29th october 2014 daily global rice enewsletter by riceplus magazine

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine www.ricepluss.com

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter

29th October, 2014

Today’s News Headlines…  Drought Sucking California‘s $5 Billion Rice Harvest Dry  Rice Exports From India Seen Plunging 30% as Harvest Contracts  Gambia's Annual Rice Import Bill Stands At U.S.$50 Million  Rice Extends Losses After Drop to Four-Year Low on Ample Supply  Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- October 29  No backtracking on rice exports at EGP 2,000 per tonne  Don‘t go for paddy in rabi, Telangana Govt tells farmers  Thai rice audit shows 70 pct of stocks deteriorating  Rice audit finds 90% substandard  Most Popular MyPlate Download Prominently Features Rice  U.S.-Grown Rice at Paris Food Show  Tender Invitation of CSQ-Normal USA Rice and Australia Rice Tender  CCC Announces Prevailing World Market Prices  CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures  Thailand Takes Bids on Stockpiled Rice  California drought takes bite out of rice harvest, reducing wildlife habitat and sushi grains  Sacramento Valley farmers are asked: Help the ducks  Drought costs residents thousands  Natural protein in rice helps keep arsenic out in grains  Greenpeace Says Its GMOs Are Better Than Science's GMOs, Still Hates Golden Rice  Rwanda: Embrace Technology, Kirehe Rice Farmers Told  Kingdom regaining rice crown

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine News Detail….

Drought Sucking California’s $5 Billion Rice Harvest Dry October 29, 2014 8:44 AM

(Photo by Max Whittaker/Prime for The Washington Post via Getty Images) Related Tags: Agriculture, California, Drought, Enviro nment, Farmers, Harvest, Restrictions, Ri ce, Water WOODLAND, Calif. (AP) — California‘s deepening drought is shrinking its rice harvest, and that‘s bad news for farmers, migratory birds and sushi lovers.The $5 billion industry exports rice to more than 100 countries and specializes in premium grains used in risotto, paella and sushi.

Nearly all U.S. sushi restaurants use medium-grain rice grown in the Sacramento Valley.

The rice harvest is just the latest victim of California‘ s historic drought, which has sharply reduced crop production as it enters its fourth year. With 95 percent of the state in ―severe‖ to ―exceptional‖ drought, farmers are leaving fields unplanted, cattle ranchers are reducing herds and almond growers are tearing out orchards.California, the nation‘s second largest rice-growing state after Arkansas, usually produces more than five million pounds of rice and sells about half of it abroad.

But this year rice farmers only planted 420,000 acres — 25 percent less than last year — because of water restrictions, according to the California Rice Commission.On a clear October day, farmer Mike DeWit watched as a giant combine harvester cut and threshed a field ofrice plants, discharging the grain into a tractorpulled wagon.DeWit, who usually plants 1,000 acres of rice on his family farm in Woodland, outside Sacramento, said he only planted 700 acres this year because his water supply was cut by 30 percent.So he idled one of his combine harvesters, and hired one less worker and one less tractor.―I think it‘s the worst as far as the California rice industry is concerned on record,‖ DeWit said. ―One more dry year, and I think the impacts on California rice farmers will be devastating.‖The reduced plantings also impact migratory birds and other wildlife that depend on flooded rice fields as habitat.

Every fall, millions of waterfowl fly south from Canada and Alaska to spend their winters in California‘sCentral Valley.After the fall harvest, farmers usually cover their fields with water to break down the rice stalks, creating wetlands habitat for millions of ducks and geese that can feed on uncollected grains and other plants.―It is environmentally a very nice crop to have in the system. It mimics the natural system of a couple hundred years ago, when that area was wetlands,‖ said Bruce Lindquist, a rice researcher at the University ofCalifornia, Davis.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine In a typical year, rice farms flood 250,000 to 300,000 acres in winter, but this year as few as 50,000 acres may be flooded because of water restrictions, according to the rice commission.Conservationists are worried that waterfowl and shorebirds will be at greater risk for disease as they crowd together in fewer rice fields and wetlands.―When you have less rice out there, the impacts are significant for our environment, our economy, for the farms as well,‖ said Jim Rice, a rice commission spokesman.

This year, conservation groups are renting 14,000 acres from rice farmers and temporarily flooding them, turning the fields into ―pop-up wetlands‖ for birds traveling along the Pacific Flyway.The rice commission doesn‘t track prices, but Taro Arai, who runs eight Japanese restaurants in the Sacramento area, said he paid 8 percent more for rice this year and expects to pay even more next year.Arai, ―chief dreaming officer‖ of the Mikuni Restaurant Group, is concerned about the reduced supply and rising cost of California sushi rice, but he‘s reluctant to buy rice from outside the state.

So he‘s looking into growing and harvesting his own rice as he prepares to open more restaurants in NorthernCalifornia.―Sushi rice makes or breaks sushi for every restaurant in California or the United States,‖ Arai said. ―I hear the rumors there‘s a cheaper rice, but you want to eat high-quality California rice.‖ © Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Rice Exports From India Seen Plunging 30% as Harvest Contracts in Freight News 29/10/2014

Rice shipments from India, the top supplier in 2014, will probably drop as much as 30 percent as drought and a cyclone this month curb output.Exports will decline to about 7 million metric tons to 8 million tons from 10 million tons this year, said Samarendu Mohanty, head of the social sciences division at the International Rice Research Institute. Production will drop to a range of 95 million tons to 100 million tons in 20142015 from 106 million tons a year earlier, Mohanty said.

India will concede its position as the largest supplier to Thailand in 2015 after weak rains during the first half of the monsoon reduced output, according to the Food & Agriculture Organization. India‘s production of food grain sown in the rainy season may drop to the lowest in five years, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said last month.―Plantings were delayed, then floods came in many parts of the country and after the floods, the cyclone came,‖ Mohanty said in an interview in Bangkok today. ―All these events will reduce production.‖Seeding of crops from rice to soybeans and lentils were delayed as about 90 percent of the country had below normal rainfall in June, the India Meteorological Department says.Half a million hectares were affected by Cyclone Hudhud, which hit the east coast this month, Mohanty said.Weak rains in the first part of the monsoon will cut milled output to 104

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine million tons from 106.5 million tons, the FAO said in a report Oct. 2.

Exports from the South Asian nation will drop 20 percent to 8 million tons, while Thailand will ship 10.6 million tons, the Rome-based agency said.The spread of Ebola may disrupt Indian shipments to Africa, Mohanty said. India is the top supplier to some countries such as Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, he said.

Source: Bloomberg

relating to agricultural projects.The President also reiterated his stance for "zero tolerance in mismanagement of agricultural projects".

Rice Extends Losses After Drop to Four-Year Low on Ample Supply

By Jeff Wilson and Supunnabul Suwannakij Oct 29, 2014 11:43 AM GMT+0500

Gambia's Annual Rice Import Bill Stands At U.S.$50 Million The Gambia "will no longer be importing rice", after 31 December 2015, as it costs the nation annually US$50 million, said President Yahya Jammeh in a recent interview granted the national TV station GRTS.The Gambia, which imports rice from mainly India and Thailand, produces less than 15 per cent of her own requirements in rice.Gambia's requirement of new rice is 175,500 metric tonnes per annum, while local production is 24,895 metric tonnes, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

As part of The Gambia's Vision 2016, which is calling for national food self-sufficiency starting from 2016, the President has challenged all Gambians, particularly agriculture project directors, to redouble their efforts at ensuring that Gambia produces more agricultural foodstuffs to end rice importation.

This is in line with his slogan of "Grow what you eat and eat what you grow".President Jammeh has also warned all agricultural directors to desist from "corruption" in executing agricultural projects.Presently eight senior agricultural directors, including the permanent secretary, are undergoing trial at the high court of The Gambia. They are charged with economic crimes and corruption

Prices for rice, a staple for half the world, extended losses after reaching the lowest since 2010 inChicago as the outlook for a jump in U.S. production and increased exports from overseas producers signal ample supplies.Shipments from Thailand, vying with India to be the world‘s largest exporter, almost doubled in September, the government said yesterday.

Myanmar expects output to increase as much as 15 percent annually as it boosts yields. U.S. rough-rice production will rise to a four-year high, the Department of Agriculture said Oct. 10.Prices have dropped 20 percent this year, heading for the biggest loss since 2001 and keeping a lid on global food costs that the United Nations said fell for a sixth month in September.

The Bloomberg Agriculture Index of seven commodities slid the most last quarter since 2008 as the USDA projects combined global output of rice, corn, soybeans and wheat will advance to a record this season.Plunging prices are ―a signal that

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine we have plenty of rice,‖ Dwight Roberts, president of Houston-based U.S. Rice Producers Association, said in interview at a conference in Bangkok yesterday. ―Some markets are buying hand-to-mouth.‖Roughrice for January delivery fell 0.5 percent to $12.24 for 100 pounds on the Chicago Board of Trade at 1:50 p.m. Singapore time.

Futures lost by the limit of $1.10 to $11.375 yesterday, the lowest intraday price since September 2010.Aggregate trading was more than double the 100-day average for the day yesterday, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.An index (BCOMAG) of 55 food items dropped 2.6 percent month-on-month to 191.5 points, the lowest since August 2010, the United Nation‘s Rome-based Food & Agriculture Organization said in an online report Oct. 9.

Export Demand U.S. inventories of rice will rise 26 percent before the 2015 harvest, according to the USDA. Prices may have to fall further to make U.S. exports attractive to foreign buyers, said Dennis DeLaughter, president of researcher and consultant VantageRM in Austin, Texas.Iraq, the fifth-biggest importer, is tendering tomorrow for 90,000 metric tons of milled rice, and U.S. prices are at least 15 percent above offers

expected from Thailand and Vietnam, according to DeLaughter. ―The U.S. milled-rice price is too high, and we have a big crop to sell,‖ said DeLaughter, who has been farming and

trading rice since 1977.Rice prices in Texas range from $12 to $12.75 for 100 pounds, with mills bidding lower for new high-yielding hybrids that produce lower-quality finished product, DeLaughter said.

U.S. long-grain exports are ―completely uncompetitive,‖ according to Jeremy Zwinger, president and chief executive officer of The Rice Trader, a Durham, California-based researcher. This is because of the problems created by the lower quality of hybrid varieties, he said.Prices for 5 percent broken Thai white rice, an Asian benchmark, was at $426 a ton on Oct. 22, according to the Thai Rice Exporters Association.

To contact the reporters on this story: Jeff Wilson in Chicago at jwilson29@bloomberg.net; Supunnabul Suwannakij in Bangkok at ssuwannakij@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Millie Munshi at mmunshi@bloomberg.net Ovais Subhani

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- October 29 Wed Oct 29, 2014 4:48pm IST Nagpur, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Gram prices in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) showed weak tendency on poor demand from local millers amid high moisture content arrival. Easy condition in Madhya Pradesh gram prices

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine and release of stock from stockists also pulled down prices, according to sources. *

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FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Desi gram raw recovered in open market on good demand from local traders. Fresh rise on NCDEX also boosted sentiment.

TUAR * Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market here matching the demand and supply position. * Moong Chamki reported strong in open market on good seasonal demand from local traders amid weak supply from producing regions. * In Akola, Tuar - 4,600-4,700, Tuar dal 7,100-7,400, Udid at 7,000-7,200, Udid Mogar (clean) - 7,800-8,100, Moong - 6,900-7,300, Moong Mogar (clean) 8,300-9,000, Gram - 2,600-2,800, Gram Super best bold - 3,600-3,900 for 100 kg. * Wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market in thin trading activity, according to sources.

Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/openmarket prices in rupees for 100 kg FOODGRAINS prices Previous close Gram Auction 2,400-2,820 Gram Pink Auction 2,100-2,600

Available 2,400-2,740 n.a.

Tuar Auction n.a.

3,950-4,200 Moong Auction n.a.

5,200-5,500 Udid Auction n.a.

4,3004,500 Masoor Auction n.a.

2,600-2,800 Gram Super Best Bold 3,8504,200 3,850-4,200 Gram Super Best n.a.

Gram Medium Best 3,650-3,750 3,650-3,750 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a.

Gram Mill Quality 3,450-3,550 3,450-3,550 Desi gram Raw 2,850-2,900 2,900-2,850 Gram Filter new 3,200-3,600 3,200-3,600 Gram Kabuli 8,500-9,800 8,500-9,800 Gram Pink 7,200-7,400 7,200-7,400 Tuar Fataka Best 7,400-7,600 7,400-7,600 Tuar Fataka Medium 7,150-7,250 7,150-7,250 Tuar Dal Best Phod 7,150-7,250 7,150-7,250 Tuar Dal Medium phod 6,8507,050 6,850-7,050 Tuar Gavarani 5,150-5,250 5,150-5,250 Tuar Karnataka 5,500-5,600 5,500-5,600 Tuar Black 8,300-8,600 8,300-8,600 Masoor dal best 6,700-6,800 6,700-6,800 Masoor dal medium 6,500-6,600 6,500-6,600 Masoor n.a. n.a.

Moong Mogar bold 9,500-9,800 9,500-9,800

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Moong Mogar Medium best 8,5009,000 8,500-9,000 Moong dal super best 8,000-8,400 8,000-8,400 Moong dal Chilka 7,600-7,900 7,600-7,900 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.

Moong Chamki best 7,500-8,800 7,000-8,500 Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 8,000-8,500 8,000-8,500 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 6,300-6,800 6,300-6,800 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,800 4,200-4,800 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 2,9003,100 2,900-3,100 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,2003,400 3,200-3,400 Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,2503,350 3,250-3,350 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 4,400-5,200 4,400-5,200 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,2001,500 1,200-1,500 Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,650-1,700 1,650-1,700 Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,2001,400 1,200-1,400 Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,350 2,100-2,350 Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,800-2,000 1,800-2,000 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.

MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 2,8003,200 2,800-3,200 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 1,950-2,350 1,950-2,350 Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG) 1,2001,300 1,200-1,300 Wheat Best (100 INR/KG) 1,5001,800 1,500-1,800

Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG) 3,0003,500 3,000-3,500 Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,7001,900 1,700-1,900 Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,600 2,300-2,600 Rice HMT new (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,400 4,000-4,400 Rice HMT Shriram (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,800 4,800-5,800 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 10,200-13,300 10,200-13,300 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,200-9,800 7,200-9,800 Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 5,2005,700 5,200-5,700 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,300-1,500 1,400-1,600 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,7001,800 1,700-1,800 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 31.0 degree Celsius (87.8 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.

15.7 degree Celsius (60.2 degree Fahrenheit) Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.

Rainfall : n.a.

FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 33 and 15 degree Celsius respectively.

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

No backtracking on rice exports at EGP 2,000 per tonne Mohamed Adel / October 29, 2014 Expected returns set at $1bn for exporters and $280m in returns for state due to export fee

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine No backtracking on rice exports at EGP 2,000 per tonne.

(AFP Photo) Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Khaled Hanafy told Daily News Egypt that the General Authority for Supply Commodities will continue receiving rice supplies from his ministry at EGP 2,000 per tonne.Keeping the tonne price as it is will prevent a price increase to over EGP 4 per kilo of rice, he said.Hanafy added that the door has been opened to allow rice to be exported globally, under the condition of a $280 fee. He said that exporting companies‘ returns will reach $1bn as a result of overseas markets selling one tonne of rice for $1000, with state returns to reach $280m due to the fee.

He said the ministry launched the construction of a logistics city covering 3.35m square meters on Monday, of which half a million is located within the borders of Damietta Port. The remainder falls under an untapped industrial area located northeast of the port with total investment costs of around EGP 13.1bn.The ministry will complete the logistics city as well as commercial and shopping area projects within two years, the minister went on.

The latter is located in close proximity to the Suez Canal Axis, which was offered to some

of the world‘s largest companies during President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi‘s recent visit to the US.The project was well received by the companies, Hanafy said, adding that it will be located on area of 1,000 acres and with investment costs worth EGP 50bn. It is expected to create around 500,000 jobs after the first phase of construction.Hanafy explained that the new city will include reproductions of cities and sites from around the world. The move will attract international companies to produce and offer global brands. The details of the project will be announced soon.

Don‘t go for paddy in rabi, Telangana Govt tells farmers KV KURMANATH Unfavourable weather conditions, scarcity of power have rendered paddy cultivation unviable.

HYDERABAD, OCTOBER 29: The Telangana Government has asked the farmers to go for crops that require less water. Farmers were asked to shun paddy this season, keeping in view the unfavourable weather conditions.State Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy and Principal Secretary Poonam Malakondaiah held a review meeting on Tuesday with officials to take stock of the kharif crops and to discuss the rabi plan.

The meeting also discussed the losses caused by the untimely rains last week and measures to be taken to help farmers sell cotton. The unexpected rains in the State damaged crops and the produce in several mandals.The State is also in short supply of

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine power, forcing it to enforce day-long power cuts in villages. Availability of power during the rabi could be even more difficult.The Government has asked the farmers to go for dry land crops that require less water and, in turn, demand less power. ―Farmers are advised to plan their crops in such a manner that they would go for harvesting by March 15 when temperatures begin to rise,‖ an official of the Department of Agriculture said.Paddy is grown in 6.50 lakh hectares in Telangana out of the total cropped area of 13 lakh hectares in Telangana. The rest of the area is shared by maize (1.52 lakh ha), bengal gram (1 lakh ha), ground nut (1.7 lakh ha).The exact rabi production figures are not immediately available as this is going to be the first season after the State is created. In the combined State, paddy was grown in an average 15 lakh ha and produced about 55 lakh ha.

(This article was published on October 29, 2014)

Thai rice audit shows 70 pct of stocks deteriorating Source: Reuters - Wed, 29 Oct 2014 06:47 GMT Author: Reuters * Audit results could speed up stockpile sales * That could drag on prices, hurt farmers * Large rural population is key influence on Thai politics

BANGKOK, Oct 29 (Reuters) - An audit of Thailand's massive stockpiles of rice has found about 70 percent is deteriorating and another fifth is inedible, leaving only one tenth of standard export quality.The findings in the state inspection will ramp up pressure on the generals running Thailand as they battle to offload grain from around 18 million tonnes in national stocks, likely

pushing them to speed up sales before the bulk of it rots.

That could drag on global prices, hurting rice growers in the world's No.2 exporter of the crop, where the large rural population is a key influence on politics.Duangporn Rodphaya, chief of the country's foreign trade department, said the rice that was discoloured and of diminished quality would still be fit for sale and that authorities were aiming to shift it within three years."The low-quality rice does not mean that it cannot be of use," she told reporters on Tuesday."But it's just of a lower standard and we have a market to support such rice already," she said, estimating its weight at 10 million tonnes.

The military government in July launched the inspection of rice warehouses around the country to gauge the quality of grain stockpiled under a scheme run by a government it ousted in May that paid farmers way above market rates.Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said 100,000 tonnes of rice were found to be missing from the stockpiles and the National AntiCorruption Commission would launch a probe to try to uncover where it had gone and who was responsible.Prayuth said it was crucial to shift the remaining stocks quickly and though 70 percent had diminished in quality, it could still be sold."Rice in the stockpiles were kept for a long time, so it's imperative to accelerate sales to prevent more deterioration," he told reporters on Tuesday.Prayuth said about 4-5 percent of the rice was "downgraded" and therefore inedible. It would likely be used for ethanol conversion.

LATEST SETBACK

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine The audit is the latest setback for a government grappling with a slowing economy and under pressure to resolve Thailand's rice problem, the scale of which is starting to emerge.Low prices and the end of the loss-making rice-buying scheme in February have hurt farmers, many of whom were staunch supporters of the government the military overthrew.

Prayuth's government announced a loans scheme for farmers on Friday, offering zerointerest credit until Feb. 28 next year in return for keeping their rice off the market, with additional incentives for storing it themselves.The commerce ministry also revealed preliminary results of its tender for nearly 208,000 tonnes of rice on Tuesday.

Around 203,000 tonnes of rice was sold for a total of 1.93 billion baht ($59.44 million) to 18 bidders, it said.The ministry has held two other tenders so far this year, in which it sold a total of about 145,000 tonnes. About 59,600 tonnes was also bought by the private sector in a direct sale earlier this month.The sales have generated a combined 2.18 billion baht.

Rice audit finds 90% substandard State loss from scheme could rise to B700bn   

Published: 29 Oct 2014 at 06.00 | Viewed: 5,289 | Comments: 8 Newspaper section: Business Writer: Chatrudee Theparat & Phusadee Arunmas

The government's rice stocks have been found to be in a very poor state, with as much as 90% classified as substandard — and the cost to the state could be 580-700 billion baht. The audit has continued in warehouses nationwide for months, and the

news is almost all bad: substandard stocks are everywhere, with 20% of the rice deemed inedible. (File photo) On Tuesday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha revealed the outcome of a nationwide rice audit led by ML Panadda Diskul, permanent secretary for the Prime Minister's Office, that reported only 10% of the 18 million tonnes of rice was of good quality."The report shows 70% of the rice is tainted with a yellow colour, while the rest is in bad condition and not edible and should only be allocated for ethanol production," said Gen Prayut.

The inspection also found about 100,000 tonnes of rice missing.The government will submit the report to the National AntiCorruption Commission (NACC) and ask for its permission to sell good-quality grains in stocks."Rice in the stockpiles was kept for a long time, so it's imperative to accelerate disposal to prevent more deterioration," Gen Prayut said.Asked whether corruption was involved, he said: "I don't know. It's the duty of the NACC to find out, while this government will continue to help farmers."All parties should hurry to solve this problem, as the public are keeping an eye on the issue, Gen Prayut said.

Deputy government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Gen Prayut was worried about farmers and the agricultural sector because the economy might not grow as expected, with the global economy yet to recover and a bad drought expected next year.A Commerce Ministry source said the figure of only 100,000 tonnes of rice missing from state stocks was quite insignificant compared with the 3 million tonnes reported missing in June 2013 by former deputy finance permanent secretary Supa Piyajitti, who chaired a subcommittee overseeing the

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine accounts of the pledging scheme."That means there is fraud in the rice pledging scheme," the source said.

"During the inspection process, it is highly likely that good-quality rice pledged under the rice scheme was replaced with old, lowquality stock."The high amount of substandard rice in state stocks is unlikely to stem from poor warehousing."The source said the loss from the scheme was expected to be as much as 700 billion baht if the government failed to dispose of stocks within five years.

"This problem is immense, and the incumbent government is in a dilemma, as it is burdened not only with selling goodquality rice stocks but also with properly managing the massive amount of substandard rice," the source said.The Commerce Ministry said Tuesday there were 37 interested bidders for the third round of the government's rice auction for 270,000 tonnes.The ministry sold 140,000 tonnes in the first two auctions, raising 1.6 billion baht.After halting rice sales to carry out nationwide inspections, the government resumed sales of 167,000 tonnes on Aug 7.

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Most Popular MyPlate Download Prominently Features Rice

ARLINGTON, VA -- The USA Rice Federation, an active MyPlate National Strategic Partner, joined with other food and health organizations to develop a toolkit to help shoppers adhere to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) recommended dietary guidelines, now known as "MyPlate," and rice is heavily featured throughout the 44-page document.

The Meeting Your MyPlate Goals on a Budget toolkit was posted on the USDA's ChooseMyPlate website in July and with three million downloads since, is by far the most popular MyPlate tool available.

"Sixty-two percent of shoppers say it costs too much to eat healthy food," said Byron Holmes, chairman of the USA Rice Nutrition Subcommittee.

"This toolkit reminds shoppers that U.S.-grown rice can make healthy eating easy and affordable.

"Using MyPlate as a guide, the toolkit offers many ideas for making healthy, inexpensive choices and also provides recipes and

cooking tips to make those healthy foods taste great. The grains section of the toolkit highlights rice and includes time-saving tips as well as budget-friendly rice bowl concepts. "The MyPlate communications partnership with USDA is a beneficial relationship for USA Rice because it helps us promote and extend the positive

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine messaging of U.S.-grown rice as a part of a healthy diet and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans," said Holmes.

Contact: Katie Maher (703) 236-1453

U.S.-Grown Rice at Paris Food Show Rice ambassadors at SIAL 2014

USA Rice's Hartwig Schmidt also attended the show to meet with the trade and existing and potential customers."Price remains the most important factor in the market here, and while U.S. long grain is becoming competitive with rice from South American and European origins, cheap Asian origin rice continues to undercut us," Schmidt said.

"However, customers were interested in our anticipated large crop this year and next, and the stability the Farm Bill is providing U.S. growers. This could help with long term prices and increased tonnage heading to the EU." Contact: Michael Klein (703) 236-1458

PARIS, FRANCE -- The SIAL Paris Food Show celebrated its 50th anniversary this year and U.S.-grown rice was on the show floor amongst 6,000 exhibitors from 100 countries. The Sun Valley Rice Company, joined InHarvest and Sun West in promoting U.S. rice to the more than 150,000 show attendees, and provided excellent opportunities to meet with existing trade partners and clients from all around the world.

"The market in Europe for U.S. medium grain Calrose remains strong and we had a very positive experience at the show, with significant interest in our rice especially from sushi makers and Asian Fusion Chefs a growing and diversifying area" said Jim Higa, Chief Marketing Officer, Sun Valley Rice Company who attended the five day event.

Tender Invitation of CSQNormal USA Rice and Australia Rice Tender Tender Invitation No: GF4-103107 Country of Origin: U.S.A. Rice Type: Medium/Short Grain Brown Rice Quantity: 12,000MT Tender Date: 11/7/2014 Delivery Term: The rice needs to be delivered to the designated COA warehouse between March 1st and April 30th, 2015.

Tender Invitation No: GF4-103106 Country of Origin: Australia Rice Type: Medium/Short Grain Brown Rice Quantity: 11,134MT Tender Date: 11/7/2014 Delivery Term: The rice needs to be delivered to the designated COA warehouse on or before 4/30/15.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine U.S. Milling Yields Whole/Broken (lbs/cwt)

Loan Rate ($/cwt)

Long-Grain

55.83/12.59

6.50

Medium-/ShortGrain

62.39/7.92

6.50

CCC Announces Prevailing World Market Prices WASHINGTON, DC -- The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation today announced the following prevailing world market prices of milled and rough rice, adjusted for U.S. milling yields and location, and the resulting marketing loan-gain (MLG) and loan deficiency payment (LDP) rates applicable to the 2014 crop, which became effective today at 7:00 a.m., Eastern Time (ET). Rough rice prices decreased $0.20 per cwt for both long grain and medium/short grain.

World Price Milled Value ($/cwt) Long-Grain

17.56

Medium/ShortGrain

16.99

Brokens

10.59

Rough ($/cwt) 11.14

11.44

----

MLG/LDP Rate Rough ($/cwt) 0.00

The next program announcement is scheduled for November 5.

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures CME Group (Preliminary): Closing Rough Rice Futures for October 29

Month

Price

Net Change

November 2014

$12.130

+ $0.075

January 2015

$12.375

+ $0.070

March 2015

$12.645

+ $0.070

May 2015

$12.890

+ $0.075

July 2015

$13.070

+ $0.075

September 2015

$12.435

+ $0.075

November 2015

$12.335

UNCH

0.00

----

This week's prevailing world market prices and MLG/LDP rates are based on the following U.S. milling yields and the corresponding loan rates:

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Thailand Takes Bids on Stockpiled Rice Government Trying to Chip Away at 18 Million Tons in Storage

By WARANGKANA CHOMCHUEN BANGKOK—Thailand

offered

about

rice harvester works a field belonging to rice farmer Mike DeWitt near Davis, Calif.

DeWitt is among the Sacramento Valley farmers who planted 25 percent less rice than normal because of water cutbacks, which is impacting migratory birds, and other wildlife that depend on flooded rice fields for habitat. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

208,000 metric tons of rice for sale Tuesday, as the Commerce Ministry attempts to unload

huge

stockpiles

of

the

Associated PressOct. 29, 2014 | 2:51 a.m.

EDT+ More

grain

accumulated under a previous farm-subsidy program.

Read more on following website:… http://online.wsj.com/articles/thailand-takesbids-on-stockpiled-rice1414508732?KEYWORDS=rice&utm_sour ce=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+October+29%2C +2014&utm_campaign=Wednesday%2C+O ctober+23%2C+2013&utm_medium=email

California drought takes bite out of rice harvest, reducing wildlife habitat and sushi grains In this photo taken Friday, Oct. 10. 2014, a

By TERENCE CHEA, Associated Press WOODLAND, Calif. (AP) — California's deepening drought is shrinking its rice harvest, and that's bad news for farmers, migratory birds and sushi lovers.

The $5 billion industry exports rice to more than 100 countries and specializes in premium grains used in risotto, paella and sushi. Nearly all U.S. sushi restaurants use medium-grain rice grown in the Sacramento Valley.

The rice harvest is just the latest victim of California's historic drought, which has sharply reduced crop production as it enters its fourth year. With 95 percent of the state in "severe" to "exceptional" drought, farmers are leaving fields unplanted, cattle ranchers are reducing herds and almond growers are tearing out orchards.

California, the nation's second largest ricegrowing state after Arkansas, usually

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine produces more than five million pounds of rice and sells about half of it abroad.

But this year rice farmers only planted 420,000 acres — 25 percent less than last year — because of water restrictions, according to the California Rice Commission.On a clear October day, farmer Mike DeWit watched as a giant combine harvester cut and threshed a field of rice plants, discharging the grain into a tractorpulled wagon.

In a typical year, rice farms flood 250,000 to 300,000 acres in winter, but this year as few as 50,000 acres may be flooded because of water restrictions, according to the rice commission.

Conservationists are worried that waterfowl and shorebirds will be at greater risk for disease as they crowd together in fewer rice fields and wetlands.

DeWit, who usually plants 1,000 acres of rice on his family farm in Woodland, outside Sacramento, said he only planted 700 acres this year because his water supply was cut by 30 percent.So he idled one of his combine harvesters, and hired one less worker and one less tractor.

"When you have less rice out there, the impacts are significant for our environment, our economy, for the farms as well," said Jim Rice, a rice commission spokesman.This year, conservation groups are renting 14,000 acres from rice farmers and temporarily flooding them, turning the fields into "pop-up wetlands" for birds traveling along the Pacific Flyway.

"I think it's the worst as far as the California rice industry is concerned on record," DeWit said. "One more dry year, and I think the impacts on California rice farmers will be devastating."The reduced plantings also impact migratory birds and other wildlife that depend on flooded rice fields as habitat.

Every fall, millions of waterfowl fly south from Canada and Alaska to spend their winters in California's Central Valley.

The rice commission doesn't track prices, but Taro Arai, who runs eight Japanese restaurants in the Sacramento area, said he paid 8 percent more for rice this year and expects to pay even more next year.Arai, "chief dreaming officer" of the Mikuni Restaurant Group, is concerned about the reduced supply and rising cost of California sushi rice, but he's reluctant to buy rice from outside the state.

After the fall harvest, farmers usually cover their fields with water to break down the rice stalks, creating wetlands habitat for millions of ducks and geese that can feed on uncollected grains and other plants."It is environmentally a very nice crop to have in the system. It mimics the natural system of a couple hundred years ago, when that area was wetlands," said Bruce Lindquist, a rice researcher at the University of California, Davis.

So he's looking into growing and harvesting his own rice as he prepares to open more restaurants in Northern California."Sushi rice makes or breaks sushi for every restaurant in California or the United States," Arai said. "I hear the rumors there's a cheaper rice, but you want to eat highquality California rice."

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Sacramento Valley farmers are asked: Help the ducks

of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

BY MATT WEISER MWEISER@SACBEE.COM 10/28/2014 4:42 PM

Drought costs residents thousands

Sacramento Valley are being asked to lend a hand to migrating waterfowl arriving this winter to a drought-parched landscape.Valley rice farmers normally flood about 300,000 acres after harvest to decompose the leftover rice straw. This flooded land then becomes vital habitat for ducks and geese.But the California Rice Commission estimated earlier this year that only about 50,000 acres of rice fields would be flooded due to the drought. As a result, millions of birds traveling the Pacific Flyway this winter will find a hard time finding habitat.

COLORADO COUNTY – Water wells in southeastern Colorado County and northwestern Wharton County are going dry, and residents do not know what to do about it.Despite recent rains, Colorado and Wharton Counties are still experiencing drought conditions. ―The rainfall that we have been receiving has not been making it to the reservoirs in the hill country,‖ said Colorado County Groundwater Conservation District Manager Jim Brasher.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is hoping to improve that picture by offering farmers an incentive to flood land. Farmers who have water available and are willing to flood their land until at least Feb. 1 will be paid an estimated $53 per acre, said David Sanden, a spokesman for the agency.The goal is to offset some of a farmer‘s costs to provide the water and set aside their land to benefit waterfowl. The agency hopes to create 10,000 acres of shallow water wetlands in Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties. ―If we didn‘t do anything, a lot of the fields would be dry and there wouldn‘t be good habitat for all these birds that are coming,‖ Sanden said. ―We‘re not asking people to try and find water that isn‘t there. But if they do have the water, it does have a lot of benefits.‖The deadline to apply for the program is Nov. 7. Farmers interested in participating should contact their local office

As such, surface water allotments that are normally available for irrigation have not been released by the Lower Colorado River Authority, and rice farmers have been increasingly applying for and receiving permits to drill wells for water to irrigate their crops.Since 2012, sixteen irrigation wells have been drilled in southeastern Colorado County. Each of these wells pumps at a rate of approximately 22 gallons per minute, and the average household in the United States uses approximately 223 gallons per day.

Affected residents In the summer of 2012, Heyln Hobbs Farris, who lives on the eastern ban of Eagle Lake, noticed that her well water was turning orange and cloudy. Then, her sprinkler

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine started putting out far less pressure than before. As the summer began to turn into autumn, the problems stopped.In the summer of 2013, the same problems began again. This time, she lost all water pressure.

She called Neuendorff Water Well Service in Columbus, and company replaced the motor on her pump and moved it from sixtythree feet below ground to one hundred and fifty feet below ground. Farris said this service cost her approximately two thousand dollars.―I have lived in Eagle Lake since 1955 and in the county for the past sixty-two years,‖ Farris said. ―I never heard of problems like this until the past few years.‖Farris said people told her that they believed that she would never have a water shortage problem because she lived so close to Eagle Lake.

She has stopped running her sprinkler system this year, ―because the lake is not receiving fresh water.‖Martin and Louis Herman are a retired couple who live on the northwest side of FM 2764 near East Benard and Lissie. FM 2764 is called County Line Road because the highway divides Colorado County from Wharton County.On June 15, Martin Herman started ―lots of air and some sand coming in with the water to the house.‖ When the Hermans had their well inspected, they learned that it was ruined. The pump had overheated and broken down, and the heat from the pump had completely deformed the well casing.

The cost for the Hermans to drill and install a completely new well was approximately nine thousand dollars.The unusual thing about this was that the well was almost new, and the water level in the well in January of 2014 was within operable levels at fortynine feet below the ground. It was drilled in 2000 to a depth of 300 feet with a water depth level of forty-one feet below ground.The average residential well depth on the southeastern side of the county is 105 to 150 feet below ground.

The Hermans know of one livestock well and two residential wells on neighbors‘ properties that no longer reliably pump water.According to Brasher, within a fourmile radius of Lissie in Wharton County, thirty wells have either been producing far less water than normal or stopped producing water altogether.Additionally, two other residential wells and four livestock wells have been reported to the Colorado County Groundwater Conservation District as inoperable.

Unregistered wells Colorado Groundwater Conservation District rules state that well operators in Colorado County are supposed to register their wells. According to Brasher, there are two wells in southeastern Colorado County that have been reported to the district as having gone dry, but they are not registered with the district.―Though the District does not currently penalize domestic or livestock wells that are not registered, these wells are

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine unprotected from offset well pumpage,‖ Brasher said. ―This District does require that all irrigation wells be registered and permitted with the District. Permitted wells have limitations on the amount that they can pump. Almost all domestic and livestock wells are exempt from requiring a permit and therefore have no regulations on how much they can pump.

We are rigorous about requiring that irrigation wells be permitted and will penalize those operators who do not register their wells.‖However, the question remains of whether there are any wells in Colorado County that have not been reported to the district.

Water levels

accomplish that, Brasher said, the average amount of water withdrawn per year would need to close to 49,000 feet on average.

Two-county problem Because the wells most affected are near the Wharton County line, the Colorado County and the Coastal Bend Groundwater Conservation Districts have authorized a combined study that is currently being conducted by Intera Geosciences and Engineering Solutions.The Coastal Bend Groundwater Conservation District serves Wharton County.Intera is mapping areas of groundwater depletion in both counties in an effort to make a recommendation about what optimal well and pump depth settings should be.

The amount of water being pumped out of the Gulf Coast Aquifer in a 29.5 square mile area around Eagle Lake has increased incrementally since 2012.According to Brasher, water levels in the aquifer dropped of six to seven feet from 2011 to 2014 in this area. ―In 2011, the drop during irrigation season was about 22 ft. That amount has increased each of the subsequent years.

Currently, the amount of groundwater being pumped in the Coastal Bend district is approximately four times the amount being pumped in the Colorado County district.

Irrigation well permits are still being issued in Wharton County, and rice farmers are still applying for permits in Colorado County.

In 2014, the aquifer dropped 38 feet during irrigation season,‖ Brasher said.During irrigation season, the water level drops substantially during the summer and starts to recover rise after pumping stops in the autumn.The groundwater conservation district would like to see an average draw down of water levels to only twelve feet. To

Three possible methods to deal with the groundwater depletion issue exist.First Ronald Gertson, a rice farmer from Wharton County is in the process of trying to set up a non-profit organization that could provide funds to assist individuals in Wharton County who lose pressure in their wells to

Possible solutions

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine move their pumps down further or to drill new wells.

Second, the Colorado County and Coastal Bend districts can consider declaring a Critical Groundwater Depletion Zone in which the permitted amount that can be pumped by each irrigation well operator could be curtailed.The Coastal Bend district is currently drafting provisions that would allow the district to put such restrictions in place.

The Colorado County district currently has such provisions in place, but will not use them unless the Coastal Bend district implements similar provisions.Finally, rice farmers can consider investing in equipment and infrastructure that would allow them to raise less water intensive crops, such as sesame seeds. However, this is an expensive process, and there are currently no progams in place to assist farmers with such a transition.

Natural protein in rice helps keep arsenic out in grains [HANOI] Researchers have discovered a natural mechanism in rice plants that restricts the transfer of arsenic in soils to the rice grain by sequestering it in pocketlike cell membranes called vacuoles,

opening scientific potentials for riceproducing nations across the developing world.The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on 20 October, found that a transporter protein called OsABCC1 lives in the roots, leaves and other organs of a rice plant. Removing it caused the amount of arsenic in the grains of a rice plant to rise more than fivefold.

The study marks the first time any transporter has been identified in the process of vacuolar sequestration of arsenic toxin in rice plants.―It‘s quite a neat piece of work,‖ Steve McGrath, an arsenic expert at Rothamsted Research in Britain, tells SciDev.Net about the research study.―It‘s a first step and one particular strategy to decrease arsenic in grain,‖ he notes. ―There may be other transporters throughout the plant that can do things and be switched off or turned down, or whatever mechanism you can think of to achieve similar results.‖ In the 1990s, there was a flurry of interest in arsenic contamination of groundwater, but it was not until last year, McGrath says, that scientists had ―fairly clear evidence‖ of how arsenic concentration in food affected human health.People who are repeatedly exposed to arsenic in soils and water are at risk for a range of diseases, including cancer, the study reported. The problem is ―particularly serious‖ in South Asia and around the Mekong area of South-East Asia where groundwater containing high concentrations of arsenic is used both for drinking water and irrigating rice.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Rice accumulates more arsenic in its shoots and grains than wheat, barley and other cereal crops. That could be because rice grows in flooded conditions where arsenic can proliferate, and because rice plants have a more efficient uptake system for the poison.―This is a serious problem because rice is a staple food for Asian countries,‖ adds Jian Feng Ma, a researcher at Japan‘s Okayama University and one of the study‘s authors.

Jian tells SciDev.Net that the study could have two main applications: breeding rice in a way that would ―over express‖ the OsABCC1 transporter, or identifying and promoting wild rice varieties in which it is especially active.McGrath, however, says the first approach would be unusual because scientists typically modify the genetic structures of plants to make them more resistant to pests, not to make them healthier for human consumption. ―It‘s a test, if you like, of the public‘s and legislators‘ opinion about genetic engineering in plants,‖ he says. ―Is this more acceptable because it‘s having a direct health benefit?‖ Link to full paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences This article has been produced by SciDev.Net's South-East Asia & Pacific desk.

Image credit: GMB Akash / Panos

Greenpeace Says Its GMOs Are Better Than Science's

GMOs, Still Hates Golden Rice

By Jon Entine | October 29th 2014 03:11 PM | Greenpeace is set to launch a series of attacks against crop biotechnology this week. It has scheduled a news conference for Friday titled ―Ecological Agriculture, A Climate Resilient Model of Agriculture: The Way Forward,‖ which purportedly makes its case against vitamin-enhanced Golden Rice.

According to the Greenpeace news release, the panel of speakers will address what it calls ―Ecological Agriculture,‖ which Greenpeace says is a model of farming better adapted to deal with climate change.

Dr. Janet Cotter, a Greenpeace geologist, will lead a parade of speakers including activist groups from the Philippines and Thailand and a farmer‘s testimonial experience and opposition to GMOs.The anti-GMO advocacy groups claims that GMOs have been an expensive failure, citing among other examples vitaminenhanced Golden Rice, which has been slow to develop and gain approval–in part because of protests by Greenpeace and other campaigning groups.

Greenpeace has upped its offensive against Golden Rice this year, claiming it is a Trojan horse to soften the public opposition to GMOs that Greenpeace itself has helped create.―Those promoting ‗Golden‘ rice in the UK and elsewhere appear to be doing so

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine more as means of promoting the wider GM agenda–and attacking opponents of the ‗GM project‘ –than as serious means of solving problems in the global south,‖ Greenpeace wrote on its website this summer.

And they entirely miss what are for us the main issues in the debate. First, problems of malnutrition are best addressed in their totality, not by a relentless focus on a single nutrient out of the hundreds essential for good health.

‘Golden’ rice is far from being a sustainable solution to vitamin deficiency – it encourages a diet based solely on rice. In Greenpeace’s opinion, the tens of millions of dollars invested in the development and promotion of GM ‘Golden’ rice would have been better spent in supporting solutions that work.

Ecologically farmed home and community gardens can contribute to healthy and varied diets by directly empowering people to produce their own nutritious food. This is the real long-lasting solution Vitamin A Deficeincy VAD) affected communities need.

Oddly, Greenpeace is also expected to announce it‘s support for a version of genetic modification that it claims is uniquely different from crop genetic engineering.―Whilst the debate between GM and non-GM has used up most of the political oxygen, this report shows it is not the only–or indeed, the best–show in town.

There is a growing range of non-GM biotechnologies which show how a growing world population can be fed at a time when natural environments are increasingly stressed,‖ Greenpeace chief scientist Dr Doug Parr toldthe Guardian in anticipation of the Friday press conference.Some scientists called the claims by Greenpeace ―bizarre‖ and ―hypocritical.‖ There is not much different between MAS and GE, they say. ―What they are talking about is essentially the suite of technologies that spearhead the ‗green revolution‘, which eco groups such as Greenpeace have steadfastly rubbished for decades. Now they see it as agriculture‘s saviour,‖ said Johnjoe McFadden, professor of molecular genetics at the University of Surrey.―If GM is not up to much then why has it been so successful that crops such as soya are now nearly all GM worldwide.

Who knows best how to grow their own crop –farmers or Greenpeace?‖ Greenpeace has been running a disinformation campaign against Golden Rice and GMOs for years. In 2012, the Asian arm of Greenpeace issued an alarming press release headlined: ―24 children used as guinea pigs in genetically engineered ‗Golden Rice‘ trial.‖―Big business hustling in of one the world‘s most sacred things: our food supply,‖ Greenpeace warned in the release.

The Philippines, it said, was the next ‗target.‘So-called Golden Rice—the genetically modified, vitamin A-enhanced

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine version of white rice—has been in development for more than a decade. It is a dramatic improvement over the world‘s most popular staple. In 1999, Swiss and German scientists used ―open source‖ technology to develop Golden Rice, the first major genetically enhanced food in the new generation of bio-engineered grains, fruits, and vegetables that consumers actually eat directly.

The new rice variety was produced by splicing two genes (one from the daffodil, which gives the rice its golden color, and one from a bacterium that helps the process along) into white rice so it produces betacarotene, which the body can convert to Vitamin A. Newer varieties have been tweaked to add iron, and to help the body more readily absorb the iron already in white rice.

Health Organization notes there are more than 100 million VAD children around the world. Some 250,000 to 500,000 of these children become blind every year, with 50 percent of them dying.

In Asia and Africa, nearly 600,000 vitamin A-deficient women die from childbirthrelated causes.The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has taken a lead role in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines, to bring Golden Rice to market. Helen Keller International, a leading global health organization that reduces blindness and prevents malnutrition worldwide, joined the Golden Rice project to further develop and evaluate Golden Rice

According to the United Nations, more than half the world is vitamin deficient. White rice represents 72 percent of the diet for the people of Bangladesh and nearly as much in Laos and Indonesia; more than 40 percent in the Philippines, Madagascar and Sierra Leone; around 40 percent in Guyana and Suriname. Although white rice is a filling food and can be grown in abundance, it has a major drawback: it lacks Vitamin.

Greenpeace and like-minded groups argue that tinkering with the genome of food or crops will unleash a genetic Godzilla that threatens the future of mankind. This is not hyperbole. They claim that Trojan-horse genes not subject to checks and balances in nature could be ―released‖ into the environment causing untold havoc, and could physically harm children.―Food insecurity is brought about by lack of enough land, by decreasing rice production and decreasing incomes,‖ said one Golden Rice opponent.

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) weakens the immune system, increasing the risk of infections such as measles and malaria.

Severe deficiencies can lead to corneal ulcers or blindness. It especially targets children and pregnant women. The World

―Only through a genuine land reform which ensures farmers‘ access to sufficient rice and other food sources will farmers start to become healthy again.‖Greenpeace is campaigning vigorously to block Golden Rice trials throughout Southeast Asia,

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

instead promoting vitamin pills, organic gardening and political empowerment rather than readily available food—which of course does little for children going to bed hungry and malnourished each night. *****Jon Entine, executive director of the Genetic Literacy Project, is a Senior Fellow at the World Food Center, Institute for Food and Agricultural Literacy, University of California-Davis.

Follow @JonEntine on Twitter. Genetic Literacy Project is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that explores the intersection of DNA research, media and policy to disentangle science from ideology and this article was originally published there. Read the original article here.Jon Entine is the founding director of the Genetic Literacy Project. He is a senior fellow at the World Food Center at the University of California...

Rwanda: Embrace Technology, Kirehe Rice Farmers Told

By Stephen Rwembeho There is need to increase rice production to not only ensure food security, but also broaden the country's tax base, the Minister for Agriculture Geraldine Mukeshimana, has said.The minister said this while on a tour of

Kirehe District on Monday, where she interacted with hundreds of rice farmers in the area.Mukeshimana said though rice production in the country had increased substantially, there is still room for improvement, especially by increasing the yield per hectare."To meet the increasing demand, millers should work closely with farmers as part of increasing the value chain.

The millers should undertake extension activities so that productivity and consumption increase at the same pace," she said.She said to add value to the rice output, millers needed to invest in modern machinery and urged them to create synergies through joint enterprises.The minister also visited various rice milling plants in the district.Relevant government agencies were tasked to work in an integrated manner for management of the entire rice production system.According to the minister, in order to ensure sustainable rice management, the improvement of rice varieties must be handled in line with market demand, she said.

Josephine Mukandaramutse, one of the farmers, said the government should provide financial assistance to millers to help modernise their units to increase production and quality of their produce.Government policies make or break rice trade, says expert

BANGKOK, Thailand - National trade policies must adapt to changes in the global rice market for a healthy rice supply chain that‘s anchored on market-driven rice prices.This was proposed by Suthad Setboonsarng, economist and member of the board of Banpu PLC, one of the largest companies in Thailand, during the Global Rice Market and Trade Summit held at the Thai capital on 28-29 October 2014.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine The summit is a part of the 4th International Rice Congress, the world's largest gathering of rice science and industry held every four years. Dr. Setboonsarng is also a former member of IRRI Board of Trustees.Dr. Setboonsarng talked about ongoing changes in national and regional dynamics and how these are affecting rice trade. Areas of change include population growth, shifting demographics caused by the rise of the middle class in Asia, effects of climate change and water scarcity that force rice production to converge in particular areas, and government rice policies.

All these, he said, puts to task national strategies in ensuring steady production and stable prices.He also said that liberalizing rice trade policies is the way forward for government to deal with the changing global market. Dr. Setboonsarng, who was speaking about medium-term implications of the dynamics of the international rice market on rice exporters, added that rice, considered a political commodity, must be managed under liberal trade policies to allow efficiency.Providing a national context to the summit was Ludovico Jarina, deputy administrator of the Philippine National Food Authority.

He talked about how important rice is to the Philippines, a country of 100 million.

Eighty-four percent of Filipinos eat rice, which takes up 45% of household income.

This, he said, has made the average household vulnerable to changes in rice prices.Mr. Jarina said that despite growth in production, the Philippines remains an importer due to its geography and population. "Importation is not government policy, but is resorted to when there is projected shortage," he said.

He mentioned that, over a three-year period, about 1.6 million hectares of rice area were affected by various calamities, leading to an average production loss of almost 600,000 tons per year.The country is implementing the Food Staples Sufficiency Program, a suite of projects aimed at increasing rice production and making Filipino farmers more competitive.

Kingdom regaining rice crown Erich Parpart Petchanet Pratruangkrai The Nation October 29, 2014 1:00 am

But effects of pledging scheme holding back full export potential, summit hears Thailand is set to regain its crown as the world's No-1 rice exporter, but the consequences of the populist pledging policy of the previous government are still hampering the recovery of the sector, the country's leading exporter of parboiled rice told a major international conference yesterday.

Vichai Sriprasert, president of Riceland International, cited a shortage of dock workers and relatively high export prices due to too many millers competing for supply from farmers - as problems holding back the industry's return to its full export potential.

Speaking at the three-day "Global Rice Market and Trade Summit", arranged by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Bangkok, he said the rice-pledging scheme had left the country with 18 million tonnes of stockpiled rice, which must either be exported or consumed domestically before it turned rotten. However, the current

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine shortage of stevedores, resulting from a lower volume of rice exports when the costly scheme was still in effect, has contributed to recent port delays, he told delegates.

Vichai expects the Kingdom to ship around 10 million-12 million tonnes of rice this year, which would make it the world's biggest exporter of the grain once again, but overseas shipments could be even higher but for the shortage of dock workers.Last month alone, shipments of around 500,000 tonnes were delayed, mainly due to this factor, he added.

"Thai rice is selling like crazy since we regained our price competitiveness, but we cannot deliver to [meet] demand because of the sins committed by the previous government in the past two to three years," he said.

"We have exported 30-40 per cent less than what we can, due to the rice-pledging scheme, and this has led to a shortage of stevedores, many of whom previously fled the industry due to a lack of jobs - and this problem has resulted in a bottleneck for the export of rice at the moment," he said.

of the corruption that surrounded the "pricedistortion scheme", and now there were three times more millers than needed for the overall supply of rice.

In other news, Samarendu Mohanty, head of the Social Sciences Division at the IRRI, told the summit that cyclone Hudhud had damaged around 500,000 hectares of rice fields in India and that this, along with other effects from drought and flood problems in the previous growing season, had lowered the country's rice production to about 100 million tonnes this year. India is also likely to export less next year, due to the expected increase in competition from Thailand, he added.

India produced 106 million tonnes of rice last year, and normally exports around 10 million tonnes per year.

While the export amount is expected to be in this region this year, it could fall to around 7-8 million tonnes in 2015, since Thailand is going to find a way to offload its 18 million tonnes of overstock, said Mohanty.

Meanwhile, Vichai said the price of Thai rice, which was now cheaper than that of Vietnam, was still higher than what it should be due to millers increasingly competing for supply.

Meanwhile, the effect of the Ebola epidemic in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone will have damaged India's rice exports more than Thailand's, since India supplies 70 per cent of the 900,000 tonnes imported annually by the three countries,

This has been caused by the same populist policy, as more millers entered the market during the period when the "disastrous" subsidy scheme was implemented, he explained.

The Commerce Ministry's third auction for 207,000 tonnes of rice attracted many traders offering good prices, encouraging the ministry to continue with the fourth bidding next month.

He said the number of millers had increased over the past two to three years as they had been able to profit from and take advantage Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2874