28th july,2014 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

28th July, 2014 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Odd Burich Elected Chairman of The Rice Foundation Todd Burich (l) and Marvin Cochran: Passing the gavel.

DALLAS, TX -- Todd Burich with ADM Rice Inc.in Tarrytown, NY, was elected chairman of The Rice Foundation, at the USA Rice Federation business meetings earlier this month. Burich replaces Marvin Cochran, a rice farmer from Avon, MS, who served as chairman of The Rice Foundation for two years."The breadth of work The Rice Foundation has been responsible for is astounding," said Cochran. "The Foundation-funded projects like the ongoing food safety research and the recent Ducks Unlimited study that reported a $3.5 billion cost for replacing rice lands with natural wetland habitat have exceeded expectations. The Foundation and the industry are in good hands with Todd, and I know he'll continue to identify more projects with far-reaching industry benefits."

The Rice Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, which serves as the research and education program arm for the rice industry.

Contact: Chuck Wilson, (870) 673-7541

Upcoming Rice Field Days: Mark Your Calendar Aug. 1 -- Arkansas AgExpo (Rice Field Day) University of Arkansas Rice Research and Extension Center 2900 Hwy. 130 East Stuttgart, AR 72160 Contact: Dr. Chuck Wilson, (870) 673-2661 orcwilson@uaex.edu

Today's topic is rice

Aug. 8 -- Horizon Ag Field Day Mark Wimpy Farms 2027 CR 441 Jonesboro, AR 72404 Contact: LuElla Sprout, (866) 237-6167 or mailto:lsprout@horizonseed.com

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Aug. 14 -- Rice Tec Arkansas Field Day 15329 Highway 1 Harrisburg, AR 72432 Contact: Dr. Brian Ottis, (573) 391-0366 or bottis@ricetec.com Aug. 27 -- California Rice Field Day California Rice Experiment Station 955 Butte City Highway Biggs, CA 95917 Contact: Dr. Kent McKenzie, (530) 868-5481 or ksmckenzie@crrf.org Sept. 2 -- Missouri Rice Field Day Jake Fisher Delta Research Center Portageville, Missouri Contact: Tina Clark, (573) 379-5431or clarktr@missouri.edu

Promising new rice lines at LSU AgCenter Rice and soybean field tour Jul 24, 2014Bruce Schultz, LSU AgCenter | Delta Farm Press TREY PRICE, LSU AgCenter plant pathologist, far right, talks about potential diseases that could affect soybeans. Price spoke at the St. Landry rice and soybean field tour on July 22 at the farm of Charlie Fontenot near Palmetto.

Photo by Bruce Schultz, LSU AgCenter

Rice field day draws crowd despite threat of rain

As the Louisiana rice crop nears maturity and soybeans enter the homestretch, farmers in the southwest area of the state gathered for a field tour at the farm of Charlie Fontenot near Palmetto, La.Fontenot’s soybeans are between knee- and waisthigh, and his rice will soon be ready for harvest. He also has grain sorghum and corn almost ready to cut. On the field tour, farmers and crop consultants heard from a wide variety of LSU AgCenter experts.Steve Linscombe, LSU AgCenter rice breeder, told the gathering that several promising lines of hybrid rice being developed at the Rice Research Station in Crowley will be used in off-station testing next year.Linscombe also said he is testing 250 experimental lines for the Provisia rice system announced earlier this year by BASF. The rice, being developed with conventional plant breeding methods, will be resistant to a grass herbicide that will also control red rice.

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Jim Lingo – improving rice production For Jim Lingo, rice production is about finding ways to do it better, whether it’s on-farm trials or learning from others.He said most of his work at the Puerto Rico nursery last winter focused on the Provisia rice lines. Provisia will complement the Clearfield system and provide a solution to red rice and volunteer plants that have become resistant to the Newpath herbicide.Linscombe said the Louisiana rice crop this year has roughly 60,000 acres in medium-grain because of higher prices resulting from an acreage cutback in California where water is in short supply.But, he said, little Jazzman rice is being grown in Louisiana to compete with foreign aromatic rice. Most of the Jazzman rice grown last year went overseas to countries that are now buying Vietnamese aromatic rice.“The Vietnamese came in and severely undercut us,” Linscombe said.

Kurt Guidry, LSU AgCenter economist, told farmers not to expect much improvement in soybean prices. He said an 8-million-acre increase across the nation this year with expectations of a good crop have lowered prices. But demand remains strong, he said, and any weather problems could affect prices.

Also, activity from speculators could result in a price bump.“I don’t think we’re going to get back to $12 soybeans,” he said, adding that prices are likely to run $11 to $11.50 a bushel for soybeans.Long-grain rice prices are lower because of the 500,000-acre increase in Arkansas, Guidry said, although this year’s rice crop overall is not as good as last year’s crop.Ron Levy, LSU AgCenter soybean specialist, said the state is poised to set another average record yield, the third in a row. This year’s acreage is 1.46 million, an increase of more than 300,000 acres, he said.Levy said a 65-acre variety trial at Fontenot’s farm is one of many conducted across the state by the LSU AgCenter.Trey Price, LSU AgCenter plant pathologist, said he’s getting calls from farmers whose soybeans are affected by root rot disease. He said the condition results in yellowing leaves and occurs at the R-5 to R-6 growth stages. He said no-till farming results in dead plant material that harbors disease during the winter.

Dustin Harrell, LSU AgCenter agronomist, said rice fertilizer recommendations are being reevaluated because of higher yields that remove more nutrients from the soil. Harrell emphasized that the maximum yields are realized when fertilizer is applied at planting.

Eric Webster, LSU AgCenter weed scientist, said he is studying several new herbicides, including two new Gowan products that offer different modes of action.Don Groth, LSU AgCenter plant pathologist, said rice disease has been light this year. Some blast is being found on CL261 and Jupiter varieties, he said.Groth said a fungicide-resistant sheath blight that started in Acadia Parish continues to spread, so farmers should use different fungicides to treat the disease. “A resistance management program has to start before you have resistance,” he said.

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Johnny Saichuk, LSU AgCenter rice specialist, said more fungicide-resistant sheath blight is being found this year.

He said cutting rates for fungicides will lead to resistance.

Jeff Davis, LSU AgCenter entomologist, said the redbanded stink bug population is increasing, and more resistance to acephate herbicide is being found. He recommended using at least 12 ounces of acephate per acre instead of a half-pound application.

Davis said farmers should be aware that as fields are treated with a harvest aid, stink bugs will move into latermaturing soybeans.

Julien Beuzelin, LSU AgCenter entomologist, said the Mexican rice borer continues to move east, and it was found in Evangeline Parish this year. He said no threshold has been established for the pest in Texas, but some farmers there spray fields when rice panicles grow to 1-2 inches.

Daniel Stephenson, LSU AgCenter weed specialist, said glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth and Italian ryegrass have been found in St. Landry Parish. He urged farmers to clean combines between fields to prevent spreading weed seeds. A pre-emerge herbicide applied in late October will help control herbicide-resistant weeds, he said.

Randy Price, LSU AgCenter engineer, said an air induction nozzle is best for reducing chemical drift. Proper boom height also reduces drift, he said. bschultz@agcenter.lsu.edu

Gov’t urged to ensure supply of arsenic-free rice The government has been urged to assure the public that rice being sold in the market is safe from arsenic, a highly toxic cancer-causing chemical.Thony Dizon, EcoWaste Coalition Project Protect coordinator, said over the weekend the Department of Agriculture (DA) must test samples of polished rice to allay consumers’ concern over arsenic in rice.

“The sampling should cover locally grown rice, as well as rice imported from other countries,” he said.“For transparency’s sake, we suggest that such sampling exercise should involve various food safety stakeholders.“Being a rice-eating nation of 100 million people, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and presidential assistant on food security Francis Pangilinan need to ensure that all Filipinos, especially the children and other vulnerable groups, have access to safe rice.”The Codex Alimentarius Commission said arsenic is present in many food due to absorption from the soil and water.“Rice in particular can take up more

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arsenic than other foods and due to its high consumption can contribute significantly to arsenic exposure,” Codex said.

National Newsbits for July 28, 2014 July 27, 2014

HEALTHIER RICE Sen. Cynthia A. Villar, chairperson of the Senate Agriculture and Food Committee, has lauded the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) based in Los Baños, Laguna, for enhancing the nutritional content of rice eaten not only in the Philippines but in other parts of the world. Speaking on “The Role of Agriculture in Nutrition” at the IRRI celebration of the 2014 Nutrition Month, Villar said healthier rice varieties boost efforts to improve public health. Villar said agriculture plays a significant role in improving public health and nutrition by addressing cases of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency. (Mario B. Casayuran) FULL DISCLOSURE The Department of Justice (DOJ) supports a proposed law requiring full disclosure of sources of funds used for public survey. In an two-page opinion, the DOJ said House Bill No. 4475, the Act Mandating Full Disclosure of the Source of Funding and Financing of Survey, is consistent with government’s policy of transparency.

“Disclosure would prevent confusion and the general public would be spared from misleading surveys.

Revealing the true source of funding and financing of surveys will inform the public of who is behind the same and the intention of such survey,” read the opinion signed by DOJ Sec. Leila de Lima. (Leonardo D. Postrado)

Geneticists offer clues to better rice, tomato crops Jul 27, 2014

Scientists on Sunday laid bare the genetic codes of African rice and a type of wild tomato, data they said should help breed more resilient crops. Teams detailed the genome sequences of the two plant species in separate papers in the journal Nature Genetics."As the world population is projected to increase from 7.1 billion to over nine billion by 2050, plant biologists must forge a second green revolution with the creation of crops that have two to three times the current yield with reduced inputs (ie less water, fertilizers and pesticides)," said the rice research paper."Rice will have a key role in helping to solve the problem of how to feed nine billion people."African rice, scientific name Oryza glaberrima, is more drought resistant than the much more common Asian species (Oryza sativa).In unravelling its genomic signature, an international team of geneticists established that African rice was domesticated from

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a wild species in a region next to the Niger river about 3,000 years ago—some 7,000 years after the domestication of Asian rice.While more work is needed to pinpoint the individual stress-resistant genes, the team said publication of the genome presented "an unprecedented opportunity" for breeding new varieties of high-yield, drought-resistant crops.The second study, into the inedible, wild South American tomato Solanum pennellii, managed to identify key genes linked to dehydration resistance, fruit development and ripening.The species is already used to improve the cultivated common tomato, Solanum lycopersicum, through interbreeding.The new data may help breed even tastier, more stress-tolerant tomatoes, said the study authors.

Can Rice Sorters and Car-Assembly Lines Inspire Mining Firms?

Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton Are Among Those Looking to Other Industries for Cost-Cutting Ideas

By RHIANNON HOYLE in Sydney and ALEX MACDONALD in London July 28, 2014 2:04 p.m. ET Miners are borrowing cost-saving ideas from other industries. The Goonyella Riverside mine in Australia, shown, is using Formula One-style pit stops to improve truck refueling. Rhiannon Hoyle/The Wall Street Journal PERTH, Australia—Global mining companies have scoured deserts, mountains and jungles for resources to rev up their profits. More recently, the search has taken them to a different environment: the factory floor.Car-production lines and machinery that sorts rice could help companies such as Rio Tinto PLC and BHP Billiton Ltd. BHP.AU -0.61% wring greater profits from mining. Whereas miners spent a decade spending billions on acquisitions and new projects, they are now taking an opposite approach—conserving cash while waiting for commodity prices to recover.The hills around Kennecott, Utah, are home to one of the world's biggest copper mines. Recently, Kennecott has also become the location of a machine the size of four London double-decker buses that Rio Tinto RIO.LN +0.10% hopes will cut down on the quantity of rocks that need to be crushed in search of copper.

The equipment is supplied by food processor Tomra Systems AS A, using technology it developed to sift everything from rice grains to scallops.

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"What the food guys did 30 years ago, I see [us applying] successfully into the mining business," said John McGagh, head of innovation at Rio Tinto, one of the world's top five copper miners by output. "Rice sorters can color-sort up to a million objects a second."When commodity prices started falling in late 2011, global miners responded by shutting pits, selling assets and laying off staff. Rio Tinto last year announced or completed sales of mines worth US$3.5 billion, and is using the proceeds to repay debts.With the obvious cutbacks already implemented, companies are looking further afield for technology and ideas—to the military, aerospace and automotive industries.For Lucas Dow, president of the BMA coal alliance in Australia run by BHP Billiton andMitsubishi Corp. 8058.TO +0.23% , this shift took him to a Toyota Motor Corp.7203.TO -0.18% plant just outside Nagoya, Japan.

Iron ore is vital to make steel, a key raw material for Toyota's cars. But Mr. Dow was there on other business: to find ways of making mines thousands of miles away more efficient."We're certainly looking outside of our own industry, and shamelessly stealing and implementing ideas where it is possible," said Mr. Dow, who is based in Brisbane,

Rice prices expected to fall Published: Sunday, July 27, 2014 at 9:06 a.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, July 27, 2014 at 9:06 a.m.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana agriculture officials say prices for long-grain rice are projected to drop this year.LSU AgCenter economist Mike Salassi says the long-grain variety makes up about 85 percent of the Louisiana rice crop.Salassi says prices averaged about $15.40 per hundredweight but could slip to $13.30.He says prices are dropping in part because farmers in Arkansas have increased their planted acreage by about 46 percent. Arkansas is the nation's leading rice producer.The price of corn has fallen, prompting some Arkansas farmers to switch to rice, Salassi says.

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Opportunities await rice exporters Posted on JULY 22, 2014 Written by THESAIGONTIMES LEAVE A COMMENT

Trung Chanh According to the National Food Authority (NFA) of the Philippines, the country intends to buy 400,000 tons of rice towards the year-end to increase the national rice reserve after the country was heavily affected by Typhoon Rammasun.Vietnam News Agency cited Francis Pangilinan, President Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization, as saying that the government would work with NFA soon to finalize the rice import plan to prevent a domestic price hike.Speaking to the Daily, Lam Anh Tuan, director of Thinh Phat Co., Ltd., a member of the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), said the Philippines has high demand for rice though the country has yet to decide where to import.Nguyen Cong Khanh, a rice trader in the northern city of Haiphong, said that his clients in China are ordering a large volume of rice. Ngo Ngoc Yen, director of Yen Ngoc Company in HCMC, confirmed there is an increase in the number of clients in Haiphong.

Rice prices in the Mekong Delta region have continued to hike in the past days due to the higher demands of domestic enterprises.Unprocessed rice prices in Tien Giang and Dong Thap provinces were VND7,200-7,300 per kilogram of IR 50404, VND8,400-8,500 for IR 50404 rice and VND8,900-9,000 for the processed rice of OM 5451 and OM 4218 on Sunday, up VND200-300 per kilogram from around five days ago.The price of IR 50404 fresh paddy in the region has inched up to VND4,600-4,700 per kilogram compared to VND4,400-4,500 offered by traders some days ago. A kilogram of long-grain rice is sold at VND5,000-5,100, up VND200.As the domestic rice prices have increased significantly in recent days, some Vietnamese traders have turned to Cambodia to purchase more rice.Duong Van Men, a rice trader in Dong Thap Province, explained that Vietnamese firms will find it easy to buy rice in Cambodia at lower prices in Vietnam.According to VFA, its members have signed contracts to sell nearly 5.2 million tons of rice as of this month, with commercial contracts accounting for nearly 3.6 million tons.

Besides, VFA members have exported over three million tons of rice at FOB price, with total revenue of US$1.3 billion this year, down 13.71% in volume and 13.77% in value compared to the same period last year.

The average export price is US$431.5 per ton, down US$0.31 per ton.The rice inventory at VFA members is over one million tons, with Vietnam Northern Food Corporation (Vinafood 1) accounting for 114,500 tons and Vietnam Southern Food Corporation (Vinafood 2) for 281,570 tons.

Rice price increase ensures farmers’ profit in Mekong Delta July 28, 2014 by saigon-gpdaily Leave a Comment The Mekong Delta is amid the harvest time of summer autumn rice whose prices have increased ensuring farmers’ profit.

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Farmers enjoy bumper crop and good prices of summer autumn rice in the Mekong Delta (Photo: SGGP)

Trader Huynh Phu Loc from Lai Vung District, Dong Thap Province said that they paid VND5,000-5,100 per kilogram of fresh normal ric e and VND5,200-5,300 a kilogram of fresh long grain rice. Fragrant rice price is as high as VND5,600-5,700. They are VND800-1,000 higher than the prices in June.However, it is not easy for traders to purchase because farmers are waiting for further price increase, he says.The summer autumn crop has yielded 6-6.5 tons per hectare, said farmer Vo Truong Chinh from Tam Nong District , Dong Thap Province.

Bumper crop and good prices

Northeastern region rice inspection completed BANGKOK, 28 July 2014, (NNT) - The Region 2 Army has submitted to the rice examination committee the result of the rice inspection in warehouses in the Northeastern Region, which has recently been completed.

According to the report, the inspection in the 297 warehouses in the region conducted from July 3rd - 26th has revealed that 4,298 out of 23.2 million sacks have gone missing from the warehouses, deeming the amount of the missing rice is insignificant, much lower than the 5% allowed by the committee. The inspection team also suspected that moth and container leakage could be the causes of the missing grain, adding that 17,505 sacks of rice were damaged by floods. The results of the inspection would be forwarded to the central rice quality examination committee for further probes.

M.L. Panadda inspects southern rice stocks SONGKLA, 27 July 2014, (NNT) - According to the Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office, M.L. Panadda Dissakul, 5% of the stockpiled rice in the nation’s warehouses has gone missing, while some of the warehouses have been using below average preservative agents. The comment came after the recent inspections of Yingcharoen Silo in Had Yai District, and Poonsap Warehouse in Muang District. The storage sites hold a combined 62,000 sacks of rice, matching the records. Initially, the officials deemed the rice to be of acceptable quality, however further examination is needed to finalize the analysis. The Secretary General has pointed out that various warehouses have been using below average preservation agents, leading to a deterioration of grain. He said steps needed to be taken to resolve the issue, suggesting the Commerce Ministry would likely be tasked to formulate such measures. M.L. Panadda also noted that, the amount of rice missing from various warehouses throughout the nation would be more than the 5% already recorded.

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80% of rice is fine' The Nation July 29, 2014 1:00 am Only 10 per cent of rice stockpiles has spoiled and only some sacks were missing, while 80 per cent was in still good condition, the rice inspection committee reported to the Rice Policy Committee meeting yesterday.The audit of 18 million tonnes of pledged rice stored in granaries has progressed by 72 per cent to 1,290 out of 1,787 locations nationwide.Rice releases could not be rushed as the market mechanism has to be relied on to minimise instability in rice prices, said General Chatchai Sarikalaya, the National Council for Peace and Order's deputy director for economic affairs.

Jirachai Moonthongroy, inspector-general at the PM's Office, who led the 52nd inspection team, said all 11 warehouses in Phitsanulok have been checked and less than 5 per cent of the rice on record was found missing or exaggerated in volume.The farm produce centres now being set up in border areas should include rice, NCPO director General Prayuth Chan-ocha said.He also urged the committee to conduct a feasibility study on applying the coop system to manage these centres.The centres would gather farm harvests and process them for export, while also purchasing crops from neighbouring countries via a quota system to prevent smuggling into Thailand.

Thailand looks to export rice to China, ASEAN countries English.news.cn 2014-07-28 16:11:54

BANGKOK, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Thailand is looking to release millions of tons of rice to China and a few Southeast Asian nations throughout the latter part of this year.According to Duangporn Rodphayathi, Thai Foreign Trade Department director general, a quantity of 900,000 tons of rice is yet to be delivered to China under a government-to-government dealing by which China had earlier agreed to buy a total of one million tons of Thai rice.

However, a single volume of 100,000 tons has been delivered to China so far while the relatively huge volume of 900,000 tons is yet to follow under the bilateral rice dealing, the department chief said.A delegation of the department is scheduled to visit China on Thursday to negotiate the balance of the rice supply with COFCO Limited, a Chinese state firm, she added.Meanwhile, Thailand will seek an increase in purchase volumes for Thai rice in neighboring Malaysia preferrably under government- to-government dealings while private Thai rice exporters will look to expand markets in the Philippines and Indonesia.

In addition to the Foreign Trade Department's rice export plans, the private sector will play a stepped-up role in the expanding of Thai rice markets throughout the rest of this year, according to the department chief.Top Thai ruler Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha earlier instructed Thai authorities to look for ways and means to release quantities of rice currently stored up at rented warehouses under a rice subsidy program earlier implemented by

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a previous Yingluck Shinawatra government.He chaired a meeting of the Rice Administrative Policy Committee on Monday in a bid to streamline a substantial release of the rice to the world markets.An average of 500 U.S. dollars had been offered for a ton of rice to farmers nationwide under the populist rice program only to see millions of tons stored up at warehouses without signs of being released in substantial volume.

The previous government had rented more than 1,700 privately- owned warehouses in all parts of the country for the rice purchased from farmers since last year's harvest season.Former ministers under the Yingluck cabinet had earlier maintained that the Thai rice would have sold at a high price had it been stored in the warehouses for a period of time, waiting to be released to the world markets.But a large quantity of the government's rice had been found rotten or stolen from the rented warehouses over the past several months, apparently prompting the ruling military to begin to release much of it from now.Gen. Prayuth earlier commented that such rice subsidy programs will no longer be implemented because it has been allegedly prone to corruption and incurred immense financial losses.Instead, the authorities will look to cut the costs of farmers' rice production, including those for fertilizers and pesticides, provide more financial aid for them and expand current rice markets and find new ones worldwide.Compared to the 500 U.S. dollars for a ton of rice purchased from farmers by the previous government, only about 283 U.S. dollars a ton will be offered by an upcoming interim government, according to an official of the Commerce Ministry.

Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report A comprehensive daily commodity market report for Arkansas agricultural commodities with cash markets, futures and insightful analysis and commentary from Arkansas Farm Bureau commodity analysts.Noteworthy benchmark price levels of interest to farmers and ranchers, as well as long-term commodity market trends which are developing. Daily fundamental market influences and technical factors are noted and discussed.

Rice High

Low

Long Grain Cash Bids - - -

1217/cwt

Long Grain New Crop - - -

---

Futures:

High Sep '14 1295.5

Low 1284.5

Last Change 1292.5

-1.5

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Nov '14 1319.0

1308.0

1315.5

-2.0

Jan '15 1331.5

1324.0

1332.5

-2.5

Mar '15

1349.0

-2.5

May '15

1364.0

-4.0

Jul '15

1382.0

-4.0

Sep '15

1375.5

-4.0

Rice Comment Rice futures ended lower again today. The rice crop remains in good shape, with the percentage of rice in good to excellent condition nationwide improved to 71% last week. Slow exports and large world stocks are also limiting the upside potential. September has support at $12.78 ½, and November has support at $13.01.

Move to import 50,000 tonnes of rice

By Chathuri Dissanayake

Internal Trade Ministry seeks Cabinet nod to avert drought-driven shortage

Cabinet approval has been sought to import 50,000 metric tonnes of rice to keep as buffer stock to overcome any shortfall occurring due to the severe drought.Anticipating rice shortages in the market due to crop failures in the Yala and Maha seasons this year, the Ministry of Internal Trade had proposed the import of rice from India, Ministry Spokesperson Nipuna Ekanayake said.He said the ministry planned to import the stocks to avert any artificial price hike or shortage caused by hoarding of stocks by unscrupulous market players.This year’s paddy harvest was severely affected by the prolonged drought in the North Central and Eastern Provinces. The special commodity levy imposed on rice was reduced to Rs. 5 in April this year due to severe rice shortage in the market. The reduced levy will continue for five more months to manage market prices.Meanwhile, prices of several other essential food items will change due to changes in the special commodity levy imposed on them. The tax on potato imports has been increased to Rs. 25 while the levy on imported grains has been reduced. Accordingly, the tax on Masoor dhal has been reduced by Rs. 3, cowpea by Rs. 30, green gram

by Rs.32 and grams by Rs. 5.

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Rice export decreased by 8.44 percent in June July 25, 2014

Pakistan's rice exports during June-2014 registered a decrease of 8.44 per cent as compared to May-2014.

Export figures released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) indicated that Pakistan has exported rice worth US $149million down by US $13.75m ie 8.44 per cent and in terms of volume, the country's export of rice went down by 5, 792 metric tons ie 2.3 percent to 248, 789 metric tons, last month. Attributing frequent postponement of shipments of rice to shortage of electricity during June, rice exporters claimed that they had suffered a loss of around $100m as against their monthly target.

Rice export suffered badly as exporters could not meet the deadlines of their foreign orders due to prolonged loadshedding and such situation diverted a number of international buyers towards other rice markets," they said. According to PBS data, export of different varieties of rice has decreased by 3pc in June-2014 to US $98m from US $101m in May-2014. Meanwhile, rice exporters have urged the government to bring an end to the menace of prolonged load-shedding or provide separate power connections to each factory. They also demanded of the government to control Karachi's law and order situation to avoid further extension in delivery period of shipments.

10% of rice bad as audit reaches 74% Published: 28 Jul 2014 at 18.13 | Viewed: 2,873 | Comments: 4 Online news: Writer: Online Reporters

As the nationwide rice stock inspection was 72% complete, the rice audit committee found 10% of the stock had problems, mainly deteriorating quality or record discrepancies, according to the chairman of the Rice Policy and Management Committee. A workers carries a damaged sack of rice which turned the grain into powder at a warehouse in Maha Sarakham province on July 22, 2014. (Photo by PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD) Gen Chatchai Sarikallaya, also deputy chief of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), said of all 1,787 warehouses registered under the rice-pledging programme, 1,290, or 72%, had been audited as of Monday.Eighty percent of the rice was found to be of good quality and match the records. Only 10% was inconsistent with the papers and rotten, which would be inspected further."There's no need to speed up selling the rice now. We should go along with market mechanisms and avoid affecting prices," Gen Chatchai said."In the future, we won't resort to either pledging or price guarantee to help farmers. Instead, we encourage them to grow quality or localised rice, and other substitute crops," he said.

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