18th may ,2017 daily global regional & local rice e newsletter

Daily Global Rice

E-Newsletter

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May 18,2017 Vol 8 Issue V

Today Rice News Headlines...             

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Secretary Perdue talks trade, Farm Bill with USA Rice NFA ends rice import function Delay in procurement deals a blow to paddy farmers Price Of Rice, Other Food Stuff Drops Evasco prevails, Aquino blinks on rice import dispute Philippines approves private rice imports Philippines likely to import more rice from VN A tale of two rice importations Rice imports - A laudable initiative by the government.

Rice, corn leaders stress importance of exports to agricultural sector Government approves G2P rice imports Minister says price of rice will drop in June Extending The Range Of Diseases Covered By A RiceBased Vaccine Rice Starch Consumption Market 2017-BENEO, Ingredion, Bangkok starch, Thai Flour, AGRANA, WFM Wholesome Foods, Golden Agriculture, Anhui Lianhe, Anhui Le Huan Tian Biotechnology

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News Detail...

Secretary Perdue talks trade, Farm Bill with USA Rice Wednesday May 17, 2017 at 10:40 AM

―With 50 percent of our crop exported each year, and 20 percent of that going to Mexico, we can‘t overstate the importance of the North American Free Trade Agreement,‖ USA Rice Chairman Brian King told the Secretary at the start of the meeting.

By Michael Klein / USA Rice Federation Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue met with a delegation from USA Rice today in a wideranging discussion of industry priorities including trade, flooding in the mid-south, the upcoming Farm Bill, labor shortages in California, food aid, and the importance of rice research programs.―With 50 percent of our crop exported each year, and 20 percent of that going to Mexico, we can‘t overstate the importance of the North American Free Trade Agreement,‖ USA Rice Chairman Brian King told the Secretary at the start of the meeting.

Keith Glover, chairman of USA Rice‘s World Market Price Subcommittee, continued the trade theme, reminding the secretary about the lack of progress on signing the U.S.-China Phytosanitary Agreement for rice and the refusal of Iraq to purchase U.S. rice for the last year, despite a Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and the government of Iraq. ―The message we gave the President on NAFTA was clear, ‘don‘t go backwards,‘‖ the secretary said. ―On China, we don‘t have any disagreements on the phytosanitary deal, it‘s just going to be a question of putting our names on the dotted lines.‖ The secretary told the group that moving China forward on rice was definitely on his radar.

On the issue of Iraq, Perdue offered that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, ―with the full U.S. economy in his portfolio, has sunk his teeth into agriculture because he understands how much ag helps with our trade surplus.‖Missouri rice farmer Paul T. Combs discussed food aid saying, ―USDA food aid programs are quite important to the rice industry, and we believe food aid should be food, not cash, which can more easily be corrupted.‖

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Curtis Berry, a Mississippi rice farmer, stressed the importance of the rice industry‘s partnership with the Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) to promote U.S. rice around the world. ―Those promotion programs are very important to the rice industry, and we match every dollar we receive from the government with more than seven dollars from industry, so you can see we value the programs and believe in them,‖ Berry said.

Sean Doherty, a California rice farmer, shared his concerns about labor shortages in California as a result of rhetoric coming out of the White House and also made the case for improved access to the Japanese market for U.S. rice.

Also on the domestic front, Arkansas rice farmer Dow Brantley thanked Secretary Perdue for his recent trip to Arkansas to survey flood damage and reminded him about difficulties with the ―practical to replant‖ regulations and used it as an opportunity to share rice priorities for the upcoming Farm Bill, including a safety net provision that works for rice, as the current Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program does, and a closer look at current policies that do not work, including the Actively Engaged provision. ―Really important, I think, is to give farmers an opportunity to adjust to any rule changes in the new Farm Bill, we didn‘t get that last time and it hurt a lot of people,‖ Brantley said.

Texas rice farmer L.G. Raun talked about the exceptional conservation story the rice industry has to tell as the providers of so much habitat. He praised the work of USDA‘s Natural Resource Conservation Service, stewards of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program of which the rice industry is a major beneficiary, and reminded the Secretary of the unique relationship between USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited that works to preserve habitat and improve water quality.

Louisiana rice farmer Jackie Loewer also praised robust rice research programs that are helping the rice industry remain competitive. ―All the issues you heard about today are important, but we really have a three-legged stool of trade, safety net programs, and research on which we sit,‖ said Loewer, who is also the chairman of the Louisiana Rice Research Board. ―This could not have been a better meeting,‖ USA Rice President and CEO Betsy Ward said. ―It was apparent to all of us that Secretary Perdue is going to be a strong advocate for all of

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agriculture, but that he also understands the unique challenges confronting the rice industry and he is going to work with us, both domestically and internationally, to improve conditions for us.‖ http://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/news/20170517/secretary-perdue-talks-trade-farm-bill-with-usa-rice

NFA ends rice import function

By Louise Maureen Simeon (The Philippine Star) | Updated May 18, 2017 - 12:00am

Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco said the NFA Council has decided to end NFA‘s commercial functions and just focus on being a regulatory agency.

MANILA, Philippines - The interagency National Food Authority Council said yesterday the latest rice importation would be the last for the government, as it moves toward a more privateled scheme to eradicate corruption in the state-run grains agency.

Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco said the NFA Council has decided to end NFA‘s commercial functions and just focus on being a regulatory agency.

He said the agency is corruption-prone because of the conflict of interest for having both proprietary and regulatory functions. ―We believe that we should let the private sector do the importation of rice instead of NFA. They know the market forces way better than NFA,‖ Evasco said. ―Under the law, the NFA is mandated to ensure adequacy of supply and stability of commercial prices at levels within the reach of low-income families. The NFA, therefore, is not required to directly participate in the market,‖ he said.

The council is now urging Congress to immediately amend the NFA charter to end its monopoly on rice importation and eventually streamline its functions.

Ending government-led importation is also the suggestion of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol to President Duterte. ―Importing rice bleeds government of resources and deepens indebtedness. It will still be advantageous and cheaper for the government to buy produce from farmers than for NFA to import rice,‖ Piñol said.

Meanwhile, Evasco said there is no rice shortage even if NFA‘s current rice inventory can only last for eight days compared to its mandated 15 day buffer stock.

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―There is actually no shortage yet. But the lean months is fast approaching hence we need to prepare. Importation of rice is all about timing. Let us not speculate on having a shortage. An alarmist stance will only trigger the world market price to spike up,‖ he said.

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

By July 1, which marks the onset of the lean season for rice, the NFA must have at least a 30-day buffer stock to meet the requirements of victims of calamities and emergencies http://www.philstar.com/business/2017/05/18/1700892/nfa-ends-rice-import-function

Delay in procurement deals a blow to paddy farmers

By R Arun Kumar | THE HANS INDIA |

May 17,2017 , 11:50 PM IST

Farmers spreading paddy for drying at paddy purchase centre in Vempally Mancherial: Paddy farmers complained of inordinate delay in purchasing their paddy bags at paddy purchase center in Vempally. The farmers along with their family members were drying paddy in the market yard as the officials are refusing to purchase paddy citing high moisture content.

Besides this, the hamalis were also demanding the farmers to give them paddy bags in addition to their labour charges for loading bags into the lorry. When asked, the officials at the market yard said that they were not purchasing paddy due to lack of lorries while the farmers have been waiting for the past 10 days for the officials to show mercy on them.

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6 The unseasonal rains have added woes to the already suffering farmers. They were angry at the officials of paddy purchase centers for not lifting the paddy in time, which they had cultivated by taking lot of pains and borrowing money from others. The farmers warned that the government should take the responsibility if their produce gets soaked in the rain http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Warangal-Tab/2017-05-17/Delay-in-procurement-deals-ablow-to-paddy-farmers-/300721

Price Of Rice, Other Food Stuff Drops

By NaijaNews.com Reporter - May 17, 2017 Nigeria‘s precious meal, rice, is becoming more affordable as the price of the product dropped in April by an appreciable margin.The report on prices of selected food released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in May indicated that the price of rice dropped by 7.22 per cent in April.According to the report published on its website, NBS said the price fell from N418.71 in March to N250.30 in April per kilogramme indicating a 7.22 per cent reduction.

The Bureau also released the current prices of some other products including eggs.It said that the average price of 1 dozen of medium size Agric eggs decreased month-on-month by 1.71 per cent to N518.66 in April 2017 from N527.69 in March 2017.The Bureau said that the average price of 1 kilogramme of tomatoes increased by 6.36 per cent.It means that the price increased from N268.64 in March to N285.72 in April.

An independent check shows that the price of 50 kilogramme bag of imported rice dropped from N28,000 it sold in May last year to N15,500 at the popular Garki Market in Abuja.The slight increase in the price of tomatoes has been attributed to the season.

Malam Adamu Abubakar, a tomatoes dealer at the market, said that rainy season was not good for cultivation of the northern brand.He explained that only the Southern brand with heavy seeds can thrive, but not sufficient to meet the demand.Price of onions has dropped with a small basket which sold for between N800 and N900 in March selling for between N400 and N500 in May https://www.naijanews.com/gist/10617-price-rice-food-stuff-drops.html

Evasco prevails, Aquino blinks on rice import dispute

By The Manila Times on May 18, 2017

CABINET Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. has finally broken his silence on the tussle over rice importation, but only after emerging victorious in his well-publicized row with the administrator of the National Food Authority (NFA), Jason Aquino.The conclusion of the rice dispute appears to be a

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compromise – the government will pursue a G2P, or government-to-private scheme in which private rice traders will be able to import grains through foreign governments.

Evasco and the rest of the NFA Council favored more private rice imports through the minimum access volume (MAV) scheme, in which grains shipments came in at lower tariffs up to a certain volume.

Aquino wanted a government-to-government (G2G) deal, and even defied the NFA Council, the body authorized by law to determine policy on rice imports, which had ordered the MAV scheme extended beyond a February deadline.

Even as Aquino wanted to be strict on the MAV scheme, ostensibly to protect Filipino rice farmers from cheap imports, The Manila Times had found that for some favored importers, the rules could be bent. Last month‘s sacking of a Malacañang undersecretary under Evasco over this suspicious pretext of protecting farmers is unfortunate.

There is no denying, however, that Evasco had his way and was able to put Aquino in his place as the implementer of the policy pronouncements of the NFA Council.

The wisdom of the NFA Council‘s decision is clear. Which option does not expose the government to risk, is more transparent (therefore less prone to corruption), and will better address the needs of ordinary Filipino consumers, especially the poor?

With the private sector in the picture, the G2P scheme will be subject to the usual government procurement rules and thus involve competitive bidding.G2G deals, including related contracts like shipping, are not covered by procurement rules and can be done through negotiated bids, which are opaque and prone to graft. These deals in effect mean throwing good money after bad, as the Philippine government contracts a loan from its foreign counterpart, which only adds to the country‘s debt.In addition to dropping G2G and adopting G2P, the NFA Council will now require private importers to allocate 25 to 30 percent of their import quotas to less costly varieties, which ordinary consumers should be able to afford.

Media reports of rising prices and low inventories at rice warehouses added pressure on the government to finally allow private traders to import more rice. The NFA, it should be noted, is required to maintain a rice buffer stock of 15 days at any given time and 30 days during lean months.

There are a few lessons here. First, government decision-making should be collegial, as shown by the actions of the NFA Council, which is composed, among others, of representatives from the Department of Finance, the central bank, the Department of Trade and Industry, and the National Economic and Development Authority. Surely, the preferences of one individual cannot override the wider perspective that informs the decisions of an inter-agency body.

Second, public interest should be upheld at all times, as the President himself has declared on many occasions. There was no rhyme or reason for the insistence on G2G imports, especially after Aquino sought to stop the MAV scheme in which importations came in at no cost to the taxpayer.Third, government functionaries should not tinker with policy, especially on rice, where a misstep could lead to hungry stomachs http://www.manilatimes.net/evasco-prevails-aquino-blinks-rice-import-dispute/327839/

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Philippines approves private rice imports The Philippines government is allowing the National Food Authority (NFA) to import rice from the private sector in order to boost its buffer stock for the lean months, according to local newswires.

By Sandra Boga Published: 17 May 2017 11:39 AM

Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco, who oversees the operations of theNFA, said the NFA Council approved the importation of rice via government toprivate scheme (G2P) in a meeting last Monday. He indicated that the decisionrepresented a policy shift from. https://www.agra-net.com/agra/public-ledger/commodities/grains/rice/philippines-approves-private-riceimports--1.htm

Philippines likely to import more rice from VN Update: May, 18/2017 - 15:00

The Philippines is likely to import an additional 250,000 tonnes of rice from Việt Nam and Thailand. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Philippines is likely to import an additional 250,000 tonnes of rice from Việt Nam and Thailand. The Philippines government on Tuesday said the country would import more rice to boost its stocks ahead of the lean harvest season.The National Food Authority Council did not specify the quantity, but demand from the Philippines, one of the world‘s largest rice importers, could underpin prices in Thailand and Việt Nam -- its

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main suppliers and major exporters.

The National Food Authority had been seeking the council‘s approval to import 250,000 tonnes under government-to-government schemes with Việt Nam and Thailand. The committee that decides on the quantity to be imported will meet on Thursday.The NFA also announced it would shift from government-to-government importation to government-to-private importation to make the bidding more competitive, transparent and less corrupt.

Rice inventory in the Philippines is running low, with government stockpiles shrinking to the least in more than three years in April, just enough to cover 10 days of the national requirement http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/376666/philippines-likely-to-import-more-rice-from-vn.html

A tale of two rice importations BIZ LINKS By Rey Gamboa (The Philippine Star) | Updated May 18, 2017 - 12:00am Rice importation continues to be a prickly issue for the Philippine government given its significance to its 100 million-plus population. Thus, it comes as a relief that some major issues regarding procurement have been resolved recently. Since the Marcos era, rice procurement has been monopolized by the National Food Authority (NFA), largely through government-to-government (G2G) deals, as a foil towards what was regarded then as the private sector‘s abuse in rice and grains importation, distribution and marketing.

Over the last four and a half decades, Filipinos were able to enjoy a regime of controlled prices and adequate supply availability, which was a great boon to relieving tensions of succeeding administration‘s governance latitude whether in the area of politics or economics.

Rice, being the staple food of majority of Filipinos, was indeed a commodity that wielded political and economic power. Actually, it still is. Incidents of price fluctuations or supply shortages is enough reason to incite the nation to topple or change its leadership.

Different views Under the Duterte administration, some things had started to percolate with the NFA and the NFA Council, the former headed by Jason Aquino as administrator and the latter by Leoncio Evasco as chairman. A policy dispute over rice importation was shaping up.

The NFA administrator apparently was against allowing the private sector to import rice using the minimum access volume allowed for rice that is to be imported with a lower tariff by member countries under the provisions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade of the World Trade Organization.

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The NFA Council, on the other hand, wanted to allow private traders to use about 25 to 30 percent of the import quota for 25 percent brokens rice so that cheaper rice would be made available to Filipinos, especially those belonging to low-income families. And they had sufficient reason to do so.

It seems that during the past governments of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Benigno S. Aquino, private traders and farmer cooperatives were allowed limited importation of five to 15 percent brokens rice to free the government from importing and financing commercial, but more expensive varieties.

Marked differences in cost In the process, a striking revelation arose. Private sector-led importations, despite being of better quality, were coming into the country at prices lower than the G2G contracts entered into by the Philippine government and our neighboring rice producers like Thailand and Vietnam.

First, the inflation rate used was 1.82 percent and not 1.28 percent, which was the headline inflation rate for the Philippines during the same period.

NFA‘s quotation for its reference price of 25 percent brokens was $356.80 for a total of 250,000 metric tons, which could be regarded as high considering that the private sector‘s reference price for five percent brokens was $360 for 3,000 to 6,000 metric tons.

Freight charges went as high as $29.79 per metric ton, whereas the private sector was only paying $10 per metric ton. A surveyor‘s fee of $0.76 per metric tons was also added, while the private sector would normally secure this for free.

The insurance premium for G2G importation was $4.84 per metric ton, more than double the $2 per metric ton paid by the private sector. The NFA reference price was also considered higher than industry practice.

The integrated cargo handling for NFA imported rice came up to $32.08 per metric tons, which is a far cry from the $20 per metric ton that private importers paid. Again, the reference price of NFA here is deemed higher than industry practice.

Lastly, G2G imports are slapped a 1.06 interest expense because it is procured on credit. Private importers do not pay any interest because their imports are secured on cash basis.

All the above summed up boils down to a NFA reference price for bidding at $425 per metric ton for 25 percent brokens rice, which, during the most recent round, resulted in a winning bid of $424.85 per metric ton. The private sector got their more superior quality five percent brokens rice for less, at $392 per metric ton.

High priced rice for the less privileged

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Obviously, the NFA prices come out much higher with all the added costs, which partly explains why NFA importations, when sold in the market, are just slightly lower in retail prices than commercially imported ones.

If there are any NFA rice that are priced significantly lower, these are likely those that had been rescued from bodegas that were exposed to the elements or had gone stale.

One reason for the abuse that we can glean from the NFA system is the fact that the procurement law is not applicable to the G2G importations, i.e., for integrated cargo handling and private freight forwarders. This is further aggravated by the ―services‖ of private sector players in some components of the importation process, i.e., for surveyors and insurance.

One other reason why G2G is higher for the NFA is that the other country that is bidding acts as a consolidator, which could account for the additional costs that a private importer negotiating directly with private counterparts will normally not encounter.

Finally, as in the case of inflation rates, the NFA seems to be padding its numbers in a carefree fashion since it is not answerable to procurement audits.

Stronger procurement procedures needed As things turned out, NFA administrator Aquino lost his case. The apparently more powerful NFA Council (which includes representatives of the National Food Authority, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Development Bank of the Philippines, the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Department of Finance, the Department of Trade and Industry, the National the Economic and Development Authority, and the farmer sector) gained the upper hand.

With the overall lack of transparency in the G2G agreements conducted by the NFA, there was bound to be some abuse. And now was the time to put a stop to this.

On the other hand, while there are stronger procurement procedures in place that can guard against abuse for private sector importation as government relinquishes its dominance on rice importation, care must be taken to ensure that a repeat of the chaos created by price manipulation and supply hoarding prevalent in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s must not happen again.

We should expect to see cheaper rice (25 percent brokens) in the coming months brought in by private importers that should translate to cheaper rice in the market. And let‘s hope it stays that way.

Facebook and Twitter We are actively using two social networking websites to reach out more often and even interact with and engage our readers, friends and colleagues in the various areas of interest that I tackle in my column. Please like us at www.facebook.com and follow us at www.twitter.com/ReyGamboa.

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Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at reydgamboa@yahoo.com. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.

Rice imports - A laudable initiative by the government The recent decision of importing rice from Thailand, Vietnam and India to curb the soaring local prices is a commendable move by the government. The flashfloods and the fungi attack have damaged almost 10 lakh tones of Boro crop in northeastern Bangladesh. Moreover, some unscrupulous millers and middlemen are hoarding rice deliberately to gain more money. Prices have gone up to 3-5 Tk per kg.

Importing sufficient rice from abroad will relieve the masses who are bearing the brunt of this price hike. But the government should also provide funding for agriculturists to do more research on developing rice varieties resistant to blast, so that we are better prepared for such disasters in the future.

Rupesh Chandra Das, University of Dhaka

http://www.thedailystar.net/letters/rice-imports-laudable-initiative-the-government-1406755

Rice, corn leaders stress importance of exports to agricultural sector NATIONAL GRAIN AND FEED ASSOCIATION leaders are asking the Surface Transportation Board to continue requiring rail carriers to report weekly service metrics to avoid more tie-ups in rail service Farm group leaders meet with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on a wide range of issues.

Forrest Laws | May 17, 2017 U.S. farm groups are continuing to meet with Trump administration officials to try to make sure they understand the importance of trade to farmers and other segments of the U.S. agricultural complex.

The latest involved USA Rice Federation officials and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in a wide-ranging discussion of trade along with flooding in the Mid-South, the 2018 farm bill, labor shortages in California, food aid and the importance of rice research programs.

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Perdue, who founded a company that specializes in international trade after finishing his term as governor of Georgia, understands what exports mean to U.S. producers, but you can‘t always be sure about other members of this administration who seem ready to sacrifice agricultural to support manufacturing. ―With 50 percent of our crop exported each year, and 20 percent of that going to Mexico, we can‘t overstate the importance of the North American Free Trade Agreement,‖ USA Rice Chairman Brian King, a rice merchant from Marked Tree, Ark., told the secretary at the start of the meeting.

Keith Glover, chairman of USA Rice‘s World Market Price Subcommittee, reminded Secretary Perdue about the lack of progress on signing the U.S.-China Phytosanitary Agreement for rice and the refusal of Iraq to purchase U.S. rice for the last year, despite a Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and the government of Iraq.

‘Don’t go backwards’

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―The message we gave the president on NAFTA was clear, ‗don't go backwards,‘‖ said Perdue, in response to King‘s comments. ―On China, we don't have any disagreements on the phytosanitary deal, it's just going to be a question of putting our names on the dotted lines.‖ (Press reports indicate Perdue sat down with the president and a map and explained to him where many of the votes that ensured his election came from just before Trump was scheduled to sign an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from NAFTA.) On the issue of Iraq Perdue offered that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, ―with the full U.S. economy in his portfolio, has sunk his teeth into agriculture because he understands how much ag helps with our trade surplus.‖ Paul T. Combs, a Missouri rice farmer, discussed food aid, saying ―USDA food aid programs are quite important to the rice industry, and we believe food aid should be food, not cash, which can more easily be corrupted.‖ Curtis Berry, a Mississippi rice farmer, stressed the importance of the rice industry's partnership with the Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) to promote U.S. rice around the world.

Farmers more than match dollars ―Those promotion programs are very important to the rice industry, and we match every dollar we receive from the government with more than seven dollars from industry, so you can see we value the programs and believe in them,‖ Berry said.

Sean Doherty, a California rice farmer, shared his concerns about labor shortages in California as a result of rhetoric coming out of the White House and also made the case for improved access to the Japanese market for U.S. rice.

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Also on the domestic front, Arkansas rice farmer Dow Brantley thanked Secretary Perdue for his recent trip to Arkansas to survey flood damage and reminded him about difficulties with the ―practical to replant‖ regulations.

Brantley also discussed rice priorities for the upcoming 2018 farm bill, including a safety net provision that works for rice, as the current Price Loss Coverage or PLC program does, and a closer look at current policies that do not work, including the Actively Engaged provision of USDA‘s revised payment limit rules. ―Really important, I think, is to give farmers an opportunity to adjust to any rule changes in the new farm bill,‖ he said. ―We didn't get that last time, and it hurt a lot of people.‖ Rice and ducks Texas rice farmer L.G. Raun talked about the exceptional conservation story the rice industry has to tell as the providers of so much habitat for waterfowl.

He praised the work of USDA‘s Natural Resource Conservation Service, stewards of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program of which the rice industry is a major beneficiary, and reminded the secretary of the unique relationship between USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited that works to preserve habitat and improve water quality.

Louisiana rice farmer Jackie Loewer also praised robust rice research programs that are helping the rice industry remain competitive. The Trump administration has proposed a 21 percent reduction in USDA‘s 2018 budget, which would fall heavily on the department‘s research activities. ―All the issues you heard about today are important, but we really have a three-legged stool of trade, safety net programs, and research on which we sit," said Loewer, who is also the chairman of the Louisiana Rice Research Board.

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―This could not have been a better meeting,‖ said USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward. ―It was apparent to all of us that Secretary Perdue is going to be a strong advocate for all of agriculture, but that he also understands the unique challenges confronting the rice industry and he is going to work with us, both domestically and internationally, to improve conditions for us.‖ No. 1 customer for Nebraska In another trade front development, the National Corn Growers Association hosted a meeting between Nebraska Gov. Pete Rickets, national and state grain industry leaders and Mexican officials to highlight the importance of Mexico to U.S. agriculture. ―Bilateral trade with Mexico has helped grow agriculture in our state over the years,‖ said Governor Ricketts. ―Mexico is Nebraska's largest export market for corn, dairy, sugar, and sweeteners, and second largest market for soybeans, wheat, sorghum and distiller's grains. All of this combined accounts for thousands of Nebraska jobs. ―I‘m encouraged by local and national discussions to expand trade, and am committed to helping grow our trade relationship with Mexico so we can continue to grow Nebraska.‖ The Nebraska Corn Board, the U.S. Grains Council and the National Corn Growers Association are hosting a team of Mexican grain and industry officials in Nebraska for a town hall and industry meetings, ahead of the Trump Administration's plans to renegotiate NAFTA. Following the meeting in Nebraska, the Mexican delegation was scheduled to travel to Washington, D.C., where they joined U.S. corn farmers for meetings with Congressional leaders to discuss the U.S.-Mexico trade relationship. ―Nebraska agriculture is at its best when we all work together, which includes our trading partners,‖ said Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board. ―Mexico is currently Nebraska's largest export market for corn, which provides $287 million in added value to our state's economy.‖

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About 20 percent of U.S. corn and corn co-products are exported. Mexico is the largest market for U.S. corn. In 2016, U.S. corn exports to Mexico totaled 13.3 million metric tons (523.5 million bushels) of corn, valued at $2.5 billion. The U.S. also exported 1.9 million metric tons of distiller‘s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a byproduct of ethanol. http://www.deltafarmpress.com/rice/rice-corn-leaders-stress-importance-exports-agricultural-sector

http://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/news/20170517/secretary-perdue-talks-trade-farmbill-with-usa-rice

Government approves G2P rice imports

By Alexis Romero and Louise Maureen Simeon (The Philippine Star) | Updated May 17, 2017 - 12:00am

Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco, who oversees the operations of the NFA, said the NFA Council approved the importation of rice via government to private scheme (G2P)in a meeting last Monday. He said the decision represented a policy shift from government to government (G2G) rice importation, which he described as ―prone to corruption.‖

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MANILA, Philippines - President Duterte has allowed the National Food Authority (NFA) to import rice from the private sector to augment its buffer stock for the lean months, an official said yesterday.

Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco, who oversees the operations of the NFA, said the NFA Council approved the importation of rice via government to private scheme (G2P)in a meeting last Monday. He said the decision represented a policy shift from government to government (G2G) rice importation, which he described as ―prone to corruption.‖ ―The NFA will also shift from government-to-government importation to government to private importation (G2P), a move that is more competitive, least corrupt and transparent,‖ Evasco said in a press conference yesterday in Malacañang. ―Instead of limiting the bidders to government counterparts, private suppliers from participating countries may now be allowed to participate in the bidding, making the whole process covered by the Government Procurement Reform Act unlike the current G2G scheme,‖ he said.

Evasco said the NFA Council‘s decision to adopt the G2P scheme was unanimous. He said Duterte is supportive of the move. ―The President, during the last Cabinet meeting, has been given the opportunity to listen to the position of the NFA Council, that there is a need for us to import. The President said this time, the NFA would no longer have the monopoly of importing rice. We should open the importation through the private sector,‖ he said.

NFA administrator Jason Aquino was present during the council meeting and was supportive of the decision, Evasco said. Aquino previously called for the importation of rice through the G2G scheme.

The Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council requires the NFA to maintain a rice buffer stock good for 15 days at any given time and 30 days at the onset of the lean months of July to September. The country‘s daily consumption rate requirement is 32,720 metric tons or 654,000 bags.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol previously called for the importation of 250,000 metric tons of rice to serve as the country‘s buffer stock for the lean months through the G2G scheme.

Piñol said the importation should only be done for the lean months and that buying rice from local farmers remains the priority.

Evasco said the NFA would have to continue importing rice until the country becomes rice selfsufficient. ―You know, the Philippines has never been self-sufficient in terms of rice. Since time immemorial, we have been importing rice. There are two modes to import rice. One is government-to-government. Unfortunately this G2G has been abused. This has been used for corrupt practices because there is no bidding involved,‖ Evasco said.

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―We have to make a drastic decision in order to ensure a corrupt-free and competitive bidding process at the NFA. Hence, instead of doing a G2G, the council will push for G2P to increase accountability and transparency,‖ he said.

Evasco instructed the NFA to ensure that cartels would not manipulate rice prices. ―I‘m calling on the NFA management to really guard against the emergence of cartels. After all, it‘s the NFA that issues the certification of eligibility and import permits,‖ the cabinet official said.

Private-led rice importation approved Evasco said the NFA council has also approved the importation of 805,000 metric tons of Minimum Access Volume (MAV) of rice this year. MAV is the volume of commodities allowed to be imported by a member country as ac commitment to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Aquino previously rejected the extension of rice importation under the MAV scheme, which has been endorsed by the NFA council.

Last month, Duterte fired Evasco‘s undersecretary Halmen Valdez, who reviewed the NFA‘s decision to deny the importation of rice. Duterte said he could not figure out why Valdez was pushing for importation, which he said would compete with the farmers‘ products. Evasco believes that the policy shift was an acknowledgement that there is really a need for the Philippines to import rice. http://www.philstar.com/business/2017/05/17/1700565/government-approves-g2p-rice-imports

Minister says price of rice will drop in June Ogbeh blamed the high cost of home-grown rice on the increase in the price of diesel.

Published: 16.05.2017 , Refreshed: 17.05.2017

The Federal Government has assured Nigerians of a decline in the price of locally produced rice by next month.

Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture disclosed this while speaking at the mid-term town hall meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, May 16, 2017.Ogbeh blamed the high cost of home-grown rice on the increase in the price of diesel.

The minister noted that the cost of importing a bag of rice from Thailand, Vietnam or India stands at N13,000 per bag, while locally produced rice cost N16,000 per bag.The minister also blamed the high cost of rice on Nigeria‘s interest rate. “Thailand subsidises the export of rice,” Ogbeh said.

“Our interest rates in this country is higher that the interest rate in most parts of the world.

“Diesel went from N180 per litre to N300.“The federal government was very concerned about the high cost of local rice and. I will be having a meeting with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun to discuss rice prices among other matters.

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“In the next one month, you’ll have Nigerian rice in the shop at the best price we’ve ever had,” the minister said.Billions have been invested through the Anchor Borrowers Programme which aims at assisting mainly local rice farmers in the country. http://pulse.ng/local/audu-ogbeh-minister-says-price-of-rice-will-drop-in-june-id6688977.htmlExtending

Extending The Range Of Diseases Covered By A Rice-Based Vaccine

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The Range Of Diseases Covered By A Rice-Based Vaccine Astellas and the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Tokyo are expanding the range of diseases that can be covered by their rice-based oral vaccine, MucoRice. Asian Scientist Newsroom | May 18, 2017 | Pharma AsianScientist (May 18, 2017) - The Institute of Medical Science at the University of Tokyo (IMSUT) and Astellas Pharma Inc. have signed an agreement to expand the scope of collaborative research on a rice-based oral vaccine for viral gastroenteritis diarrhea including norovirus infection. MucoRice is a rice-based oral vaccine developed by Professor Hiroshi Kiyono, project researcher Yoshikazu Yuki and their colleagues at International Research and Development Center for Mucosal Vaccines in IMSU. Using rice that is genetically engineered to express the antigen of interest and suppress endogenous rice storage protein production, MucoRice activates the mucosal immune system in the intestine and induces a protective immunity.

Since 2016, IMSUT and Astellas have been conducting collaborative research on vaccines against cholera and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli using the MucoRice system. Under the agreement, the scope of the collaborative research project will be expanded to conditions where unmet medical needs remain, such as norovirus. Through this collaborative research project, IMSUT and Astellas will promote research on vaccines against infectious diseases and develop the new drug discovery technology platform for other diseases Read more from Asian Scientist Magazine at: https://www.asianscientist.com/2017/05/pharma/rice-vaccine-cholera-diarrhea/

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Amlo seizes B687m of rice tycoon's assets

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18 May 2017 at 09:24 NEWSPAPER SECTION: NEWS | WRITER: KING-OUA LAOHONG

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The Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) has seized another 687 million baht worth of assets from entities linked to rice trading tycoon Apichart "Sia Piang" Chansakulporn, implicated in alleged fake government-to-government rice deals.The agency earlier seized assets worth 12.9 billion baht from Apichart, an executive of rice miller Siam Indica Co, and other businessmen.

Amlo secretary-general Chaiya Siriampanku said the latest seizure includes 16 million baht worth of two condominium rooms in Chon Buri's Bang Lamung district owned by Apichart's son, Sorawit.

Thirty million baht in Mr Sorawit's bank accounts and mutual fund investments were also frozen, Mr Chaiya said.

Amlo also took aim at two companies linked to Apichart -- Kingdom Rice Silo Co and Merry Rice Land Co, he said.

More than 300 title deeds owned by the two firms in Ayutthaya's Bang Ban district and tambon Pa Kow, Bang Set and Rong Chang of Ang Thong's Pa Mok districts have been seized, Pol Gen Chaiya said, adding a land plot in Pa Mok district owned by Siam Indica Co was also frozen.

According to the Amlo chief, Merry Rice Land's business involves the shipment of rice and related products from rice millers. The company is situated in Pa Mok, the same district where Siam Indica is located.

Kingdom Rice Silo, meanwhile, has Mr Sorawit serving as an authorised executive.

Pol Gen Chaiya said those who have their assets frozen can lodge an appeal at Amlo to seek the revocation of the seizure order within 30 days. They should present evidence which can confirm that their frozen assets are not connected to alleged offences, he said.

Apichart is among 21 defendants accused of colluding to help two Chinese firms not authorised by the Chinese government undertake government-to-government deals with the Thai government to buy rice from stockpiles generated by the rice-pledging scheme under the government of Yingluck Shinawatra.

The two firms, Guangdong Stationery & Sporting Goods Import & Export Corp and Hainan Grain & Oil Industrial Trading Co, were given rights to buy pledged rice without competition from other bidders. They then sold the paddy, which they purchased at prices lower than what the Yingluck government bought it for, to Thailand's domestic rice traders and for Siam Indica to resell.

Other defendants in the case include former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom, former deputy commerce minister Poom Sarapol, former secretary to the commerce minister Weerawuthi Wajanaphukka as well as three former high-ranking officials of the Commerce Ministry.

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The criminal case is being tried by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office.

Siam Indica has been the target of questions dating back to 2004 when Thaksin Shinawatra was in power. An affiliate of now-bankrupt President Agri, which was controlled by Apichart, Siam Indica in the past won bids that rival rice exporters claimed were not transparent.

Apichart was sentenced in 2014 to three years in jail after being found guilty of embezzling 20,000 tonnes of rice worth 200 million baht. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1251338/amlo-seizes-b687m-of-rice-tycoons-assets

U.S. Rice Production Estimates Drastically Reduced

By Michael Klein WASHINGTON, DC -- USA Rice's World Market Price Subcommittee met here yesterday to review with U.S. Department of Agriculture officials USDA's first projections of global rice supply and demand statistics for 2017/2018, including world rice stocks, area and production estimates for the United States, and to review developments in key export markets.

Severe flooding in the mid-south, in particular in Arkansas, the top rice producing state in the country, have forced the industry to drastically reduce estimates for the coming year.

In March, government figures estimated 2017 rice acreage in the six major rice producing states to be 2.6 million acres, down 17 percent from the previous year. Due to weather concerns including flooding in the mid-south, actual acreage could be significantly lower. In fact, the University of Arkansas Extension Service has estimated more than 181,000 acres of rice planted in that state lost due to the flooding.

The next official estimate from USDA on rice area will be the Acreage Report to be released on June 30 by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

Despite lowered domestic production estimates, global stocks are projected to increase slightly, largely on the back of Chinese rice production.

The U.S., that typically exports half the annual rice crop, is grappling with slow overall growth on exports. Reported export sales through early May of medium grain rough, brown, and milled rice, primarily grown in California, are up 26 percent.

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Long grain rough rice is up just seven percent, but long grain milled, including brown rice, which accounts for 25 percent of exports, is off as much as 13 percent.

"That 13 percent reduction in long grain milled exports is equal to a little more than 121,000 metric tons, which could easily be mitigated by just one rice sale to Iraq - something we used to do quite a bit of," said Keith Glover, chairman of the subcommittee who made the same point to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue in another meeting yesterday.

Glover pointed out that despite a Memorandum of Understanding between the governments of the United States and Iraq to purchase U.S.-grown rice, no sales have been made in more than a year.

The industry continued to emphasize the importance of the monthly rough rice prices reporting

by NASS, noting that success here is a combination of accurate reporting by the industry and comprehensive surveying by NASS of first handlers of dry rough rice.

"USDA's rough rice prices determine the level of PLC payments to our growers, so they have to be an accurate reflection of what's going on in the market. This will continue to be a focus with NASS at each of our meetings," Glover said.

The subcommittee also provided updates to USDA on USA Rice's activities in Mexico, Iraq, and Taiwan, and received reports on the administration's plans to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and prospects for U.S. milled rice access in China.

"Mexico is our number one market, and we were very clear that we want the administration to 'do no harm' in any NAFTA renegotiation," said Carl Brothers of Riceland Foods, a member of the subcommittee. "We also expressed our continued frustration with the failure to complete the opening of the China market to U.S. rice."

The next meeting of the subcommittee is slated for late October when harvest of this year's crop will be underway and possibly even completed in some parts of the country. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-Xm7s9eGxU

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