2nd October,2018 daily global regional local rice -enewsletter

2 October ,2018

www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-News

Indonesia Interested to Import 1 million tons of Rice from Pakistan

By Aiman Bilal September 30, 2018

Indonesia has shown interest to import 1 million tons of rice from Pakistan, as told

by Iwan Suyudhie Amri—the Indonesian Ambassador to Pakistan.

While conversing with the members of the Multan Chamber of Commerce (MCC) on Friday, Mr Amri said that Jakarta was working to attain an agreeable mechanism for everyone in regard to the import of one million tons of rice from Pakistan, as reported by the local media.

He gave an invitation to the local makers, industrialists and exporters for participating in the 33rd Trade Expo which is to be held in Indonesia from the 24th of October until the 28th for enhancing and boosting the business activities.

Mr Amri mentioned that it has been decided that a free thirty day-visa would be granted to the traders and visitors from one hundred and seventy-four nations and registered buyers would be greeted well at the Jakartaâ€&#x;s Soekarno-Hatta airport.

Mr Amri while recalling the basis of the bilateral ties between the two nations said that they had been cordial and nice since they started.

He further said that serious attempt, are now required to be made for translating these ties into greater economic partnership.

The Indonesian Ambassador to Pakistan mentioned the volume of bilateral trade which is $2.18 billion, which is actually very much lesser than the actual present potential.

He is of the belief that exports from Pakistan should increase by a good rate. Mr Amri expressed his appreciation for the improved law and order situation in the nation and said that would for sure impact the exports to Indonesia positively.

While talking about the CPEC, Mr Amri said that it would be attracting advantageous foreign investment and would provide benefits to all the regional nations.

Mr Amri about halal food said that Pakistan was getting the halal food certifications quickly which would help it in increasing these exports to Indonesia.

https://www.researchsnipers.com/indonesia-interested-to-import-1-million-tons-ofrice-from-pakistan/

REAP asks govt to provide facilities for boosting rice exports Last Updated On 01 October,2018 09:21 am

Safdar Hussain said that he will take all measures for solution of rice exportersâ€&#x; problems.

(Web Desk) - Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has asked government to provide facilities for boosting rice exports, Radio Pakistan reported.

In a statement from Lahore, the newly elected Chairman of the Association, Safdar Hussain said that there is a huge demand for Pakistani rice and its exports can be raised considerably if government cooperates in this regard.

He said that he will take all measures for solution of rice exportersâ€&#x; problems. https://dunyanews.tv/en/Business/459590-REAP-asks-govt-provide-facilities-boosting-riceexports

Bumper rice crop in Kashmir after official warning of drought

By JUNAID NABI BAZAZ on October 1, 2018

SRINAGAR: Nature has proven wrong the government advisory that Kashmir Valley was going to witness a drought this season. With the harvesting season of Kashmir‟s principal crop, rice, having begun, farmers are speaking of a “bumper crop”. The state‟s top agriculture official also concurs, saying the produce will break records of the past.

Director Agriculture Syed Altaf Andrabi told Kashmir Reader that the Valley will have a bumper harvest of rice this season. He said there is not a single instance of drought anywhere in the fields.

“There is none above the creator of this world, who plans and disposes what humans decide. This harvest is an example of that. We will see the best harvest this year,” Altaf said.

Earlier this year, the Irrigation and Flood Control Department had issued drought advisories to farmers in both north and south Kashmir. Its Chief Engineer, Shahnawaz, had told Kashmir Reader that farmers who cultivate rice on Abi Doam and Soam lands in south Kashmir had been advised to not cultivate rice but some other crop. The same advisory was issued to farmers in some Abi Awal areas in north Kashmir.

Abi Awal is a classification by the revenue department to denote the main paddy land in the Valley. Abi Doom is the paddy land that receives less water compared to Abi Awal and Abi Soam is paddy land that receives less water than Abi Doom. This classification exists because paddy fields are spread on different heights and distances to water sources.

“We had issued an advisory based on the precipitation received from November 2017 to March 2018. It was 53 percent low compared to what it is expected to be. But, fortunately, nature has proved us wrong,” Shahnawaz said.

Shahnawaz said that drought was averted by huge doses of rainfall the Valley received during the summer in different instalments.

Altaf said he had advised against the advisory because Kashmir has been witness to less rainfall in winters many times, only to receive plenty during summer.

These different positions of two government departments had put farmers in a quandary whether to cultivate rice or not. The farmers decided to go against the advisory.

Abdul Ahad, a farmer form south Kashmir, told Kashmir Reader that he chose to cultivate rice because he was familiar with weather patterns in the past, which had never led to a drought in Kashmir.

“I also put trust in Allah, and he does not betray it,” he added.

A drought in Kashmir, which is an agrarian economy, would have been a huge crisis. The government would have had to import additional food supplies which could have been more than the 24 percent of rice deficit that Kashmir faces at present. Farmers could have been the main sufferers.

https://kashmirreader.com/2018/10/01/bumper-rice-crop-in-kashmir-after-official-warning-ofdrought/

Farm exports rise 5% in April-August

Basmati rice, buffalo meat beef up the numbers; sliding rupee is a plus BENGALURU, SEPTEMBER 30

Farm product exports continued to grow during the first five months of this fiscal on strong overseas demand for products such as basmati rice and buffalo meat, among others.

They were also aided by a weakening rupee.

Total farm exports during April-August this year touched $7.7 billion, a growth of 5 per cent over the corresponding period last year.

In rupee value terms, the growth for the period was 10.28 per cent at ₹51,913 crore (₹47,076 crore in the corresponding period last year), according to the Agricultural and Processed Exports Development Authority (APEDA).

Shipments of basmati rice, the largest product in India‟s farm export basket, topped $2 billion for the period, registering a 8.7 per cent growth.

However, the increase in volumes was marginal as shipments stood at 1.85 million tonnes (1.84 mt). The growth in export value is on account of higher unit pricing at $1,088 per tonne ($1,005 per tonne).

Basmati rice accounts for a 26.3 per cent share of India‟s total exports. Iran was the largest buyer, accounting for 36 per cent of the shipments in April-August, followed by Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Volumes down Similarly, a higher per unit realisation has helped push up exports of buffalo meat in value.

Volumes were down at 4.99 lakh tonnes (5.03 lakh tonnes).

Buffalo meat is the second largest product in Indiaâ€&#x;s farm export basket, accounting for 20 per cent of the export earnings. Vietnam, the largest buyer of Indiaâ€&#x;s buffalo meat, accounted for over half (50.6 per cent) of the exports during the period, followed by Malaysia and Indonesia.

Non-basmati rice, however, registered a dip in exports during the period on account of lower volumes of 3.17 mt (3.4 mt). In value terms, non-basmati exports for the period stood at $1.31 billion (1.382 billion). Bangladesh was the largest importer of non-basmati during the period, followed by Senegal and Nepal.

China, the largest buyer of rice, has opened up its market for Indian non-basmati rice and the first shipment was made last week from Nagpur.

Exports of other products that have done well during the period include pulses, processed vegetables, guargum, groundnut and dairy products. Shipments of pulses have more than doubled in volumes during the period to 1.44 lakh tonnes (66,687 tonnes). In value, pulses exports increased by 30 per cent to $131 million.

Dairy products Dairy product exports have also grown, both in volumes and value, during the period. Their volumes crossed 50,000 tonnes (39,102 tonnes). In value terms, it stood at â‚š957 crore.

Though groundnut exports have increased in volumes to 2.01 lakh tonnes (1.57 lakh tonnes), the growth in value at $194 million ($184 million) has not kept pace. The oilseed has suffered a decline to $962 per tonne ($1,167/tonne in the corresponding period last year). https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/farm-exports-rise-5-in-aprilaugust/article25090117.ece

Agriculture Ministry to promote corn growing to lower rice production

By NNT October 1, 2018

Bangkok – The Ministry of Agriculture is set to encourage farmers to grow corn instead of off-season rice, as part of efforts to tackle an excess supply of rice and falling prices.

Agriculture Minister Grisada Boonrach said that the corn growing promotion is part of the governmentâ€&#x;s San Palan Pracharat public-private collaboration, which has been initiated to offer alternative crops for farmers traditionally engaged in off-season rice growing.

Grisada said that Thailand produces between 14 million tons and 15 million tons of rice each year, but demand from within and outside Thailand stands at between 11 million tons and 12 million tons only.

He stated that the excess supply has driven rice prices lower.

At the same time, the current annual level of production of corn for animal feed is five million tons against the annual demand for eight million tons, according to the Agriculture Minister.

The Agriculture Minister says that the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives is ready to offer a low-interest loan to interested farmers while the Agriculture Sector Cooperatives and Farmers Groups Development Division will help facilitate the sale of their crops to ensure a fair deal. http://www.pattayamail.com/thailandnews/agriculture-ministry-promote-corn-growing-lowerrice-production-224368

Agriculture Ministry to promote corn growing to lower rice production

By NNT October 1, 2018

Bangkok – The Ministry of Agriculture is set to encourage farmers to grow corn instead of off-season rice, as part of efforts to tackle an excess supply of rice and falling prices.

Agriculture Minister Grisada Boonrach said that the corn growing promotion is part of the governmentâ€&#x;s San Palan Pracharat public-private collaboration, which has been initiated to offer alternative crops for farmers traditionally engaged in off-season rice growing.

Grisada said that Thailand produces between 14 million tons and 15 million tons of rice each year, but demand from within and outside Thailand stands at between 11 million tons and 12 million tons only.

He stated that the excess supply has driven rice prices lower.

At the same time, the current annual level of production of corn for animal feed is five million tons against the annual demand for eight million tons, according to the Agriculture Minister.

The Agriculture Minister says that the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives is ready to offer a low-interest loan to interested farmers while the Agriculture Sector Cooperatives and Farmers Groups Development Division will help facilitate the sale of their crops to ensure a fair deal. http://www.pattayamail.com/thailandnews/agriculture-ministry-promote-corn-growing-lowerrice-production-224368

Rice board members assume duties Bruce Schultz | 9/28/2018 3:05:19 PM (09/28/18) CROWLEY, La. — The newly appointed members of the Louisiana Rice Research and Louisiana Rice Promotion boards took the oath of office on Sept. 24.

They were selected by Gov. John Bel Edwards to serve four-year terms.

Both boards met at the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station and were sworn in

by Acadia Parish Clerk of Court Robert Barousse.

The promotion board members are Joshua Andrus, of Kaplan; Paul Zaunbrecher, of Rayne; Kent Brown, of Jennings; Michelle Ribera for agriculture commissioner Mike Strain; Tommy Faulk, of Crowley; Christian Richard, of Kaplan; Kane Fontenot, of Mamou; Mark Pousson, of Iowa; Buster Hardee, of Kaplan; John Owen, of Rayville; and Paul Johnson, of Welsh.

The promotion board chose Owen as chairman, Johnson as vice chair and Faulk as secretarytreasurer.

Research board members are Damian Bollich, of Jones; Jason Waller, of Mer Rouge; John Denison, of Lake Charles; Jeffrey Sylvester, of Ville Platte; Jude Doise, of Welsh; Benjy Rayburn for Strain; John Earles, of Bunkie; Eric Savant, of Kinder; Richard Fontenot, of Ville Platte; Sammy Noel, of Abbeville; Kim Frey, of Eunice; Jerry Leonards, of Rayne; Dane Hebert, of Maurice; Alan Lawson, of Crowley; and David LaCour, of Abbeville.

Richard Fontenot was chosen as chairman of the research board. Hebert was selected as vice chair and Denison as secretary-treasurer.

The research board will meet again at the Rice Research Station on Nov. 1 to hear research project funding proposals.

Louisiana Rice Promotion Board members chosen by Gov. John Bel Edwards take the oath of office on Sept. 24. They will serve four-year terms. Shown in the photo are, from left, Board Chairman John Owen, of Rayville; Paul Johnson, of Welsh; Buster Hardee, of Vermilion Parish; Paul Zaunbrecher, of Rayne; Christian Richard, of Indian Bayou; Tommy Faulk, of Crowley; and Kane Fontenot, of Mamou. Also taking the oath were

Joshua Andrus, of Kaplan; Kent Brown, of Jennings; Michelle Ribera for agriculture commissioner Mike Strain; and Mark Pousson, of Iowa.

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Louisiana Rice Research Board members take the oath of office on Sept. 24 for their new four-year terms. They were named to the board by Gov. John Bel Edwards. From left to right are Jeffery Sylvester, of Ville Platte; Sammy Noel, of Abbeville; David LaCour, of Abbeville; Dane Hebert, of Maurice; and Benjy Rayburn for agriculture commissioner Mike Strain. Also on the board are Damian Bollich, of Jones; John Denison, of Lake Charles; Jude Doise, of Welsh; Richard Fontenot, of Ville Platte; Kim Frey, of Eunice; Alan Lawson, of Crowley; Jerry Leonards, of Rayne; Sammy Noel, of Abbeville; Eric Savant, of Kinder; and Jason Waller, of Mer Rouge.

Louisiana Rice Research Board members taking the oath of office for new four-year terms on Sept. 24 are, left to right, John Earles, of Bunkie; John Denison, of Lake Charles; Eric Savant, of Kinder; Jerry Leonards, of Rayne; and Kim Frey, of Eunice. Also on the board are Damian Bollich, of Jones; Jude Doise, of Welsh; Richard Fontenot, of Ville Platte; Dane Hebert, of Maurice; David LaCour, of Abbeville; Alan Lawson, of Crowley; Sammy Noel, of Abbeville; Jeffery Sylvester, of Ville Platte; Jason Waller, of Mer Rouge; and Benjy Rayburn for agriculture commissioner Mike Strain.

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2 rice millers booked for defrauding bank Fazilka, October 1 The police have booked brothers Raman and Amandeep Josan, both rice millers of Jalalabad, for defrauding the Muktsar branch of the State Bank of India in a Rs 8.7-crore loan case.

Rachpal Sidhu, Chief Manager, SBI branch, Malout Road, said the accused had availed cash credit limit of Rs 6 crore and a term loan of Rs 2.7 crore from the bank in 2010 for their mill.

Guarantors had pledged their property in favour of the bank in lieu of obtaining the loan.

Investigating officer Chander Shekhar said 117-kanal, 13-marla land at Ghubaya village, mortgaged with the bank, had allegedly been sold by the guarantor to other persons by preparing fake documents in connivance with the patwari concerned.

After conducting an inquiry, the duo was booked under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/2-rice-millers-booked-for-defraudingbank/661944.html

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/indias-april-aug-rice-exportsdrop-4-3-pct-year-on-year-govt-body/articleshow/66028137.cms

China clears 14 Indian rice companies for export amid trade war with US September 30, 2018 Staff Writer .story-content span,.story-content p,.story-content div{color:#000!essential;font-family:„open sans„,Arial!essential;font-size:15px!essential} span.p-content div[id^=”div-gpt”]{lineheight:0;font-size:0} China has agreed to import from 14 of the 19 registered exporters from India, while the remaining five— mostly of basmati sellers — have been asked to improve storage and isolation facilities before applying afresh.

China allows import of only from India, but with this clearance, even can be exported. The clearance comes amid rising tension between the United States and China over China is viewing for newer markets to increase its inventories. Export from India has been caught under wraps since it failed to clear Chinese food safety and quality norms.

China alleged India‟s rice consignments contained „khapra‟ (cabinet) beetle and were unfit for consumption, which Indian authorities and traders denied.

In an agreement signed on June 9, China agreed to import from India as well. The shipments had to comply with the Chinese plant quarantine laws and regulations. India has to ensure that processing and storage houses of the rice to be exported to China is free from pests — Trogoderma granarium and Prostephanus truncatus — and live insects. The exported rice will must be free of soil, seeds of weeds, paddy hull, loose bran and any of plant debris of rice. exports from the country during April-February 2018 stood at $3.26 billion as against $2.53 billion in 2016-17. India wants to accelerate exports to China with a view to bridging the ballooning trade deficit, which has increased to $63.12 billion in 2017-18 from $51.08 billion in the previous fiscal. https://cantoncaller.com/china-clears-14-indian-rice-companies-for-export-amid-trade-war-withus/157919/

Arkansas farmers accelerate harvest ahead of forecast rain 

By Fred Miller U of A System Division of Agriculture

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Sep 29, 2018

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Fast Facts: Arkansas farmers accelerated harvests after Tropical Storm Gordon Corn harvest nearly finished, rice about three weeks from completion Cotton and soybean harvests just getting rolling FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas farmers accelerated harvest operations in the wake of excessive rains from the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon, and those that are under way are making good crops.

Rice Harvest

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Couric reflects 10 years after Palin interview HURRIED HARVEST -- Arkansas farmers are pushing hard to harvest their fields ahead of rain forecast for the weekend and next week. (Division of Agriculture photo by Fred Miller) But with more rain in the forecast for this weekend and next week, growers are racing through their fields with one eye on the sky.

Rice The Arkansas rice harvest is about 60 percent complete and seems to have survived the rains dropped by the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon, said Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “Farmers are pushing hard to get the crop in ahead of any rain,� Hardke said.

“At the rate they‟re going, the harvest could be about done within about three weeks,” Hardke said. “But if we get five or six days of rain next week, we may be looking at more delays.”

Most rice growing areas in the state missed the worst rain from Gordon, Hardke said, and suffered only light damage. “We had some rice leaning like it might fall over,” he said, “but by and large, it‟s not as bad as was anticipated.”

Still, Hardke said, more rain delays increase the risks of harm to the harvest. “The longer rice is in the field, the more bad stuff might happen,” he said.

The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service projects Arkansas rice yields at 7,490 pounds, or about 166 bushels, per acre.

http://newtoncountytimes.com/news/arkansas-farmers-accelerate-harvest-ahead-of-forecastrain/article_78ccfbdc-c032-11e8-8459-f349ece92f8a.html

S. Korea's rice production expected to hover around 3.85 mln tons in 2018 2018/09/30 09:12

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SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's rice production is expected to hover around 3.85 million tons in 2018, down from 3.97 million tons tallied for last year, a state-run agriculture think tank said Sunday.

"The total rice output will likely be between 3.83 million tons to 3.87 million tons, which translates into a 2.7-3.6 percent dip from the previous year," the Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI) said.

It said the contraction is in line with overall trends caused by people eating less of the staple grain and opting for greater dietary variety. With the exception of

2013 through 2015, when output actually increased, the size of rice harvested every year has been falling from 4.92 million tons reached in 2009.

KREI said the decline is related to the drop in rice paddies in the country that stands at 738,000 hectares this year, down 2.2 percent from 755,000 hectares in 2017. For the past five years, the country's rice growing paddies have been contracting by an average 2.3 percent annually.

In addition to less land allocated to grow rice, the institute said heavy rain and the impact of the recent typhoon affected the yield.

Reflecting the decrease in output, KREI expected prices to go up, with excess production falling to some 80,000 tons, much smaller than the yearly average of 230,000 tons posted in recent years.

"There may be changes as the official yield will have to be calculated later, but at present the market price for an 80 kilogram sack of rice will probably be higher than the 164,357 won (US$147.90) that was the norm in recent years," a source said.

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2018/09/30/0200000000AEN20180930000900320.html

N.Korea Bans Rice Transport as Severe Shortage Looms      

By Kim Myong-song

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October 01, 2018 11:22

North Korea has banned rice transports from one part of the country to another as a severe shortage looms following a poor harvest due to the record heatwave this summer.

Radio Free Asia last Thursday reported that North Korea issued an official notice of the ban in early September and stepped up checkpoints across the country.

The notice warned that people who violate the ban and those caught stealing rice face execution. The measures suggest that the regime is now desperate to hoard supplies after spending lavishly to celebrate its 70th founding anniversary last month.

The record heat this summer severely diminished crop yields in North Korea, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said in a report early last month, and the price of rice rose from 4,500 North Korean won per kilogram in late August to 5,400 won in late September, up around 17 percent.

The shortage is particularly severe for ordinary people. The head of a rice farm cooperative in South Hwanghae Province reportedly killed himself in protest against an order to hand over 40 percent of the farm's yield to the country's bloated military.

© This is copyrighted material owned by Digital Chosun Inc. No part of it may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2018/10/01/2018100101367.html

Agri dep‟t outlines port-of-origin inspection regime for rice imports October 1, 2018 | 9:54 pm

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AGRICULTURE Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said the more permissive system for private rice imports will still require sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) import clearances with inspectors to assess shipments at the port of origin.

“Even for private imports, we will have to implement the SPS and determine whether they are bringing in 25% brokens,” Mr. Piñol told reporters at the sidelines of the ASEAN Agriculture Summit 2018 held at SMX Convention Center in Pasay.

He was referring to the grade of rice typically imported, which is determined by the permissible percentage of broken grains.

Mr. Piñol said that the DA will be sending its staff to ports of origin to issue the SPS clearance and will decline the shipment if it fails to pass.

He said the inspection measures will be in force “effective in the next round of importation.”

Mr. Piñol said that the price of rice has already started to drop with the onset of harvest season, along with the entry of imported rice, according to Philippine Rice Research Institute Executive Director Sailila E. Abdula.

He said the timing of imports remains critical because it can depress the price farmers can obtain at harvest time.

According to Mr. Piñol, the buying price of palay, or unmilled rice, by the National Food Authority remains at P17 but he added that with incentives the actual price is equivalent to P20.

Mr. Piñol also denied that the agriculture sector is at fault for high levels of inflation, noting that those in the farm sector are also victims of high prices.

In his speech at the summit Mr. Piñol said: “Food prices are only indicative of the effect of other inflationary costs. Agriculture only reacts to other causes of inflation like fuel. Do not blame food prices as a cause of inflation.”

In front of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, he also announced that the Philippines will stop importing higher grades of rice from Vietnam and Thailand.

“Sorry to our friends from Thailand and Vietnam. We will no longer import your Class A rice. Our local farmers will produce the Class A rice,” he said.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry Chairman George T. Barcelon said that it is necessary for the country to focus on high-value crops, as domestically-produced rice is more expensive than imports.

“The rice we import is cheaper than the food we produce locally. It is important for our country like the Philippines to go for high-value crops,” Mr. Barcelon said.

Ateneo de Manila University professor Cielito F. Habito has said that the pursuit of rice self-sufficiency is driving the price of rice higher because even marginal land is

planted to rice, increasing overall farming costs. He instead advocated focusing resources on crops that can be exported such as cacao and coffee.

Mr. Piñol, however, said: “We cannot throw one commodity under the bus and promote another. We‟ve got to work on both.” — Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio RECOMMENDED https://www.bworldonline.com/agri-dept-outlines-port-of-origin-inspection-regime-for-rice-imports/

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Rice Prices Climb despite September 0.18% Deflation Zoom Out Zoom In Normal

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) noted there was a 0.18 percent deflation in September 2018 compared to the previous month. Nevertheless, some commodity groups are still experiencing price hikes albeit with a thin margin.

"Rice prices are up 0.9 percent. But because the increase is less than one percent, we donâ€&#x;t highlight it as it only has 0.01 percent impact on inflation," BPS chief Suhariyanto said here on Monday, October 1.

Read: Bulog: Rice Stock Sufficient until July 2019 Based on their analysis in 82 cities, the BPS said that most commodity prices declined in September, leading to the 0.18 percent deflation. The Consumer Price Index thus slipped from 134.07 in August to 133.83 in September.

With September's deflation, the year-to-date inflation rate dropped to 1.94 percent. Meanwhile, the year-onyear inflation is 2.88 percent.

With Bulog's rice stock volume at some 2.4 million tons, Suhariyanto believes that rice prices will remain stable.

https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2018/10/01/056922141/Rice-Prices-Climb-despite-September-018Deflation

VN sees rice export growth by year-end Update: October, 01/2018 - 11:00

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A worker moves rice bags at a private agricultural processing company in Phước Lộc Commune, Tuy Phước District, Bình Định Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Vũ Sinh

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam expects rice exports to regain strength by the end of the year after a brief lull, said Trần Văn Công, deputy director of the Agro Processing and Market Development Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Over the first nine months of this year, Việt Nam shipped 4.9 million tonnes of rice abroad, earning US$2.5 billion, up 22 per cent from the same period last year.

Công said that this is an impressive result, attributing the achievement to the effective rice sector restructuring programme which focuses on developing high-quality and fragrant rice to bolster exports to choosy markets.

Up to 80 per cent of exports now are classified as high-quality rice and sold at more than $500 per tonne, he said, adding that market diversification has been a catalyst for Vietnamese rice shipments.

China‟s sudden imposition of a 50 per cent tariff on rice imports from July affected rice consumption in this market, especially sticky rice. At some points, Chinese traders paid only $380 per tonne for sticky rice, compared to the $530-540 per tonne at the beginning of the year. However, Vietnamese firms have worked to enhance rice exports to Iraq, the Philippines, Malaysia, the Ivory Coast and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The price of sticky rice has also increased from just below $400 per tonne in July and August, to $440 per tonne now. Furthermore, as local firms reduce export costs, Vietnamese rice will gain a competitive edge over that grown in India and Thailand, Công noted.

In the coming time, purchase demand will is forecast to pick up in some countries, such as the Philippines, which will be needing to import an additional 500,000800,000 tonnes of rice by the end of this year to refill exhausted reserves and stabilise the domestic rice price. Meanwhile, Indonesia and several African countries also hold great demand for rice imports in response to output decline due to floods and storms.

Besides, the Government‟s new Decree 107/2018/NĐ-CP replacing Decree 109/2010/NĐ-CP, which takes effect from October 1, will remove difficulties and legal barriers for rice exporters to expand their foreign markets.

According to the decree, rice exporters will no longer be required to own rice storage, paddy milling and grinding facilities with processing capacities of 5,000 tonnes of rice. In addition, customs procedures will be simplified, creating favourable conditions for enterprises to export more to large consuming markets like China, Europe, Africa, Iraq, Cuba and the UAE. Phạm Minh Thiện, general director of Cỏ May Co Ltd, said many provisions on rice export have been modified to suit the development of enterprises. It has created more favourable conditions for businesses to enter the market and to reduce costs significantly.

The amendments to the Decree 109 which was issued eight years ago will promote businesses and farmers to put more investment in the production and trading of highquality rice. Farmers are encouraged to supply high-value rice for rice exporters. — VNS

Read more at http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/466854/vn-sees-rice-export-growth-byyear-end.html#wDZQH3xpPOQOq1w2.99

Vietnamese rice exports hit three-year high Monday, 2018-10-01 17:02:47 Font Size:

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Vietnam exported over 4.88 million tonnes of rice as of September 11, 2018, the highest level for the same period over the past three years (illustrative image) Font Size:

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NDO - With good export growth in the early months of 2018, the total export volume of Vietnamese rice reached its highest level in three years. However, it is forecast that rice

exports will likely face difficulties in the remaining months of the year.

According to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), Vietnam exported over 4.88 million tonnes of rice as of September 11, 2018, the highest level for the same period over the past three years.

In particular, the nine-month export volume also surpassed the total export volume of the whole of 2016 at 4.86 million tonnes.

The statistics released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) also show that Vietnam exported 4.4 million tonnes of rice in the first eight months of this year, up 6.8% over the same period in 2017.

However, rice exports are predicted to encounter challenges in the last quarter of this year as Vietnamese rice exports to China, the largest import market of Vietnam, decreased by 32.8% in the first seven months of this year.

In addition, Vietnamese sticky rice that is exported to China receives a tariff up to 50%, resulting in difficulties for Vietnamese exporters.

According to Nguyen Quoc Toan, Acting Head of the Department of Agro-product Processing and Market Development under the MARD, Vietnamese rice will also have to compete with Thailand and India in terms of prices, as their export prices are falling and the Thai baht and Indian rupee are weakening against the US dollar.

Moreover, China has allowed 19 Indian firms to export rice to China, while signing a deal with Thailand to import 10,000 tonnes of Thai rice, resulting in fiercer competition for Vietnamese rice exporters, Toan noted. http://en.nhandan.org.vn/business/item/6670702-vietnamese-rice-exports-hit-three-year-high.html

Canada Joins U.S. and Mexico in a New NAFTA Called "USMCA"

By Bob Cummings

WASHINGTON, DC -- Late Sunday night negotiations closed with Canada to create a new trilateral trade agreement with the United States and Mexico to replace the twenty-plus year old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was a key trade policy objective of the Trump administration, and President Trump noted on Monday, "It is a great deal for all three countries, solves the many deficiencies and mistakes in NAFTA, greatly opens markets to our Farmers and Manufacturers, reduces Trade Barriers to the U.S. and will bring all three Great Nations together in competition with the rest of the world."

"USA Rice has long called for the conclusion of negotiations to modernize NAFTA in a way that preserves and strengthens access for U.S. rice in Mexico and Canada, two of our largest export markets," said Bobby Hanks, chair of the USA Rice International Trade Policy Committee and a Louisiana miller. "The USMCA does this by preserving duty free access and improving on the sanitary and phytosanitary provisions of the deal. We applaud the administration for bring these talks to a close."

The United States and Mexico reached agreement several weeks ago on modernized text but several difficult issues including Canada's dairy policy and access for U.S. exports, dispute settlement provisions, and the treatment of auto imports from Canada under pending U.S. trade actions caused negotiations with Canada to go down to the wire.

In the end, Canada reportedly agreed to increase access for U.S. dairy exports above that agreed in the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) and to change certain domestic dairy policies; the U.S. agreed to preserve certain dispute settlement procedures from NAFTA important to Canada; and the two countries reached an accommodation on the level of auto imports from Canada should action be taken on auto imports by the United States in the future under Section 232 authority.

"While there are a number of procedural hurdles to go through on the U.S. side in connection with statutory requirements for congressional consideration and approval of the USMCA, this agreement is good news for U.S. rice producers, millers, and exporters," concluded Hanks.

Turn back the clock

Farm Policy Steps Backward with Expiration of 2014 Farm Bill

By Jamison Cruce

WASHINGTON, DC -- The 2014 Farm Bill expired at midnight last night. Reports indicate that little agreement, if any, on negotiations for the 2018 Farm Bill occurred, and with the House on recess from now through Election Day, there's virtually no chance Congress will pass a new farm bill before the lame duck session.

The rumored sticking points are provisions in the nutrition and commodity titles.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work requirements continue to be the issue for nutrition, and the unassigned base provision in the House bill is contributing to disagreements in the commodity title. Under the unassigned base provision, those base acres on a farm not planted to a covered commodity 2009-2017 would become unclassified and ineligible to receive Price Loss Coverage (PLC) or Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) payments through the life of the new farm bill.

With the expiration of the current bill, the baseline of all programs funded under $50 million will be eliminated. This includes the Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program that USA Rice uses to help promote the purchase and consumption of U.S.-grown rice in foreign markets. Crop insurance, which is permanently authorized, and commodity program payments will continue, however, if a new farm bill is not passed by the end of the year, all farm programs will revert back to 1949 law.

In addition, President Trump signed into law a second package of appropriations bills on Friday afternoon, meaning about half of the federal government is funded for the next 12 months. Also included in the bill was a Continuing Resolution to extend current funding levels for the remaining departments whose funding bills have not yet passed Congress, which includes Agriculture, through December 7.

Key to increasing nitrogen efficiency in rice found M SOMASEKHART+ T-

Discovery to help minimise input costs, reduce pollution HYDERABAD, OCTOBER 2 Nitrogen use in soils is among the most important activities that determine crop health and productivity. For generations, the efficient use of fertiliser nitrogen by plants has been limited due to various challenges.

In a significant finding, Indian researchers have identified the key to breaking this barrier in the rice crop. They have found some easily identifiable visual features to differentiate high yielding rice cultivars based on „nitrogen use efficiency‟ (NUE).

Benefits of using nitrogen efficiently The immediate implication will be to push up the fertiliser NUE from the present 30 per cent. It will have double benefits—save on input costs and reduce environmental pollution due to unutilised nitrogen fertilisers. Traditionally, high fertiliser inputs to increase crop yields to meet the high food demands of a growing population has been the norm in India.

“We have discovered the phenotype for fertiliser NUE in rice. It is also crucial in seed germination and crop duration. In turn it can be used to screen robust rice cultivars,” according to the study published in the October 1 edition of the journal, Frontiers of Plant Science by N Raghuram and Narendra Sharma from the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi.

Nitrogen (N) compounds such as urea and ammonium nitrate are the most predominant and expensive components of chemical fertilisers. Indian agriculture consumes over 30 million tonnes of chemical fertiliser N per year, but about 70 per cent of it is not utilised by the crop and causes pollution of soil, water and air.

Nitrous oxide emissions According to the Indian Nitrogen Assessment (2017), co-edited by Raghuram, agriculture accounts for over 70 per cent of all nitrous oxide emission in the Indian environment, out of which 77 per cent is contributed by chemical fertilisers.

Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas (GHG) that is 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. It has replaced methane as the second largest GHG emission from Indian agriculture over the last 15 years.

“As 75 per cent of the market price of urea is subsidised, poor N use efficiency harms recovery of investment worth tens of thousands of crores and instead causes pollution. Drastic reduction in fertiliser usage without improving efficiency adversely impacts crop yields and farmer livelihoods. This is why we must improve the fertiliser nitrogen use efficiency of crops,” explains Raghuram, who was recently elected the Chair of the International Nitrogen Initiative.

Foodgrain crops account for over 69 per cent of the total consumption of N fertilisers in India with rice topping the list at 37 per cent, followed by wheat (24 per cent).

The importance of NUE “We expect that our findings in rice will also be relevant to other crops, though it needs to be validated. In any case, rice has the least NUE among cereals and is consumed by over half of the world‟s population,” he told BusinessLine.

The lack of a simple „phenotype‟, or a visually identifiable feature to distinguish N-efficient and inefficient cultivars has hampered crop improvement for NUE for over half a century, says V Sitaramam from Pune University The findings have shown the importance of germination for other traits such as yield and stress.

Germination and crop duration are such simple features that even farmers can screen and choose cultivars on that basis, while breeders can use them for crop improvement,” says Raghuram.

“Reduction of crop duration has been an important research goal in Indian agriculture, but we have to be mindful of not losing NUE in the process,” says Narendra Sharma. https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/key-to-increasing-nitrogen-efficiency-inrice-found/article25103098.ece

Researchers hack corn to grow fatter and absorb more carbon dioxide LAST UPDATED ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2018 AT 8:51 PM BY ALEXANDRU MICU An international team of researchers wants to level up corn by boosting its ability to capture CO2 from the atmosphere.

Image credits Juraj Varga.

Corn (or maize) is a fruit and one of the most important staple foods on the planet, exceeding even rice or wheat in quantity grown per year. However, in Australia, while corn has the widest geographical spread of all field crops, it lags behind its counterparts (such as wheat or rice) in yield.

One of the main issues maize has to grapple with in the land down under are harsh environmental conditions. In a bid to help the crop bloom to its full potential, an international team of researchers has been toying with its genome, to boost the plant‟s ability to photosynthesize.

Sunny maize “We developed a transgenic maize designed to produce more Rubisco, the main enzyme involved in photosynthesis, and the result is a plant with improved photosynthesis and hence, growth. This could potentially increase tolerance to extreme growth conditions,” said lead researcher Dr. Robert Sharwood from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, led by The Australian National University (ANU).

While all plants rely on photosynthesis to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they go about it in different ways. Plants like wheat and rice use an older and less efficient photosynthetic path (the „C3‟ path), while other plants such as maize and sorghum use the more efficient C4 path.

Some of the most important food crops today (as well as many that are used for animal feed and biofuel production) rely on the C4 pathway. C4 plants are specially adapted to thrive in hot and dry environments — ones that are expected to be more prevalent in future decades.

“There is an urgent need to deliver new higher-yielding and highly adapted crop species, before crops are affected by the expected climate change conditions. These conditions will increase the threats against global food security, and the only way to prepare for them is through international research collaborations.”

One of the molecules that underpins photosynthesis is an enzyme known as Rubisco — which converts CO2 into organic compounds. Rubisco‟s activity is much improved in C4 plants, making the process faster and more water-efficient. As a result, these plants are more tolerant to heat and drought, and tend to be more productive than their C3 counterparts. Maize has one of the most efficient Rubisco enzymes and uses “less nitrogen” to grow than other crops.

“So, our main question was, if we increase Rubisco content in maize, what would it do for the plant?” says co-author David Stern, from the Boyce Thompson Institute.

“We found that by boosting Rubisco inside the maize cells, we get an increase in crop productivity,” Overall CO2 assimilation and crop biomass increased by 15%, the team reports. While quite excited with their results so far, the researchers plan to further increase the “pool of active Rubisco” in the plant to increase this percentage even further. Until then, however, they hope to pit their maize against real-field conditions — the crop has, thus far, only been tested in glasshouse and cabinet conditions.

RELATED Bahrain announces new, massive 80-billion-barrels shale oil reservoir

However, if the team‟s maize proves itself hardy enough to survive farmland, it could pave the way for further C4 crop species to receive the same treatment.

The paper “Overexpression of Rubisco subunits with RAF1 increases Rubisco content in maize” has been published in the journal Nature Plants.

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Popular In the Community https://www.zmescience.com/research/corn-c4-pathway-improved-273562353/

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Scientists try seawater to save Europe's rice from rapacious invasive snail Scientists try seawater to save Europe's rice from rapacious invasive snail ×

By Denis Loctier & Robert Hackwill • last updated: 01/10/2018 TEXT SIZE AaAa

Slowly but surely, a creeping threat is destroying Spanish rice paddies. Global losses from the Apple snail are estimated at tens of billions of euros per year. Futuris takes a look at how scientists are tackling this problem in a simple and environmentally friendly way.

The boundless rice fields of the Ebro Delta: more than 90,000 tons of famous Catalan rice are grown here every year. Global demand is rising, but the threats are expanding as well: from the changing climate to pest infestations. How do we protect European rice from the creeping threat?

This fearless journalist confronted a wild snail with his bare arms explaining the international research effort to stop this invasive species from devouring Europe's rice

fields.

Coming up this season in #Futuris!

12:16 PM - Jul 27, 2018

Brought from South America as a seemingly harmless mollusc to decorate aquariums, the South American Apple snail is now plaguing rice paddies, rivers and wetlands. They eat young rice plants, cutting the stem at the base. Each snail can destroy a square metre of field overnight — and with no local predators, they multiply fast.

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Belinda Gallardo@BelinGallardo

Exponential progression of #InvasiveSpecies #AppleSnail in the Ebro Delta: from 850 adults in 2015 to 7.000 in 2016! Specimen by @Paleoymas 1:00 PM - Mar 28, 2017

See Belinda Gallardo's other Tweets

"We need to slow down its spreading as much as possible. This is a plague that will be difficult to eradicate, that we must learn to live with, and we should use all possible means to prevent it from spreading," says the manager of the CĂĄmara rice cooperative Miguel Ă ngel Vivas.

Researchers are working with farmers desperate to find a solution. Pesticides would harm shellfish, also produced in this area. But a safer snail-killing chemical is just nearby: sea water.

"Depending on the individual location, some approaches can be better than others. In certain areas it can be more economical, more efficient, more environmentally sustainable to use salt water, flooding the paddies with sea water," says Rice Agronomist at the Agrofood Technology Research Institute, Maria Del Mar Catalá Forner.

Unfortunately salt harms the local rice as well. Climate change is increasing soil salinity in many regions, making rice paddies less productive.

Europe’s Race to Save Its Rice | Hakai Magazine http://ow.ly/QpYV306niOm 8:20 AM - Nov 22, 2016

Europe’s Race to Save Its Rice | Hakai Magazine Biologists are trying to breed a salt- and snail-resistant line of European rice. hakaimagazine.com

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To tackle both problems, the salinisation of soils and the snail plague, biologists are working on salt-resistant rice.

"Here we have a cross between this Asian rice variety and an elite Spanish variety. We can see that the hybrid has coffee-brown coloured grains, ripe and ready to be processed. Weâ€&#x;re trying to demonstrate a transfer of Asian salinity tolerance to the Spanish strains, so that they acquire the resistance while at the same time preserving the productivity that the Asian strain lacks," says Plant physiologist at the University of Barcelona Camilo LĂłpez Cristoffanini.

View image on Twitter

Brian Cutts@brian_ebre

In the university's experimental greenhouse, researchers from the European research project NEURICE are removing male parts of the rice flowers and then artificially pollinating the remaining female parts with pollen from another variety in order to produce a hybrid. No genetic technology here, just good old-fashioned cross-breeding.

The hybrid rice sprouts are then grown in salty water and thoroughly studied to make sure that they are sufficiently productive.

"What we see here is that some of our crosses between Asian and European varieties do indeed tolerate salinity. That makes them very interesting. The field tests should prove that they're preserving the productivity of European strains. And we can already see that they have inherited Asian salt tolerance, so theyâ€&#x;re ready to face climate change," says Cristoffanini.

View image on Twitter

We had to start very early this morning to see European rice varieties crossed with

Parallel experiments in Spain, France and Italy should provide farmers in all these countries with optimal salt-resistant rice.

Back near the seashore, new rice varieties are grown in the test field. Researchers are using wireless sensors that constantly measure water salinity to ensure the results are accurate.

"The soil salinisation isn‟t just a local problem here in the Ebro Delta, it‟s affecting the whole Mediterranean region, all of Europe. In fact, it‟s a global issue. And concerning the apple snail, the question for our project is not whether it will reach France or Italy — the question is when.

Because if we do nothing, we can be certain that this will happen," says NEURICE project manager and Plant biologist at the University of Barcelona, Xavier Serrat.

Experts think that the pet trade is the origin of the #AppleSnail infestation that is threatening #biodiversity and #agriculture in Louisiana. #InvasiveSpecies #biosecurity #foodsecurity #nature #ecology https://buff.ly/2EZeNFn 1:25 PM - Feb 19, 2018

https://www.euronews.com/2018/10/01/scientists-try-seawater-to-save-europe-s-rice-from-rapaciousinvasive-snail

Rice Prices Climb despite September 0.18% Deflation MONDAY, 01 OCTOBER, 2018 | 21:14 WIB

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) noted there was a 0.18 percent deflation in September 2018 compared to the previous month. Nevertheless, some commodity groups are still experiencing price hikes albeit with a thin margin.

"Rice prices are up 0.9 percent. But because the increase is less than one percent, we don’t highlight it as it only has 0.01 percent impact on inflation," BPS chief Suhariyanto said here on Monday, October 1.

Based on their analysis in 82 cities, the BPS said that most commodity prices declined in September, leading to the 0.18 percent deflation. The Consumer Price Index thus slipped from 134.07 in August to 133.83 in September.

With September's deflation, the year-to-date inflation rate dropped to 1.94 percent. Meanwhile, the year-on-year inflation is 2.88 percent.

With Bulog's rice stock volume at some 2.4 million tons, Suhariyanto believes that rice prices will remain stable.

https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2018/10/01/056922141/Rice-Prices-Climb-despite-September-018Deflation

High Court seeks details of PDS rice smuggling Legal Correspondent CHENNAI , OCTOBER 02, 2018 01:00 IST

The Madras High Court on Monday called for details from the State government on the gravity of the recurring offence of smuggling rice meant for the public distribution system (PDS) and the positive action taken by the government in the last 10 years to arrest the trend.

A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and P. Rajamanickam wanted to know the number of PDS rice smuggling cases registered.

Last decade They also sought details regarding the volume of rice seized from the smugglers and the quantum of loss caused to the exchequer due to such smuggling activities in the last 10 years. They directed an Additional Public Prosecutor to submit by October 22, the year-wise details of the information sought by them.

The direction was issued while hearing a habeas corpus plea challenging the detention of an individual under the Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act of 1980.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/high-court-seeks-details-of-pds-ricesmuggling/article25100479.ece

THE FIGHT AGAINST THE CREEPING THREAT magictr | October 1, 2018 | Entertainment |

The vast rice fields of the Ebro Delta: are grown here every year more than 90 thousand tons of the famous Catalan rice. Global demand is growing, but increases the scale of problems, from changing climate to pests bred. How to protect the European rice from the creeping threat?

This seemingly harmless mollusk came here from South America and has now become a real scourge of the local rice fields, rivers and swamps. Apple snails are eating the rice shoots, Podgrusha stems at the base. One such snail is able during the night to destroy a square meter of rice fields – and in the absence of natural predators they multiply rapidly.

Is it possible to slow their spread, says a local farmer. – It’s like a plague that is hard to eradicate, we will have to adapt to it and do everything possible to prevent its spread.

To help the farmers find themselves in a desperate situation, came the researchers. Applying pesticides is prohibited, since there are bred oysters. But there is a safer chemical that is deadly to snails: sea water.

Depending on the specific location, you can use these or other approaches, explains agronomist IRTA Maria del Mar Catala Forner. – The use of sea water in rice fields can in some cases be the most economical, efficient and environmentally sound method of pest control.

But salt is harmful to local varieties of rice. Due to climatic changes in salinity of soil in many regions is increasing, leading to a drop in yield of rice plantations. In an effort to solve both problems – salinization and invasion of snails – biologists derive salt-tolerant rice.

We crossed different varieties of rice – Asian and local Spanish, says Kamio Lopez Cristofani, an employee of the University of Barcelona. – The resulting hybrid grain coffee brown, they are ripe and ready to be processed. We are trying to transfer Spanish rice biological resistance to salt, typical of Asian varieties. Our goal is to bring the rice that by purchasing this stability, retain their high productivity.

In this experimental greenhouse, scientists from rice flowers and remove the stamens, and then artificially pollinate the remaining pistils with pollen of another variety to bring the hybrid. Work is carried out in the framework of the European research project NEURICE. Then, hybrid rice shoots grown in salt water and carefully studying on the subject of productivity.

– Here we see that some hybrids of Asian and European varieties really are resistant to salinity.

They are of great interest. Field testing will show whether they are yielding European varieties. But we already know that they inherited the Asian salt resistance, therefore will be able to combat climate change.

Through such experiments, going to Spain, France and Italy, farmers in these countries will be able to obtain salt-tolerant and high-yielding varieties of rice.

New varieties already grown in this experimental field near the shore. Data on the salinity of water is constantly transferred from wireless sensors, providing reliable results.

– Soil salinity is not a local problem in the Delta of the river Ebro, it concerns the entire Mediterranean region, whole Europe. In fact it is a global problem. As for snails, the question is not whether they will get to France or Italy, and when it happens. They will definitely get there – if we do not act.