4th november,2013 daily rice e newsletter (oryza news) by riceplus magazine

4th November , 2013

TOP Contents - Tailored for YOU Latest News Headlines…

 Oryza White Rice Index Fails to Lift Off Just Yet  Oryza Afternoon Recap – Chicago Rough Rice Futures Slip Further, but Finish the Week Above $15.000 per cwt; Grains Finish Week on Bearish Note  Egypt May Soon Export 100,000 Tons of Surplus Rice  Oryza Overnight Recap – Chicago Rough Rice Futures Slightly Higher as Market Attempts to Recover from Two Consecutive Down Days  Vietnam Rice Sellers Lower Their Quotes for Jasmine Rice; Other Asia Rice Quotes Unchanged  India Opens Agriculture Insurance to Private Sector  USDA Post Lowers Argentina 2012-13 Rice Export Estimate to 450,000 Tons

News Detail…

Oryza U.S. Rough Rice Recap – Market Seen Steady as Harvest Nears an End Nov 01, 2013

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The U.S. cash market was steady today as mills continue to support the market while bids from exporters are receiving very little interest.Offers remain unchanged around $15.56-$16.66 per fob farm (about $343-$367 per ton), depending on where they are located in the U.S. mid-South, for November through December shipment.

Bids from most larger mills could still be found around $14.40 per cwt (about $317 per ton )while bids from exporters were said to be around $15.56 per cwt (about $343 per ton), both for November through December delivery, although rice reportedly traded around $15.56 per cwt (about $343 per ton) fob farm.

Tags: U.S. rice prices, U.S. rice farming, U.S. rice, U.S. rice harvest

The Grass Looks Greener on the Other Side of the Fence – Vacationing on a Rice Farm Nov 01, 2013

Vacation: a time to kick back, relax, tune out, and soak up some sun. Yet more and more people are exploring alternative vacations, ones they spend volunteering for nonprofits or leaving the city to experience life as a rancher in some faraway place. Often, „the grass looks greener on the side of the fence;‟ people can be fascinated with a life so different than their own. Laotian rice farmer Laut Lee has taken advantage of this trend to bring some additional income to the eight-hectare rice farm he‟s been managing for the last seven years, called Living Land.After American tourists staying at a nearby hotel requested a visit to the farm that provided their organic salad, Mr. Lee saw the opportunity to institute a tourist program. Now, Living Land not only produces organic vegetables, herbs, and rice to local restaurants and hotels but also hosts visitors interested in learning more about organic farming and rice production. Over 2,000 guests have visited in the two years Mr. Lee has had the program running.Living Land is located near Luang Prabang, Laos and attracts tourists who are in the area to visit the beautiful scenery and nearby Kuang Si waterfall. Rice is an important part of life here, with 80 percent of the country involved in rice farming and each Lao person eating about 20 kg of sticky rice each month, according to Mr. Lee. He provides visitors with information about the history of the farm and the importance of rice to his culture. Then the real fun starts.Guests, donning traditional hats to combat the sun, participate in all 14 steps in planting sticky rice, thanks to a section of the farm that displays rice set up in the various stages of growth. They begin with plowing the field using Susan the water buffalo, just as the real farmers at Living Land do. After distributing rice seedlings over the freshly-plowed field, guests skip ahead to the weeding, threshing, and harvesting and get to try their hands at winnowing and husking the rice. Some guests even get to try to produce rice flour or rice wine.

The day ends with a dinner serving – what else? – sundry rice dishes and beverages.In addition to hosting guests, Living Land is a source of income to seven local families who lease the land. Fourteen full-time employees farm the rice and produce. Living Land is invested in improving its community and shows this commitment in a number of ways. It provides free training to students at the Agricultural College of Luang Prabang and collaborates with the Department of Agriculture and Forestry in rice trials and research. Living

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Land also maintains the importance of helping local people and provides scholarships, improves sanitation, and lobbies for fresh water access for locals, among other community projects.he Living Land Project seeks to promote knowledge of sustainable farming in the area, introducing methods like organic composting, croprotation, and natural insect-management and fertilization as alternatives to the slash-and-burn tradition and chemical pesticides and fertilizers. They also provide nearby hotels and restaurants with high-quality organic foods.Visitors to the farm rave about Mr. Leeâ€&#x;s enthusiasm for his work. He makes the farming process come to life while leading the tours in English. He was trained as a teacher at university but then returned to the profession of his parents, who were rice farmers. In his current role, Mr. Lee combines his love for rice with his skills as a teacher to both help other local farmers improve their livelihoods and also to enlighten foreigners to the Laotian way of life.

Tags: Rice farming, rice tourism, Laos rice farming, vacation destinations, Southeast asian vacation

Oryza White Rice Index Fails to Lift Off Just Yet Nov 01, 2013

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The Oryza White Rice Index, a weighted average of global white rice export quotes, ended the week at $453 per ton, down $2 per ton from last week, up $1 per ton from a month ago, and down $37 per ton from a year ago. While the index has failed to rebound much it seems to be well supported at around $450 per ton and most analysts project rice quotes are likely to trend sideways in the near-term before heading higher as the slack tightens in Asia.

A look across the major origins shows quotes in the Americas continue to trend sideways amid tight supplies and slow and steady buying. Meanwhile, in Asia harvest pressure is dampening any ideas of a price rally for now, but the market seems to be done declining, having absorbed ideas of excess supplies and a competitive selling market.

India 5% broken rice is indicated about $415 per ton, unchanged from last week, down about $5 per ton from a month ago and down $25 per ton from a year ago.

Thailand 5% broken rice ended the week at around $410 per ton, unchanged from a week ago, down $10 per ton from a month ago, and down $140 per ton from year ago.

Viet 5% rice is shown around $395 per ton, down $5 per ton from a week ago, up $30 per ton from a month ago, and up about $60 per ton from a year ago.

Pakistan 5% rice is quoted around $375 per ton, down $5 per ton from a week ago, down $15 per ton from a month ago, and down about $60 per ton from year ago.

Cambodia 5% broken rice is shown around $450 per ton, unchanged from last week and also a month ago.

In the Americas, South America is the most expensive origin. Brazil 5% broken rice is shown around $620 per ton, unchanged from a week ago, down $20 per ton from a month ago, and down $20 per ton from a year ago. Five percent broken rice from Argentina and Uruguay is also shown around $620 per ton, unchanged from a week, a month, or a year ago.

U.S. 4% broken rice is quoted around $600 per ton, unchanged from last week, down $5 per ton from a month ago, and up $5 per ton from a year ago.

Tags: Oryza White Rice Index (WRI)

Oryza Afternoon Recap – Chicago Rough Rice Futures Slip Further, but Finish the Week Above $15.000 per cwt; Grains Finish Week on Bearish Note Nov 01, 2013

Chicago rough rice futures for January delivery settled 4 cents per cwt (about $1 per ton) lower at $15.065 per cwt (about $332 per ton). Rough rice futures finished slightly lower today but remain above the closely watched

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$15.000 per cwt (about $331 per ton) level. Today saw the November contract move back to a 13 cent per cwt (about $3 per ton) to the January as holders of short positions likely had to pay up to exit positions they do not wish to deliver against. The other grains finished flat to lower; soybeans finished the day about 1.2% lower at $12.6600 per bushel; wheat finished marginally higher at $6.6875 per bushel; and corn finished the day about 0.2% lower at $4.2725 per bushel.U.S. stocks shifted mostly higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 rebounding after a two-session drop, after Chevron reported quarterly results that came in below expectations and as borrowing costs gained as investors considered possible monetary-policy moves ahead. After a triple-digit jump, the Dow Jones Industrial Average moderated its rise. The S&P 500 turned higher, with utilities pacing sector gains. The Nasdaq remained lower. U.S. stock markets are currently trading up about 0.8%, gold is trading about 0.9% lower, crude oil is seen trading about 1.5% higher, and the U.S. dollar is seen trading about 0.7% higher at about 2:00pm Chicago time.Thursday, there were 735 contracts traded, down from 879 contracts traded on Wednesday. Open interest – the number of contracts outstanding – on Thursday increased by 132 contracts to 8,882.

Tags: chicago rough rice futures, U.S. rice futures, Rice futures, U.S. rice prices

Egypt May Soon Export 100,000 Tons of Surplus Rice Nov 01, 2013

Egypt is planning lift the export ban and to export around 100,000 tons of rice during November 7, 2013 and January 15, 2014, according to local sources. The government is expected to issue a tender about the exports soon.Earlier this year, the Egyptian government banned rice exports to contain rice prices. The government had said that rice exports will not resume until rice distribution under the PDS is over. However, local sources say that there is surplus rice in the local market and exports will not have any impact on local supply.According to the USDA, Egypt‟s rice production is expected to reach around 4.85 million tons in 2013-14, against a consumption of around 4 million tons. Egypt‟s rice exports are expected to reach around 850,000 tons in 201314.

Tags: Egypt rice exports

Oryza Overnight Recap – Chicago Rough Rice Futures Slightly Higher as Market Attempts to Recover from Two Consecutive Down Days Nov 01, 2013

Chicago rough rice futures for January delivery are currently paused 1 cents per cwt (about $0.22 per ton) higher at $15.115 per cwt (about $333 per ton) as of 8:30am Chicago time. The other grains are seen lower this morning ahead of floor trading in Chicago: soybeans are currently seen about 0.4% lower, wheat is seen about 2.2% lower, and corn is paused about 0.4% lower.U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Friday, with stocks in Asia and Europe boosted by signs of continued economic recovery in China. Two separate readings of Chinese factory activity in October were released on Friday. China's official PMI rose to 51.4 from 51.1 in September, beating Reuters' estimate of 51.2. Meanwhile, HSBC's final reading of factory activity hit a

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seven-month high, unchanged from last week's flash estimate. In the U.S., the ISM manufacturing index for October will be the major focus, particularly following the surprisingly strong Chicago PMI print on Thursday.

U.S. stock index futures are currently trading about 0.3% higher, gold is currently trading about 0.8% lower, crude oil is seen trading about 0.8% lower, and the U.S. dollar is currently trading about 0.4% higher at 7:30am Chicago time.

Tags: chicago rough rice futures

Vietnam Rice Sellers Lower Their Quotes for Jasmine Rice; Other Asia Rice Quotes Unchanged Nov 01, 2013

Vietnam rice sellers lowered their quotes for Jasmine rice by about $10 per ton to around $555 - $565 per ton.

Other Asia rice sellers kept their quotes mostly unchanged today.

5% Broken Rice Thai 5% rice is quoted around $405 - $415 per ton, about a $15 per ton premium over Viet 5% rice shown around $390 - $400 per ton.

Indian 5% rice is quoted around $410 - $420 per ton, about a $40 per ton premium over Pak 5% rice quoted around $370 - $380 per ton.

25% Broken Rice Thai 25% rice is quoted about $390 - $400 per ton, about a $30 per ton premium over Viet 25% rice shown around $360 - $370 per ton.

Indian 25% rice is quoted about $365 - $375 per ton, about a $30 per ton premium over Pak 25% rice quoted around $335 - $345 per ton.

Parboiled Rice Thai parboiled rice is quoted around $440 - $450 per ton.

Indian parboiled rice is quoted around $385 - $395 per ton, about a $35 per ton discount to Pak parboiled rice quoted around $420 - $430 per ton.

100% Broken Rice Thai broken rice, A1 Super, is quoted around $370 - $380 per ton, about a $30 per ton premium over Viet broken rice shown around $340 - $350 per ton.

Indian broken sortexed rice is quoted about $310 - $320 per ton, about a $15 per ton discount to Pak broken sortexed rice quoted around $325 - $335 per ton.

Tags: Asia rice quotes, India rice quotes, Pakistan rice quotes, Vietnam rice quotes, Thailand rice quotes

India Opens Agriculture Insurance to Private Sector Nov 01, 2013

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The Indian government has merged various schemes under agriculture insurance and allowed private sector companies to enter the agriculture insurance market. The new measures are expected to make the experience of insuring crops farmer-friendly, the Ministry of Agriculture said today.The Indian government runs National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS), Pilot Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS), Pilot Modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (MNAIS) and Pilot Coconut Palm Insurance Scheme (CPIS) to protect farmers from crop losses due to weather disturbances.According to the new plan, to come into effect from November 1, 2013, the government has merged MNAIS, WBCIS and CPIS schemes to “Rashtriya Fasal Bima Karyakram (RFBK)” or National Crop Insurance Program (NCIP). Private companies with adequate infrastructure and experience will be allowed to implement NCIP besides the Agriculture Insurance Company of India (AIC). This is expected to ease the burden of AIC (which is also the world's largest crop insurer) and provide better alternatives and service to farmers as well.According to the new norms, loanee farmers will be covered on compulsory basis under the component scheme of NCIP while non-loanee farmers can choose either MNAIS or WBCIS components of the scheme. The Modified National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (MNAIS) covers losses at all stages of the crop, including losses due to low yield, while the WBCIS covers weather-based risk.

Over 60% of rice area in India is rain-fed and rice farmers face losses almost every year due to erratic rainfall.

Rice farmers say the changes in crop insurance will end the monopoly of AIC and protect farmer income in India significantly. A rice farmer in India‟s Andhra Pradesh state told Oryza, “Hardly anyone in my village even knows about crop insurance and many can‟t approach AIC. Allowing private companies will be a boon to farmers as private companies will reach out to them for business. This may prevent farmer suicides in India in the long run.” However, he added that farmers will lose unless a trustworthy and efficient ombudsman is

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appointed. The government said that a state-level Coordination Committee on Crop Insurance (SLCCCL) will be responsible for monitoring of the scheme along with insurance companies.

Tags: India crop insurance

USDA Post Lowers Argentina 2012-13 Rice Export Estimate to 450,000 Tons Nov 01, 2013

The USDA Post says Argentina‟s rice exports are expected to reach around 450,000 tons in 2012-13 (April – March), down about 150,000 or about 25% from USDA official estimates of around 600,000 tons, and down about 24% from around 593,000 tons exported in 2011-12.The Post says that exports during April – October 2013 stand at around 330,000 tons, and it is unlikely that rice exports will increase unless export prices improve. Moreover, Brazil has stopped purchasing rice from Argentina, the Post says.According to the Post, Argentina‟s rice production in 2013-14 is expected to reach around 975,000 tons, down about 65,000 tons from USDA official estimates of around 1.04 million tons based on inputs from local industry representatives.

Argentina‟s 2012-13 rice production is also expected to reach around 910,000 tons, about 10% lower than official estimates of around 1.01 million tons.

Tags: Argentina rice exports

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