7th May, 2015 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Daily
Global
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine
Rice E-Newsletter
May 07 , 2015
V o l u m e 5, Issue I
From brittle to plastic in 1 breath

07-May-2015
What if peanut brittle, under certain conditions, behaved like taffy? Something like that happens
to a two-dimensional dichalcogenide analyzed by scientists at Rice University.Rice researchers
calculated that atomically thin layers of molybdenum disulfide can take on the qualities of plastic
through exposure to a sulfur-infused gas at the right temperature and pressure.That means one
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can deform it without breaking it -- a property many materials scientists who study twodimensional materials should find interesting, according to Rice theoretical physicist Boris
Yakobson and postdoctoral researcher Xiaolong Zou; they led the study that appeared in Nano
Letters.
Molybdenum disulfide, the object of study in many labs for its semiconducting properties,
interested the Rice lab because of the characteristics of its grain boundaries. Two-dimensional
materials like graphene are actually flat, atom-thick sheets. But 2-D molybdenum disulfide is a
sandwich, with layers of sulfur above and below the molybdenum atoms.When two sheets join at
different angles during growth in a furnace, atoms at the boundaries have to compensate by
improvising "defective" arrangements, called dislocations, where they come together.The
researchers determined it may be possible to promote the movement of those dislocations
through environmental control of the gas medium. This would change the material's properties to
give it superplasticity, which allows it to be deformed beyond its usual breaking point.Plastic
materials can be rearranged and will hold their new shape. For example, a plumber can bend a
metal pipe; that bendable quality is plasticity.
Yakobson noted such materials can become brittle again with further changes in the
environment."Generally, the coupling of chemistry and mechanics is quite rare and scientifically
difficult to understand," said Yakobson, whose group at Rice analyzes materials by calculating
the energies that bind their atoms. "Corrosion is the best example of how chemistry affects
mechanical behavior, and the science of corrosion is still in development."For molybdenum
disulfide, they found two mechanisms by which boundaries could overcome activation energy
barriers and lead to superplasticity. In the first, called direct rebonding, only one molybdenum
atom in a dislocation would shift in response to external forces. In the second, bond rotation,
several atoms would shift in opposite directions.
They calculated that the barrier for direct rebonding, while less dramatic, is much lower than for
bond rotation. "Through the rebonding path, the mobility of this defect changes by several orders
of magnitude," Yakobson said. "We know from the mechanics of materials that brittle or ductile
qualities are defined by the mobility of these dislocations. What we show is that we can affect
the tangible property, the stretchability, of the material."Yakobson suggested it may be possible
to tune the plasticity of dichalcogenides in general and that it may also be possible to eliminate
the defects from a 2-D dichalcogenide sheet by treating the dislocations "to allow them to rapidly
diffuse away and vanish or to form interesting aggregated states.
" That would likely open the way to the easier manufacture of dichalcogenides that need
particular electrical or mechanical properties for applications, he said."We think of these twodimensional materials as an open canvas, theoretically speaking," he said. "You can very quickly
read and write changes to them. Bulk materials don't have this openness, but here, every atom is
in immediate proximity to the environment."
http://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/152751/from-brittle-to-plastic-in-1-breath.html
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How Adesina contravened presidential order on rice

importation
BY OUR REPORTER ON MAY 7, 2015NATIONAL
Well respond later Ministers aide

As the crisis surrounding the Minister for Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina deepens; fresh
facts have emerged on how he allegedly contravened a presidential order by granting rice
importation licences to unqualified businessmen and women.An impeccable source in the
Presidency told our correspondent that in May 2014, there was a presidential directive to give
import licences to already existing rice millers in the country who were qualified and had the
capacity to deliver following a meeting among ministers of Trade and Investment; National
Planning; Finance and Agriculture to that effect. The import licence was to augment the shortfall
in the local rice production capacity.
Consequently, a letter dated July 8, 2014 from the Office of the Minister of Finance and the
Coordinating Minister of the Economy announced the directive to relevant government agencies
and bodies which included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Ministry of
Industry, Trade and Investment; Budget Office Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; Federal
Inland Revenue Service (FIRS); Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Nigerian
Export Promotion Council; Raw Materials Research and Development Council, ComptrollerGeneral of the Nigerian Customs Service and Nigeria Investment Promotion
Commission.owever, from May last year when the order was given, nothing was done towards
implementation until December, when Adesina allegedly gave licences to non-existing rice
millers, an action that angered qualified rice millers in the country.
It was also revealed that the current spat between the minister and major rice millers was as a
result of the breach of the presidential directive, as none of them was granted the import licence
as directed by the Presidency.In fact, the crisis got to its head when it was discovered that those
who got the import licence began seeking the existing rice millers to sell the licences to them, as
they lacked the capacity to undertake the task.Among other things, it was also disclosed that
there was no inter-ministerial committee formed as instructed by the President to deliberate on
the issue as the quotas were issued unilaterally by Adesina at the ministers discretion.
It equally alleged that the total quota allocation was not as per the supply gap of the rice required
by the nation as major stakeholders were not involved and that the quotas were issued
retrospectively which, as alleged, is against the legal framework of the nation.When contacted to
react to the allegations, Adesinas aide, Dr Olukayode Oyeleye, said the minister was going to
respond in details in due course, insisting that no comments could be made on the spot.
http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=118265
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Customs Blacklists Rice Importers Over N20bn Unpaid Tariffs

Samson Echenim
May 7, 2015 5:52 am |
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that it has blacklisted some major rice importers
allegedly owing the federal government about N20 billion in unpaid customs duties.The trade
facilitating service also said it was set to initiate criminal proceedings against the affected
importers for their unwillingness to offset the said amount even after the expiration of two
ultimatums, resulting in the advertised publications of their names in some national dailies on
April 14, 2015.
The NCS spokesman, Mr Wale Adeniyi, disclosed this to journalists in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom
State capital, at a workshop for officers of the service.He said, Management has decided to
enforce the Customs Law. It is not about sanctions yet; it is just about asking them to pay what
they owe the federal government. We recognise that it might take some time to file charges and
so to enable them feel the full impact of the decision, we have also decided to block them on the
PAAR platform.
Adeniyi said the service would adopt every
legitimate measure to ensure that every kobo
due to the federal government is paid by the
importers.We have the law that empowers us
to prosecute any person or company that
contravenes the Customs Act. This is clearly
an offence against the Customs Law and that
is why management is taking this decisive
measures, he said.He explained that the
affected companies, as far as the service is
concerned, already secured themselves
concessions to import, noting that the act of
importing in excess of what they obtained approval for was already an overstretch of the
privileges.Hence, none of them should think of coming to request for another round of
concessions again, he said.
http://leadership.ng/news/431564/customs-blacklists-rice-importers-over-n20bn-unpaid-tariffs
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CARI workers packaging the seed rice
Mr. Marshall: Our project remains on course.
CARI Produces 504 Metric Tons Seed Rice

Wed, 05/06/2015 - 23:41 admin
As local farmers plead for support
By: Gloria T.Tamba
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Mr. Aaron Marshall, team leader at the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) in
Suakoko, Bong County, has disclosed that 504 metric tons of seed rice was produced during the
Ebola period.Making the disclosure over the weekend in Gbarnga in an exclusive interview with
the Daily Observer he said following the deadly Ebola outbreak, a lot of work was done at
CARI.
He said that before the outbreak of Ebola, farmers in Lofa, Nimba and in other counties had
produced more rice and other foodstuff.At CARI, there are several streams of research going
on. We are researching different varieties of rice that would take only 70 -90 days to germinate
to yield more varieties of rice.Now that Ebola has drastically reduced, we have increased our
workforce. They were reduced by 250 during the Ebola crisis but have now been increased to
500 to the extent that the warehouse is producing 500 metric tons of seeds rice, and 50 hectares
of cassava, which he described as the biggest progress CARI has made, Mr.Marshall said.
He said at present CARI is working along with the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) to restore the
productive assets of farmers and farmers groups by building essential infrastructure to support
food production.He indicated that through the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program
(WAAPP), Africa Rice and the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), CARI is
now producing and providing seeds and other improved varieties to small-scale farmers and in
return the farmers after they harvest their farms bring back some seed rice to CARI.CARI has
in recent years increased its cassava production from 25 to 50 hectares of 20 improved varieties
of cassava that could produce ten times, he said.Mr. Marshall said, CARI, as an agriculture
institution, will continue to work with local farmers to enable them grow and sell more food as
well as increase their livelihoods.
The institution, he said has over the years, renovated three fish ponds but has now increased to
ten ponds to maintain fingerlings that will be harvested and given to farmers.CARI team leader
disclosed that the institution is not free from challenges, stating that the issue of funding and
capacity remain major challenges to the institution.He said some ways the Ministry of
Agriculture is solving the problems is by offering scholarships to students to build their
capacity.He said during the heat of the Ebola outbreak, activities at the center slowed down, and
kept functioning.In an interview with a local farmer Mr. Napoleon Rennie, who is operating on
100 acres of farmland in Zeanzue, he said he has been farming for the past several years and has
not benefitted from CARI activities.
He said he hoped to receive support from CARI, including seed rice to improve his farming
activity to boost productivity.Another farmer Madam Faith Flomo told the Daily Observer, I
plant peppers, okra and rice in Wainsue and I want support from the government. Its my hope
that CARI will provide me seeds to let me grow more food.She also said she would like to have
more seeds for improved farming.Mr. Aaron Marshall, team leader at the Central Agriculture
Research Institute (CARI) in Suakoko, Bong County, has disclosed that 504 metric tons of seed
rice was produced during the Ebola period.
Making the disclosure over the weekend in Gbarnga in an exclusive interview with the Daily
Observer he said following the deadly Ebola outbreak, a lot of work was done at CARI.He said
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that before the outbreak of Ebola, farmers in Lofa, Nimba and in other counties had produced
more rice and other foodstuff.At CARI, there are several streams of research going on. We are
researching different varieties of rice that would take only 70 -90 days to germinate to yield
more varieties of rice.Now that Ebola has drastically reduced, we have increased our
workforce. They were reduced by 250 during the Ebola crisis but have now been increased to
500 to the extent that the warehouse is producing 500 metric tons of seeds rice, and 50 hectares
of cassava, which he described as the biggest progress CARI has made, Mr.Marshall said.
He said at present CARI is working along with the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) to restore the
productive assets of farmers and farmers groups by building essential infrastructure to support
food production.He indicated that through the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program
(WAAPP), Africa Rice and the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), CARI is
now producing and providing seeds and other improved varieties to small-scale farmers and in
return the farmers after they harvest their farms bring back some seed rice to CARI.CARI has
in recent years increased its cassava production from 25 to 50 hectares of 20 improved varieties
of cassava that could produce ten times, he said.Mr. Marshall said, CARI, as an agriculture
institution, will continue to work with local farmers to enable them grow and sell more food as
well as increase their ivelihoods.
The institution, he said has over the years, renovated three fish ponds but has now increased to
ten ponds to maintain fingerlings that will be harvested and given to farmers. CARI team leader
disclosed that the institution is not free from challenges, stating that the issue of funding and
capacity remain major challenges to the institution.He said some ways the Ministry of
Agriculture is solving the problems is by offering scholarships to students to build their
capacity.He said during the heat of the Ebola outbreak, activities at the center slowed down, and
kept functioning.
In an interview with a local farmer Mr. Napoleon Rennie, who is operating on 100 acres of
farmland in Zeanzue, he said he has been farming for the past several years and has not
benefitted from CARI activities.He said he hoped to receive support from CARI, including seed
rice to improve his farming activity to boost productivity.Another farmer Madam Faith Flomo
told the Daily Observer, I plant peppers, okra and rice in Wainsue and I want support from the
government. Its my hope that CARI will provide me seeds to let me grow more food.She also
said she would like to have more seeds for improved farming.
http://www.liberianobserver.com/agriculture/cari-produces-504-metric-tons-seedricehttp://www.liberianobserver.com/agriculture/cari-produces-504-metric-tons-seed-rice
Where is Smokey Mountain's Tony Lambino now?

ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 05/06/2015 12:09 PM
MANILA -- Remember singer Tony Lambino, who became famous as part of the singing group Smokey
Mountain?
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Lambino, who along with James Coronel, Geneva Cruz and Jeffrey Hidalgo were the original members of
the group formed by Ryan Cayabyab in the 1990s, is now the head of communication at the International
Rice Research Institute (IRRI).Appearing on "Kris TV" on Wednesday, Lambino said he was working in
the United States before joining the IRRI more than a year ago."I was working at the World Bank in
Washington DC and then the opportunity became available and I applied," Lambino said.Asked if he still
gets to sing, Lambino said: "Sometimes. In church."Aside from being part of Smokey Mountain, Lambino
is the original singer behind the OPM hit "Harana."
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/05/06/15/where-smokey-mountains-tony-lambinonow
National Science Foundation Awards $5.5 Million Grant for

Rice Research
MAY 5, 2015 9:02 PM0 COMMENTS
By REBECCA BLAIR
Cornell researchers received a $5.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to use
genome editing techniques to improve rice cultivation on Friday.Genome editing is a process by
researchers can alter an organisms DNA. Cornell researchers will use this grant to focus on
such quantitative traits in rice as disease resistance and tolerance to acidic soils, according to a
University press release.We have the ability to open the genome like a book, go to a certain
chapter and a specific word and change the word or correct its spelling, said lead scientist Adam
Bogdanove in the release.
This is significant because rice is a staple crop that feeds half the worlds people, according to
the University. Increasing the quality and reliability of the rice crop could have profound
humanitarian implications.Scientists are also in a race against time to double the production of
cereal crops on limited arable land by 2050, when the global population could reach 9.5 billion,
the University said.Bogdanove said researchers have already identified section of rice DNA
which could present the opportunity for beneficial genome editing.Now, we dont have to do
years of breeding; we can just make the precise changes needed in a few short steps, he said.
http://cornellsun.com/blog/2015/05/05/national-science-foundation-awards-5-5-million-grant-for-riceresearch/
Rice farmers to get coupons for seed, fertilizer

6 May 2015 at 17:57 3,345 viewed6 comments
WRITER: ONLINE REPORTERS
Rice growers are about to get discount coupons from the government to cut their costs. (Photo by
Patipat Janthong)
The government plans to distribute discount coupons to rice farmers to help them cut cultivation
costs in the coming season.Government spokesman Yongyuth Mayalarp said economic ministers
agreed on Wednesday that rice growers should have get coupons or cards to claim discounts on
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the purchase of cultivation materials, including seed and fertiliser. The discounts will be more
effective than handing out cash subsidies to the farmers, he said. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha chaired the economic ministers' meeting and ordered the Ministry of Agriculture and
Cooperatives to implement the assistance programme.For the upcoming crop season, the
government also hopes to convince some rice farmers to switch to sugarcane in order to ensure
good prices for rice, the spokesman said.Sugar futures, meanwhile, plunged to their lowest prices
since 2009 in New York last month as rising output from Thailand to India exacerbated a global
glut.
Finally, the government is offering 1 million baht in aid to each of about 3,000 sub-districts
where rice growers have always suffered from water shortages. The money will be spent to
reduce cultivation costs, Dr Yongyuth said.Get full Bangkok Post printed newspaper experience
on your digital devices with Bangkok Post e-newspaper. Try it out, it's totally free for 7 days.
Importer charged a 3rd time

Philippine Daily Inquirer 5:27 AM | Friday, May 8th, 2015
MANILA, PhilippinesThe Bureau of Customs on Thursday filed a third set of smuggling cases
against the owner of New Dawn Enterprises for the allegedly illegal importation of 260,000
kilograms of sugar worth some P13 million.The BOC accused the firms owner, Michael Abella,
of violations of the Tariff and Customs Code, not having produced any import permits and for
misdeclaring the shipments.The illegal shipments of 10 container vans of refined sugar arrived in
December 2014 at the Port of Cagayan de Oro.In its import documents, New Dawn allegedly
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misdeclared the sugar imports as kitchenware and tiles.A valid import permit is required for all
sugar importations. All sugar importations without an import permit is unlawful, the BOC said.
New Dawn Enterprises is already facing separate charges for the illegal importation of rice.The
BOC slapped New Dawn with smuggling charges for the first time in January, for the illegal
importation of glutinous rice worth P28 million. The shipment arrived at the Cagayan de Oro
Port in November 2014, BOC records showed.The second case was filed two months later in
March, again for illegally importing rice worth P15.6 million in December 2014.We are hoping
for the speedy resolution by the Department of Justice of the case we are filing today, as well as
the other cases we have already filed, if only to send the strong message that we are really
serious in the fight against smuggling, said Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina in a
statement.Tina G. Santos
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/690022/importer-charged-a-3rd-time#ixzz3Yw2PQgnX
Korea signs FTA with Vietnam

Minister of Trade, Industry & Energy Yoon Sang-jik and Vietnamese Industry & Trade Minister
Vu Huy Hoang signed the Korea-Vietnam FTA in Hanoi on May 5 in the presence of
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyn Tn Dng. According to the agreement, Korea and Vietnam
will eliminate 94.7 percent and 92.4 percent of their tariffs based on the amounts of imports,
respectively.The rice market is excluded from the agreement, and no further market opening is
scheduled for sensitive primary industry items like onions, squid, green tea, and chili pepper. The
tariffs on tropical fruit, ginger, garlic, and pork will be removed within 10 years, and those on
natural honey and sweet potato starch within 15 years.
According to the Korea International Trade Association, exports from Korea to Vietnam reached
US$6.58 billion in the first quarter of this year, showing an 18.3 percent increase from a year
earlier. In that quarter, only China and the United States recorded more exports to Vietnam than
Korea did. The increase in the exports is especially eye-catching in that Koreas overall exports
declined 2.9 percent in Q1 this year, when those to the ASEAN region, Japan and China fell 17.6
percent, 22.0 percent and 1.5 percent as well, respectively.
During the same period, Koreas imports from Vietnam increased 17.3 percent to US$2.03
billion and the bilateral trade volume went up 18.1 percent to US$8.61 billion. The latter broke
the US$30 billion mark last year, when the volume added up to US$30.34 billion by showing a
7.4 percent growth. Last year, Korean companies accounted for 14.7 percent of the imported
goods market of Vietnam to be second only to Chine, which took up 29.6 percent of it.
Source: businesskorea.co.kr
http://www.freshplaza.com/article/139379/Korea-signs-FTA-with-Vietnam
Cornell gets grant to study, improve rice crop

Staff report12:45 p.m. EDT May 7, 2015
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(Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Cornell University will receive a nearly $5.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation
to use genome editing techniques to study and improve rice crop sustainability.The funding will
be allocated over four years, according to a news release from U.S. Sens. Charles E. Schumer
and Kirsten Gillibrand, both D-N.Y.
http://www.ithacajournal.com/story/news/local/2015/05/07/cornell-nsf-grant-ricecrop/70946842/
Asia Rice-Prices hit multi-month lows but fail to attract

buyers
* Thai prices hit their lowest since June 2014
* Vietnamese rice prices are the lowest since February
* Myanmar aims to boost rice exports to 2 mln tonnes
By Ho Binh Minh
HANOI, May 6 (Reuters) - Asian rice export prices fell to multi-month lows this week after
holidays in the region and demand remained thin, traders said on Wednesday.Thailand's 5
percent broken white rice RI-THBKN5-P1 eased to $385-$387 a tonne, free on board (FOB), the
lowest since June 2014, traders said.The Thai price, which dropped below $400 on April 1, is
still above the price for similar-grade Vietnamese rice, which stood this week at $355-$360 a
tonne, FOB.Vietnam's 25 percent broken rice fell to $330-$335 a tonne, FOB, the lowest since
Feb. 11, after market regulators lowered the minimum export price for the variety by nearly 3
percent, but that still failed to tempt buyers, traders said.The indicative quotations this week are
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below the floor of $340 a tonne in effect since April 30."Prices are low but there's still no
demand," a trader at a foreign firm in Ho Chi Minh City said.Thailand, the world's secondbiggest rice exporter last year, was on holiday from May 1 to 5 while Vietnam only reopened its
markets on Monday after a public holiday from April 28 to May 1.
The Thai government will take part in a tender to be held by the Philippine government later this
month for between 200,000 and 300,000 tonnes, Chutima Bunyapraphasara, permanent secretary
at the Commerce Ministry said on Wednesday."The tender in the Philippines is another (Thai)
government effort to push up prices," a Bangkok-based trader said. "They have to try everything
they can."An industry source in Manila told Reuters there was a plan to tender for 310,000
tonnes.But a spokesman for the National Food Authority, the Philippines' state grain agency, said
its council, which approves rice imports, had yet to issue any advisory on new approvals.
Elsewhere in the region, Myanmar plans to raise its rice exports in the fiscal year that started in
April by 10.5 percent to 2 million tonnes, said Lu Maw Myint Maung, joint secretary of the
Myanmar Rice Federation, citing demand from China and Europe.China bought 1.11 million
tonnes from Myanmar in the fiscal year that ended in March, accounting for around 60 percent of
the country's exports, based on Myanmar Commerce Ministry data. (Additional reporting by
Kaweewit Kaewjinda in BANGKOK; Erik dela Cruz in MANILA and Aung Hla Tun in
YANGON; Editing by Alan Raybould)
http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/05/06/asia-rice-idINL4N0XX2V520150506
Farmers reap gains from new model

Tran Van Quang, a farmer in Hau Giang Province in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta, has
increased his profit from rice farming by at least 18 per cent since he began to apply a new
farming model developed locally.Farmers harvest the winter-spring crop 2014-15 in Hau Giang
Province. Many farmers in the province's Vi Thuy District have adopted a new farming model to
increase productivity and reduce the use of fertilisers and pesticides. (Photo: VNA/VNS)
Some 88 farmers in Vi Thanh Commune, Vi Thuy District, had adopted the "3 down-3 up"
model to increase productivity, quality, and economic effectiveness and reduce the use of
fertilisers and pesticides, he said.The model, developed by the province's Agriculture and
Fisheries Extension Centre, had enabled farmers like him to reduce seed usage by 30-40kg per
hectare and nitrogenous fertilisers by 50-70kg and save 30 per cent on pesticides compared to
traditional farming methods, he said.On the other hand, productivity had reached "an average of
6.1 tonnes per hectare compared with 5.8 tonnes in nearby fields that did not adopt in the
model," he added.
In Thanh Dong A Commune, Kien Giang Province, many rice farmers have adopted a technique
called "alternate wetting and drying", or AWD, and benefited.Do Ngoc Kim, one of them, said
that the new farming method had helped his family reduce fertiliser and pesticide use while
increasing rice yields by 10 per cent and profits significantly.At his co-operative, where
members had applied the new farming method on 270ha a year ago, the figure had increased to
500ha now, he said.
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Phan Huy Thong, director of the National Agriculture Extension Centre, said with its more than
1.8 million hectares under rice, the delta contributed more than half of the country's rice output
and 92 per cent of exports.
But farmers' incomes
were very low due to
high costs and unstable
prices, he told a forum
titled
"Improving
economic
efficiency
and
reducing
greenhouse
gas
emissions
in
rice
production in the Cuu
Long (Mekong) Delta"
in Hau Giang on May 5.
The overuse of chemical fertilisers and burning straw after harvest following traditional farming
methods caused greenhouse gas emissions, he said.In 2000, CO2 emissions in Viet Nam had
been over 150 million tonnes of which the agricultural sector accounted for 65.09 million tonnes,
with emissions from rice farming accounting for well over half.To reduce the emissions and
improve economic efficiency in rice production, many new and advanced farming models have
been adopted in the country, especially the delta.They include the System of Rice Intensification
(SRI), "3 down-3 up", AWD, and the "1 must-5 decrease" (Must use certified seeds, reduce
sowed seeds, crop protection chemicals, nitrogenous fertilisers, water use, and post-harvest
losses).
Huynh Quang Tin of the Mekong Delta Research Development Institute said after four years of
piloting the AWD model in five places in the delta, productivity had increased by 10 per cent and
profits by 17 per cent compared to traditional methods.Furthermore, efficient irrigation methods
helped effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions, he said.Hoang Van Hong of the National
Agriculture Extension Centre said last year the centre had implemented the "3 down-3 up" and
SRI models in 13 places in the delta.
This models helped farmers not only save seeds, agricultural inputs, and irrigation costs, but also
make optimal profits, improve soil quality and reduce green house gas emissions, he
added.Thong said despite their benefits, the new farming models were expanding very slowly
since farmers were not provided with sufficient information, and this should be improved.The
agricultural sector would consider expanding the low-carbon farming model to produce highquality rice to meet consumer demands and make agriculture sustainable, he said.Local
authorities and farmers should consider their land conditions to adopt a suitable new farming
method, he added.Organised by the centre and the Hau Giang Department of Agriculture and
Rural Development, the forum attracted more than 400 delegates, including 250 farmers from the
delta.
Source: VNS
http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/National/2015/5/113657/
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DA to provide additional rice storage facilities

May 7, 2015
Written by Joel dela Torre
Published in Nation
THE Department of Agriculture yesterday announced its plan to establish more rice storage
facilities and upgrade existing ones through public-private partnership.Agriculture Secretary
Proceso Alcala said the target of these rice mills will be near production areas to lessen both
transportation time and cost.In areas where the private sector is reluctant to invest, we will take
the lead, he said.Alcala added that the they are also eyeing collapsible drying facilities for
distribution to farmer cooperatives.
The DA is bent to improve the postharvest stage in rice production to address cost issues while
promoting new cost-effective technologies to increase the milling recovery rate of rice. Alcala
said in some areas, milling facilities are obsolete resulting in as low as 50 percent milling
recovery (50 kgs of rice for every 100 kgs of palay).Escalating the milling recovery rate to at
least 65% could lessen the cost of rice to consumers by about P1 per kilogram, Alcala said.The
DA aims to harvest 20 million metric tons of rice for 2015.Hindi natin mapapalaki ang ating
supply kung hindi naman natin mapapaganda ang kita ng ating mga magsasaka, Alcala stressed.
http://www.journal.com.ph/news/nation/da-to-provide-additional-rice-storage-facilities
Asia Rice-Prices hit multi-month lows but fail to attract

buyers
* Thai prices hit their lowest since June 2014
* Vietnamese rice prices are the lowest since February
* Myanmar aims to boost rice exports to 2 mln tonnes
By Ho Binh Minh
HANOI, May 6 (Reuters) - Asian rice export prices fell to multi-month lows this week after
holidays in the region and demand remained thin, traders said on Wednesday.Thailand's 5
percent broken white rice RI-THBKN5-P1 eased to $385-$387 a tonne, free on board (FOB), the
lowest since June 2014, traders said.The Thai price, which dropped below $400 on April 1, is
still above the price for similar-grade Vietnamese rice, which stood this week at $355-$360 a
tonne, FOB.Vietnam's 25 percent broken rice fell to $330-$335 a tonne, FOB, the lowest since
Feb. 11, after market regulators lowered the minimum export price for the variety by nearly 3
percent, but that still failed to tempt buyers, traders said.
The indicative quotations this week are below the floor of $340 a tonne in effect since April
30."Prices are low but there's still no demand," a trader at a foreign firm in Ho Chi Minh City
said.Thailand, the world's second-biggest rice exporter last year, was on holiday from May 1 to 5
while Vietnam only reopened its markets on Monday after a public holiday from April 28 to May
1.The Thai government will take part in a tender to be held by the Philippine government later
this month for between 200,000 and 300,000 tonnes, Chutima Bunyapraphasara, permanent
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secretary at the Commerce Ministry said on Wednesday."The tender in the Philippines is another
(Thai) government effort to push up prices," a Bangkok-based trader said. "They have to try
everything they can.
"An industry source in Manila told Reuters there was a plan to tender for 310,000 tonnes.But a
spokesman for the National Food Authority, the Philippines' state grain agency, said its council,
which approves rice imports, had yet to issue any advisory on new approvals.Elsewhere in the
region, Myanmar plans to raise its rice exports in the fiscal year that started in April by 10.5
percent to 2 million tonnes, said Lu Maw Myint Maung, joint secretary of the Myanmar Rice
Federation, citing demand from China and Europe.China bought 1.11 million tonnes from
Myanmar in the fiscal year that ended in March, accounting for around 60 percent of the
country's exports, based on Myanmar Commerce Ministry data. (Additional reporting by
Kaweewit Kaewjinda in BANGKOK; Erik dela Cruz in MANILA and Aung Hla Tun in
YANGON; Editing by Alan Raybould)
Police told to speed up probe into 1.75 million tonnes of

rotten and adulterated rice
BY EDITORON 2015-05-06THAILAND
Police told to speed up probe into 1.75 million tonnes of rotten and adulterated rice
BANGKOK: The National Police Office has been told to speed up investigation into the
1.75 million tonnes of adulterated and rotten rice stored at 186 warehouses throughout the
country.
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Mrs Chintana Chaiwannakarn, board chairwoman of Public Warehouse Organisation, said

Wednesday that she was ordered by commerce permanent secretary Ms Chutima Booyaprapat to
coordinate with the Marketing Organisation for Farmers to notify the National Police Office to
try to wrap up their investigation into the 1.75 million tonnes of rotten rice and adulterated rice
within June.
The 1.75 million tonnes of rice are made up of 54,000 tonnes of adulterated rice, 653,000 tonnes
of rotten rice and one million tonnes of C-grade grains.Both criminal and civil lawsuits will be
taken against the warehouse owners and rice surveyors.As for the adulterated and C-grade rice,
they are to be sold by auction whereas the rotten rice are to be sold to ethanol producers.
(Photo : Thai PBS File)
http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/police-told-to-speed-up-probe-into-1-75-million-tonnes-ofrotten-and-adulterated-rice/59153/
Nigeria: Alleged N21 Billion Rice Import Duty Evasion - I

Don't Have Power to Give Waivers - Adesina
By Emman Ovuakporie and Gabriel Ewepu
Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina Tuesday said as a minister he does not give waivers
to importers and that it was a case of the hunter being hunted by those that should be hunted.Adesina
who appeared before the adhoc-committee on 'Rice Imports Quota And Duty Payments' said "I was
the first to raise the alarm via press release issued on January 2 alerting the nation that rice importers
were not paying import duty"." As it is now, it is a situation where the hunter is being hunted as I
clearly stated in the release that about N36billion is being owed by importers and those owing must
pay back to the treasury"
http://allafrica.com/stories/201505061159.html
Making rice cultivation more eco-friendly

BY MARA CEPEDA
POSTED ON 05/07/2015 11:17 AM | UPDATED 05/07/2015 6:07 PM
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FARMING. Filipino farmer Gamaliel Pagharion inspects his rice farm in Pigcawayan the rice producing town of North Cotabato
province in southern Mindanao on May 9, 2008. File photo by Mark Navales/AFP
MANILA, Philippines Producing Juans meal-time favorite a cup of steaming, freshly

cooked rice is a complicated task.Theres the constant problem of meeting the daily demand
for it, what with rice being the most consumed food product by Filipinos.The Food and
Agriculture Organization said that while the Philippines is an agricultural country, it has begun
to develop an untenable dependence on imported rice to ensure sufficient national stocks.More
recently, a report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) showed that rice
cultivation is extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change.Ironically, however,
agriculture is also one of the significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions globally. The
US Environmental Protection Agency reported that 29% of the Philippines emissions come
from the agricultural sector.How then should the Philippines solve this problem?
According to the UNDP, its through the proposed Adaptation and Mitigation Initiatives in
Agriculture (AMIA), a holistic approach that will hopefully address the issues of climate change,
food security, water saving, and poverty eradication.It involves the creation of a policy providing
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farmers with economic incentives to switch from continuous flooding to Alternate Wetting and
Drying (AWD) and to sustain its use in the long run.To diversify the countrys agricultural
transformation, farmers will also be offered technical training under a support package.
The AMIA will target a total of 750,000 hectares of irrigated rice fields nationwide to potentially
bring about a 12,151-kiloton carbon dioxide emission reductions by 2020.This sector-specific
climate change instrument was reviewed by the following: UNDP, Department of Agriculture
(DA), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Asian Development Bank, Philippine
Statistics Authority, Bureau of Soils and Water Management, Climate Change Commission,
Department of Environment and Natural Resources, International Rice Research Institute, and
National Irrigation Administration.
Alternative irrigation technology
ECO-FRIENDLY. The UNDP report suggests doing alternatives inafarming. Photo from IRRI
The widespread practice of continuously flooding rice fields up until the harvest season
contributes to the greenhouse gas emissions of the Philippines.
As a replacement, the AMIA will promote the use of AWD, also called controlled or intermittent
irrigation, in rice cultivation.In AWD, a perforated field water tube is inserted into the ground so
farmers can monitor the depth of water table in the field.This modified water management and
methane mitigation scheme leads to a shorter period for rice field flooding and better soil
aeration.AWD also has the following benefits: More rice grains, higher zinc availability and
lodging resistance, better root anchorage, improved equity, and reduced pest infestation and
upstream-downstream conflicts in canal irrigation systems.
More rice, less conflict
The implementation of the AMIA is expected to positively contribute to food security in the
Philippines.The use of AWD will increase the total irrigated area, as more water will be available
for irrigation, especially during the dry season.Several research and pilot projects also showed
that AWD can increase rice yields up to 5%.A PhilRice report on a pilot project showed that
AWD use can potentially decrease conflict in farming communities. According to the report,
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farmers working around the downstream irrigation network receive less water than those
working upstream.AWD allows for a more even distribution of irrigation water among farmers.
Hindrances
The UNDP noted that there is no concrete action plan presently in place to support the
adoption of more efficient irrigation systems in the country.The report also said that farmers are
likely to revert back to continuous flooding after trying AWD. This is because the new irrigation
scheme has no particular gains on water management, as farmers pay for irrigation fees based
on land area size and not on amount of water used.
AWD is also more labor-intensive because farmers will have to attend to the fields more often to
follow a set irrigation calendar.Since 2005, several attempts have been made to implement AWD
in big irrigation systems in the country such as in the Upper Pampanga and Magat River
Integrated Irrigation Systems.On September 11, 2009, the DA also issued DA Administrative
Order 25 or the Guidelines on the Adoption of Water Saving Technologies (WST) in Irrigated
Rice Production Systems in the Philippines.The UNDP report said it is the only existing policy that
supports the AWD, but it has not been fully implemented yet.
Four years later, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala released a memorandum to mainstream
climate change in DAs programs, policies and budget, which includes the AMIA.According to
the UNDP report, AMIAs 5-year implementation plan will begin through the creation of an
inter-agency Rice Sector AMIA Supervisory Board by September 2015. Rappler.com
http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/hunger/92423-making-rice-cultivation-more-ecofriendly
WATCH: Rice black bugs infest Iloilo community

Posted at 05/07/2015 11:58 AM
JARO, Iloilo Residents of Barangay Bito-on are complaining about black rice bugs infestation
in their community.The black rice bugs emit foul odor and can also cause itchiness when it
comes in contact with the skin.The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said the insect is
common in rainfed and irrigated wetland environments and prefers continuously cropped
irrigated rice areas and poorly drained fields.IRRI explained that black bug flight patterns are
affected by the lunar cycle.''On full moon nights, large numbers of adults swarm to light
sources,'' IRRI said.The Department of Agriculture (DA) has offered to give biological agents to
control the spread of the bugs, which were also cited in Dumangas, Zarraga, Leganes, and Santa
Barbara in Iloilo.
Umagang Kay Ganda, 7 May 2015
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/regions/05/07/15/watch-rice-black-bugs-infest-iloilocommunity
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GenSan council may soon require half-rice on menus in

city eateries
May 7, 2015 9:29pm
It may soon be easier to order just half a cup of rice at eateries in General Santos City, once a
proposed measure is passed by the city council. The city council is now taking up the proposal
with food establishment owners, GMA News TV's "Balita Pilipinas Ngayon" reported Thursday.
The report said the proposal is in support of the Philippine Rice Research Institute's "Be Riceponsible" campaign, to prevent wastage of rice.Once it is passed, the measure will require
eateries such as carinderias, restaurants and fast-food outlets and catering services to allow "halfrice" on their menus. Penalties include P1,000 for the first offense, P2,000 for the second
offense, and P3,000 plus cancellation of business permit for the third offense. Joel
Locsin/JDS, GMA News
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/483590/news/regions/gensan-council-may-soon-require-halfrice-on-menus-in-city-eateries
APEDA INDIA NEWS

International Benchmark Price
Price on: 01-05-2015
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
Turkish No. 2 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t)
5850
4375
Turkish size 8, CIF UK (USD/t)
3425
Chinese first grade granules, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
2100
Chinese Grade A dehydrated flakes, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
2000
Chinese powdered, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
1800
Chinese sliced, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
4600
Chinese whole, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
5100
Indian Cochin, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
3000
Apricots
Garlic
Ginger
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 05-05-2015
Domestic Prices
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Aroor (Kerala)
Other
3200
3400
Rice
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2
Bargarh (Orissa)
Other
2200
2400
Taliamura (Tripura)
Other
2500
2700
Amirgadh (Gujarat)
Other
1200
1760
Chakulia (Jharkhand )
Other
1820
2010
Aklera(Rajasthan)
Other
1360
1550
Aroor (Kerala)
Other
1600
1900
Sirhind(Punjab)
Other
1500
1800
Kashipur(Uttrakhand)
Other
800
900
Nilagiri (Orissa)
Other
1700
1900
Bilga (Punjab)
Other
1500
1500
Kharupetia(Assam)
Other
1000
1200
Wheat
Papaya
Carrot
Source:agra-net
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 04-05-2015
Product
Market Center
Price
Pune
288
Chittoor
303
Hyderabad
248
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package

Price on 04-05-2015
Product
Market Center
Origin
Variety
Low
Mexico
Yellow
22
24.50
21
Onions Dry
High
Package: 50 lb sacks
Atlanta
Baltimore
California
Yellow
21
Detroit
Michigan
Yellow
Cucumbers
9
Package: cartons film wrapped
Atlanta
Canada
Long Seedless
2
3
9.50
12
Detroit
Canada
Miami
Mexico
Long Seedless
10
Long Seedless
11
Grapefruit
12
Package: 4/5 bushel cartons
Atlanta
Florida
Red
16
16
Chicago
Florida
Red
14.50
16
Miami
Florida
Red
13
13
Source:USDA
Rice lovers beware, your favorite food may be poisoning you

Don't panic. Not yet, at least.(Reuters/Kham)
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Julian TysonProfessor of Analytical Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Researchers have known for some time that the food and drink we allconsume
contains arsenic.Should we be concerned? Arent we protected by federal regulations? Actually,
nowe are not. In the US, as in many countries, the government regulates the concentration of
arsenic in drinking water, but does not regulate the concentration of arsenic in any other drink or
food. We have a mercury-in-food regulation; why dont we have an arsenic-in-food regulation?
One important difference is that all of the compounds of mercury we find in food are equally
toxic. This is not the case for arsenic. Although we normally think of arsenic compounds as
potentially harmful, most of the arsenic we eat is harmless. Seafood, which contains by far the
highest concentrations of arsenic, delivers it as arsenobetaine, an organic chemical containing
arsenic that is innocuous to us humans.How then should arsenic in food be regulated? To do that
well, we need to develop better ways to determine the amounts of arsenic and other chemicals in
our foods.
Focus on riceScientists are still in the early days of collecting data on the arsenic content of food.
So far, we think the only widely consumed foodstuffs with the potential for long-term health
problems due to the arsenic content are rice and all rice-derived products, such as flour, cakes,
crackers and infant formulas.
Chemical analyses show that regardless of the origin of the rice, four arsenic-containing
compounds account for about 95% of the arsenic that is released from rice on cooking. Two of
the compounds, together known as inorganic arsenic, are known human carcinogens, and two
(monomethyl and dimethylated arsenic) are possibly carcinogenic to humans, according
the International Agency for Research on Cancer. If an in-food safety limit set based solely on
concentration level, it would designate all food from the aquatic environment to be unfit for
human consumption.
Theres a wide range of arsenic concentrations in food. If an infood safety limit set based solely on concentration level, it
would designate all food from the aquatic environment to be
unfit for human consumption, even though there is no health
risk. So an arsenic-in-food standard needs to specify which
arsenic compounds are to be regulated.Also, the health risks
depend on the concentrations of the carcinogenic inorganic
arsenic, the amount of rice consumed and how often rice is consumed.
Some researchers consider that to keep the risk of getting an arsenic-induced cancer to an
acceptable level, daily adult intake should not exceed a quarter cup of uncooked rice, containing
no more than 50 parts per billion (ppb), stipulating that children should consume even less in
proportion to their body weight.The results for the analysis of a large number of rice and rice
products presented by both Consumer Reports and the US Food and Drug Administration show
almost all rice tested contained concentrations in excesssometimes well in excessof this 50
ppb limit. Brown rice has, in general, concentrations of arsenic higher than those in white rice.
Recent science
A staple of diets the world over, rice may also be putting some at risk.(Reuters/Pawel
Kopczynski/Files)
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We do not know how long we have been exposed. Only relatively recently have advances in
chemical measurement technology made it possible to detect arsenic compounds at relevant
concentrations in foodstuffs.The first results for the measurement of arsenic in rice were made
in 1998. The global extent of the contamination was not apparent until 2005, when it was
realized that some of the highest concentrations of both inorganic and methylated arsenic
compounds are found in rice grown in the US. Results so far show that all rice, regardless of
variety and origin, contains easily measurable concentrations of arsenic compounds.
Why is there arsenic in rice? Rice is often grown in fields formerly used for cotton, whose
production involved spraying with cacodylic acid (the dimethyl arsenic compound) to kill boll
weevil pests, and then with arsenic acid to kill and desiccate the plant prior to mechanical
harvesting. Rice also assimilates arsenic to a greater extent than other crops, such as wheat and
barley. Groups within the population whose diet consists of largely of rice, such as sufferers
from celiac disease, infants, and Asian Americans, should be hoping for action sooner
rather than later.
Many of the arsenic-containing compounds that we eat and drink also come from processes
involving naturally occurring arsenic, which is widely distributed on the Earths crust. All
lifeforms, ranging from bacteria to primates, are capable of transforming the inorganic arsenic
compounds derived from the minerals that get into the food web into a series of organic
compounds, rendering them less toxic.
Since 2012, advocacy group Consumers Union has been calling for an arsenic-in-food standard
and the implementation of arsenic reduction strategies, such as phasing out the use of arseniccontaining pesticides. However, the FDA is still working on a study of the long-term risks and
will not consider taking any action until this is complete.Those of us who do not eat more than
the amounts recommended by Consumer Reports can probably afford to wait. But groups within
the population whose diet consists of largely of rice, such as sufferers from celiac disease,
infants, and Asian Americans, should be hoping for action sooner rather than later. Asian
Americans are the only US racial/ethnic population for whom cancer is the leading cause
of death and a diet heavy on rice could contribute to this.
Better methods needed
Not all scientists agree on how to assess the health risks of consuming inorganic and methylated
arsenic compounds. But no matter what the basis, at the very least, a meaningful arsenic-in-rice
regulation has to be supported by reliable information on the inorganic arsenic concentration.
Unfortunately, the chemical measurement community is making slow progress towards this
capability.A recent round-robin proficiency test, in which almost 100 expert laboratories spread
across 35 countries participated, involved the determination of the total arsenic and the inorganic
arsenic in a carefully prepared rice flour reference material. No matter what the basis, at the
very least, a meaningful arsenic-in-rice regulation has to be supported by reliable
information on the inorganic arsenic concentration.
Depending on how stringent the evaluation criteria applied were, between 23% and 41% of the
participants did not get a satisfactory result for the determination of total arsenic, and between
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25% and 43% did not get a satisfactory result for the determination of inorganic arsenic.
Furthermore, only a third of the participants actually submitted a result for the inorganic arsenic
content, which probably means they were unable to determine the concentration of the mostharmful form.
We know enough to be concerned and consumers should be demanding more information.
Incentives are needed not only to get rice suppliers to implement arsenic-reduction strategies but
also to get analytical chemists to collaborate on the development of reliable methods.A hard-tomeet inorganic arsenic-in-rice standard of less than 100 parts per billion would be a good start. In
the meantime, choose white rice (basmati or sushi), rinse it in cold water, and cook it in excess
waterarsenic-free, of course.
This post originally appeared at The Conversation. atideas@qz.com.
http://qz.com/400329/rice-lovers-beware-your-favorite-food-may-be-poisoning-you/
Thailand: Thai rice occupy over 60 pct of Hong Kong

market
5/7/2015
Thai News Service

The Hong Kong Trade and Industry Department imported49,900 tons of rice from Thailand in
the first quarter of 2015, a 48.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year.The
higher rice exports to Hong Kong (China) brought Thailand's rice exports to all markets to 62.2
percent in the first quarter 2015.Spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce Duangkamon
Chiambut said the Hong Kong Trade and Industryimported 80,400 tons of rice during the first
three months this year, increasing by 0.75 percent.
A drop in Thai Hom Mali rice price and importers' higher confidence in Thai rice
were important factors which led to the first quarter growth, the spokesperson added.The
strengthening of relations between the Thai government and Hong Kong rice importers also
helped Thai rice exports achieved a growth target of higher than 60 percent, she said.In 2013,
Thailand exported 6.6 million tonnes of rice, worth 4.42 billion USD, worldwide. In 2014, Thai
rice exportswere 10.9 million tons or 5.34 billion USD.-VNA
http://www.world-grain.com/news/news%20home/LexisNexisArticle.aspx?articleid=2358418064
Rice Import Duty Waiver: Reps Threaten To Sanction

Adesina
Posted: 8:05 am, May 7, 2015 by admin
Akinwumi Adesina, Minister for Agriculture
ABUJA- The House of Representatives has threatened to sanction the Minister of Agriculture,
Dr Akinwumi Adesina over failure to appear before its Ad hoc Committee investigating alleged
fraud in the ministry.Specifically, the committee is probing alleged evasion of payment of rice
import duties and levies by importer and investors.The Chairman of the committee and Deputy
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Leader of the House, Leo Ogor, made the threat at the public hearing in Abuja to uncover fraud
in importation of rice.
In his address, Ogor said, this hearing is sequel to a resolution of the House mandating the Ad
hoc Committee to investigate alleged fraud abuses, evasion of import duties by rice
importers.The aim is to uncover fraud and expose the endemic corruption in the importation of
rice with a view to stemming the tide and boost employment generation as well as strengthen the
nations depleting foreign reserve.
The minister has no reason not to be here because the ministry was duly served the invitation.
I see no reason why people would be invited to a hearing thats for the benefit of the people and
will not turn up.You are a servant of the people just like we all are, he said.According to Ogor,
what we are doing here is for the benefit of our nations economy; so, before the end of the
hearing, we are hoping to see people from the ministry.He threatened that if the ministrys
officials failed to appear before the committee, it might be forced to make some very strong
pronouncement.
The administration of quota and duty payable on excess importation indicated that the minister
gave certain concessions to some importers, who allegedly exceeded their quotas and did not pay
liable indemnity.The committee, therefore, questioned the powers of the minister to grant such
waiver on the basis of encouraging investment and job creation.According to it, the practice is
discouraging local investors who dont even have the capacity to utilise their allotted quoten
done.
http://www.nigerianobservernews.com/2015/05/07/rice-import-duty-waiver-reps-threaten-to-sanctionadesina/#sthash.a0IyNheA.dpuf
Rice importers to pay 36 Billion Naira into FG account

Inside AfricaNigeria May 7, 2015 0
Victoria Ayuwei, Per Second News-The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Dr.
Akinwunmi Adesina Thursday revealed that the alleged rice importation duty scam reported to
be 21 Billion Naira is actually 36 Billion Naira, which is to be paid into the Federal Government
account by rice importers.
The House of Representatives earlier this
week invited the minister in regards to the
administration of government policy on rice
importation and payable duties/levies on
import quota by investors.At the public
hearing of Adhoc committee on Rice quota
and Duty payment on rice imports quota and
Duty payment the minister said, I was the
one that first raised the issue of monies owed
the federal government by importers which is to the tune of 36 billion Naira I do not know when
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the Hunter had now become hunted.One of the leading rice investor in the country, Olam
Nigeria Limited, told legislators in the house of representatives that out of its 3 billion import
liability debt, the Agric Minister had notified them of 50percent price relief.
However, Mr. Adesina in response to the alleged scam said that he never granted waiver to any
rice importing company contrary to allegations that a foreign rice investor enjoyed the ministers
relief in duty payment bills. I have to be transparent and no company is above the law
therefore,any company owing the Nigerian Government must pay he added.Per Second News
Thursday obtained a document showing the unethical practice of rice investors in the country.
Source: Per Second News
Iraq Grain Tender Canceled, USA Rice to Meet with U.S.

Ambassador
ARLINGTON, VA -- Earlier this week, in a move that was only mildly surprising, the Iraqi
Not U.S. so not the best
Grain Board canceled their current

tender request without explanation
or fanfare."The only thing we can
predict with any accuracy in this
market is the total unpredictability
of this market," said Betsy Ward,
president & CEO of USA
Rice.Ward said that although the
U.S. bids are very competitive, and
despite regular contact between the
government of Iraq, the U.S.
government, and USA Rice, she thinks it could be a long time before U.S. rice is sold with any
consistency in this country unless something changes dramatically."Frankly, we're disheartened
by the lack of progress we're able to make with the Iraqi Grain Board," she added.
"We know our quality and logistics are better, and our prices are lower than South American
origins, so one can only speculate as to why they aren't buying U.S. rice."Ward will raise these
concerns in what promises to be a frank meeting in Washington tomorrow with the U.S.
Ambassador to Iraq, Stuart Jones. "We're going to share with the Ambassador what we're
experiencing here, and we look forward to hearing his take on events and market realities incountry and maybe get a clearer picture of what we can expect in the near term," Ward added.
Contact: Michael Klein (703) 236-1458
USDA Announces $235 Million in Funding for RCPP

WASHINGTON, DC -- Earlier this week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced an
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Bird sanctuary
investment of $235 million in funding to be applied towards the Regional Conservation
Partnership Program (RCPP). The RCPP, created by the 2014 Farm Bill, is a conservation
initiative administered by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that
enables local leaders across the country to implement programs that will preserve natural
resources in their region.The first round of projects funded through the RCPP was announced
earlier this year. USDA awarded $394 million to the first round of RCPP participants in all 50
states that helped fund 115 projects.The rice industry will benefit significantly from the first
round of RCPP funding. RCPP grants were awarded to California and Louisiana in addition to a
$10 million national grant to USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited.
"These funds are specifically set aside for rice producers and will be used to help them install
NRCS approved conservation practices. The initial Rice RCPP was the first of its kind and that
got attention at NRCS," said USA Rice's Vice President of Government Affairs Ben Mosely.
Mosely added, "We're in the process of implementing the first award and hope to have growers
signing up late summer or early fall, and we're already working on a new proposal for this
second phase of the RCPP. We plan to build on that platform of the rice industry's commitment
to on-farm management practices that address water quantity, water quality and wildlife
habitat."USDA plans to invest $1.2 billion in conservation projects through 2018. The deadline
to submit an RCPP proposal is July 8, 2015.
Contact: Colleen Klemczewski (703) 236-1446
Weekly Rice Sales, Exports Reported

WASHINGTON, DC -- Net rice sales of 62,500 MT for 2014/2015 were down 45 percent from
the previous week and 9 percent from the prior four-week average, according to today's Export
Sales Highlights report. Increases were reported for South Korea (20,000 MT), Mexico (17,000
MT), Honduras (16,000 MT, including 8,500 MT switched from unknown destinations),
Colombia (15,400 MT), and Libya (12,500 MT). Decreases were reported for Turkey (28,500
MT) and unknown destinations (6,000 MT).
Exports of 78,700 MT were up 36 percent from the previous week and 13 percent from the prior
four-week average. The primary destinations were Mexico (19,600 MT), Colombia (15,500
MT), Honduras (12,300 MT), Japan (12,200 MT), and Haiti (7,100 MT). This summary is based
on reports from exporters from the period April 24-30.
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures

CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for May 7
Month
www.ricepluss.com
Price
Page
27
Net Change

Cell : +92 321 369 2874
May 2015
$9.465
- $0.080
July 2015
$9.695
- $0.100
September 2015
$9.965
- $0.100
November 2016
$10.210
- $0.105
January 2016
$10.455
- $0.100
March 2016
$10.505
- $0.100
May 2016
$10.505
- $0.100
Mr. Xi, and others, tear down these walls

By Former Rep. Larry Combest (R-Texas), contributor
It is not often when we can so objectively fact-check a claim made in Washington.We are
deluged with a cacophony of voices during debates on legislation, each claiming to be
authoritative. But when the debate is over, everyone forgets the claims made.One claim during
the farm bill debate was that, by unilaterally ending or sharply cutting U.S. farm policy, the
United States would achieve credibility on global trade such that it would cause other countries
to follow.
Well, since passage of the farm bill when lawmakers agreed to cut $23 billion, mainly from
agriculture four reports have been published illustrating that the opposite is happening.As
support for U.S. farmers and ranchers declines, already high foreign subsidies and tariffs that far
exceed U.S. support are reaching record levels.On April 1, U.S. Trade Representative Michael
Froman released a report on foreign trade barriers outlining in more than 400 pages the trade
infractions of trading partners, with communist China's list reading like a mob boss's rap
sheet.On April 15, J. Wesley Burnett of the College of Charleston prepared a report on behalf of
the Americans for Limited Government, citing the bad behavior of our trading partners (as well
as some bad U.S. behavior on tax and environmental policies) and concluded that the United
States cannot unilaterally disarm because it would put our producers at a competitive
disadvantage. Instead, Burnett called on the U.S. to take a hard line to ensure foreign competitors
do not continue to violate their trade commitments and prevent the world from moving closer to
a free market.
A month earlier, Texas Tech University updated its Foreign Subsidies Database. And, in
November of last year, DTB Associates issued its foreign subsidies update. Each of these reports
confirmed the findings of the other two, documenting sharply rising foreign subsidies and tariffs,
with DTB observing that many countries, including communist China, are exceeding permissible
support levels under their trade commitments and are delinquent in complying with annual
reporting requirements.
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In short, our trading partners are not following America's example; they are cheating.So, a claim
was made and now the verdict is in. We know that the United States cannot unilaterally disarm
America's farmers and ranchers and expect the world to simply follow.Unfortunately, "I told you
so" is not gratifying. In Washington political circles, winning an argument is everything. And, in
the policy realm, in a town up to its eyeballs in reports, these are just four more.But to American
farmers and ranchers, the statistics hit home in the form of a 43 percent drop in net farm income,
and the victory feels hollow.
Regarding cotton, China amassed 50 million bales into a reserve over four years. Fourteen to 24
million bales came from the global market, rallying global prices. But recently, China changed
gears, shorting imports while encouraging domestic overproduction with a price guarantee for its
producers at around $1.40 cent per pound, causing global prices to plummet to the 60 cents
range. This has wreaked havoc on U.S. cotton farmers operating under a new policy largely
predicated on the promise of a free market. Many of these producers are also contending with
multiple years of severe drought.
Meanwhile, two years ago, Mexico overproduced sugar by about 1 million tons, but kept
Mexican sugar prices up by dumping that surplus, plus some, onto the U.S. market. U.S. sugar
prices nosedived. The U.S. government ruled that Mexico, which owns one-fifth of its sugar
industry and subsidizes all of its industry, was illegally subsidizing and dumping, and by huge
margins. And Mexico is not alone in its rich subsidies, with rivals on the world stage like Brazil,
Thailand and India.According to DTB Associates, these last three countries, plus China and
Turkey, have all exceeded their permissible World Trade Organization (WTO) support limits,
while four of the five are also illegally subsidizing their exports of wheat, sugar, corn, rice and
wheat flour. China's and India's rice policies alone are distorting global markets and whipsawing
U.S. rice producers.
The study goes on to note that most of these countries are delinquent in reporting their subsidies
to the WTO and are using bogus methodologies to understate support when they do report. China
has apparently not made good on its annual report in four years and, even then, covered subsidies
in effect three to six years prior to when the report was made.The upshot is that while
Washington was busy working on a farm bill containing reforms and savings, our trading
partners have been busy, too erecting a full range of barriers, from the sanitary and
phytosanitary kind erected to lock out U.S. beef, poultry and pork to nonsense biotech objections
and heavy (and apparently illegal) subsidies.For the sake of not putting America's farmers and
ranchers at an unfair competitive disadvantage, Burnett called on the U.S. not to unilaterally
disarm America's farmers and ranchers but to take a hard line in enforcing our existing trade
agreements with foreign countries that cheat.Maintaining a modest response to the cheaters by
preserving U.S. farm policy is not only the right thing to do, it is also an essential means of
maintaining support for trade and the only leverage the United States has in getting our trading
partners to one day tear down the walls they have been so busy building.
Combest represented the 19th Congressional District of Texas from 1985 to 2002 and chaired
the Select Committee on Intelligence and the Agriculture Committee. He is now a principal at
Combest Sell & Associates.
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http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/international/240904-mr-xi-and-others-tear-down-thesewalls?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+May+7%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_me
dium=email
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 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
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/government-subsidies-distort-rice-exportsoverseas?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+May+7%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_
medium=email
Arkansas crop planting makes quick progress

May 6, 2015Ryan McGeeney, University of Arkansas Extension | Delta Farm Press
Five major crops now nearly caught up with five-year average in state
Growers working overtime to take advantage of available planting window
Agronomists urge growers to plant variety of cultivars
Options for better control of resistant weeds in rice
After weeks of lagging well behind the states five-year average in planting progress, Arkansas
growers have finally pulled within a few percentage points of historic averages, according to a
crop progress and condition report published May 4 by the U.S. Department of
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Agriculture.According to the report, planted corn, cotton, rice, sorghum and soybeans are each
within 1 to 5 percent of their respective five-year averages for progress as of May 3, with all five
crops surpassing the progress made by this time last year.
Heavy rains throughout the
state, especially in the
northeast, delayed planting,
especially affecting crops
such as rice two-thirds of
which is typically planted in
the northern half of the state.Jarrod Hardke, Extension rice
agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said growers around
the state are now working overtime to get crops planted.Their hours are only limited by what
their people can handle, Hardke said. To see tractors run after dark is not uncommon.Hardke
said many growers were now faced with the irony of having waited out long weeks of heavy
rains only to struggle with a narrow window of time before farmland particularly that
earmarked for rice becomes too dry to plant or create levees.
Weve very quickly turned that corner from so wet we cant get in to so dry we have to inject
moisture to get a stand up, he said. Its like the old adage: youre never more than two weeks
away from a drought.Hardke said he and other agronomists with the Division of Agriculture
were encouraging growers to plant a variety of cultivars and maturities in order to avoid having
large blocks of the same things all coming ready for harvest at the same time, which could lead
to issues with timely harvest resulting in yield and quality losses
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/arkansas-crop-planting-makes-quickprogress?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+May+7%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
APEDA INDIA NEWS

International Benchmark Price
Price on: 07-05-2015
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
5850
4125
Turkish size 8, CIF UK (USD/t)
3425
Chinese first grade granules, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
2100
Chinese Grade A dehydrated flakes, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
2000
Chinese powdered, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
1800
Chinese sliced, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
4600
Chinese whole, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
5100
Indian Cochin, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
3000
Apricots
Garlic
Ginger
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
www.ricepluss.com
Page
31

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Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 07-05-2015
Domestic Prices
Product
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Visnagar (Gujarat)
Other
1750
1810
Theni (Tamil Nadu)
Other
1250
1250
Solapur (Maharashtra)
Other
1802
2001
Amirgadh (Gujarat)
Other
1320
1320
Theni (Tamil Nadu )
Other
1260
1320
Sangli(Maharashtra)
Other
1350
1410
Aroor (Kerala)
Other
3800
4000
Dasuya(Punjab)
Other
1500
2000
Haldwani(Uttrakhand)
Other
1400
1600
Aroor (Kerala)
Other
2600
2800
Bonai (Orissa)
Other
1500
2000
Zira(Punjab)
Other
900
1100
Jowar(Sorgham)
Maize
Mousambi
Brinjal
Source:agra-net
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 07-05-2015
Product
Market Center
Price
Pune
310
Mysore
336
Nagapur
280
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package

Price on 07-05-2015
Product
Market Center
Origin
Variety
Low
Potatoes
High
Package: 50 lb cartons
Atlanta
Baltimore
Colorado
Russet
23.50
Idaho
Russet
19
19
Detroit
Wisconsin
Russet
21
21.50
Atlanta
Florida
Round Green Type
10
11
Detroit
Georgia
Round Green Type
14.50
16.50
Miami
Canada
Round Green Type
11
Cabbage
23.50
Package: 50 lb cartons
Apples
12
Package: cartons tray pack
Atlanta
Virginia
Red Delicious
18
18
Chicago
Washington
Red Delicious
17.50
20
Miami
Michigan
Red Delicious
26
26
Source:USDA
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