3rd october,2014 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter

3rd October, 2014

News Head Lines  ICT helps boost rice yield in Philippines  El Nino Threatens Export Plans as Burma’s Rice Industry Revs Up  Agriculture Expo opens in Taipei, featuring rice  Bac Son rice fields in harvest season  Protest over subsidy only for rice farmers  Rice export volumes soar nearly 60% in first eight months  Farm Fields Damaged in Arkansas Storms  RID suggests no off-season rice planting due to insufficient water  Rice export volumes soar nearly 60% in first eight months  El Nino Threatens Export Plans as Burma’s Rice Industry Revs Up  Thai govt sells over 50,000 tonnes of rice to private firms  News Shared by USA Rice Federation Contact & Visit www.ricepluss.com mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com 7th Floor,Suite 11 Central Plaza New Garden Town Lahore-54600 Landline :92 3584 5551 For Advertisement Specs & Rates:

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ICT helps boost rice yield in Philippines BSS, Los Banos, Philippines

The Cyber Village Project has created revolution by increasing rice output using information and communications technology (ICT)-based web tools and technologies in the Philippines.The information was disclosed at the ―Farmers' technology forum for farmer-cooperators‖ organised by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) at its headquarters in the Philippines yesterday.Forty member farmers of different ICT-based e-Centres from several municipalities in different provinces all over the Philippines, two renowned Indian farmers, and a farmer and a journalist from Bangladesh participated.

The project Coordinator and Head of IRRI's Partnerships Office Jojo Lapitan and Senior Manager at IRRI Training Centre Engineer Engene Castro also spoke.National Scientist of the Philippines and IRRI Consultant Dr Gelia Castillo delivered keynote message citing the project as stimulus for acquiring connectivity in reaching ICT-based agricultural technologies to farmers.Member of a Cyber Village e-Centre Genevieve Madelo, Ester Solamo, Fredric Paniyar and William Gitakay narrated their successes and shared experiences.They elaborated as how they have increased rice production using ICT-based technologies and information for better crop management to change their socio-economic status and improve livelihoods and living standard.

The Cyber Village Project beneficiary farmers discussed benefits of using ICT-based technologies, Nutrient Manager for Rice (NMR), Rice Crop manger (RCM), Pilipino Rice Knowledge Bank (PRNB) and other facilities.They dwelt on how they have been changing rice farming practices, selecting certified high quality seed, spraying pesticides, fungicides and insecticides, controlling bacterial diseases, applying optimum fertilisers and irrigation management having easy access to ICT-based information.

Published: 12:00 am Friday, October 03, 2014

El Nino Threatens Export Plans as Burma’s Rice Industry Revs Up

By WILLIAM BOOT / THE IRRAWADDY| Friday, October 3, 2014

Hopes that Burma’s rice exports would reach 2 million tons this year look unlikely to be achieved due to the disruptive weather phenomenon known as El Nino, experts say.Monsoonal rains needed to boost Burma’s late rice crop are expected to be lighter than usual due to the El Nino effect, leading to drier conditions.Observers of the El Nino weather pattern, which occurs every few years due to warmer air currents generated in the Pacific Ocean, suggest it might be less severe than on previous occasions but could still disrupt various forms of agriculture across Southeast Asia.

It could last until June 2015 and some meteorologists have suggested that December might be the worst month affected.This year’s major wet season rice crops across Southeast Asia might escape the worst of El Nino, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Foreign Service said, ―[but] dry season rice and corn crops, as well as palm oil, will become more vulnerable if El Nino develops and persists from October 2014 to April 2015.‖Burma exported 1.27 million tons of rice in 2013 and the Burma Rice Federation had said the figure for this year might reach the 2 million tons mark, boosted by higher demand from China and dislocation in the rice industry of rival exporter Thailand. However, even without any El Nino effect, the 2 million tons target is over-optimistic according to estimates made by the USDA. The US agency predicted that rice production in Burma in 2014-2015 would most likely increase by 1 percent to 12.16 million tons, due to growing area expansion and improved water supply, and that rice exports would also be only marginally higher than last year—up about 1 percent to 1.31 million tons.Burma’s government was ―making an effort to provide farmers support in infrastructure development, mechanization [and] technology assistance,‖ the USDA said. But despite support programs, rice farmers in Burma could still not compete with other farmers in the region, including in Thailand and Vietnam, who received government support to compensate for lower prices, the agency said, citing trade sources.

Burma is forecast to be the fifth-largest rice producer in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region in the 2014-15 financial year —behind Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. But of these four, only Vietnam and Thailand are exporters.―On the surface, rice markets remain calm and stable, but underlying market sentiments are rapidly changing because of weather disruptions in many rice-growing nations,‖ market watcher and rice scientist Sam Mohanty of the International Rice Research Institute said in a recent assessment.―The global rice market faces the possibility of a production shortfall in the major rice-growing regions in South and Southeast Asia and also in China because of El Nino events. So far, the market has been quite nonchalant about this possibility because of large buffer stocks in key ricegrowing countries.‖ |

A truck loaded with rice bags drives by a port in Rangoon. (Photo: Reuters / Soe Zeya Tun)

India, China and Thailand are well stocked with rice to see them through any possible disruptions in supplies, Mohanty said.Burma’s rice federation sees China as offering the best market for expanding Burmese exports in coming years. About half of Burma’s rice exports went to China in 2013, despite the fact that the exports are technically illegal as there is not yet a health standards agreement on rice in place between the two countries.

Agriculture Expo opens in Taipei, featuring rice 2014/10/03 20:07:18 BACK TO LIST Agriculture Expo opens in Taipei, featuring rice 2014/10/03 20:07:18

Taipei, Oct. 3 (CNA) The annual Taiwan Agriculture Expo opened at the Expo Dome of the Taipei Expo Park Friday, featuring farmers' associations, market garden operators and food industry companies from around the country and focusing on rice and rice products. At the three-day exposition, activities have been organized to promote the use of rice flour as rice consumption continues to decline in Taiwan, where rice is traditionally the main staple, according to the organizer, the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture (COA).

According to COA statistics, rice consumption amounted to 45 kilograms per person in Taiwan in 2013, representing a decline of 0.7 percent from the previous year. It marks the lowest level in 10 years, the council said.In turn, the consumption of wheat flour -- mostly imported from abroad -- increased 0.4 percent to 36.1 kg per person last year, the COA said in its annual food supply report for 2013, noting that the figures indicate a drop in Taiwan's self-sufficiency rate.

Agriculture and Food Agency Deputy Director-General Chen Chien-bin said the agency has tried but failed to encourage local people to eat more rice. Now, he said, it has turned to developing different ways to use rice flour, trying to produce popular rice-derived foods.The agency has developed around 30 kinds of rice flour products, ranging from instant noodles to rice ice cream, Chen said, adding that all the products are being displayed at the expo.A total of 141 booths have been set up at the venue to exhibit the various products, which have been divided into the categories of farming, fishery, forestry, livestock and processed food.

(By Yang Shu-min and Elizabeth Hsu) ENDITEM/J ”This website's content, including but not limited to text, images and video, cannot be reproduced, retransmitted or publicly broadcast without the authorization of CNA.

Bac Son rice fields in harvest season VietNamNet Bridge - The town of Bac Son in the northern border Lang Son is located in a large valley surrounded by high mountains. The valley is magically beautiful in the harvest season.

Bac Son is approximately 160 km from Hanoi. The first impression when you come here is the pure and cool climate, the fresh and wild of rocky mountains and slippery slopes.

Bac Son Valley with vast rice fields and the charming scenery at dawn. This small town is surrounded by limestone mountains.

There are two rice crops in the valley. The harvest seasons fall in July and November.

Bac Son in the early morning.

Rice fields here are not harvested at the same time, so the colors of rice fields are different, with shades of yellow and green.

The fields after a rain.

A beautiful picture of the countryside.

Bac Son town at sunset.

Protest over subsidy only for rice farmers Ayuthai Nonnitirat Kawintra Jaiseu The Nation October 4, 2014 1:00 am Growers of other crops, having similar problems, upset they have been ignored Farmers of various crops are crying foul over the government decision to award subsidies to rice farmers while ignoring the others. "It's unfair. The government doesn't treat all farmers equally," chief adviser to the Chiang Rai-based Rubber Plantation Cooperative, Narong Boriparak, said yesterday. He was speaking in response to the government project offering about Bt1,000 subsidy per rai of paddy field to rice farmers so as to help them shoulder the cost of cultivation.

The ceiling for the subsidy is set at Bt15,000.The price of rice has been falling. Jinda Oumyart, a 54-year-old farmer in Pathum Thani province, said she could sell a tonne of rice at only Bt6,000 to Bt7,000.

"For rice farmers to survive, we should at least earn about Bt9,000 per tonne," she said. She added that the cost of cultivation per rai of paddy field had reached about Bt5,500 and Bt5,600.Narong argued that rubber growers too faced rising costs, as fertilisers and other farming tools were all becoming more expensive. "We feel slighted," he said. Boonyoung Prommuang, who chairs the rubber panel of the Chiang Rai Farmers Council, said rubber price was spiralling downward, too, but the government had yet to provide any assistance. Utairat Boontiam, who

heads a corn farmers' group in Chiang Mai's Mae Chaem district, asked what the government planned to do for corn growers. "We will rally if the government continues to ignore us," he said.

He said the government should help them find markets and bypass middlemen. Meanwhile, the Northeastern Rice Farmers' Association president, Panupong Pattarakhon-ngam, did not welcome the government's move either. He pointed out that many farmers had rented land from landlords and might have difficulty getting the government subsidy in practice. "Even if the landowners allow the farmers to produce the land-lease documents for claiming subsidy, they will demand that farmers give them a greater share in the rice output," Panupong said. In his opinion, farmers will not be the true beneficiaries of such a government project. Panupong also questioned why relevant authorities were not striving harder to control the prices of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. However, many small-scale farmers are happy with the government's promise to pay subsidies. Somsak Lamuncha, whose paddy fields cover about 13 rai, said he felt thankful for the government's latest move. "I think farmers will benefit, including those who have to rent plots of land from landlords," he said.

Rice export volumes soar nearly 60% in first eight months Petchanet Pratruangkrai The Nation October 3, 2014 4:18 pm

Rice exports in the first eight months of the year grew significantly, by almost 60 per cent year on year, to 6.59 million tonnes, thanks to strong demand in many markets and a high supply from government stocks, according to the Thai Rice Exporters Association.The association reported that the value of rice exports also increased by 22.4 per cent year on year to Bt105.83 billion.Chareon Charoen Laothamatas, president of the association, said demand had increased considerably since July this year, particularly for white rice in some African countries.

In the first eight months of last year, Thailand exported only 4.14 million tonnes of rice worth Bt86.47 billion.In the JanuaryAugust period this year, Benin imported the most at 852,502 tonnes, followed by Nigeria with 474,561 tonnes, China with 432,220, Ivory Coast with 383,663 and South Africa with 335,529.

Farm Fields Damaged in Arkansas Storms Lodged Beans FLATTENED -- High winds from the Oct. 2, 2014, storm front flattened this soybean field in southeastern Arkansas. (U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture photo by

Rewarding season for Lala rice farmers THURSDAY, 02 OCTOBER 2014 19:14

It is no coincidence that the name of their cooperative means ―to prosper‖ in the local language, for rice farmers in the town of Lala, Lanao del Norte are now experiencing a rewarding cropping season.According to Jerry Enterina, chairman of the Oryza Sativa Workers and Growers Association (OSWAG) of Barangay Simpak, farmers here have raised their quality of harvest with a new solar dryer and warehouse.―Before, drying was very difficult for the farmers especially during wet season and when harvesting is done by bulk,‖ he said.Village councilor Marina Bullecer said during rainy days, ―the rice would sell lower than usual, sometimes half of the selling price. ‖The cooperative immediately proposed the acquisition of needed postharvest facilities through the local government.The P5-million livelihood project in Lala was funded under the Community Fund for Agricultural Development (CFAD) of the Department of Agriculture’s Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) benefiting four barangays.Bullecer said one of the village residents also donated a portion of the land for the drying facility.To sustain the operation, the cooperative collects P7 for drying and P3 as storage fee per month. A peso is allocated every payment for the organization, which is aimed at providing benefits to member farmers.The postharvest facility can also be availed of even by non-member farmers.Ronel Baroy, municipal agriculturist, said that the benefit of the facilities cannot be stressed enough.

He said some of the farmers used to travel to as far as Iligan City just to dry their rice produce. ―Aside from transportation cost, the hauling cost of 20 pesos per sack would add up to their burden,‖ he said.Lala has 500 hectares of land for rice production, with 181 farmers who used to make do with only two solar dryers and two warehouses for storage owned by private traders.―The solar dryer really helped thefarmers a lot because aside from drying their produce they can now also command the right price for their rice,‖ Baroy said.The rice could also be stocked safely in the storage facility before it is sold, he added.―Since we can now dictate the price, our income has really increased.

Before, we were at the mercy of the trader,‖ said Enterina.He encouraged the farmers to contribute to the project’s sustainability by drying their produce in the cooperative’s facilities.Another CFAD subproject in Lala was also turned over to another cooperative, the Lanipao Lala Livelihood FarmersÂAssociation (LANLALIFA) based in the Barangay Lanipao, which also availed itself of the same postharvest facilities.The LGU assured the coopbeneficiaries that it will continue to provide technical assistance to ensure sustainability. ―We have personnel and barangay officials who can monitor the project,‖ Baroy said. (Jay M. Rosas, DA-MRDP)

RID suggests no off-season rice planting due to insufficient water BANGKOK, 3 October 2014 (NNT) – Mr. Lertviroj Kowattana, the Director-General of the Royal Irrigation Department (RID), noted that a cold air mass from China is moving down to Thailand, signalling the arrival of winter and the end of rainy season. The RID is concerned about the lack of remaining water in all dams and reservoirs as the current volume has reached the lowest point in 15 years, due to the delay of this year’s rain and the exhaustion of 2000 cubic metres of water that was used for agricultural purposes last year.

As a consequence, there is a sufficient amount of water only for consuming purposes but not for off-season rice planting. In response to the current situation, the RID will propose a plan to reduce impacts of water shortage to the cabinet next week in which the government will be asked to announce a prohibition of off-season rice planting in Chao Phraya and Mae Klong River Basins. Rather than rice planting, farmers will be encouraged to plant field crops and vegetables that need less water in about 820,000 rai of agricultural land in the basins.

Rice export volumes soar nearly 60% in first eight months Petchanet Pratruangkrai The Nation October 3, 2014 4:18 pm

Rice exports in the first eight months of the year grew significantly, by almost 60 per cent year on year, to 6.59 million tonnes, thanks to strong demand in many markets and a high supply from government stocks, according to the Thai Rice Exporters Association.The association reported that the value of rice exports also increased by 22.4 per cent year on year to Bt105.83 billion.

Chareon Charoen Laothamatas, president of the association, said demand had increased considerably since July this year, particularly for white rice in some African countries.In the first eight months of last year, Thailand exported only 4.14 million tonnes of rice worth Bt86.47 billion.In the JanuaryAugust period this year, Benin imported the most at 852,502 tonnes, followed by Nigeria with 474,561 tonnes, China with 432,220, Ivory Coast with 383,663 and South Africa with 335,529.

El Nino Threatens Export Plans as Burma’s Rice Industry Revs Up 03.10.2014

Hopes that Burma’s rice exports would reach 2 million tons this year look unlikely to be achieved due to the disruptive weather phenomenon known as El Nino, experts say.Monsoonal

rains needed to boost Burma’s late rice crop are expected to be lighter than usual due to the El Nino effect, leading to drier conditions.

Observers of the El Nino weather pattern, which occurs every few years due to warmer air currents generated in the Pacific Ocean, suggest it might be less severe than on previous occasions but could still disrupt various forms of agriculture across Southeast Asia. It could last until June 2015 and some meteorologists have suggested that December might be the worst month affected.This year’s major wet season rice crops across Southeast Asia might escape the worst of El Nino, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Foreign Service said, ―[but] dry season rice and corn crops, as well as palm oil, will become more vulnerable if El Nino develops and persists from October 2014 to April 2015.‖Burma exported 1.27 million tons of rice in 2013 and the Burma Rice Federation had said the figure for this year might reach the 2 million tons mark, boosted by higher demand from China and dislocation in the rice industry of rival exporter Thailand. However, even without any El Nino effect, the 2 million tons target is over-optimistic according to estimates made by the USDA. The US agency predicted that rice production in Burma in 2014-2015 would most likely increase by 1 percent to 12.16 million tons, due to growing area expansion and improved water supply, and that rice exports would also be only marginally higher than last year—up about 1 percent to 1.31 million tons.Burma’s government was ―making an effort to provide farmers support in infrastructure development, mechanization [and] technology assistance,‖ the USDA said. But despite support programs, rice farmers in Burma could still not compete with other farmers in the region, including in Thailand and Vietnam, who received government support to compensate for lower prices, the agency said, citing trade sources.

Burma is forecast to be the fifth-largest rice producer in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region in the 2014-15 financial year —behind Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. But of these four, only Vietnam and Thailand are exporters.On the surface, rice markets remain calm and stable, but underlying market sentiments are rapidly changing because of weather disruptions in many rice-growing nations,‖ market watcher and rice scientist Sam Mohanty of the International Rice Research Institute said in a recent assessment.―The global rice market faces the possibility of a production shortfall in the major rice-growing regions in South and Southeast Asia and also in China because of El Nino events. So far, the market has been quite nonchalant about this possibility because of large buffer stocks in key ricegrowing countries. ‖India, China and Thailand are well stocked with rice to see them through any possible disruptions in supplies, Mohanty said.Burma’s rice federation sees China as offering the best market for expanding Burmese exports in coming years. About half of Burma’s rice exports went to China in 2013, despite the fact that the exports are technically illegal as there is not yet a health standards agreement on rice in place between the two countries.

Thai govt sells over 50,000 tonnes of rice to private firms ReutersFriday, Oct 03, 2014

The Thai government has approved the sale of more than 50,000 tonnes of rice from its stockpiles to private firms, a Commerce Ministry official said on Friday, as the authorities try to bring down huge stocks built up under a failed intervention scheme.BANGKOK - The Thai government has approved the sale of more than 50,000 tonnes of rice from its stockpiles to private firms, a Commerce Ministry official said on Friday, as the authorities try to bring down huge stocks built up under a failed intervention scheme.

The rice was sold below the market price because it was old, Duangporn Rodphaya, head of the foreign trade department at the ministry, told Reuters, declining to give details. "The rice that is for sale is old, about two years old, so it has to be below the market price. But it's not way below the market. Private companies have additional costs to improve the quality. It's the same price we use for our tenders," she said.

The sales account for a fraction of the 18 million tonnes that Thailand had built up by this year under the intervention scheme, which effectively priced the grain out of world markets. An audit by the military government found that a fifth of that was either rotten or had gone missing.Another official from the ministry, who declined to be named, said 59,600 tonnes of rice had been sold in the latest sale to four private companies for 570 million baht (S$22 million).That would give an average price per tonne of around $295. It was unclear what grade of rice was sold. Benchmark five per cent broken rice is currently offered on the market at around US$425 (S$541) free on board.

The government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, which was ousted by the army in May, accumulated the stockpiles under a programme that paid farmers well above market rates for their produce.The current government wants to offload the stocks to recover some of the cash spent, but the authorities want to carry out the sales gradually so as to avoid pushing prices much lower, Duangporn told reporters earlier this week.The military-backed government has held two rice auctions and sold around 70,000 tonnes of rice in each.Duangporn told the reporters a third would be held soon and that discussions for deals with the Chinese and Iranian governments were also in the works.

News Shared by USA Rice Federation Stewardship Partnership Submits RCPP Proposal WASHINGTON, DC -- On October 1 the USA Rice Federation and Ducks Unlimited submitted their first national Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) proposal outlining the planning, design, and installation of conservation practices on working rice lands across 380,000 acres. Funding for the $33.7 million effort includes $20 million from the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and $13.7 million in matching funds, both cash and in-kind, from USA Rice-DU Stewardship Partnership members.

"The participation both from companies and organizations that are part of the rice production supply chain and end users was significant," said USA Rice President and CEO Betsy

Ward. "We appreciate the support of the 44 contributors to this effort and also want to thank those folks who worked tirelessly to put the RCPP proposal together."The RCPP, created in the 2014 Farm Bill, is a new conservation program under which qualified organizations may develop proposals that pair private contributions with existing federal conservation dollars and programs to create new conservation opportunities.

The USA Rice-DU plan is a unique, two-year proposal that preserves critical wildlife habitat and enhances water quality and irrigation efficiency while maintaining working rice lands on the landscape. If approved by NCRS, the project will be offered in all rice producing counties in the six major rice producing states of Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas.

Successful RCPP candidates will be notified the week of November 17.

Contact: Reece Langley (703) 236-1471

USDA to Offer Farm Bill Training for Louisiana Producers WASHINGTON, DC -- Beginning October 15, the Louisiana Farm Service Agency (FSA) will conduct a series of in-person training opportunities for producers regarding the use of Webbased decision tools and the ARC/PLC Programs enacted by the 2014 Farm Bill.According to a recent press release, the training sessions will include base reallocation, yield updates, Price Loss Coverage, Agricultural Risk Coverage (including individual and county level coverage), the Supplemental Coverage Option and Stacked Income Protection Plan for Producers of Upland Cotton, generic base acres, and the election and annual enrollment process.Training sessions will be held in 13 parishes and will run until November 7. If you would like more information on the specific topics that will be covered, please contact your local FSA office.

Contact: Reece Langley (703) 236-1471

Application Deadline for Rice Leadership Program is Tomorrow

STUTTGART, AR -- The deadline for submitting applications for the Rice Leadership Development program is Saturday, October 4. Rice producers and other industry-related professionals are encouraged to apply for the next class, which will be announced in December at the USA Rice Outlook Conference in Little Rock, AR. For more information on the program or an application form, visit http://www.usarice.com.

Contact: Chuck Wilson (870) 673-7541

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for October 3

Month

Price

Net Change

November 2014

$12.585

+ $0.030

January 2015

$12.735

+ $0.020

March 2015

$12.945

+ $0.025

May 2015

$13.145

+ $0.020

July 2015

$13.325

+ $0.020

September 2015

$12.755

+ $0.020

November 2015

$12.755

+ $0.020

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