17th september,2014 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter

17th September, 2014

Today Rice News Headlines:  Cotton, rice & sugarcane: damages to cash crops to severely hit exports, claims PMKM  Iran, Iraq troubles cast long shadow on basmati rice exportsCustoms earns P393-Million from seized rice auction  Rice Fortification Conference Update  National Rice Month Promotional Item of the Week!  Water a concern as rice harvest begins  Gov't sets rice import tariffs at 513%  Rice farms under watch  BAAC prepares measures to support rice prices and enhance competitiveness of Thai farmers  Commerce ministry: Thai rice exports to Africa unaffected by Ebola  THAILAND PRESS-BAAC needs 7 years to clear rice debts - The Nation  TABLE-India Grain Prices-Delhi- Sep 17  Climate smart farmers get tech savvy to save India's bread basket  Basmati crop likely to fetch lower prices on higher supply  Arkansas rice farmers make history  Thailand rice scheme losses $9.9 bln and rising - state bank For Advertisement Specs & Rates: Contact: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com 92 321 3692874

News Detail….

Cotton, rice & sugarcane: damages to cash crops to severely hit exports, claims PMKM September 17, 2014

the flood and urged to declare flood-affected districts as calamity-hit and waive off Abiana and small agricultural loans of the growers. He also demanded of the government for an immediate compensation to losses suffered by the growers because of flood.

RECORDER REPORT Pakistan Muttahida Kissan Mahaz (PMKM) claimed cotton crop over 1,600,000 acres of land, rice over 1,400,000 acres and sugarcane crop over approximately 4,500,000 acres of land has been damaged because of the ongoing flood creating apprehensions about severely impacting the exports of Pakistan. PMKM Chief Ayub Khan Mayo in a statement issued here on Tuesday claimed that cotton was sown over an area of 5,813,000 acres of land in the province, out of which 23 percent had been destroyed; river over 4,743,000 acres damaged crop over 27 percent and sugarcane by 23 percent out of the total area of 1,720,000 acres of land under its cultivation.

He said maize crop figures were not available as it was in the progress of sowing.

However, he said that damage to those cash crops would also hit exports of Pakistan rather Pakistan might had to import sugar and cotton to meet the domestic requirements putting additional pressure on the finance of the country. PMKM Chairman also expressed the fear that as flood water was heading towards Sindh it might double the damage caused to different crops till date. He also criticised the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and commissioner for issuing just political statements. He drew the attention of the government towards the loss caused by

Iran, Iraq troubles cast long shadow on basmati rice exports Sutanuka Ghosal, ET Bureau Sep 17, 2014, 11.33AM IST Tags:Kharif|Iraq|Iran|basmati rice|All India Rice Exporters Association (Traders expects India‘s basmati output…)

KOLKATA: India's basmati shipments to two of its top importers have halved in the first few months of this fiscal year, a worrying development for growers and traders at a time when output of the aromatic grain is expected to be more than 20% higher this kharif season. Exports of basmati rice to Iraq, which is fighting Islamist insurgency, have nearly halved in the first four months of the fiscal year that started in April. In neighbouring Iran, the top importer of the grain, stringent regulations, including higher import tax, have hurt purchase from India.

Exports in the first five months of the current fiscal (year) are slow and this will definitely impact overall exports," MP Jindal, president of the All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA), told ET.

"If in the second-half exports do not pick up, it will be difficult for us to achieve last year's export figure of 38.7 lakh tonne."

Trade figures show that Iraq has imported 65,960 tonnes of basmati rice from April to July, compared with 1.24 lakh tonne a year earlier.Figures for August aren't out yet, but exporters see no change in the trend. Exports to Iran have also halved to 3.3 lakh tonnes in the same period. Tehran had increased import duty on rice to 40% from 22% and buyers aren't keen to import basmati rice from India by paying such a high tax. The average price realisation of basmati in Iran is around $1,400 per tonne. The premium quality, however, fetches $1,700 a tonne."We are hoping that Iran will reduce the import duty from end-September or early-October," said Jindal. AIREA is taking a team to Iran to discuss about how exports to the country can be increased.

The West Asian nation had imported 14 lakh tonne basmati rice last fiscal year.In addition to the higher import duty, Iran has also introduced a new set of stan dards for imports. It has revised the accepted level of arsenic in basmati rice to 80 parts per billion from 120 ppb. This change may have led to a temporary slump in basmati exports to Iran.Traders expects India's basmati output to be about 80 lakh tonnes this kharif, or summer, season, compared with 66 lakh tonnes in 2013.The acreage under basmati has increased to 2.1 million hectares from 1.6 million hectares in 2013."If exports slump, then there will be ample supply of basmati rice in the domestic market. This may bring down prices in the domestic market as well. It does not spell good for basmati rice producers this year," said Bal Krishna Mittal, managing director of Gurdaspur Overseas Ltd that deals in basmati rice. At present, a kilogram of basmati rice is priced Rs 90-100 in the local retail market. Traders say that prices might

drop by 10% if supplies are on the higher side.

Customs earns P393-Million from seized rice auction

By Press Release Published: September 15, 2014 BOC to continue to uphold ‗no permit, no entry‘ policy for rice in court cases The Bureau of Customs (BOC)-Manila International Container Port (MICP) Collection District generated revenues of P393.13-Million from the sale of about 163,775 sacks of rice through a public auction last Thursday (September 11). This is the highest earnings generated via public auction by MICP.The sale of the seized rice—totaling 315 container vans stored inside the MICP yard—will also help reduce congestion inside the country‘s largest port.Sixteen (16) bidders participated in the auction, namely: Jomarro Rice Mill, LOM Marketing, Leeward Enterprises, Nenita Biag, Purefeeds Corp., Sta. Rosa Farm, Soda Enterprise, Veramar Rice Mill, Victor Del Rosario, Villarubio Pharmacare, Universal Pacific Corp. and Marolau Gen. Mdse. A total of 4,678,750 (about 4,679 Metric Tons) of glutinous (malagkit) rice and 3,510,000 (about 3,510 Metric Tons) of white rice— was sold in eight lots to three bidders. Four (4) lots were won by Sta. Rosa Farm; three (3) by Victor Del Rosario and one (1) by LOM Marketing.

Glutinous rice was sold at an average price of P56.93 per kilogram, while white rice was sold as an average of P36.10 per kilogram.―We are pleased with the outcome of the auction which we conducted with utmost care and consideration for

transparency, accountability and compliance with policies and procedures. On top of that, the revenues we generated is 31% over the minimum floor price of P299.69-Million we had initially set,‖ said Elmir Dela Cruz, BOC-MICP District Collector.The rice auctioned by BOC was seized and from Bold Bidder Marketing and the San Carlos Multi Purpose Cooperative from October to November 2013 for lack of required import permits from the National Food Authority (NFA). The seized rice was subsequently forfeited in favor of the government. As the rice that was auctioned is still subject of ongoing cases, proceeds from the auction will be held in trust by the Bureau of Customs.

Under the law, all importations of rice require import permits from the NFA. These are regulated through quotas by the NFA to ensure fair competition and the viability of the local rice industry. This policy has been upheld by the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Trade and Goods, which recently allowed the Philippines to extend its special treatment for rice through the imposition of quantitative restrictions until 2017.The auction was almost stymied by the appearance of lawyers representing Bold Bidder Marketing and Jade Bros. Farm and Livestock. They accompanied the representatives from the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) who served a 20-day Temporary Restraining Order against the sale of some 70 container vans with about 36,400 50-kg sacks of white rice imported

by Jade Bros.In a two-page resolution signed by Associate Justices Lovell Bautista and Esperanza Fabon-Victorino last September 11, 2014, the CTA‘s Third Division barred BOC from auctioning the rice shipment of Jade Bros. to prevent ―irreparable injury‖ on the petitioner while the case is still being heard.―The very basis invoked by these rice

traders is now moot and academic. We have always maintained that all imported rice without valid NFA permits is illegal and now that the WTO has allowed the Philippines to keep imposing quotas on rice imports, this policy should be very clear by now to all rice importers,‖ said Customs Commissioner John P. Sevilla.The winning bidders all paid 50% of the bid price at the close of the auction and are required to pay the remaining balance today (Friday, September 12).

Rice Fortification Conference Update The Wright Group showcases their coated rice products

BANGKOK, THAILAND -- The USA Rice Federation has joined more than 100 representatives from global food aid and nutrition agencies, along with delegates from nine Asian nations, at a meeting here this week to discuss worldwide strategies for scaling up rice fortification. The conference, sponsored by the World Food Programme (WFP), PATH, and UNICEF, marks the start of a global initiative to encourage mandatory fortification requirements.The U.S. government is at the vanguard of this movement and is the only nation to test and approve the use of fortified rice for current nutritional programs. The U.S.

Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that it has already received requests for the use of fortified rice from various private voluntary organizations and non-governmental organizations as well as WFP. "This is encouraging news for U.S. rice farmers, millers, and processors as fortification of rice makes it a very attractive product for nutritional assistance," said Rebecca Bratter, USA Rice's representative at the meetings. USA Rice has a long-standing strategy of encouraging an increase in the use of U.S. origin rice in food aid programs.

There remains however, some concern regarding the approved method for rice fortification. U.S. government commodity specifications for rice can currently be met by two technologies, a rinse resistant coated kernel, and a newly introduced technology for an extruded rice kernel, made with rice flour and a vitamin premix.

Both products will be blended back into milled rice at varying ratios and serve the purpose of addressing global micronutrient deficiencies in vulnerable populations."The issue of the differing technologies is still very much under discussion and there remains a suite of issues requiring clarification," said Jim Guinn, USA Rice's vice president of international promotion.

"We are working to ensure both technologies are given equal consideration and to assist in mitigating the creation of any requirements that could potentially exclude the use of coated rice in global feeding programs."

Guinn added that USA Rice is working with USDA to organize a participatory stakeholder meeting in the U.S. in the fall to continue the discussion and ensure technology parity.

Contact: Michael Klein (703) 236-1458

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Water a concern as rice harvest begins 3Share on emailShare on print Issue Date: September 17, 2014

By Ching Lee

Sutter County farmer Greg Van Dyke stands in a field of short-grain rice being harvested last week in Pleasant Grove. California growers say while their growing season was generally good, concerns remain about whether there will be water available for post-harvest rice-straw decomposition.

Photo/Ching Lee As rice harvest ramps up in the state, farmers agree their crop benefited from this year's good growing season, but impacts of the drought linger, with concerns that there won't be water available to decompose rice straw left in fields, a critical wildlife habitat

during the winter for millions of birds.Sutter County grower Greg Van Dyke started harvest nearly two weeks ago on a shortgrain variety that is one of the earliest to mature and expects to begin harvesting medium-grain Calrose, the predominant variety in the state, in another week.

He said while the growing season "went fine," limited water allocation from the South Sutter Water District presented some challenges, including the need to reduce 25 percent of his acreage and having to upgrade two pumps on his wells, which has increased his production costs. Some 140,000 acres of rice went unplanted this year due to water shortfalls, according to the California Rice Commission. That's a 25 percent decrease from last year's crop. Van Dyke said because he planted fewer acres this year, he also hired 15 percent less seasonal labor and didn't buy as much fertilizer, herbicide, fuel and other inputs. "It just trickles down throughout the entire economy," he added.

To reduce demand on water and thereby lower his cost, Van Dyke said he did more dry-seeding this year.

While the cultural practice is not widely used in the state, he said it cut his water use by 15 percent to 20 percent an acre without sacrificing yield. Because dry-seeded fields are not under water early on, there's less aquatic weed growth, reducing herbicide cost. Glenn County grower Larry Maben said his planting was delayed because the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District didn't

deliver water to growers until May, but the rice caught up "fairly well" and he expects to start harvest the first week of October. He said his wells got him through the season and he was able to plant all his normal acreage.But he said his irrigation district has informed growers there won't be any water for rice-straw decomposition, and without the ability to burn the straw, farmers will need to find other ways to remove it."The only thing we can do is try to incorporate it and just hope there's enough moisture in the soil to break it down," he said, noting he will probably need to pump some water to wet his fields after harvest if there is not enough rainfall to properly decompose the straw.

"But if we don't get some rain this winter, it's going to be a moot point, because we're not going to be raising any rice next year."

Luis Espino, a rice farm advisor for the University of California Cooperative Extension, said decent winter rains will help with decomposition, if fields become well soaked and the straw is worked into the soil.

But if the straw doesn't completely decompose by spring, growers will have to do more field work before they can plant.

Too much organic matter in the field will produce gasses that can hurt the rice, he added. Yuba County grower Paul Baggett said if there is not enough winter water for rice-straw decomposition, some growers may end up baling it, which he did on 300 acres last year and then sold it to a company that used it for erosion control.

But he said he doesn't know how viable the option is if there's no demand for the straw, as baling can be costly.Espino said some straw may be baled for cattle feed, but to do that, it has to be baled immediately following harvest when the straw is still moist. Baling has its drawbacks, as farmers won't be putting back nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous from

the straw into the soil, and that means they may need to use more fertilizer in the spring, he said.Another concern with having a lack of water for winter flooding is the loss of winter habitat for waterfowl and other birds that use rice fields for food and as a resting place, said Paul Buttner, environmental affairs manager for the California Rice Commission.Normally, about 80 percent of the state's rice straw is decomposed in the field, or some 425,000 acres, and of that, 250,000 to 300,000 acres are winter flooded.

But this year, winter-flooded fields could be as low as 50,000 acres, Buttner said.

"These acres are critically important, because there's only a couple of thousand acres of wetlands in the Central Valley and those numbers will be down, so there's a huge concern over the amount of food available for these wintering birds, as well as concerns over disease if they're too concentrated in the small habitat that is available to them," he said.Not all growers will have access to groundwater for the purpose of rice-straw decomposition because there is a limited number of wells in the Sacramento Valley region, Buttner added. The cost to pump water also is generally significantly more expensive than using surface water unless the farm can generate extra revenue, such as by having a duck-hunting operation, he noted.

plantings this year will drive a higher price for rice, although higher yields could offset some of the unplanted acreage.Southern rice-growing states also have planted more medium-grain rice this year in reaction to the shorter California crop. While that rice cannot compete with the Golden State on quality, Baggett said, "it still does fill some markets that we will be unable to fill."

(Ching Lee is an assistant editor of Ag Alert.

She may be contacted at clee@cfbf.com.)

Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item.

Gov't sets rice import tariffs at 513% Published : 2014-09-17 20:23 Updated : 2014-09-17 21:25

South Korea plans to set its tariffs on rice imports at 513 percent, a ruling party official said Wednesday, as the country is scheduled to liberalize its rice market through tariffication starting next year."Through imposing a high tariff, the locally produced rice can gain enough price competitiveness," the Saenuri Party official told Yonhap News Agency, confirming the high tariff to be set.South Korea's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will finalize the tariff rate in a meeting with ruling party lawmakers on Thursday.

Butte County grower Rocky Donati, who buys water from the Richvale Irrigation District, said he fallowed 25 percent of his acreage in order to sell water to farmers in other parts of the state who are in more-dire need of it.But Ralph Cassady, another Butte A farmer looks to at his rice field while appealing for high tarrifs on imported rice. (Yonhap) County grower who also had the option participate in the water transfer, said he decided to plant all his ground, in part South Korea's rice market is set to open because of the promising market effective Jan. 1. Industry watchers have said outlook.Baggett said he is optimistic about that a tariff rate hovering above 300 percent the market because he thinks the reduced will have only a limited impact on the local

agriculture industry, considering that South Korean rice produce is already two to three times pricier than those from China and the United States.Along with the high tariff rate, the government is also set to roll out a handful of measures to protect the local agriculture industry, including banning retailers from mixing domestic and imported rice produce.The Seoul government is required to notify the World Trade Organization (WTO) of the tariff rate before the end of the month.South Korea has been allowed to delay its rice market liberalization under a 1993 agreement with the WTO in exchange for expanding the mandatory rice import quota, which reached 408,000 tons this year. The quota will be maintained even after the rice market opening. (Yonhap)

Rice farms under watch

TACLOBAN CITY -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office in Eastern Visayas is closely monitoring rice farms in preparation for the projected El Niño phenomenon.

A farmer sprays pesticide on a rice field in the Typhoon Yolanda-stricken town of Santa Fe in Leyte province in this Feb. 17 photo. – AFP

Elvira C. Torres, DA regional technical director for research and regulation, said rice farmers have been encouraged to diversify, use climate-resilient seeds, and adopt an effective water management approach.―Our priority is the more than 81,000 hectares of rain-fed rice areas [that are] highly vulnerable to negative impact of a dry season. We are also working on building the capabilities of local government units to implement mitigation measures,‖ Ms. Torres said.Some 81,096 hectares of rain-fed farms, or nearly half of the region‘s 169,502 hectares of rice fields, are vulnerable to drought during an El Niño phenomenon. Of the high risk areas, 75% are on Samar Island, Ms. Torres said.Irrigated farms total 74,143 hectares while there are 14,263 hectares of upland rice farms.As part of the crop diversification strategy, government and privately-owned demonstration farms have been opened in Pastrana, Babatngon, Dulag, and Abuyog in Leyte as well as in San Jorge, Samar for the planting of soybeans and adlai.Adlai, a staple in Africa, is a grain that requires less water.―For rain-fed areas, we have been encouraging farmers to plant rice once a year and cultivate other droughtresistant crops after that,‖ she added.The DA has also stepped up the promotion of green super rice variety in 22 pilot areas in Eastern Visayas.―Considering that our local weather is sometimes unpredictable, we are introducing the green super rice, the environment-friendly rice variety resistant to drought, flood, salty water, and pest infestation,‖ Ms. Torres explained.

Another project being implemented to help mitigate the impact of the dry spell is called Yamang Lupa, which combines the best practices in soil, water, nutrient and crop management to enhance productivity of selected crops by at least 20% in 10,000 hectares of rain-fed areas within three years.The project will be patterned after the successful Bhoochetana project of Karnataka State, India. -- Sarwell Q. Meniano

least 1.5 million tonnes of rice. In addition, the government will take responsibility for all interest due. At present, rice with moisture over 25% is sold at about 7,000-7,500 baht, and that over 30% at about 6,000-6,200 baht. The BAAC will report rice prices every Friday, to the deputy prime minister in charge of economic affairs, to keep monitoring prices.

Commerce ministry: Thai rice exports to Africa unaffected by Ebola 17.09.2014

BAAC prepares measures to support rice prices and enhance competitiveness of Thai farmers BANGKOK, 16 September 2014 (NNT) – The Bank for Agricultural and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) is preparing measures to support rice prices and enhance the competitiveness of Thai farmers. Luck Wajananvach, general manager of the BAAC, has revealed that the Bank is undertaking four measures concerning rice insurance which now has around 60,000 members. The special low interest rate of 3% for a maximum 50,000 baht loan per farmer is offered. Meanwhile farmer credit to improve the value of rice is expected to start this October. About 500 co-operatives have now joined the project.

The interest rate for this project is 1%. A budget of 17 billion baht will be allocated to assist farmers who have their own barns in the upper part of the North and the Northeast so as to postpone their sales. The rice is used as guarantee together with other guarantees. A postponement is anticipated on the sale of at

The Ministry of Commerce has confirmed Thai rice exports to Africa have not been affected by the Ebola outbreak in the continent.Permanent Secretary for Commerce Chutima Boonyaprapatsorn on Monday spoke about Thai rice exporters‘ speculations that rice exports from Thailand to Africa were in trouble since cargo ships were concerned over the Ebola outbreak. Ms Chutima said the Thai National Shippers Council confirmed most of the cargo ships to Africa were operating as normal and only a few of them were delaying their voyages to some destinations with an Ebola issue.Ms Chutima added that the ministry was closely monitoring the situation to make sure that it would not impact the overall exports of Thai rice.

THAILAND PRESS-BAAC needs 7 years to clear rice debts - The Nation Wed Sep 17, 2014 12:34am GMT

The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) believes it will take

about seven years to clear the 755 billion baht ($23.5 billion) in debts related to the previous governments' rice-pledging projects.

NOTE: Reuters has not verified this story and does not vouch for its accuracy. (1 US dollar = 32.1700 Thai baht) (Bangkok Newsroom; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

TABLE-India Grain PricesDelhi- Sep 17 Wed Sep 17, 2014 3:37pm IST TABLE-India Grain Prices - Delhi - Sep 17 Rates by Asian News International, New Delhi Tel: 011 2619 1464 Indicative Previous Grains close

opening

(in rupees per 100 kg unless stated) --------------------------------------------------------Wheat Desi 2,200-3,000.

2,200-3,000

Wheat Dara 2,000-2,550

1,800-2,400

Roller Mill (per bag) 1,800-2,100.

Maida (per bag) 1,500-1,800.

Sooji (per bag) 1,800-2,000.

1,800-2,100

Rice Basmati(Common) 8,700-9,300.

Rice Permal 2,100-2,400.

2,000-2,300

Rice Sela 2,300-2,600.

I.R.-8 2,500.

8,700-9,300

2,300-2,600

2,100-2,500

Gram 3,550-3,750.

3,400-3,600

Peas Green 2,400-2,700.

2,400-2,700

Peas White 2,600-3,000.

2,600-3,000

Bajra 1,450-2,000.

2,100-

1,400-1,850

Jowar white 1,500-1,700.

1,500-1,700

Maize 1,300-1,500.

1,300-1,500

Barley 1,350-1,750.

1,350-1,750

Climate smart farmers get tech savvy to save India's bread basket

BY NITA BHALLA

1,500-1,800

1,800-2,000

Wed Sep 17, 2014 9:14pm EDT

A farmer walks through a paddy field at Tannaurah village in the northern Indian state of Punjab August 1, 2014.

CREDIT: REUTERS/AJAY VERMA

the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) to pilot climate smart techniques aimed at sustaining one of the country's most fertile belts.

SAVING INDIA'S BREADBASKET

KARNAL India (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Erratic weather, rising temperatures, declining water resources and labor shortages are threatening India's bread basket state of Haryana, forcing farmers to abandon age-old practices and adopt technology to ensure food supplies for millions.Using machines which sow rice directly, devices to inform when to irrigate and phone messages warning of infestations, thousands of farmers are learning to adapt to climate change, boost soil fertility and reduce their carbon emissions.

"At first, many farmers were unsure. It's a big risk to change the way you have farmed for decades and try new things. Agriculture in these parts is not just a livelihood, it's a way of life," said Harpreet Singh, 36, a farmer in the village of Birnaraya, 130 km (80 miles) north of Delhi.But over the last four years, through these technologies, we have learned to save water and fertilisers, cut our costs for hired labor, improved the resilience of our crops and also reduced pollution by not burning crop residues."Singh is from one of 12,000 farming households across 27 villages in Haryana's Karnal district working with scientists from

Since India's so-called "Green Revolution" - a massive government program rolled out in the 1960s and 1970s which increased the use of fertilisers and irrigation to boost farm output Haryana's rice production has soared to almost 4 million tonnes in 2013/14 compared to 334,000 tonnes in 1966/67.But while the Green Revolution may be credited with ending famine across the country, it has come at a cost and, coupled with more unpredictable weather attributed to global warming, India's food security is once again at risk.

Almost half a century on, farmers face environmental problems such as depleted groundwater because of intensive pumping for irrigation, soil degradation and soil salinity."Resources are depleting.

Groundwater levels are falling, there is emerging climate variability, the soil health is worsening, and profitability is going down," said M.L. Jat, an agronomist with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT).The Indo-Gangetic Plains - which include the rice and wheat states of Haryana and Punjab - are particularly vulnerable to climate change, say experts from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).Scientists predict average temperatures here to increase by as much as

five degrees Celsius by 2080, seriously

40, who farms a 20-acre plot of land in

affecting wheat crops.

Taorori village."We have learned about these machines and set up a cooperative where we all put in the money together and bought machines and share them. Now everyone is

An April study by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute projects climate change may reduce India's wheat yield by between 6 to 23 percent by 2050.Rice will also be hit due to unpredictable rainfall. Indian officials say the water table has fallen between one and 13 meters in different parts of Karnal over the last

using it."Farmers are also receive voice messages giving weather forecasts, informing of new seed varieties and infestations.

EXPENSIVE TECHNOLOGIES

two decades.The region, which is heavily dependent on migrant labor from poorer states, is also facing shortages due to a government scheme to employ more people in construction near their homes.

But these technologies do not come cheap. A

"HAPPY SEEDERS"

hardware and rents it out to others.

In response to these challenges, agricultural groups are introducing Karnal's farmers to a host of climate smart technologies.These

CGIAR said a similar project is underway in the eastern state of Bihar using lower cost techniques on smaller plots.On his sprawling

include techniques such as direct seeding which involves sowing seeds by machines rather than transplanting manually, which reduces labor and water.Other new technology

90-acre farm, Harpreet Singh crouched down amongst his rice paddy stalks and checked his tensiometer, a device planted in the ground to measure moisture content.Singh said over the

includes Lazer Levellers - tractor-towed, lasercontrolled devices - that produce a flat surface for cultivation, requiring 25 to 30 percent less water.Farmers are being introduced to tools such as "Happy Seeders" which can be attached to the back of tractors. These remove

last four years, his income has increased by 15 percent due to savings made on electricity for irrigation, diesel for residue burning, labor and fertilisers. But it is the saving on water which satisfies him the most."Day by day, the ground water levels are going down and down. If we

crop residues, blending them into the soil, preventing the practice of burning crop residues that has led to increased emissions and depleted soil fertility."We didn't know anything about these advanced technology machines before," said Manoj Kumar Munjal,

continue like this, its only a matter of time before we don't have water to drink, let alone to farm," he said.(Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women‘s rights,

Lazer Leveller, for example, costs more than $6,000.In villages such as Munjal's, farmers have clubbed together to buy new machinery, while in others, one farmer invests in the

corruption

and

climate

change.

Visit

www.trust.org)

Basmati crop likely to fetch lower prices on higher supply

total paddy area being under basmati , its output is expected to reach 34 lakh tonne as against 22.65 lakh tonne recorded last season, an official of the Punjab Agriculture Department said. In neighbouring Haryana, 40 per cent of total area under paddy which is 11.38 lakh hectares is under basmati crop.

By PTI | 17 Sep, 2014, 05.29PM IST

With the Punjab government emphasising on crop diversification programme, area under basmati crop surged by 55 per cent to 8.62 lakh hectares this year.CHANDIGARH: Basmati crop is likely to fetch 25-30 per cent lower prices as against previous season's rates on account of higher output expected this season, exporters and rice traders said today.

"There is going to be price correction in basmati crop this year as the crop supply will increase with more acreage brought under premium variety of rice especially in Punjab," Kohinoor Foods, Joint MD, Gurnam Arora told PTI today.

Arora said the rate of basmati paddy such as PUSA 1121 and 1509 varieties could hover around Rs 25 per kg (Rs 2,500 per quintal) this year as against Rs 35-40 per kg ruled last year.

"Last year, the prices of basmati crop remained quite high. But this year, the prices will not be that much higher," he said. "Basmati prices will remain depressive this year because of higher output," said industry analyst I S Gumber said.

With the Punjab government emphasising on crop diversification programme, area under basmati crop surged by 55 per cent to 8.62 lakh hectares this year. With around 30 per cent of

Notably, Punjab and Haryana contribute 60-70 per cent of country's basmati production.

Industry analysts said oversupply of basmati could dash the expectations of basmati growers in Punjab who are anticipating more than last year's prices for their crop. Meanwhile, the Federation of Arthiya Associations of Punjab has sought from the Punjab government to exempt traders from charging rural development fund and market fee of 2 per cent each on basmati crop in order to boost crop purchase.

"We are demanding that RDF and market fee should not be charged from traders. This incentive which is currently being given to rice shelling industry will encourage traders to buy more basmati crop," Federation of Arthiya Associations of Punjab, President, Vijay Kalra said.

Arkansas rice farmers make history

By Alexis Rogers, Reporter - email CARLISLE (KATV) - Arkansas is the number one rice producing state in the United States.

According to Arkansas Rice Federation, for the first time in history, Arkansas rice farms will produce more than 50 percent of the nation's rice crop."The eastern third of Arkansas is

heavily into agriculture and rice farming is our main crop so very important," said Rice Farmer Brandon Parker.Parker manages and owns Parker farms. His family has been harvesting since 1930. Parker said most people do not realize how crucial the rice industry is.

"When you get in a grocery store you probably don't even realize where a product is grown, " Parker said. "It helps support our economy and a lot of Arkansas jobs are right here." More than 25,000 people work in Arkansas' rice industry, contributing $6 billion to the state's economy each year."We harvest, store it, and deliver it to the mills who mill the rice then it ends up on peoples table around Arkansas." Parker said. "If it has a made in USA sticker in the back and its about as local as you can get if you want to eat something local its right in your super market.Parker said he will stop rice harvesting around October.

Thailand rice scheme losses $9.9 bln and rising - state bank Written by Reuters Wednesday, 17 September 2014 15:35 BANGKOK (Sept 17): Thailand has so far lost 320 billion baht ($9.9 billion) from a 16-month rice support scheme and the final cost will rise substantially, the state bank that helped manage the scheme said on Wednesday, citing Finance Ministry estimates.The estimated loss was as at end-May, Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) President Luck Wajananawat told Reuters. The figure would rise as the rice had been bought by the former government at well above market prices, but was now being sold for much less as it was deteriorating in quality, he said."The total losses

will be estimated later since we need to compare the price the government paid when it bought rice from farmers and the prices the government sells the rice at," he said.Luck estimated the government still owed BAAC about 750 billion baht in debt related to the scheme."The government plans to set aside money from the central budget and the money it gets from selling rice stocks to repay the bank, but it could take around seven years for the government to pay it all back," he said.The 750 billion baht was the money the government had borrowed from the bank to buy rice from farmers at 15,000 baht per tonne, about 60 percent above market rates, from October 2011 to February 2014.The rice support scheme helped bring former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra to power in a landslide election in 2011 due to support from farmers mostly in the remote areas of the country's northeast.However, the scheme backfired when the government failed to sell rice to pay arrears to angry farmers, leading to months of protests that ended in a military coup in May.The government has given no official estimate of losses from the scheme, but critics have put the figure at between 300 billion and 500 billion baht.General Prayuth Chan-ocha, the coup leader and current Prime Minister has ruled out any similar schemes to assist farmers due to the burden on the country's finances.The government has offered indirect intervention to support farmers, including cheap fertiliser and soft loans to cut production costs.However, rice prices are still falling due to weak demand and rising supply, with major rice producing countries preparing to harvest bumper crops.The Thai government was estimated to have built up as much as 18 million tonnes in rice stocks through the support scheme, about double annual production, although some of the rice has since been sold and some has spoiled.

(1 US dollar = 32.2100 Thai baht)