21st april,2015 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

Daily

Global

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Rice E-Newsletter April 21st , 2015 V o l u m e 5, Issue I

loomberg

China is building up the world’s largest stockpiles of grain China is building up the world’s largest stockpiles of grain in a bid to address food security, but this comes at the expense of higher costs, a distorted market and exhausted land.BEIJING (Caixin Online) — Although the country has reported grain-production increases for 11 straight years, the government has never reduced the importance it attaches to food reserves. From Nov. 25 to March 31, the authorities purchased 76.1 million tons of corn from domestic farmers to put www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

Page 1

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine into national granaries, up nearly 13 million tons from the same period last year. Reserves of rice and wheat have also increased significantly.

Han Jun, deputy director of the general office of the Communist Party’s Leading Group on Financial and Economic Affairs, recently said the country ―has built up the world’s largest stock‖ of grain.

No official data about grain reserves have ever been released, but Ma Wenfeng, an analyst at the consultancy Orient Agribusiness Consultant Ltd., predicted that by the end of 2015, the total reserves of grain will reach 300 million tons.The Ministry of Agriculture said the country consumed about 650 million tons of grain in 2014, meaning the ratio between inventory and consumption is about 45%, compared to a 17% safety line set by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.In March, Ren Xiaozheng, director of the State Administration of Grain, called the huge reserves ―a cheerful burden.‖―Grain-production increases are what we expect most, and increasing (government) purchases also boosts farmers’ incomes,‖ he said. ―With full storage, the country’s food security will be guaranteed.‖However, some experts say China is paying great costs in capital and the environment to build up the stockpile.Wu Zhenjun, a researcher at the State Council’s Development Research Center, said that in 2013 and 2014, the national store of corn reached a record 106 million tons, about 59.7% of a year’s consumption. It is 75.8 million tons more than the 17% safety reserve set by the U.N. The country’s stockpiles of sugar and cotton are also high. In 2014, the cotton reserve hit 11.3 million tons, about 60% of total global reserves.

China had 7.96 million tons of sugar in store, 3 million tons more than in 2011.Beijing set a price range that is paid to domestic farmers for grainreserve purchases in order to protect farmers’ incomes and encourage production, but prices have gradually exceeded international prices in recent years.

Sources with knowledge of the matter said that the domestic price of corn is nearly 1,000 yuan ($161) higher per ton than the international price, which encourages imports. Since the country bans some genetically modified crops from the United States, a lot of corn is smuggled into the country.The agriculture ministry estimated that last year China imported 50 million tons of grain that were not necessary and only added to its stockpiles.Meanwhile, amid the continuous production increases, the agriculture industry is seeing profits decline and costs rise.Data from www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

Page 2

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine the National Development and Reform Commission, the top economic planner, show that wheat planting saw an average 12.8 yuan net loss per mu (or 666.7 square meters). This compared to a net profit of 165 yuan in 2008 MarketWatch

Japan, U.S. say made significant trade progress before summit Monday, April 20, 2015 - 00:50 Japan and U.S. end two days of negotiations, saying they made significant progress in trade talks ahead of summit. Rough cut. (No reporter narration.)

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) STORY: Negotiators from Japan and the United States worked into the wee hours of Tuesday (April 21) morning to narrow their differences on a free-trade pact.

They said they made significant progress in two days of talks on the Trans Pacific Partnership. An agreement between Japan and the U.S. is considered crucial to the long-delayed 12-nation trade deal, as their economies account for 80 percent of the group's. U.S. trade representative Michael Froman says their work provides momentum to keep the talks going.

"Due to these efforts the gap between the two sides has been substantially narrowed, but continued work is needed to ultimately resolve the outstanding issues. We've instructed our officials to continue their work based on the guidance we've given them," he said. Some of the sticking points include access to the Japanese rice market and the U.S. car market. Japan's economic minister Akira Amari says the progress they've made will be welcome at an upcoming summit between President Obama and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe set for April 28 in Washington.

http://www.reuters.com/video/2015/04/21/japan-us-say-made-significant-tradeprog?videoId=363928800

Gov’t gives rice subsidies early boost Apr 21,2015

The government raised subsidies for rice farmers in the country by 100,000 won ($93) on average from a year

earlier,

to

account

for

Korea

opening

its

rice

market

to

imports.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced Monday it would raise the subsidies for rice farmers to an average of 1 million won per hectare of their lands. Considering that the average size of each rice farmer’s land in the country is 1.1 hectares, the average rice subsidy is expected to be 1.1 million won. According to the Agriculture Ministry, the subsidy amount will differ depending on land www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

Page 3

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine type. For the lands within the so-called areas for boosting agriculture, which are designated by the government for farming and banned for other purposes, farmers will see an increase of 106,229 won in their subsidy, to about 1.07 million won per hectare. For other lands outside the areas, the subsidy will rise by 79,672 won to about 807,000 won per hectare, the Agriculture Ministry said. Statistically, 71.6 percent of Korea’s farming lands, or about 598,000 hectares, are designated as restricted areas.

To prevent any farmer from receiving excessive subsidies through false reporting, the agriculture ministry will raise the reward for anyone who informs on violators, up to a maximum of 2 million won per informant. The subsidy increase came after the government’s announcement in July 2014 that it would open up Korea’s rice market to imports subject to tariffs. Protesting the move, farmers demanded something in return. At the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations at the World Trade Organization in 1993, Korea was allowed to postpone the opening for 10 years, beginning 1995. In 2004, Korea again extended the deadline to 2014, in return for increasing its minimum import of rice, known as minimum market access (MMA), by 20,000 tons per year.

As the deadline with the WTO expires, Korea is required to keep its annual quota for rice imports, 408,700 ton at minimum with a 5 percent tariff imposed. To protect Korean farmers, the government announced it would impose a 513 percent tariff on rice imports that exceed the mandatory amount. In the midst of protests by farmers in September 2014, the ruling Saenuri Party and the government announced it would raise the rice subsidy to 1 million won per hectare.The government was supposed to do so starting 2017, but accelerated the raise to this year.ar.

BY KIM HEE-JIN, LEE TAE-KYUNG [kim.heejin@joongang.co.kr]

Vietnam rice set to arrive in Zamboanga Tuesday, April 21, 2015

A TOP official of the National Food Authority (NFA) said that 310,000 sacks of rice (50 kilos each) imported from Vietnam are scheduled to arrive in Zamboanga City.NFA provincial manager Gaudencio Nuega Jr. said the shipment will arrive April 29 directly from Vietnam aboard two cargo ships.The shipment will be the first imported rice to arrive this year.Nuega said 290,000 of the 310,000 sacks will be distributed in Zamboanga Peninsula, while the remaining 20,000 sacks will be delivered to the three autonomous region provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.He said the arrival of the rice from Vietnam will augment the rice stocks at the NFA warehouse in the city.

At present, Nuega said they still have a stock of 156,000 sacks of rice, which are good for 28 days consumption. (Bong Garcia)

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

Page 4

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

State company to buy low quality rice from farmers Selasa, 21 April 2015 14:53 WIB

Banyumas, C Java (ANTARA News) - The government will assign a subsidiary of state company to buy low quality rice from farmers at commercial price, a minister said. "I am preparing a subsidiary of a state fertilizer company to buy rice not up to standard in quality from farmers," Minister for State Companies Rini Soemarno said here on Tuesday. Rini said the rice would be bought with commercial fund not from state budget.

State Board of Logistics buys only rice with standard quality from farmers using fund from the state budget. The price would be below the price set by the government for Bulog, the minister said. Earlier, the company helped maintain stability in corn price by buying excess in supply during harvest time, she said refusing to name the company beyond saying that it is a trading company.(*)

The Rice Crisis: Tracking an asset-price bubble in the check-out line Michael Hotchkiss Tracking an asset-price bubble in the check-out line Princeton economist Harrison Hong has spent much of his career working to understand how and why asset-price bubbles form. Hong, the John H. Scully '66 Professor in Finance, has studied the dot-com bubble in stock prices from 1997 to 2000 and the run-up in global commodity prices from 2003 to 2008.His latest insights, though, come from the check-out line at your local grocery store.Hong and colleagues from University College London and New York University dug into data on the shopping habits of more than 100,000 U.S. households and pricing information from 20,000 grocery and retail stores to learn more about the 2008 Rice Crisis—a brief but dramatic episode that saw rice prices soar worldwide.Their findings offer a clearer picture of how individual households react when prices jump and could help guide government efforts to stabilize markets when there are fears of food shortages, said Hong, who is affiliated with the Bendheim Center for Finance at Princeton.

Hong and co-authors Àureo de Paula of University College London and Vishal Singh of New York University discuss their research in a working paper titled "Hoard Behavior and Commodity Bubbles," which was released in March through the National Bureau of Economic Research.The crisis began when India moved to prohibit rice exports in late 2007, setting off a domino effect among other major rice exporters and sparking fears of shortages in nations that must import the basic foodstuff, including the Philippines. There were no significant shortages in the United States, Hong said, but prices spiked for several months.Such episodes often spark concerns that large speculators are driving up prices by www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

Page 5

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine hoarding scarce supplies, Hong said. But the researchers found that in the United States, individual households were the ones hoarding rice—including households that purchased rice for the first and last time at the height of the panic."Each person wasn't hoarding that much—perhaps an extra couple of months' supply—but in aggregate it adds up to a lot," Hong said.As prices increased in the United States, rising as much as 50 percent a week in April and May 2008, shoppers stepped up their purchases out of fear the price increases would continue, Hong said."When consumers see big price run-ups in a short amount of time—whether it's in the price of food, stocks or homes—that catches consumers' attention," Hong said. "You can call it survival instincts. You can call it speculative behavior. But people respond."

In a few places, the extra purchases emptied shelves of big retailers like Wal-Mart and Costco, prompting the stores to limit purchases. The sight of empty shelves and word of purchase limits—combined with the media coverage that followed—likely fed into the fears of buyers, Hong said.Just as quickly as it began, though, the panic eased and prices fell in June 2008 after an agreement allowed Japan to sell some of its rice supply internationally. The same U.S. households that stepped up their purchases as prices jumped stopped buying rice as prices fell, using up their stored stocks, Hong said.The information gleaned from the reaction of U.S. shoppers could have broader implications, Hong said."In a place like the Philippines where households have fewer resources and are more dependent on rice, you can imagine that hoarding behavior would be even more significant," Hong said.

"Our findings suggest that one way to stabilize markets would be to basically promise households a certain ration of rice, which would reduce the fear of households about being able to obtain the food they need."While the Rice Crisis of 2008 wasn't much of a crisis in the United States, Hong said it presented an unusual opportunity to study consumer behavior in the face of a price bubble."People have wanted to study hoarding for a long time, but it's difficult to simultaneously have an event that was big enough to study and also have available this very, very detailed data available that allow you to really trace every aspect of household and consumer behavior," he said

Commerce Ministry notes six-month achievements THE NATION April 20, 2015 6:19 pm IN THE FIRST six months of the 2015 fiscal year, the Commerce Ministry helped sell about 3 million tonnes of rice, through auctions and deals with other governments, worth Bt36 billion, Commerce Ministry Chatchai Sarikalya told a news conference Monday.It also promoted export-oriented products such as rice, rice products, food supplements and beverages at trade exhibitions here and overseas, he said.Last year, Thailand's rice exports exceeded 10 million tonnes.

In the past six months, rice auctions were held six times and four government-to-government contracts for new-season rice sales have been made for a total of 3 million tonnes. Of that total, 400,000 tonnes were sold to China, 500,000 tonnes to the Philippines and 150,000 tonnes to Indonesia. Deals on sales of around another 2.6 million tonnes are under negotiation, he said.In the six-month period, the value of Thai exports reached US$92 billion (nearly Bt3 trillion), down 0.88 per cent year on year because of the slow global economic recovery, sharp currency depreciations among Thailand's trade rivals compared with the baht, and sharp drops in the prices of oil and crops www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

Page 6

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Bulgaria postpones purchase of new fighters: PM Xinhua News Agency on Apr 21, 2015 @ 2:40 PM This article was produced by the Xinhua News Agency, the official press agency of the People's Republic of China. Xinhua describes itself as the "information organ of the central government." Given China’s size and importance, GlobalPost publishes Xinhua’s press feed as a resource for its readers and makes no claims as to journalistic accuracy.SOFIA, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria is to postpone the purchase of new NATO-compatible multi-role fighters due to the priority need for social spending and reforms, the country's Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said here on Tuesday."For now, the military aircraft will wait because first we will pay the pensioners, fix the country, and regain fiscal discipline," Borissov told a joint press conference after meeting Hoyt Yee, deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of State responsible for European and Eurasian Affairs.The U.S. and NATO understand Bulgaria's position on this issue, Borissov said.

Of course, as a NATO country, Bulgaria would endeavor to fulfill its commitments in the future, said Borissov.The acquisition of at least eight NATO-compatible multi-role fighters that would replace the former Soviet-made MiG-21 fighter and Su-25 ground-support aircraft has been postponed several times by the less developed EU state, a NATO member since 2004.

Chatchai stokes rice sales 21 Apr 2015 at 06:00 NEWSPAPER SECTION: BUSINESS | WRITER: PHUSADEE ARUNMAS

The Commerce Ministry is committed to revving up the sales of rice stocks, stimulating exports as much as possible and accelerating free trade talks with potential partners in the next six months.In his round-up of the ministry's six-month performance yesterday, Commerce Minister Chatchai Sarikulya said the ministry remained adamant it would dispose of 10 million tonnes of rice this year out of 18 million sitting in state stockpiles."In the ministry's six months in tenure, it has sold 3 million tonnes of state rice for more than 36 billion baht," he said.Of the 3 million tonnes, 2 million were sold through general auction and 1 million through government-togovernment (G-to-G) contracts.

Gen Chatchai said his ministry was obliged to deliver a combined 2.6 million tonnes of state rice to China via G-to-G deals through next year.Of the 10 million tonnes it hopes to sell this year, 6 million would be high-quality grains, with degraded rice comprising 4 million.The ministry plans to focus on exports the next six months, as the public is blaming it for weak performance, with Gen Chatchai calling the ministry a "social defendant".Late last month, the ministry reported exports fell for a second consecutive month in February, down by 6.14% year-on-year to US$17.2 billion after January's figures fell by 3.46% to $17.2 billion. The dip was attributed mainly to lower global oil and crop prices.

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

Page 7

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Shipments of farm products fell by 12.5% year-on-year in February to $2.49 billion, particularly rubber, which declined 38.8%.Other major products including rice, sugar and canned and processed seafood also saw big declines in exports in February. Exports of industrial products including gold and oil fell by 3.7% to $13.8 billion. Gold exports plunged 66% as traders delayed shipments and shifted focus to imports, while oil shipments dipped 6.1% from February 2014.However, imports edged up 1.47% to $16.8 billion, leading to a trade surplus of $390 million compared with a deficit of $457 million in January. For the first two months, exports totalled $34.5 billion, down by 4.82% year-on-year, with imports down 6.69% to $34.5 billion.Deputy Prime Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula last week said firstquarter exports were estimated to contract by 4% due mainly to the bearish performance of major markets such as China, the EU and Japan.

State company to buy low quality rice from farmers Selasa, 21 April 2015 14:53 WIB | Banyumas, C Java (ANTARA News) - The government will assign a subsidiary of state company to buy low quality rice from farmers at commercial price, a minister said. "I am preparing a subsidiary of a state fertilizer company to buy rice not up to standard in quality from farmers," Minister for State Companies Rini Soemarno said here on Tuesday. Rini said the rice would be bought with commercial fund not from state budget. State Board of Logistics buys only rice with standard quality from farmers using fund from the state budget. The price would be below the price set by the government for Bulog, the minister said.

Earlier, the company helped maintain stability in corn price by buying excess in supply during harvest time, she said refusing to name the company beyond saying that it is a trading company.(*)

Japan supports Ghana’s rice sector with $2.5m – Report Category: Investment, Lead APRIL 20, 2015 123 0 RiceThe Japanese government is supporting Ghana’s rice sector with agricultural machinery worth $2.5 million, according to the website, oryza.com.The publication citing local sources said the financing is under a Grant Assistance.The machinery to be donated are made up of 77 agricultural tractors with matching implements, 49 power tillers, 20 rice threshers, 11 rice reapers and six rice mills.The report indicates that the support is aimed at helping Ghana increase local rice production and reduce dependence on imports.In 2013 Ghana’s annual rice import bill was $306 million and the government is planning to increase rice production by about 20 per cent per annum over the next four years to make Ghana selfsufficient in rice, it adds.

Ghana’s rice sector is embroiled in controversies. The Small Scale Rice Dealers Association of Ghana recently called for forensic auditing of all rice imports, which were cleared under warehousing.The association believes that this is important to ensure transparency and accountability in the rice industry, which it says is embroiled in a lot of irregularities.Over the weekend, the Bureau for Internal Affairs, an anti-graft organisation, called on the Ministry of Trade and Industry to ensure a balanced assessment of

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

Page 8

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine taxes paid by small scale and large-scale rice importers. It claimed that the Ministry has in a media report accused the Small Scale Rice Dealers Association of Ghana of tax evasion and smuggling of rice despite the ban on its activities since 2013.Meanwhile, Ghana is expected to import 600,000 metric tons of rice between October 2014 and September 2015 to augment the country’s rice needs.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2015/04/20/japan-supports-ghanas-rice-sector-with-2-5m-report/

China to increase soy imports, remain small grain importer by 2024 Posted Apr. 21st, 2015 by Reuters News Service BEIJING (Reuters) — China, the world’s top buyer of soy, is projected to import 82.66 million tonnes of the oilseed in 2024, a rise of 15.8 percent from 2014, but it will remain a small net importer of rice, wheat and corn in the coming decade, according to an official forecast.Corn imports by China, the world’s second-largest consumer, are unlikely to exceed 7.2 million tonnes in 2024 due to quota restrictions, as long as domestic supplies are sufficient, said the China Agriculture Outlook 2015-2024.The predictions come after the U.S. Department of Agriculture abandoned an earlier forecast of soaring Chinese corn imports, slashing its estimate to 7.2 million tonnes in 2024-25. ―China has made progress in raising wheat and corn yields, but not rice and soybean yields.

Soybean yields in particular are very low compared with the world average,‖ said Ma Wenfeng, an analyst with Beijing Orient Agri-business Consultant Co. Ltd.China, the world’s top rice consumer, will import 3.2 million tonnes of the grain in 2024, said the report, which is published by the agriculture ministry and was posted on its website on Tuesday (www.farmer.com.cn).That is a rise of 25 percent compared with 2014. The percentage changes derived from the data in the report were calculated by Reuters.Imports of wheat in 2024 are forecast to be 2.8 million tonnes, the data showed, falling 5.7 percent from 2014.Cotton imports in 2024 are estimated at 2.08 million tonnes, down 14.8 percent from 2014, because of lower Chinese textile exports and greater use of cotton substitutes, the report said. ―The decrease is likely as more and more domestic textile mills are moving outside the country,‖ said Ma.China’s sugar imports were estimated at 5.83 million tonnes in 2024, a rise of 45 percent from 2014 due to shrinking domestic production and rising demand, the report said.Dairy imports would grow three percent a year over the coming decade to 16 million tonnes, lower than the average of 15.5 percent growth over the past decade as China’s own production www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

Page 9

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine increases by an average of two percent annually.Growth in meat consumption will also slow compared with the past 10 years, restricting pork imports to less than one million tonnes a year by 2024, while those of beef and lamb will be less than 500,000 tonnes each, it said. http://www.producer.com/daily/china-to-increase-soy-imports-remain-small-grain-importer-by-2024/

Women take on floods and hunger in rural Pakistan Amina Bibi lost her husband, a boatman, to kidney failure soon after massive floods in 2010 hit the remote district of Rajanpur in Pakistan’s Punjab province. ―All I can afford is rice, so that’s what I feed my eight children every day and they are just not getting enough nutrition,‖ said the weary-looking widow, aged around 40.

By: By Rina Saeed Khan, Thomson Reuters Foundation RAJANPUR, PAKISTAN — Amina Bibi lost her husband, a boatman, to kidney failure soon after massive floods in 2010 hit the remote district of Rajanpur in Pakistan’s Punjab province.―All I can afford is rice, so that’s what I feed my eight children every day and they are just not getting enough nutrition,‖ said the weary-looking widow, aged around 40.Rajanpur is one of the poorest districts in the otherwise prosperous central province of Punjab, where the Panjnad River flows into the Indus River, Pakistan’s lifeline.

The convergence of the rivers in southern Punjab meant most of Rajanpur was submerged in the 2010 floods, as water from unprecedented rainfall up north rushed down the Indus.Amina’s husband helped rescue many people hit by the flooding, but after he died she sold his boat. "Now I work as a laborer on other people’s land, growing crops like sugarcane and cotton. We lost our home and our livestock in the flood," she said.Most of her neighbors in the riverine areas of Rajanpur district, which straddles the Indus, do not own land either and are struggling to recover from the flooding.Many are in debt due to high interest rates on loans to buy farm inputs such as seeds, fertilizers and pesticides.Unlike in the past, the district is now affected by floods almost every year, either from the river overflowing or torrents cascading down the Suleiman mountains after heavy monsoon rains.

Power to the farmers Help Foundation, a local NGO, has been working for over a decade with communities in the area, encouraging villagers to form groups that help families like Amina’s feed themselves.There are more than 30 such groups, each with an association to support farmers, according to Saad Zafar, a social organizer with Help Foundation, which is a member of the Indus Consortium, a platform that builds community resilience.Last August, the consortium launched a campaign in five riverine villages in the area, funded

by Oxfam, aimed at putting more power in the hands of farmers, particularly women.In the nearby village of Mohammed Akram, the impact of the training the women have received is clear.

"We have planted trees which will protect the embankments and help us during floods, and we started planting kitchen gardens near our homes where we can grow our own vegetables," said Bakhto Bibi, secretary of the community organization.While many aid groups work with farmers in Pakistan, few link climate change with food security. But Bakhto says she knows what is behind the flooding in her www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

Page 10

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine district.―Global warming is raising temperatures, which is causing intense rainfall in the area - it is because of all the smoke from factories and cars around the world,‖ she said.People are adapting to the annual floods by building their mud homes on higher ground, artificially raised by bulldozers piling up earth, so their livestock and belongings stay safe.They are also spreading the message through theater. A play on climate change, performed recently by the community group at a school, was attended by all the local women, Bakhto said.

Bid for land ownership Women have also decided to form committees to start discussions with the government about obtaining their own land.―We have been living here for 40 years and hardly own any land. Since most of the area around here is owned by the state, it should be allotted to us so we can increase our agricultural production,‖ Bakhto said.The women, along with men in their group, have already met with the Rajanpur District Coordination Officer, Ghazi Aman Ullah, to talk about land rights and maintaining embankments to stop flooding. He has promised to look into their demands. ―I think the biggest improvement has been that we are all united now,‖ said Ameer Bibi who lives in the same village.―We want to put pressure on the government to change its policies - it should set up institutions to help us farmers,‖ she said.Ameer said the Help Foundation’s training had boosted local women’s knowledge and confidence.Examples of women’s empowerment are rare in Pakistan.

Conservative elements, led by a fierce clergy, usually oppose such efforts in rural areas, making even liberal politicians wary of supporting them.

Help Foundation has enjoyed more success as it is an established NGO founded back in the 1970s that has won people’s trust, especially during the 2010 floods when it provided relief and rehabilitation.―Crops, floods and poverty are all interlinked. The government should ask us what is happening on the ground,‖ said Ayesha Bibi, a feisty widow in her 60s who farms her own two-acre plot and recently travelled to Bangladesh with Oxfam for a regional meeting on climate change.―It is actually the responsibility of the government of Pakistan to help us, not the foreign-funded NGOs who have kept us from starving.‖Tags: agribusiness, updates, life, hunger http://www.agweek.com/event/article/id/25679/#sthash.YajPFAwx.dpufhttp://www.agweek.com/event/ar ticle/id/25679/

PhilRice taps suppliers as partners April 21, 2015 SAN MATEO, Isabela, April 17 (PIA) - - The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) here will conduct a series of Knowledge Sharing and Learning (KSL) activities this April as initial step towards linking with private sectors.―We are banking on the potential of agricultural input suppliers in the region as our partners in extension delivery system‖, said PhilRice-Isabela Acting Director Democrito B. Rebong II.For her part, PhilRice-Isabela Research and Development Coordinator Helen R. Pasicolan said the participants to the series of KSL activities include private sector-based such as seed centers, fertilizer companies, agri chem companies, machine dealers, agri input retailers and microfinance institutions.

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

Page 11

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

―The engagement of the private sector as Rice Extension Intermediaries (REIs) is necessary to enhance our reach, response time and impact on agricultural productivity,‖ Pasicolan said.The activity, she added is part of the Improving Technology Promotion and Delivery through Capability Enhancement of the Next-Generation of Rice Extension Professionals and Intermediaries (IPaD).Pasicolan added that IPaD is a project under the DA-National Rice Program and funded by the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research.

(ALM/MGE/PIA-2 Isabela/with reports from Maritha C. Manubay, PhilRice-Isabela) http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/481429237733/philrice-taps-suppliers-aspartners#sthash.GsvqLoQw.dpuf

Farmers told to plant drought-tolerant rice

BY RENE GENOVE The dry spell has not yet affected the cropping of major agricultural products in Negros Oriental, and Provincial Agriculturist Office Research Division chief, Charito Catarata is urging farmers to plant early maturing crops, or drought tolerant rice varieties.Catarata said most of the farmers have already harvested the first and second crops, and the first and second cropping seasons were normal. To mitigate the negative effects of El Niño in agriculture, she said, PAO has advised farmers to plant drought-tolerant varieties of rice.She said the International Rice Research Institute and the Philippine Rice Research Institute have been developing drought-tolerant varieties of rice suitable for planting. She asked farmers to contact PAO or their Municipal Agriculture Office to inquire and avail of these kinds of varieties.She said crops that do not take a long time to mature include legumes, like winged beans, mung beans and pigeon peas.PAO is also urging farmers to do intermittent irrigation in rice fields as another adaptation measure against El Niño For livestock, the PAO continuously conducts vaccination on animals to make their resistance against diseases stronger during prolonged dry season.Meanwhile, Neptune Catarata, chief meteorological officer of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Services Administration Negros Oriental reported a decrease in the amount of rainfall and rise of temperature over the past three months, which indicate that the El Niño phenomenon has stepped in Dumaguete City and other parts of the province.

Catarata said Dumaguete City experienced less rainfall amount from January to March this year. He said, the amount of rainfall recorded in January was 71.4mm, 41.5mm in February and 1.9mm in March.She said these figures are lower than the average rainfall amount experienced in Dumaguete City in the first quarter of the year.The normal average rainfall amount for January is estimated at 82.0mm, 61.4mm in February and 46.3mm in March. The PAGASA said that for April, the city has experienced 11.9mm amount of rainfall, so far, but this is still lower than the average rainfall amount of 53.7mm. the press release said.PAGASA also noted an increase of temperature. In January, the temperature rose to 31.3°C, 30.2°C in February, and 31.3°C in March. This is slightly higher than the average normal temperature during these months.

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

Page 12

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Based on PAGASA records, the normal average temperature in January is at 28.9°C, 30.0°C in February and 30.5°C in March. But the hottest temperature, so far, was recorded in the first week of April at 32.9°C, Catarata said.Even a one centigrade anomaly can have a big impact on heat. She added that these data cover only Dumaguete City, but other parts of the province can possibly experience hotter temperature.She said the indications of abnormality of rainfall and temperature can trigger El Niño.*RG http://www.visayandailystar.com/2015/April/21/negor3.htm

APEDA (India) NEWS International Benchmark Price Price on: 20-04-2015

Product

Benchmark Indicators Name

Price

1

Turkish No. 2 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t)

5650

2

Turkish No. 4 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t)

4125

3

Turkish size 8, CIF UK (USD/t)

3425

1

Greek provincial, CIF UK (USD/t)

1441

2

Greek Vostizza, CIF UK (USD/t)

1551

1

Argentine 85mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)

4070

2

Australian extra light/light amber, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)

4730

3

Chinese light amber, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)

1975

Apricots

Currants

Honey

Source:agra-net

For more info

Market Watch Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 20-04-2015 Domestic Prices

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

Unit Price : Rs per Qty

Page 13

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Product

Market Center

Variety

Min Price

Max Price

1

Amreli (Gujarat)

Other

1265

2740

2

Thiruppur (Tamil Nadu)

Other

2300

2500

3

Solapur (Maharashtra)

Other

1550

2005

1

Amreli (Gujarat)

Other

1165

1510

2

Haveri (Karnataka )

Local

1200

1260

3

Koraput(Orissa)

Other

1310

1330

1

Sirhind (Punjab)

Other

2000

3000

2

Alappuzha(Kerala)

Other

4000

4150

3

Mechua(West Bengal)

Other

2200

2600

1

Banki (Orissa)

Other

1300

1500

2

Chala (Kerala)

Other

3200

3250

3

Sonepat(Haryana)

Other

500

600

Jowar(Sorgham)

Maize

Mousambi

Cucumbar

Source:agra-net

For more info

Egg

Rs per 100 No Price on 20-04-2015 Product

Market Center

Price

1

Ahmedabad

277

2

Chittoor

278

3

Hyderabad

240

Source: e2necc.com

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

Page 14

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Other International Prices

Unit Price : US$ per package Price on 20-04-2015

Product

Market Center

Origin

Variety

Low

Package: 40 lb cartons

Onions Dry 1

Atlanta

2

Baltimore

3

Detroit

Mexico Texas Georgia

Yellow

22

23

Yellow

20

20

Yellow

26

26 Package: cartons film wrapped

Cauliflower 1 2 3

Atlanta

Detroit New York

California

33

33.50

White

31.50

32

White

32

34

White

California Mexico

Package: 4/5 bushel cartons

Grapefruit 1 2 3

High

Atlanta

Chicago New York

Florida Florida Florida

Red

16.50

16.50

Red

13

14

Red

18

18

Source:USDA

Supermarkets' misleading multi-buy promotions slammed

by Which?

Survey by consumer group finds 'dodgy deals' from all leading retailers, and calls for consumer support to 'make special offers special' When is a deal not a deal? Photograph: David Butterworth Rebecca Smithers

Tuesday 19 November 2013 11.30 GMTLast modified on Thursday 22 May 201409.40 BST

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

Page 15

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Cash-strapped shoppers who rely on regular supermarket special offers to cut their food bills could still end up paying more, according to research which exposes the on-going problem of so-called "dodgy deals".The consumer group Which? analysed the pricing of 75 popular food and drink products over six months and found that leading retailers were misleading shoppers into believing they were getting a better deal than they were through multi-buy promotions and claims involving discounts such as "was £3, now £2".In one case Which? found, shoppers at Asda buying two packs of Müller Light Greek style yoghurt during a promotion paid £1 more than if they had bought them at the normal price.

One year after the government attempted to clarify the rules – and eight of the leading supermarkets signed up to new guidance – dodgy discounts and misleading multibuys are still being found in the supermarkets, Which? said.It is urging consumers to pledge their support for its new campaign to help "make special offers special".Which? executive director, Richard Lloyd, said: "We've found dodgy discounts across the aisles, and with rising food prices hitting shoppers' budgets hard we think supermarkets are not playing fair."In November 2012, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Morrisons, Marks & Spencer, Aldi, the Co-operative and Lidl all agreed to incorporate the new principles – drawn up by the Office of Fair Trading – into their policies, to ensure promotions are "fair and meaningful".

But Which? said no progress had been made, highlighting numerous examples from its research.The consumer group analysed six months' worth of pricing data from January to June 2013 from independent shopping website MySupermarket.co.uk.It looked at 70,000 prices for 75 products across five supermarkets, although not all were available in all supermarkets, selecting examples that illustrate different pricing problems within this period.One example found by Which? was a Sainsbury's special offer for Carex aloe vera and eucalyptus moisturising antibacterial handwash, where the item was priced at £1.80 for seven days, then was on offer at "was £1.80, now 90p" for 84 days.

Ocado sold a 12-pack of Beck's beer as "was £12.19, now £9" for almost a month but had only sold the item at the higher price for three days.In another case, Asda increased the regular price of Müller Light Greek style yoghurt from £1.50 to £2.18 before it went on a "two for £4" offer,

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

Page 16

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine costing shoppers £1 more. It also increased the price of Uncle Ben's express basmati rice from £1 to £1.58 before offering for "two for £3" and then returning the rice to £1 when the offer ended.

Which? wants the government to make the rules for special offers simpler, clearer and stricter, and said that if these changes were not made swiftly, it would consider using legal powers to ensure the practice is tackled.Which? also published a separate report on food prices, called Cutting Back and Trading Down, which revealed that two-thirds (66%) of consumers believe they have been misled by an offer that wasn't as good as it initially appeared. (Populus surveyed 2,028 adults in Great Britain, of whom 1,969 were grocery shoppers, online between 28 and 30 June 2013. Data was weighted to be representative of the population of Great Britain).Retailers insisted the promotions in question were genuine mistakes rather than a deliberate attempt to mislead shoppers.

The British Retail Consortium, which represents the supermarket industry, said: "Across the tens of thousands of promotions available every day, regrettably, occasional errors do slip through.

Retailers work very quickly to rectify these mistakes whenever they are found."Sainsbury's said: "We are absolutely committed to fair and transparent promotions and carry out regular audits and thorough training on this." Asda said in a statement: "We take pricing seriously, and we've recently employed a new team within the business that looks at all aspects of our pricing process and pricing practices in store and online.

Sometimes mistakes can happen, but we would never deliberately mislead our customers – our aim is always to offer the lowest prices for the longest."According to the Office of Fair Trading, grocery shopping accounts for some 44% of household spending. Guardian Money has been highlighting deals that are not as good as they claim to be and asking readers to send in the most amusing examples of silly pricing.

Riceland's Harris Testifies Before Senate on Cuban Trade WASHINGTON, DC - The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry held a hearing today entitled, "Opportunities and Challenges for Agricultural Trade with Cuba," and given the Cuban taste for rice, U.S. rice was front and center. "The U.S. and Cuba certainly have a long history filled with contention and instability...this is not an issue we are going to be able to fix overnight...it will take hard work to normalize trade with Cuba and decisions must be made carefully," said Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) in opening the hearing. "Today we will hear from an impressive panel of experts, from regulators responsible for writing our policies toward Cuba to the producers who want to grow the market for their products."

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

Page 17

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Harris (second from left) testifying

One of those policymakers was USDA Undersecretary Michael T Scuse who used rice as an example of a strong opportunity for U.S. agriculture."Our stakeholders have made it very clear that this is a country they want to do business in, and I'll give you an example - not because Betsy Ward is sitting behind me but rice. Half the rice consumed in [Cuba] is imported and it's coming from Vietnam, it's not coming from the United States - and it should be," Scuse said in response to a question from Roberts.Riceland Food's Senior Vice President for Marketing and Risk Management, Terry Harris, put a price tag on the market for the committee during his own testimony.

"Cuba is a significant market for rice, importing about $300 million worth of rice annually... with the lifting of the embargo and the restoration of trade and travel with Cuba, we estimate that the U.S. could regain 20 to 30 percent of the Cuban rice business within two years," he said. "We would anticipate the U.S. share of the market would exceed 50 percent within five years and could reach 75 percent or more

within 10 years."

The tone of the hearing was positive, with the Senators in attendance focusing their remarks on understanding what, in the view of the witnesses, Congress could and should do to improve opportunities for U.S. agricultural trade with Cuba.

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

Page 18

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine "We've said this isn't a quick fix - that there are a lot of moving parts," said USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward who attended the hearing. "We're grateful Chairman Roberts convened the hearing to get the ball rolling in Congress, and we appreciate the interest from the rest of the Committee. It was another important step in reopening this important market for us."

Contact: Michael Klein (703) 236-1458

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for April 21

Month

Price

Net Change

May 2015

$9.980

+ $0.205

July 2015

$10.225

+ $0.195

September 2015

$10.485

+ $0.195

November 2015

$10.715

+ $0.195

January 2016

$10.945

+ $0.195

March 2016

$10.995

+ $0.195

May 2016

$10.995

+ $0.195

Nigeria: Umeofia - 'With Proper Incentives, Indigenous Manufacturers Can Fully Support Our Economy'

By Olawunmi Ojo

UmeofiaThe Nigerian tomato paste market, which has a few indigenous producers, is dominated by imported products. Erisco Foods Limited is one of the indigenous producers. Following recent concerns of sub-standard and adulterated products flooding the market, however, the President of the food company, Eric Umeofia reassures consumers that its range of products remains one of the few in the country certified good for consumption.Recently, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration, and Control (NAFDAC) began a series of

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

Page 19

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine consultative meetings with importers and indigenous manufacturers of tomato paste in sachets and tins.

News Release 1400 Independence Ave., SW Washington, DC 20250 USDA Farm Service Agency __________________________________________________________________ ____________ Program Announcement Mark Simone (202) 720-5653 Mark.Simone@wdc.usda.gov PREVAILING WORLD PRICES AND LOAN DEFICIENCY PAYMENT RATES WASHINGTON, April 22, 2015-The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation today announced the following prevailing world market prices of milled and rough rice, adjusted for U.S. milling yields and location, and the resulting marketing loan gain (MLG) and loan deficiency payment (LDP) rates applicable to the 2014 crop, which will become effective today at 7:00 a.m., Eastern Time (ET). Prices are unchanged from the previous announcement.

--------World Price------- MLG/LDP Rate Milled Value Rough Rough ($/cwt) ($/cwt) ($/cwt) Long Grain 15.44 10.00 0.00 Medium/Short Grain 15.04 10.13 0.00 Brokens 9.31 ---- ---This week's prevailing world market prices and MLG/LDP rates are based on the following U.S. milling yields and the corresponding loan rates: U.S. Milling Yields Loan Rate Whole/Broken (lbs/cwt) ($/cwt) Long Grain 57.21/12.55 6.64 Medium/Short Grain 61.89/8.83 6.51 The next program announcement is scheduled for April 29, 2015. www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

Page 20

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 369 2874