6th march,2015 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Rice E-Newsletter March 06 , 2015 V o l u m e 5, Issue I

B端hler Group and TPS Group sign rice reprocessing lines in Indonesia Thursday, 05 March 2015 06:16 The B端hler Group has signed an agreement to supply the TPS Group, Indonesian rice and noodle producer, with two 17 tonnes per hour rice reprocessing lines worth US$7mn (From left) Harsinto Huang, CFO of TPS Group Syambiri Lioe, CEO of TPS Group Joko Mogoginta, president of the B端hler Group for Asia Dieter Voegtli and Tomas Soleman. (Image source: B端hler Group)

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine According to the group, the contract, signed in Jakarta, marks a further milestone in Bühler‘s continuing expansion in rice processing across Asia and is a significant step forward for the TPS Group, following its entry into the rice business in 2010.The installation of the rice reprocessing plants at Sidrap, South Sulawesi, is expected to increase the TPS Group‘s total production capacity by 240,000 tonnes per year, with warehouse capacity increasing to 30,000 tonnes. The project by Bühler will be commissioned by mid-year 2016.TPS Group currently has three rice processing plants across Indonesia including PT. Jatisari Rejeki at Cikampek in West Java), PT. Indo Bears Unggul at Cikarang in West Java and PT. Sukses Abadi Karya Inti at Sragen in Central Java with a total capacity of 480,000 tonnes.

Investment for the TPS Group‘s South Sulawesi sites will increase the manufacturer‘s total production capacity to 810,000 tonnes per year while underlining its commitment to achieve a five per cent share of milled rice production volume in Indonesia by 2020, according to the Indonesian firm.Rustom Mistry, director, head of rice processing, Asia for Bühler, said, ―The agreement with the TPS Group demonstrates Bühler‘s commitment to develop state of the art processing solutions and an acknowledgement of our global capability to supply complete process engineering solutions, driven by our leadership in rice research and technical excellence.

By choosing Bühler to support its rice processing lines, the TPS Group is well positioned to meet its plan of achieving a significant share of the milled rice production in Indonesia. We look forward to continuing our relationship with the TPS Group.The deal demonstrates Bühler‘s significant investment in its customer partnerships, technical innovations and localised service and support, which is serving the demands for processing and optical sorting solutions from rice processors around the world. This significant agreement is further evidence of Buhler‘s reputation as the number one technology partner of choice in rice processing.‖ http://www.fareasternagriculture.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5133:buehlergroup-and-tps-group-sign-rice-reprocessing-lines-in-indonesia&catid=1085&Itemid=99

The Man Who Discovered Thiamin Today, we take vitamin B1 for granted. But it took a horrible, wasting disease—and lots and lots of chickens—for scientists to discover it.

By Catherine Price A chicken who presumably consumes plenty of thiamin.

Photo courtesy feryswheel/Flickr

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine This essay is adapted from Vitamania: From Vitamania: Our Obsessive Quest for Nutritional Perfection by Catherine Price, published by Penguin Press.

In the mid-1800s, a strange sickness was devastating parts of Southeast Asia. Known as beriberi, it began with intense swelling of the legs and feet and a general sense of numbness, especially in the extremities. Victims developed a distinctive gait, lifting their knees high in the air and swinging their legs forward so that their drooping toes wouldn‘t catch on the ground. Their urine became concentrated and their appetites waned, even as their bodies wasted away. Eventually, they lost their voices and died in suffocating convulsions. Its cause was a mystery; no one knew a prevention, let alone a cure.

Today, we know that beriberi is caused by a deficiency in a vitamin called thiamin, also known as B1, that‘s found in foods including yeast, grains, nuts, and meat. Thanks to our awareness of vitamins and to thiamin‘s abundance in our diets, beriberi is no longer a threat. But while few people suffer from beriberi today, there‘s no denying its historical significance. By establishing one of the first links between a dietary deficit and a specific disease, beriberi played a crucial role in kickstarting the process of scientific inquiry that led to the discovery of vitamins—which in turn opened the door to a broader understanding of both deficiency diseases and human nutrition as a whole.

This path was not straight, however, and the existence of vitamins wasn‘t easy to figure out. In fact, when the Dutch physician Christiaan Eijkman arrived on the Indonesian island of Java in 1886 to investigate the causes of beriberi, he wasn‘t searching for a nutritional cause at all.

Instead, inspired by the most exciting medical event of the century—the discovery that diseases like malaria and cholera were caused by germs—he was on the hunt for a beriberi-causing bug.

The emergence of this ―germ theory‖ of disease in the late 1800s was inarguably one of the greatest medical advances in history. But for nutritional science its impact was more complicated. Germ theory‘s central tenet—that disease is caused by thepresence of something— hid the idea that disease could also be caused by something that is lacking. Germ theory‘s light was so bright, so illuminating, that it blinded scientists to the idea that disease could be caused by something that wasn‘t there.

Working in a hospital in what‘s now Jakarta, Eijkman procured a flock of chickens—a lucky choice, since chickens and pigeons are two of the only animals other than humans that frequently develop the disease—and began injecting them with blood samples from human beriberi patients to see if he could infect the birds.After a couple of months, he saw symptoms in some of his injected chickens that looked like the nerve damage that occurred in people with beriberi. Then again, he saw the same symptoms in his www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine control group.

But Eijkman was not deterred—many pathogen-borne diseases are transmitted by air, and the two groups of chickens had shared cages. He got some new chickens and put them into private cages. The controls still developed nerve damage. Concluding that perhaps his whole laboratory had become infected, Eijkman procured yet another group of chickens and kept them in a totally separate location. Then things got really strange: Not only did none of the new chickens get sick, but the sick birds began to recover. By November 1889, all signs of the disease had disappeared.

This bizarre mass recovery was good for the chickens, but it was bad for Eijkman, who appeared to have lost his animal model. However, Eijkman did not give up. Instead, he tried to find a variable that could have accounted for the sudden change. One day, the laboratory keeper told him something intriguing: In the month before the birds developed nerve damage, the cook had been providing leftover white rice from the hospital‘s kitchen as their feed.

At the time, white rice, otherwise known as polished rice, was something of a luxury—or at least not something you‘d give to laboratory chickens that you wanted to infect with a deadly disease.

That cook had been replaced, and his successor, Eijkman later related, ―refused to allow military rice to be taken for civilian chickens.‖ So the birds had been switched back to their usual rations of brown, unpolished rice. Soon thereafter, the nerve damage disappeared.Today, we know why the polished rice caused problems. Rice polishings—like the outer coatings of many whole grains—contain thiamin, among other vitamins and nutrients. The more thorough the milling process, the less thiamin that remains.

Unaware of this—and still grasping for a bacterial explanation—Eijkman happened to strike up a conversation about his beriberi investigations with a friend who was the medical director of all the prisons in Java. The friend realized that different prisons on the island fed inmates different types of rice, and that prisons varied in how many cases of beriberi they reported. He offered to gather this data to determine whether rice had anything to do with human beriberi—and, therefore, whether Eijkman‘s chicken work was relevant to the human disease. Sure enough, when the final numbers were tallied, it turned out that while only 1 out of 10,000 prisoners developed beriberi in the prisons that served mostly brown rice, 1 out of 39 developed it in those that served white. Among long-term white-rice–eating prisoners, the rate went up to 1 out of 4.

The story around Niacin (B3) is similar, but with an interesting twist. In meso-american cultures, corn was generally consumed after it had gone through the process of "nixtalmization"; this involved soaking it in an alkali solution. More...

-SirWired While it took years and many more experiments for scientists to accept beriberi as a deficiency disease, Eijkman received the 1929 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his recognition of this ―anti-beriberi factor,‖ which by then was known as thiamin, and for developing research methods that influenced later nutritional scientists and advanced vitamins‘ discovery. Today, beriberi has become so uncommon that most of us don‘t even know its name.

From our vantage point, it‘s tempting to scoff at how long it took for the idea of vitamins and nutritional deficiency diseases to be accepted. But like all scientists, these researchers were www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine working with incomplete information, interpreting their results in the context of their time. The fact that they didn‘t figure everything out immediately does not reflect a failing on their parts.

That‘s just how the scientific process works.

From Vitamania: Our Obsessive Quest for Nutritional Perfection by Catherine Price. Reprinted by arrangement with Penguin Press, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright Catherine Price, 2015. http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2015/03/vitamania_excerpt _the_discovery_of_beriberi.html

Q&A: Female scientists face same obstacles everywhere Image credit: Andrew McConnell / Panos Curt Rice is head of Norway‘s governmental committee on gender balance in research, and has advised the European Science Foundation on encouraging more women to take up science careers. He has also written extensively about the barriers that women face in science, and ways to overcome them. Rice disagrees with commonly held views that these barriers are much more profound and complicated for women in developing countries. Ahead of International Women‘s Day on 8 March, he argues that the challenges for rich and poor countries wanting to address gender balance in research are not so different after all.

International Women‟s Day portrays achieving a gender balance in research as a global challenge. What can be done around the world to help women establish careers?

It is important to remind people that it is sound economic and socialpolicy to make use of both men and women in the workplace. It has a positive impact on so many other factors in society, for example the economic wellbeing of children. One thing to bear in mind in any country is that there is a close relationship between gender balance at home and equality at work. If you change attitudes about the division of labour in domestic life, you will also create change in professional and academic settings. So, when men allow themselves to be more engaged in the lives of their children, that creates a situation where women can pursue career opportunities more easily.

What specific challenges do you see for developing countries?

A lack of infrastructure, especially when it comes to caring for children. Having a high rate of participation in public schooling and preschool care directly contributes to making it possible for women to pursue careers. And that is one thing that many of these countries do not have. Of course social stability in general is very important. Think about psychologist Abraham Maslow‘s

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine hierarchy of needs, which specifies that people need safety and fulfilment of their basic needs before they can work on their ‗self-actualisation‘ and reach their full potential.

People in developed countries spend less of their energy on meeting fundamental needs, so they are freer to pursue more intellectual work, like science. But in many developing countries, people are still focused on survival.

What kind of message needs to be sent to women in developing countries to encourage them to enter science careers?

The most important message is that science is interesting and rewarding work. Your country and science need you. If we exclude half of the population from the most intellectually challenging work there is, we‘re essentially be losing half of the intellectual capacity of society, which stifles economic development. But there are more down-to-earth things to say. “it is in the interests of men to promote gender equality and to promote opportunities for women.”

Curt Rice The presence of women in scientific research contributes to exploring questions that have an impact on women — for example in medicine. The traditional assumption is that medicines designed for men will work equally well on women, but now we know that that‘s not always the case. Having more women working in science creates a heightened awareness among researchers that they have to design their projects to benefit both men and women.

Some research policies focus on empowering women to enter science careers, while others are more focused on changing women‟s environments. Which do you think is more important?

Both are extremely important things. When you think about women‘s environments, this covers basic things like having an infrastructure in place that allows you to be a mother and have a career. But empowerment is important to allow women to see themselves in these kinds of jobs and to believe that they can contribute to traditionally male areas likeresearch. So, in the context of the developing world, where perhaps some gender stereotypes are stronger, we need strong engagement on both of these issues.

Europe is often held up as a beacon for gender equality. But how successful has it been at getting more women into science?

If we look at the percentage of men and women who are studying at university level in science, there is a significant increase in the proportion of women, especially in medicine, psychology and veterinary science. But when they get out into careers and start to move towards senior www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine positions, leadership posts and professorships, we see that men eventually overtake women in terms of numbers. One of the key issues seems to be how becoming a mother affects your career, so it‘s a complicated picture.

Motherhood is important to women’s identity around the world, but maybe more so in developing countries. So how does that come into the debate?

All over the world parenthood seems to be something that affects women much more negatively than men in terms of career progression. In Western Europe, it‘s a fact that women scientists are much more likely to remain childless than women in other kinds of careers. More than men, even. And you don‘t have to go to the developing world to encounter men who do not see mothers as belonging in professional fields.

So, when we encourage women to study science, we are expecting to see some more women in senior science positions in time. But just sitting and waiting will not solve this if the environment is discouraging. I think we need a more deliberate approach to enable women to stick with science throughout their careers while also having the family life they want.

If you could send a message to your fellow men around the globe, what would it be?

What I would like to say to them is that it is in the interests of men to promote gender equality and to promote opportunities for women. That is because the presence of women in the workplace improves the quality of performance and makes life better — and not just for women but for all of us.

Q&As are edited for length and clarity. http://www.scidev.net/global/gender/feature/femalescientists-face-obstacles-gender-women.html

Basmati rice in India - Its production and export Saturday, March 07, 2015 08:00 IST Sajad Ahmad Wani, Sachin Kumar Manhas and Pradyuman Kumar Rice is a staple food in India.

Overall production of rice in India is 1,592,00,000 tonne (FAOSTAT 2013). According to a report available with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), it has been found that about 37.572 lakh tonne of basmati rice valued at Rs 29,299.96 crore in India was exported from April 2013 to March 2014.In the previous season it was only about 34.59 lakh tonne of basmati rice that was exported for Rs 19,409.38 crore by the country's rice exporters.

In 2013-14, among various states, Punjab had about 5.59 lakh hectare of area under basmati with annual production of about 14.871 lakh tonne, whereas in Haryana the area under the crop was

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine 7.21 lakh hectare producing 18.90 lakh tonne.In other words, the demand for biryani in the Middle-East has spurred basmati rice exports from India -- a huge rise of about Rs 9,890.588 crore in 2013-14 as compared to the previous year. Basmati rice in India is highly favoured and got higher prices as compared to other types of rice in domestic as well as in global markets due to its special aroma, taste and flavour.Uttaranchal has been reported to be the birthplace of basmati and has huge potential due to its favourable climatic conditions and popularity among the farming community.

Basmati is nature‘s gift to Indian sub-continent; its delightful aroma, taste and texture make it the best among various types of rices in the world.Mostly basmati is cultivated on the foothills of Himalayas and the whole ambience of the environment bestowing unique properties to this specialty rice. All the festive occasions are complete only with products prepared from basmati such as biryani or pulao served tapping the inherent ambrosial properties of basmati.Aromatic rice has been grown by Indian farmers for centuries and has been texted in ancient literature, apart from references to the rice diversity available in the country. A wide variety of aromatic rice diversity exists in the country and not all aromatic types are recognised as basmati.

Typically, the delicately curved, long grained, highly scented rice that is elongated and cooks soft and fluffy is the one which is categorised as basmati and enjoys privileged treatment both in domestic as well as international markets, fetching three times more price.In the export markets, still the traditional tall basmati variety, Taroari Basmati followed by Basmati 370 and Type 3 (Dehradun) have supremacy over other varieties due to their exclusive quality features.

However the evolved varieties of basmati are Pusa Basmati 1121 due to its extra long slender grains along with Pusa Basmati 1, which has carved a niche in the international market.

Rice exports from India Rice is a staple food in Asia. Its production is also concentrated in Asia. Top ten largest rice producers - China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand are located in Asia. Among them, China and India supply nearly half of the total world rice production, Thailand and Vietnam are the two largest rice exporters (FAOSTAT 2012). Thailand and Vietnam in 2009 exported nearly 48% of total world milled rice exports (FAOSTAT 2012).Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Cote d‘Ivoire, Iran, Iraq, Cameroon, Brazil, China and Yemen are the 10 largest importers of milled rice.

Although most of the largest importers of milled rice in terms of quantity are located in Asia and South Africa, the import values of milled rice in (United Kingdom 10th) and (France 7th) are among the largest in the world (FAOSTAT 2012).Basmati rice is exported from India to many countries, especially to the Gulf and European countries. Recognising its important role in India‘s economy, it has been reported that 24 districts of India have been declared as Basmati www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Export Zone from Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Punjab. In Uttaranchal, districts exporting including Udhamsinghnagar, Haridwar, Nainital and Dehradun have been made part of the Basmati Export Zone.

Basmati rice is one of the major exports of India. The values and quantities of Basmati rice are accounted for almost all rice exports from India. As said earlier, major export markets of Indian basmati rice include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran. About 70% of export of basmati rice is for these three countries from India. Although the exports of basmati rice from India to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the UK and the US have decreased during the past few years, but exports to Iran, Kuwait, Yemen, Jordan, Iraq and the Netherlands have increased. This implies that not only the Middle-Eastern countries have preferences towards basmati rice, but the preferences seem to increase in recent years.The steady increase in production of rice and availability of buffer stocks and the growing demand for basmati rice in the international market made India an important rice exporting country of the world.

Fourth position In the year 2008-09, India has been reported to export about 2.48 mt of rice earning about Rs 11,164 crore. Among the several agro products exported from India, rice alone constituted 30.75% of foreign exchange in the year 2008-09 and India ranks at the fourth position for the export of rice after USA, Thailand, and Vietnam. For a long time before India was not a rice exporting country, success in the production and productivity gains had enabled the country since mid-1980s to attain self-sufficiency in rice.

Exporters from India entered into the world rice trade largely through the export of small quantities of highly priced basmati rice which was less than 5% in mid-1980s. In fact, the worldwide rice trade at that time was also less, only about 4%, which was 11.9 mt of the world rice production of 265.9 mt (on milled rice basis). The quantum of world rice trade also doubled to 27.90 mt by 2001 and to 29 mt by 2008 of which India‘s share was around 8.62% while in 2006-07 it was highest (19.8%) (Table 1).

Total rice exports from India were mere 0.38 mt in 1987-88, which grew to 0.53 mt in 1990-91 and elevated to a record scale of 5.51 mt in 1995-96. Later on, it dropped to around 2 mt during 2001 and again rose to 6.46 mt in 2007-08 that is 12 times increase over the quantum India exported in 1990-91.

Similarly the value too rose from Rs 456 crore in 1992 to Rs 11,164 crore in 2008-09 which is a spectacular 24 times increase in foreign exchange earnings. During the last five years, India was within the first five rice exporting countries with Thailand consistently ranking first in world rice

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine exports with 10 mt in 2008. Major contribution by various countries for rice exports include Vietnam (4.65 mt), USA (3.50 mt), India (3.30 mt), Pakistan (3.0 mt), China (0.95 mt), Uruguay (0.78 mt) and others (4.02 mt) (USDA 2008) (Figure 3). Major rice importing countries are South Africa, Nigeria, the Philippines, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the EU, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh and the Ivory Coast.

Table 1: World rice exports - contribution by Asia and India‘s share (million tonne) Period 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

World 24.5 27.9 27.6 27.2 28.9 29.1 31.8 29.7 29.0

Asia 18.65 22.29 21.51 21.45 21.98 22.20 25.38 23.37 23.00

India 1.9 6.7 4.4 3.2 4.7 4.5 6.3 3.4 2.5

India‘s share to world Rice Exports (%) 7.9 23.9 16.0 11.6 16.2 15.6 19.8 11.4 8.62

Areas under cultivation The cultivation of basmati in India is confined to traditional basmati growing areas in northwest Indian states including Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand and western Uttar Pradesh and to a limited area in Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Cultivation of basmati rice in local area is encountered in Jind, Panipat, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Sonipat, Yamuna Nagar and Ambala districts in Haryana as shown in Table 2. In Punjab, the areas where it is grown includes Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Patiala, Jalander, Ropar, Nawan, Hoshiarpur, Fatehgarh Sahib and Shehar; in Uttarakhand the districts include Dehradun, Udhamsingh Nagar, Nainital, Haridwar, Saharanpur, Rampur, Bijnor, Pilibhit, Badaun, Moradabad and Muzzaffar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh; Kangra, Solan, Mandi, Kullu and Sirmaur in Himachal Pradesh; and Jammu and Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir.

Of the 25 to 29 mt of rice traded annually in the world market, basmati rice market is less than 10%. But basmati rice captures higher returns as it is priced three times higher (US$ 800-1200 per metric tonne) over non-basmati rice (US$200-400 per metric tonne) in the domestic as well as international markets.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Nearly 50-70% of basmati rice produced in the country is exported mainly to Saudi Arabia (about 68%), the UAE, UK, Bahrain, Kuwait and so on. In 1978-79, India started exporting with a small beginning and exported about 67,000 tonne of basmati rice earning about Rs 32 crore.

A combination of factors were responsible for India to reach this pinnacle as one of the world‘s major rice exporter which include the research efforts in developing suitable varieties and farm management practices which were largely adopted by the farmers. In addition, appropriate steps taken by the government to liberalise trade policy and licensing procedures so as to promote the growth of agricultural exports, All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA) and APEDA made the efforts and play a major role in promoting Indian agri-exports and the zeal of the exporters in establishing themselves as reliable and dependable suppliers of basmati and non-basmati rice.

Table 2: Major Basmati growing districts in India Country India

State Punjab Uttaranchal Uttar Pradesh Haryana

District Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Patiala, Ropar, Nawan Shehar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Hoshiarpur Haridwar, Dehradun, Nainital, Udhamsingh Nagar Pilibhit, Saharanpur, Rampur, Bijnor, Moradabad, Muzzaffarnagar, Badaun Panipat, Karnal, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Jind, Ambala, Sonipat, Yamunanagar

International scenario

In the international market, rice is traded under two main groups such as fragrant and nonfragrant. The fragrant rice in India dominates the trade with its basmati rice followed by Pakistan. It fetches good export price in the international markets. Export of basmati from India peaks during March-April period and the November-December period. Main export is the Gulf region for Indian basmati rice and in Gulf, especially Saudi Arabia accounts for the major chunk of basmati imports from India. The next important market for Indian basmati rice is the European Union (EU). On an average roughly about 1.0-1.5 lakh tonne of basmati rice is bought by the EU. (The authors - Wani is research scholar; Sachin Manhas is M Tech; and Pradyuman Kumar is associate professor; Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Longowal. They can be contacted at sajadwani2013@yahoo.com) http://www.fnbnews.com/article/detnews.asp?articleid=36925&sectionid=1

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Three held for duping people with „rice puller‟ TNN | Mar 7, 2015, 02.09 AM IST MAPUSA: Anjuna police have arrested three persons for fraud. The trio—Epheeq Ahmad and Keshav Murthi, both residents of Bengaluru, and Ajay Kumar Mahato of Ghaziabad, UP— allegedly duped people, especially in Maharashtra, into buying a device they claimed attracted rice.They were arrested from a house they were renting in Kumarwado, Anjuna, after a tip-off to the police. They also had on them fake ID cards showing they were 'scientists' of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).PSI Mahesh Kerkar, who was tipped off and who led the arrest, explained that the trio's modus operandi was to scour the net for customers with claims of an object that had fallen to earth during lightning, and which could pull things towards it. The object was priced 5-10 lakh.

Once a customer showed interest, the object would be shown and the money taken.The customer would then be told that a scientist from DRDO would arrive the next day to test the 'rice puller', and that the customer, after witnessing the test, could take the device home.The following day one from the three, with his fake DRDO ID card in tow, would arrive at the pre-decided spot and meet the customer.The other two would not turn up with the 'rice puller' and after a wait of about an hour the 'scientist' would say he is busy, can not wait anymore, and would leave, leaving the customer without a device and lakhs of rupees short."The trio were not able to dupe people in Goa as they were arrested immediately after they came to Goa. But they have duped people in Pandharpur, Kolhapur, and other places in Maharashtra," Kerkar told TOI.Police have also seized the 'rice puller' and other machinery from the accused. They have been booked under Sections 419, 420, and 511 of IPC. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Three-held-for-duping-people-with-ricepuller/articleshow/46480065.cms

Government subsidies distort rice exports overseas?

Mar 6, 2015Forrest Laws | Delta Farm Press Five countries - Thailand, India, Vietnam, Pakistan and the United States - account for 80 percent of all the rice traded in the world.

That means market distorting subsidy programs by any of those countries can have a major impact on the rice exports of the others, says Carl Brothers, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Riceland Foods in Stuttgart, Ark. Speaking at the annual Ag Update Meeting at the opening of the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show in Memphis, Tenn., Brothers said Riceland Foods has lessened the impact of the competition for exports by helping increase U.S. consumption of its products from 50 percent some years ago to 75 percent to 80 percent today.But exports continue to be important for the U.S. rice industry and www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine for producers. That's why the USA Rice Federation has asked the U.S. International Trade Commission to begin an investigation of subsidy programs operated in rice-exporting countries, including the United States.

"Thailand has been the No. 1 rice exporting country for most of my career at Riceland Foods," said Brothers. "But Thailand began a new subsidy program two years ago that paid producers the equivalent of about $10 per bushel to grow rice.

"As a result of the way they operated the program, their exports dropped from around 11 million metric tons to 7.8 million metric tons in 2013/14, dropping them to No. 3 among exporters. The program cost the country more than $21 billion. It nearly broke the country. The prime minister who initiated the program is under indictment and the military has taken over the country."India has also been subsidizing its rice production with the result that its exports jumped from 2.8 million metric tons to 10 million metric tons at the same time Thailand's exports were declining, he said. India's exports are expected to decline in 2015/16, however, due to shortages of water for irrigation.

For more on the World rice outlook, visit http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/rice.aspx Watch vidieo on http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/government-subsidies-distort-rice-exportsoverseas?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+March+6%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+D ecember+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/government-subsidies-distort-rice-exportsoverseas?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+March+6%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+D ecember+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email

Woolworths changes online grocery pricing by stealth MARCH 06, 2015 10:09PM

Woolworths quietly changed thousands of website price tags to match those in stores on Thursday night. Picture: Adam Smith Source: News Limited WOOLWORTHS has ditched discriminatory pricing between its online and physical supermarkets.The grocery giant quietly changed thousands of website price tags to match those in stores on Thursday night.

The Herald Sun learned of the new policy amid warnings major supermarkets were charging internet shoppers a premium for some products.Niche discount retailer Supply Warehouse checked eight goods earlier this week and uncovered mark-ups of 5 to 10 per cent at Coles online compared with the Coles Prahran store.For Woolies, most of the selected items cost 7.4 to 7.7 per cent more than in-store.

But on Friday Woolworths spokesman Russell Mahoney advised: 窶標oolworths provides consistent prices to our www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine customers no matter how they choose to shop.‖Before the policy change, a 500g pack of Vittoria Ground Espresso coffee was $1.48 more on Woolies‘ website than its Prahran store. The Coles online price gap was $1.93.Web prices for certain sizes of Vegemite, Heinz ketchup and baked beans, Riviana basmati rice, Lipton tea bags and Dove deodorant were 15c to 41c higher than the stores.Colgate toothpaste was cheaper on the Woolies site before its same-price strategy.

Coles spokesman Blair Speedy said some categories online had a small price premium ―to help cover the cost of our convenient service, including the dedicated team members who select our customers‘ groceries‖.―There are some non-advertised specials that are only available in a physical store, and likewise our online customers regularly have access to discounts and promotional offers not available in store,‖ Mr Speedy said.

Supply Warehouse owner Mark Goldberg said running an online store was considerably cheaper than paying overheads on physical shops, and savings should be passed on.―You shouldn‘t be stung for higher-priced groceries plus delivery,‖ Mr Goldberg said.Woolworths‘ delivery fees range from no charge to up to $11. Coles‘ are from no charge to up to $13. karen.collier@news.com.au Twitter: @KarenCollierHS Originally published as Woolies changes online pricing by stealth Courtesy:www.newscom.au

Govt will design rice planting, harvesting cycle: President Ponorogo, E Java (ANTARA News) – The government will design a cycle for rice planting and harvesting to avoid stocking excessive amounts of rice during simultaneous harvests, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said.―Arranged cycles of planting and harvesting will also increase farmers yield of unhusked rice. If the cycles are not designed, the price will drop when rice is harvested simultaneously and stocks will pile up. So we will frame a cycle for rice planting and harvesting,‖ the president stated while observing a maize plantation in Suku village here on Friday afternoon.

The head of state noted that with high productivity, the rice stocks will always be adequate and the country will not need to import the commodity.―We should strive to increase productivity.

For example, one hectare rice field now produces 5 tons of rice. We should find ways to increase the output to 9 to 10 tons, as shown in Demak district. As for the price, it will compete with that of other countries. If rice abroad is cheap, our rice should also be cheap. The key point in this case is increased productivity,‖ Jokowi explained.He reminded that the competition now was between farmers at home and those abroad, and that the quality and availability of stocks was the key to a nation becoming food self-sufficient.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Therefore, he urged farmers to boost the yield of rice to maintain the availability of food stocks.―I asked all farmers to be more confident in producing rice and informed them that the government will not import the commodity anymore. So production should rise,‖ Jokowi, said during his working visit to Jetis village, another village in Ponorogo district.He pointed out that the government has prepared facilities and infrastructure to improve agricultural production, including irrigation systems, tractors, rice-planting machines, combine harvesters and seeds.―It is now up to you (farmers),‖ Jokowi remarked.

The president further noted that as many as 41,000 tractors will be distributed to farmers, besides other harvesting tools.This month, the government will also announce the promised price of unhusked rice that suits market conditions and meets farmers expectations, Jokowi affirmed.President Jokowi is on a three-day working visit to East Java from Friday to Sunday, accompanied by First Lady Iriana.The head of state attended the grand harvest at Dukuh Jetis village, where he distributed aid to the local farmers.Also present at the grand rice harvest were District Head of Ponorogo Amin, Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman, State Secretary Pratikno and Governor of East Java Soekarwo.Ponorogo is one of the districts in East Java that is entering this years rice harvest season.

Source : www.antaranews.com, Friday 6 March 2015

Tax rice and sugar imports highly, governors urge authority Murang‘a Governor Mwangi wa Iria. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP In Summary Without providing details, Mr Ndathi cited a case where some importers were bringing in sub-standard goods and blending them with local products to dupe buyers. Kenya Association of Manufacturers chief executive Betty Maina argues that Kenyan firms continue to grapple with subsidised imports, counterfeits and substandard goods.

At Governors Summit held in Naivasha last week, Marsabit County governor Ukur Yatani proposed that the tax authority should work with the counties to help curb the vice.

By NATION CORRESPONDENT Two governors want the Kenya Revenue Authority to impose high taxes on imported farm produce.Kirinyaga‘s Joseph Ndathi and his Murang‘a counterpart Mwangi wa Iria said tea, rice and sugar industries were making losses because of cheap imports.Mr Ndathi added that some of the imports were of inferior quality. ―If we hope to see the country grow in double digits, we must protect our own industries,‖ said Mr Ndathi. www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Without providing details, Mr Ndathi cited a case where some importers were bringing in substandard goods and blending them with local products to dupe buyers.Mr Mwangi singled out the local horticultural industry noting that it was vulnerable since much of the produce was perishable.Kenya Association of Manufacturers chief executive Betty Maina argues that Kenyan firms continue to grapple with subsidised imports, counterfeits and substandard goods. ―Over and above this, the average import tariff of 12 per cent for the East African Community customs union is perceived not to be protective enough compared to that of India, which is said to be at 60 per cent,‖ says Ms Maina.She added that partner states are also notorious for using discretionary powers failing to honour the customs union by importing goods at lower tariff rates than agreed.Porous borders and laxity by some tax officers have been cited as a major cause for the influx of contraband goods.

Kenya‘s borders with Ethiopia and Somalia have particularly been easy passage routes owing to their long stretch and insecurity, which has made control a challenge.At Governors Summit held in Naivasha last week, Marsabit County governor Ukur Yatani proposed that the tax authority should work with the counties to help curb the vice.He argued that locals could be recruited to act as informers in regions where professionals were not willing to venture to insecurity. http://www.nation.co.ke/business/Tax-rice-and-sugar-imports-highly/-/996/2645004/-/ljjxtlz/-/index.html

Nigeria: 6,808 Edo Rice Farmers Benefit From FG Scheme Tagged:AgribusinessBusinessNigeriaWest Africa Zimbabwe: Bare Your Bloom No fewer than 6,808 rice farmers in Edo State had benefited from the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) Scheme during the 2013/2014 dry season rice farming in the state.Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Edo, Mr Wellington Omoragbon, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Benin.He said that the rice farmers in the state benefited from the scheme by redeeming fertiliser at 50 per cent subsidised rate.

He said water pumps, rice reapers and threshers allocated to the state were also provided to the farmers at subsidised rate to enhance the dry season rice farming.According to him, 30 agro dealer redemption centres were created where these inputs are redeemed at subsided rates by registered farmers."At the moment, farmers have redeemed 129,284 bags of NPK, 125, 351 bags of urea, 40, 012kg of maize seeds and 13, 348kg of rice seeds," he said.He said government incentive was aimed at boosting production of agricultural produce to ensure self-sufficiency in www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine food production. He explained that government was also determined to guarantee food security and stop importation of rice into the country.

The director also said that the ministry had registered about 152, 110 farmers under the GES programme.Omoragbon gave the assurance that the ministry was ready and would continue with the registration of farmers, who were yet to key into the programme.He said the Federal Government was committed to farmers' welfare and had made arrangement for the delivery of tractors and other farm equipment for 2015 farming season. http://allafrica.com/stories/201503060326.html

Provinces to get rice from national reserves HAU GIANG (VNS) — Nearly 7,000 tonnes of rice from national reserves will be distributed among impoverished households in nine provinces across the country during the period between crops this year.The central provinces of Quang Ngai, Quang Binh and Quang Tri will receive 1,371 tonnes, 1,219 tonnes and 668 tonnes, respectively.The northern provinces of Ha Nam will receive more than 1,280 tonnes while the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau will get 847 tonnes. — VNS http://vietnamnews.vn/society/267208/provinces-to-get-rice-from-national-reserves.html

India Rabi rice sowing at 32 lakh hectare; Exports may decline 20% The area under rabi rice as on March 5 stands at 32 lakh hectare as compared to 37.19 lakh hectare at this time last year. Rice exports may decline 20% this year on cheaper supplies from Thailand.

06 Mar 2015

NEW DELHI(Commodity Online): India Rabi rice planting has touched 32 lakh hectare. As per the latest reports received from States, the area under rabi rice as on March 5 stands at 32 lakh hectare as compared to 37.19 lakh hectare at this time last year.As per 2nd Advance Estimates, the production of Rice stands at 103.04 million tonnes. As per 2nd Advance Estimates for 2014-15, total foodgrains production in the country is estimated at 257.07 million tonnes which is the fourth highest quantity of annual foodgrains production in the country.As compared to last year‘s record production of 265.57 million tonnes, current year‘s production of foodgrains is lower by 8.50 million tonnes. www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine This decline has occurred on account of lower production of rice, coarse cereals and pulses due to erratic rainfall conditions during the monsoon season-2014.

Exports face 20 % decline India rice exporters are anticipating 20 per cent fall in 2015 tiggered by a stiff competition from Thailand. This means exports will decline to around 8 million tonnes in 2015 from 10 million tonnes in 2014.The much cheaper rice from Thailand is the reason for this decline. Thailand government is planning to offload around 10million tonnes of rice from its stockpiles this year. http://www.commodityonline.com/news/india-rabi-rice-sowing-at-32-lakh-hectare;-exports-maydecline-20-61883-3-61884.html

Thai govt gets bids for 780,000 tonnes of riceTop exporter Thailand received bids for around 780,000 tonnes of rice out of the 1 million tonnes offered in its latest tender, the erce Ministry said on Friday, as the government continues to sell grain to reduce its bulging stockpiles.

PHOTO: SPH

6 Mar7:50 PM [BANGKOK] Top exporter Thailand received bids for around 780,000 tonnes of rice out of the 1 million tonnes offered in its latest tender, the Commerce Ministry said on Friday, as the government continues to sell grain to reduce its bulging stockpiles.

Thailand built up more than 17 million tonnes of the grain under a subsidy scheme run by the government of ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra until early 2014, which paid farmers well above market rates for their crops.Banjongjitt Angsusingh, deputy director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, said bids for around 780,000 tonnes were received in the March tender from 40 firms. "The value of the 780,000 tonnes of rice, according to the floor price we established, is around 8 billion baht (US$247 million). Almost every bid we received was above the floor price," she told reporters.

The sales are expected to be approved next week, she said.The authorities have held five tenders since the military seized power last May and have sold 1,177,983 tonnes for around 17.21 billion baht.In the last tender in January they sold less than 500,000 tonnes out of the roughly 1 million tonnes on offer. Officials said in February that this was because some bidders did not meet certain requirements.In a tender last December, around 150,000 tonnes of rice went unsold out of 400,000 tonnes on offer because some bids were below the government's floor price.Thailand

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine exported a record high 10.8 million tonnes in 2014, toppling India to regain its mantle as the world's top rice exporter.

The military government that seized power last May ended the rice subsidy scheme and has said it wants to sell off the stockpiles over the next two years.Thai common grade 5 per cent broken white rice was offered in the market at US$416 per tonne on Friday.Ms Yingluck was removed from government just days before the May coup. The rice scheme was hugely popular among the rural electorate, which remains loyal to her, but it was derided by her critics as an expensive, populist policy.Ms Yingluck was found guilty of negligence over the controversial scheme and was banned from politics for five years in January http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/energy-commodities/thai-govt-gets-bids-for-780000-tonnes-of-rice

Jimmy Hoppe Inducted into Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction BATON ROUGE, LA -- Jimmy Hoppe, a rice farmer from Iowa LA, was just the fourth person honored by Well deserved being inducted into the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction (see USA Rice Daily story, January 29, 2015). USA Rice's Randy Jemison introduced Hoppe at last night's awards ceremony, saying "Jimmy's deep knowledge of farming, commodity processing, and marketing, coupled with his genuine concern for others, has equipped him to be one of Louisiana's great agricultural ambassadors, building good will between consumers and production agriculture."

Contact: Randy Jemison (337) 738-7009 USA Rice Reps Visit Cuba with Ag Coalition

Rance Daniels (l) makes contacts on USACC trip to Cuba HAVANA, CUBA -- Missouri rice farmer Rance Daniels and Riceland Foods Senior Vice President of Marketing and Risk Management Terry Harris represented the U.S. rice industry on a trip with more than 90 people involved in agriculture and education visiting Cuba this week.

The group, traveling as the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC), included two former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture, Mike Espy and John Block, and the First Lady of Missouri Georgeanne Nixon.

The group met on Monday morning with the Minister of Foreign Investment, Mr. José Luis Padrone, Director of International Relations for the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Juan José León Vega, and in the afternoon with Rafael www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Rivacoba, Director of International Relations for the state sugar enterprise, and Leonardo Chairing, Director of International Relations for the National Association of Small Farmers.All the Cuban officials discussed opportunities in the market for imports of a wide variety of ag products including inputs and equipment. They also discussed in depth the problems created by the U.S. embargo and the roadblock it created that prevented consistent business and a closer ongoing relationship between industries in the nations.That evening the group attended a reception at the residence of the top U.S. diplomat in Cuba, hosted by the Missouri First Lady.Tuesday the delegation split into six groups to visit various segments of the ag industry including sugar production; aquaculture; cattle production; fruits, grains, and vegetables; tobacco and sorghum; and rice.

Terry Harris (l) on tour with Cuban farm co-op officials Daniels and Harris went on the rice tour, meeting with the board of directors of a farm cooperative that farmed more than 7,000 acres of rice. They also toured two rice mills and a rice drying and storage facility. There was a detailed discussion between the Cuban and U.S. farmers about farm practices, pricing, problems, and opportunities "I found it very interesting in talking with the Cuban farmers the practices we have in common, but also how different some of them are," Daniels reflected.

"They were definitely intrigued with the size of our planting and harvesting equipment. I also feel renewed trade with Cuba is a great opportunity for us to expand our rice export markets, but it will also be a way for us to share some of our technology with the Cuban farmers to help improve their productivity."

The meeting ended on Wednesday morning after a meeting with the president of Alimport, the state agency that imports almost all foodstuffs into the country, a follow up discussion with the Cuban officials who had previously met with the group, and capped by comments by both the former Secretaries of Agriculture.

"I felt the trip was very beneficial from both the U.S. and Cuban perspectives," said Harris. "It allowed a good exchange of information, ideas, and goals that could benefit both nations and create opportunities for bilateral trade. As expressed by both Secretary Block and Secretary Espy, Cuba holds incredible potential for increased commerce in goods and technology, but the embargo remains a stumbling block that we must remove to make this opportunity a reality."

Contact: Michael Klein (703) 236-1458

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for March 6

Month

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Price

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Net Change

Contact for Newsletter Advertisement mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell : +92 321 3692774

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

March 2015

$10.235

- $0.115

May 2015

$10.475

- $0.120

July 2015

$10.735

- $0.120

September 2015

$10.870

- $0.125

November 2015

$11.030

- $0.125

January 2016

$11.165

- $0.125

March 2016

$11.165

- $0.125

Debate Over Genetically Engineered „Golden Rice‟ Heats Up FILE - International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) bioplant scientist Sophan Datta shows during a press tour a variety of experimental "golden rice" being tested inside sealed IRRI greenhouse in Laguna, Nov. 27, 2003.

Simone Orendain March 06, 2015 6:44 AM MANILA— Scientists in the Philippines are at work on a strain of rice that could solve one of the world‘s major health challenges: a vitamin A deficiency. The so-called, ―golden rice‖, which has been genetically engineered to produce beta carotene, has led to opposition from GMO opponents, including Greenpeace. To supporters of golden rice, the crop offers enormous potential for eliminating as many as two million deaths each year from vitamin A deficiency, which mainly impacts young children and pregnant women. The beta carotene in the new rice is a precursor for Vitamin A, which is missing in the diets of millions of people in the developing world. The deficiency is a leading cause of childhood blindness, and is a public health problem in many countries.

Pros vs cons www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Canadian ecologist Patrick Moore says there should be no debate over whether farmers should grow golden rice. ―Why is there not the same revulsion at two million children dying," Moore asked. "To let golden rice out so at least some people can get it and maybe more and more and more?‖ But critics, including the Greenpeace environmental group, have long opposed the crop because of the genetic engineering involved in its creation. Moore was an early member of Greenpeace in the 1970s and early 80s, but has since become a critic of the group‘s stance on a range of issues, including golden rice. ―Genetically engineered crops consist almost entirely of herbicide tolerant and insect resistant crops marketed to developing countries‖ Greenpeace said in an emailed statement in response to queries about Moore‘s criticism. The statement also said the group finds this model detrimental to people‘s health, farmers‘ livelihoods and the environment.

Public financing Unlike some genetically modified crops designed by corporations that patent the plants, the golden rice being developed in the Philippines is financed by public funds. A range of philanthropic and public sector groups have worked to engineer the crop and improve its production.

They hope that farmers in the developing world will eventually grow it, addressing a major public health issue that many scientists say is on the scale of malaria or tuberculosis.

But Manila-based Greenpeace Southeast Asia Agriculture Campaigner Daniel Ocampo said after 20 years of research golden rice is not ready for consumption, and could be more dangerous than its supporters will admit. ―It‘s still in the laboratory. It‘s not available commercially," Ocampo said. "So it‘s really misleading the public when they say that it‘s going to be one of the solutions to Vitamin A deficiency.‖Greenpeace is instead pushing what it calls ―ecological agriculture‖ which it said is climate resilient and will let people access food that meets their nutritional needs.

A year and a half ago, a group of anti-GMO activists overran one of the golden rice test plots in the Philippines' Bicol region and destroyed it in a protest against the project. The incident raised the profile of the conflict over golden rice, and led some to accuse Greenpeace of being behind the protest and the destruction. But the organization says it had nothing to do with it.The International Rice Research Institute just south of Manila has been doing breeding experiments with golden rice for nine years, but said they must still conduct more research before it is ready for human consumption. www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine www.voanews.com/content/debate-over-genetically-engineered-golden-rice-heats-up-inphilippines/2669938.html?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+March+6%2C+2015&utm_camp aign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email

Hain Celestial Celebrates Innovation At Natural Products Expo West 2015 Features Over 100 New And Exciting Food, Beverage, Snack And Personal Care Products PR Newswire,LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., March 6, 2015 LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., March 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAIN), a leading organic and natural products company providing consumers with A Healthier Way of Life™, today announced that over 100 new products will be featured at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California starting today. Expo West is the world's largest event devoted to natural and specialty food and beverages, organics, supplements, health and beauty, natural living and pet products. Hain Celestial's products will be rolling out now through the end of 2015 and sold in selected markets in the United States. In its last fiscal year, Hain Celestial's new products generated over $100 million in net sales on a worldwide basis.

"This is a banner year for Hain Celestial's innovation pipeline. We are proud of our brands and our new product innovation that demonstrates our continued leadership in the organic and natural space," said Irwin D. Simon, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hain Celestial. "Our ability to globally source distinctive ingredients, coupled with our nimble, innovation-focused culture, has resulted in product uniqueness with quality and speed-to-market that rival the rest.

Our exciting line-up features food, beverage, snack and personal care products for all age groups and lifestyles, with particular attention to millennial consumers, an important segment for Hain Celestial's growth."Natural Products Expo West 2015 is expected to feature over 2,600 exhibitors and more than 60,000 participants who will be able to preview the exciting Hain Celestial product line-up firsthand.

"This year, our booth includes a digital experience in support of two programs. The first is our new partnership with CARE to support girls' education around the world, and the second is our www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine on-going leadership to make mandatory labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food products a reality in the United States.

Our new products along with these digital initiatives exemplify our high standards for quality, value, enjoyment and social responsibility," concluded Irwin Simon.In the year since the last Expo West Hain Celestial has acquired new brands that extend the Company's existing portfolio of innovative and high quality natural and certified organic products.

The new brands include Rudi's Organic Bakery®, a leading organic and gluten-free brand offering a diversified line of bread and baked goods products and fresh and frozen FreeBird® chicken and Plainville Farms® turkey that are never, ever given antibiotics. More recently, Hain Celestial purchased the Live Clean® personal care brand and Empire Kosher.

Some of the highlights of this year's lineup of new products includes: o

Arrowhead Mills® brand adds three new cereals including two new Organic Sprouted Granolas made with organic whole sprouted oats and buckwheat in Maple & Apple and Apple and Ginger varieties, and Organic Gluten Free Coconut Rice and Shine Hot Cereal made with Fair Trade Coconut.

o

BluePrint® introduces new nutrient-packed 100% juices—Arugula Kale and Chard Basil.

Arugula, kale, apple, romaine, celery, cucumber, lemon and ginger provide a dose of essential daily vitamins and minerals and superfoods chard and collards, basil, apple, romaine, celery, cucumber and lemon combine for a flavorful and nutritious choice.

o

Celestial Seasonings® announces completely re-imagined packaging and a variety of innovative new product lines that appeal to new and existing tea drinkers alike. The new products include Sleepytime® Honey and Watermelon Lime Zinger® Herbal Teas; Celestial™ Organics Herbal and Wellness Teas; Celestial™Teahouse Chai Teas; Celestial™ Lattes in shelf-stable ready-to-drink and aseptic concentrate formats; Celestial™ Loose Leaf Tea Blending Kits; and two new flavors of Celestial™ Organics Kombucha.

o

The DREAM® brand expands its plant based offerings with a new platform of coconut based yogurts and frozen dessert bites. Coconut Dream™ Yogurts have a creamy consistency with a tropical twist and come in five luscious flavors: Plain, Vanilla, Strawberry, Blueberry and Raspberry. Coconut Dream™ Frozen Dessert Bites, the first and only coconut based bite size frozen treats, are delicious frozen nuggets coated with rich thick chocolate.

o

Earth's Best Organic® introduces redesigned and value sized packaging and new snacks for toddlers. The Earth's Best Tendercare® Diapers and Wipes have a fresh new look, giving babies pure, chlorine free protection. Value size options include Earth's Best™ Frozen Fish Nuggets, made from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified Sustainable Alaskan Pollock and Earth's Best Organic® Infant formula the #1 Organic Formula brand*, is now offered in 50% larger value can. Earth's Best Organic® Freeze Dried Snacks are tiny finger-

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine sized freeze dried fruits and veggies with a soft texture for a nutritious first snack. Varieties include Corn & Edamame and Strawberry, Banana & Apple. o

Ella's Kitchen® has new, nutritious snack and beverage options for children. Ella's Kitchen® Organic Cookies are lightly sweetened only with honey and contain 2 grams of sugar per serving. Organic Multigrain Snacks are made with gluten free grains including Quinoa & Brown Rice and are available in varieties including Lentil & Carrot Sticks. Kids beverage options from Ella's Kitchen® include Organic Coconut Water to help rehydrate and replenish nutrients and Nutritional Shakes that are packed with vitamins and minerals essential for growing big and strong.

o

Garden of Eatin'® Cantina Style Corn Tortilla Chips are thin and crispy like you'd find in an authentic "Mexican Cantina." Available in White Corn with Lime and Blue Corn with Sea Salt.

o

GG Unique Fiber® Scandinavian Thins, baked wheat crispbread in Raisin & Honey, with 40 calories and 3 grams of fiber per serving.

o

Imagine® has a strong soup season planned for Fall of 2015. New products include Imagine® Seafood Stock which is MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certified, Imagine® Organic Unsalted Free Range Chicken and Vegetable Broths sold in a 4-pack of 8 fluid ounce cartons, and a new line of refrigerated Imagine®Culinary Soup in 22 ounce tubs in 5 delicious varieties, including 3 vegetarian soups such as Potato & Kale, and 2 chicken soups including Lemon Chicken Quinoa.

o

Plainville Farms® debuts Organic Deli Breast products—Oven Roasted Turkey, Honey Turkey and Hickory Smoked Turkey and Organic Ground Turkey.

o

Rudi's Gluten-Free Bakery™ Garlic Toast and Cheese Toast are a gluten-free take on the popular Texas Toast category. These delicious "heat and serve" items also contain 5 grams of fiber per slice.

o

Sensible Portions® Puffs made with Organic Corn are gluten-free and available in four delicious varieties: Cheddar, Sour Cream & Onion, Tomato Basil and Veggie.

o

TERRA® Wasabi Chips, sharp and spicy wasabi flavor on a seasonal blend of potato chips.

o

Tilda® ready-to-heat rice is made with only the finest, authentic Basmati rice. Available in four delicious flavors: Pure Basmati, Brown Basmati, Brown Basmati and Quinoa and Mexican Style Chili Bean.

o

Spectrum® Whole Chia Seed is now available in a 22 ounce Value Size. Whole Chia Seed is rich in Omega-3 ALA fatty acids and a good source of fiber.

o

Westbrae Natural® condiments have the same great taste but are now USDA Organic. The full line of Organic condiments include: Stoneground Mustard, Stoneground Mustard–No Salt Added, Dijon Style Mustard, Yellow Mustard and Unsweetened Ketchup.

o

Yves Veggie Cuisine® brand is introducing delicious new vegan burgers, patties and appetizers to its line-up which contain on-trend ingredients such as Kale & Quinoa. New Yves Veggie Cuisine® Kale & Roots Vegetable Patties with brown rice and ancient grains and Yves Veggie Cuisine® Kale & Quinoa Bites are non GMO, gluten free and packed with veggies.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Hain Celestial's featured personal care products include: o

Alba Botanica® brand introduces Fast Fix, four botanically-powerful solutions to common beauty emergencies, and Clear Spray SPF 50 Broad Spectrum Sunscreens for single-touch continuous sprayon sun care convenience without chemical propellants.

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JASON® brand introduces two Sheer Spray Lotions for feather-light moisture in a convenient, continuous spray and the Smoothing Coconut Body Care Collection to deliver intense moisture to extremely dry skin.

The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ: HAIN), headquartered in Lake Success, NY, is a leading organic and natural products company with operations in North America, Europeand India. Hain Celestial participates in many natural categories with well-known brands that include Celestial Seasonings®, Earth's Best®, Ella's Kitchen®, Terra®, Garden of Eatin'®, Sensible Portions®, Health Valley®, Arrowhead Mills®, MaraNatha®, SunSpire®, DeBoles®, Casbah®, Rudi's Organic Bakery®, Gluten Free Café™, Hain Pure Foods®, Spectrum®, Spectrum Essentials®, Walnut Acres Organic®, Imagine®, Almond Dream®, Rice Dream®, Soy Dream®, WestSoy®, The Greek Gods®, BluePrint®, FreeBird®, Plainville Farms®,, Empire Kosher®, Kosher Valley®, Yves Veggie Cuisine®, Europe'sBest®, Cully & Sully®, New Covent Garden Soup Co. ®, Johnson's Juice Co. ®, Farmhouse Fare®, Hartley's®, Sun-Pat®, Gale's®, Robertson's®, Frank Cooper's®, Linda McCartney®, Lima®, Danival®, Natumi®, GG UniqueFiber®, Tilda®, JASON®, Avalon Organics®, Alba Botanica®, Live Clean® and Queen Helene®. Hain Celestial has been providing A Healthier Way of Life™ since 1993. For more information, visit www.hain.com.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130502/NY06743LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/haincelestial-celebrates-innovation-at-natural-products-expo-west-2015-300046522.html SOURCE The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.

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