24th january ,2018 daily global regional local rice e newsletter

DailyDRice E-Newsletter G L E aily

lobal, Regional and

ocal Rice

-Newsletter January 24, 2018

 Roads less traveled in Pakistan Volume X | Issue I  We'll strike strategic partnerships with foreign envoys, says Kingi  https://nation.com.pk/23-Jan-2018/newsbrief  Rice output in H1 seen exceeding 8.7 MMT  State Logistic Agency to Auction Rice Import  Rice industry targets increasing exports in 2018-20 with better finances  Cambodia’s premium rice gets certified  Ancient rice heralds a new future for rice production  US gives safety approval to Chinese genetically modified rice strain  U.S. Approves Importing Genetically Modified Rice From China, But It’s Still Illegal in China  Global Rice Milk Market : Top Manufacturers, Market Growth Analysis, Sales, Revenue, Gross Margin & Trend For Next 5 Years  US gives safety approval to Chinese genetically modified rice strain  Hardiness of Wild Rice Could Assist Commercial Rice Growers  Ancient Rice Heralds a New Future for Rice Production  Unique genetics of wild Australian rice may help boost food security  Rice Webinar: Thursday January 25  Water is limiting factor for south Texas rice  Pernia favors tariffs over extension of rice import quota  Misguided Rice Management  Customs Seizes 1150 Bags Of Foreign Rice In Kano, Jigawa  Ag Secretary Perdue Has a Rice Day in Arkansas  A ‘Floating Fillet’: Rice Farmers Grow Bugs To Help Restore 1 California’s Salmon  India asks Germany to help relax new EU rice import rule  The wilds of Australia’s north open up a new future for rice + www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com VIDEO Contact Online Advertisementrobust : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874  Amid weak prices of agri commodities, rice demand bucks the trend

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter News Detail…

Roads less traveled in Pakistan Stefani Ribka The Jakarta Post Karachi/Tando Adam | Tue, January 23, 2018 | 10:01 am

The domes of the Badshahi Mosque or Emperor Mosque grace the landscape of Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. The mosque was built in 1673 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. (Shutterstock/File) A group of journalists, including The Jakarta Post was invited by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan to the country’s Trade Expo to check on its strategic products as well as to meet some of the importers and suppliers, including cotton trader Spinwell International, cotton producer Sindh Agro Industries and rice producer NY Company. Here is the report.

“Isn’t there a war going on there? Don’t you have to wear a hijab there?” These were some friends’ reactions when they learned about our trip to Karachi, the financial capital of Pakistan.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

2

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Pakistan may sound like a random choice of travel destination. It is not a popular destination nor is it known as the safest place to go. But the South Asian country has a lesser-known rich culture and warm beautiful people.

The world’s second-biggest Muslim country after Indonesia does indeed have border disputes with its neighbor India to the northeast and Afghanistan to the west, resulting in clashes near the borders, but the rest of the country have been enjoying peaceful lives since it gained independence from Britain in 1947.

Being in Pakistan may feel like being in a different world; a rather old one, where once the world’s oldest Indus River civilization dating back to 3,000 B.C. fused with the migrating IndoAryan peoples.

The democratic country saw successive invasions from various nations before the Brits came in, including the Greeks and Arabs who brought Islam, the majority religion now.

Even so, the minority Hindus and Christians claim to see a good deal of tolerance so wearing a hijab is not a must here.

Frere Hall in Karachi, Pakistan, is considered one of the most iconic landmarks. The building dates from the early British colonial-era in Sindh. (Shutterstock/File) The country’s colonial past has obviously affected the architecture and outlook in Karachi, the capital of Sindh province.

Palm trees, dull-looking light brown and yellow buildings, Mediterranean-style and British colonial architecture, building ruins, AK-47-wielding military, police and security people — you

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

3

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter can easily spot all these things along the way from Jinnah International Airport to Club Road, where all the five-star hotels and historical buildings are.

Flocks of birds, from crows to sparrows and starlings, are everywhere in Karachi’s sky, especially its public parks with their Mediterranean benches and palm trees on wide green empty spaces. These places are full of merry people picnicking and playing cricket in the evening.

The Indonesian importers associated the view with Jakarta in the 1980s, when old buildings and ruins were everywhere, given its construction style and desert climate — hot in the afternoon and cool at night, just like Jakarta without the humidity.

The sight of colorful trucks with carved wooden doors and buses decorated with fancy glittering metallic accessories caught our eye, besides the other traditional means of transportation such as auto-rickshaws, donkey-pulled carts as well as all the RX-King lookalike motorcycles.

Elaborately decorated trucks in Pakistani province of Punjab. (Shutterstock.com/Burhan Ay) The travel warnings and concerns about traveling to Pakistan proved rather misleading as we enjoyed interacting with locals to learn about their culture and roots while doing street photography.

“For years we haven’t seen any conflict. We are very much happy and peaceful here,” said Asha Bankar, a 20-year-old Hindu who was praying at Lakshmi Narayan temple.

Pakistan’s national language is Urdu, with English also being an official language. Urdu sounds like an Indian language but less tonal.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

4

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter The Pakistan Embassy in Indonesia told us to have some local people with us when walking around the town to make us feel safer. We found Pakistani people to be warm, friendly and laid back. Almost everywhere we went, people asked for selfies and chatted with us.

Men were just chilling, sitting in their shalwar (baggy trousers) and kameez (long shirt) in front of closed shops at Empress Market, known for cheap garments and staple goods, as it was the day of Ashura, an Islamic holiday to commemorate the death of martyr Hazrat Imam Hussain.

Cellular service was suspended for the day as a security measure.

The Empress Market is a busy historic marketplace in the Saddar Town locality of Karachi, Pakistan. (Shutterstock.com/Asianet-Pakistan) Youngsters in T-shirts and jeans were hanging out in front of a closed shop, maybe waiting for the right time to go to nearby Clifton Beach that would have camels in the evening, or to McDonalds, Burger King or the art gallery located near the upscale Defence Estate. Here, malls are open from around noon to midnight.

Due to its rooted milk tea culture, there is no Starbucks here, but a lot of must-visit street restaurants along the Boat Basin area, where families were sipping the national drink complete with poori and eating cheese paratha bread and various dips from cholay and potato curry to halva.

Compared to Indian food, Pakistani food has a milder curry taste and milder spices, which may suit the tastes of many Asians.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

5

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter The country is also known for its agricultural produce such as long-grain rice, wheat, sugar, fruit and cotton, much of which are planted in Tando Adam, a small town a three-hour drive from Karachi, with Sindh Agro Industries and NY Company as some big players.

Besides agriculture, Pakistan’s economy is driven by garments, surgical instruments and sports goods as well as the music industry, which produced that easy-listening “Har Zulm” by Sajjad Ali and the funky PPP version of “Dila Teer Bija.” http://www.thejakartapost.com/travel/2018/01/23/roads-less-traveled-in-pakistan.html

We'll strike strategic partnerships with foreign envoys, says Kingi a day ago BENJAK MOMBASA

A crew member of the Pakistan Navy cruise ship with Mombasa County Deputy Governor Dr William Kingi, January 22, 2018.

[Photo|Dr William Kingi] Pakistan remains the second largest export partner destination for Kenyan goods after the UAE in Asia, Mombasa County Deputy Governor Dr William Kingi has said.

The biggest export to Kenya from Pakistan is rice which has a big customer base in Mombasa.

This formed the basis of Kingi's conversation with the crew of the Pakistan Navy cruise ship that docked in Mombasa on Sunday January 21.

During the meeting on Monday, Kingi said leadership of Ali Hassan Joho was committed to creating more avenues for empowerment of the people and striking strategic partnerships with foreign envoys for the growth of our local economy.

"We shall harness both diplomatic and trade cooperation with the Pakistan for the betterment of our people," said the deputy governor.

Pakistan and Kenya relations historically dates back to the 1960s when the Pakistani expressed interest in supporting the independence of Kenya from the colonialists.

Over the years our ties have grown stronger as Kenya opened other avenues for bilateral trade between the two countries.

The crew also met county Governor Ali Hassan Joho. https://hivisasa.com/posts/well-strike-strategic-partnerships-with-foreign-envoys-says-kingi

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

6

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Arif Habib to launch IPO of Matco Foods LAHORE (Staff Reporter): The Arif Habib Limited has announced that it is launching the initial public offering (IPO) of Matco Foods Limited beginning with book building scheduled on January 23, 2018 and January 24. Arif Habib Limited (AHL) has been mandated by the company as consultant and MCB Bank Limited (MCB) has been appointed as book runner. This issue consists of 2.92 million ordinary shares (25% of the post issued paid up capital of the company).

The entire issue will be offered through book building at a floor price of Rs26 per ordinary share.

Initially, 75% of the issue size or 21,857,000 ordinary shares will be allotted to successful bidders and 25% of the issue or 7,286,000 ordinary shares will be offered to retail investors at the strike price during the general subscription starting from January 29, 2018 to January 30, 2018. Any unsubscribed retail portion will be allocated to successful bidders on a pro-rata basis.

Matco Foods Limited is primarily engaged in processing and export of rice.

Matco, founded in 1964 by Syed Sarfaraz Ali Ghori, was incorporated in 1990 as a private limited company. In the early days, the company supplied rice processing plants and machinery to government of Pakistan. In 1990, the company set up Pakistan’s first fully automated, modern rice processing plant. https://nation.com.pk/23-Jan-2018/newsbrief https://nation.com.pk/23-Jan-2018/newsbrief

Rice output in H1 seen exceeding 8.7 MMT

By BusinessMirror

January 23, 2018 Paddy production in the first half of 2018 could rise by 1.63 percent to 8.709 million metric tons (MMT), from last year’s record of 8.569 MMT, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Data from the PSA showed the projected hike in paddy production in the first quarter would offset the anticipated decline in second-quarter output.

In the January-to-March period, PSA data showed paddy production would increase by 5.65 percent to 4.669 MMT, from the previous year’s 4.419 MMT. The projection was based on standing crop.

“Harvest area may expand to 1.19 million hectares, from 1.15 million hectares in 2017, or by 3.85 percent. Yield per hectare may improve to 3.92 metric tons [MT], from 3.85 MT,” the PSA said in its report titled “Rice and Corn Situation Outlook.”

In the April-to-June period, harvest area may contract by 3.89 percent to 910,000 hectares, from the previous year’s 947,000 hectares. Yield per hectare, however, is seen expanding by 1.29 percent to 4.44 MT, from 4.38 MT in the same period last year.

“The farmers’ planting intentions for April to June 2018 will probably be affected by the earlier decision to plant during the fourth quarter of 2017, moving the harvest earlier in the first quarter of 2018 since they are apprehensive of unpredictable weather,” the PSA report read.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

7

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter

“Nevertheless, they expect yield to increase due to anticipation of sufficient water supply from irrigation and sustained distribution of good quality seeds from the government,” it added.

Paddy output in 2017 reached 19.28 MMT, 9.36 percent higher than the 2016 output of 17.36 MMT. The PSA said harvest area expanded to 4.81 million hectares, from 4.56 million hectares.

Yield was up by 3.54 percent to 4.01 MT, from 3.87 MT in 2016.

As for corn, the PSA said output in the first semester could increase by 2.25 percent to 3.779 MMT, from last year’s 3.696 MMT. Yellow-corn production could go up by 1.71 percent to 3.003 MMT, while white-corn output could rise by 4.37 percent to 776,000 MT. “Based on standing crop, probable production in January to March 2018 will be 2.49 MMT, 5.05 percent above the 2.37 MMT output in 2017. Harvest area may be larger from 695,740 hectares in 2017 to 720,960 MT in 2018, or by 3.26 percent,” the PSA report read.

“Possible increases in production are expected in all regions, except the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos region, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Davao region, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao,” it added.Based on farmers’ planting intentions, the PSA said corn output could decline by 2.73 percent to 1.294 MMT in the second quarter, from last year’s 1.33 MMT.“Farmers are pessimistic to plant due to expectations of unfavorable weather, limited seeds and insufficient soil moisture,” the PSA said.

Corn output last year rose by 9.64 percent to 7.91 MMT, from 7.22 MMT in 2016. The PSA said harvest area increased to 2.55 million hectares from the previous year’s 2.48 million hectares, or by 2.74 percent. Yield improved by 6.72 percent to 3.1 MT, from the previous year’s 2.91 MT. https://businessmirror.com.ph/rice-output-in-h1-seen-exceeding-8-7-mmt/

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

8

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter State Logistic Agency to Auction Rice Import Posted On 23 Jan 2018 By : Leo Jegho

For 15 years between 2000 and 2015, Indonesia had been importing rice.

Illustration of imported rice stocks being loaded for transport. (Photo source: beritasatu.com) Jakarta, GIVnews.com – The State Logistics Agency (Bulog), which deals with food distribution and price control, will soon auction the importation of 500,000 tons of mediumgrade rice by private firms. So far, Bulog has been the only importer of rice bought with state funds.

The rice to be imported will originate from Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Pakistan. It will arrive at Indonesian ports by the end this month, including Tanjung Priok (Jakarta), Bitung (North Sulawesi), Batam (Riau) and Medan (North Sumatra). This is according to a report by Kompas daily.

For 15 years between 2000 and 2015, Indonesia had been importing rice. Although there was no rice import in the 2016-2017 period, the government had never decided to stop import the commodity. Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita recently shared that prices in Indonesia had continued rising since late last year due to a supply shortage.

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo, who rose to the presidency in late 2014, said the planned rice import was aimed to prevent rice prices from increasing and guarantee adequate stocks of the commodity. Medium-grade rice is widely consumed in Indonesia.

Rice is a major staple food for Indonesians and is the biggest contributor to the country’s inflation. The government’s decision to import rice early this year had sparked a public debate.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

9

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Reportedly, the decision had been based on the Ministry of Trade’s calculations, which was against the Ministry of Agriculture’s argument that Indonesia would have adequate rice stocks this year so that rice import was not necessary. In fact, In the past years, the two ministries had often differed over food supply data.

In addition to Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Pakistan, Indonesia has also imported rice from other countries like India and Myanmar. http://www.globalindonesianvoices.com/32052/state-logistic-agency-to-auction-rice-import/

Rice industry targets increasing exports in 2018-20 with better finances THIHA KO KO 23 JAN 2018

The government aims to set the target loan amount totalling K65 billion to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the rice sector. Photo - Shutterstock

The Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) will prioritise scaling up exports for rice between 2018 and 2020, according to the MRF’s SME development plan, which was announced on Sunday.

In addition, the Ministry of National Planning and Finance and the MRF will work together to support SMEs in the rice sector to secure loans.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

10

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter The government aims to set the target loan amount totalling K65 billion to small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) in the rice sector. The MRF, with the applied SME loans, plans to allocate the financial resources into eight sectors, including seed production, export business, joint-venture formation, upgrading machineries, setting up rice mills and power supply, among others.

State-owned Myanmar Agricultural Development Bank (MADB) announced on January 1 that they will grant loans to agriculture-related SMEs this month.

In addition, the MRF is drafting a working programme for the rice sector, in terms of finances, management and other issues which SMEs are facing. Implementation is expected to begin in April.

The construction of rice and paddy warehouses and related machineries will be set as priorities, thus those projects will be given special consideration for loans. The MRF expects that 20 percent of all the loans will be dedicated to warehouses, whereas 18pc will go to construction of energy plants and 17pc will have reserved for upgrading rice machineries on the field.

According to the MADB, the loans will carry an interest rate of 9pc and businesses which cannot offer collateral will be supported by Credit Guarantee Insurance.

U Soe Tun, MRF vice chair, said that if the country’s rice sector enjoys robust growth, the national economy will also develop significantly. Apart from loans and finances, the government will support the modernisation of technology and market access.

U Nay Lin Zin, managing director of Myanmar Rice Mill Company, commented that a strong export market is necessary for sustainable development for the sector. Hence, the administration and rice federations will need to join forces to secure more government-to-government export arrangements. https://www.mmtimes.com/news/rice-industry-targets-increasing-exports-2018-20-betterfinances.html

Cambodia’s premium rice gets certified Sok Chan / Khmer Times The official launch of Cambodia’s premium rice brand. Supplied The Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries have officially unveiled the Certification Mark “Malys Angkor” as the top brand for Cambodian premium rice.

The official launch was made during the Cambodia Rice Forum yesterday and will finish today in Phnom Penh.

Malys Angkor will be the brand name for premium rice such as somaly, jasmine, phka romduol, phka chansensor, phka Romdeng, phka romeat and phka khnei, according to the CRF.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

11

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter

CRF president Sok Puthyvuth said having a national brand of Cambodian premium rice would be pivotal as it could boost the reputation and popularity of Cambodia’s premium product on the international market.

He said that previously each export company used its own name and logo, but now we have another logo and brand name to certify the quality, standard and the origin of Cambodian rice.

“We will start doing a marketing campaign very soon on this logo to boost the rice sector,” Mr Puthyvuth said. “This brand name will help boost Cambodian rice exports and this is to show the international market that we have a common mark for Cambodia’s premium rice,” he said.

Yon Sovann, the director of Bayon Cereal, one of the leading rice exporting companies in Cambodia, said that having its own branding for Cambodian premium rice is very important because it is easy to build trust and build networks and negotiations on purchasing agreements with customers as we have the mark to certify our premium rice.

“All producing countries in the world have their own rice mark for their identity for quality and standard of rice and now Cambodia has it. We are proud,” Mr Sovann said.

Khy Muny, the General Manager of Amru Rice (Cambodia), said it was a good move.

“Our rice is more likely similar to neighbouring countries’ rice, so when there is no name for our rice it does not have a certain grade,” Ms Muny said.

“When we have a name, we have to stick with it and follow that name and it is Cambodian rice.

Then our rice products are easily identified when it enters into the international market,” she added.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

12

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter In 2017, Cambodia produced about 10 million tonnes of paddy and had a four million tonne surplus, while exports were 635,679 tonnes of milled rice to international markets, an increase of 17.3 percent year-on-year. Cambodia exported rice to more than 60 international markets http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50103773/cambodias-premium-rice-gets-certified/

Ancient rice heralds a new future for rice production Unique genetics of wild Australian rice may help boost food security January 22, 2018 University of Queensland Summary: Growing in crocodile infested billabongs in the remote North of the country, Australia's wild rice has been confirmed as the most closely related to the ancient ancestor of all rices. The unique genetics of the Australian rice may help breed disease resistance and climate adaptation into rice modern production species. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180122150854.htm

US gives safety approval to Chinese genetically modified rice strain 23 Jan 2018 08:00PMBookmark

BEIJING: A rice genetically modified (GMO) by Chinese researchers to resist pests has passed safety inspections by authorities in the United States, allowing for its sale there even though Beijing continues to prohibit planting of any GMO food grain.

The rice, known as Huahui 1, was developed by a team at Huazhong University in central Hubei province to resist pests like the rice stem borer. While Chinese authorities granted the strain a safety certificate in 2009, it has never been approved for commercial production.

Beijing has spent billions of dollars researching GMO crops but has held back from commercial production of any food grains because of consumer concerns about their safety. Validation of the country's GMO safety testing and products by U.S. authorities could help persuade the government and consumers in China to accept the products at home.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified the research team at Huazhong last week that it agreed with university's safety and nutritional assessments on the product, Huazhong said in a statement on Sunday on its website.

"Genetically engineered Huahui No.1 rice grain does not raise issues that would require premarket review or approval by FDA," according to a letter posted on the FDA website that Huazhong highlighted in its statement.

The product had earlier passed a review by the Environmental Protection Agency on pesticide residue levels, Huazhong said, clearing the way for the export of Huahui 1 rice and rice products to the U.S. market.

However, the university would need further approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for planting the rice. The statement did not say if researchers would seek such approval.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

13

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter But Huazhong said the approvals from the FDA and EPA further validated the test methods and evaluation carried out by Chinese institutes to assess safety and nutrient levels in the new rice.

China has said it aims to push forward the commercialization of GMO corn and soybeans by 2020 but has not made public any plans to approve planting of GMO rice, the country's most important staple food. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/us-gives-safety-approval-to-chinese-geneticallymodified-rice-strain-9887960

U.S. Approves Importing Genetically Modified Rice From China, But It’s Still Illegal in China ByRyan General Posted on January 23, 2018

In a landmark decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a Chinese strain of genetically modified rice has been approved for sale in the United States.

Developed by Huazhong Agricultural University scientists, Huahui-1 is a rice variety that has been genetically engineered to express an insecticidal protein, improving its resistance to lepidopteran insect pests, ECNS reports.

Dennis M. Keefe, director of the FDA’s Office of Food Additive Safety in the U.S., noted in his letter sent to the scientists and posted on the FDA website that “it is our understanding that Huazhong has concluded that human and animal foods from Huahui-1 rice grain are not

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

14

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter materially different in composition, safety, and other relevant parameters from ricederived human and animal food currently on the market.”

Chinese researchers announced the exciting development in an online statement on Saturday, noting that the food regulatory agency has found “no safety or regulatory issues with food derived from Huahui-1 rice,” deeming it safe for consumption.

According to the South China Morning Post, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency granted a similar approval earlier.

“This means that the rice can now be exported to the U.S. and sold to the general public there,” HAU biotechnologist Professor Yan Jianbing was quoted as saying.

“It’s also an important step for a possible international trade of the product in the future.

If it [can’t be grown] at home, it might be worth trying to grow it in other countries.”

He celebrated the approval as a milestone in the field which “shows that the US completely agrees with our methods and data in assessing the safety and nutrition of the rice”.

To secure the approvals from the necessary American agencies, Zhang’s team engaged in a series of extensive consultations, coordinating with the USEPA in 2009 and the USFDA in 2016.

However, the scientists would still require an approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be able to grow the rice on American soil.

While the U.S. has potentially paved the way for the new rice variety to be commercialized in the country, China is more apprehensive. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture has so far approved the rice and other GM crops solely for research, but not for consumption or general cultivation.

The Chinese authorities have also restricted planting to experimental fields, posing a huge challenge to the scientists to be able to start marketing the rice to the U.S. anytime soon. https://nextshark.com/genetically-modified-rice-usfda-china/

Global Rice Milk Market : Top Manufacturers, Market Growth Analysis, Sales, Revenue, Gross Margin & Trend For Next 5 Years

by Daniel Ndukwu — January 24, 2018 Questale published a new industry research that focuses on Global Rice Milk market and delivers in-depth market analysis and future prospects of Global Rice Milk market. The study covers significant data which makes the research document a handy resource for managers, analysts, industry experts and other key people get ready-to-access and self-analyzed study along with graphs and tables to help understand market trends, drivers and Global Rice Milk market challenges. The study is segmented by Application/ end users Supermarkets and Hypermarkets, Health Food Stores, Convenience Stores , products type By Flavor, Plain Rice Milk, Flavoured Rice Milk and various important geographies like North America, China, Europe .

Get Access to sample pages @ https://questale.com/report/global-rice-milk-marketprofessional-survey-report-2017/190057

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

15

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter

         

The research covers the current market size of the Global Rice Milk market and its growth rates based on 5 year history data along with company profile of key players/manufacturers. The indepth information by segments of Global Rice Milk market helps monitor future profitability & to make critical decisions for growth. The information on trends and developments, focuses on markets and materials, capacities, technologies, CAPEX cycle and the changing structure of the Global Rice Milk Market.

The study provides company profiling, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information of key manufacturers of Global Rice Milk Market, some of them listed here are Pacific Foods , Vitasoy , WhiteWave Foods . The Global Rice Milk market is growing at a very rapid pace and with rise in technological innovation, competition and M&A activities in the industry many local and regional vendors are offering specific application products for varied end-users. The new manufacturer entrants in the Global Rice Milk market are finding it hard to compete with the international vendors based on quality, reliability, and innovations in technology.

Global Rice Milk (Thousands Units) and Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type such as By Flavor, Plain Rice Milk, Flavoured Rice Milk . Further the research study is segmented by Application such as Supermarkets and Hypermarkets, Health Food Stores, Convenience Stores with historical and projected market share and compounded annual growth rate.

Geographically, this Global Rice Milk market research report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate of Joint Mixture in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), covering North America, China, Europe etc and its Share (%) and CAGR for the forecasted period 2017 to 2022.

Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @ https://questale.com/report/global-ricemilk-market-professional-survey-report-2017/190057 What this Research Study Offers: Global Rice Milk Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments Global Rice Milk Market share analysis of the top industry players Strategic recommendations for the new entrants in Global Rice Milk market.

Global Rice Milk Market forecasts for a minimum of 5 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional Global Rice Milk markets Global Rice Milk Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations) Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the Global Rice Milk market estimations Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements Reasons for Buying this Report This report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics of Global Rice Milk market.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

16

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter     

It provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growth It provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to grow It helps in understanding the key product segments and their future It provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitors It helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of Global Rice Milk market segments Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.

Get customization & check discount for report @ https://questale.com/report/global-ricemilk-market-professional-survey-report-2017/190057 http://carletonfreepress.ca/business/global-rice-milk-market-top-manufacturers-market-growth-analysissales-revenue-gross-margin-trend-for-next-5-years/16278/

US gives safety approval to Chinese genetically modified rice strain 23 Jan 2018 08:00PM

BEIJING: A rice genetically modified (GMO) by Chinese researchers to resist pests has passed safety inspections by authorities in the United States, allowing for its sale there even though Beijing continues to prohibit planting of any GMO food grain.

The rice, known as Huahui 1, was developed by a team at Huazhong University in central Hubei province to resist pests like the rice stem borer. While Chinese authorities granted the strain a safety certificate in 2009, it has never been approved for commercial production.

Beijing has spent billions of dollars researching GMO crops but has held back from commercial production of any food grains because of consumer concerns about their safety. Validation of the country's GMO safety testing and products by U.S. authorities could help persuade the government and consumers in China to accept the products at home.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified the research team at Huazhong last week that it agreed with university's safety and nutritional assessments on the product, Huazhong said in a statement on Sunday on its website.

"Genetically engineered Huahui No.1 rice grain does not raise issues that would require premarket review or approval by FDA," according to a letter posted on the FDA website that Huazhong highlighted in its statement.

The product had earlier passed a review by the Environmental Protection Agency on pesticide residue levels, Huazhong said, clearing the way for the export of Huahui 1 rice and rice products to the U.S. market.

However, the university would need further approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for planting the rice. The statement did not say if researchers would seek such approval.

But Huazhong said the approvals from the FDA and EPA further validated the test methods and evaluation carried out by Chinese institutes to assess safety and nutrient levels in the new rice.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

17

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter China has said it aims to push forward the commercialization of GMO corn and soybeans by 2020 but has not made public any plans to approve planting of GMO rice, the country's most important staple food.

(Reporting by Dominique Patton; Editing by Christian Schmollinger) https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/us-gives-safety-approval-to-chinese-geneticallymodified-rice-strain-9887

Hardiness of Wild Rice Could Assist Commercial Rice Growers NEWS

Jan 23, 2018 | Original Story from The University of Queensland.

Credit: The University of Queensland.

Wild rice growing in northern Australia’s crocodile-infested waters could help boost global food security, say University of Queensland researchers who have mapped its genetic family tree.

Valuable traits from the wild rice – such as drought tolerance and pest and disease resistance – can be bred into commercial rice strains, said Professor Robert Henry from the Queensland Alliance of Agriculture and Food Innovation.

“Northern Australia’s wild rices contain a wealth of untapped genetic diversity and at least two species are very closely related to domesticated rice, so they can be cross-bred with this species,” he said.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

18

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter “Wild Australian rice genes could make commercial rice production better suited to northern Australian conditions."

“The wild rices could contribute resistance to diseases such as rice blast, brown spot and bacterial leaf spots.”

Professor Henry said the research showed that in the era when the ancient human ancestor known as Lucy lived in Africa, a genetic divergence occurred in the rice variety that is now found only in northern Australia.

This divergence led to the Asian and African rice species commonly used in commercial rice production today.

The wild riceProfessor Henry said that in addition to boosting global rice production, Australian wild rice offered the opportunity to be cultivated as a tasty and nutritious product in its own right.

“It tastes good and we believe it may have more beneficial health qualities than other rice species,” he said.

A UQ doctoral thesis study on the grain quality of Australian wild rice showed the species had the lowest “hardness” of cooked rices, and a higher amylose starch content.

“The higher the amylose content, the longer the rice takes to digest,” Professor Henry said.

“This potentially offers more nutrition to our gut microbes, in the same way high-fibre foods do.”

He noted that human trials were needed to confirm the health benefits but the chemistry suggested this was the case.

Rice is the most widely consumed staple food for much of the world’s population and the thirdlargest worldwide agricultural crop.

Professor Henry said the study provided a comprehensive insight into the rice family tree, and confirmed that wild Australian rice was the most directly related species to the ancient ancestor of all rices.

“Through this research, we’ve developed a calibrated DNA-based molecular clock that maps when divergences in the rice genome have occurred,” Professor Henry said.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

19

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter “Few biological systems are as well described as rice now is.”

This article has been republished from materials provided by The University of Queensland.

Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

Reference Joshua C. Stein et al. Genomes of 13 domesticated and wild rice relatives highlight genetic conservation, turnover and innovation across the genus Oryza. Nature Genetics, 2018 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-017-0040-0. https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/news/hardiness-of-wild-rice-couldassist-commercial-rice-growers-296620

Ancient Rice Heralds a New Future for Rice Production Unique genetics of wild Australian rice may help boost food security

By University of Queensland | January 23, 2018 Video credit: Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation (QAAFI) Wild rice growing in northern Australia's crocodile-infested waters could help boost global food security, say University of Queensland researchers who have mapped its genetic family tree.

Valuable traits from the wild rice—such as drought tolerance and pest and disease resistance— can be bred into commercial rice strains, said professor Robert Henry from the Queensland Alliance of Agriculture and Food Innovation.

"Northern Australia's wild rices contain a wealth of untapped genetic diversity and at least two species are very closely related to domesticated rice, so they can be cross-bred with this species," he said.

Professor Robert Henry collects samples of the ancient wild Australian rices from the wilderness of Northern Australia.PHOTO CREDIT: (C) UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND"Wild Australian rice genes could make commercial rice production better suited to northern Australian conditions. "The wild rices could contribute resistance to diseases such as rice blast, brown spot, and bacterial leaf spots."

Henry said the research showed that in the era when the ancient human ancestor known as Lucy lived in Africa, a genetic divergence occurred in the rice variety that is now found only in northern Australia.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

20

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter This divergence led to the Asian and African rice species commonly used in commercial rice production today. Professor Henry said that in addition to boosting global rice production, Australian wild rice offered the opportunity to be cultivated as a tasty and nutritious product in its own right.

"It tastes good and we believe it may have more beneficial health qualities than other rice species," he said.

A UQ doctoral thesis study on the grain quality of Australian wild rice showed the species had the lowest "hardness" of cooked rices, and a higher amylose starch content.

"The higher the amylose content, the longer the rice takes to digest," Henry said. "This potentially offers more nutrition to our gut microbes, in the same way high-fiber foods do."

These are grains of the uncultivated ancient wild Australian rice, which research has revealed has unique genetic and health properties.PHOTO CREDIT: (C) THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLANDHe noted that human trials were needed to confirm the health benefits but the chemistry suggested this was the case.

Rice is the most widely consumed staple food for much of the world's population and it is the third-largest worldwide agricultural crop.

Henry said the study provided a comprehensive insight into the rice family tree, and confirmed that wild Australian rice was the most directly related species to the ancient ancestor of all rices.

"Through this research, we've developed a calibrated DNA-based molecular clock that maps when divergences in the rice genome have occurred," Henry said.

"Few biological systems are as well described as rice now is."

The paper detailing outcomes of the research into the genomes of domesticated and wild rice species is published in Nature Genetics.

Categories: News http://www.labmanager.com/news/2018/01/ancient-rice-heralds-a-new-future-for-riceproduction#.Wmhx866Wbm4

Rice Webinar: Thursday January 25 Tune in Thursday, January 25 at 10:00 p.m. Central Time, for a new rice webinar hosted by Dr. Bobby Coats, with the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at the University of

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

21

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter

Arkansas. Dr. Tim Walker, general manager ofHorizon Ag, will provide insight on the role Horizon Ag played in developing the first Provisia rice variety (PVL01) that is tolerant to Provisia herbicide. Horizon Ag has been the exclusive partner to BASF for Clearfield pureline rice in the southern USA since the launch of Clearfield almost 20 years ago and Walker will talk about bringing this technology to market, but even more so in how to keep both technologies viable for years to come.

Go here to register for the webinar.

USDA Rice Daily

Water is limiting factor for south Texas rice

Cliff Mock, left, farmer and crop consultant from Alvin, Texas, chats with Mo Way, Texas A&M entomologist at the AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Beaumont, following their presentations at the Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice conference in Memphis.

South Texas rice production competes for water with business, metropolitan uses.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

22

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Ron Smith 1 | Jan 22, 2018 Texas rice production has not approached base acreage—600,000 acres—for many years, with typical plantings running around 160,000 acres, says farmer and crop consultant Cliff Mock, Alvin, Texas.

Competition for water, Mock said during a presentation at the recent National Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice Conference in Memphis, is a limiting factor. “We have competition for irrigation and ground water,” he says. “Every day Texas requires 58 million more gallons of water for industry and metropolitan use.”

Water is also expensive, costing from $30 to $55 per acre. He says a lot of producers in the south Texas rice production area are drilling wells to supplement or replace reliance on surface water that may be limited by upstream users, especially during drought. Subsidence districts, he says, dictate where, when and how landowners can drill wells.

Rice requires water, he says. “We need 1.5 to 2.5 acre feet of water to makea main crop of rice,” he explains. “We need another 1 to 1.5 acre feet to make a second (ratoon) crop.” Typical production practice for Texas rice is planting in late February or early March into a stale seedbed. “We expect emergence in 7 to 10 days, and 25 days until we flood. We may push flood date a bit to conserve water, and we like to delay flooding on hybrid rice. Hybrids can handle that and it seems to tiller a little better with a later flood.”

We plant mostly hybrid varieties, he says. “They have to be managed properly to do well.”

He adds that the ratoon crop is an important aspect of south Texas rice. “Our main crop Is not profitable at current prices. The ratoon crop is an advantage and growers place heavy emphasis on the second crop.”

He explains that the production costs for the main crop run to $1,000 per acre, “in and out. The ratoon crop production cost is $225 per acre, in and out.”

Growers expect 8,000 pounds per acre dry weight on the main crop with conventional varieties, 4,000 pounds on the ratoon crop. Production with hybrid varieties increases to 9,000 pounds from the main crop but remains at 4,000 from the ratoon production.

“Flooding is necessary for the ratoon crop to prevent volunteer rice,” Mock says. Producers may double up on fertility rates to make the second crop.

Conservation is Crucial Mock says water conservation is a crucial issue with rice production, and water use monitoring is helping improve irrigation efficiency. A metering program, using a volumetric probe, helps producers assess water use. A probe is inserted into a pipe going to the field. “The probe reads the water going into the pipe and transmits the information to a website. After a 15-minute delay, growers can determine gallons per minute going into the fields.”

He says a Texas Water Development Board grant of $250,000 helps fund the metering program.

“The probes cost $5,000 apiece.”

Estimates of water use before the metering program began have shown rice farmers using from five to six acre feet, assumptions that were way off. “The meters are helping us know what we’re doing and helping us manage water better,” Mock says. “We can document it.”

He says the metering program started with only a few meters and was phased in. “Growers have accepted it well and find that the program helps them regulate and manage water use.”

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

23

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Harvey Damage He says the 2017 season brought different water problems. “Hurricane Harvey dropped 55 inches of rain,” he says. “We had a good crop going, but rice not already harvested was under water for an extended period of time.”

Mo Way, Texas A&M entomologist at the AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Beaumont, says 20 percent of the main crop remained in the field when Harvey hit. The ratoon crop was hit hard.

“It hammered our second crop,” Mock says. “We had nothing left to harvest where rice was under water.” Way says the hurricane dumped enough water on south Texas to fill Lake Tahoe.

Way adds that questions lingered for weeks after the storm regarding whether the crop could be marketed at all because of potential storm water contamination. “The FDA was concerned about contaminates in rice that went under water,” he says. “Potential for heavy metal, mycotoxin, pesticide, fuel and other pathogen contamination put marketing on hold,” he says.

“The state chemist analyzed rice for contaminates. If not ‘adulterated’ rice could be harvested, stored and sold; mills would not accept adulterated rice. This created a lot of concern and delayed or terminated harvest.”

Organic production was in jeopardy because of widespread mosquito control sprays initiated to prevent Zika and West Nile Virus outbreaks. Producers were concerned that they lose organic certification. “Organic rice growers were eventually able to sell the crop,” Way says. And the land retained its organic certification.

Mock says rice producers are conscious of conservation and understand both the economic and environmental reasons to use water efficiently. Most producers are using conservation tillage methods. “Less than 5 percent of the area is now in conventional tillage,” he says. Typical practice includes a burndown herbicide treatment, a pre-emergence herbicide, fertilize and plant. He adds that producers used to plant earlier but have delayed to conserve moisture.

He anticipates producers will increase rice acreage in 2018. “I don’t know how much, maybe 10 percent to 15 percent,” he says “Organic rice, however, will be down big.” http://www.southwestfarmpress.com/rice/water-limiting-factor-south-texas-rice

Pernia favors tariffs over extension of rice import quota ABS-CBN News

Jan 24 2018 11:28 AM MANILA - Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia on Wednesday said he favored tariffs instead of quantitative restrictions or import quotas on rice.

The government can use tariff revenues to help farmers increase their productivity, Pernia told ANC's Headstart. The quotas, he added, were partly to blame for high rice prices.

"With the liberalization using tariffs, that will improve the performance of our rice sector and the proceeds from the tariffication would go into improving the productivity of agriculture," he said.

Lawmakers should prioritize crafting a law to convert the quotas into tariffs because the Philippines is past its deadline for setting it aside, said Pernia.

The Philippines should have lifted its quantitative restriction on rice by June 30 last year as part of its commitments to the World Trade Organization.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

24

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter In May, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order 23, which extended for three more years the country's QR for rice, as it is believed to benefit local farmers.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, led by Sen. Cynthia Villar, on Tuesday started hearings on a law that would impose duties on rice imports. -- with a report from Abner Mercado, ABS-CBN News http://news.abs-cbn.com/business/01/24/18/pernia-favors-tariffs-over-extension-of-rice-importquota

Misguided Rice Management

TUESDAY, 23 JANUARY, 2018 | 21:02 WIB

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The furor began when Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman stated that Indonesia has a rice surplus last year, which would continue this year. The claim turned out to be unreasonable: in reality, rice supply on the market was so limited, it triggered a price hike. The rocketing price has prompted the trade ministry to import 500,000 tons of rice by the end of this month.

The muddled data on rice as the staple food of Indonesia's 262 million people is central to the bad management of the national rice affairs. The agriculture ministry, for instance, said that rice production covered a total area of 16.4 million hectares, with remaining stock of a million tons at the end of 2017. The Central Statistics Agency mentioned different figures: until 2015, paddy harvests only came from an area of 14.1 million hectares. It is hard to believe that within two

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

25

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter years, the area of rice fields increased by two million hectares. As for the rice stock, the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) only registered a reserve of around 950,000 tons.

The core point of the rice predicament is the way the government views the problem. So far, rice has been seen from the viewpoint of politics and ideology while ignoring economic calculations.

The pursuit of rice self-sufficiency with the illusion that Indonesia is a land of gemah ripah loh jinawi (prosperity)- has become a bombastic dream. Based on this illusion, Indonesia strives for self-sufficiency through various means, including ways that disregard economic principles.

During the administration of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, for example, this kind of standpoint which opposes modern economic thinking was also adopted. As a consequence, the rice problem has never been resolved.

Indonesia has an open economic system. Thus, a policy that ignores economic norms is difficult to apply. Rice is a key commodity, so the number of transactions for this product is massive.

Therefore, it is impossible for the Indonesian government, with its limited economic capacity, to regulate price movements.

What the government should prioritize is to ensure rice is available at an affordable price. With this demand, the government should not put a taboo on imports as an instrument to safeguard supply and absorb price fluctuations. Allowing imports will give shock therapy to delinquent traders accustomed to making big profits by hoarding rice when domestic rice production is inadequate.

Refraining from importing rice or not announcing import plans to give a pro-farmer impressionis obviously a mistaken stance. It has been proven that imports always serve as an effective government move to halt price hikes. One thing to be understood is any decision to delay the stockage of rice supply will spark off price fluctuations that harms the public interest. Farmers will also be put at a disadvantage because they also have to purchase rice at a high price.

Permitting imports does not mean making the rice price at home equal to the rate on the international market. For farmers' protection, the local rice price should be made higher.

Importing rice should be intended more to build the perception in society that domestic rice supply will always be maintained under any circumstances. This import policy is not necessarily in conflict with local production promotion efforts. Such endeavors should be supported especially through land productivity increase and post-harvest technological improvements.

Rice imports have indeed become a profit-making arena for interest seekers. But this illegal practice should not make the government doubtful. Several preventive measures should be taken, such as realizing imports in a transparent manner and by open tenders. Imports should also be conducted on the basis of legitimate data. Through these procedures, the government does n

ot need to run in circles to secure the national rice supply. Also, these methods can prevent regional heads and ministers from playing politics by disseminating vague information- for the sheer purpose of being regarded as pro-farmers.

The government must not make rice a means of enhancing its image. A World Bank study indicates that every 10 percent increase in the price of rice will raise the poverty rate by 1.1

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

26

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter percent. Without rice management improvement, the target of lowering the poverty rate from 10.2 percent (2017) to 9.5-10 percent (2018) will be in vain. https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2018/01/23/314915099/Misguided-Rice-Management

Rice Production: Surplus Now, Shortage Later

TUESDAY, 23 JANUARY, 2018 | 20:24 WIB

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Potential decreases in rice production were already detected early last year.

Verification in the field strengthened this suspicion. The ministry of agriculture, however, remains stoical.

Hermanu Triwidodo has taken a rather duplicitous stance lately. He is happy because his predictions about rice production were right on the mark. However, this lecturer at the Department of Plant Protection at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) is also saddened because rice scarcity has caused the price of this primary commodity to increase. Since last year, we sent out warnings that national rice production would decrease, said Hermanu on Thursday last week.

Evidence of Hermanus prediction was first seen in early December 2017. According to data from the Cipinang Central Rice Market released on the foodstation.co.id website, the wholesale price of rice began to rise in mid-December. At that time, the price was still Rp12,700 per kilogram.

On Friday last week, it reached Rp13,825 per kilogram. The price of IR-64 rice (alias Ramos Class I) rose from Rp11,100 to Rp12,650 per kilogram. These are the two most popular types of rice in Indonesia.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

27

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Billy Haryanto, a major rice vendor in Cipinang, Jakarta, said that vendors have had difficulty finding a steady supply since early December. The supplies which usually come from West Java, CentralJava, and East Java began to decline. "Mills are not receiving rice," he said. "So we are only selling to our regular customers. We're afraid stocks will run out."

In January of last year Hermanu, who is also General Chair of the Nusantara Famer's Movement, sent a letter to Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman. In that letter, Hermanu said that attacks of the brown planthopper (WBC) pest were alarming in Java. Conditions resembled those attacks which took place from 2009-2011, which resulted in national rice production dropping by two million tons. This pest also spread the rice ragged stunt virus (RRSV) and rice grassy stunt virus (RGSV), which dried up the rice paddy fields.

Hermanu asked the Ministry to remind farmers to not spray insecticide on land attacked by the pest. "Research shows that an explosion in WBC occurs due to a pest resurgence process resulting from the use of insecticide," said Hermanu in his letter. As a result, the pest becomes immune and more damaging. The best way, according to Hermanu, is to sever the pest's breeding cycle by spacing the rice plantings. The greatest pest attacks occur on land which is planted all year round without alternating crops.

Six months later, the WBC attacks had not ceased. In late July 2017, Hermanu invited professors in agriculture, including Andi Trisyono from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Yogyakarta, to meet Presidential Chief of Staff (KSP) Teten Masduki, who was replaced by Gen. (ret) Moeldoko last week. In that meeting, Hermanu and Andi again explained the matter of the brown plant-hopper attacks. A week later, Hermanu invited some farmers from the north coast of West Java to meet Teten. "We said to the KSP, ‘Be careful; in parts of Subang they couldn't harvest for three planting seasons due to pest attacks'," said Hermanu.

Read the full article in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2018/01/23/055915097/Rice-Production-Surplus-Now-ShortageLater

Customs Seizes 1150 Bags Of Foreign Rice In Kano, Jigawa FILE PHOTO: Confiscated Bags of rice The Comptroller Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘B’ of the Nigerian Customs Service, Alhaji Usman Dakingari said his command has intercepted over one thousand bags of foreign rice in Kano, smuggled into the country.

Dakingari stated this while displaying the confiscated rice to journalists on

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

28

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Tuesday in Kano.

He said his men, through intelligence gathering, were able to trace a house in Dakata quarters in Kano where they confiscated over 900 bags of foreign rice.

The comptroller pointed out that they were also able to intercept over 250 bags of foreign rice loaded on a truck in Jigawa.

Second hand clothes, worth millions of Naira were also confiscated by the Customs men at the same Dakata quarters, he said.

Dakingari added that Nigerian Customs Service is committed to curtailing smuggling of banned goods into the country. https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2018/01/24/customs-seizes-1150-bags-foreign-rice-kanojigawa/

Ag Secretary Perdue Has a Rice Day in Arkansas

By Emily Woodall Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue on LITTLE ROCK, AR -- U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue started off his day in Arkansas last Friday with a roundtable discussion the Brantley farm talking about NAFTA and American agriculture at the Governor's Mansion, hosted by Governor Asa Hutchinson and attended by Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward, State Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, Arkansas Rice Chairman Jeff Rutledge, and representatives from several other ag organizations.

Following the roundtable discussion, Perdue traveled to Brantley Farms near England. Dow Brantley, former chairman of both USA Rice and Arkansas Rice, gave Perdue a tour of his family's operation. He also talked with the Secretary about current regulations imposed on farmers and possible ways to streamline the process to improve efficiency for both the producer and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"As the top rice producing state, we appreciate Secretary Perdue's time in Arkansas," said Brantley. "In addition to touring the farm, we discussed industry priorities including the importance of NAFTA and the development of new markets, namely China. Secretary Perdue understands the significance of these issues and also conveyed his commitment to reducing the regulatory burdens farmers' face. We look forward to continuing our work together to improve the Arkansas rice industry."

Perdue then visited Riceland Foods in Stuttgart where he toured the mill and had a chance to sit down and talk with farmers and employees from Riceland and nearby Producers Rice Mill.

At the end of the day, Secretary Perdue tweeted, "Always the best way to find out what's working and what's not - talk to the producers of American agriculture."

USDA rice daily

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

29

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter A ‘Floating Fillet’: Rice Farmers Grow Bugs To Help Restore California’s Salmon Ezra David Romero Tuesday, January 23, 2018 | Permalink

Jacob Katz, with California Trout, says growing bugs in rice fields could be part of the solution for boosting salmon populations in rivers statewide.

Ezra David Romero / Capital Public Radio Jacob Katz is on the hunt — but not for geese or ducks. On a farm about 40 minutes north of Sacramento, he wades through a rice paddy with an aquarium net in hand. But he’s not fishing.

“We’re going bug hunting,” Katz says.

The senior scientist for California Trout, a conservation group with a focus on protecting wild fish, is at River Garden Farms. Founded in 1913, they typically grow things like corn, wheat, and around 5,000 acres of rice — the kind local sushi rice restaurants use.

But today, he’s working on a pilot project with UC Davis to create what they call “floodplain fatties” — a nickname for the well-fed baby salmon and smelt who will eat his bugs while swimming through the Sacramento River.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

30

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter “Dip this net into the water and it just comes out literally full of bugs,” says Katz, adding that they are mostly cladocerans, but that he calls them “water fleas.”

“These little bugs are floating fillet for salmon that’ll be in the river.”

The reason he’s doing this? Young chinook salmon and other fish need help. Much of the water they require to survive is stored in dams or diverted through thousands of miles of levees. Before this happened, floodplains in the Central Valley supported large populations of fish. The project to grow bugs for the fish is in year two and the end goal is to improve the likelihood that salmon survive the trek to the ocean and back.

“What farmers are doing is reconnecting that floodplain natural wealth to the river system where it’s needed,” Katz says. “More fish equals a win-win for everybody. It means we have a system that works for people and for the environment.”

The project is called the Fish Food on Floodplain Farm Fields Project. It’s part of a greater effort to restore threatened fish species — the Sacramento Valley Salmon Recovery Program. The project comes at a key time: A recent UC Davis study suggests that winter run chinook salmon could go extinct if efforts to recover the species aren’t taken up. The latest population count is less than 2,000. In the 1970s there were more than 25,000.

The project starts with rice paddies, says River Garden Farms general manager Roger Cornwell.

He’s used to flooding fields during the off-season, to provide a rest-stop for millions of birds along the Pacific Flyway. Now, instead of just letting the water soak into the earth, he’s made a change that mimics the natural floodplain of the Sacramento River.

“We’re creating fish food,” Cornwell says. “It’s very simple. We just pump the water in. Let it slow down and it starts to breakdown the carbon that is there. It creates algae, algae create bugs and then we pump that right back to the river to feed the fish.”

31

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter

(Top) Roger Cornwell, with River Garden Farms, spends about $45 per acre on the bug growing pilot project. He says the minimal cost is worth it to sustain bird and fish populations along the Sacramento River. (Left) All sorts of bugs grow in rice fields, but Jacob Katz, with California Trout, says “water fleas” (cladocera) are like floating fillet for fish in rivers. (Right) “Floodplain fatties” is a nickname for

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

32

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter the well-fed baby salmon and smelt who will eat bugs farmed in the rice fields while swimming through the Sacramento River.Ezra David Romero / Capital Public Radio

So far 12 farmers are growing bugs on about 50,000 acres in the Sacramento area. That’s about 70 pounds of bugs per acre.

The group is figuring out the details about exactly how to get that fish food back into the river on a large-scale. They hope to ramp up the project with as many rice farms as possible in the future — there are more than 500,000 acres of managed floodplains in the Sacramento Valley alone.

Still, Cornwell says kinks still need working out. “I think for the farmer it's more of how effectively can we get food to the fish,” he says. “We’ve got to have all the processes figured out to make it easy for everyone to implement,” such as resolving complications with irrigation pumps and canals.

Carson Jeffres — an aquatic biologist with UC Davis — and Katz published a study last year that suggests that, when farmers and conservationists work together, there could be more fish in California Rivers. He thinks projects like this could help eliminate the popular farms versus fish argument.

“As opposed to standing with our heads in the sand, this is getting us to a place where we can have real impact and change over time,” says Jeffres, who added that the project could be implemented on other rivers like the San Joaquin in the future.

The hope of the project is to have even more farmers on board. There are around 500,000 acres of managed floodplain in the Sacramento Valley alone. Jacob Katz, with California Trout, says more bugs means fatter fish, and fatter fish have a stronger likelihood of surviving the trek to sea and back.Ezra David Romero / Capital Public Radio

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

33

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Back on the rice farm, Cornwell prepares to release the bug rich water back into the Sacramento River through a system of pumps and canals. “This water’s been out here for right at three weeks right now,” he says.

For Cornwell, who’s farmed in the region for more than a decade, this science-farm partnership costs him about $45 per acre.

“We’re stepping out of our comfort zone,” he says. “As this grows people will see what we are doing, and we will start developing trust among neighbors and then this program is just going to take off on its own.”

He says the minimal cost is worth it to save fish and to make sure the acreage is around for future generations. http://www.capradio.org/articles/2018/01/23/a-floating-fillet-rice-farmers-grow-bugs-to-help-restorecalifornias-salmon/

India asks Germany to help relax new EU rice import rule PTI| Jan 22, 2018, 04.28 PM IST India, the world's largest producer of the aromatic grain, has made several representations to some European countries, to convince them on the need to relax the rules.NEW DELHI: As the new stringent EU rice import rule kicked in this month, India has asked Germany to use its good offices to resolve the issue at the earliest. The European Union (EU) has reduced the maximum permissible residue level (MRL) of Tricyclazole (a fungicide) in basmati rice to 0.01 mg per kg from the present limit of 1.0 mg per kg effective January 1. India, the world's largest producer of the aromatic grain, has made several representations to some European countries, to convince them on the need to relax the rules.

During last week's visit to Germany's capital Berlin, Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Sekhawat raised the issue with his German counterpart.

"Sekhawat also impressed upon the German minister to use his good offices for early resolution of Indian rice export being subjected to arbitrarily fixed maximum residue limit on Tricyclazole at 0.01 mg/kg by the EU," the minister was quoted as saying in an official statement.

He also highlighted that the EU was not accepting the digital phytosanitary certificates.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

34

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter "The German minister, in response, conveyed his admiration for India's advance on digitalisation of the certificate and assured to personally take up the matter with the EU authority concerned," the statement added.

Sekhawat had led an Indian delegation to 10th Global Forum for Food and Agriculture that concluded on January 20. He also met Agriculture ministers from three countries - Germany, Argentina and Uzbekistan.

With his Uzbekistan counterpart Zoir Mirzaev, Sekhawat talked about trade opportunity in moong beans besides cooperation in areas such as farm machinery, skill development and crop residue management.

With Argentinian Minister of Agriculture Luis Miguel Etchevehere, Sekhawat discussed various areas of mutual interest including trade in agriculture products such as fruits, vegetables and meat.

India also conveyed its interest in Argentina's farm mechanisation and sought collaboration to such technologies to suit Indian conditions, and obtain technology for manufacturing silo bag to reduce storage losses, the statement added.

At the 10th Global Forum for Food and Agriculture, Sekhawat stressed the actions taken by India to mitigate the effect of climate change, both in animal and crop sector.

He also called upon the developed countries to abide by the principles of equity but common and differentiated responsibilities towards tackling climate change.

The wilds of Australia’s north open up a new future for rice + VIDEO

by Grain Central, 24 January 2018 WILD rice growing in northern Australia’s crocodile-infested waters could help boost global food security, according to University of Queensland (UQ) researchers who have mapped its genetic family tree.Professor Robert Henry … Australian wild rice “tastes good and we believe it may have more beneficial health qualities than other rice species”.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

35

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter The Queensland Alliance of Agriculture and Food Innovation’s Professor Robert Henry said valuable traits from the wild rice – such as drought tolerance and pest and disease resistance – could be bred into commercial rice strains.

“Northern Australia’s wild rices contain a wealth of untapped genetic diversity and at least two species are very closely related to domesticated rice, so they can be cross-bred with this species,” he said.

“Wild Australian rice genes could make commercial rice production better suited to northern Australian conditions.

“The wild rices could contribute resistance to diseases such as rice blast, brown spot and bacterial leaf spots.”

Professor Henry said the research showed that in the era when the ancient human ancestor known as Lucy lived in Africa, a genetic divergence occurred in the rice variety that is now found only in northern Australia.

This divergence led to the Asian and African rice species commonly used in commercial rice production today.

Professor Henry said that in addition to boosting global rice production, Australian wild rice offered the opportunity to be cultivated as a tasty and nutritious product in its own right.

Wild rice.

“It tastes good and we believe it may have more beneficial health qualities than other rice species,” he said.

A UQ doctoral thesis study on the grain quality of Australian wild rice showed the species had the lowest “hardness” of cooked rices, and a higher amylose starch content.

“The higher the amylose content, the longer the rice takes to digest,” Professor Henry said.

“This potentially offers more nutrition to our gut microbes, in the same way high-fibre foods do.”

He said human trials were needed to confirm the health benefits but the chemistry suggested this was the case.

Rice is the most widely consumed staple food for much of the world’s population and the thirdlargest worldwide agricultural crop.

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

36

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Professor Henry said the study provided a comprehensive insight into the rice family tree, and confirmed that wild Australian rice was the most directly related species to the ancient ancestor of all rices.

“Through this research, we’ve developed a calibrated DNA-based molecular clock that maps when divergences in the rice genome have occurred,” he said.

“Few biological systems are as well described as rice now is.”

The paper detailing outcomes of the research into the genomes of domesticated and wild rice species is published in Nature Genetics. DOI: 10.1038/s41588-017-0040-0 Source: UQ

Amid weak prices of agri commodities, robust rice demand bucks the trend

37

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter

The price of rice has been ruling high, mainly on robust exports, demand from mills, and the entry of traders who lost in other commodities like oilseeds and pulses Sanjeeb Mukherjee & Rajesh Bhayani | New Delhi/Mumbai Last Updated at January 24, 2018 13:49 IST Even as rural India reels from the impact of a sharp decline in the prices of several farm commodities, rice seems to have outperformed major agriculture goods, driven mainly by good export demand, a decline in kharif output and heightened stocking by traders and dealers. The price of common variety rice has risen by almost 14.5 per cent in the wholesale market over the past year, a phenomenon different from what has been seen in other agriculture commodities, reveal data sourced from various agencies. In the past five months alone, the price has risen by nine per cent. While export demand is likely to keep prices at an elevated level, higher procurement and stock position with state-run agencies – which is better than last year – could act as a cushion. “This season has been good for rice, as exports have improved for all varieties, including basmati. Exports to Bangladesh have triggered a higher demand,” said Devendra Vora of Friendship Traders, based in Mumbai’s APMC Vashi. According to Agriculture and

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

38

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Processed Food Export Development Authority (Apeda), exports to Bangladesh have seen a revival of sorts. Compared with 30,572 tonnes in April-November last year, they have crossed one million tonnes in the first 8 months of this financial year. The governments of Bangladesh and India had last year agreed on exports of parboiled rice to Bangladesh (on a government-togovernment basis), as that country was facing a shortage of 1.5 million tonnes. After Bangladesh reduced its import duty to two per cent, private traders there also started importing rice from India. Both Basmati and non-basmati varieties have seen a sharp jump in overall exports, with Basmati (especially 1401 and 1121 varieties) witnessing a price realisation increase of 26.8 per cent in the export market. Looking at the opportunity, Indian farmers have this Rabi season so far sown rice on 633,000 hactares more area than last Rabi season.

Rice sowing has reached 2.23 million hactares this season. In the global context, the prices of rice are rising in Thailand and Vietnam as well, on prospects of exports to Indonesia and Philippines, respectively. “This season, several traders from North India have shifted to buying rice, as they had been incurring losses in most other agricultural commodities like pulses and oilseeds,” Vora said, adding that rice mills and traders had also stored paddy at the start of the season when the prices were lower. Paddy for long grain was quoting at Rs 2,100-2,200 per quintal at the beginning of the season which led to a milled basmati rice price of Rs 5,100-5,200.

Common grade paddy was at Rs 1,400 per quintal. Experts attribute the price rise to higher demand, higher procurement and an estimated drop of 2 million tonnes in kharif rice production to 94.5 million tonnes. Private estimates show that the loss could be compensated by a higherthan-expected rabi rice production, estimated at 14.76 million tonnes, as against 13.76 million tonnes last year. Rice production in the kharif season, according to the first advanced estimates, is projected at 94.50 million tonnes, against 96.39 million tonnes during last kharif season, mainly due to a drought in some parts of the country. The stock position with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is also at a comfortable level. Latest data show that FCI has rice stocks of around 35.76 million tonnes in January (to date), which is 31.3 per cent more than in the same period last year. On top of that, procurement of ‘paddy in terms of rice’ has also been good this year. According to latest data from the department of food and consumer affairs, 27.43 million tonnes of ‘paddy in terms of rice’ had been collected by state agencies till January 21.

This is 25.57 million tonnes more than last year. A big increase in rice procurement among nontraditional states has been in Uttar Pradesh, where procurement till January 21 has risen by 108 per cent to 2.43 million tonnes, and Odisha, where it has increased by 67 per cent to 1.52 million tonnes. In Punjab and Haryana, which are traditional big states in terms of rice procurement, purchases this year till January 22 have been 11.83 million tonnes, as against 11.04 million tonnes last year. http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/amid-weak-prices-of-agri-commoditiesrobust-rice-demand-bucks-the-trend-118012400580_1.html

www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

39