23rd april,2015 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Rice E-Newsletter April 23, 2015 V o l u m e 5, Issue I

Rice is nice for 2015 crop RODERICK MAKIM,23 Apr, 2015 04:00 AM

RICE growers in the Riverina are optimistic about both yields and prices for this year's crop, which is being harvested this month."We're about halfway through (the harvest) at the moment... and yields are pretty good," said Greg Bonetti, who grows rice on about seven different blocks of land about Benerembah, near Griffith.The yields for Mr Bonetti are around 13 tonnes a hectare so far."The rule of thumb is if it's anything above 121/2, you're having a good season," he said."Last year, it was a bit under 12t/ha. www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine "A SunRice spokesperson agreed the crop was looking good."Overall yields are strong with some variability resulting from the low minimum temperatures that occurred in the second half of January," the spokesperson said."The 2015 rice harvest commenced mid-March, with dry conditions assisting our growers."Receivals at April 14 were just over 370,000t of paddy rice across all growing regions."In total, we are anticipating about 700,000t to come in across the Murrumbidgee and Murray valleys by the end of April, weather permitting."Mr Bonetti said he thought this might be down slightly on last year.

"There has been a big push on cotton and corn in the last couple of years, especially in areas where water is a bit more marginal."Those who had stuck with rice for this year were looking at a good season, though, with the good yields matched by optimism on the prices."I'm not exactly sure (what price this harvest will receive)... if it's about $360/t to $380/t that's a pretty good price," Mr Bonetti said.The SunRice spokesperson said the price for the 2015 harvest had not been set yet."The indicative 2014 paddy price remains at $360/t for medium grain (Reiziq) and $490/t for Koshihikari. This includes a $20/t payment boost announced in December 2014 following improved milling yields for the 2014 crop and strong global pricing," The spokesperson said."It is too early to speculate on the pricing for the 2015 crop but, based on current global conditions, prospects are good.

Roderick Makim is a senior journalist for The Land Email: roderick.makim@fairfaxmedia.com.au

Options for better control of resistant weeds in rice Apr 23, 2015Crop and trait rotation options available in Arkansas, can make resistance management relatively easy if farmers will get outside our normal thinking somewhat and be proactive.

If you can get planted, rain is making herbicide activation easy.

Make every effort to keep ―sprayed up‖ on everything planted.More folks are getting into overlapping a pre-emergence and a delayed pre-emergence treatment in rice. You will not be disappointed. There have already been a few cases where I have changed, for example, a Prowl plus Facet delayed pre-emergence treatment to a RiceBeaux combination treatment of some sort because of emerged grass.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine On planted rice, as the season moves into the early postemergence phase, a number of combinations can be successful. On very small grasses it is easy to get three to four different modes of action with a treatment like RiceBeaux plus Clearpath in Clearfield rice or RiceBeaux plus Prowl plus Facet in conventional rice. For the past several years, the early postemergence ―go-to‖ treatment in a lot of situations has been Ricestar HT plus Facet plus Permit Plus or Halomax.

In later-planted situations where you are still looking at delayed pre-emergence treatments, don’t overlook Bolero. I have been told the supply has been increased for this year. Bolero is like Prowl in the sense that I rarely recommend it alone. However, Bolero in combination with Facet or another quinclorac product, Prowl or Command or clomazone is an excellent delayed preemergence treatment.Bolero plus Facet, for example, is better in heavy barnyardgrass infestations, is a better sprangletop herbicide, and has good aquatic activity compared to Prowl plus Facet. Both Bolero and Prowl add herbicide modes of action for which we have no documented resistance right now.

With the crop and trait rotation options we have in Arkansas, we can make resistance management relatively easy if we will just get outside our normal thinking somewhat. Just in a rice and soybean rotation we have the option of rotating conventional rice with Roundup Ready or conventional soybeans with Clearfield rice with LibertyLink soybeans. As corn and milo are added to that mix, the opportunities are even greater.Too many growers are waiting until these options are forced upon them instead of implementing them proactively. I have told the story about the Arkansas farmer who said to me at a meeting several years ago that he had never seen a pigweed on the farm until the past year and he found them in four fields.

He went on to tell me that he planned to plant corn the coming year, then rice, then LibertyLink soybeans, then corn, then rice again before he went back to Roundup Ready soybeans. I was impressed, but asked him a question I was afraid I already knew the answer to. I asked if he was going to implement that program on his entire 6,000 acres. His response was ―No, I only have the problem in four fields.‖ He is an excellent farmer. However, like all of us he is a creature of habit and as long as things are working well he doesn’t have a problem. We must move past that and manage every field like it has a weed resistance problem already in it. We have some new technologies coming, but I do not believe they will replace the need for proactive thinking. While resistance issues are greater in the South right now, farmers in Arkansas have more tools than the farmers in the Midwest if we will just utilize them wisely. http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/options-better-control-resistant-weeds-riceCambodia produces 9.32 mln tons of paddy rice last year

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Cambodia produces 9.32 mln tons of paddy rice last year PHNOM PENH, April 23 (Xinhua) -Cambodia produced 9.32 million tons of paddy rice in 2014, slightly down from 9.38 million tons it produced in 2013, according to an annual report of the country' s agriculture ministry on Thursday."Based on last year's amount of production, besides local consumption, the country will have around 4.7 million tons of un- husked rice, or more than 3 million tons of milled rice, left for

exports this year," the report said.It added that the Southeast Asian country grew paddy rice on 3. 02 million hectares of land last year. Rice is mainly produced during the wet season, but farmers having rice fields near water or the irrigation system also plant rice paddy in the dry season.According to the report, the agricultural sector accounted for 28.7 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014.

In 2010, Cambodia set a goal of exporting 1 million tons of milled rice by the end of 2015; however, Commerce Minister Sun Chanthol admitted in February this year that the country was unlikely to achieve the target due to lack of milling capacity and funding."Last year, we had exported only 387,000 tons of milled rice, so it is difficult for us to achieve the target," he told reporters.Currently, some 61 companies have exported Cambodian rice to 40 countries and regions around the world, according to the report. Five main buyers of Cambodian rice are China, France, Malaysia, the Netherlands, and Poland.

An employee points out a stack of rice for an order at a rice warehouse in Phnom Penh.Eli Meixler

Rice competitiveness a worry Thu, 23 April 2015 Chan Muyhong

The executive committee of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) will meet with two ministries today to explore the possibility of reducing the logistical and energy costs of transporting rice, a key factor to keeping Cambodian rice exports competitive compared to neighbouring countries, a CRF official said.The meeting is being held with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Ministry of Mines and Energy, said Kim Savuth, head of the CRF’s cost competitiveness executive committee. Savuth added that high energy and logistics costs were some of the main reasons why Cambodian rice remained more expensive than that of its neighbours.―Buyers like to say that rice from Vietnam is cheaper than rice from Cambodia.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine That is why we ask why Cambodian rice becomes more expensive after milling when the paddy rice is cheap,‖ Savuth said.―Besides the higher cost of transportation, the cost of goods transferring at the port is also higher comparing to neighbouring countries. We have sent a request to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport for intervention to cut prices at the port and for some transporting companies to at least [have prices] comparable to neighbouring countries,‖ he said.During the meeting with the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the possibilities of buying power at a wholesale price will also be discussed, added Savuth.

After the founding of the CRF in May 2014, four executive committees working on financial access, increasing rice productivity, cost competitiveness and marketing were created to get rid of trade barriers and help make Cambodia’s rice industry more competitive.Vasim Sorya, director general of administration at the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation, said yesterday that intervention on rice prices is outside the ministry’s authority, although he said the government was still looking at ways to keep the country’s economy competitive.―To intervene in prices is out of the ministry’s authority and power.

In the case of private companies, what we can do is send a request for them to consider [cutting prices],‖ he said.―In the case of a state company, such as the port, there is a department which holds the authority on setting prices, but they are also responsible for generating income to support national budget.‖Ty Thany, executive director at the Electricity Authority of Cambodia, said the government already has a strategic plan to reduce energy costs step-by-step, although it will take more time than what the private sector has requested.―For example, the government has planned to subsidise electricity costs for farmers who need to pump water into their rice field by the year 2018,‖ he said http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/rice-competitiveness-worry

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Apr 23 Thu Apr 23, 2015 1:49pm IST

Nagpur, Apr 23 (Reuters) - Gram and tuar prices firmed up again in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) here on good demand from local millers amid tight supply from producing belts. Notable rise in gram on NCDEX, weak overseas tuar arrival and healthy rise in Madhya Pradesh pulses also boosted prices here, according to sources. *

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FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Gram Kabuli reported strong in open market on good demand from local traders amid thin supply from producing regions.

TUAR * Tuar gavarani showed upward tendency in open market here on increased buying support www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine from local traders. * Rice HMT recovered strongly in open market on good marriage season demand from local traders amid tight supply from producing belts like Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. * In Akola, Tuar - 6,300-6,400, Tuar dal - 9,000-9,200, Udid at 7,700-7,900, Udid Mogar (clean) - 9,200-9,500, Moong - 8,800-8,900, Moong Mogar (clean) 10,600-10,900, Gram - 3,900-4,000, Gram Super best bold - 4,700-4,900 for 100 kg. * Wheat, other varieties of rice and other commodities remained steady in open market in weak trading activity, according to sources.

Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close Gram Auction 3,300-3,930 3,200-3,870 Gram Pink Auction n.a.

2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction 5,400-6,680 5,300-6,600 Moong Auction n.a.

6,000-6,300 Udid Auction n.a.

4,300-4,500 Masoor Auction n.a.

2,600-2,800 Gram Super Best Bold 5,400-5,600 5,400-5,600 Gram Super Best n.a.

Gram Medium Best 5,100-5,300 5,100-5,300 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a.

Gram Mill Quality 4,500-4,800 4,500-4,800 Desi gram Raw 4,050-4,200 4,050-4,200 Gram Filter new 4,650-4,850 4,650-4,850 Gram Kabuli 6,200-7,200 6,100-7,100 Gram Pink 6,400-6,600 6,400-6,600 Tuar Fataka Best 9,300-9,500 9,300-9,500 Tuar Fataka Medium 9,000-9,200 9,000-9,200 Tuar Dal Best Phod 8,400-8,600 8,400-8,600 Tuar Dal Medium phod 7,900-8,300 7,900-8,300 Tuar Gavarani New 6,200-6,400 6,150-6,350 Tuar Karnataka 6,500-6,700 6,500-6,700 Tuar Black 9,300-9,600 9,300-9,600 Masoor dal best 7,000-7,250 7,000-7,250 Masoor dal medium 6,700-6,900 6,700-6,900 Masoor n.a. n.a.

Moong Mogar bold 10,500-11,000 10,500-11,000 Moong Mogar Medium best 10,000-10,300 10,000-10,300 Moong dal Chilka 8,600-9,600 8,600-9,600 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.

Moong Chamki best 9,200-9,600 9,200-9,600

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 9,700-10,000 9,700-10,000 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 9,200-9,600 9,200-9,600 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 6,600-6,900 6,600-6,900 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 4,400-4,600 4,400-4,600 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 3,000-3,100 3,000-3,100 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,200 3,100-3,200 Watana White (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,500 4,000-4,500 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,700 1,400-1,700 Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,800-1,900 1,800-1,900 Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,300-1,500 1,300-1,500 Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,400 2,100-2,400 Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,950-2,200 1,950-2,200 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.

MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,800-3,200 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,450-2,700 2,450-2,700 Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG) 1,300-1,400 1,300-1,400 Wheat Best (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100 Rice BPT New(100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,700 2,400-2,700 Rice BPT (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,300 2,800-3,300 Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,800 1,600-1,800 Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,350 2,100-2,350 Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,700 2,500-2,700 Rice HMT new(100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,650 3,200-3,650 Rice HMT (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,300 3,900-4,300 Rice HMT Shriram New(100 INR/KG) 4,100-4,500 4,100-4,500 Rice HMT Shriram old (100 INR/KG) 4,500-5,200 4,500-5,200 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,000-10,000 8,000-10,000 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,000-7,500 6,000-7,500 Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG) 4,600-4,700 4,600-4,700 Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 5,300-5,600 5,300-5,600 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,100-2,200 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,450 2,300-2,450 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 42.3 degree Celsius (108.1 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.

23.6 degree Celsius (74.5 degree Fahrenheit) Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.

Rainfall : nil FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky. Rains or thunder-showers likely. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 42 and 26 degree Celsius respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)

NLA begins impeachment hearing of G2G rice scam 0

BY EDITOR ON

2015-04-23 THAILAND

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NLA begins impeachment hearing of G2G rice scam BANGKOK: — The National Legislative Assembly today began impeachment hearing of former

commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom, his deputy and a former top official of the Foreign Trade Department accused of corruption involving the so-called fake G2G rice deal with China.Boonsong, and deputy commerce minister Poom Sarapol and former director-general of the Foreign Trade Department Manas Soiploy were accused by the National Anti Corruption Commission (NACC).Chairing the NLA meeting is its president Pornpetch Wichitcholachai.

NACC commissioner Vicha Mahakhun was first allowed to deliver the opening statement at 9.30 am while the three accused would be allowed to defend themselves afterwards.Mr Vicha began the hearing by saying the three have committed serious crimes that had incurred enormous damages to the country’s rice market by collaborating in allowing two Chinese companies, unauthorised by the Chinese government, to seal bilateral contracts to buy Thai rice without having to bid.Their acts grossly violated the Criminal Code, the Public Competitive Bidding Act and the Anti-Corruption Act. But Boonsong flatly dismissed the accusation saying everything was done in good faith and with regard to the internet of farmers.He said all stages taken followed the process of laws.Bangkok Post reported that after the two sides finished giving their testimony, the NLA was to set up a seven-member committee to raise questions for them to answer and set the dates for the enquiry sessions.The two sides are to deliver their closing statements on May 7 and the NLA will vote whether or not to impeach the three on May 8.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/nla-begins-impeachment-hearing-of-g2g-rice-scam

200 paddy procurement centres opened in E.G

K.N. MURALI SANKAR East Godavari district administration has set up 200 paddy procurement centres across the district with an objective of procuring at least 5 lakh tonnes of paddy during the current Rabi season.The centres will be operated by the members of women self-help groups, Rythu Mitra groups and primary agriculture cooperative societies in different parts of the district. In addition to the minimum support price fixed by the government, the centres will offer transport charges and part of handling fare to farmers.

Joint Collector S. Satyanarayana said the Civil Supplies Department had procured 4.36 lakh tonnes of paddy through paddy procurement centres during the Kharif season, and the target was fixed as 5 lakh tonnes for the Rabi. ―The MSP is Rs. 1,020 per 75 kg for the common variety and Rs. 1,050 for the Grade-A variety. As many as 98 centres have already started functioning, while the remaining centres will be opened by the end of this week,‖ he said.Explaining the process of sale, Mr. Satyanarayana advised farmers to take 1 kg of paddy to the nearby procurement centre, where the staff would test the moisture percentage and fix the price.

Transportation

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine The transportation to be done to the rice mill via the procurement centre concerned and the transportation charges will be paid immediately after the purchase. ―The payment will be credited into the bank account of the farmer within three working days from the day of sale,‖ he said.

Transparency to be ensured Maintaining that the entire transactions would be transparent, Mr. Satyanarayana said farmers must produce copies of their Aadhaar cards, pattadar passbooks or tenancy certificates issued by the VRO and the copies of bank passbooks at the procurement centre for enrolment. He advised farmers to consult the helpline arranged by the Civil Supplies Department by calling 08846454341 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on any working day for clarifications.District Manager of the civil supplies department Krishna Rao, district supplies officer Umamaheswara Rao, project director of the DRDA S. Malli Babu and other officials were present

Tanzania: Rice Farmers Cry Foul Over Imports PAKISTAN rice imports into East African Community (EAC) through a trade deal swap with Kenya is causing problems in the marketing of locally grown rice in the region, hence the need for Council of Ministers to intervene.Eastern African Farmers Federation Chief Executive Officer, Mr Stephen Muchiri, told East African Cooperation Minister, Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, on Tuesday evening that unscrupulous commodity traders were blending the Pakistan imported rice with locally produced one which is facing tariff restrictions in the region."You know Kenya has a trade agreement with Pakistan whereby they buy tea while we import their rice.

Unscrupulous businessmen are mixing the Pakistan rice with local rice in Kenya which has attracted a 75 per cent import duty in Uganda and Rwanda," Mr Muchiri said.

During a meeting of EAFF senior officials led by its president, Mr Philip Kiriro, Muchiri told Dr Mwakyembe that the Pakistan rice has affected Kenyan rice farmers who cannot enjoy benefits of the EAC Trade Protocol because of problems with certificate of origin."I understand this problem has also affected rice farmers here, I hope that you as Chairman of the Council of Ministers can help us address this," he pointed out saying EAFF is working with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in assisting farmers acquire skills, identify markets and observe quality and standards.

Currently, after investing heavily in rice production, local farmers produce over 1.2 million metric tons of the commodity against annual demand of less than one million tons.In 2013, the government issued a permit to import 40,000 metric tons of rice following claims of shortages which was later blocked following an outcry by local producers who had stocks in their warehouses.As a result, countries such as Uganda which import Tanzanian rice hiked the tariff to 75 per cent. One of the culprits, Kilombero Plantation Limited (KPL) which works in partnership with over 5,000 farmers has been struggling to find a market for the commodity.

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Responding to the EAFF delegation's request, Dr Mwakyembe said he will raise the matter with his peers during the next Council of Ministers meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 3."Much of this rice is smuggled into our region, we should find a solution against this," said Dr Mwakyembe. He pointed out that EAC's biggest trading prowess lies in agriculture produce which involves the majority of people in the region, hence the need to protect the market for such commodities.

Dr Mwakyembe invited EAFF officials to make their presentation before an EAC Council of Ministers which will thereafter deliberate on the matter.EAFF is a non-political, non-profit and a democratic apex organisation of all Framers of Eastern Africa. It's member in the country are Agriculture Council of Tanzania, Tanzania Farmers Federation and Muungano wa Vikundi vya Wakulima (Mviwata). http://allafrica.com/stories/201504230935.html

Cyclone-hit Philippines to import rice from Myanmar Cyclone-hit Philippines to import rice from Myanmar

YANGON, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines is planning to import rice from Myanmar after domestic demand rose following a recent cyclone strike, the military-run media Myawady reported Wednesday.The Philippines, a major rice importer in the world, is also trying to import rice from Pakistan and India.The Philippines imported 1.7 million tons of rice in 2014 and is expected to import about 1.6 million tons of rice in 2015.The Philippines has already negotiated to import 5 million tons of rice from Vietnam and Thailand. http://www.globalpost.com/article/6524082/2015/04/22/cyclone-hit-philippines-import-rice-myanmar

Weekly Rice Sales, Exports Reported WASHINGTON, DC -- Net sales of 65,600 MT for 2014/2015 were up 91 percent from the previous week and 5 percent from the prior 4-week average, according to today's Export Sales Highlights report. Increases were reported for Mexico (25,400 MT), Colombia (18,000 MT), unknown destinations (14,500 MT), Haiti (3,400 MT), and Canada (2,200 MT).

Exports of 77,000 MT were down 7 percent from the previous week, but up 8 percent from the prior 4week average. The primary destinations were Mexico (41,700 MT), Japan (12,000 MT), Saudi Arabia (9,300 MT), Colombia (6,500 MT), and Jordan (3,200 MT).

This summary is based on reports from exporters from the period April 10-16.

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Back in Business: U.S. Rice Returns to U.K. Retail Shelves LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - In a major victory for the rice industry, U.S. rice has reemerged on mainstream UK retail shelves for the first time since 2006.The reappearance of U.S. rice in U.K. retail stores comes after years of campaigning and promotional efforts by USA Rice to assure supplie rs that U.S.-grown rice is a high quality, competitive crop free of GMO traits. Last October, a USA Rice trade delegation traveled to the UK to meet with major retailers, UK rice importers, millers, and selected wholesalers.During that successful trip, the team met with USDA Foreign Agricultural Service representatives from London, and Jim Higgiston, the Agricultural Minister Counselor at the United States Mission to the EU."We had an excellent and worthwhile dialogue with U.K. importers that has apparently paid off," said Bastiaan de Zeeuw, president and CEO of Riviana Foods.For the past several years, U.S. long grain rice in the UK had only been present in the ethnic segment of the market, targeting mainly Chinese, as well as the Afro-Caribbean and Bangladeshi populations, a loyal consumer base who appreciate U.S. long grain's high quality characteristics.

U.S. rice: mainstream once again

However, thanks to the continuous joint effort by USA Rice and U.K. importers, U.S. rice can now be enjoyed by a much wider audience.

The umbrella brand carrying U.S. rice, Tolly Boy, is a well-known and trusted brand in the UK market, carrying different high quality rice varieties. The identified U.S. rice brand is available in select Asda stores in 5 kg and 10 kg packaging and its presence in mainstream retail stores has the potential to expand the consumer base substantially, offering higher sales volumes for U.S. long grain rice.

"This is an exciting development for the U.S. rice industry. The U.K. has the potential to grow into a significant market again and perhaps signal our imminent return to the continent as well," said Bastiaan de Zeeuw.

Contact: Eszter Somogyi 011-49-40-4503-8667

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures

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CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for April 23

Month

Price

Net Change

May 2015

$10.060

- $0.095

July 2015

$10.290

- $0.100

September 2015

$10.550

- $0.100

November 2016

$10.795

- $0.090

January 2016

$11.030

- $0.085

March 2016

$11.080

- $0.085

May 2016

$11.080

- $0.085

Commerce rice graft hearing kicks off in NLA 23 Apr 2015 at 11:56 2,036 viewed WRITER: ONLINE REPORTERS

The National Legislative Assembly has begun the impeachment hearing of former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and two other ministry officials accused of involvement in corrupt government rice deals.The two others are ex-deputy commerce minister Poom Sarapol and Manas Soiploy, former director-general of the Foreign Trade Department.The NLA, chaired

by Pornpetch Wichitcholachai, began its meeting on Thursday at 9.30am to examine their roles in government-to-government rice sales during the previous Yingluck Shinawatra administration.Vicha Mahakhun, a member of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, which filed the impeachment motion, was first to deliver an opening statement.

The three accused were to deliver their defence testimony afterward.The NACC charged the three with allowing two Chinese companies, unauthorised by the Chinese government, to seal bilateral contracts to buy Thai rice without having to bid. They allegedly violated the Criminal Code, the Public Competitive Bidding Act and the Anti-Corruption Act.After the two sides finished giving their testimony, the NLA was to set up a seven-member committee to raise www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine questions for them to answer and set the dates for the enquiry sessions.The two sides are to deliver their closing statements on May 7 and the NLA will vote whether or not to impeach the three on May 8.

Amira Nature Foods expands distribution network with new centres in India FBR Staff Writer,Published 23 April 2015

Amira Nature Foods has expanded its distribution network with the establishment of new distribution centres in 15 major cities across India.This will allow the company to cater to the growing demand of its packaged Indian specialty rice and other products.The new companymanaged distribution centres are located in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Ranchi, Surajpur, Vijayawada and Zirakpur.Amira Nature Foods chairman Karan A Chanana said: "The new company-managed distribution centers are a great addition to our efforts to grow in our home country."We expect the DCs to generate higher service levels of fill rates, inventory turnover and faster replenishment which should result in greater market penetration and higher margins. We believe these investments will drive future growth for years to come."Amira offers branded packaged Indian specialty rice and other products in over 60 countries.The company primarily sells Basmati rice, which is a premium long-grain rice grown only in certain regions of the Indian subcontinent, under its flagship Amira brand as well as under other third party brands.

We can’t kill cows, but globally lead in beef exports PK Krishnakumar, ET Bureau | Apr 23, 2015, 11.47AM IST

Revising its October prediction by 3 per cent, the report released this month forecasts that global beef exports will touch a record 10.2 MT in 2015.KOCHI: India is racing ahead in the export of buffalo meat, ironically, as more states in the country are enforcing a strict ban on slaughter of cows and bullocks. A latest report by the United States department of agriculture (USDA) states India has widened lead over Brazil as the top global beef exporter.Revising its October prediction by 3 per cent, the report released this month forecasts that global beef exports will touch a record 10.2 MT in 2015.Despite a reduction in the imports by a number of oil-reliant countries including Russia due to shrinking oil revenues and weaker currencies, the exports will peak riding on larger shipments from India and to a lesser extent from European Union and Paraguay offsetting declines by Brazil, Uruguay and the US, says the report. With Russian market opening up to Indian buffalo meat export, the shipments are expected to increase in the current fiscal. Russia has approved four companies in India for supply of meat and the first consignment has already been shipped. After a long drive, hurdling through

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine heavy traffic and bumping on numerous humps we finally reach the lush lawns at Royal Orchid Hotel on Old Airport Road.

It’s the new restaurant — Tiger Trail— that we are going to dine at. This outdoor tiny restaurant is surrounded by little semi-open cottages with tiled roofs and open sitting area just as we see in dhabas on highways. Each cottage can seat four people and is stylishly done with wooden flooring and dim lanterns hanging overhead.The friendly and always smiling-staff comes to take your orders. Tiger trail serves authentic Lucknowi cuisine. For this they have brought in a chef from Lucknow — Althaf Hussain, who says that he learnt to cook from his father who is a cook in Lucknow.We start off with some mocktails.

Though the menu offers traditional drinks such as aam panna, we opted for chilled fruit juices to beat the heat.Then came the crispy starters – mutton chops, murgh gulnar, and badami sheikh.

Each is accompanied with a tangy and spicy chutney. The food is not at all spicy but has a subtle flavour of all the spices — cardamom, cloves and garam masala. Chef Althaf is the brain behind the food and says that he makes authentic Nawabi food just as he learnt from his father.Eating while Chef Althaf serves you like is like having a crash course in the history of Lucknowi cuisine. His chaste Urdu accent transports you into an era of the past.For the main course we are served two types of naans -- ajwaini and taftan.

The first is made from dough kneaded with egg, milk, pista-cashew paste and ajwain of course ―to help in digestion‖. The second naan is made just from ghee and milk.―In this cuisine we do not knead any dough with water at all. And ingredients such as ghee and pista or cashew are put in small quantities so that it does not feel heavy on the stomach. These along with zaffran and desi ghee form the main ingredients of nawabi cuisine,‖ explains the chef. The naans are eaten with a thick chicken shahi kurma, which again has ghee, kaju and coconut powder.The gravy is the subzi kehkesham, a curry loaded with vegetables and made with all the Indian spices and yet again not too high on the spice level.The only alternation the chef makes is to increase or decrease the spice level according to the diner’s preference. ―Originally, this food was just not spicy,‖ he stresses.Then comes the star of the evening — Lucknowi biryani — served with a chilled raita filled with grated cucumber strips and mild spice powders. The long grained basmati rice and well-marinated lamb pieces are a perfect treat for the stomach and the soul.For dessert it is the traditional rabdi. Served chilled with chopped pista and almonds and kulfis – it’s an experience words simply cannot describe.

Rice farmers cry foul over imports Published on Thursday, 23 April 2015 00:41 Written by FINNIGAN WA SIMBEYE PAKISTAN rice imports into East African Community (EAC) through a trade deal swap with Kenya is causing problems in the marketing of locally grown rice in the region, hence the need for Council of Ministers to intervene.=Eastern African Farmers Federation Chief Executive Officer, Mr Stephen Muchiri, told East African Cooperation Minister, Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, on Tuesday evening that unscrupulous commodity traders were blending the Pakistan imported rice with locally produced one which is facing tariff restrictions in the region.―You know Kenya has a trade agreement with Pakistan whereby they buy tea while we import their rice.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Unscrupulous businessmen are mixing the Pakistan rice with local rice in Kenya which has attracted a 75 per cent import duty in Uganda and Rwanda,‖ Mr Muchiri said.

During a meeting of EAFF senior officials led by its president, Mr Philip Kiriro, Muchiri told Dr Mwakyembe that the Pakistan rice has affected Kenyan rice farmers who cannot enjoy benefits of the EAC Trade Protocol because of problems with certificate of origin.―I understand this problem has also affected rice farmers here, I hope that you as Chairman of the Council of Ministers can help us address this,‖ he pointed out saying EAFF is working with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in assisting farmers acquire skills, identify markets and observe quality and standards.

Currently, after investing heavily in rice production, local farmers produce over 1.2 million metric tons of the commodity against annual demand of less than one million tons.In 2013, the government issued a permit to import 40,000 metric tons of rice following claims of shortages which was later blocked following an outcry by local producers who had stocks in their warehouses.As a result, countries such as Uganda which import Tanzanian rice hiked the tariff to 75 per cent. One of the culprits, Kilombero Plantation Limited (KPL) which works in partnership with over 5,000 farmers has been struggling to find a market for the commodity.Responding to the EAFF delegation’s request, Dr Mwakyembe said he will raise the matter with his peers during the next Council of Ministers meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 3.―Much of this rice is smuggled into our region, we should find a solution against this,‖ said Dr Mwakyembe. He pointed out that EAC’s biggest trading prowess lies in agriculture produce which involves the majority of people in the region, hence the need to protect the market for such commodities.Dr Mwakyembe invited EAFF officials to make their presentation before an EAC Council of Ministers which will thereafter deliberate on the matter.EAFF is a non-political, non-profit and a democratic apex organisation of all Framers of Eastern Africa. It’s member in the country are Agriculture Council of Tanzania, Tanzania Farmers Federation and Muungano wa Vikundi vya Wakulima (Mviwata).

Global stocks of rice are tightening in 2015 Apr 22, 2015 USDA, Economic Research Service | Delta Farm Press

Global ending stocks of most agricultural commodities are expected to reach multi-year highs in 2015. Rice is an exception, with global ending stocks projected to decline for the second year in a row to reach their lowest level since the 2009-10 marketing year.Global ending stocks of most agricultural commodities, including feedgrains, oilseeds, wheat, and cotton are expected to reach multi-year highs in 2015. Ample supplies are reflected in prices that are well below the record levels of just a few years ago.Rice is an exception, with global ending stocks projected to decline for the second year in a row to reach their lowest level since the 2009-10 marketing year (August/July).At the same time, global use continues to grow, led by consumption growth in China, India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and several other nations.As a result, the global stocks-to-use ratio is projected at just over 20 percent, the lowest it has been since 2007-08, a time when international concern over high commodity and food prices led several of the world’s leading rice producing and consuming countries to restrict exports and increase governmentowned rice reserves.These actions resulted in a rapid rise in global rice prices and reduced trade.

Today, even though global stocks are approaching levels that prompted substantial trade restrictions in early 2008, prices are lower and global rice trade remains at near-record levels.

This chart is from the April 2015 Rice Outlook

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