1st may,2015 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Rice E-Newsletter May 1 , 2015 V o l u m e 5, Issue I

Reforms needed for crop insurance system May 1, 2015 9:44 pm

by LEANDER C. DOMINGO IN the light of the challenges presented by climate change, a Southeast Asian-based agricultural research organization is pushing for reforms to be made to make more farmers consider insuring their crops.This move for reforms is a result of a recent study spearheaded by Southeast Asian

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in Los Banos, Laguna in collaboration with the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) based in Nueva Ecija province.SEARCA researchers said their integrated report ―Improving the Agricultural Insurance Program to Enhance Resilience to climate Change: Evidence from the Rice and Corn Production in the Philippines,‖ is being reviewed in preparation for its publication in a book.

They said this study aimed to analyze how good agricultural practices (GAP) adoption among rice and corn farmers could be implemented to complement the enhancement of agricultural insurance systems in the Philippines.In the study, the rice component of the project was carried out by PhilRice, an agency under the Department of Agriculture (DA), while the corn component was spearheaded by SEARCA.The researchers said the corn component aimed to identify existing and established GAP technologies and determine its applicability for crop insurance in the provinces of Isabela, Pangasinan and Bukidnon.―The study concludes that with the promotion of GAP, the possibility of farmers availing insurance decreases.

Most farmers acknowledge the use of recommended technologies as a scheme to cope with pest, disease damage, and natural calamities, thus GAP becomes a substitute for insurance as a risk management tool,‖ SEARCA researchers said.The researchers also pointed out that the presence of moral hazard is also evident which means that corn insurance has a negative influence in the extent of GAP adoption. They said there is also information asymmetry, which causes to increase insurance premiums. http://www.manilatimes.net/reforms-needed-for-crop-insurance-system/180061/

Arkansas Rice Specialty License Plates Now Available LITTLE ROCK, AR -- A special Arkansas license plate highlighting the state's rice industry is now available. The Arkansas Rice Council worked with the Department of Finance and Administration to develop the specialty license plate to promote rice, Arkansas's second highest value commodity and top agricultural export.Specialty fees from the plates will help fund scholarships and education programs for students pursuing careers in agriculture or the food industry.These plates are an easy way for any Arkansan to help promote rice throughout the state," Arkansas Rice Council President Steve Orlicek said. "It's a simple way to advocate for agriculture while helping sustain farming for future generations in Arkansas."

"My husband, Greg, had the idea to do the specialty rice plate after seeing the many different state plates promoting all manner of organizations and schools," said Newport rice farmer

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Jennifer James. "What we hadn't thought about initially was the amount of work it would take to make this a reality, and it did take a lot, but, now that it's done, it's a great visual and a constant reminder to our fellow Arkansans about the big impact our rice industry has on the state's economy."

Any motor vehicle owner may obtain the Arkansas Rice license plate for the specialty registration fee of $35. To learn more, please call (501) 682-4692.

Contact: Chuck Wilson (870) 673-7541

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for May 1 Month

Price

Net Change

May 2015

$9.950

- $0.080

July 2015

$10.205

- $0.090

September 2015

$10.475

- $0.090

November 2015

$10.725

- $0.090

January 2016

$10.975

- $0.090

March 2016

$11.025

- $0.090

May 2016

$11.025

- $0.090

More eating rice, with more choices now Jessica LimThe Straits TimesFriday, May 01, 2015

Over the last few years, more types of rice have become available in Singapore, some of which boast a reputation for being healthier. Basmati and ponni rice, for instance, are known for their low-glycemic index, meaning their impact on blood sugar levels is lower.

PEOPLE in Singapore are eating more rice, and grains from Malaysia, Cambodia and Pakistan are seeing a huge growth in demand.Latest figures from IE Singapore show that 361,930 tonnes of rice were imported in 2011, rising steadily to hit 498,633 tonnes last year, or a rise of 38 per cent.Importers point to growing awareness of healthy eating as the main reason for the increase.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

"It's healthier to eat rice... or rice noodles like bee hoon than, say, fast food," said Mr Lim Ek Kwong, operations manager of major rice importer See Hoy Chan.The recent influx of foreigners from rice-eating nations such as India and China may also have fuelled the demand, said importers. There are also more types of rice available now.The past few years had seen a change in the main supply source. In 2013, India, for the first time, overtook Thailand - famous for its premium grade jasmine rice - as the biggest rice supplier to Singapore.Last year, 37.4 per cent of the total rice imports came from India, and 32.3 per cent were from Thailand. Vietnam (22.6 per cent) took the No. 3 spot.

Other countries that supply rice to Singapore include Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar and Pakistan. While they accounted for less than 5 per cent of the total rice imports last year, three of them saw huge growth increases.Demand for rice from Malaysia and Cambodia jumped 11 times and nine times respectively, while demand for Pakistani rice tripled.Rice importers said the quality of non-Thai rice has improved over the years.

They "have improved their polishing and dehusking technology", said Mr LimPrices also play a part. At FairPrice supermarkets, for instance, a 10kg bag of housebrand jasmine fragrant rice from Vietnam costs $15.50 while a similar bag of housebrand Thai fragrant rice and white rice blend costs $18.60. About 70 per cent of rice sold at FairPrice is from Thailand, down from 95 per cent in 2007.Mr Lim said restaurants have turned to white rice from Vietnam, Cambodia and

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine India, as they cost less than the Thai variety.Mr Andrew Tan, chairman of the Singapore General Rice Importers Association, said the shift to non-Thai rice began in 2011.That year, the Thai government started buying rice from farmers at above-market rates, building a stockpile at home.

This reduced the amount of rice available for export and led to higher prices.

People are also eating more rice because there are now more varieties available. Mrs Mui-Kok Kah Wei, FairPrice's senior director of purchasing and merchandising, said the supermarket chain's range now includes varieties like calrose, red unpolished rice and multi-grain rice.Basmati and ponni rice are also gaining popularity. Telemarketer Amutha Chetty, 44, said her family eats only ponni rice from India. "We used to eat some Thai rice but we don't anymore.

(It is) more expensive."But teacher Sarah Lim, 53, is sticking to her Thai rice. "It is so ingrained in me that Thai rice is better... I won't change to rice from elsewhere even if it is cheaper," she said. limjess@sph.com.sg http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/more-eating-rice-more-choices-now#sthash.a7ag6xeG.dpuf

Rs1.5bn subsidy approved for food items in Ramazan THE NEWSPAPER'S STAFF REPORTER — PUBLISHED ISLAMABAD: The government approved on Thursday Rs1.5 billion Ramazan Relief Package to provide essential commodities to consumers at reasonable rates in the holy month through the Utility Stores Corporation (USC).

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet presided over by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. The ministry of industries and production had proposed allocation of Rs1.7bn for the package but the minister suggested that Rs1.5bn be approved instead. Last year Rs1.4bn was spent for the purpose.The meeting also directed the USC to spend Rs10 million on publicity of the package from its own resources.Mr Dar claimed that the government was extending the package as a special measure because prices had already declined in the market because of low inflation.

The step was, therefore, meant to further facilitate the public during the holy month.The ministry of industries and production had proposed allocation of Rs1.7bn for the package but the minister suggested that Rs1.5bn be approved instead. —Reuters/File The finance division will provide an upfront payment of Rs1bn to the USC to buy the items before Ramazan. A total of 18 items will be sold at subsidised rates at the USC outlets.The items include wheat flour, sugar, ghee/oil, pulses (daal channa, daal moong washed, daal maash washed, daal masoor, white gram), baisen, dates, basmati rice, sela rice, broken rice, squashes and syrups (900ml bottles), black tea, milk (Tetra pack) and spices.The meeting instructed the industries ministry and the USC to submit a report to the ECC by the middle of Ramazan about the implementation of the package which would be launched on June 15.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine The ECC also approved a proposal of the ministry of information technology to make operational the already opened, non-lapsable Personal Ledger Accounts (PLAs) of Universal Support Fund and Research and Development funds subject to amendments in R&D and USF rules.This has been allowed to help telecom operators utilise funds for execution of projects, especially those relating to rural and underserved areas.The meeting also approved $35.96m for induction of 15 aircraft on dry lease into the fleet of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).In its meeting held on December 6, the ECC had approved in principle $52m and provision of first tranche of $16.4m for the aircraft.

The PIA had arranged to obtain 10 A-320 and 5-ATR-72 aircraft on dry lease, the ECC was informed.The ECC also accorded ex-post facto approval of separation of two major entities in the power sector, required under the IMF programme.The power secretary told the meeting that following the 1992 Power Sector Reform plan approved by the Council of Common Interests (CCI), the function of transmission and distribution of electricity fell under the purview of the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC).The system operations were being run by the NTDC through its various divisions.

The reform plan also envisioned the creation of a competitive and wholesale ‗electricity market‘ that would benefit the sector and the country‘s economy through newly introduced profit incentives and enhancement in managerial autonomy as well as accountability.Therefore, the meeting approved the separation of the NTDC from the Central Power Purchase AgencyGuarantee, tasked with creating an ‗electricity market‘.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1179175/rs15bn-subsidy-approved-for-food-items-in-ramazan

Agricultural products' export continuously declining May 01, 2015 MUSHTAQ GHUMMAN Pakistan's agriculture products' export is continuously showing a declining trend because the international price of major farm products ie rice, wheat and sugar and cotton are lower compared to Pakistan where cost of inputs are on higher side due to heavy taxation. According to statistics, export of rice recorded 3,009,574 MT at a total value of $1.57 billion during JulyMarch 2014-15 against 2,970,319 MT and value of $1.667 billion during the same period of 2013-14, showing a negative growth of 5.8 per cent. The export of Basmati recorded 373,329 MT at a value of $442.895 million in 2014-15 against 479,751 MT with a total value of $542.418 million showing a decline of 18.35 per cent. Export of other rice varieties stood at 2,636,245 MT at value of $1.127 billion during the first nine months of current fiscal as compared to 2,490,568 MT with a total value of $1.1246 billion during the corresponding period of last year.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Though Pakistan is surplus in wheat, its export is negligible. During the first nine months of current fiscal year, Pakistan exported only 6,408 MT at a value of $1.67 million against 20,037 MT valued at $7 million showing a decline of 76 per cent. Government has recently allowed private sector to export surplus wheat against a subsidy of $50 and $45 per MT for Punjab and Sindh respectively. Commerce Minister, Engineer Khurram Dastgir recently held an internal meeting to review the export performance and reasons for the decline. According to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research higher prices of domestic wheat poses a challenge to the local exporters in their export endeavours. The Ministry maintains that due to higher stocks of wheat and lower international prices of the commodity, Pakistan will have to make a concerted effort to export surplus wheat stock in order to create physical and fiscal space for new crop procurement. Official sources claim that the Punjab Government has now approached the Federal Government that some countries such as Tajikistan have contacted them for importing wheat from Pakistan.

However an insider told this scribe that the proposal from Tajikistan was not a serious one. Commerce Ministry, sources said, is contacting its Commercial Officers in different countries and directing them to approach the host government to check if they intend to procure wheat on government to government basis. Similar efforts are afoot for export of rice but no positive signals have been received from abroad. The export of sugar stood at 354,111 MT during this period at a value of $208 million whereas 538,001 MT sugar was exported against total value of $236.7 million in 2013-14. The Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet has extended deadline for export of 650,000 MT of sugar.

The Dar led ECC was informed that procedure prescribed for export of sugar stipulated that export contract was to be registered with SBP against a deposit of 15 per cent of the export price to ensure export within 45 days but no later than May 15, 2015. Failure to do so would result in forfeiture of the deposit. According to the data provided by SBP, till May 27, 2015 out of permissible quantity of 650,000 MT contracts of only 323,466 MT were registered with SBP. Apparently, it would not be possible to export the remaining quantity by May 15, 2015. After detailed consultation, the ECC extended deadline of 6540,000 MT sugar export till July 15, 2015. http://www.brecorder.com/agriculture-a-allied/183/1181945/

APEDA India News International Benchmark Price Price on: 30-04-2015

Product

Benchmark Indicators Name

Price

1

Chinese first grade granules, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)

2100

2

Chinese Grade A dehydrated flakes, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)

2000

Garlic

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine 3

Chinese powdered, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)

1800

1

Chinese sliced, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)

4600

2

Chinese whole, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)

5100

3

Indian Cochin, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)

3000

1

Indian 100 mesh 3500 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t)

4680

2

Indian 200 mesh 3500 cps basis, FOB Kandla (USD/t)

2100

3

Indian 200 mesh 5000 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t)

3400

Ginger

Guar Gum Powder

Source:agra-net

For more info

Market Watch Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 30-04-2015 Domestic Prices Product

Unit Price : Rs per Qty

Market Center

Variety

Min Price

Max Price

1

Dahod (Gujarat)

Other

1100

1200

2

Udaipur (Rajasthan)

Other

1025

1145

3

Sirsa (Haryana)

Other

1105

1105

1

Amreli (Gujarat)

Other

1250

1430

2

Haveri (Karnataka )

Local

1220

1310

3

Koraput(Orissa)

Other

1310

1330

1

Sirhind (Punjab)

Other

2500

4000

2

Asandh(Haryana)

Other

2800

3000

3

Haldwani(Uttrakhand)

Other

2300

3000

Sohra (Meghalaya)

Other

1500

2500

2

Bonai (Orissa)

Other

1500

2000

3

Gumla(Jharkhand)

Other

900

1200

Barley (Jau)

Maize

Mango

Cabbage 1

Source:agra-net

For more info

Egg

Rs per 100 No Price on 30-04-2015 Product

Market Center

Price

1

Pune

285

2

Hyderabad

245

3

Nagapur

241

Source: e2necc.com

Other International Prices

Unit Price : US$ per package Price on 30-04-2015

Product

Market Center

Origin

Variety

Low

Potatoes

High Package: 50 lb cartons

1

Atlanta

2

Baltimore

3

Detroit

www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

Colorado

Russet

22.50

22.50

Canada

Russet

15

15

Idaho

Russet

20

21

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Carrots

Package: 20 1-lb film bags

1

Atlanta

California

Baby Peeled

18.50

20.50

2

Chicago

California

Baby Peeled

17

17.50

3

Dallas

Arizona

Baby Peeled

20

20

1

Atlanta

Chile

Red Globe

20.50

21.50

2

Chicago

Chile

Red Globe

20.50

24.50

3

Miami

Peru

Red Globe

24

24

Grapes

Package: 18 lb containers bagged

Source:USDA

Confronting kharif 2015 The prospect of weak monsoon is never good news, but this time it comes on top of a rabi harvest destroyed by unseasonal rainfall, and a spate of farmer suicides Indira Rajaraman

Prof. Uphoff and a farmer compare the root growth of a conventionally-grown rice plant and an SRI plant in Tripura.

The prospect of a sub-normal monsoon is never good news, but this time it comes on top of a rabi harvest destroyed by being rained on at the wrong time, and a spate of farmer suicides. The only option is to turn monsoon adversity into an opportunity for closer inspection of water usage www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine in agriculture. We need to look at cultivation pathways that generate more output per unit input of water. We also need to release farmers from the clutches of the corporate seed mafia.It is here that a miracle solution, which has been on offer in this country for at least 15 years, needs to be pressed into speedy action. No, this is not genetically modified seed.

It is just a system of intensive cultivation that cuts water requirement in half, and uses less seed, less fertiliser and less pesticide, and delivers higher output per acre by anywhere from 20% to 100%. Initially developed for rice alone, it now extends to other crops such as wheat and sugarcane as well.Called the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), it is an altered method of planting and cultivation rather than an altered seed, and thus holds promise for preserving the rich crop diversity of India from being drowned by the corporate seed mafia. In the context of other crops, SRI changes to SCI, replacing the word rice with crop. It offers the best hope for insulating the country‘s crop production from the fall in rain predicted by climate change scientists.

After the Met department‘s initial forecast that this year‘s monsoon will likely be deficient, the coming kharif season offers a great opportunity to test its promise.Too good to be true? Data on relevant parameters of SRI are available on the website of the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (sri.cals.cornell.edu). Cornell University is at the forefront of popularizing SRI, through the untiring efforts of Norman Uphoff, a political science professor oddly enough, who works on rural development and happened upon SRI in Madagascar, where it originated.

Tripura leads Indian states, with 40% of rice cultivation now practising SRI. Clearly, the rate of adoption in any state will be driven by the commitment of the state agriculture department, and here there are a number of political obstacles to overcome. First, the agricultural scientist fraternity sees SRI as scientifically unsupported, since it originated not in a laboratory but in the field. Second, there is powerful opposition stemming from the weight of rice planting practices over the centuries. Surely, so the argument goes, farming practices embodying the distilled wisdom of the ages could not be wrong, or improved upon?

In traditional rice transplanting, women wade their way down a row in a flooded field with a clutch of seedlings held in one hand, from which small clumps are detached and pushed into the soil at regular intervals. Rice originated in water-abundant regions of the world, and this received practice, involving flooding of the field during transplanting and early growth of the plant, has been used in states like Punjab where poor drainage and high use of chemical fertiliser have had a devastating impact on soil quality. Punjab is said to be contemplating a ban on rice cultivation.

What it could do instead is to switch to SRI. The unique feature of SRI is that in place of a clump of seedlings, a single seedling is planted in slots at measured distances supplied with water, in a field otherwise kept unflooded. The source of the enhanced crop yield is said to be this very change, because the single seedling does not www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine lose strength from having to battle competitors for nutrients. The single seedling consequently is more sturdy, develops more tillers, and puts down deeper roots. SRI yields do well without chemical fertiliser, and pest infestation is reduced because of the wider spacing of plants.SRI thus radically departs from tradition, with methods of planting and nurturing which are more artisanal. That also makes SRI more labour intensive.

And there lies the catch today in rural India, where real rural wages have spurted over the last 10 years. An embedded solution is however possible right there. The list of activities covered by the rural jobs programme can be extended to SRI cultivation. No better use of a public make-work scheme could surely be devised than one which directly increases agricultural productivity, instead of the indirect effects of building roads and other infrastructure, which are well known to be of poor quality because of materials to wages limits in the programme.

There is a National Consortium on SRI which actually suggested this in a formal submission as far back as January 2012.Based on that, a detailed suggestion was sent by the Planning Commission to the ministry of rural development, justifying inclusion of SRI cultivation in the list of works covered by the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), on the grounds of the saving in water usage. However, like all such government documents, it specifies qualifying conditions that are impossible to monitor.

Inclusion of SRI in the qualifying list was to be confined to blocks that declare themselves SRI blocks, and that too for a maximum of 5 years; and there were detailed prescriptions of how many person-days would be allowed for transplanting and weeding. These were further hedged by the overall eligibility conditions for MGNREGA labour on private land, the boundaries of which are defined in an unwieldy way. In the event, SRI did not get included in the MGNREGA list. Going forward, it would be best to include it as permissible, and leave it to the block panchayat to secure local consent.In addition to higher labour requirements, SRI also calls for a hand-held mechanical weeder that turns over the weeds growing around the rice plant into the soil to enrich it.

This holds the key to the reduced requirement of chemical fertiliser. The traditional flooding of rice plots tends to kill off weeds that do not thrive in excess water, unlike the rice plant. With SRI, these weeds grow unchecked. The weeder calls for an additional fixed expenditure of roughly Rs.1,000 for a farmer switching to SRI cultivation. A subsidy on this device would be far below present subsidies on irrigation water, electricity for pumping up ground water, fertiliser and pesticide.

The global spread of SRI is impressive. SRI cultivation is now estimated to be practised in over 50 countries (essentially all countries which grow rice), with empirical evidence of enhanced yield ranging from 20-100%, with 90% reduction of seed, and up to 50% water savings. It is unquestionably the climate-smart way to go. In terms of cost of cultivation to the farmer, SRI www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine saves massively on seed, water, fertiliser and pesticide, but adds to labour cost, and there is of course the one-time fixed cost of the weeder.

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Manila has only recently granted its imprimatur to SRI, with space on its website. You have to search for it though, under the tab ―news‖, and within that, under ―hot topics‖. The description of SRI falls short of total endorsement, describing it as a flexible package of crop practices which renders it a ―challenge for evaluation and assessment‖, as against a menu of practices that is science-based, with ―a solid track record of performance‖.

IRRI explicitly states that it will refrain from research comparing SRI to other cropping practices, and will stay with its policies of disseminating only scientifically proven improvements. At the same time, IRRI declares its willingness to work with farmers practising SRI. By this, and links to the Cornell website, IRRI has finally conceded that SRI is worth mentioning, even though it did not jump out of a lab.

The reasons impelling adoption by farmers of SRI, even with its present lack of scientific endorsement, is that it scores in cost over the best management practices recommended by IRRI and other pillars of the establishment, predicated as those are on expensive hybrid seed bought from multinationals, and intensive application of water, chemical fertiliser and pesticide.

Paddy cultivation is the single biggest consumer of water in India. Even if the incremental yield is zero, the saving in water usage alone makes SRI the climate-smart way to go. Leading states like Tripura could be entrusted with the task of disseminating SRI methods to other paddy cultivating states. It is not too late to start with an SRI push for kharif 2015.

The timing of the forecast of an impending sub-normal monsoon could not be worse. We have just had a parade of welcome price data. March, the last month of the last fiscal year, showed wholesale prices as having fallen year on year for the fifth straight month. Consumer prices did rise in March year on year but, at 5.17% as against 5.37% in February, the increase was the lowest in three months. We desperately wanted the monsoon to rain on this parade.

Indira Rajaraman is an economist and is currently on the board of directors of the Reserve Bank of India. http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/D0MbCqvbAALNn5LGaZWw2M/Confronting-kharif-2015.html

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Local rice production to increase About 800 metric tons of rice seeds have been produced across the Rice Sector Support Programme (RSSP) regions for planting in the 2015 farming season, Dr Wilson Dogbe, Research Coordinator of RSSP has announced.He said the available 800 metric tons of rice seeds would cover 16,000 hectares of rice fields, which would increase domestic rice production to meet the rising demand for rice in the country.Dr Dogbe announced this at the 2015 Annual Rice Seed Stakeholders Meeting organised by the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR – SARI) at Nyankpala in the Northern Region.

The meeting brought together stakeholders from Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), development partners including United States Agency for International Development, rice seed companies, input dealers, seed producers, researchers, rice related projects among others.It was to take stock of the rice seed situation in the four RSSP regions for this year, which included Volta, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions, and to plan the seed needs for 2016, as well as to identify the roles of the various actors on the rice seed value chain.

The RSSP is an initiative of MoFA to amongst others, support lowland rice production to improve livelihood of poor farmers in the targeted regions through the development of a sustainable economic activity based on the natural potential of the regions.

Dr Dogbe, who is also Principal Research Scientist at SARI, said there are challenges of seed quality in terms of red rice, which must be addressed to improve the quality of the crop produced.He mentioned some of the measures taken to reduce red rice levels in the seeds produced, which included reducing acreages to manageable levels, moving away from broadcasting of rice seed farms, and bonding of fields.

Dr Dogbe gave the assurance that rice produced by local farmers is of high quality and therefore urged consumers to purchase and consume locally produced rice.Mr Raphael Dinku, Field Officer of GANORMAH, an input dealer, expressed the need for quality seeds to attract farmers to purchase them and to increase domestic rice production. GNA

Reforms needed for crop insurance system May 1, 2015 9:44 pm

by LEANDER C. DOMINGO

IN the light of the challenges presented by climate change, a Southeast Asian-based agricultural research organization is pushing for reforms to be made to make more farmers consider insuring their crops.This move for reforms is a result of a recent study spearheaded by Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in Los Banos, Laguna in collaboration with the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) based in Nueva Ecija province.SEARCA researchers said their integrated report ―Improving the Agricultural Insurance Program to Enhance Resilience to climate Change: Evidence from the Rice and Corn Production in the Philippines,‖ is being reviewed in preparation for its publication in a book. www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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They said this study aimed to analyze how good agricultural practices (GAP) adoption among rice and corn farmers could be implemented to complement the enhancement of agricultural insurance systems in the Philippines.In the study, the rice component of the project was carried out by PhilRice, an agency under the Department of Agriculture (DA), while the corn component was spearheaded by SEARCA.The researchers said the corn component aimed to identify existing and established GAP technologies and determine its applicability for crop insurance in the provinces of Isabela, Pangasinan and Bukidnon. ―The study concludes that with the promotion of GAP, the possibility of farmers availing insurance decreases. Most farmers acknowledge the use of recommended technologies as a scheme to cope with pest, disease damage, and natural calamities, thus GAP becomes a substitute for insurance as a risk management tool,‖ SEARCA researchers said.The researchers also pointed out that the presence of moral hazard is also evident which means that corn insurance has a negative influence in the extent of GAP adoption. They said there is also information asymmetry, which causes to increase insurance premiums. http://www.manilatimes.net/reforms-needed-for-crop-insurance-system/180061/

Local rice production to increase About 800 metric tons of rice seeds have been produced across the Rice Sector Support Programme (RSSP) regions for planting in the 2015 farming season, Dr Wilson Dogbe, Research Coordinator of RSSP has announced.He said the available 800 metric tons of rice seeds would cover 16,000 hectares of rice fields, which would increase domestic rice production to meet the rising demand for rice in the country.Dr Dogbe announced this at the 2015 Annual Rice Seed Stakeholders Meeting organised by the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR – SARI) at Nyankpala in the Northern Region.

The meeting brought together stakeholders from Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), development partners including United States Agency for International Development, rice seed companies, input dealers, seed producers, researchers, rice related projects among others.It was to take stock of the rice seed situation in the four RSSP regions for this year, which included Volta, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions, and to plan the seed needs for 2016, as well as to identify the roles of the various actors on the rice seed value chain.The RSSP is an initiative of MoFA to amongst others, support lowland rice production to improve livelihood of poor farmers in the targeted regions through the development of a sustainable economic activity based on the natural potential of the regions. www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Dr Dogbe, who is also Principal Research Scientist at SARI, said there are challenges of seed quality in terms of red rice, which must be addressed to improve the quality of the crop produced.He mentioned some of the measures taken to reduce red rice levels in the seeds produced, which included reducing acreages to manageable levels, moving away from broadcasting of rice seed farms, and bonding of fields.Dr Dogbe gave the assurance that rice produced by local farmers is of high quality and therefore urged consumers to purchase and consume locally produced rice.Mr Raphael Dinku, Field Officer of GANORMAH, an input dealer, expressed the need for quality seeds to attract farmers to purchase them and to increase domestic rice production.

Arkansas rice specialty license plates now available to drivers A special Arkansas Rice license plate has arrived in Department of Finance and Administration revenue offices. Specialty fees from the plates will help fund scholarships and education programs for students pursing a career in agriculture or the food industry.

Posted Apr. 30, 2015 at 2:50 PM "These

plates are an easy way for any Arkansan to help promote rice throughout the state," Arkansas Rice Council President Steve Orlicek said. "It's a simple way to advocate for agriculture while helping sustain farming for future generations in Arkansas."The Arkansas Rice Council worked with the Department of Finance and Administration to develop the specialty license plate to promote Arkansas's second highest value commodity and top agricultural export.Any motor vehicle owner may obtain the Arkansas Rice license plate for the specialty registration fee of $35. To learn more, please call 501.682.4692.

In India's grain bowl, recent rains ease weak monsoon worries

By Ratnajyoti DuttaMay 1, 2015 6:50 AM

Labourers plant saplings in a paddy field on the outskirts of the eastern Indian city of Bhubaneswar ‌

By Ratnajyoti Dutta

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Recent unseasonal rainfall in India has come as a blessing for some farmers as it has replenished reservoirs in parts of the country, allaying concerns stemming from forecasts for a weak summer monsoon this year.High water levels should also help ease the pain for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government which is struggling to address rural distress after the unseasonal rains damaged winter crops like wheat, rapeseed and potato.

But these rains have driven up reservoir levels in paddy-growing states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, the country's grain bowl in the north, to higher than both a year ago and the average of the

past decade, government data showed on Friday."This is a case of cold comfort, but the excessive rainfall that we have witnessed in the past six weeks have replenished reservoirs which would help mitigate the impact of deficient monsoon rains," said Aditi Nayar, senior economist at ICRA, the Indian arm of ratings agency Moody's.India is expected to see below-average rains this year as the emergence of an El Nino weather pattern will likely cause dry spells across South Asia.The monsoons are vital for India as its farm sector accounts for 14 percent of its economy, and half of its farm land lacks irrigation.

Weak rains have cut farm output in the past, stoking food price inflation in the country.But this year, there is unlikely to be a big shortage even if monsoons turn out to be weak as the government storehouses are brimming with rice and wheat.However, for millions of farmers, the fate of a single crop can be the difference between life and death.Dozens of farmers have committed suicide after the damage from unseasonal rains, denting Modi's popularity in the countryside and presenting an opportunity to the opposition Congress party to tap into farmers' anger ahead of elections in the agrarian state of Bihar later this year.

Another area of concern for the government is the likely deficit of edible oils derived from soybean, which is grown mainly in the central state of Madhya Pradesh where reservoir levels have fallen below last year's levels.India imports about 60 percent of its edible oil needs at an annual cost of up to $10 billion - its third-biggest import item after crude oil and gold."India is all set to import more edible oil and pulses, though a clear picture will emerge once monsoon covers the entire country," said P. Chengal Reddy, secretary general of the Consortium of Indian Farmers Associations.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine (Writing by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Himani Sarkar) http://news.yahoo.com/indias-grain-bowl-recent-rains-ease-weak-monsoon-105

Boonsong dodges rice deal grilling  

1 May 2015 at 03:30 NEWSPAPER SECTION: NEWS | WRITER: AEKARACH SATTABURUTH

Former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and two high-ranking Commerce Ministry figures yesterday dodged being questioned by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on allegedly fraudulent government-to-government rice sales deals.Mr Boonsong, his former deputy Phoom Sarapol and exDepartment of Foreign Trade director-general Manas Soythong, did not turn up at the NLA session for questioning. They sent a letter citing their right to remain silent until their court trial.The defendants said in their letter to the NLA that they feared their answers before legislators will affect the trial, set to begin on June 29 at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office-Holders.

Last January, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) brought charges of corruption against the men, accusing them of faking a G-to-G deal and reselling state-owned produce to domestic firms with close ties to the Yingluck Shinawatra administration.Anti-graft commissioner Vicha Mahakun found two Chinese firms were given the rights to buy rice under the pledging scheme without having to face competition from other bidders.These companies, Guangdong Stationery & Sporting Goods Import & Export and Hainan Grain & Oil Industrial Trading Co, were not mandated by the Chinese government to work on its behalf. The firms later allegedly sold the paddy at lower-than market rates to rice trading firm Siam Indica Co.Mr Vicha, in charge of the investigation, forwarded the case to the NLA, asking legislators to impeach Mr Boonsong, Mr Phoom and Mr Manas.

He argued the defendants violated the interim charter as well as the 1999 Organic Act on Counter-Corruption.NLA members had tabled questions to ask the three whether they had evidence to prove the Chinese government authorised both firms to undertake the supposed G-to-G deal and produce documents regarding rice exports to China.Meanwhile, Mr Vicha maintained Mr Manas could be impeached, despite the fact the former department director-general has already retired as a government official.

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