16th febuary ,2018 daily globa regioal local rice e newsletter

16th February, 2018

Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com

Special Teams set up to keep vigil on buffer godowns for preventing Recycling of rice: CV Anand February 15, 2018, 11:11 PM IST

Special Teams have been set up to keep constant vigil on Buffer Godowns for preventing Recycling rice, said C.V. Anand, Commissioner for Civil Supplies Department here today.

In a press release here today, C.V. Anand said the teams will conduct inspections at the godowns to check the present stock, prevent supply of Recycle rice through Public Distribution System by taking precautionary steps through putting breaks on recycle rice supply from millers at Buffer godowns. District Level special inspection teams consisting of Civil Supplies Corporation District Manager, Assistant Manager (Technical), one member each from District Enforcement Wing and Legal Metrology department. These teams will conduct inspection of all Buffer godowns existing in the district from 1st every month and submit their report to the Corporation Head Office by 15th of every month.

A squad from Head Office Team along with Enforcement staff and an officer from Legal Metrology Department will check the progress of these teams by inspecting district on quarterly basis. The inspection team shall conduct detailed investigation of inspection on component wise analysis of storage losses i.e. losses occurring due to loss of moisture, theft and pilferage or other reasons and furnish report to the Head Office.

Based on the report of the inspection teams the storage losses to the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), State Warehousing Corporation (SWC) and Civil Supplies Corporation Buffer godowns shall be regularize duly following procedure in vogue. There are up to five to 10 Buffer godowns in each district, after the teams conduct inspection and submit report to the Head Office only decision will be taken on the storage loss.

The Commissioner said it has come to the notice that officials at CWC, SWC and Technical Staff of the Civil Supplies Corporation are colluding with the rice millers and accepting the re-cycled PDS rice for illegal gains at the Buffer godowns, by using lacunas and claiming the storage losses straight away as a right without any inspections by the Officials. One such incident has came to the notice when Civil Supplies Enforcement Team conducted inspection at Nagarkurnool District Jadcherla CWC Buffer godown. Commissioner C.V. Anand took serious note on this issue and warned officials that stringent action will be taken against them and ordered officials to take special steps for preventing the frauds. (NSS) https://www.siasat.com/news/special-teams-set-keep-vigil-buffer-godowns-preventing-recycling-rice-cvanand-1319148/

Odisha govt. rejects Centre’s paddy offer PRESS TRUST OF INDIA BHUBANESWAR, FEBRUARY 16, 2018 07:36 IST

To relax quality norm for procurement The Odisha government on Thursday rejected the Centre’s offer to relax the quality norm for procuring paddy from districts affected by unseasonal rains, saying it will “adversely affect” the farmers.The Central government has reduced the minimum support price (MSP) for discoloured paddy from ₹1,550 to ₹1,410 per quintal, State Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister S.N. Patro said. “This is not acceptable to the State as it will cause serious loss to the farmers. I have requested the Chief Minister to seek the intervention of the Prime Minister for the benefit of the farmers,” he said.

The Centre has also relaxed the fair average quality (FAQ) specifications for paddy procurement in 15 districts affected by unseasonal rains, Mr. Patro said.

FAQ is used to describe food products that are of good enough quality to be sold. FAQ norms for paddy is laid out by the Centre every year before the start of the procurement season.

“There is no meaning to relax the FAQ when the farmers will not get the appropriate MSP,” he said.

The State government and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who hails from Odisha, separately wrote to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution to relax FAQ norms for the paddy produced in the 15 unseasonal rain-hit districts. Mr. Patro said the Centre had in 2010 relaxed the FAQ norms for three districts without changing the MSP. Mr. Pradhan said that by rejecting the Centre’s offer, the State has been forcing the farmers to get a price which will be at the whims of rice millers. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/odisha-govt-rejects-centres-paddyoffer/article22769556.ece

Odisha rejects Centres offer to relax quality norms for paddy PTI February 15, 2018 Bhubaneswar, Feb 15 (PTI) The Odisha government today rejected the Centres offer to relax the quality norm for procuring paddy from districts affected by unseasonal rains, saying it will "adversely affect" the farmers.

The central government has reduced the minimum support price (MSP) for discoloured paddy from Rs 1,550 to Rs 1,410 per quintal, state Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister S N Patro said.

"This is not acceptable to the state as it will cause serious loss to the farmers. I have requested the chief minister to seek the intervention of the prime minister for the benefit of the farmers," he said.

The Centre has also relaxed the fair average quality (FAQ) specifications for paddy procurement in 15 districts affected by unseasonal rains, Patro said.

FAQ is used to describe food products such as grain and fruit that are of a good enough quality to be sold.

FAQ norms for paddy is laid out by the Centre every year before the start of the procurement season.

"There is no meaning to relax the FAQ when the farmers will not get the appropriate MSP," he said.

The state government and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who hails from Odisha, separately wrote to the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution to relax FAQ norms for the paddy produced in the 15 unseasonal rain hit districts of Odisha.

Patro said the Centre had in 2010 relaxed the FAQ norms for three districts without changing the MSP. Pradhan, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister, however, said that by rejecting the Centres offer, the state government has been forcing the farmers to get a price which will be at the whims of rice millers. PTI AAM RG NN

Telangana consumer welfare fund constituted DECCAN CHRONICLE. PublishedFeb 16, 2018, 1:22 am IST UpdatedFeb 16, 2018, 1:22 am IST

The government will earmark 10 per cent of the Budget allotted to the department of consumer affairs for the welfare fund.

The fund will be utilised to extend financial assistance to promote the welfare of consumers, to protect them from exploitation and unfair trade practices, and to strengthen the consumer movement in the state.

Hyderabad: The state government has constituted the TS Consumer Welfare Fund to strengthen consumer organisations and to create awareness regarding consumer rights at various levels. The government will earmark 10 per cent of the Budget allotted to the department of consumer affai https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/currentaffairs/160218/telangana-consumer-welfare-fund-constituted.htmlrs for the welfare fund.

Apart from this, contributions will be sought from oil companies, public sector undertakings, rice millers, NGOs and private industries. The fund will be utilised to extend financial assistance to promote the welfare of consumers, to protect them from exploitation and unfair trade practices, and to strengthen the consumer movement in the state. It is a non-lapsable

non-plan public account outside the consolidated fund. Any unspent amount from the year’s Budget will be returned to the account.

This fund will be operated by the Department of Consumer Affairs, Food & Civil Supplies.

The state government has requested the Centre to gr-ant income tax exemptions on contributions made to the fund by individuals, institutions, or companies under Section 80 of the Income Tax Act. Any agency, organisation or institution engaged in consumer welfare activities for a period of at least three years and registered with the Registrar of Societies, or any other authority of the state or central government is eligible to claim financial assistance under the fund. Preference will be given to such organisations that have been working in rural areas or that have a greater proportion of women participants.

A consumer or organisation may be disqualified from availing of financial assistance if it refuses to furnish any information requested by the state government. It may also be disqualified if, after receiving financial assistance from the state government, it does not utilise it for the purpose specified and diverts it towards some other purpose. Quarterly progress reports regarding the implementation of the programme or project for which funds have been released must be submitted to the government. The construction of buildings and the purchase of vehicles using these funds is strictly prohibited. The funds may not be used to finance any political party or political propaganda

New Lasing Method Enables Edible Graphene Food Trackers Thu, 02/15/2018 - 3:48pm

by Kenny Walter - Digital Reporter @RandDMagazine

Bread, coconuts, potatoes and even toast may be the next platform for graphene.

A team of researchers from Rice University has enhanced their laser-induced graphene (LIG) technique so they can “write” graphene patterns onto food and other materials, enabling embed conductive identification tags and sensors onto the products. The writing is not ink, but the material itself, which has been converted to graphene.

James Tour, a chemist from Rice University, said in an interview with R&D Magazinethat the new technology would give consumers more information about the food they are purchasing and streamline manufacturing processes for a number of goods, including clothing.

“If you want to do it on food it could help to track things from farm to table,” Tour said. “Instead of sticking a sticker on each apple you can build an RFID [radio frequency identification] tag on to it, so you can put it directly on the food item.

“You could also build sensors into it so you know if it hit a certain temperature,” he added.

If an item is marketed as fresh meat and not frozen, this technology could also alert the consumer whether or not that claim is truthful. The sensor couls also alert the consumer about things like E. coli. The RFID or sensor could be connected to a cell phone, alerting a user that their meat or milk is about to spoil.

“It depends on what kind of sophistication you want to build in, but the electronics are not hard,” Tour said.

Tour also said that at about 20 microns thick, the graphene would be unnoticeable by consumers. The graphene is safe to ingest, said Tour.

The researchers have also demonstrated that laser-induced graphene can be burned into paper, cardboard, cloth, or coal. Companies could use the graphene to streamline inventory and track the routes of products being shipped.

“We also showed we could do it on cotton, so you can have electronics embedded in clothing were you are not adding an ink you are just converting the cellulose to graphene,” Tour said. “Now we can do it on all sorts of things.”

How it works To implement this technology, companies would use a laser that could embed the graphene into the product at extremely fast speeds. The laser would work similar to how companies print expiration date messages on plastic bottles of milk or juice.

“This gives you a way to scribble electronics on all sorts of plastics, on all sorts of food directly,” Tour said.

The researchers would use multiple laser passes with a defocused beam to create patterns into cloth, paper, potatoes, coconut shells and cork. The process happens in air at ambient temperatures.

Tour explained that in some cases, multiple lasing creates a two-step reaction where the laser photothermally converts the target surface into amorphous carbon. Then on subsequent passes of the laser, the selective absorption of infrared light converts the amphorous carbon into LIG. The researchers then discovered that simply turning up the laser’s power did not make better graphene on a coconut or other organic materials.

However, by adjusting the process they were able to make a micro super capacitor in the shape of a Rice University “R” on their twice-lased coconut skin.

Defocusing the laser sped the process for many materials as the wider beam allowed each spot on a target to be lased many times in a single raster scan, allowing for fine control over the product.

Defocusing allowed them to turn previously unsuitable polyetherimide into LIG. According to Tour, the common element of all the materials that can be converted into graphene appears to be lignin, a complex organic polymer that form rigid cell walls. Lignin is known as a carbon precursor to burn LIG in oven-dried wood. However, the researchers found that cork, coconut shells and potato skins have even higher lignin content, making it easier to convert them to graphene.

The new process is an extension of the Tour lab’s contention that anything with the proper carbon content can be converted into graphene. In recent years, the lab has developed and expanded upon its method to make graphene foam by using a commercial laser to transform the top layer of an inexpensive polymer film. The foam consists of microscopic, cross-linked flakes of graphene and LIG can be written into target materials in patterns and used as a supercapacitor, an electrocatalyst for fuel cells, RFIDs and biological sensors, among other potential applications.

https://www.rdmag.com/article/2018/02/new-lasing-method-enables-edible-graphene-foodtrackers

How to Make Brown Rice Even Healthier February 16, 2018 08:06

Brown rice is widely known as a healthy alternative to the white stuff, but now it turns out that adding alcohol during cooking makes it even healthier.

Adding two cups of soju when cooking two servings not just softens the texture but also releases more antioxidants compared to boiling in water alone.

Researchers added 30 g of brown rice per 100 g of white rice, and then one group boiled it with 120 ml of pure water and the other with 100 ml of water and 20 ml of distilled liquor.

The brown rice cooked with alcohol contained 262.63 �/g of polyphenol, 17 percent more than the one cooked with water alone.

Polyphenol is an antioxidant that stimulates blood circulation and reduces inflammation.

"Brown rice has higher amounts of polyphenol than white rice and adding some alcohol while cooking helps the nutrients come out," said Woo Kwan-sik, who conducted the research.

"The rough and springy texture of brown rice can make it difficult to chew for some people, but putting some alcohol in the cooking water can tenderize it. Alcohol also lowers the boiling point, and it softens the texture while the alcohol boils off," he added.

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Sokoto rice factory to be ready in 2018 

27 ectares of land suitable for the project have already been identified.

28 15.02.2018 Samson Toromade The Group Executive Director, Stakeholders Management and Corporate Communications of Dangote Group, Mansur Ahmed (standing), making his remarks as Governor Aminu Tambuwal (right), and his deputy, Ahmed Aliyu, listen (

The Dangote Rice Processing Mill, with a production capacity of 250,000 metric tonnes per annum, will be ready in Sokoto State this year.

The Group Executive Director, Stakeholders Management and Corporate Communications of Dangote Group, Mansur Ahmed, made this known during a visit to Governor Aminu Tambuwal in Sokoto.

"We have already identified 27 hectares of land suitable for the project while our civil engineers are already on ground. Our plan is to start the construction next week which will take six months to be completed.

"Some components of the machinery needed have already arrived the country while others are expected within the next two to three weeks.

"We are hoping to commence production before the end of this year to the tune of 32 metric tonnes per hour and 250,000 metric tonnes per annum," he added.

Ahmed said Dangote Industries will soon transport all the milling to Sokoto as installation process are quickened.

In his remarks, Governor Tambuwal assured the Dangote Group of his administration's cooperation towards to successful take off of the project.

He said plans have been completed to pay compensation to land owners while the certificate of occupancy and other title documents will be ready in a matter of days.

"We are urging investors from far and near to come and invest in Sokoto because we have favourable policies and friendly population that will maximize return on investment,|" he added.

http://www.pulse.ng/news/local/dangotes-sokoto-rice-factory-to-be-ready-in-2018id7988769.html

news

India's wholesale price inflation eases to 2.84% in January 15 February 2018 India's annual rate of inflation based on the wholesale price index stood at 2.84 per cent in January, easing for the second straight month from an eight-month high touched in November, as food and fuel prices increased at a slower pace, official data released today showed.

Annual wholesale price inflation stood at 3.58 per cent in December, provisional data released by the commerce ministry showed.

The rate of inflation stood at 4.26 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year.

Inflation rate for the primary articles group, which has a weight of 22.62 per cent of the wholesale price index (WPI) stood 1.5 per cent lower In January 2018.

For the 'food articles' group the inflation rate declined by 2.4 per cent due to lower prices of gram and fruits and vegetables, gram, ragi, jowar, bajra, maize, barley, urad, masur, rajma, peas, jowar and poultry chicken. However, the prices of betel leaves, fish, egg, condiments and spices, arhar, moong, paddy, sugarcane and wheat moved up.

For the 'non-food articles' it group rose 1.4 per cent due to higher prices of raw wool, guar seed, soyabean, raw silk and raw hides, safflower (kardi seed), raw jute, gingelly seed, raw cotton, copra (coconut) and coir fibre. However, the prices of castor seed and mesta, raw rubber and floriculture and linseed, niger seed and cotton seed declined.

For the 'minerals' group the inflation rate declined by 0.3 per cent due to lower prices of manganese ore and chromite. However, the prices of sillimanite, iron ore, lead concentrate and zinc concentrate and phosphorite moved up.

Inflation rate for the 'crude petroleum and natural gas' group rose 0.3 per cent due to higher price of crude petroleum. However, the price of natural gas declined.

Inflation rate for the 'fuel and power group, which has a weight of 13.15 per cent in WPI, stood lower at 0.4 per cent in January 2018.

For the 'Coal' group it rose 2.4 per cent due to higher price of non-coking coal. However, the price of coking coal declined.

Inflation rate for the 'mineral oils' group rose 1.4 per cent due to higher prices of HSD, kerosene, furnace oil, bitumen, petrol, naphtha and ATF. However, the price of petroleum coke and LPG declined.

For the 'electricity' group, inflation rate declined by 3.5 per cent due to lower price of electricity.

Inflation rate for the 'manufactured group', which has a weight of 64.23 per cent in the WPI, rose 0.6 per cent in January 2018.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of food products' group declined by 0.5 per cent due to lower prices of molasses, gram powder (besan), sugar, meats (preserved/processed), processed and preserved fish, crustaceans, molluscs and products thereof, macaroni, noodles, couscous and similar products, gur, chicken/duck, dressed-fresh/frozen, castor oil, bagasse, buffalo meat (fresh/frozen), groundnut oil, rice bran oil, condensed milk, processed tea, ghee, powder milk, spices (including mixed spices), processing and preserving of fruit and vegetables, manufacture of processed ready to eat food, coffee powder with chicory, manufacture of prepared animal feeds and honey. However, the prices of soyabean oil, wheat bran, rice products, vanaspati, sunflower oil and salt and cotton seed oil, starches and starch products, bakery products, copra oil, palm oil and sooji (rawa ) moved up.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of beverages' group rose 0.2 per cent due to higher prices of wine and aerated drinks/soft drinks (including soft drink concentrates). However, the price of rectified spirit and bottled mineral water declined.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of tobacco products' group declined by 0.5 per cent due to lower price of other tobacco products. However, the prices of cigarette and biri moved up.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of wearing apparel' group declined by 0.3 per cent due to lower prices of knitted and crocheted apparel.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of leather and related products' group rose 0.3 per cent due to higher prices of gloves of leather, leather shoe and waterproof footwear. However, the price of belt and other articles of leather, canvas shoes and chrome tanned leather declined.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork ' group rose by 0.4 per cent due to higher price of wooden block-compressed or not, lamination wooden sheets/veneer sheets and wood cutting, processed/sized. However, the price of wooden box/crate and timber/wooden plank, sawn/resawn declined.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of paper and paper products' group rose 2.5 per cent due to higher price of corrugated sheet box, tissue paper, paper carton/box, laminated paper, base paper, hard board, map litho paper, pulp board, kraft paper and card board. However, the price of paper bag, including craft paper bag, corrugated paper board and newsprint declined.

Inflation rate for the 'printing and reproduction of recorded media' group rose 0.6 per cent due to higher prices of hologram, printed labels/posters/calendars, printed books, newspaper and printed form schedule.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of chemicals and chemical products' group rose 0.9 per cent due to higher prices of carbon black, acetic acid and its derivatives, camphor, sulphuric acid, caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), nitric acid, menthol and amine, ammonia liquid, ammonium sulphate and mono ethyl glycol, epoxy, liquid and toilet soap, catalysts, adhesive tape (non-medicinal) and XLPE compound, ammonia gas, creams and lotions for external application, ethyl acetate, ammonium nitrate, polyester film (metalised) and polyester chips or polyethylene terepthalate (PET) chips and hydrogen peroxide, polyethylene, mixed fertilizer, phthalic anhydride, ethylene oxide, organic chemicals, other petrochemical intermediates, dye stuff/dyes (including dye intermediates and pigments/colours,

oleoresin, powder coating material, explosive, insecticide and pesticide, plasticiser, sodium silicate, organic solvent, other inorganic chemicals, soda ash/washing soda and poly vinyl chloride (PVC). However, the price of tooth paste/tooth powder, shampoo and detergent cake, washing soap cake/bar/powder, phosphoric acid, nitrogenous fertilizer, others, additive, rubber chemicals, gelatine, adhesive excluding gum, agro chemical formulation and paint declined.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of pharmaceuticals, medicinal chemical and botanical products' group declined by 1.1 per cent due to lower prices of anti-malarial drugs, anti allergic drugs, antibiotics and preparations thereof, vials/ampoule, glass (empty or filled), ayurvedic medicaments and API and formulations of vitamins. However, the prices of anti cancer drugs, antidiabetic drug (excluding insulin, ie, tolbutam), simvastatin and antioxidants, antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory formulations and antiseptics and disinfectants moved up.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of rubber and plastics products' group rose 0.3 per cent due to higher price of 2/3 wheeler rubber tube, polythene film, V belt, conveyer belt (fibre based), plastic furniture, rubberized dipped fabric, plastic tube (flexible/non-flexible), medium and heavy commercial vehicle tyre, PVC fittings and other accessories, rubber cloth/sheet, plastic tank, plastic button, rubber crumb, plastic film, polyester film (non-metalized), rubber tread and rubber moulded goods. However, the prices of tooth brush, 2/3 wheeler tyre, processed rubber, rubber components and parts, tractor tyre, polypropylene film, elastic webbing, plastic box/container, acrylic/plastic sheet, solid rubber tyres/wheels and plastic tape declined.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products' group rose 2.2 per cent due to higher prices of graphite rod, porcelain sanitary ware, marble slab, asbestos corrugated sheet and fibre glass (incl. sheet), cement (superfine), granite, railway sleeper, clinker, ordinary portland cement and lime and calcium carbonate. However, the prices of cement blocks (concrete), ordinary sheet glass, ceramic tiles (vitrified tiles) and non ceramic tiles, poles and posts of concrete, stone, chip and plain bricks declined.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of basic metals' group rose 3.7 per cent due to higher prices of MS bright bars, sponge iron/direct reduced iron (DRI), angles, channels, sections, steel (coated/not), alloy steel wire rods, MS pencil ingots, hot rolled (HR) coils and sheets (including narrow strip), cold rolled (CR) coils and sheets (including narrow strip), GP/GC sheet, MS wire rods and mild steel (MS) blooms, zinc metal/zinc blocks, pig iron and aluminium ingot, silicomanganese, stainless steel tubes, aluminium alloys, ferrosilicon, stainless steel bars and rods (including flats), aluminium shapes-bars/rods/flats,

copper metal/copper rings, ferromanganese, brass metal/sheet/coils, ferrochrome, galvanised iron pipes, MS castings and aluminium metal. However, the prices of stainless steel coils, strips and sheets and alloy steel castings declined.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment' group rose 0.9 per cent due to higher prices of iron/steel hinges, bolts, screws, nuts and nails of iron and steel and pressure cooker, stainless steel utensils, forged steel rings, steel structures, steel container and metal cutting tools and accessories and electrical stamping - laminated or otherwise, steel pipes, tubes and poles, hose pipes in set or otherwise and jigs and fixture. However, the prices of sanitary fittings of iron and steel, lock/padlock and aluminium utensils declined.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products' group rose 0.3 per cent due to higher prices of scientific time keeping devices, and air conditioners, colour TVs, watches and electronic printed circuit boards /micro circuits. However, the prices of sunglasses and electro-diagnostic apparatus, used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences declined.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of electrical equipment' group rose 0.1 per cent due to higher prices of jelly filled cables, solenoid valve, PVC insulated cable, rotor/magneto rotor assembly, AC motor, aluminium/alloy conductor and fan, meter panel, copper wire, flourescent tube, electric and other meters, generators and alternators, incandescent lamps, electric accumulators and batteries. However, the prices of rubber insulated cables, light fitting accessories, insulator, ACSR conductors, electric welding machine, insulating and flexible wire, electric switch gear control/starter, electric wires and cables and aluminium wire declined.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of machinery and equipment' group declined by 1.0 per cent due to lower prices of agricultural tractors, conveyors-non-roller type, pressure vessel and tank for fermentation and other food processing, separators, machinery used in the milling industry, chillers, gasket kit, hydraulic equipment, furnaces and ovens, excavator and sugar machinery. However, the prices of cranes, road roller, open-end spinning machinery, agriculture implements, pneumatic tools, pump sets without motor and pharmaceutical machinery and precision machinery equipment/form tools, motor starter, rice mill machinery, roller and ball bearings, manufacture of bearings, gears, gearing and driving elements, air filters, mixing machine, printing machinery and mining, quarrying & metallurgical machinery/parts moved up.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers' group rose 0.4 per cent due to higher prices of seat for motor vehicles, head lamps, cylinder liners, wheels and parts, filter element, radiators and coolers and chain. However, the prices of brake pad/brake liner/brake block/brake rubber, others, crankshaft and shafts of all kinds and engine declined.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of other transport equipment' group rose 1.0 per cent due to higher prices of motor cycles, propellers and blades of boats/ships and tanker.

Inflation rate for the 'manufacture of furniture' group rose 0.5 per cent due to higher prices of wooden furniture, plastic fixtures and iron/steel furniture and steel shutter gate. However, the price of foam and rubber mattress declined.

Inflation rate for the 'other manufacturing' group declined by 6.7 per cent due to lower prices of gold and gold ornaments. However, the prices of stringed musical instruments (incl. santoor, guitars, etc) and playing cards moved up.

The rate of inflation based on WPI Food Index consisting of 'Food Articles' from Primary Articles group and 'Food Product' from Manufactured Products group with a combined weight of 24.38 per cent in the WPI decreased from 2.91 per cent in December 2017 to 1.65 per cent in January 2018.

The final inflation rate for November 2017, based on the final wholesale price index for 'all commodities' (Base: 2011-12=100) stood at 4.02 per cent against 3.93 per cent reported earlier.

http://www.domain-b.com/economy/general/20180215_wholesale.html

Corn, rice mills designed by government get awards

BY CONRAD M. CARIÑO ON FEBRUARY 16, 2018AGRIBUSINESS

Farm machines developed by the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization garnered awards last year for having real-world applications, especially for areas where small landholdings ares predominant.

“The efficiency and availability of milling machines for rice and corn in every locality is vital to achieve food self-sufficiency and security in the Philippines,” said Michael Gragasin, the awardwinning researcher of PhilMech.

His invention, the Impeller Compact Rice Mill, won first prize in the Creative Research Category during the 2017 Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits held at the Central Luzon State University in Munoz, Nueva Ecija, in July last year. Meanwhile, the Rolling Mobile Corn Mill, one of his initiatives at PhilMech, won First Best Research Paper in the Central Luzon Agriculture Resource Research and Development Consortium’s Fiesta’s 28th Regional Symposium on R&D (research and development), held in September 2017.

“This technology is intended for villages without existing rice mill, because we do not have enough rice mills especially in barrios, so we developed this innovative impeller rice mill to single-phase electric line from three phase,” Gragasin said, referring to the rice mill.

The Impeller Compact Rice Mill has a capacity of 250 to 300 kilograms per hour for both white and brown rice. It can mill brown rice to 10- to 15-percent moisture content, and has a milling recovery of 72 to 78 percent for brown rice, and 62 to 65 percent for white rice. It has a milling cost of 87 centavos per kilo.

For the corn mill, power comes from a 4DR automotive engine that has a displacement of 3.0 liters and power rating of 60 hp. The average fuel consumption is 3.83 liters per hour of operation.

It has an input capacity of 940 to 1,100 kg per hour, recovery of 66 to 71 percent, and degermination efficiency of 82 to 88 percent. It also has a milling cost of 88 centavos per kg. The corn mill is recommended for processing corn grains for degermed corn, corn grits for human consumption, and corn flour for animal feeds.

For this year, the Impeller Compact Rice Mill is Central Luzon’s entry for the Creative Research Category in the 2018 National Invention Contest. Meanwhile, the Rolling Mobile Corn Mill will compete in a symposium that will be hosted by the Department of Science and Technology. http://www.manilatimes.net/corn-rice-mills-designed-government-get-awards/380529/

Scholarship Winner Visits USA Rice

By Deborah Willenborg

ARLINGTON, VA -- If you're Ana Little-Saña from San Diego, California, and one of your assignments as a high school senior is to research and apply for five different scholarships, you don't just google "scholarships," you google "fun, eclectic, unique, and weird scholarships." Because Little-Saña believes in heading down the road less traveled. If she has a comfort zone, you can bet she's going to break out of it.

And the National Rice Month (NRM) Scholarship Video Contest she found online was definitely a departure for this student growing up in the San Diego suburbs who knew nothing about agriculture. But with a little groundwork and a lot of creativity, Little-Saña produced an award-winning video for last year's first ever NRM scholarship video contest.

The money she received from Dow Agro-Sciences helped Little-Saña trade her picture perfect San Diego lifestyle for the more challenging climate and environment of Washington, DC, as she chose to study at George Washington University (GWU), located across the Potomac River from the USA Rice office here.

Little-Saña is in her second semester at GWU where she's majoring in political science, is a Cisneros Scholar with a commitment to leadership and community service, and currently has an internship at the

Truman Center for National Policy.

What little free time Little-Saña has is either spent competing on the GWU intramural water polo team or exploring the many facets of Washington DC. "Our school doesn't have a dining hall but we have a meal card that is accepted at a lot of different restaurants around the city," said Saña. "I make a point to get out of the geographic comfort zone around GWU and discover new places to eat while checking out unfamiliar parts of town."

Earlier this week, Little-Saña added to her favorite restaurants list when she made the trek from GWU to USA Rice and shared a sushi lunch with USA Rice staff. From her research, Little-Saña remembered that most sushi rise consumed in the U.S. is produced in her home state of California. She also said her mother's family, who live in Spain, has an affinity for U.S.-grown rice even though Spain has its own rice growing region. reminder that doing the unexpected and going against the grain runs in the Little-Saña family!

Another

Rough Rice FuturesSettlements All market data contained within the CME Group website should be considered as a reference only and should not be used as validation against, nor as a complement to, real-time market data feeds. Settlement prices on instruments without open interest or volume are provided for web users only and are not published on Market Data Platform (MDP). These prices are not based on market activity.  Month

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Open

High

Low

Last

Change

Estimated Volume

Settle

Prior Day Open Interest

Last Updated: Thursday, 15 Feb 2018 06:00 PM

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About This Report

MAR 18

12.200

12.200

11.950

11.975

-.300

11.950

750

5,201

MAY 18

12.435

12.435

12.185

12.210

-.300

12.185

478

3,063

JLY 18

12.600

12.600

12.420

12.440B

-.315

12.415

61

796

Month

Open

High

Low

Last

Change

Estimated Volume

Settle

Prior Day Open Interest

SEP 18

11.900

11.985

11.825

11.845A

-.170

11.785

17

684

NOV 18

-

-

-

-

-.170

11.645

0

0

JAN 19

-

-

-

-

-.170

11.645

0

0

MAR 19

-

-

-

-

-.170

11.645

0

0

1,306

9,744

Total

Grains Commentary 0:00

/

http://www.cmegroup.com/trading/agricultural/grain-and-oilseed/roughrice_quotes_settlements_futures.htmlFEBRUARY 15, 2018 / 11:25 PM / UPDATED 16 HOURS AGO Wild crops could save chickpeas from being blitzed, scientists say Thin Lei Win 3 MIN READ

ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - They are nutritious, versatile and a dietary staple for millions of people from South Asia to Ethiopia, but scientists have warned that the humble chickpea is under threat from climate impacts such as higher temperatures, drought and pests.

The key to saving the chickpea could lie with a project cross-breeding domestic and wild varieties - found only in southeastern Turkey near the border with war-torn Syria - said a study published this week in the journal Nature Communications.

Unlike domestic crops, which receive dedicated care in the form of fertilisers and pesticides, their wild relatives are able to adapt to changing conditions, according to scientists.

“It will take another five years before it’s in the hands of a farmer in Ethiopia ... but we are well on the road to being there,” Eric J. B. von Wettberg, a plant geneticist at the University of Vermont, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

He said researchers were working with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), an India-based agricultural research body, to ensure that the resilient seeds make it to market once they are available.

About one in five people globally depend on legumes such as chickpeas as their primary source of protein, Von Wettberg said.

He called for better protection for and conservation of wild varieties of crops, which could have traits that would allow them to survive and thrive under climate pressures.

“They (wild crops) may be our most potent weapon against climate change,” said Chikelu Mba, plant geneticist at the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

“They are irreplaceable,” he said by phone, adding that chickpeas were vital for nutrition in many developing countries.

Scientists are also assessing wild rice varietals to combat climate change, with one species growing in northern Australia’s crocodile-infested waters raising hope for a more nutritious grain that is drought- and pest-resistant.

Reporting By Thin Lei Win @thinink, Editing by Robert Carmichael and Kieran Guilbert; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, corruption and climate change. Visit www.trust.org

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-agriculture-crops/wild-crops-could-save-chickpeas-from-beingblitzed-scientists-say-idUSKCN1FZ2II

The benefits of rice water for hair and skin

by Neeti Jaychander | February 15, 2018, 10:00 AM IST

This age-old magic beauty ingredient has seen a revival in recent times! So what is rice water exactly, you may ask? Quite simply, rice water is the water that is left over once rice is either soaked or boiled in it. You can either soak the uncooked rice in water and use the residue, or boil rice in twice the amount of cooking water that you normally need, and use the remaining water once done.

It is preferable to use organic rice, clean filtered water, and rinse the rice thoroughly before use to get rid of any topical pollutants and pesticides. White rice is preferred over brown or red rice – since the water from the former has more extensive benefits.

How long has it been used?

The Chinese village of Huangluo, home to native Red Yao women, is in the Guinness Book of Records as the ‘world’s longest hair village’. The women here boast long, lustrous and healthy hair that is consistently maintained. The villagers believe that it is a symbol of luck, longevity and prosperity. So what is the secret to their fabulously-maintained hair? An ancient but extremely simple Chinese remedy – rice water! This magic potion, used as a natural shampoo and rinse for centuries now, clearly works wonders. In fact, women usually don’t start graying until they’re almost eighty years old! But China doesn’t hold monopoly over rice water. Around 1,200 years ago, women in Japan – especially those at the Imperial Court – used rice water to rinse their hair as well as wash their face. This solution was highly acclaimed and termed ‘Yu-SuRu’. Geishas especially used it, to keep their skin smooth, even-toned and supple. Even Korea (which has now seen a revival in traditional beauty techniques) and other South East Asian countries like Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia have a history of using rice water as a key beauty supplement. So why is this simple ingredient such a potent solution, and how can you harness its benefits today? Let’s take a look.

What does it contain?

Rice water has a multitude of components with nutritional value for the skin and hair. Around 16 percent of these are proteins, the building blocks essential to cell health. Triglycerides and lipids each make up 10 percent of the rice water composition, while starch (an extract still used in Japanese cosmetics), is present

at 9 percent. Carbohydrates, inositol, phytic acid and inorganic substances are other components in rice water. This is what you get when you boil an average handful of white rice in two cups of hot water, and strain out the residue liquid.

What are its skin benefits?

Over the years, various studies have been testimony to the fact that rice water, part of Asia’s culinary legacy, is also part of its beauty legacy. And for good reason. There are several benefits to using rice water for the skin. In 2002, a study from the Department of Toxicology at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium determined that patients with skin conditions like inflammation, rashes and dermatitis benefitted greatly from taking a bath in rice water twice a day. So people with sensitive skins, rejoice! It is the most natural astringent you can ever imagine, thanks to its high starch content. It is also a natural sunscreen, protecting from the harmful effects of UV rays. In addition, rice water can be used to treat sunburns. Just apply it on sun-damaged skin, and it will help your skin recover faster. It also helps tighten open pores. Skin texture is greatly improved, and elasticity is restored, especially in the case of dry and dehydrated skin. Rice water is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, flavanoids and phenolic compounds. In addition, it contains ferulic acid and allantoin, all of which are necessary for skin function. One of the key functions of rice water is brighter skin and an even skin tone. If you dip a cotton ball in fermented rice water and massage it into your face, it really works wonders. You’ll find sunspots, pigmentation, hyperpigmentation and freckles lightening. Not only does it promote cell growth and regeneration, keeping your skin supple and smooth, it also has antioxidants, which keep various skin cancers at bay and also act as an anti-ageing agent. You can even use it as a bath soak – just add two cups of rice water into regular water that’s in your bath rub, and finish up with a few drops of lavender essential oil. Soak for about half an hour to reap the skin benefits of rice water all over the body, while the lavender lulls you into a comfortable sleep-like state.

What are the hair benefits?

In 2010, a study was published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science, where researchers clearly stated that using rice water as a hair treatment offered several benefits including improved elasticity, texture and lesser friction and frizz. This is largely due to the presence of inositol, a carbohydrate. Using it as a shampoo to wash out your hair may not be as convenient as a store bought shampoo, but it comes without chemicals and preservatives, and you don’t even need to follow it up with a conditioner. Rice water keeps your hair’s natural oils intact and its pH levels are similar to that of the scalp! For added benefits, a few drops of your preferred essential oils can be added to rice water, and this mix can replace your regular shampoo.

What is pitera – the magic ingredient?

To make the solution more potent, allow it to ferment for a day or two – it may smell funny, but this will definitely give you an added benefits. Fermented rice water is the elixir of youth! It contains pitera, a natural byproduct that boosts cell regeneration. It is rich in minerals, vitamins and amino acids, all of which are essential to anti-ageing. This ingredient has been rediscovered by scientists recently, and is all the rage in keeping skin youthful. To give you an example, sake, a Japanese fermented rice liquor is based on pretty much the same principles as rice water. It was found that workers at a sake factory had exceptionally youthful hands compared to the rest of their skin! Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the pitera found in fermented rice water and its offshoots, was responsible for this miraculous occurrence.

What are the other ways it helps?

Including rice water in your diet is beneficial in more ways than one. It can cure a number of ills such as stomach infections, gastric problems and nausea. It improves gut health drastically, which in turn reflects on the outside, giving you smooth and radiant skin. Rice water is also used extensively across Asian cultures for babies who are weaning off nursing, to settle their stomachs.

Drinking it up is a natural cure for eczema, fever and other bacterial infections. Rice water is full of energy, with a low-cal but high-carb way of providing your body with the boost it needs to get through the day effectively. In south India, Kanji, a fermented gruel made from rice water is part of the daily staple diet, especially among farmers and agriculturists. In the hot tropical summers, it prevents dehydration, replenishing lost nutrients and reducing chances of ailments. To prepare Kanji, cook a cup of rice in four cups water. Once the rice is semi-cooked, strain out the water, add some salt if required, and drink up. Your body will thank you for it, and so will your skin.

Kanji can also be made from brown and red rice variants, depending on your taste and preferences.

Just remember to keep it organic as much as possible.

Is it used in store-bought cosmetics?

Japanese and South Korean cosmetic giants have been using rice water and pitera in their cosmetics, and marketing them as combining the best of science and nature. Several high-end brands now feature this key ingredient, technologically modified to fit into a bottle of serum or face wash. While we recommend you try the undiluted, freshly made version everyday, there is no denying that store-bought versions come with benefits too. Firstly, the shelf life is longer, and you don’t need to keep making a fresh batch every couple of days – which can be a pain if you’re hard-pressed for time. Secondly, it comes with a multitude of other ingredients, which offer a holistic, all-round benefit in one product. Thirdly, if you go to a reputed cosmetic company, you’re assured of the quality of rice water used, and won’t really need to worry about what brand of rice to pick up from the supermarket! Just remember to do your homework before you pick up any product, make sure it is suited to your skin type and also provides the benefits that you would like for your skin.

What are its environmental implications?

When you use rice water, you are using a by-product of boiling rice – and this is a single ingredient trick, which means you’re not really digging into anything else. What’s more, you don’t have to deal with the implications of using disposable plastic waste that just reaches landfills, and you can spare the earth of that many more toxins and toxic waste. If you actually cook for a cartload of people, don’t even throw away the water used to rinse the rice – you can even just store it in a bucket and use it to bathe your body. Also, rice water costs virtually nothing! Instead of opting for expensive store-bought serums and toners, just use this really affordable (read, free!) DIY product and you’ll find you don’t really need to clutter your bathroom shelf with much else.

What are the cons?

Rice water is not a miracle cure, but a slow, healing process. While you’ll see visible benefits using it for a few days or even weeks, to reap its real benefits means making a lifestyle change. It’ll need to be a part of your daily routine just as much as eating breakfast or brushing your teeth. Also, try to get certified organic white rice, since non-organic versions may have extensive traces of dirt, pollutants, bacteria and pesticides that you are privy to, resulting in skin problems like eczema and so on. Since the product is homemade, it doesn’t contain preservatives. So you’ll need to keep an eye out for when it’s going bad and whip up a fresh batch every couple of days.

Celeb speak

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is one celebrity who swears by rice water. Whenever her skin needs a little pickme-up, she opts for a rice water facial, massaging concentrated amounts into her skin and letting it sit for a while, which is her secret to youthful and radiant skin. She also takes it one step further, mixing it up with rice flour for an exfoliating scrub. Internationally, London-based facialist Su-Man Hsu boasts a clientele that includes Juliette Binoche, Anne Hathaway and Freida Pinto, and makes her own skincare products. A key ingredient in this Taiwanese facialist’s anti-ageing kit is rice water. She goes back to beauty recipes that her mother and grandmother used, for inspiration.

Face packs to try out

- Mix 2 tbsp rice water with a tbsp of ground gramflour and a teaspoon of honey. Mix well and apply all over face and neck. Rinse with lukewarm water after 20 minutes and pat dry. This pack helps get rid of

suntans and facial impurities caused by pollutants.

- For a probiotic face mask, take half a cup of curd and mix 2 tsp rice water into it. Let it sit for ten minutes.

Then apply all over face and neck, and leave on for 10 minutes. Wipe with a wet washcloth and pat dry.

This pack has anti-ageing and skin firming benefits.

- Mix half a cup of rice water with half a mashed banana in a blender. Add a few drops of castor oil and apply all over face, including a very thin, careful layer under the eyes. Dip some cotton wool in a teaspoon of rice water and slowly remove the pack. Once every inch of the paste has come off, splash water on your face and pat dry. For tired and dull looking skin, this pack is ideal.

- Here’s a real treat! This antioxidant scrub will have your skin glowing in no time. Add 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder to a tbsp of rice water and mix well. Scrub this into the skin in slow upward strokes. Then rise well and pat dry with a towel.

Photos: Shutterstock

Lullaby Gets govt import rice at most unfortunate time A rice seller in Senen market in Jakarta on Jan. 2. 2017. (Antara Photo/Sigid Kurniawan) By : Adinda Normala | on 1:08 PM January 17, 2018 Category : Business, Commodities, Featured

Jakarta. Different databases kept by Indonesia's agriculture and trade ministries were allegedly the main culprit in the government's late decision to import rice so close to a harvest season — a decision roundly criticized by farmers for putting pressure on the price of local rice.

"The government had trusted the data put forward by the Agriculture Ministry, wrongly so," Dwi Santosa, a professor from Bogor Institute of Agriculture, told the Jakarta Globe on Tuesday (16/01).

Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said last month the country had produced more rice than it needed last year, meeting President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's target of rice self-sufficiency.

But the price of rice in the market tells a different story. Trade Ministry data showed that on Jan. 12, medium quality rice cost Rp 11,500 ($0.93) per kilogram, above the recommended retail price of Rp 9,450 set by the ministry.

The Agriculture Ministry said January’s rice production is expected to reach 2.8 million tons, more than the monthly consumption of around 2.5 million tons.

But the Trade Ministry's number is different, with rice production in the same month expected at a much lower 900,000 tons.

Dwi said the country’s rice stock started to fall in July-September last year, after a lean harvest season caused by infestation in several parts of the country, including in Indonesia's biggest rice bowl, East Java.

"The Indonesian Farmers' Seed Bank Association [AB2TI] has been encouraging the government to start importing rice since last year," Dwi said.

Dwi said the timing of the current rice import is less than ideal since local farmers expect a major rice harvest in the first quarter of this year.

Importing rice so close to harvest season may cause a "price collapse" for local rice.

Dwi strongly recommended that rice import should arrive in the first two weeks of February so as to not interfere with local rice harvest.

Import Plans The Indonesian government has decided it will import 500,000 tons of medium quality rice by the end of January to boost the country’s stockpile.

Coordinating Economics Minister Darmin Nasution said on Monday the buffer rice stock at national procurement agency Bulog tops out at 875,000 tons, not enough to keep the price of rice stable until the next harvest season.

"We need to import rice to protect not only consumers but also farmers," Darmin said in a press conference.

Indonesia's rice import will come from its traditional suppliers Vietnam and Thailand, but no shipment plan has been decided.

The head of Indonesia's Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Suhariyanto, warned the government to keep price rice under control if it wants inflation to stay under the 2018 state budget's target of 3.5 percent.

"The rising price of rise is worrisome. The government needs to keep food price volatility down," Suhariyanto said.

BPS data showed the price of rice was the fourth biggest contributor to national inflation last year, accounting for 0.16 of the total 3.61 percent.

How to Avoid Data Disparity

The government has asked BPS and the Technology Assessment and Application Agency (BPPT) to compile data on rice production in harvest areas to be used as the main references for Bulog's database.

"This should prevent over-optimistic prediction of rice production," BPS head Suhariyanto said.

The government will also release a one-map policy in August which will contain data on planting areas and irrigation.

Task teams will be formed to verify data and minimize mistakes in estimating rice production.

The issue of rice import has been a thorn in the side for President Jokowi, who wants to keep food prices down — rice import will help this — but also wants to pursue the agenda of rice selfsufficiency to protect farmers.

BPS data showed Jokowi's administration has already imported 2.9 million tons of rice worth Rp 16.6 trillion from 2014 to 2017.

Rice consumption in Indonesia is among the highest in the world, with each Indonesian consuming 114 kilograms every year.

In comparison, average annual rice consumption in Vietnam is at 191 kg per person, in Thailand 147 kg, in India 78 kg and in China 75 kg, according to data compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2016. http://jakartaglobe.id/business/lullaby-gets-govt-import-rice-at-most-unfortunate-time/

Bangladesh scraps Thai rice deal 

15 Feb 2018 at 20:30



WRITER: REUTERS

BENGALURU, India: Bangladesh scrapped a plan to import Thai rice, citing delays in finalising a deal, as rice prices in India and Thailand fell this week, pressured by sluggish overseas demand.

Bangladesh, which has emerged as a major importer of rice since 2017 after floods damaged its crops, scrapped a plan to import 150,000 tonnes of rice from Thailand, agreed at $465 a tonne in October.

"We had to cancel it as they were taking too long to finalise the deal. We're getting supplies from neighbouring India ... At the same time, we are getting good response in our local procurement drive," Badrul Hasan, head of the state grains buyer, told Reuters.

In India, prices for 5% broken parboiled rice fell by $12 to $420-$424 a tonne, having touched their highest since September 2011 a couple of weeks earlier.

"Demand is weak. Buyers are postponing purchases, expecting a further drop in prices," said an exporter based in Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

A statement released by a government body last week said that India's April-December nonbasmati rice exports had jumped by 39.5% from a year ago to 6.34 million tonnes as Bangladesh and Benin increased purchases.

Meanwhile, Thailand's benchmark 5% broken rice rates fell to $400-$419 a tonne, free on board (FOB) Bangkok, compared with $420-$430 last week.

"Many exporters are waiting on big markets like Indonesia, Philippines, Iran and China, but so far there are no fresh bids," one Bangkok-based rice trader said.

"Prices did not fluctuate much this week because many rice mills are closed due to the Chinese New Year," he added.

The Lunar New Year is not an official public holiday in Thailand, but many businesses close for the occasion.

The exchange rate, with a firmer baht, is another important factor behind the slump in demand, another trader said.

In Vietnam, the world's third-largest rice exporter, financial markets are closed for the Feb 14-20 Lunar New Year holiday. https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1412755/bangladesh-scraps-thai-rice-deal

Affordable and quality rice for all Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:12 AM February 16, 2018

Lately I have been thinking about the continuous price hikes on basic commodities in the country, and I have noticed how the poor suffer from them. They can no longer fill their empty stomach with enough food to serve their family, and it pains me to see them that way.

I am talking about this because I see how unfair the government system is to the poor, while the rich seem unaffected by the price hikes. The poor can no longer buy rice as their staple food following the passage of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and

Inclusion Act that increased prices by P1-P2 per kilo due to the petroleum price hike.

The farmers’ livelihood is also at stake. Farmers are continuously in debt in addition to being landless. It holds true as vast lands of haciendas are still existing in the country and landlords monopolize the rice industry. The World Trade Organization agreement also strengthened rice importation.

This now brings me to what we can do in order to push for an affordable and quality rice. Forums, discussions, and demonstrations can be done in order to get the attention of the government to act on this, while also getting the support of the masses to further strengthen the call.

I hope that this can help spread the need to act on such a very important issue: a call for an affordable and quality rice for all.

SARRYNA GESITE, gesitesarryna@gmail.com http://opinion.inquirer.net/111059/affordable-quality-rice

Rice imports to be 32-year high Copy this link

Star Business Report Rice imports are on course for a 32-year high this fiscal year on the back of insatiable demand from private traders for high prices in the local market.

As of February 9, imports of the grain stood at 28.90 lakh tonnes in contrast to 1.33 lakh tonnes brought in to the country in fiscal 2016-17, according to data from the food ministry.

Of the amount, private traders brought in 21.29 lakh tonnes and the government 7.61 lakh tonnes. The last time higher quantities of rice was imported was back in fiscal 1998-99, when 30.08 lakh tonnes arrived from abroad.

And as of January 27 this year, letters of credit have been opened to import 37.55 lakh tonne of rice.

The buoyancy in imports continues even though farmers are cultivating boro after harvesting aman paddy, the production of which is estimated by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fall due to the three-day-long unseasonal heavy rain in December.

The US agency in a report last week raised its forecast on Bangladesh's rice import to 34 lakh tonnes of rice in 2017-18, which is more than double its earlier prediction of 16 lakh tonnes in November last year.

“The private importers are aggressively taking the maximum benefit of a 2 percent tariff rate,” said the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service in its January issue of the Grain and Feed Update on Bangladesh.

The report said private sector imports have soared due to higher prices in the local market amid fears of possible lower production in the next boro rice season because of flood risks.

“A record high amount of rice imports did not contribute significantly to retail rice price reductions in the local market,” the agency said. The report, citing Bangladesh Bank estimates, said rice imports from India cost Tk 37.89 ($0.46) each kilogram -19 percent less than the average retail prices of Tk 45 a kg in Dhaka.

The rice production estimate has been reduced slightly on account of lower aman production due to three-day-long unseasonal heavy rain in the harvesting month of December. “Some farmers reported that they had yield-loss due to 75 percent lodging during the grain maturing stage caused by heavy rains combined with high speed winds,” the USDA said.

Aman production estimate has been reduced to 1.25 crore tonnes. Last fiscal year, aman production was 1.36 crore tonnes, according to data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. As a result, Bangladesh's rice production may decline to 3.26 crore tonnes in the current year from the USDA's November prediction of 3.30 crore tonnes.

BBS is yet to release its estimates on aus and aman production this year.

The Department of Agricultural Extension of Bangladesh has targeted rice planting on 47.25 lakh hectares area during the current boro season to ensure production of 1.90 crore tonnes of rice this season. www.thedailystar.net › Business › Export

New agency to certify rice origin

Some of the many varieties of rice grown in Cambodia. KT/Chor Sokunthea The Ministry of Commerce launched a new agency whose aim is to inspect the production and supply chain of rice branded as ‘made in Cambodia’ to guarantee its origin and provide assurance to foreign buyers. With

Cambodian rice having won multiple international awards for its quality, the move seeks to prevent the sale of foreign rice falsely claiming to hail from the kingdom. The initiative is precautionary as, according to a ministry official, very few cases of ‘fake’ Cambodian rice have been reported to date. The new working group is staffed by officials from the commerce and agriculture ministries, as well as members of the Cambodian Rice Federation.

A total of 12 individuals will make up the team, which has the authority to look into data related to every stage of the production and supply process, including processing, storing and exporting the product. “We export rice to foreign markets like the EU with certain benefits, like being exempted from paying tariffs,” said Seang Thay, spokesman at the Minister of Commerce. “We don’t want buyers complaining about having purchased rice that wasn’t grown in Cambodia, because we could lose some of those trade benefits. “We have to ensure that the rice is grown and processed here.” Mr Thay said the ministry has yet to receive a single complaint from a buyer who has been sold ‘fake’ Cambodian rice, but justified the creation of the new agency by saying it will prevent any such cases from happening in the future . He said the agency will guarantee that buyers continue to trust Cambodian rice. Despite the lack of official complaints, there has been a few documented cases of rice from third countries being deceptively sold as Cambodian rice, Mr Thay said. Hean Vanhan, director-general of the general directorate of agriculture, said the new agency will help keep the reputation of Cambodian rice intact.

“We aim to guarantee the purity of our rice, and make sure that foreigners are not sending their rice to Cambodia, and selling it from here as Cambodian rice,” he said.

“We have heard of some cases in which rice from other countries was sold as Cambodian rice, but we don’t have strong data on this,” Mr Vanhan said, adding that perpetrators were looking to benefit from the tariff exemptions that Cambodia enjoys with key markets like the US and the EU. Khy Maly, sales and export manager at Amru Rice, also welcomed the new agency, saying buyers will now have certainty that they are buying real Cambodian rice. “It is a great move to guarantee that the rice is grown, processed and packaged in Cambodia,” she said. Last year, exports of Cambodian rice increased by 17.3 percent, reaching 635,679 tonnes, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50108701/new-agency-to-certify-rice-origin/ 

BS PRODUCTS

Basmati rice stocks rally; KRBL up 8% on fund buying Kohinoor Foods, KRBL and LT Foods were up 8% to 15% on BSE in intra-day trade.

SI Reporter | Mumbai Last Updated at February 14, 2018 10:48 IST 6

Shares of basmati rice producers rallied by up to 15% on the BSE on back of heavy volumes in otherwise subdued market after the Pabrai Investment Fund bought nearly three percentage point stake in KRBL through open market purchases.Kohinoor Foods (up 15% at Rs 79.85), KRBL (8% at Rs 647) and LT Foods (8% at Rs 99.65) have rallied more

www.business-standard.com/article/markets/basmati-rice-stocks-rally-krbl

PH eyes satellite rice production abroad February 16, 2018, 12:05 AM

By PNA The Philippine government is aiming to clinch a deal with Papua New Guinea (PNG) for Filipinos to be able to grow rice there and supply the staple back here.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said in a media conference in Quezon City on Wednesday that Malacañang had given its thumbs up for his travel to PNG soon, so he and authorities there can finalize the arrangements.

“The idea is for the Philippine government to enter into a bilateral agreement with PNG on the matter,” he told reporters, saying the planned satellite rice production could boost the availability of affordable rice for Filipinos.

If plans push through, he said Filipinos would be able to grow rice in satellite farms in PNG, initially supplying the grains there while that country is developing its rice industry. The excess produce would then be shipped to the Philippines.

Earlier, Piñol said he presented to Malacañang such concept of rice production outsourcing, so Filipino entrepreneurs abroad can help grow and ensure supply of this staple grain.

Latest data indicate the Philippines is heading towards rice sufficiency by 2020, he said.

Ballooning population and decreasing agricultural land in the country highlight the need for finding rice production alternatives like outsourcing in satellite farms abroad, the agriculture chief noted.

Piñol is optimistic about the outsourcing prospect with PNG, noting the country of about 8 million people has a total land area of around 46 million hectares.

Australia has ongoing agricultural activities in about 400 hectares there, he said.

The Philippines’ initial five-year target to develop one million hectares of PNG land for rice can produce around 8 million metric tons (MT) annually — more than enough to meet PNG’s rice need of only about 200,000 MT. At present, PNG sources its rice overseas and has sought the Philippines’ help in developing its rice industry, according to Piñol.

Filipino-produced inbound rice shipments from PNG would boost the availability of rice in the Philippines, Piñol said.

“Those shipments will be treated as imports that may enter the country as National Food Authority (NFA) rice,” he said.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/02/16/ph-eyes-satellite-rice-production-abroad/

Bumper harvest inches Philippines closer to rice self-sufficiency By philstar.com February 16, 2018

Bumper harvest inches Philippines closer to rice self-sufficiency Louise Maureen Simeon (The Philippine Star) – February 16, 2018 – 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is inching closer to its goal of achieving rice selfsufficiency.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the country is 96 percent self-sufficient in rice and expects to achieve 100 percent rice self-sufficiency level by 2020.

Palay (unhusked rice) production reached 19.4 million metric tons (MT) last year from 17.8 million MT in 2016.

“This was the highest production in the history of the rice industry in the country. The production of palay is actually already above and beyond the national requirement, but we are not declaring rice sufficiency yet because there are factors to be considered,” Piñol said in a briefing on Wednesday.

The country has a national inventory of 2.7 million MT, which is good for 88 days.

About 3.1 million MT of rice are also expected in the first quarter.

This means that the Philippines has potentially 5.8 million MT in its inventory, of which 2.8 million MT will only be consumed in the first three months as per national consumption.

“Our second quarter buffer stock will be about three million MT, good for 96 days and that is the highest volume of buffer stock in recent years,” Piñol said.

“I will stick to our 2020 rice self-sufficiency target. But even if we achieve rice selfsufficiency by 2020 we will not be able to sustain it for so long because of population growth,” Piñol said.

“The best scenario is for about five to 10 years because as population grows it will overtake our rice production because our rice farms are already limited,” he added.

To address this, the agency is now increasing its adoption of high quality seeds, intensifying farm mechanization, improving access to credit and promoting integrated crop management, among others.

http://portal.jip.ph/bumper-harvest-inches-philippines-closer-to-rice-self-sufficiency/

Imported rice starts arriving at various ports News Desk The Jakarta Post Jakarta | Thu, February 15, 2018 | 11:33 am Workers unload Vietnamese rice at Tenau Port in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara on Feb. 13. (Antara/ Kornelis Kaha)

Imported rice has started arriving in a number of ports across Indonesia as the commodity price remains above the ceiling set by the government.

State Logistics Agency (Bulog) procurement director Andrianto Wahyu said that 57,000 tons of rice had arrived since Tuesday in three Indonesian ports – Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta (41,000 tons), Merak Port in Banten (6,000 tons) and Tenau Port in East Nusa Tenggara (10,000 tons).

A further 24,750 tons of rice is expected to arrive on Thursday -- 20,000 tons at Panjang Port in Lampung and 4,750 tons would arrive at Benoa Port in Bali --, he said, adding that Bulog was still waiting for the arrival of another 261,000 tons of rice by the end of this month.

Andrianto said that as of Wednesday, the 1,500 tons of rice that arrived at Tenau Port had been stored at Bulog’s warehouse in East Nusa Tenggara. "We will keep [all of] the rice at Bulog’s East Nusa Tenggara warehouse [before being distributed],” he said as reported by tribunnews.com.

The workers were still unloading the rice that had arrived at Tanjung Priok and Merak was also still in the unloading process, he added.

Currently, Andrianto said the Bulog rice stock stood at 630,000, including the government rice reserve.

The government’s decision to import rice sparked controversy as a number of regional leaders opposed the imports, arguing that their farmers produced enough rice. (bbn) http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2018/02/15/imported-rice-starts-arriving-at-variousports.html

Ricegrowers : Strong North Queensland rice harvest paves way for $4M research program 02/15/2018 | 12:10am EST

Leading Australian branded food company SunRice has reported strong dry season performance across North Queensland's Burdekin rice growing region, with 4,200 tonnes of premium rice variety Doongara harvested in December.

The appetite to integrate rice as a complementary crop for sugarcane growers remains strong, with all contracts filled for the wet season crop, which is currently in the ground and close to reaching the Panicle Initiation growth stage across the Burdekin, Tully, Ingham and Gordonvale.

Extensive R&D program to commence in the coming weeks SunRice General Manager AGS, Grower Services and Agronomic Development, Tom Howard, said to complement the interest in rice as a favoured crop option across North Queensland, a new research and development program would soon get underway focused on breeding and selecting rice varieties specifically for tropical conditions: 'North Queensland has the ideal environment for growing rice as a rotational high value crop that complements the sugarcane farming system. It can assist growers to improve their cash flow by utilising fallow land and generating significant profits for their farm business, along with potentially improving soil condition and breaking disease cycles through crop rotation.

'We've had a good recent harvest and ongoing research and development projects are designed to improve on productivity.

'We are delighted to see that this research work will get a significant boost with $4 million committed by the Federal Government under the Rural R&D for Profit program, which will commence in the coming weeks to support the expansion of the North Queensland rice industry.'

Delivered in partnership with AgriFutures, the University of Queensland, the University of Southern Queensland, the NSW Department of Primary Industries and SunRice subsidiary Rice Research Australia Pty Ltd (RRAPL), the program will focus critical research into rice varieties, farming systems, pest and disease management, agronomic practices, market return maximisation and post-harvest handling to develop a sustainable northern rice industry.

Commenting on the North Queensland rice industry, Mr Howard said:

'North Queensland has strong synergies with SunRice's strategy to develop alternative sources of domestic supply to target premium markets and help us continue to meet solid international demand for clean and green Australian rice. We are committed to building a sustainable rice industry in North Queensland to benefit local growers and their communities.'

Media

inquiries:

Sally

Edgar,

Sauce

Communications,

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133

sally@saucecommunications.com.au About SunRiceSunRice is a $1.1 billion global food business and one of Australia's leading branded food exporters. With sales, marketing and operations spanning the globe, we supply domestic markets and close to 50 countries with diverse and nutritious food products, from table rice, flour and snacks, to rice meals and companion animal and livestock products. For more information visit www.sunrice.com.au http://www.publicnow.com/view/CF5A3E762D3C018444ED3EB7A6BB8C96DFAE1BAD

http://www.4-traders.com/news/Ricegrowers-Strong-North-Queensland-rice-harvestpaves-way-for-4M-research-program--25995867/

New agency to certify rice origin Chea Vannak / Khmer Times

Some of the many varieties of rice grown in Cambodia. KT/Chor Sokunthea

The Ministry of Commerce launched a new agency whose aim is to inspect the production and supply chain of rice branded as ‘made in Cambodia’ to guarantee its origin and provide assurance to foreign buyers.

With Cambodian rice having won multiple international awards for its quality, the move seeks to prevent the sale of foreign rice falsely claiming to hail from the kingdom.

The initiative is precautionary as, according to a ministry official, very few cases of ‘fake’ Cambodian rice have been reported to date.

The new working group is staffed by officials from the commerce and agriculture ministries, as well as members of the Cambodian Rice Federation.

A total of 12 individuals will make up the team, which has the authority to look into data related to every stage of the production and supply process, including processing, storing and exporting the product.

“We export rice to foreign markets like the EU with certain benefits, like being exempted from paying tariffs,” said Seang Thay, spokesman at the Minister of Commerce.

“We don’t want buyers complaining about having purchased rice that wasn’t grown in Cambodia, because we could lose some of those trade benefits.

“We have to ensure that the rice is grown and processed here.”

Mr Thay said the ministry has yet to receive a single complaint from a buyer who has been sold ‘fake’ Cambodian rice, but justified the creation of the new agency by saying it will prevent any such cases from happening in the future .

He said the agency will guarantee that buyers continue to trust Cambodian rice.

Despite the lack of official complaints, there has been a few documented cases of rice from third countries being deceptively sold as Cambodian rice, Mr Thay said.

Hean Vanhan, director-general of the general directorate of agriculture, said the new agency will help keep the reputation of Cambodian rice intact.

“We aim to guarantee the purity of our rice, and make sure that foreigners are not sending their rice to Cambodia, and selling it from here as Cambodian rice,” he said.

“We have heard of some cases in which rice from other countries was sold as Cambodian rice, but we don’t have strong data on this,” Mr Vanhan said, adding that perpetrators were looking to benefit from the tariff exemptions that Cambodia enjoys with key markets like the US and the EU. Khy Maly, sales and export manager at Amru Rice, also welcomed the new agency, saying buyers will now have certainty that they are buying real Cambodian rice.

“It is a great move to guarantee that the rice is grown, processed and packaged in Cambodia,” she said.

Last year, exports of Cambodian rice increased by 17.3 percent, reaching 635,679 tonnes, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50108701/ne w-agency-to-certify-rice-origin/ Asia Rice: Slow demand weighs on top exporters; Bangladesh scraps Thai deal Koustav Samanta

• • BENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice prices in India and Thailand fell this week, pressured by sluggish overseas demand, while Bangladesh scrapped a plan to import Thai rice, citing delays in finalising a deal.

File Photo: A shopkeeper sews at a rice wholesale market in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata May 7, 2008. REUTERS/Parth Sanyal In India, prices for 5 percent broken parboiled rice fell by $12 to $420-$424 a tonne, having touched their highest since September 2011 a couple of weeks earlier.

“Demand is weak. Buyers are postponing purchases, expecting a further drop in prices,” said an exporter based in Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

A statement released by a government body last week said that India’s AprilDecember non-basmati rice exports had jumped by 39.5 percent from a year ago to 6.34 million tonnes as Bangladesh and Benin increased purchases.

Bangladesh, which has emerged as a major importer of rice since 2017 after floods damaged its crops, scrapped a plan to import 150,000 tonnes of rice from Thailand, agreed at $465 a tonne in October.

“We had to cancel it as they were taking too long to finalise the deal. We’re getting supplies from neighbouring India ... At the same time, we are getting good response in our local procurement drive,” Badrul Hasan, head of the state grains buyer, told Reuters.

Meanwhile, Thailand’s benchmark 5 percent broken rice rates fell to $400-$419 a tonne, free on board (FOB) Bangkok, compared with $420-$430 last week.

“Many exporters are waiting on big markets like Indonesia, Philippines, Iran and China, but so far there are no fresh bids,” one Bangkok-based rice trader said.

“Prices did not fluctuate much this week because many rice mills are closed due to the Chinese New Year,” he added.

The Lunar New Year is not an official public holiday in Thailand, but many businesses close for the occasion.

The exchange rate, with a firmer baht, is another important factor behind the slump in demand, another trader said.

In Vietnam, the world’s third-largest rice exporter, financial markets are closed for the Feb. 14-20 Lunar New Year holiday. https://in.reuters.com/article/asia-rice/asia-rice-slow-demand-weighs-on-top-exporters-bangladesh-scrapsthai-deal-idINKCN1FZ1KZ

Rice Bran Oil China Market – Growth & Forecast to 2018 including key players Ricela, Kamal, BCL, SVROil, Vaighai, etc.

February 15, 2018 - by info@htfmarketreport.com

HTF Market Report released a new research document of 110 pages on industry titled as ‘China Rice Bran Oil Market

Research Report 2018’ with detailed analysis, Competitive landscape, forecast and strategies. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions like South China, East China, Southwest China, Northeast China, North China, Central China, Northwest China etc. and important players/vendors such as Ricela, Kamal, BCL, SVROil, Vaighai, etc. The report will help you gain market insights, future trends and growth prospects for forecast period of 2016-2022.

Request a sample report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/944144china-rice-bran-oil-market Summary The global Rice Bran Oil market is valued at XX million USD in 2016 and is expected to reach XX million USD by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.

China plays an important role in global market, with market size of xx million USD in 2016 and will be xx million USD in 2022, with a CAGR of xx%.

This report studies the Rice Bran Oil development status and future trend in China, focuses on top players in China, also splits Rice Bran Oil by type and by applications, to fully and deeply research and reveal the market general situation and future forecast.

The major players in China market include Ricela Kamal BCL SVROil Vaighai A.P. Refinery 3F Industries Sethia Oils Jain Group of Industries Shivangi Oils Balgopal Food Products King Rice Oil Group Kasisuri Surin Bran Oil

Agrotech International Tsuno Rice Fine Chemicals Oryza Oil & Fat Chemical Wilmar International Geographically, this report splits the China market into six regions, South China East China Southwest China Northeast China North China Central China Northwest China On the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume (K MT), revenue (Million USD), product price (USD/MT), market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into

Made by Extraction Made by Squeezing On the basis of the end users/application, this report covers Food Cosmetic Industry If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.

Get Customization in the Report, Enquire Now @https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-beforebuy/944144-china-rice-bran-oil-market Table of Contents China Rice Bran Oil Market Research Report 2017 1 Rice Bran Oil Overview 1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Rice Bran Oil 1.2 Classification of Rice Bran Oil by Product Category

1.2.1 China Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT) Comparison by Type (2012-2022) 1.2.2 China Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT) Market Share by Type in 2016 1.2.3 Made by Extraction 1.2.4 Made by Squeezing 1.3 China Rice Bran Oil Market by Application/End Users 1.3.1 China Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT) and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2012-2022) 1.3.2 Food 1.3.3 Cosmetic 1.3.4 Industry 1.4 China Rice Bran Oil Market by Region 1.4.1 China Rice Bran Oil Market Size (Million USD) Comparison by Region (2012-2022) 1.4.2 South China Rice Bran Oil Status and Prospect (20122022)

1.4.3 East China Rice Bran Oil Status and Prospect (2012-2022) 1.4.4 Southwest China Rice Bran Oil Status and Prospect (20122022) 1.4.5 Northeast China Rice Bran Oil Status and Prospect (20122022) 1.4.6 North China Rice Bran Oil Status and Prospect (20122022) 1.4.7 Central China Rice Bran Oil Status and Prospect (20122022) 1.5 China Market Size (Sales and Revenue) of Rice Bran Oil (2012-2022) 1.5.1 China Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT) and Growth Rate (%)(2012-2022) 1.5.2 China Rice Bran Oil Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (%)(2012-2022) 2 China Rice Bran Oil Market Competition by Players/Manufacturers 2.1 China Rice Bran Oil Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Manufacturers (2012-2017)

2.2 China Rice Bran Oil Revenue and Share by Players/Manufacturers (2012-2017) 2.3 China Rice Bran Oil Average Price (USD/MT) by Players/Manufacturers (2012-2017) 2.4 China Rice Bran Oil Market Competitive Situation and Trends 2.4.1 China Rice Bran Oil Market Concentration Rate 2.4.2 China Rice Bran Oil Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Players/Manufacturers 2.4.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion in China Market 2.5 China Players/Manufacturers Rice Bran Oil Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area, Product Types 3 China Rice Bran Oil Sales and Revenue by Region (20122017) 3.1 China Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017) 3.2 China Rice Bran Oil Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)

3.3 China Rice Bran Oil Price (USD/MT) by Regions (20122017) 4 China Rice Bran Oil Sales and Revenue by Type/ Product Category (2012-2017) 4.1 China Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT) and Market Share by Type/ Product Category (2012-2017) 4.2 China Rice Bran Oil Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share by Type (2012-2017) 4.3 China Rice Bran Oil Price (USD/MT) by Type (2012-2017) 4.4 China Rice Bran Oil Sales Growth Rate (%) by Type (20122017) 5 China Rice Bran Oil Sales by Application (2012-2017) 5.1 China Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT) and Market Share by Application (2012-2017) 5.2 China Rice Bran Oil Sales Growth Rate (%) by Application (2012-2017) 5.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities 6 China Rice Bran Oil Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data

6.1 Ricela 6.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors 6.1.2 Rice Bran Oil Product Category, Application and Specification 6.1.2.1 Product A 6.1.2.2 Product B 6.1.3 Ricela Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017) 6.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview 6.2 Kamal 6.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors 6.2.2 Rice Bran Oil Product Category, Application and Specification 6.2.2.1 Product A 6.2.2.2 Product B

6.2.3 Kamal Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017) 6.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview 6.3 BCL 6.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors 6.3.2 Rice Bran Oil Product Category, Application and Specification 6.3.2.1 Product A 6.3.2.2 Product B 6.3.3 BCL Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017) 6.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview 6.4 SVROil 6.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors 6.4.2 Rice Bran Oil Product Category, Application and Specification

6.4.2.1 Product A 6.4.2.2 Product B 6.4.3 SVROil Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017) 6.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview 6.5 Vaighai 6.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors 6.5.2 Rice Bran Oil Product Category, Application and Specification 6.5.2.1 Product A 6.5.2.2 Product B 6.5.3 Vaighai Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017) 6.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview 6.6 A.P. Refinery

6.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors 6.6.2 Rice Bran Oil Product Category, Application and Specification 6.6.2.1 Product A 6.6.2.2 Product B 6.6.3 A.P. Refinery Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (%)(20122017) 6.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview 6.7 3F Industries 6.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors 6.7.2 Rice Bran Oil Product Category, Application and Specification 6.7.2.1 Product A 6.7.2.2 Product B

6.7.3 3F Industries Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (%)(20122017) 6.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview 6.8 Sethia Oils 6.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors 6.8.2 Rice Bran Oil Product Category, Application and Specification 6.8.2.1 Product A 6.8.2.2 Product B 6.8.3 Sethia Oils Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017) 6.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview 6.9 Jain Group of Industries 6.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors

6.9.2 Rice Bran Oil Product Category, Application and Specification 6.9.2.1 Product A 6.9.2.2 Product B 6.9.3 Jain Group of Industries Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (%)(2012-2017) 6.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview 6.10 Shivangi Oils 6.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors 6.10.2 Rice Bran Oil Product Category, Application and Specification 6.10.2.1 Product A 6.10.2.2 Product B 6.10.3 Shivangi Oils Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/MT) and Gross Margin (%)(20122017)

6.10.4 Main Business/Business Overview 6.11 Balgopal Food Products 6.12 King Rice Oil Group 6.13 Kasisuri 6.14 Surin Bran Oil 6.15 Agrotech International 6.16 Tsuno Rice Fine Chemicals 6.17 Oryza Oil & Fat Chemical 6.18 Wilmar International 7 Rice Bran Oil Manufacturing Cost Analysis 7.1 Rice Bran Oil Key Raw Materials Analysis 7.1.1 Key Raw Materials 7.1.2 Price Trend of Key Raw Materials 7.1.3 Key Suppliers of Raw Materials 7.1.4 Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials

7.2 Proportion of Manufacturing Cost Structure 7.2.1 Raw Materials 7.2.2 Labor Cost 7.2.3 Manufacturing Expenses 7.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Rice Bran Oil 8 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers 8.1 Rice Bran Oil Industrial Chain Analysis 8.2 Upstream Raw Materials Sourcing 8.3 Raw Materials Sources of Rice Bran Oil Major Manufacturers in 2016 8.4 Downstream Buyers 9 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders 9.1 Marketing Channel 9.1.1 Direct Marketing 9.1.2 Indirect Marketing

9.1.3 Marketing Channel Development Trend 9.2 Market Positioning 9.2.1 Pricing Strategy 9.2.2 Brand Strategy 9.2.3 Target Client 9.3 Distributors/Traders List 10 Market Effect Factors Analysis 10.1 Technology Progress/Risk 10.1.1 Substitutes Threat 10.1.2 Technology Progress in Related Industry 10.2 Consumer Needs/Customer Preference Change 10.3 Economic/Political Environmental Change 11 China Rice Bran Oil Market Size (Sales and Revenue) Forecast (2017-2022) 11.1 China Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT), Revenue (Million USD) Forecast (2017-2022)

11.2 China Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT) Forecast by Type (2017-2022) 11.3 China Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT) Forecast by Application (2017-2022) 11.4 China Rice Bran Oil Sales (K MT) Forecast by Region (2017-2022) 12 Research Findings and Conclusion 13 Methodology and Data Source 13.1 Methodology/Research Approach 13.1.1 Research Programs/Design 13.1.2 Market Size Estimation 13.1.3 Market Breakdown and Data Triangulation 13.2 Data Source 13.2.1 Secondary Sources 13.2.2 Primary Sources 13.3 Disclaimer

13.4 Author List ….Continued View Detailed Table of Content @https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/944144-chinarice-bran-oil-market https://thefinancialconsulting.com/rice-bran-oil-china-marketgrowth-forecast-to-2018-including-key-players-ricela-kamal-bcl-svroil-vaighai-etc/68786/

Rice on McD menu caters to regional taste Sricharan R February 15, 2018 0

Chennai: “We will continue to expand: 25-30 restaurants are what we open in our region every year and Chennai is definitely on our expansion plan,” were the words of Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt Ltd (McDonald’s India West & South), senior vice-president – strategy, innovation and capability, Seema Nambiar.

“Chennai, has been an education for our business, to understand what consumers are saying and is a great market to do consumer research. They are super honest,” she adds.

Fast food chain McDonald’s recently launched new rice varieties in the Chennai market.

How else do they plan to expand in the South?

News Today, in an interview with Seema Nambiar, got an idea of what they were doing and a lot more.

Excerpts from the interview:

Seema Nambiar Q) On Chennai McDonald’s market…

A) We came to Chennai in 2008 and opened 16 restaurants across the city. Now, we are getting into the more traditional part of the city, as people get more exposed to the brand. We are very committed to the business growth here and we think it is an interesting city. This is because it is very exploratory. People here like to explore food forms, but they are also traditional in what they eat. It has been a great lesson as we expanded in the south to understand what that traditional person really wants.

We are doing the new rice launch because we found a lot of similarities here when it came to people eating out. Most people told us that they want a familiar form, but not familiar taste. So, Chennai has been an education for our business – to understand what consumers are saying and is a great market to do consumer research. They are super honest.

Q) Could you tell us more about the new rice launches?

A) Rice Fiesta is something we launched in Chennai on 25 January. It comes with a lot of firsts: one it is rice. Second part, this is the first time we have done a very specific regional film for the city in Tamil. The whole campaign is more specific to the city and the food will give the filling, as this is an on-the-grab meal. Because of the nature of work, food is getting delayed and our whole idea is to bring the fullfillness.

Q) Will the youngster prefer change, from burger to rice?

A) Most consumers who eat this are between 23-31. It is more male skewed than female.

The younger generation still prefer the burger and fries.

Q) Is it a competition to KFC’s rice bowl?

A) Actually, no. Competitions are lovely. Our country has huge eat-out market and it is around $ 9 billion. The QSR market is $ 300 million. There is a lot of space to expand. On an average, people in India eat out around eight times a month. In the Philippines,

Malaysia and Indonesia it is around 25 times a month.

We do not eat out a lot. Competition marks the whole scenario. When Indira Canteen opened in Bengaluru, it changed the way people eat outside. Now, people have got used to eating out more. People are more used to home food as they do not want to go out. There is so much room to expand and I do not think competition is really a word that we should be using. It is just about growing the category.

Q) What more can we expect on region-specific food?

A) We have already done that last year. For example, chicken wings is only available across the south. In Hyderabad, we launched the Kebab Burger. We have been experimenting and as this gets successful in the southern region, we see it adapt to the rest of India too. So, it is not that it has to stay regional. This proves that the south food has expanded itself to the north. One of the things McDonald’s teaches us in business is that we are more similar than we are different. We are in about 130 countries with the same business model, but with local nuances. This tells us that 80 per cent is similar and 20 per cent should be tweaked.

Q) What are your plans to reach tier-II cities?

A) We are working on it. We realised that the customers there need a different experience.

Largely because their eating out occasion is very different. In the metro, people eat out because they want to. It is more casual. In tier-II, they want to come in with the family and enjoy the experience. In larger cities, people do not have time.

Q) What are your plans to expand the McDonald’s kiosks?

A) In the south, it is really doing well. Desserts is a category that we continuously look at.

Kiosk as a model we will expand in malls, when we know that we get space to give exposure to consumers. And, it is expanding largely in the south.

Q) How is the delivery market?

A) Delivery is across all our restaurants in Chennai. We also have tied up with third party delivery and have our own delivery system. Delivery is a large part of our focus, as the consumer wants the convenience of eating at home.

Q) Is there a possibility of drive-in restaurants in the south?

A) It is very much a part of the strategy. When we find the right place and when it meets the right standards, it is possible.

Q) What are your future plans and ideas for expansion?

A) We will continue to expand: 25-30 restaurants is what we open in our region every year.

Of that we divide it between the west and south and Chennai is definitely on our expansion plan. https://www.newstodaynet.com/index.php/2018/02/15/rice-on-mcd-menu-caters-to-regionaltaste/

NQ rice harvest paves way for $4 million research program

by Grain Central, 16 February 2018 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google Plus Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share via Email SUNRICE, the consumer brand and trading name of Ricegrowers Limited, has reported strong dry season performance across North Queensland’s Burdekin rice growing region, with 4200 tonnes of premium rice variety Doongara harvested in December.

The appetite among sugarcane growers to integrate rice as a complementary crop for sugarcane remains strong.

All contracts are filled for the wet season crop, which is currently in the ground and close to reaching the panicle initiation growth stage across the Burdekin, Tully, Ingham and Gordonvale.

New research program SunRice general manager AGS, grower services and agronomic development, Tom Howard, said to complement the interest in rice as a favoured crop option across North Queensland, a new research and development program would soon get underway focused on breeding and selecting rice varieties specifically for tropical conditions.

Tom Howard “North Queensland has the ideal environment for growing rice as a rotational high value crop that complements the sugarcane farming system. It can assist growers to improve their cash flow by utilising fallow land and generating significant profits for their farm business, along with potentially improving soil condition and breaking disease cycles through crop rotation,” he said.

“We’ve had a good recent harvest and ongoing research and development projects are designed to improve on productivity.

“We are delighted to see that this research work will get a significant boost with $4 million committed by the Federal Government under the Rural R&D for Profit program, which will commence in the coming weeks to support the expansion of the North Queensland rice industry.”

Delivered in partnership with AgriFutures, the University of Queensland, the University of Southern Queensland, the NSW Department of Primary Industries and SunRice subsidiary Rice Research Australia Pty Ltd (RRAPL), the program will focus on research into rice varieties, farming systems, pest and disease management, agronomic practices, market return maximisation and post-harvest handling to develop a sustainable northern rice industry.

“North Queensland has strong synergies with SunRice’s strategy to develop alternative sources of domestic supply to target premium markets and help us continue to meet solid international demand for clean and green Australian rice. We are committed to building a sustainable rice industry in North Queensland to benefit local growers and their communities,” Mr Howard said.

Source: Sunrice

https://www.graincentral.com/cropping/nq-rice-harvest-paves-way-for-4-million-researchprogram/