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Global Rice E-Newsletter

www.ricepluss.com

January 15, 2015

Volume 5, Issue I

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter

Commerce Minister pushes Thai rice to Hong Kong

HONG KONG, 16 January 2015 (NNT)

Thailand's Minister of Commerce is attending
the discussion of expanding the market of Thai
rice in Hong Kong, aiming to place Thailand as
the gateway of trade in ASEAN. The Minister of
Commerce Gen. Chatchai Sarikulya revealed the
details on his official visit to Hong Kong today,
where he will meet with the the Secretary for
Commerce and Economic Development of Hong
Kong to discuss expansion of Thai rice market
negotiations.
The Thai Minister has said that he will witness
the signing of the Letter of Intent (LOI) for the
cooperation in promoting Thai rice along with
the signing of the Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) for the trade of up to 100
thousand tons of Hom Mali Rice between Thai
exporters and Hong Kong importers. The
Commerce Minister will also give the Best
Friend of Thai Rice Award to Hong Kong
importers who had continuously imported rice
from Thailand.
Regarding the trade negotiations, the Minister of
Commerce has said that he will propose the
strains of rice that are nutritionally rich in health,
such as the Organic Fragrant Rice, the Black
Fragrant Rice, Rice berry, and the Sangyod
Rice, as well as other products and services such
as spas, insurances, logistics, and finances to
increase trade opportunity with Hong Kong. The
Commerce Minister said that this discussion will
demonstrate that Hong Kong can rely on
Thailand as a gateway to ASEAN, while Hong
Kong can function as a gateway to China for
Thailand as well. Hong Kong is currently
Thailands 9th largest trading partner for rice
products. The trading value for the past five
years has reached approximately 13.6 billion
dollars.
http://thainews.prd.go.th/centerweb/newsen/New
sDetail?NT01_NewsID=WNECO58011600100
14#sthash.BCUSKvS6.dpuf

http://thainews.prd.go.th/centerweb/newsen/New
sDetail?NT01_NewsID=WNECO58011600100
14

Gauging Impact Of FGs

Rice Policy
By Ruth Tene Abuja
Jan 16, 2015 |

The Nigerian rice sector is believed to have

witnessed a revival with the introduction of
the new rice policy which made it possible
for indigenous rice investors with visible
investments to be allocated rice import
quota. In this report, Ruth Tene Natsa
analyses the challenges and advantages of
the policy.The economic diversification
efforts of President Goodluck Jonathans
administration are beginning to find
expression in the agricultural revolution
Plan of the federal government.The shift
from oil to non-oil sector has witnessed
tremendous
life-lifting
policies
and
measures, particularly in the agro-allied

sector.
The federal government has continuously
demonstrated its avowed determination to
ensure that the nation achieves selfsufficiency
in
rice
production.
Consequently, stakeholders are buoyed and
encouraged to meet the governments target

via robust rice policy. However, it would

appear that some stakeholders are trying to
undermine the good intentions of the federal
government by raising eyebrows on the
granting of waivers to genuine rice dealers,
including millers, farmers and importers in
the country. The rice allocation quotas to
investors are meant to realise the federal
governments self-sufficiency objective on
rice.
But the question begging for answer is why
are some stakeholders kicking against the
new rice policy being implemented by
government? According to investigations,
this is members of Rice Millers, Importers
and Distributors Association of Nigeria
(RiMIDAN)
and
Nigerian
millers
Association are accommodated in the
federal governments backward integration
policy on rice.Congregating under the aegis
of the Nigeria Rice Investors Group, the
stakeholders,
including
RiMIDAN
members, received rice import quota from
the federal government. Under the scheme,
rice importers and new investors (including
existing millers expanding into new
operations) were required to post a Domestic
Rice Production Performance Bond. This,
according to the minister agriculture and
rural development, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina,
would be used to demonstrate a clear
commitment by beneficiaries, to domestic
investment plans in rice production and
processing.
The bond value for each importer/new
investor would be equivalent to 30 per cent
of the value of the quota received. The bond
must be secured at a qualifying bank
approved by the Federal Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development
(FMARD) and the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN). For the avoidance of doubt, the
federal government made it clear that rice
imported under the quota allocation will be

charged 10 per cent duty and 20 per cent

levy; rice imported since May 2014 in
excess of approved quotas will be charged a
higher tariff of 10 per cent duty and 60 per
cent levy and paid into the national treasury
with 60days.
The government also announced that rice
importers who have already exceeded their
allocated quota, importing at a higher tariff,
would not be given a quota to import more
rice until after a new quota was announced;
while failure of any importer/investor to
comply would result to forfeiture of import
quotas.
Curiously,
this
apparent
magnanimity on the part of federal
government aimed at developing the rice
value chain in the country did not go down
well with an aggrieved group, whose
members have millers and farmers and,
therefore, thought that the governments
largesse was meant to bring in intruders or
outsiders into the rice business. This
group has given wings to the allegation that
the waivers and import quotas would
exacerbate the rate and level of smuggling
of the commodity into Nigeria from
neighbouring countries, especially the
Republic of Benin.
The resistance displayed by the aggrieved
rice dealers, according to observers was
misplaced. It is significant to note that the
federal government was clear from the
outset that investors rice investment plans
will be strictly monitored against key
milestones.It further emphasised that
failure to execute the plans would lead to
withdrawal of the bond by the FMARD.
First, there was a Presidential InterMinisterial Committee on Rice Supply Gap
comprising of the minister of agriculture and
rural development, coordinating minister for
the economy/ minister of finance, minister
of industry, trade and investment as well as
the minister of national planning. The

committee was mandated by the president to

determine the national rice supply gap and
appropriate volume of import quotas to be
issued in order to close the gap and advance
the rice supply the rice transformation
agenda and objectives of the National Rice
Policy.
The ministerial committee after its
deliberations mapped out four specific
criteria to gauge production among which is
the Domestic Rice Production Plan (DRPP)
to demonstrate evidence of current or
planned investment in domestic rice
production over a 3-year period, size of
investment, proof of land acquisition and
establishment of rice field and paddy
production.; Paddy purchase outlook from
Paddy Aggregation
Centres
(PAC):
Demonstrate a clear plan of purchase of
paddy from PACs which should include
location of PACs, volumes of paddy to be
purchased, etc. Also, Paddy purchase
outlook from outgrower farmers and farmer
cooperatives should include location of
farms, volumes of paddy to be purchased.
On the other hand, ownership of Integrated
Rice Milling Facility (With par boilers and
dehuskers) should include Size of planed
installed capacity (score relative to the
largest sized facility), evidence of
acquisition of integrated rice milling
equipment.
Infact, there has been a deliberate policy by
the government to boost the potential of
local industries such as imposing high tariffs
on commodities which could be produced in
the country, export promotion drive, as well
as ensuring that the backward integration
policy of the government in line with the
Agricultural
Transformation
Agenda
succeeds. The government also encourages
the processing, production and marketing of
paddy rice via the deregulation of seeds and

fertilizer markets as well as private sector

coordinated commodities market.
Equally, it is worthy of note that apart from
credit facilities, efforts are being made
towards setting up local crop processing
zones to enhance food processing industries
in proximity to raw materials and endusers.However, contrary to views in some
quarters, that the Federal Governments
Backward Integration Plan for the rice
industry might suffer loss, if the issues of
waivers and import quota allocations are not
redressed, there is abundant proof that those
who do not want competition or expansion
of the rice production sector are bent on
circumventing the Government policy. This
group is in the minority and pursues selfish
objectives. For instance, one of the reasons
adduced by those opposed to liberalisation
of waivers and import quotas for rice which
is that smuggling of the product into Nigeria
would now increase, remains and appears
fatally flawed. Before now, smuggling has
been with us especially regarding rice
importation.
http://leadership.ng/business/402214/gauging-impactfgs-rice-policy

Vietnams reliance on
imports in agriculture
leaves less profit for
farmers

VietNamNet Bridge Vietnam had a bumper

2014 with bountiful crops and high farm
produce export prices, but farmers believe
there is nothing to be happy about.
Analysts noted that though the production
value and export turnover were high, the
money farmers could pocket was modest.
The problem lies in the fact that Vietnam
had to import many kinds of raw materials.A
report by the Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development (MARD) showed that
the total farm, forestry and seafood produce
import turnover in the first 11 months of
2014 reached $19.78 billion, of which the
majority
were
agricultural
materials.Vietnam had to spend $690
million on pesticides and input material
imports during that period and $774 million
in 2014, an increase of 3.5 percent over
2013.Vietnam vows to develop the animal
husbandry, but in order to do that, it has to
import most of the animal feed products
needed. The import turnover reached $3.24
billion in 2014, higher by 5.2 percent over
2013 and higher than the money Vietnam
earned from rice exports.Vietnam cannot
produce plant seeds. MARD reported that
Vietnam had to spend $500 million to
import 8,000 tons of seeds for the countrys
700,000 hectares of vegetable area in 2013.
Dr. Le Hung Quoc, former head of the
MARDs Plantation Agency, said these facts
are not surprising.He said that all the input
materials used in agricultural production in
Vietnam are imports (except farmers and
land).The best varieties used in Vietnam
are imports, he said. Vietnam even cannot
make cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, carrot,
cucumber, tomato seeds, the popular kinds
of vegetables.
How much does Vietnam earn from farm
exports?

Though Vietnam is the worlds biggest rice

exporter, the money it can pocket form rice
exports is small.The Vietnams rice export
price hovers around $400-450 per ton,
which is lower by $50-75 per ton if
compared with the products of the same
kinds
from
India,
Pakistan
and
Thailand.While government agencies report
great achievements in the agriculture sector
at workshops and conferences, Vietnamese
farmers have quietly given up their rice
fields.According to
MARD,
42,785
households gave up farming in 2012-2013,
leaving 6,882 hectares idle. As many as
3,407 households gave back agricultural
land to the state.
The Chair of the Vietnam Farmers
Association, Nguyen Quoc Cuong, said
farmers can make a profit of only
VND100,000-200,000 per 360 square
meters from every crop within a three month
period.
Dat Viet
Tags:Vietnam,agriculture,high technology,rice export,

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/120831/vie
tnam-s-reliance-on-imports-in-agriculture-leavesless-profit-for-farmers.html

Vietnamese agro-scientists
sell seeds to earn a living
VietNamNet Bridge Most research
institutes and agronomists have unwillingly
become marketing experts or seed
sellers to earn money to live and conduct
scientific research.
Dr. Do Nang Vinh, chair of the Scientific
Council of the Agricultural Genetic Institute,
while affirming that agro-scientists have to

take on different kinds of jobs, from

producers to sellers, noted that this paradox
only exists in Vietnam.Such a thing cannot
be seen elsewhere in the world. In Vietnam,
scientists can do everything, from creating
new varieties, introducing the varieties to
farmers, organizing trial production, to
building up the large-scale production
models
and
selling
seeds,
Vinh
noted.They have to do all kinds of jobs to
make money, he added.

In developed countries, this is undertaken by

seed firms, while research institutes are only
in charge of inventions and providing
materials and genetic sources.The scientists
in these countries own the copyright on their
inventions. Seed firms have to pay royalties
to them to have the right to exploit the
inventions
for
commercial
development.However,
Vietnamese
scientists cannot follow such a procedure.If
you give the new varieties to others, your
inventions will be in vain, he said.If so,
you will not have any other source of
income, except the modest salary paid by the
State, he explained, adding that creating
seeds and selling seeds is the major source
of income of many generations of scientists.
A lecturer at the Hanoi Agriculture
University noted that the research institutes
achievements are measured by the number
of new varieties created.In most research
projects, scientists are required to create new
varieties, and they only have three to five
years to do that. Meanwhile, Vietnam now

seriously
lacks
scientific
research
works.Scientists are requested to create
new
varieties
with
their
specific
characteristics,
the
lecturer
said.
Meanwhile,
genes
and
hereditary
characteristics have been ignored. This
explains why Vietnam can create many
varieties,
but
cannot
make
any
breakthrough.
Vinh, in an interview given to Dat Viet
newspaper recently, noted that when
scientists have to spend time to advertise
their inventions and sell products, they
would not have time and energy to create.He
warned that the unreasonable pay for
scientists had led to lower quality of
scientists. The low pay does not allow
research institutes to attract talent.Professor
Nguyen Van Hieu has said in the past that
he fears that Vietnamese scientists may be
issueless.A report shows that rice yield in
Vietnam has increased by 95 kilos per
hectare, and rice varieties make up 30
percent of the increase. Thus, Vietnamese
scientists created $66 million from new rice
varieties alone.
Dat Viet
Tags:Vietnam,genetic sources,

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/scienceit/121209/vietnamese-agro-scientists-sell-seedsto-earn-a-living.html

Major grant
awarded to rice
industry
By USA Rice Federation January 15, 2015 |
4:30 pm EST

agriculture provides 35 percent of the food

resources available to migrating and
wintering dabbling ducks in the regions
where rice is grown in the United States.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

announced approved grants from the first
round of proposals to the new Regional
Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
The USA Rice Federation, Ducks
Unlimited, Inc. (DU), and more than 40
collaborating partners are pleased that
the Rice
Stewardship
Partnership
Sustaining the Future of Riceproject was
selected for support.This project will help
rice producers conserve natural resources
such as water, soil and waterfowl habitat,
while having long-term positive impacts on
their bottom line. The RCPP application
process was very competitive; less than half
of all applications were awarded funding,
and no proposal was fully funded.
However, the USA Rice and DU national
request was deemed to have significant
merit, and the Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) the agency
responsible for administering RCPP
awarded the partnership a grant of $10
million, one of the largest awards given
under the program.The Mississippi Alluvial
Valley, Texas and Louisianas Gulf Coast,
and Californias Central Valley are critical
landscapes for waterfowl and therefore
ranked as some of DUs top priorities for
habitat conservation, said DU President and
Arkansas rice producer George Dunklin. A
2014 study conducted by DU scientists for
The Rice Foundation demonstrated thatrice

U.S. rice farms are valuable, not just for the

nutritious commodity they produce and their
positive impact on the economy, but also as
important contributors to the entire
ecosystem, and todays announcement from
NRCS and USDA recognizes that fact, said
USA Rice Federation Chairman Dow
Brantley, an Arkansas rice farmer. Wildlife
and waterfowl depend on our farms as much
as any of us do.Established in the 2014
Farm Bill, the RCPP competitively awards
funds to conservation projects designed by
collaborating partners.
RCPP provides an opportunity for locally
driven partnerships to work side by side
with local Conservation Districts and NRCS
to accelerate conservation efforts and
achieve measurable progress, said NRCS
State Conservationist for Arkansas Mike
Sullivan. The USA Rice Federation, Ducks
Unlimited, and all of our partners commend
the USDA for their vision in creating
partnership-driven conservation initiatives,
and we especially appreciate each of the six
state NRCS offices who were instrumental
in crafting a competitive proposal, said
Betsy Ward, President & CEO of USA Rice.
This is a giant step forward for
conservation in ricelands with many more
steps to come.
We applaud the many rice producers who
integrate extra conservation measures into
their rice production to maintain water
quality and provide much-needed waterfowl
habitat, said USDA NRCS Chief Jason
Weller. The partnership between DU, USA
Rice, and USDA offers increased technical
and financial assistance to help producers
accomplish these goals on their land, and the

tangible
benefits
to
farmers,
the
environment, and all Americans will be felt
for a long time.
http://www.agprofessional.com/news/majorgrant-awarded-rice-industry

Criticisms Trail N90bn

Annual Rice Import from
Vietnam
16 Jan 2015
Dr. Adewunmi Adesina, Minister of
Agriculture
John Iwori

from Nigeria. President of the Chamber, Mr.

Oye Akinsemoyin made the disclosure.
However, some stakeholders in the maritime
industry, who spoke against the backdrop of
the dwindling oil prices in the international
market, said it does not make economic
sense to import what can be produced
locally into the country.
Also, a Lagos base licensed customs agent,
Mr. Timothy Obadina, who spoke on the
issue, wondered why Nigeria has continued
to import things that are produced locally.
I do not understand this country. Imagine
importing rice worth N80 billion from
Vietnam annually. How do we encourage
the local rice producers in the country? How
do we motivate them to expand and employ
more hands when we are helping their
competitors to strangle them out of
business", Obadina rhetorically asked.

Nigerians, especially stakeholders in the

maritime industry, have decried the huge
amount of money spent by the federal
government on importation of rice and
other commodities from Vietnam, noting
that it could be used to produce the
commodities locally with many benefits.The

This is the figure for Vietnam, we have not

added the ones from Thailand, China, and
Indonesia. By the time we put all the figures
together, it will be astronomical. Yet you
hear government officials using every
opportunity to say how they have been

Nigerian-Vietnam Chambers of Commerce

and Industry (NVCCI) recently disclosed
that Nigeria spends not less than $500
million annually to import rice from
Vietnam, while Vietnam spends about $100
million to import agricultural produce such
as raw cashew nuts, cassava and oil palm

growing the economy. As far as I am

concerned, those are rhetorics. In what
specific ways are they motivating and
supporting the local rice farmers especially
in Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Ogun States and
elsewhere? You do not need to go to Havard
University to know that as long as we do

reduce our dependence on foreign products,

particularly the ones we are producing
ourselves, we are not going to make
headway as a country.

motive is the sole aim of any business

venture.

In the past, we do not bother about such

things because the oil money was flowing
endlessly but now that the reality is starring
us on the face, we should put on our
thinking cap.Another key player in the

Therefore, the austerity measures we are

talking about should start from a change in
how abandon our own goods and patronage
foreign items. For instance, in the last
Christmas and New Year celebrations, how
many Nigerians bought ofada rice or
Abakiliki rice? The truth is bitter but we

maritime industry noted that it is not only in

the area of rice importation that Nigeria and
Nigerians have showed their lack of
readiness to grow the economy.He posited
that most of the things Nigerians spend
billions of naira to import from other
countries, thereby developing their own
economies at the detriment of ours, are
readily available in Nigeria.All we need is

must say all the same, he added.The

NVCCI president, Akinsemoyin had
disclosed that Nigeria imports from
Vietnam a wide range of commodities. He
listed Vietnams major exports to Nigeria to
include rubber, electric and electronic
products, footwear, plastics, handicraft and
fine art articles and construction materials,
while the country imports from Nigeria raw

encourage and motivate the people

producing the items to do better than they
are presently doing. Adequate packaging
and marketing will go a long way in
changing the status quo, he said.
He, however, identified Nigerians penchant
for foreign goods as the reason why Nigeria
continue to import things we also produce
into the country.Visit any supermarket or

cashew
nuts,
fruits,
cotton
and
minerals.Akinsemoyin said: Basically,
Nigeria exports agricultural products.
At the moment, Vietnam is the largest
importer of Nigerias raw cashew nuts.
Vietnams cashew import from Nigeria is
about a $100 million yearly. Nigeria exports
agricultural items like Cassava with which
Vietnam produces starch and the raw

shopping mall and you will see the items on

display. They are mostly stocked with
foreign goods. If the owners of these
supermarkets or shopping malls are not
getting huge patronage from Nigerians, they
will not continue to stock them. This is
because nobody goes into a business he or
she is not making profit since the profit

materials.
Tags: Nigeria, Featuered, Business, NVCC

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/criticismstrail-n90bn-annual-rice-import-fromvietnam/199304/

Rice policy criticism: Are

stakeholders treading the right
path?
January
15,
2015
under: Features | Author: OSA
OBAYAGBONA

| Filed
VICTOR

Few weeks after the Federal Government

introduced its new rice policy of backward
integration, some stakeholders in the sector
have come out with information allegedly
aimed at possibly reversing the initiative
that seeks to make Nigeria self-sufficient in
rice production within, possibly, two
years. OSA
VICTOR
OBAYAGBONA examines the stakeholders
criticism and the implication on rice
production.Recently in Abuja, the Nigerian
Federal Capital, Tunji Owoeye, president,
Nigerian Rice Investors Group and
managing director of Elephant Group, led
the associations members to addressed the
press and evaluate the Federal Government
new backward integration initiative on rice
production.
At the meeting, Owoeye revealed that some
stakeholders in the sector were against the
initiative, saying that the views being
brought forward by these stakeholders were
false and unfair to government officials who
had worked hard to midwife the
policy.According to Owoeye, most
Nigerians are unaware that time was when
we depended entirely on imported rice.
Government examined past efforts to restore
self-sufficiency in rice production that failed
before coming out with the new
revolutionary policy.
The critical thing is protecting local
investors to the point they can reasonably
stand on their feet. The government
developed the new rice policy based on what
is produced presently against the shortfalls,

which were factored to further encourage

local investors against those whose core
interest is importing and selling locally
without the mind of contributing to the
national dream of self-sufficiency.Although
the critics claim to be genuinely concerned
about the initiative derailing, over one defect
or another of the implementation instrument,
the truth is that they are driven by insatiable
greed and total disregard for constituted
authorities, he said.The rice policy,
unarguably, is the initiative of government
and not at the order of stakeholders.
The Federal Government decided to use
fiscal policy to help businesses already
engaged in and others interested in growing,
milling and packaging rice locally to end the
perennial importation of the product.
Government set the parameters the best
possible completion time frame, the
incentives and who best could be brought in
with the assurance that they would
perform.The Federal Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development, as the project
coordinator, invited stakeholders principally
to share with them the dream and
seriousness government attached to the
policy, but not to determine the basics such
as the volume of rice that would enjoy
import waivers and quota allocation
qualifications, according to Owoeye.
These critics argue that the indiscriminate
granting of waivers in the guise of backward
integration may promote smuggling and
therefore
make
the
policy
counterproductive.However,
the
quota
allocations based on the supply gap of
import grade rice of 1.5 million metric tons,
Owoeye said, were made to both existing
rice millers and new investors in
equity.Existing millers and others with
expressed interests submitted Domestic Rice
Production Plan (DRPP), and based on the
submissions, a total of 1.3 million metric
tons of rice import quotas was issued to 25

qualifying millers at the preferential levy of

20 percent and duty of 10 per cent.
The remainder 0.2 million metric tons of
rice imports will be at the higher levy of 60
per cent and duty of 10 percent, Owoeye
said.Stakeholders did not know why
government asked rice investors to give their
DRPP, he said. Thereafter, a committee
went round to verify the claims in terms of
farm holdings, and so on, and did not inform
the stakeholders that they were coming to
investigate. In some cases, the committee
got to the sites and called the concerned
party that the inspectors were at their
premises.We believe the market is big
enough for all genuine investors in the rice
market so that there is no point dissipating
energy on frivolities and wild allegations,
Owoeye said, but added that he wondered
why anyone could sincerely allege that some
quota beneficiaries were already trading it
to interested buyers at between 60 percent to
80 percent levy, having got the same at 20
percent levy.
The allegation implies that the 60 percent
levy is lower than what is charged as penalty
for otherwise, why would anyone pay above
that to buy from those who got the waiver,
the Group asked.Rice smuggling into
Nigeria is not contentious because it is
common knowledge, but to allude any
complexity of the policy is subversive and
clear indication that some interests are trying
to persecute others and would stop at
nothing to achieve the unholy objective, he
said.Furthermore, the outcry over giving
businesses that expressed interests in
investing in rice production waivers as those
who have made substantial investments are
not well founded, he said.Considered on
the surface, the government could be faulted
but on close review, it is certain government
wants to recruit and expand the investors
base and was not whimsical.

President Goodluck Jonathan approved the

backward integration policy on rice in May
and the implementation is starting just this
December 2014. I can say authoritatively
that government did not only ask interested
parties to submit their DRPP but demanded
also their production plans, including
establishing staple crop processing zones
(SCPZs) that are intended to encourage the
clustering of food processing industries in
proximity to raw materials and end
markets, he said.Currently, 16 major
investors have farms and or established
milling plants with cumulative capacity of
about 1 million metric tons by 2016, while
the rice policy estimates additional 2.7
million metric tons produced locally by
2016. It was obvious to the government that
more reliable investors must be recruited
with secure commitments to attain set
targets.
To ensure government is not giving cheap
money to opportunistic businesses, the
waiver requires that 30 percent of the quota
fee be paid into a participating bank. In the
event the beneficiary fails to meet the terms,
the ministry of agriculture will call on the
bond fee, which means that government
would take it over and use it to develop and
advance the policy to the logical
conclusion.What government has been
doing in the last two to three years is to get
across the value chain to get an investment
plan in the rice industry, and inspections
were concluded based on the claims.
Government has given six months to those
who expressed interests to start tangible and
serious work.
The process is tamper proof and measurable.
It is the first time government is doing
something right in the rice sector, the
Group noted.Imploring persons who feel
displeased not to derail the policy with
internal squabbles, the Group gave
assurance that all issues will be addressed

since the policy was in the early stage.To a

large extent, government gave allocations to
encourage big investors who are putting
down substantial amounts of money. There
is nowhere on earth that major investors are
not wooed and that is what the government
has done, but I can tell anyone who cares to
listen that government also took adequate
precautions in case of anyone defaulting,
Owoeye said.
He therefore told the stakeholders to worry
over the 1.2 million metric tons lost between
the governments estimated 1.5 million
metric tons imports and what can safely be
assumed allotted the illegally operators.The
investors who feel bitter that others who
have not much on ground received high
allocations know for sure that the in-coming
players plan to exceed the current investors,
Owoeye said.They need not hide their fear
of being overtaken by the new-comers but
should join hands with other stakeholders to
ensure rice smugglers are put out of business
because until illegal traders are caught and
caged, honest investors are in danger.The
reason is simple and applies to all industries:
until Nigerian growers and millers reach
maturity and efficiency levels, the
international traditional growers still hold
the ace and can sink us unless we are fairly
protected, he said.
Nigerias 170 million people constitute the
largest market in Africa, and in the
consumer and commodity markets, the
stakes are high. To dominate the largest
market South of the Equator is serious and
sometimes
brutal
business,
he
said.Government wants the Nigerian rice
industry to explode similar to what
happened in the telephone industry in recent
years, he said, noting that the potential has
been there for decades but the reality has
just dawned on the government.Anyone
capable of investing huge has immense
business opportunity and government is

saying everyone is welcome on board.

Investors who have made some input should
not cry blue murder when there is none.
The Nigerian rice market (local productions)
can accommodate all serious investors and
that is enough guarantees, according to the
Group.Michael Aondoakaa, former minister
of justice and attorney general of the
federation, and secretary, Rice Processors
Association
of
Nigeria
(RIPAN),
emphasised that prior to the emergence of
President
Goodluck
Jonathans
administration, nobody had ever wondered
who got what quota.
The truth is that many have had witnessed
the old system where some highly connected
people influenced the rice quota allocation.
This administration made sure it went to rice
farmers with visible investments, said
Aondoakaa.
The rice policy of the present administration
is visible for all to see, Owoeye said, adding:
if you travel through Zamfara, Niger,
Benue, Sokoto, and many other states in the
country, you will see vast plantations of rice
in the last two year.We have also seen
some of our members who were traders
make huge investments in local rice
production. We have seen increase in
employment and value creation in the rice
sector.
The Federal Government has provided rice
investors with improved seedling and that is
the reason rice production is getting better.
On his part, Abubakar Mohammed,
president, Rice Millers, Importers and
Distributors Association of Nigeria, said
five years ago, there was only one
processing mill in Nigeria but the number
grew to 24 by 2014, just as he stated that
before President Goodluck Jonathans
administration, rice paddy produced from
Nigeria was one of the worst in the world.

But this had changed, according to him.We

process 800,000 tons of paddy rice annually,
and the government is putting measures in
place to produce additional 360,000 tons.
All these happened with the help of
President Goodluck Jonathan and the
minister
of
agriculture
and
rural
development, Akinwunmi Adesina, he said.
http://businessdayonline.com/2015/01/ricepolicy-criticism-are-stakeholders-treading-theright-path/#.VLmSYtLF_Jc

Changes to Cuba Policy

Effective Immediately

Just last week, the USA Rice joined with more

than 25 prominent U.S. food and agriculture
associations and companies to announce the
launch of the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for
Cuba (USACC), a coalition that seeks to
advance trade relations between the United
States and Cuba. The purpose of the USACC is
to re-establish Cuba as a market for U.S. food
and agriculture exports and address liberalizing
trade between the United States and Cuba."Open
trade with Cuba would be an enormous boon for
U.S. rice farmers," said Ward. "There was a time
when Cuba was the top destination for U.S.grown rice -- we are ready to facilitate a return
to those days."

Contact: Deborah Willenborg (703) 236-1444

USA Rice and Big Y: Live

Well, Eat Smart
Let U.S. rice help you

WASHINGTON, DC -- The promise of more

open trade, travel, and business between Cuba
and the United States got that much closer today
when the Obama Administration announced new
regulations on export policy that take effect
tomorrow. The regulatory amendments are part
of a process of normalization of relations
between the two countries. "We are analyzing
how these changes will apply to the U.S. rice
industry," said USA Rice Federation President
and CEO Betsy Ward. "The current rapid pace
is an encouraging sign although we realize we're
still at the front end of the process."
ARLINGTON, VA -- The USA Rice Federation
is participating in the Living Well Eating Smart

(LWES) program at Big Y, a supermarket chain

of more than 60 stores in Massachusetts and
Connecticut. Beginning today through March
25, shoppers will be introduced to the many uses
and nutritional benefits of U.S.-grown rice
through a print and online newsletter, social
media, and in-store signage and displays.USA
Rice's Cranberry Pecan Rice Pilaf is the featured
recipe on the cover of the LWES magazine, a
publication (print and online) that generates
more than 150,000 impressions a month. The
full recipe, rice nutrition information, and the
"Grown in the USA" logo are highlighted in a
two-page spread. Rice is also featured in other
sections of the publication including the
"Dietitian's Corner" letter and the "Here's to
Your Heart" article both discussing the health
benefits of whole grains, like brown and wild
rice. "The National Rice Month toolkit we
developed for retail dietitians was a huge
success and this next step to customize
partnerships will help us promote U.S. rice
throughout the year," said Paul Galvani,
chairman of the USA Rice Retail Subcommittee.
"Working one-on-one with retail dietitians is a
great way to increase visibility of U.S.-grown
rice in the supermarket communication channels
and boost consumer awareness and usage of
U.S. rice."
Contact: Katie Maher (703) 236-1453

Weekly Rice Sales, Exports

Reported
WASHINGTON, DC -- Net rice sales of 76,900
MT for 2014/2015 were up noticeably from the
previous week and 68 percent from the prior
four-week average, according to today's Export
Sales Highlights report. Increases were reported
for Mexico (53,600 MT), Taiwan (9,000 MT),
Haiti (7,400 MT), Iraq (3,000 MT), and Jordan
(2,100 MT). Decreases were reported for Japan
(3,500 MT) and Colombia (1,300 MT).

Exports of 44,900 MT were down 11 percent

from the previous week and 27 percent from the
prior four-week average. The primary
destinations were Iraq (31,500 MT), Mexico
(3,900 MT), Canada (2,600 MT), Honduras
(1,600 MT), and South Korea (1,200 MT).This
summary is based on reports from exporters
from the period January 2-8.

CME Group/Closing
Rough Rice Futures
CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice
Futures for January 15

Month

Price

Net Change

March
2015

$11.330

+ $0.180

May 2015

$11.580

+ $0.175

July 2015

$11.815

+ $0.180

September
2015

$11.420

+ $0.210

November
2015

$11.560

+ $0.270

January
2016

$11.860

+ $0.270

March
2016

$11.860

+ $0.270

Partners for

each project will

bring

in

another $400 million for conservation,

Louisiana receives
conservation funding for
rare snake, Fort Polk and
other projects

bringing the total to almost $800 million,

AMY
WOLD| AWOLD@THEADVOCATE.COM

was part of two other approved multistate

according to USDA.Two of the four projects

are only for Louisiana and will bring in $1.5
million in additional money to conservation
efforts in the state. In addition, Louisiana
projects involving long-leaf pine restoration

Jan. 15, 2015

and rice farm conservation.One of those

multistate projects focuses on restoring or

The rare Louisiana pine snake and the Fort

protecting about 20,000 acres long-leaf pine

Polk military installation share a common

in and around military bases in Louisiana as

bond as beneficiaries of a new round of

well as South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

conservation projects announced by the U.S.

Department

of

Agriculture

on

Wednesday.Louisiana received approval for

four of the 115 conservation projects in the
country that will share $370 million in
federal

funding

through

the

Regional

Conservation Partnership Program approved

in the 2014 Farm Bill.

In Louisiana, that project will involve the

purchase of 6,300 acres of land near Fort
Polk in an effort to provide habitat for the
Louisiana pinesnake. Although not yet listed
under the Endangered Species Act, its
expected that the species will be listed in the
future, said Richard Martin, director of
forest

programs

with

The

Nature

Conservancy. Martin said the Louisiana pine

The program was designed to bring together
government

agencies,

nonprofit

organizations and private landowners to

better leverage conservation money and to
take on large projects, said Kevin Norton,
state conservationist for Louisiana with the
USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service.

snake is

possibly one of the rarest

vertebrates in the country.If that listing

happens, training exercises on the military
base could be seriously hampered and, with
base closures across the country, it could be
enough to put Fort Polk on the chopping
block, he said.
Fort Polk has said lets try to get ahead of
this, Martin said.The best habitat for

the snake is located on nearby private

conservation tools to solve soil and water

property. The owner of that property is

problems.

willing to sell an easement and the property

Theyre going to look where we can make

for restoration to long-leaf pine, which is the

the biggest impact, Norton said.Once those

preferred habitat of the rare snake. By

providing an easement for the restoration,
the large property owner and Fort Polk get a
little more protection against accidental
killing of Louisiana pine snakes should they
be put on the Endangered Species List in the
future, Martin explained.

critical

areas

are

identified,

other

government conservation programs can be

accessed

to

pay

for

construction

or

implementation of the developed plans,

Norton said.The rest of the states $1.5
million will go toward a rice stewardship
program in the southwestern part of the

This is not the first collaboration between

state. In this program, Ducks Unlimited will

Fort Polk and The Nature Conservancy. For

be working with rice producers and other

several years, the two worked together in

partners to develop ways to conserve water,

protecting

improve water quality and provide improved

the

endangered

red-

cockaded woodpeckers, which also depend

habitat for wintering birds.

on long-leaf pine for habitat and call Fort

Rice is good for ducks, said Alicia

Polk

home.However,

unlike

the

woodpecker, which can be seen in the trees

and largely avoided through precautionary
measures, the snakes spend a large amount
of time underground and are not easily seen
when above ground, Martin said.In addition
to the long-leaf pine project, Louisiana also
got approval for two state projects including
$25,000 to determine the best conservation
projects for five watersheds around the state.

Wiseman,

Ducks

Unlimited

Rice

Stewardship Partnership coordinator for

Louisiana. About 42 percent of the food
eaten by wintering ducks in Louisiana
comes from these rice fields.Louisiana is
also part of the national Rice Stewardship
Partnership project, which expands this rice
field conservation work to multiple states
and will include ways to monitor the
programs success over time.

The state Department of Agriculture and

Forestrys

Office

of

Soil

and

Water

Conservation and other partners will use the

money to analyze the most effective

http://theadvocate.com/news/11295267123/louisiana-receives-conservation-fundingfor?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+Januar
y+15%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+
December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email

Wintering geese flock back

to Texas after downward
trend
By Shannon Tompkins | January 14,
2015 | Updated: January 14, 2015 9:34pm

Photo By Picasa
The number of geese wintering on Texas'
coastal prairie and marshes more than
doubled this year from last year's record
low, with the largest increase seen along the
upper coast, where rice production also
boomed.

2014 survey but still about 33 percent below

the 1982-2014 average of 636,000 birds and
not half the number counted as recently as
the late 1990s.While results of the annual
mid-winter goose survey show a significant
increase in the total number of the big
waterfowl on their traditional Texas coastal
wintering grounds this year, they also
illuminate issues surrounding winter
distribution of North America's midcontinent geese."One of the big things I
think (the 2015 mid-winter survey) shows is
the strong correlation between habitat and
where (geese) winter," said Kevin Kraai,
waterfowl program leader for Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department.
"The birds are shifting their wintering areas
to
where
they
find
the
best
habitat."Increasingly over the past decades,
that has not been Texas' coastal prairies and
marshes.For thousands of years, 90 percent
or more of the snow, blue, Ross's, Canada
and white-fronted geese using North
America's Central Flyway wintered on the
narrow band of wetland-rich coastal prairie
and marshes stretching from the Sabine
River to northeast Mexico.

More than twice as many geese are

wintering on Texas' coastal prairies and
marshes this year than the record-low
number counted there a year ago, according
to preliminary data from just-completed
aerial surveys conducted each December
and early January since 1948.The survey, for
which trained observers aboard fixed-wing
aircraft combed the band of coastal marsh
and prairies between the Sabine River and
Rio Grande, locating and counting all
species of geese, estimated 428,000 light
geese (snow, blue, Ross's) wintering in the
four coastal survey zones.
That's a considerable bump from the record
low of 181,000 geese counted during the

Downward trend
Hunters and birders noticed that changing in
the 1960s as the tens of thousands of large
Canada geese - birds weighing 9-12 pounds
- that had wintered along the Texas coast
began stopping far up the flyway, where
increased corn production and permanent
open water in new reservoirs gave the big
geese no reason to migrate farther south. By
the 1970s, only a handful of the large
subspecies of Canada geese wintered on the
Texas coast.But snow geese, white-fronted
geese and smaller subspecies of Canada
geese continued pouring into Texas each
autumn.

Through the 1980s and into the 1990s,

Texas' booming rice industry provided
outstanding wetland/moist soil habitat, and
coastal prairies and marshes wintered as
many as 1 million snow geese, more than
100,000 Canadas, and 100,000 whitefronts.
Coastal Texas was the center of the goose
and goose hunting universe.That quickly
changed beginning in the late 1990s with the
decline in the amount of rice grown in
Texas.Texas rice production peaked in the
1980s, with more than a half-million acres
of the water-loving grain planted. Rice
acreage began a steep decline as changes in
federal farming policy made rice a less
attractive crop for farmers and Houston's
sprawl consumed tens of thousands of acres
of prairie and rice fields west and southwest
of the city.
Texas' rice acreage fell from 590,000 acres
in 1981 to 215,000 acres by 2001.Changes
in water policy triggered by persistent
drought over the past decade that included
the record-setting single-year drought of
2011 and increasing demand for water in
urban areas have further reduced rice
acreage. The harshest blow has been
the Lower Colorado River Authority's
decision to greatly reduce or decline to
provide irrigation water for rice production
or creation of managed wetlands along the
river's lower section, a move resulting in
about 60,000 acres taken out of rice
production.Texas rice production has been
below 200,000 acres since 2006 and as low
as 130,000 acres - a fifth of what it was
three decades ago.
Population booms
Those rice fields were crucial as feeding and
roosting areas for wintering geese. As rice
acreage fell, so did the number of geese
wintering on the Texas coast. In 1999, the
mid-winter goose survey counted about 1.01
million light geese on the Texas coast. Over

the past decade, that number has fallen as

low as 181,000 and averaged around
390,000.That decline in light geese came as
the
birds'
mid-continent
population
exploded.
The decline in the number of Canada and
white-fronted geese counted in the midwinter survey of the Texas coast has been
even more severe. The past four mid-winter
surveys have counted fewer than 20,000
whitefronts in the coastal zones, down from
more than 100,000 most years prior to 2000.
The numbers are much worse for Canada
geese. Only handfuls of Canada geese - as
few as 100 total - have been spotted during
recent mid-winter surveys of Texas coastal
zones.As with snow geese, the decline in the
number of Canada and whitefronts on the
Texas coast comes as continental
populations of those birds booms.So where
are all of those geese that once wintered on
the Texas coast?
"There's been a massive shift of wintering
Canada geese to the north, and whitefronts
have moved north and east," Kraai
said.Snow geese, too, have moved their
wintering areas to the north and east in
places like Arkansas, where rice production
has boomed over the past decades and more
than 1 million acres of rice are now planted
annually.
Staying to the north
Huge numbers of Canada geese winter in the
Midwest, where the landscape has turned to
corn fields. The birds are so numerous they
have become nuisances, and daily bag limits
have been raised to as many as eight
Canadas per day."There's no reason for them
to go any father south. They have everything
they need," Kraai said of the short-stopping
Canadas.Whitefronts are following a similar
pattern of behavior, he said."Not that long

ago, Texas was where all the Central

Flyway's whitefronts wintered," he said.

significant flush of excellent waterfowl

habitat."

"Now there are big numbers wintering in

places like Kansas."Even more of the midcontinent's whitefronts - "specklebellies" to
most waterfowlers - have shifted to the east
and winter in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley
in Arkansas, he said."Thirty years ago,
seeing a specklebelly was a rare thing in
Arkansas,"
Kraai
said.
"Not
anymore."Despite the steady shrinking of
the wintering population of all species of
geese on the Texas coastal plain, the region
still attracts large numbers of snow geese
and good numbers of whitefronts, Kraai
said. And some of the results of this year's
mid-winter survey are encouraging for those
who would like to see the number of geese
coming to the Texas coast grow instead of
decline, he said.

When you see almost a quarter-million snow

geese show up - a record number for that
zone - and look at the increase in the amount
of rice acreage and other habitat, it points
strongly toward habitat, particularly rice, as
one of the biggest factors in how many
geese we see on the coast," Kraai said."It
gives me hope," he said. "If rice acreage can
rebound - if that 50,000-60,000 acres of rice
that has disappeared along the mid-coast
comes back - it's not out of the question that
we could see wintering populations of
500,000 or 600,000 snow geese on the
Texas coast again."

This year's survey counted almost 243,000

snow geese in the coastal zone east of
Houston. That's a record for the zone that
includes Chambers. Liberty, Jefferson and
Orange counties and more than twice as
many snow geese as the region has averaged
since the zone counts began in 1982.
Rice on rebound
That surge in the zone's snow geese numbers
comes in the wake of a boom in the amount
of rice acreage in the area. This past year, an
estimated 30,000 additional acres in the
region were put into rice production as
operations that once grew rice along the
water-starved middle coast shifted their
businesses to the upper coast, where
irrigation water remains obtainable.That
increase in the number of rice fields - along
with efforts of landowners, waterfowl
hunting clubs, wetland conservation groups
such as Ducks Unlimited, and state and
federal wildlife agencies to pump water and
create managed wetlands - resulted in a

http://www.chron.com/sports/outdoors/article/Winter
ing-geese-flock-back-to-Texas-after6016432.php?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+Ja
nuary+15%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+D
ecember+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email

Shivraj invites Modi for

Simhastha Mahakumbh
January 15, 2015 12:33 pm

Staff Reporter, Bhopal

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj
Singh Chouhan today urged Prime Minister
Narendra Modi to grace the Simhastha
Mahakumbh Mela, to be organised in the
states temple town of Ujjain in April next
year. Mr Chouhan met the Prime Minister at
his residence in New Delhi and extended the
invitation, an official release said.
Significant from religious and spiritual

viewpoints, Simhastha Mahakumbh attracts

saints, seers, philosophers, devotees and
foreign nationals in large numbers to avail
the benefit of this confluence of knowledge
and faith. International seminars over
Swachh Bharat, spirituality and conservation
of environment and Earth will also be
organised on the occasion.
Mr Chouhan also requested the Prime
Minister to inaugurate the Singaji Thermal
Power Plant in Khandwa. Referring to the
deep sense of agony of basmati producing
farmers before Mr Modi, Mr Chouhan said
that APEDA has gone in appeal against the
Registrar General of Patents and GIs
(geographical indication) order dated
December 31, 2013 recognising Madhya
Pradesh as a Basmati paddy growingstate.APEDAs moving the Intellectual
Property Rights Board has affected interests
of the states farmers whereas situations are
arising in international market to purchase
Pakistani basmati rice.
Mr Chouhan urged the Prime Minister to
take steps in this regard so that the interests
of basmati rice producing farmers in the
state were safeguarded and the export of
basmati rice from the state continues as
before.He also requested him to expand the
ambit of private-public partnership (PPP) by
bringing the projects of waste management,
rural drinking water supply, micro irrigation,
logistic parks, medical colleges and metro
project of Indore and Bhopal. The Prime
Minister assured of all possible help on the
issues raised by the Chief Minister and gave
his consent to visit Madhya Pradesh.
Posted in: Bhopal
Source with thanks:www.chronicle.com

Govt requests Chinese

funding for rice warehouses
Thu, 15 January 2015
Hor Kimsay

In a bid to stock 1.2 million tonnes of rice

paddy, Cambodia has sent a draft
memorandum of understanding to China
asking the country for a $300 million loan to
build
more
than
10
warehouses
nationwide.The draft MoU was prepared by
the Ministry of Economy and Finance and
sent to the Chinese government late last
month, according to Mey Kalyan, senior
adviser for the Supreme National Economic
Council (SNEC) and leader of the
project.Kalyan said Cambodia is now
waiting for the Chinese governments
response and expects to begin the project
mid-year.
We will build warehouses that ensure the
good quality [of the paddy], said
Kalyan.Our goal is to build confidence to
creditors so that those who store their paddy
can use it as collateral for bank
loans.Kalyan added that while the
warehouse would be built by the
government, it would be run by the private
sector, with revenue coming from millers
paying maintenance fees to have their paddy
stored during the harvest season.The
success of this project depends strongly on
participants from the private sector, Kalyan
said.A major portion of Cambodian paddy is
exported to neighbouring countries through

unofficial channels during the harvest

season.
Because of this, millers face severe paddy
shortages once the season is over.Hun Lak,
vice president of Cambodia Rice Federation,
said that developing the warehouse system
would help millers find more stable sources
of paddy storage.Lak added that there were
other potential benefits as well.Once the
government builds warehouse for paddy
storage, we will be able to better realise
which kinds of paddy have high market
demand and how high the quality of our rice
is, he explained.If we dont address such
issues clearly, we will have a problem for
this project.But independent economist
Srey Chanthy warned that building more
warehouses was far from a silver bullet.
Chanthy said that the countrys rice sector
faced many other issues asides from a lack
of paddy storage, explaining that rice
processing techniques and the sectors
overall governance was still poor compared
to other countries.If the government
charges a low fee for millers to rent a place
to stock their rice, it will increase the
competitiveness of the Cambodian rice
sector in some ways, he said.But if the
service change is not affordable for millers,
they may turn away from using this service.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/govtrequests-chinese-funding-rice-warehouses

Utilizing a Self-steering
Robotic Tractor in the
Developmental
Phases of Rice
-- Feasibility Study on Using Quasi-Zenith
Satellite System

for Precision Farming in Australia -January 14, 2015

Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Hitachi, Ltd., and

Yanmar Co., Ltd., have been commissioned to
conduct a study on the effective use overseas of
advanced positioning signals from Japan's
Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) *1,
organized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and
Communications of Japan.The study seeks to
verify that advanced positioning signals
transmitted from the QZSS can be used in
precision farming in Australia. Specifically,
demonstration tests will be conducted using the
advanced positioning signals to control a selfsteering robotic tractor and perform actual farm
work in a paddy field.

At present, technical validation is in progress for

three high-precision positioning methods: 1)
RTNet, 2) RMIT, and 3) MADOCA *2. The
demonstration tests aim to determine the optimal
positioning method for precision farming in
Australia.The mainstream positioning method,
precise point positioning (PPP), receives
positioning data directly from GPS satellites.
The challenge is that this provides limited
accuracy with an error of approximately 10-20
centimeters, and cannot be replaced with data of
centimeter-level accuracy. The study aims to
enhance positioning accuracy by employing a
new method, precise point positioning with
ambiguity
resolution
(PPP-AR),
using
Australia's electronic datum points *3, and make
it possible to perform accurate farm work with
an error of 5 centimeters.
The first demonstration test, conducted in late
November 2014 during the growth stage of rice,
succeeded in controlling the self-steering robotic
tractor so that its tires run between rows of

planted rice. In January 2015, the tractor will be

used to monitor growth conditions. The study
will continue thereafter, performing several
aspects of farm work at different timings.
Following the study, farm workers and
government officials will be interviewed based
on the demonstration test results to identify
challenges in commercializing precision farming
employing advanced positioning signals. In the
future, a consortium is scheduled to be
organized centering on the three commissioned
companies to actively promote precision
farming. Plans include further enhancing the
accuracy of positioning data, applying the
technology to other programs, and expanding
services to regions other than Australia, such as
Japan and Asia.

Study Abstract
1. Consignor : Ministry of Internal Affairs and
Communications of Japan
2. Title :
Study on the Effective Use
Overseas of Advanced Positioning Signals from
Japan's Quasi-Zenith Satellite System
3. Details :
Generate highly accurate
positioning correction data from QZSS's LEX
signal *4 and collect data on field and rice
growth conditions using a self-steering tractor.
4. Commissioned companies : Hitachi-Zosen,
Hitachi and Yanmar, as core members.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA),
who operates QZSS, and various research
institutes in Japan and Australia for technical
cooperation and research support.
5. Roles of organizations involved :

Hitachi-Zosen (main contractor) - Supervises

whole project. Investigates feasibility of study,
evaluates positioning data accuracy and overall
project development. Uses PPP-AR positioning
function of Hitachi-Zosen's multi-GNSS analytic
software RTNet as a new positioning method
to generate highly accurate positioning
correction data which is able to superimpose on
QZSS's LEX signal, and verifies position
accuracy and operability in the field of a selfsteering robotic tractor.
Hitachi - Tracks and integrates data of a selfsteering robotic tractor and crop growth sensors
installed on it into GIS Cloud Service *5 and
displays machine operation and crop growth
conditions on computer maps. This will verify
tractor path and movement precision, and
enhance farm planning and operations precision.
Yanmar - Develops, manages and operates a
self-steering robotic tractor.
Hitachi Australia Pty Ltd - Conducts project
management and workshops, and coordinates
with the related research institutes in Australia.
Hokkaido University - Supports precision
farming research (Agricultural Information
Engineering Research).

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Operates QZSS (Generation, distribution and
conversion of correction data, technical support).
Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial
Information (CRC-SI) - Supports geospatial
information research and investigation.
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
(RMIT) University - Supports positioning
system research (satellite positioning research
and investigation).

University of New South Wales (UNSW)

Australia - Supports positioning system research
(satellite positioning research and investigation).
University of New England (UNE) - Supports
precision farming research (precision farming
research).
Rice Research Australia Pty Ltd (RRA) Supports precision farming research
(agricultural research on rice).
SmartNet AUS - Provides data from Australiabased electronic datum points.
6. Area :

New South Wales, Australia

7. Period :

October, 2014 - March, 2015

http://www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/month/2015
/01/150114.html

Commerce
Min
led
exporters to sell rice to
Hong
Kong
BANGKOK, 15 January 2015 (NNT) -The Ministry of Commerce has led a
delegation of Thai rice exporters on a trip
to Hong Kong, during which a
cooperation contract will be signed
between Thailand's and Hong Kong's rice
trader
associations
Gen. Chatchai Sarigalaya and the delegation
of the Thai Rice Exporter Association will
meet with Hong Kong's Minister of
Commerce, Gregory So, and its rice
importers. According to the Minister, a
contract will be signed calling for Hong
Kong to purchase 100,000 tons of rice from
Thailand. This is the first time Hong Kong
has signed a major deal with Thailand since
Thailand lost her rice market to other

countries

few

years

back.

However, the situation has changed now that

the prices of rice from Thailand have
dropped, enabling the country to compete
with others in the market. With the support
of the Commerce Ministry, Thai rice
exporters hope to tighten relations with
Hong Kong's importers, attracting them to
buy more rice from Thailand in the near
future.
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/79209
2-thai-commerce-min-led-exporters-to-sellrice-to-hong-kong/

Strategy to tap core export

markets via goods with
strong potential
THE NATION January 15, 2015 1:00 am
THE COMMERCE MINISTRY is seeking
cooperation from large, established companies
to serve as mentors for small and medium-sized
enterprises to help achieve its 4-per-cent growth
target for exports this year.Commerce Minister
Chatchai Sarikulya said yesterday that his
ministry would adopt an aggressive export
strategy with clear targets that show potential for
growth in line with current global trends.
A "cluster" marketing approach will be used to
enter new industries and expand marketing
channels creatively with the focus on four core
markets:

as the United States, the European Union and

Japan, which account for 30 per cent of total
Thai exports. The emphasis will be on the
elderly, institutions, hotels, casinos, cruise ships,
environmentalists, animal lovers and Hispanics,
who make up a third of the US population. The
export value growth target is 1.9 per cent.

-range economically developed: Markets

such as China, India, South Korea, the Middle
East, Latin America and Russia, which account
for 36 per cent of total Thai exports. The focus
will be on the "super rich". The aim is to
penetrate secondary sectors with potential,
including encouraging exporters to utilise the ecommerce/online marketing channel, as well as
the modern trade (retailers). The target is to
expand this market by 6 per cent.

Thai jasmine rice is popular with upper-income

consumers.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Stra
tegy-to-tap-core-export-markets-via-goods-with30251911.html

Paddy farmers in Erode

expect bumper harvest
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South Asia excluding India. The focus will be on

tapping the agricultural goods industry,
construction, sanitation and raw materials
sources.

R. KRISHNAMOORTHY

service-related businesses, construction and

investment. The growth target is 5.9 per cent.
Large, established companies will be asked to
coach and assist local SMEs by providing useful
training and advice and accompanying SMEs
abroad to help them explore overseas markets.

Seed requirement, human labour very less;

revenue likely to be double the investment

Loxley has agreed to serve as a mentor for local

SMEs to help them tap business opportunities in
Hong Kong, while Charoen Pokphand Group
and Central Group will do the same for SMEs
interested in mining mainland China's business
opportunities. The ministry hopes to achieve the
export target through an aggressive but cautious
approach to prevent potential international trade
problems or conflicts, as well as to restructure
the export framework to support long-term
economic goals.

System of Rice Intensification (SRI)

methodology of rice cultivation has been
adopted overwhelmingly by farmers in the
district this year, in view of the twin
advantages: higher productivity, and lesser
requirement of capital and human labour.In
Modakurichi block, for instance, farmers
who have switched over to SRI
methodology are looking forward to reaping
a bumper harvest.

The ministry will expedite the sale and

distribution of the government's remaining rice
stocks from this month to March. On March 15,
Chatchai will visit Hong Kong to witness the
signing of a purchase contract for about 100,000
tonnes of Thai jasmine rice. Next in his sights
are mainland China, India and Russia, where

Scientific demonstrations of the benefits

carried out by officials through biometric
testing have convinced the farmers.In the
first place, seed requirement under SRI
methodology is just one-tenth when
compared to normal planting.Fifteen-day
seedlings of ADT 38 variety planted under
the SRI pattern have shown robust growth at
the mature stage, in a five-acre farm owned

by Sengottayan in Modakurichi village, who

is in the reckoning for State-level prize for
best paddy productivity.
The farmer required only 2kg of seeds an
acre.Another farmer Vadivel, who has
adopted SRI cultivation for his seed farm at
Odanilai is also looking for handsome
returns. He is poised to make a margin of
two-times over the invested amount from the
seven acre field where he is raising seeds of
ADT 38 and IR20 paddy varieties.Tilling is
much higher per hill in farms under SRI
cultivation wherein saplings are planted with
spacing of 25cm.At the fields of the two
farmers, the number of panicles exceeded 45
in certain hills chosen randomly. On an
average, there would be not less than 25
panicles a hill in the farms under SRI,
explained Kulandaivelu, Assistant Director
of Agriculture, Modakurichi.
There are only 16 hills a square metre under
SRI when compared to 50 under normal
planting.But, in terms of productivity, the
number of panicles are more than thrice
under SRI when compared to normal
planting. Also, the number of grains is close
to 300 per panicle when compared to 180 to
200 per panicle under normal planting
method.As the saplings are planted in lines,
cultivators could rely on mechanised
equipment and shed dependence on
shrinking number of farm labourers.
Machine transplanting was a viable option
and power-operated rotary weeders could be
utilised, Mr. Kulandaivelu said.There was
cost saving in mechanisation since the rotary
weeders perform the deweeding task, which
would otherwise require a day of
employment for 20 labourers, in just a
matter of few hours.Paddy cultivation has
been carried out in about 31,000 hectares
and 70 per cent of farmers have adopted SRI
methodology, Joint Director of Agriculture

Selvaraj said. The new methodology had

gained popularity fast, he said.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamilnadu/paddy-farmers-in-erode-expect-bumperharvest/article6790754.ece

Why commodities are

taking a beating again
Wednesday, 14 Jan 2015 | 2:13 PM ETCNBC.com

Commodities took a beating Wednesday, as

prices for everything from industrial metals
to grains slid on global growth
concerns.Copper, which is often seen as an
important indicator of global growth
because of its use in industry, fell as much
as 5 percent on Wednesday. A host of other
commodities,
including palladium, rice and oats, also saw
multiple-percentage point drops on the day.
Although separate factors weighed on each
asset, some factors affected the international
commodities market.That said, some
expressed that the pain could soon be
drawing to an end for traders.
"Commodities are going to be a big deal this
year," said Michael Gurka, founder and
president of BruinHill Partners. "We're
going to have to ratchet our belts a bit
tighter, but I think we're about to hit a
bottom."
Muriel de Seze | Photodisc | Getty Images
Copper wire. The commodity was trading at
five-year lows Wednesday.
The
World
Bank said
on
Tuesday that it was
lowering its global
growth forecasts for 2015 and 2016 on

account
of
economic
prospects
inEurope, Japan and emerging markets. That
outlook is weighing on commodities traders,
especially those looking at copper,
AvaTrade's chief market analyst, Naeem
Aslam, wrote in a Wednesday morning
note.Copper, which on Wednesday traded at
its lowest levels since July 2009, has faced
expectations of a major surplus from mines.
Many analysts are revising those estimates,

slow climb back upward.Investors are torn

over whether low oil prices will prove
beneficial for global growth, but some have
theorized that pessimism about the energy
slide is at least partly responsible for the fall
in other commodities.But as with the
precipitous fall in crude, oversupply is also
to blame for dragging down prices across
the board.Despite a vicious drought
consuming California, the biggest U.S.

however, saying that supply should be more

balanced with demand this year than
previously expected.

agricultural state, bumper crops elsewhere

have put downward pressure on farmed
commodities.

Still, copper traders are also concerned

about demand for the metal, which finds
uses in both construction and consumer
products. Markets are particularly focused
on growth in China, traders said, with all

The U.S. corn crop is at a record-setting 14.2 billion

eyes on the property market in Asia's biggest

economy."The key might be in the second
half, when we see whether the Chinese
property cycle recovers modestly or if it
continues to slump. That will be a key
determinant in terms of how big the copper
surplus will be," Xiao Fu, head of
commodity markets strategy at Bank of
China International, told Reuters.Oil, of
course, is among the commodities that have

acreage to grain production over 2013 as well.Soybeans,

suffered most in recent monthswith

many traders saying that it is impossible to
knowwhere the bottom for crude lies.For his
part, Gurka said he sees West Texas
Intermediate crude finding support between
$38 and $42 per barrel, but that it will be a

little bit more, but truly there's value here in copper," he

bushels, but is still slightly lower than numbers forecast in

November, according to the USDA's January Crop
Production estimate on Monday. Farmers produced more
corn per acre than they did in 2013, and devoted more

cotton and rice production all exceeded 2013 numbers, with

cotton farmers producing 25 percent more cotton in
2014.As of noon EST on Wednesday, corn, oats and rice
futures had fallen by 1.6 percent, 4 percent and 2 percent,
respectively.Not all commodities dropped on Wednesday.
In fact, gold saw slight gains, stretching out a recent run of
good fortune.For its part, copper may be nearing a level
where its cheap price actually begins to spur new building
in places like China, Gurka said."The pain is going to be a

said. "I'm buying when the whole world's selling."

CNBC's Robert Ferris and Reuters contributed to this
report.
Watch Video on http://www.cnbc.com/id/102337294