on imported rice under a minimum access volume (MAV) of 805,200 metric tons. Importation outside of the MAV limit are levied a higher tariff of 50 percent.

The Philippines‘ most favored nation rate – the additional tariff imposed when imported outside of the Association of Southeast Nations – on the commodity remains at about 40 percent.

In 1995, the WTO allowed the Philippines to impose a 10-year quota system for rice importation.

The QR was extended in 2004, and then lapsed in 2012, before again renewed in 2014. /atm http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/913259/ph-to-compensate-for-extension-of-qr-on-rice-says-nedachief#ixzz4mhbZMtfs

Rice export target set at 5.7 million tonnes Update: July, 12/2017 - 16:17

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Rice export is expected to reach 5.7 million tonnes this year. - Photo doisongphapluat.com

HÀ NỘI – The Việt Nam Food Association (VFA) has set the target for rice export at 5.7 million tonnes this year, up 800,000 tonnes from 2016, amid rising global demand.Huỳnh Thế Năng, president of VFA, said that since May, the demand for rice in the global market had seen a significant rise, and sellers now had the upper hand.The current stockpiles of major rice exporting countries were not high, while rice import demands from countries such as the Philippines, Bangladesh and Indonesia were rising, Năng said, adding that the average export price had seen a rise of US$6-7 per tonne compared to the same period last year.

Năng said the Philippines planned to purchase 250,000 tonnes of rice in July and there was a high possibility that Việt Nam would be chosen. The Philippines was also considering importing another 544,000 tones by the beginning of September.

Recently, Bangladesh and Việt Nam also signed a memorandum of understanding on rice trade, in which Việt Nam can sell up to one million tonnes of rice to Bangladesh every year.

A survey by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) revealed that local rice prices were increasing this year, by VNĐ300-600 per kg.Data from the MARD shows that in the first six months of 2017, rice export reached 2.8 million tonnes worth $1.2 billion, up 6.3 per cent in quantity and 4.9 per cent in value over the same period last year. The increase is

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considered impressive, given that it declined by 26.5 per cent in volume and 22.4 per cent in value in 2016. – VNS

http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/379992/rice-export-target-set-at-57-milliontonnes.html#ky2qf78bqgy1Kcpx.97

Rebuilding a damaged agricultural sector

By Rene E. Ofreneo JULY 12, 2017 “We’re a blessed Nation because we can grow our own food and, therefore, we’re secure. A Nation that can feed its people is a nation more secure.”— President George W. Bush, on the occasion of the signing of the US Farms Bill, May 13, 2002. The US Farm Policy, which provides massive subsidy to American agriculture, is renewed every five years.

During the election campaign in 2015-2016, then Presidential Candidate Rodrigo Duterte never got tired telling the voters that the Philippines became a major agriculture-importing country because of ―failed agricultural programs‖, as reflected in the nation‘s heavy reliance on rice imports and smuggled agricultural products such as garlic and onion. Quoting an Israeli expert, he said that our soil is so rich the country is even in a position to feed the world.

And yet, as we all know, Philippine agriculture is a devastated sector. It is unable to feed the nation. Although it covers over one-third of the country‘s landmass of 30 million hectares, agriculture output accounts for less than 10 percent of the GDP. Still, it employs around onethird of the labor force. The resulting low income per capita in the sector explains why poverty wears a predominantly rural face. In turn, the eroded capacity of the sector to create decent jobs explains the unabated exodus of rural migrants to the urban areas as well as the rise of rural poor colonies throughout the archipelago.

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Hence, the big challenge to the Duterte Administration, now on its second year, is two-fold: how to stop the continuous decline of agriculture as a productive sector, and how to transform it into a motor of growth and job creation.

There are promising developments. Department of Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol has been insistent on the importance of the rice sufficiency program and the extension of more assistance to the farmers – for example, free irrigation and palay price support. To strengthen farmer coping adjustment to market demand and climate change challenges, Malacanang also launched a ―color-guided‖ map on soil and crop suitability.

However, the Administration‘s agricultural policy team is still not united on how to push the sufficiency-transformation program. There are advocates of liberalized rice importation even during palay harvest season. There is still no policy unity on what should be the role of the government‘s National Food Authority in the rice and other agricultural markets.

There are also unresolved land problems. The full implementation of the 30-year-old Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program is an unfinished business. There are even debates within the Cabinet on whether to relax or not the policy banning conversions of agricultural lands. Proposals for a comprehensive national land use plan remain proposals awaiting Congressional approval and public scrutiny. In the meantime, big realty estate companies and resort and subdivision developers are having a field day accumulating agricultural land in various regions to build new cement jungles, develop resorts and playgrounds for the rich, or keep them idle temporarily for ―land banking‖ purposes.

To strengthen agriculture, the new Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022 has identified the following policy doables: Revitalization (the DBM allocating P120 billion in five years), diversification (encouraging farmers to plant high-value products and exportables), and modernization (through mechanization, credit assistance and so on) of the sector. In addition, the PDP talks of the need for product standardization and strengthening of agricultural supporting institutions.

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However, the PDP is silent on the ―failed agricultural policies‖ mentioned by then Presidentiable Duterte. What are these failed policies? How should these be corrected? Answers to these questions are necessary if the government has to forge a national consensus on how agriculture can regain dynamism and how the country can regain its ability to feed the nation. The DA-NFA conflict over rice importation illustrates the abject lack of policy coherence within the executive branch of the government.

For the Integrated Rural Development Foundation, which published a book entitled Rebuilding a Damaged Agricultural Sector (2016), one way of tackling the policy failure issue is to go historical. There is a need to examine what has happened to the sector during the three decades of CARP (1988-present) and the longer period of structural adjustment program or SAP (late 1970s to the present).

The SAP program is built around the neo-liberal economic idea that agriculture grows best when it is ―deregulated‖ (meaning no government intervention in the market such as price support) and ―liberalized‖ (meaning no restrictions and low tariffs on agricultural imports). The unilateral SAP program of the 1980s-1990s pushed by the IMF-World Bank was reinforced by the Philippine trade liberalization commitments to the World Trade Organization, the Asean trade in goods agreement and to a number of bilateral free trade agreements.

And yet, the CARP and SAP decades have turned out to be lost decades for Philippine agriculture. Yes, there are pockets of growth such as banana. But the sector as a whole has been stagnating and shrinking. The country has become a net agricultural importing country since 1995, ironically the first year of Philippine membership in WTO. In certain years, the Philippines was also officially reported as the world‘s largest rice importer. Worse, majority of those living in the countryside, including the beneficiaries of CARP, have either remained poor or poorer because of limited farm incomes and jobs.

The point is that an honest-to-goodness review and inquiry on the ―failed agricultural policies‖, as voiced out by then Presidentiable Duterte, remains unaddressed. A bold reform program

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should come out of the review process as a guide in the rebuilding of the damaged sector. Reading IRDF‘s book is a good starting point. http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/rebuilding-a-damaged-agricultural-sector/

Purple rice developed by Chinese scientists 07/12/17 6:15 AM By Agri-Pulse staff KEYWORDS ANTHOCYANINS BIOSYNTHESIS CHINA ENDOSPERM GENETIC PURPL E RICE CHINA, July 12, 2017 - Purple rice developed by Chinese scientists. A new genetic engineering technique developed by Chinese scientists has been used to develop purple rice packed with antioxidant-boosting pigments called anthocyanins.

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Qamrul refuses to give stats of food reserve

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Food Minister Qamrul Islam on Thursday, July 13, 2017, tells journalists at his Secretariat office in Dhaka that there is no scarcity of food in the country. Photo: Tuhin Shubhra Adhikary Star Online Report Food Minister Qamrul Islam has rubbished reports of “low food stock”, at a time when Bangladesh is importing rice following a price flare and market instability.

In face of such, the minister who once made the headlines for importing substandard wheat, has refused to share specific information of the current food reserve. ―We have enough food reserve,‖ he said in response to reporters‘ repeated queries. However, when asked what the existing food reserve was, he replied: ―I won‘t say further‖.

Qamrul‘s press briefing comes in the backdrop of The Daily Star newspaper running a lead titled ‗Rice crisis catches Qamrul napping‘ where it says food stock has plummeted to a six-year low.

Qamrul has also brushed away the ―six-year low‖ statistics as false.

The total food stock in the country will be 12 lakh metric tonnes by September this year, said Qamrul, pointing to the future when the reporters wanted to know about the current situation.

He said, by August, the total food grain reserve of Bangladesh will reach 8-10 lakh metric tonnes piled from internal and external sources.

In the process, a total of 4.5 lakh metric tonnes of rice will be imported from other countries including India, Myanmar and Thailand by August, he added.

He blamed the recent price flare of rice, the prime staple, on some dishonest businessmen and millers, who ―took advantage of the recent flood situation in the haor areas.‖ Qamrul said the government is preparing a blacklist of the rice millers who did not sell to the government during the procurement period. ―The government will not buy from them in next three years.‖ http://www.thedailystar.net/business/rice-crisis-import-price-hike-report-low-food-stock-falsebangladesh-food-minister-qamrul-islam-1432564

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Rice crisis catches Qamrul napping

Reaz Ahmad

This year's unusual hike in rice prices caught Food Minister Qamrul Islam napping. Both Qamrul and the ministry he leads seemed ill prepared all along, but the minister has his own logic for that. ―I'm no astrologer,‖ he told The Daily Star, "How could I possibly anticipate that there would be such a devastating flood?"

He was, of course, referring to the flashfloods that washed away 10 lakh tonnes of Boro rice, the only rice Haor farmers grow in a year.

True, it was anyone's guess that flashfloods would strike the vast backswamp in the northeast as early as March.

But the writing was on the wall. If only Qamrul and his men could read and act accordingly!

Rice reserve in public granaries was on the slides and the staple's prices were shooting up since January. Policy think-tanks and the media had been persistent in sounding cautions against the free falling of food stock.

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On top of the yearly food-aid programmes, the government initiated a new Tk 10-a-kg rice programme for 50 lakh ultra poor in late 2016. Qamrul's ministry distributed over seven lakh tonnes of rice from the government silos under this new programme, dubbing it as the prime minister's ―Branding Programme‖ but never making any effort to replenish the fast depleting stock.

It didn't occur to the food ministry that it has to either locally procure or import rice to refill the granaries. It didn't also pursue policy measures, such as duty cuts on import, which would encourage private procurement from global market. The duty on rice import was 28 percent at the time, discouraging private importers from procuring the staple from international market.

Ultimately, the market forces came into play in a nasty way, with private traders and rice millers finding the moment ripe to go for a windfall through price hike.

Qamrul eventually moved to import rice, but it was too late. Already, prices of rice, especially the coarse ones consumed by the poor, hit a 47 percent increase on year-on-year basis.

It remains a riddle why the food ministry allowed the year-end food stock to dip below five lakh tonnes (in June FY2017) whereas the rice stock was nine lakh tonnes in FY2016, 13 lakh tonnes in FY2015 and over 10 lakh tonnes in the two preceding years.

With the government having so poor a stock and the early flashfloods destroying much of the Haor's Boro output, the predominantly private sector-led grain market seized the opportunity, much to the agony of low-income consumers.

"We had three lakh tonnes of rice in hand in April and I thought we'll be able to replenish the stock by a good Boro purchase during May-June. But that didn't happen. That's why we're now importing rice to stabilise the market," Qamrul told this paper.

But he never explained what stopped his ministry and the food department from early import when it was clear that food stock had already dipped to a six-year low.

Private sector import almost came to a grinding halt due to government foot-dragging on relaxing the heavy import duty slapped in FY2014-15. Only on June 20, the duty was cut down to 10 percent, facilitating late entry of some relatively cheap rice from India.

Because of the delay in making the import decision, the government now has to pay more as rice prices on international market have gone up in the past two months.

In May, the food department could get 1 lakh tonnes of rice at Tk 346.24 crore. But in June, the government imported 2.5 lakh tonnes of rice for Tk 908.85 crore from Vietnam.

The government is now considering importing rice from Thailand, where export prices of white rice rose by 10 percent, the highest since August 2014, according to the Thailand Trade Commission.

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This means, the government will have to commit more money when it strikes a deal, expected next week, to import Thai rice.

Back in April, the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) had cautioned the government: "Rising food inflation since January 2017 needs to be closely monitored in view of its adverse effect on the poorer households. Rising rice price in recent months in the backdrop of declining public stock appears to be the major cause that is pushing food inflation upward. At present, coarse rice price is about 24 percent higher than a year ago. Also, average rice price in Bangladesh is about 27.9 percent higher than that in India."

The country's leading independent think-tank also observed that "Curiously, distribution of rice and wheat saw a strong growth (12.3 per cent) in the backdrop of the decline in import, procurement and stock figures."

The thought of low food stock occurred to the food ministry only in June when, for the first time, Qamrul acknowledged before parliament that the government's rice stock was indeed low. He then said the process to import six lakh tonnes of rice was underway.

Data point to a negative correlation between stock and price. Coarse rice was selling below Tk 31 a kg when stock was 10 lakh tonnes. But it shot up to Tk 35 as the stock slipped below 10 lakh tonnes, to Tk 39 when it slid below eight lakh tonnes and to Tk 43 as the stock dipped below six lakh tonnes.

Agricultural economist Jahangir Alam told The Daily Star that although some rice was lost in the Haor flashfloods, the price should not have jumped so high. He questioned why the government allowed its rice stock to deplete in the first place.

"Why have they [food ministry and food directorate] failed to keep the minimum security stock of rice in the granaries?‖ said Ilahi Dad Khan, former director of the food directorate who had a crucial crisis management role during the 2007-08 global economic meltdown and the 2011 rice shortage. ―They should have noticed well in advance that how fast the food godowns were drying up due to continuous operations of open market sale (OMS) since January and exhausting of stock through distributions under the Tk 10/per kg rice distribution programme.‖During his time in the food directorate, there was always an effort to keep one million tonnes of food (rice and wheat) stock reserve in the godowns, he said.

Dr AMM Shawkat Ali, former caretaker government adviser who was agriculture secretary in late 1990s, said the government should have allowed private traders to import rice by reducing the high duty much earlier.―What took the government so long to go for the duty cut?‖ he wondered.

Director General of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Dr KAS Murshid noted the food ministry should have moved fast to replenish stock when they were releasing rice

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in big volume for distribution among the ultra poor at Tk 10/kg.But this is not the first time that Qamrul and his ministry acted late.

About two years ago, when wheat stock dried up in government silos, the food department hurriedly imported over two lakh tonnes of substandard wheat from a new market -- Brazil. The grain quality and insect infestation sparked a huge outcry across the country. Even ruling Awami League men put up barricades at places, blocking entry of the consignments into public granaries. Later, the minister had to declare in parliament that they would not import wheat from Brazil any more and acknowledged that "the wheat looks bad."

In the very next domestic wheat growing season, Bangladesh experienced, for the first time in Asia, blast (fungal disease) in wheat. That caused a huge crop loss in wheat and scientists later confirmed the emergence of wheat blast in Bangladesh was caused by a South American lineage of fungus.

The government never investigated if there was any direct link between the import from Brazil and the blast attack, but among the scientific fraternity there is a strong suspicion that there is. http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/rice-crisis-price-hike-due-to-bangladesh-flood-catches-qamrulnapping-1432372

Proposal to impose season-based rice tariffs welcomed by experts

By Cai Ordinario JULY 12, 2017 The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) is open to the proposal to impose season-based tariffs on rice to discourage more rice imports during harvest season.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said economic managers will discuss this proposal during their next meeting.

Pernia made the pronouncement after Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, a former agriculture secretary, said he wants seasonal rice tariffs to replace the quantitative restriction (QR) on rice.

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Dominquez‘s plan is to impose 35 percent during the lean months and 50 percent during harvest season to protect the local farmers from import surge while shielding consumers from price spikes. ―Well, we [economic managers] will discuss the possibility of imposing seasonal tariffs on rice imports and arrive at a common decision,‖ he told reporters in an interview.

The Philippines, which secured the approval of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to extend its waiver on the special treatment for rice, needs to amend Republic Act 8178 to scrap the QR and convert it into tariffs.

University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) economist Rolando Dy told the BusinessMirror that imposing a 50-percent tariff during rice harvest is ―acceptable‖ and is an effective deterrent to smuggling.

Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) senior research fellow Roehlano Briones, who initially proposed a 35-per-cent levy on rice, said he would prefer a uniform tariff of 35 percent. ―I favor imposing a 35-percent tariff year-round. However, imposing 50 percent is also okay if we can prove that it is warranted,‖ Briones told the BusinessMirror.

Former Tariff Commission chief George Manzano said imposing seasonal tariffs works best for products that have a short shelf life. But for products that have a long shelf life, such as rice, Manzano said this would not be ―very effective‖.

He also said any tariff, seasonal or not, must be imposed within the bounds of WTO rules and agreements. Manzano added the government should see to it that these seasonal tariffs would not cause domestic rice prices to go up.

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―One has to look at the trade-offs. If the seasonal tariff is very high, then the domestic price of rice may be very high, too,‖ Manzano told the BusinessMirror. ―The government will have to weigh the welfare of the consumers against the welfare of our rice farmers.‖ Last week Dominguez said economic managers are still deciding on the tariff rate to be slapped on rice imports, following the expiry of the country‘s rice-import cap. However, what is certain is that it will be between 35 percent and 50 percent, Dominguez said. ―I think what‘s being discussed is something like 35 percent or 50 percent. [It‘s] around that range.‖ The finance chief added that economic managers are ―thinking about a number of things‖ to ensure they cover all possible options on resolving the matter. Dominguez said they are open to the idea of a season-based tariff rate for rice imports.

Dominguez said this might be the best way to balance the interest of local farmers and consumers. ―[As much as] we have to protect the local farmers from [the] dumping of foods, we also have to protect the consumers and hope the prices [of rice] will be moderate,‖ the finance chief said.

Fact is, Dominguez added, prices of local rice are higher than those of imported rice, especially if the staple is produced by a fellow Asean nation. In a 2015 study, commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, it was found out that Thailand and Vietnam have the lowest production cost for every kilo of rice.

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NFA wants more bidders for for 250,000 MT rice imports

By Louise Maureen Simeon (philstar.com) | Updated July 13, 2017 - 3:20pm

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According to NFA, previous G2P schemes several years ago had an average of 10 to 15 bidders. Philstar.com/file photo MANILA, Philippines — The National Food Authority wants more bidders for the procurement of 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice as part of the planned government-to-private sector (G2P) importation scheme.

During the pre-bidding conference Thursday, only 11 bidders bought bid documents for the the 250,000 MT (25 percent brokens, long grain white rice, well-milled) to be divided in eight lots.Although the NFA did not set a target number of bidders to participate, the agency wants to have as many as possible.

"We have eight lots and 11 bidders. We are not saying that it is not enough but we would want to have more and to open up to many bidders as possible," NFA Special Assistant to the Administrator Rachel Miguel said.

"The very purpose of the NFA Council is for more private participation and that the volume will not be from a single supplier only," NFA deputy administrator Tomas Escarez added.

According to NFA, previous G2P schemes several years ago had an average of 10 to 15 bidders. Of the 11 bidders, five are from Thailand: Ponglarp Co. Ltd., Thai Hua Co. Ltd., Capital Cereals Co. Ltd., Asia Golden Rice Co. Ltd. and Thai Granlux International Inc.

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Vietnam has four: Vietnam Northern Food Corp., Vietnam Southern Food Corp. II, Gentraco, and Gia International Corp.The remaining bidders are Olam International Ltd. from Singapore and Louis Dreyfus Co. from the Netherlands.

The NFA will still accept bidders until the opening of bid documents on July 25.Of the total import volume, 100,000 MT will be discharged in the port of Manila, 30,000 MT in Batangas, 25,000 MT each in Tabaco, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, 20,000 MT in Poro Pt. in La Union, 15,000 MT in Davao and 10,000 MT in General Santos City.

The imported volume is expected to arrive starting August until September, the period of the lean season, and the agency has allotted P5.6 billion for the procurement.

Current NFA inventory can only last for five days compared to its mandated buffer stock of having reserves good for at least 15 days at any given time.

Starting this month, which marks the onset of the lean season for rice, the NFA must have at least a 30-day buffer stock to meet the requirements of victims of calamities and emergencies.

"We continue to monitor the supply and we are ready with any eventuality. Nothing to worry, because in the next three weeks, the importation will arrive and we will also be opening the MAV (minimum access volume)," Escarez said.Based on computations, the 250,000 MT can only cover for seven days. Following the 32,000-MT daily consumption of the country, at least 544,000 MT is needed to maintain the agency‘s buffer stocking mandate.

Escarez said the NFA Council is set to meet next week to prepare the documents for the approval of the terms of reference for the 805,000 MT to be shouldered by the private sector.Meanwhile, prospective bidders for the 250,000 MT may bid for any of the lots provided that the bid must be the minimum or maximum of the imported rice allocated per lot. The maximum quantity to be awarded per supplier must not be higher than 50,000 MT. NFA said rice must be shipped in break bulk where packing shall be in 50 kilograms net each in woven polypropylene bags suitable for rice export with NFA markings, designs and specifications.

Winning bidders shall deliver the goods free of obligations and expenses of NFA up to NFA‘s designated warehouses. http://www.philstar.com/agriculture/2017/07/13/1719215/nfa-wants-more-bidders-250000-mt-riceimports

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PH to compensate for extension of QR on rice imports, says Neda chief By: Ben O. de Vera - Reporter / @bendeveraINQ Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:16 AM July 13, 2017 Economic managers will ask President Duterte to certify as urgent a bill that will slap tariff on all rice imports to enable the country to finally do away with the quota system and avoid sanctions from the World Trade Organization (WTO).

While the President signed in April Executive Order No. 23, which was aimed at eventually lifting the quantitative restriction (QR) on rice, the EO provided for a three-year extension of the QR while in transition toward the imposition of tariff, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia told reporters on Monday.

To ultimately remove the QR, the over one-decade-old Republic Act No. 8178 or the Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996, which had put the rice import quota in place, must be amended.

ADVERTISEMENT Pernia, who also heads state planning agency National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), said Senator Ralph Recto had already filed in the Senate a measure to remove the QRs. ―In the meantime, as the deliberations in Congress will take some time, what we are trying to do is to not infuriate the members of the WTO,‖ Pernia said.

Specifically, Pernia said ―we are planning to extend the concessions on lower tariffs to certain products or minimum access volume of 5,200 metric tons that will be granted to interested WTO parties up to June 2020 or up to the time Congress approves the official lifting of QR and replacing them with tariffication, whichever comes first.‖ The concessions will be on agricultural products, Pernia said.

He said he was hopeful ―the approval of the tariffication proposal will come sooner so that we don‘t have to be extending concessions.‖

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Pernia said Neda was backing the proposal of state-run think tank Philippine Institute of Development Studies to set the import duty on rice at 35 percent.

In 2014, the WTO allowed the Philippines to extend its QR on rice until June 30, 2017, to give local farmers more time to prepare for free trade in light of the government‘s goal of achieving rice self-sufficiency.

Since the government imposes a quota on rice imports, domestic prices are vulnerable to shocks resulting from meager supply.

The QR puts the burden of rice supply and demand to the government, and market forces are being limited by the quota system.

Sources say importation should be done by the private sector in order to allow market forces to determine prices.

The extended QR slaps a 35 percent duty on imported rice under the minimum access volume (MAV) of 805,200 metric tons. Importation outside of the MAV limit are levied a higher tariff of 50 percent.

The Philippines‘ most favored nation rate—the additional tariff imposed on imports from outside of the Asean—on the commodity remains at about 40 percent.

In 1995, the WTO allowed the Philippines to impose a 10-year quota system for rice importation.

The QR was extended in 2004 and, again, in 2014

http://business.inquirer.net/232995/ph-compensate-extension-qr-rice-imports-saysneda-chief#ixzz4mhdVKN35

Changing of the Guard at USA Rice Annual Meeting

By Deborah Willenborg DALLAS, TX -- All four USA Rice member organizations announced their newly-elected officers during annual business meetings here this week. Joe Mencer, a rice farmer from Lake Village, AR, is the incoming chairman for the USA Rice Farmers, the national association representing U.S. rice farmers. Nicole Van Vleck, from Yuba City, CA, was elected vice

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chairman. On behalf of the association's members, Mencer thanked Missouri rice farmer Blake Gerard, who has chaired the organization since 2015, for his dedicated service and leadership.

Doherty (left) and Cochran

Rice farmer Marvin Cochran from Avon, MS, was elected chairman of the USA Rice Council, along with four farmers who will serve as vice chairs for the 20152017 term: Byron Holmes, Lake Village, AR; Kirk Satterfield, Benoit, MS; Josh Sheppard, Biggs, CA; and Eric Unkel, Kinder, LA. Keith Gray, with Riviana Foods, was elected secretary, and Carl Brothers, with Riceland Foods, was elected treasurer. Chairman-elect Cochran expressed the Council's appreciation to Sean Doherty, a California rice farmer, for his outstanding service as chairman the past two years.

The USA Rice Merchants' Association new slate of officers includes Chairman Dick Ottis, Vice Chairman Ryan Carwell, and Secretary/Treasurer Park Eldridge. The Merchants' also announced members of their newly-elected Board of Directors: David Bertrand, Elton, LA; Bill Dunklin, McGehee, AR; Brian King, Wynne, AR; and Marley Oldham, Mer Rouge, LA.

At their annual conference last month, the USA Rice Millers' Association (RMA) announced the election of Alex Balafoutis, Vice President of Sales for the Rice Business Unit at PGP

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International in Woodland, California, and Keith Gray, Vice President of Supply Chain at Riviana Foods, as chairman and vice chairman, respectively. Chairman-elect Balafoutis presented outgoing RMA Chairman Robbie Trahan with a plaque to commemorate his tenure.

"The hard work of the outgoing chairmen in their respective organizations has benefited rice farmers in all states and our entire industry," said USA Rice Chairman Brian King, an Arkansas rice merchant. "I want to add my appreciation for their exceptional leadership and commitment and I look forward to working with their successors who will begin two-year terms on August 1, 2017.

USA Rice Federation News

WASDE Report Released WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. 2017/18 all rice supplies are lowered 9.5 million cwt to 261.6 million on a production decrease, which is partially offset by slightly higher imports. Long grain production is lowered 5.6 million cwt and combined medium/short grain production is lowered 4.1 million cwt. The production decrease stems from a 123,000 acre reduction in harvested area, reflecting the floods that occurred in Northeast Arkansas and the bootheel of Missouri as well as excessive moisture in California at planting time. Long grain beginning stocks are raised 3.8 million cwt on a 2-million-cwt decrease in both 2016/17 exports and domestic and residual use, which is partially offset by a 200,000 cwt decrease in 2016/17 imports. These revisions are offset by changes to medium and short grain leaving all rice 2016/17 ending stocks and total use unchanged. Total use for 2017/18 is reduced 8 million cwt with reductions to both domestic and residual use and exports leaving 2017/18 ending stocks down 1.5 million. By class, long grain ending stocks are raised 1.2 million cwt and medium and short grain ending stocks are lowered 2.7 million. The 2017/18 all rice season-

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average farm price is raised $0.80 per cwt at the midpoint to a range of $11.80 to $12.80.

Global rice supplies for 2017/18 are raised 1.9 million tons primarily on increased production for India and Thailand. India production is raised 2 million tons to 108 million, and Thailand production is raised 900,000 tons to 20.4 million, both changes are on improved rainfall thus far in the growing season. The largest production decrease was a 300,000 ton reduction for the United States. Foreign exports are raised 600,000 tons led by increases for India and China.

Global use is reduced fractionally and world ending stocks are raised 2 million tons to 122.5 million.

Read the full report here.

Rice crisis catches Qamrul napping

Reaz Ahmad

This year's unusual hike in rice prices caught Food Minister Qamrul Islam napping.

Both Qamrul and the ministry he leads seemed ill prepared all along, but the minister has his own logic for that.

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―I'm no astrologer,‖ he told The Daily Star, "How could I possibly anticipate that there would be such a devastating flood?"

He was, of course, referring to the flashfloods that washed away 10 lakh tonnes of Boro rice, the only rice Haor farmers grow in a year.

True, it was anyone's guess that flashfloods would strike the vast backswamp in the northeast as early as March.

But the writing was on the wall. If only Qamrul and his men could read and act accordingly!

Rice reserve in public granaries was on the slides and the staple's prices were shooting up since January. Policy think-tanks and the media had been persistent in sounding cautions against the free falling of food stock.

On top of the yearly food-aid programmes, the government initiated a new Tk 10-a-kg rice programme for 50 lakh ultra poor in late 2016. Qamrul's ministry distributed over seven lakh tonnes of rice from the government silos under this new programme, dubbing it as the prime minister's ―Branding Programme‖ but never making any effort to replenish the fast depleting stock.

It didn't occur to the food ministry that it has to either locally procure or import rice to refill the granaries. It didn't also pursue policy measures, such as duty cuts on import, which would encourage private procurement from global market. The duty on rice import was 28 percent at the time, discouraging private importers from procuring the staple from international market.

Ultimately, the market forces came into play in a nasty way, with private traders and rice millers finding the moment ripe to go for a windfall through price hike.

Qamrul eventually moved to import rice, but it was too late. Already, prices of rice, especially the coarse ones consumed by the poor, hit a 47 percent increase on year-on-year basis.

It remains a riddle why the food ministry allowed the year-end food stock to dip below five lakh tonnes (in June FY2017) whereas the rice stock was nine lakh tonnes in FY2016, 13 lakh tonnes in FY2015 and over 10 lakh tonnes in the two preceding years.

With the government having so poor a stock and the early flashfloods destroying much of the Haor's Boro output, the predominantly private sector-led grain market seized the opportunity, much to the agony of low-income consumers.

"We had three lakh tonnes of rice in hand in April and I thought we'll be able to replenish the stock by a good Boro purchase during May-June. But that didn't happen. That's why we're now importing rice to stabilise the market," Qamrul told this paper.

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But he never explained what stopped his ministry and the food department from early import when it was clear that food stock had already dipped to a six-year low.

Private sector import almost came to a grinding halt due to government foot-dragging on relaxing the heavy import duty slapped in FY2014-15. Only on June 20, the duty was cut down to 10 percent, facilitating late entry of some relatively cheap rice from India.

Because of the delay in making the import decision, the government now has to pay more as rice prices on international market have gone up in the past two months.

In May, the food department could get 1 lakh tonnes of rice at Tk 346.24 crore. But in June, the government imported 2.5 lakh tonnes of rice for Tk 908.85 crore from Vietnam.

The government is now considering importing rice from Thailand, where export prices of white rice rose by 10 percent, the highest since August 2014, according to the Thailand Trade Commission.

This means, the government will have to commit more money when it strikes a deal, expected next week, to import Thai rice.

Back in April, the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) had cautioned the government: "Rising food inflation since January 2017 needs to be closely monitored in view of its adverse effect on the poorer households. Rising rice price in recent months in the backdrop of declining public stock appears to be the major cause that is pushing food inflation upward. At present, coarse rice price is about 24 percent higher than a year ago. Also, average rice price in Bangladesh is about 27.9 percent higher than that in India."

The country's leading independent think-tank also observed that "Curiously, distribution of rice and wheat saw a strong growth (12.3 per cent) in the backdrop of the decline in import, procurement and stock figures."

The thought of low food stock occurred to the food ministry only in June when, for the first time, Qamrul acknowledged before parliament that the government's rice stock was indeed low. He then said the process to import six lakh tonnes of rice was underway.

Data point to a negative correlation between stock and price. Coarse rice was selling below Tk 31 a kg when stock was 10 lakh tonnes. But it shot up to Tk 35 as the stock slipped below 10 lakh tonnes, to Tk 39 when it slid below eight lakh tonnes and to Tk 43 as the stock dipped below six lakh tonnes.

Agricultural economist Jahangir Alam told The Daily Star that although some rice was lost in the Haor flashfloods, the price should not have jumped so high. He questioned why the government allowed its rice stock to deplete in the first place."Why have they [food ministry and food directorate] failed to keep the minimum security stock of rice in the granaries?‖ said Ilahi Dad

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Khan, former director of the food directorate who had a crucial crisis management role during the 2007-08 global economic meltdown and the 2011 rice shortage. ―They should have noticed well in advance that how fast the food godowns were drying up due to continuous operations of open market sale (OMS) since January and exhausting of stock through distributions under the Tk 10/per kg rice distribution programme.‖During his time in the food directorate, there was always an effort to keep one million tonnes of food (rice and wheat) stock reserve in the godowns, he said.

Dr AMM Shawkat Ali, former caretaker government adviser who was agriculture secretary in late 1990s, said the government should have allowed private traders to import rice by reducing the high duty much earlier.―What took the government so long to go for the duty cut?‖ he wondered.

Director General of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Dr KAS Murshid noted the food ministry should have moved fast to replenish stock when they were releasing rice in big volume for distribution among the ultra poor at Tk 10/kg.

But this is not the first time that Qamrul and his ministry acted late.About two years ago, when wheat stock dried up in government silos, the food department hurriedly imported over two lakh tonnes of substandard wheat from a new market -- Brazil. The grain quality and insect infestation sparked a huge outcry across the country. Even ruling Awami League men put up barricades at places, blocking entry of the consignments into public granaries. Later, the minister had to declare in parliament that they would not import wheat from Brazil any more and acknowledged that "the wheat looks bad."

In the very next domestic wheat growing season, Bangladesh experienced, for the first time in Asia, blast (fungal disease) in wheat. That caused a huge crop loss in wheat and scientists later confirmed the emergence of wheat blast in Bangladesh was caused by a South American lineage of fungus.The government never investigated if there was any direct link between the import from Brazil and the blast attack, but among the scientific fraternity there is a strong suspicion that there is. http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/rice-crisis-price-hike-due-to-bangladesh-flood-catches-qamrulnapping-1432372

GST impact on rice: Facing 5 pct tax impost, branded suppliers protest zero rate for India Gate The fact that the country‘s largest selling rice brand, India Gate, is exempt from the 5% goods and services tax (GST) since the popular brand is not registered under the Trade Marks Act 1999

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has driven a wedge between KRBL, which owns India Gate, and other major branded rice traders.

By: Sandip Das | New Delhi | Published: July 11, 2017 7:08 AM All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA), in which most branded rice firms are members, has written a letter to finance minister Arun Jaitley, asking him to correct the anomaly in the relevant notification dated June 28.

The fact that the country‘s largest selling rice brand, India Gate, is exempt from the 5% goods and services tax (GST) since the popular brand is not registered under the Trade Marks Act 1999 has driven a wedge between KRBL, which owns India Gate, and other major branded rice traders. All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA), in which most branded rice firms are members, has written a letter to finance minister Arun Jaitley, asking him to correct the anomaly in the relevant notification dated June 28, by stating essentially that a ―registered brand name‖ in this context need not be one registered under the Trade Marks Act.

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It is, however, unclear whether the Centre would accept the request as even in a clarification issued on July 7 on the said notification, the finance ministry maintained that ―…In this regard, Section 2 (w) read with Section 2 (t) of the Trade Marks Act, 1999 provide that a registered trade mark means a trade mark which is actually on the Register of Trade Marks and remaining in force. Thus, unless the brand name or trade name is actually on the Register of Trade Marks and is in force under the Trade Marks Act, 1999, CGST rate of (2.5%) will not be applicable on the supply of such goods.‖ ―There is a growing feeling among the members, with a fully registered brand name, of being at a comparative disadvantage specifically against companies with a popular brand name, but not registered or a company who‘s registration for trademark application is still in process,‖ Vijay Setia, president, AIREA, wrote in the letter to Jaitley.

KEBL, interestingly, has been waging a legal battle for several years to get the India Gate trademark registered. Anil K Mittal, CMD of KRBL, did not respond to phone calls, email and SMS. ―There will be unhealthy competition in the trade, encouraging malpractices if the government does not provide clarification on GST taxation,‖ the AIREA letter stated.

Incidentally, KRBL is also a member of AIREA. The relevant notification (no.1/2017-Central Tax (Rate) says the phrase ―registered brand name means brand name or trade name…… and which is registered under the Trade Marks Act, 1999‖.

Owners of branded rice a divided lot AIREA‘s Setia said by changing the second phrase to ―or which is registered under…‖, the anomaly could be corrected. There is also the practice of corporate groups getting a brand registered under any one company and other group companies too capitalising on the brand value without actually having the brand registered in their favour.

Industry sources said that ―unregistered brands‖ have a share of more than 90% of branded rice market. Mostly basmati and non-basmati varieties such Sona Masuri are sold under various brand names. However, the share of branded rice in total rice trade is just around 5%.

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As per the finace ministry statement on July 2, GST rate on staples such as rice, wheat and cereals is zero.

Menus released for Epcot International Food Festival Menus released for Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.

Lauren DelgadoContact ReporterOrlando Sentinel Food Reporter Feast your eyes on the marketplace menus of the Epcot International Food Festival.

The event will take place from Aug. 31-Nov. 13 at Epcot‘s World Showcase.

Theme park admission is required.

This year‘s festival will consist of about 35 marketplaces. You‘ll see perennial favorites return (cheddar cheese soup in the Canada booth, I‘m looking at you).

Missing this year are Poland, South Korea, Greenhouse Guru (a tomato-based booth new to the 2016 festival), and Desserts & Champagne.

But there‘s plenty of new marketplaces — six to be exact — at this year‘s festival. Three countries are returning to the event as well.

Active Eats, described as ―action-packed offerings,‖ will serve 

Loaded Mac ‗n' Cheese with Nueske's® Pepper Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Peppers and Green Onions



Roasted Verlasso Salmon with Quinoa Salad and Arugula Chimichurri (GF)



Sweet Avocado Crema with Strawberries, Yellow Cake and Tortilla Streusel



M.I.A. Beer Company HRD WTR Cucumber & Lemon Lime Hard Sparkling Water, Doral, FL



Chateau Ste. Michelle Cold Creek Riesling, Washington



Evolution by Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

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Blue Diamond Almond Breeze is hosting its own booth, The Almond Orchard, with: 

Banana Almond Sundae layered with Fresh Berries and topped with Dark Chocolate and Blueberry Almonds



Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin ―Yellow Label‖ Brut



Dom Pérignon Brut



Moët & Chandon Brut Rosé Imperial



Cold Brew Coffee with Almond Milk Foam

Boursin Cheese will sponsor its booth, The Cheese Studio, with the following dishes and drinks: 

Braised Beef ―Stroganoff‖ with Tiny Egg Noodles, Wild Mushroom, and Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs Cheese Sauce



Savory Caramelized Onion Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs Cheese Tart with Cold Arugula Salad and Aged Balsamic



Cheese Trio: Profiterole topped with Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs Cheese and Orange Apricot Jam, Smoked Salmon Pinwheel with Boursin Shallot and Chive Cheese and Everything Seasoning and Strawberry Macaroon with Boursin Pepper Cheese



Leth Steinagrund Gruner Veltliner, Austria



Liberated Pinot Noir, California

Coastal Eats will feature dishes inspired by the oceans of the world paired with wines grown from the Pacific coastline: 

Lump Crab Cake with Napa Cabbage Slaw and Avocado Lemongrass Cream



Baked Shrimp Scampi Dip with Sourdough Baguette



Seared Scallops with Roasted Corn and Butterbean Succotash and Chili-Chipotle Butter Sauce



Erath Pinot Gris, Oregon



Soter Planet Oregon Pinot Noir

Folks who are addicted to spicy food have a marketplace, “Flavors from Fire” dedicated to them with:

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

Piggy Wings: Roasted Pork Wings with Korean BBQ Sauce and Sesame Seeds



Smoked Corned Beef with Warm Crispy Potatoes, Pickled Onions and Blonde Ale Beer Fondue featuring BelGioioso Romano and America Grana Cheeses

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Sweet Pancake with Spicy Chipotle Chicken Sausage, Onion Jam and Maple Butter Syrup

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Chocolate Picante: Dark Chocolate Mousse with Cayenne Pepper, Chili Powder and Raspberry Dust



Orlando Brewery Smokin‘ Blackwater Porter

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Ravenswood Zinfandel, Napa Valley



Swine Brine featuring Evan Williams Bourbon

The Light Lab booth will serve up ―bubbly drafts and spirited concoctions‖ 

T=CC2: Vanilla Tonic Water and Cotton Candy (Non-Alcoholic)



RGB: Citrus Apple Freeze (Non-Alcoholic)



Bleu Spectrum: Blanc de Bleu Cuvée Mousseux with Boba Pearls

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Founders Brewing Company Green Zebra Watermelon Gose Ale, Grand Rapids, MI



Elysian Brewing Space Dust IPA, Seattle, WA

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Blue Point Brewing Company Hoptical Illusion IPA, Patchogue, NY

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Sixpoint Brewery Mad Scientist Radiant Flux, Brooklyn, NY



Playalinda Brewing Company Robonaut Red Ale, Titusville, FL



Left Hand Brewing Company Polestar Pilsner, Longmont, Colorado

We‘ve also seen the return of several countries to this year‘s festival: India (last at the festival in 2009) 

Warm Indian Bread with Pickled Garlic, Mango Salsa and Coriander Pesto Dips



Madras Red Curry with Roasted Cauliflower, Baby Carrots, Chickpeas and Basmati Rice (GF)



Korma Chicken with Cucumber Tomato Salad, Almonds, Cashews and Warm Naan Bread



Pistachio Cardamom Bundt Cake with Chocolate Coconut Mousse

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

Sula Chenin Blanc, Nashik



Sula Shiraz, Nashik



Kingfisher Lager



Mango Lassi (Non-Alcoholic)

Spain (last at the festival in 2010) 

Charcuterie in a Cone with a selection of imported Spanish Meats, Cheeses, Olives and an Herb Vinaigrette



Traditional Spanish Paella with Shrimp, Mussels, Chicken and Crispy Chorizo (GF)



Seafood Salad with Shrimp, Bay Scallops and Mussels, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, White Balsamic Vinegar and Smoked Paprika (GF)



Sweet Olive Oil Cake with Powdered Sugar and Lemon Curd



Rafael Palacios Bolo Godello, Valdeorras



Bodegas y Viñedos Artazu Garnacha Rosado, Navarra



Casa Castillo Monastrell, Jumilla

Thailand (last at the festival in 2009) 

Marinated Chicken with Peanut Sauce and Stir-fried Vegetables



Seared Shrimp and Scallop Cake with Cold Noodle Salad



Red Hot Spicy Thai Curry Beef with Steamed Rice



Helfrich Gewürztraminer, Alsace



Singha Lager

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/restaurants/foodie/os-et-epcot-food-wine-menu20170712-story.html

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Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- JUL 13, 2017 Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-July 13 Nagpur, July 13 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices moved down in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) on lack of demand from local millers amid high moisture content arrival. Release of stock from stockists and downward trend in Madhya Pradesh also affected sentiment. About 1,000 of gram and 500 bags of tuar were available for auctions, according to sources.

FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Desi gram showed weak tendency in open market on poor demand from local traders amid good supply from producing regions.

TUAR * Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market but demand was poor. * Major wheat varieties reported down in open market on lack of buying support from local traders. * In Akola, Tuar New – 3,900-4,000, Tuar dal (clean) – 5,500-5,700, Udid Mogar (clean) – 7,200-8,200, Moong Mogar (clean) 6,300-7,000, Gram – 5,100-5,350, Gram Super best – 7,200-8,000 * Rice and other commodities moved in a narrow range in scattered deals and settled at last levels in thin trading activity.

Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/openmarket prices in rupees for 100 kg

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FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close Gram Auction 4,400-5,030 4,600-5,050 Gram Pink Auction n.a.

2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction 3,500-3,745 3,500-3,825 Moong Auction n.a.

3,900-4,200 Udid Auction n.a.

4,3004,500 Masoor Auction n.a.

2,600-2,800 Wheat Mill quality Auction 1,5501,650 1,550-1,650 Gram Super Best Bold 7,600-8,100 7,600-8,100 Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.

Gram Medium Best 6,700-7,100 6,700-7,100 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a Gram Mill Quality 5,100-5,200 5,100-5,200 Desi gram Raw 5,450-5,550 5,500-5,600 Gram Yellow 7,100-8,100 7,100-8,100 Gram Kabuli 12,300-13,400 12,300-13,400 Tuar Fataka Best-New 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000 Tuar Fataka Medium-New 5,4005,600 5,400-5,600 Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 5,200-5,400 5,200-5,400 Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 4,8005,000 4,800-5,000 Tuar Gavarani New 3,900-4,000 3,900-4,000 Tuar Karnataka 4,000-4,100 4,000-4,100

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Masoor dal best 5,000-5,200 5,000-5,200 Masoor dal medium 4,600-4,900 4,700-4,900 Masoor n.a. n.a.

Moong Mogar bold (New) 6,5007,000 6,500-7,000 Moong Mogar Medium 6,000-6,500 6,000-6,500 Moong dal Chilka 5,000-5,900 5,000-5,900 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.

Moong Chamki best 6,500-7,500 6,500-7,500 Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 7,500-8,500 7,500-8,500 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,800-7,200 6,800-7,200 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 4,4004,900 4,400-4,900 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 4,500-5,000 4,500-5,000 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 2,8503,000 2,850-3,000 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 2,8002,900 2,800-2,900 Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,5003,700 3,500-3,700 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 4,100-4,600 4,100-4,600 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,9002,000 1,950-2,050 Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,750-1,850 Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,1002,300 2,150-2,350 Wheat Lokwan new (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100 Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,350 2,200-2,400 Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,050 1,900-2,100

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Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.

MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,0003,600 3,100-3,600 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,700 2,300-2,700 Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG) 2,8003,400 2,800-3,400 Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,5004,000 3,500-4,000 Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,200 3,000-3,200 Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,5002,800 2,500-2,800 Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,500 2,300-2,500 Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,6002,800 2,600-2,800 Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500 Rice HMT New (100 INR/KG) 3,6004,000 3,600-4,000 Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 4,500-5,000 4,500-5,000 Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 4,100-4,300 4,100-4,300 Rice Shriram New(100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,200 4,800-5,200 Rice Shriram best 100 INR/KG) 6,5006,800 6,500-6,800 Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 5,8006,200 5,800-6,200 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,50013,500 9,500-13,500 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500 Rice Chinnor New(100 INR/KG) 4,600-5,000 4,600-5,000 Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 5,8006,000 5,800-6,000 Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 5,400-5,600 5,400-5,600

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Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,9002,200 1,900-2,200 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,8001,900 1,800-1,900 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 29.2 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 24.2 degree Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky with few spells of rains or thunder-showers. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 29 and 24 degree Celsius respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices http://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrainidINL4N1K43CN http://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrain-idINL4N1K43CN

As monsoon takes a break, summer crop yields likely to fall; farmer woes may heighten Economy ReutersJul, 12 2017 08:24:33 IST Mumbai: Farmers run the risk of planting too much, too fast in the current monsoon season as an unexpected dry spell starts to wilt summer-sown crops, raising fears of lower yields and potentially forcing some farmers to re-sow crops. Lower yields or crop failure will increase discontent among farmers that has triggered protests

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in the big agrarian states in recent months and forced the state governments to waive billions of dollars of farm loans.

The ongoing dryness is affecting central, western and southern India, key producing regions for cotton, soybean, corn, sugarcane, pulses and rice.Poor output of summer crops could also raise food prices, restricting the central bank from cutting lending rates, crucial to boosting Asia's third-biggest economy.

"Farmers sowed crops on time, but now they will wilt unless rainfall revives in next few days," said Faiyaz Hudani, deputy vice president at Kotak Commodity Services Pvt Ltd."In some regions farmers will have no option but to re-sow crops."

A heavy downpour early last month had lifted the rain surplus to 10 percent in first half of June, raising farmers' hopes of a good June-September monsoon season as forecast by the state-run India Metrological Department (IMD).

But rains are now 1 percent below normal, with the deficit as high as 35 percent in some regions, weather department data shows.The monsoon delivers about 70 percent of India's annual rainfall, critical for the farm sector that accounts for about 15 percent of India's $2 trillion economy and employs more than half of its 1.3 billion people.Forecasts of normal monsoon rains prompted farmers like Hanmant Mujalge from Nanded district in the western state of Maharashtra to cultivate black gram on 5 acres (2 hectares) in mid June. But the dry spell wilted germinated seedlings and forced Mujalge to plough land and prepare it for re-sowing.

"I want to sow again once we get rainfall, but I don't have money to buy seeds," he told Reuters by phone.Farmers had initially rushed to sow seeds after ample rains, bringing total planting levels to 40.43 million hectares by 7 July up 9 percent from a year ago."In two days rainfall is likely to revive in central India that badly needs rains," said a Pune based official with IMD.A drop in output of summer-sown crops could lift overseas purchases of edible oils and pulses by India, the world's biggest importer of both, while limiting its rice and cotton exports.

"Due to the consecutive droughts and demonetization farmers income was curtailed in the last three years. This year they badly need good rainfall," said Kotak's Hudani.

Published Date: Jul 12, 2017 07:20 am | Updated Date: Jul 12, 2017 08:24 am

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China‘s appetite driving rice export growth as demand continues to outstrip supply Wed, 12 July 2017 Cheng Sokhorng

Farmers prepare to plant rice seedlings in Kampot province in 2015. Pha Lina Cambodian rice exports increased marginally during the first half of the year as export companies push to fulfil higher quotas destined for China.Rice exports totalled 288,562 tonnes in the first six months of the year, an increase of 7.6 percent compared to the same time last year, according to the latest data published by the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export Formality.Exports to China accounted for 94,000 tonnes compared to France‘s 37,000 tonnes and Poland‘s 25,000 tonnes.Despite the uptick in growth, Hean Vanhan, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Agriculture, admitted that the figures showed a slow growth trend. He urged the private sector to increase capacity and secure more international orders to strengthen export potential. ―Even though the numbers for the first six months are positive, it is still a small amount and unless the private sector can secure more large-scale contracts, this trend could continue until the end of the year,‖ he said.He projected that at the current pace Cambodia could at best send out 600,000 tonnes of rice in 2017 – falling once again far short of its target of 1 million tonnes.Despite Cambodia obtaining a 200,000 tonnes quota for 2017 from China, which will be

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bumped up to 300,000 tonnes next year, Vanhan said demand still greatly outstripped domestic supply, with industry projected to produce 5 million tonnes of paddy rice this year. ―While we gained the quota from China, the demand still falls short of our supply,‖ he said. ―We should not only depend on the Chinese market because it has a lot of export barriers.‖Moul Sarith, secretary-general of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), doubted that exports would reach 600,000 tonnes this year. He said this was due to a lack of bilateral agreements that would spur trade in the sector. ―In order to gain new quotas for expanding rice exports, we need the government to help the rice sector by trying to get better government-to-government deals,‖ he said. ―[The CRF] always stands behind the sector to speed up production and promote exports.‖Nevertheless, Sarith added that international prices were starting to look favourable, with fragrant rice increasing to $690 per tonne compared to $630 per tonne last year, while white rice was valued at about $450 per tonne, a $30 increase.―This year our rice industry is in a better situation than it was last year,‖ he said. ―However, we still are not as competitive compared to the neighbouring countries.‖

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/chinas-appetite-driving-rice-export-growth-demand-continuesoutstrip-supply

Vietnam to attend Philippine rice tender

Vietnam will join a tender to supply 250,000 tons of rice for the Philippines, said Huynh The Nang, chairman of the Vietnam Food Association (VFA).

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Farmers harvest paddy (unhusked rice) in the Mekong Delta. Vietnam will join a tender to supply 250,000 tons of rice for the Philippines The National Food Authority (NFA) of the Philippines last week announced a decision to call for bids for supply of 250,000 tons of 25% broken rice. The deadline for submission of bids is 10 a.m. on July 25.Winning bidders will have to deliver rice to the Philippines in August and September, which coincides with the lean season.

The Philippines is expected to spend 5.6 billion pesos to buy this volume of rice under a government-to-private (G2P) contract to guarantee competition and prevent corruption, instead of government-to-government as previously.At a recent conference on rice trade in Can Tho City, VFA chairman Nang said Vietnam might be selected to provide rice for the Philippines as the current rice stocks of Thailand, the major rival of Vietnam, total only 160,000 tons.In addition, Thai rice prices are higher than Vietnam‘s, so chances are Vietnam can win the tender.

Rice stocks in the Philippines, one of the world‘s largest rice importers, have dipped to the lowest level in three years, and are enough to meet the demand in just six days.This will be the first Philippine rice tender this year. http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/181924/vietnam-to-attend-philippine-rice-tender.html

Cambodia rice exports rise 7.6 percent in Jan-June; China is top market

A woman cleans rice for sale in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, July 12, 2017.

(Reuters) - Cambodia exported 288,562 tonnes of rice in the first six months the year, an increase of 7.6 percent compared with the same period last year, official data showed on Wednesday.

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Exports to China, Cambodia's top export market, accounted for 94,720 tonnes, data from the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export Formality, a joint private-government working group on rice, showed.Cambodia had exported 268,190 tonnes of rice between January and June last year.Rice prices in the world's top three exporters of the staple fell last week on demand, traders said, as well as a labor shortage following a mass exodus of migrant workers since June 23 from Thailand, the world's second-biggest exporter of the grain after India.

A man carries a sack of rice next to a truck in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, July 12, 2017.Norng Veasna, deputy president, Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), said an increase in Cambodia's rice exports in the first half of 2017 reflects the growth in the country's potential, despite a competitive global market.

"This is a positive sign that despite the very competitive situation in the world, Cambodia is still able to grow," Veasna told Reuters.A man prepares sacks of rice for sale at a warehouse in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, July 12, 2017."We need to do more, export more and seek other markets," he said.Cambodia was drought-hit, but managed to export 542,144 tonnes of rice last year.This year, however, production of paddy could increase by 1 million tonnes, according to the CRF, due to ample rainfall. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cambodia-rice-idUSKBN19X0VO

Economic team seeks urgent status for rice tariff bill to replace QR July 13, 2017

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THE GOVERNMENT’S economic managers will ask the President to certify as urgent the bill on lifting quantitative import restrictions on rice, replacing it with a tariff scheme.

AFP Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia told reporters on Monday that the economic team will likely pitch its plan to President Rodrigo R. Duterte before his second State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on July 24. ―We will suggest to him that it could be declared a priority bill so that it can be approved sooner rather than later, so we don‘t have to go through to this complicated process of extending trade concessions to countries or members of WTO (World Trade Organization) that might do something in exchange for our delay in tariffication,‖ said Mr. Pernia, who also co-chairs the Committee on Tariff and Related Matters. ―We are going to have a letter, I think, before the SoNA so that we will have the opportunity to raise the issue,‖ he added.

Mr. Duterte signed Executive Order No. 23 in April to maintain the quantitative restrictions (QR) on imported rice, meat and other products for another three years, pending the ratification of both chambers of Congress of the amendments to Republic Act 8178 or the Tariffication Act of 1996.

The law would authorize the President to set import duties on the staple grain, upon the expiry of the country‘s waiver for the special treatment on rice on July 1. ―... [It] has to be deliberated by Congress before the ratification can take effect. In the meantime, as the deliberations in Congress will take some time what we are trying to do is to not infuriate the members of the WTO, in terms of retaliation,‖ said Mr. Pernia. ―2020 is quite distant, so we hope that the approval of the tariffication will come sooner so that we don‘t have to be extending concessions,‖ he added.

The country was allowed to impose temporary QRs on rice after the government was allowed ―special treatment‖ for the staple grain upon acceding to the WTO in 1995.

Through this arrangement, the Philippines was given more time to achieve self-sufficiency in rice, a move expected to counter the damaging impact of the expected influx of cheap rice imports.

During the negotiations for the second extension, which was granted in 2014, the Philippines had

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agreed to, among others, increase the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) to 805,200 metric tons and reduce the in-quota tariff to 35% corresponding to the Asean Trade in Goods Agreement duty and a most-favored nation rate of 40% for volumes imported outside the MAV. The National Economic and Development Authority said that introducing competition in the domestic market through the tariffication scheme would encourage farmers to increase their selfsufficiency.

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said earlier that he is considering proposing a seasonal tariff for rice, with low tariff rates during the lean months and higher rates during harvest season -- but Mr. Pernia said this scheme has yet to be reviewed by the economic team. ―We discuss things and arrive at common decisions. But we haven‘t discussed (seasonal tariffs) yet,‖ Mr. Pernia said. -- Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=economic-team-seeks-urgent-statusfor-rice-tariff-bill-to-replace-qr&id=148181

NFA wants more bidders for for 250,000 MT rice imports

According to NFA, previous G2P schemes several years ago had an average of 10 to 15 bidders.

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50 MANILA, Philippines — The National Food Authority wants more bidders for the procurement of 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice as part of the planned government-to-private sector (G2P) importation scheme. During the pre-bidding conference Thursday, only 11 bidders bought bid documents for the the 250,000 MT (25 percent brokens, long grain white rice, well-milled) to be divided in eight lots.

Although the NFA did not set a target number of bidders to participate, the agency wants to have as many as possible."We have eight lots and 11 bidders. We are not saying that it is not enough but we would want to have more and to open up to many bidders as possible," NFA Special Assistant to the Administrator Rachel Miguel said.

"The very purpose of the NFA Council is for more private participation and that the volume will not be from a single supplier only," NFA deputy administrator Tomas Escarez added.According to NFA, previous G2P schemes several years ago had an average of 10 to 15 bidders.Of the 11 bidders, five are from Thailand: Ponglarp Co. Ltd., Thai Hua Co. Ltd., Capital Cereals Co. Ltd., Asia Golden Rice Co. Ltd. and Thai Granlux International Inc. Vietnam has four: Vietnam Northern Food Corp., Vietnam Southern Food Corp. II, Gentraco, and Gia International Corp.The remaining bidders are Olam International Ltd. from Singapore and Louis Dreyfus Co. from the Netherlands.The NFA will still accept bidders until the opening of bid documents on July 25.

Of the total import volume, 100,000 MT will be discharged in the port of Manila, 30,000 MT in Batangas, 25,000 MT each in Tabaco, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, 20,000 MT in Poro Pt. in La Union, 15,000 MT in Davao and 10,000 MT in General Santos City.The imported volume is expected to arrive starting August until September, the period of the lean season, and the agency has allotted P5.6 billion for the procurement.

Current NFA inventory can only last for five days compared to its mandated buffer stock of having reserves good for at least 15 days at any given time.Starting this month, which marks the onset of the lean season for rice, the NFA must have at least a 30-day buffer stock to meet the requirements of victims of calamities and emergencies."We continue to monitor the supply and we are ready with any eventuality.

Nothing to worry, because in the next three weeks, the importation will arrive and we will also be opening the MAV (minimum access volume)," Escarez said.

Based on computations, the 250,000 MT can only cover for seven days.Following the 32,000-MT daily consumption of the country, at least 544,000 MT is needed to maintain the agency‘s buffer stocking mandate.

Escarez said the NFA Council is set to meet next week to prepare the documents for the approval of the terms of reference for the 805,000 MT to be shouldered by the private sector.Meanwhile, prospective bidders for the 250,000 MT may bid for any of the lots provided that the bid must be the minimum or maximum of the imported rice allocated per lot. The maximum quantity to be awarded per supplier must not be higher than 50,000 MT.NFA said rice must be shipped in break bulk where packing shall be in 50 kilograms net each in woven polypropylene bags suitable for rice export with NFA markings, designs and specifications.

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51 Winning bidders shall deliver the goods free of obligations and expenses of NFA up to NFA‘s designated warehouses. http://www.philstar.com/agriculture/2017/07/13/1719215/nfa-wants-more-bidders-250000-mt-riceimports

Philippines sets $451.08/tonne price ceiling for rice imports MANILA, July 13 (Reuters) - The Philippines' state grains agency said on Thursday it set a price ceiling of $451.08 a tonne for the 250,000 tonnes of rice it was seeking from international suppliers, and identified 11 prospective bidders from Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore.

The Philippines, one of the world's biggest rice importers, usually buys from major sellers Vietnam and Thailand, where export prices have fallen amid weak demand.The National Food Authority (NFA) is seeking supply of 25 percent broken long grain white rice for delivery between August and September to boost its thinning stockpile ahead of the typhoon season later this year.

That variety is trading at around $393-$398 a tonne in Vietnam RI-VNBKN25-P1 and quoted at $393 a tonne RI-THWHT25-A by the Thai Rice Exporters Association.

"That (price ceiling) is the average of all the rice prices including (shipping) expenses," Tomas Escarez, head of the bids and awards panel at the NFA, told reporters after meeting with prospective bidders.The NFA's initial list of prospective bidders includes Olam International Ltd and Louis Dreyfus Corp of Singapore, and Vietnam Northern Food Corp, also known as Vinafood I, and Vinafood II. Thai suppliers Asia Golden Rice Co Ltd, Ponglarp Co Ltd, Thai Hua Co Ltd, Capital Cereals Co Ltd and Thai Granlux International Inc, and Vietnamese traders Gentraco and Gia International Corp are also interested in bidding, the NFA said.Bids must be submitted on or before July 25, when the sealed offers will be opened. The NFA will award a maximum 50,000 tonnes to each winning bidder.

State inventories have shrunk to the least in more than three years, just enough to cover five days of national requirement, or just a fraction of the 30-day buffer stock required during the lean harvest season from July to September.

Escarez said the NFA will also allow local private rice traders to import up to 805,000 tonnes of rice under an annual quota scheme, which should arrive between December and February next year. (Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz; Additional reporting by My Pham in HANOI and Patpicha Tanakasempipat in BANGKOK; Editing by Amrutha Gayathri)

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52 http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL4N1K42VF

Editorial: Cuba trade small part of positioning U.S. as global leader The Daily AdvertiserPublished 2:46 p.m. CT July 12, 2017 | Updated 2:46 p.m. CT July 12, 2017

Louisianians embraced the notion of free trade and fought trade barriers long before this was a state.The Spanish mercantile system stymied early, needy French Louisianians who swapped goods illegally with the Spanish at Natchitoches and Los Adaes in the 18th century.

It frustrated frontier Americans who wanted access to the port of New Orleans and its market before Thomas Jefferson purchased Louisiana from the French.

More recently, barriers to free trade halted a prosperous rice trade involving Louisiana and Cuba.The last of these was truncated in the 1960s after Fidel Castro‘s takeover in Cuba, when the U.S. imposed an embargo that left the rice industry in this state without its No. 1 rice trade partner. Louisiana growers have been trying to return to the Cuban market for more than a half-century.―Cuba is enticing,‖ said Steve Linscombe, professor and manager at the LSU Rice Research Center in Crowley. ―It‘s close; transportation and shipping costs are low. ‖Louisiana rice growers were delighted when President Obama said he‘d relax trade barriers between the U.S. and Cuba, which promised our farmers re-entry to that potentially lucrative market. Disappointment might have been natural, too, when President Trump said he‘d reevaluate Obama's U.S.-Cuban agreements.Rice growers can sell their product to Cuba under certain conditions, Linscombe said, but he added that the Cuban economy was too strapped to make that island a full-fledged trade partner. Ending the U.S. embargo, though, and opening up Cuba to other new business, like tourism, might give the Cubans more economic stability and put them in better position to trade with American companies, rice growers included.

Louisiana farmers ought to remain hopeful for better Cuban relations, especially if they encourage fair trade and improve the lot of impoverished, repressed people. Chances to visit and trade with Cuba would foster for the Cuban people greater understanding of American freedom and encourage the entrepreneurial instincts of these hardy people.Former U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, was enthusiastic last year about U.S.-Cuban trade, and lauded Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain's efforts to position Louisiana to re-enter the Cuban market.

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Boustany sought to eliminate trade barriers and co-sponsored legislation to make it easier for Louisiana rice growers to export to Cuba.That would have profited our state and its people — some 400,000 Louisiana jobs are tied to trade — but it would have also better positioned the U.S. to lead the world. Louisiana engages the world through its exports of liquefied natural gas, agricultural products, and oil and gas products.The U.S. engages the world through these and other trade efforts. It's harder for trade partners to build enmity when they are mutually building profits. http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/opinion/2017/07/12/editorial-cuba-trade-small-part-positioning-u-sglobal-leader/469137001/

West Nile farmers get skills in rice growing

By Umar Nsubuga 12th July 2017 12:31 PM

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The training is aimed at empowering farmers to take agriculture as a business.

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(Credit: Umar Nsubuga)

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57 AGRIBUSINESS Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in partnership with National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), have embarked on training farmers in Namulonge on better ways of growing rice.Paul Lubega, JICA's programme officer for rural/agriculture development, said the training is intended to empower farmers to take up agriculture as a business.According to Lubega, the organisation has hundreds of members from West Nile engaged in rice growing and multiplication. ―There are improved rice varieties that are tolerant to pests and resistant to diseases. The use of modern technologies will complement efforts to boost yields and also meet the market demand," he said.

Ready market Meanwhile, JICA representative Miyaguchi Kazutoshi, told farmers during the three-day training held at Namulonge Research Institute that there is ready market for rice.On his part, Anguzu Naphtal , technical assistant of Promotion of Rice Development (PRiDe) was the main trainer. He urged the farmers to venture into commercialisation of rice since it has a lot of business.Muzasha Biringanine, one of the participants, said that the training was timely because it will help them put the skills learned into practice in the all of West Nile.

The three-day training in pictures . . . http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1457559/west-nile-farmers-skills-rice-growing

Cabinet approves setting up a centre in Varanasi for research on new rice breeds The cabinet clears a proposal by the International Rice Research Institute to set up its South Asia Regional Centre in Varanasi Staff Writer

The cabinet also approved the four-laning of Solapur-Bijapur section of NH-52 in Maharashtra and Karnataka. File photo: Mint New Delhi: In a move to boost research on developing new breeds of rice and improve yields of existing varieties, the cabinet on Wednesday approved setting up a specialised centre in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

The cabinet on Wednesday cleared a proposal by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to set up its South Asia Regional Centre in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s Lok Sabha constituency. The centre, which will be opened on the campus of the National Seed

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Research and Training Centre (NSRTC), will help harness and sustain rice production and develop special rice varieties, an official statement said.

It will help India achieve higher per-hectare yield and improve nutrition content of rice.Rice is the most important food crop in India, grown mostly during the rain-fed Kharif crop season.The cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) approved the four-laning of Solapur-Bijapur section of National Highway-52 in Maharashtra and Karnataka. The 110-kilometre project is estimated to cost Rs1,889 crore including the cost of land acquisition.CCEA also approved upgradation and widening of 65 kilometers of the Imphal-Moreh Section of NH-39 in Manipur at a cost of Rs1,630.29 crore. ―Manipur being a landlocked state with almost 90% of the area under difficult terrain presently has only road transport as a means of mass transport system within the state. The project will improve connectivity between Imphal with the eastern part of the state,‖ an official statement said.

First Published: Wed, Jul 12 2017. 08 24 PM IST http://www.livemint.com/Politics/b5UuKQiYjhvJ1UyDHxEFBO/Cabinet-approves-setting-up-acentre-in-Varanasi-for-researc.html

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Gov’t to Increase Investment in Agricultural Mechanization

The share of mechanized rice farming has risen from 12.5% to 80% over the past four years.Thursday, July 13, 2017Since President Hassan Rouhani took office in August 2013, a total of 52.5 trillion rials (over $1.38 billion) worth of investments have gone into the mechanization of different fields of agriculture The government plans to invest some 33 trillion rials ($870 million) to modernize irrigation systems across the country this year The government will invest about 15 trillion rials nearly $395.5 million) in agricultural mechanization in the current Iranian year (March 2017-18), 25% more compared with last year‘s investment, the head of the Agricultural Mechanization Expansion Center with the Ministry of Agriculture announced. ―Of the total sum, about $211 million, $80 million, $40 million, $20 million and $10.5 million will be dedicated to the fields of farming, horticulture, livestock and poultry, fisheries and seafood, and medicinal herbs respectively,‖ Kambiz Abbasi was also quoted as saying by ILNA. The official added that since President Hassan Rouhani took office in August 2013, a total of 52.5 trillion rials (over $1.38 billion) worth of investments have gone into the mechanization of different fields of agriculture.The share of mechanized rice farming has risen from 12.5% to 80% over the past four years, as the number of rice combines in Iran‘s paddy fields has risen from 1,000 to 5,600 during the period.―The incumbent government has invested a record high of 6 trillion rials (about $156 million) in the mechanization of rice production,‖ he said.―Mechanization has helped lower costs of production and harvest by 60% and 70% respectively and increase productivity. Pre-harvest, harvest and post-harvest stages of rice production in 250,000 hectares of paddy fields have become automated over the past four years.‖According to Abbasi, about 95% of Iran‘s agricultural machinery are produced domestically and the rest is imported.

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―Between 25% and 30% of Iran‘s agricultural machinery have been repaired or renovated since the beginning of Hassan Rouhani‘s presidency,‖ he said.Old machinery used in this sector is the main culprit contributing to agricultural waste, which is said to cost Iran‘s economy over $5 billion per annum.The volume of agricultural waste in Iran is twice the global average.

Currently, up to 30% of agro products go to waste in the country during the pre-harvest, harvest, post-harvest and supply stages, IRNA reported.

According to Food and Agricultural Organization, 1.3 billion tons of food, mainly fruit, vegetables, fish and grains, are wasted globally every year and Iran is responsible for 2.7% of it, equal to about 35 million tons of the total sum.―Thanks to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the formal name of the nuclear deal Iran signed with world powers in 2015), renowned brands of rice planting machinery, heavy tractors, combines and orchard tractors were imported to Iran last year,‖ Abbasi said.

Most of the imports came from Germany, Italy, France, South Korea and Japan.According to Deputy Agriculture Minister Alimorad Akbari, the government plans to invest some 33 trillion rials ($870 million) to modernize irrigation systems across the country this year. https://financialtribune.com/articles/economy-business-and-markets/68245/gov-t-to-increase-investmentin-agricultural

Centre nod to opening of rice research institution in Varanasi Subhash Mishra | TNN | Jul 13, 2017, 06:45 AM IST

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LUCKNOW: After Israel's pact with the UP government for cooperation in checking river pollution and water management, another opportunity for Uttar Pradesh will be the regional station of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) of Philippines in Varanasi.

The TOI had reported that Manila, Philippines-based IRRI , a global organisation working in the field of rice research, intended to set up its first regional centre in Varanasi and it was waiting for Union goverment's approval. A cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the IRRI regional centre in Varanasi aimed at boosting paddy production in eastern India, parts of Asia and Africa.Varanasi is parliamentary constituency of Narendra Modi and is also located in the eastern UP .

Speaking to TOI, IRRI consultant Mukesh Gautam that Union government had approved the regional centre and most probably the prime minister would inaugurate it soon. Gautam added that the IRRI will help introduce new varieties of rice, increase production and encourage rice cultivation in countries like Africa where it is not produced.

The IRRI consultant explained there are some states in the eastern parts, including eastern UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa which failed to benefit from the Green Revolution as these parts had no irrigation facilities like in Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. The productivity of paddy in the eastern part is low compared to northern and central regions and the IRRI regional centre would introduce flood and drought resistant varieties for them. IRRI would assist the farmers overcome weather challenges, said Gautam.

This is another major international intervention in Uttar Pradesh in the Yogi government as earlier during the visit of the prime minister to Israel, UP Jal Nigam had signed an MOU for checking pollution in rivers and water management in the state. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/centre-nod-to-opening-of-rice-research-instt-invaranasi/articleshow/59569137.cms

Union cabinet okays international rice research institute in Varanasi TNN | Jul 12, 2017, 07:56 PM IST Varanasi: The Union cabinet on Wednesday approved the establishment of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) as a part of the South Asia Regional Centre situated on the campus of National Seed Research and Training Centre (NSRTC) in Varanasi.

According to a Press Information Bureau (PIB) release, under the proposal, a Centre of

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Excellence in Rice Value Addition (CERVA) will be set up in Varanasi. This will include a modern and sophisticated laboratory with a capacity to determine quality and status of heavy metals in grain and straw. The Centre will also undertake capacity building exercises for stakeholders across the rice value chain.

It would be the first centre of its kind in eastern India and play a major role in harnessing and sustaining rice production in the region. It is expected to be a boon for food production and skill development in the eastern India and similar ecologies in other South Asian and African countries.

The Centre will help in utilizing the rich biodiversity of India to develop special rice varieties.

This will help to achieve higher per hectare yields and improved nutritional contents. India's food and nutritional security issues will also be addressed. The Centre will support in adopting value chain based production system in the country. This will reduce wastage, add value and generate higher income for the farmers. The farmers in Eastern India will benefit in particular, besides those in South Asian and African countries.

ISARC will operate under the governance of the IRRI Board of Trustees, that will appoint an IRRI staff member as director. For setting up of the Centre, a memorandum of agreement will be signed between DAC&FW and IRRI of the Philippines. The department of DAC&FW will provide physical space for laboratories, offices, training classes, etc., with associated infrastructure and land at NSRTC, Varanasi. The centre will be commissioned within six months. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/union-cabinet-okays-international-rice-research-institutein-varanasi/articleshow/59564350.cms

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