25th February, 2016 Daily Global Regional, Local Rice E - Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter
February 25,2016
Vol 7 Issue II
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Today Rice News Headlines...
Editorial Board
Chief Editor
Cuba keen to enhance bilateral trade with Pakistan

PAKISTANS FOOD, BEVERAGES AND AGRO-SECTOR
EXPORTS TO EMIRATES WITNESS A 27PC JUMP IN TWO
YEARS: TDAP
Top Indian rice exporter aims to boost operations in GCC
IIT-M grads working abroad drop to 20%, shows alumni survey
Falling Rice Price Taking a Toll on Exporters
Government pushes out long term rice strategy
USA Rice Hosts First World Market Price Meeting of 2016
USA Rice Participates in World's Largest Annual Food &
Hospitality Show
Villain' shrub may yield drought-resistant rice
Thailand plans steps worth $285 million to help drought-hit rice
farmers
US, China agree on UN North Korea resolution
Local rice demand pushes price of imported rice down
Tribal woman inspires farming community
Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1422
News Detail...
Cuba keen to enhance bilateral trade with

Pakistan February 24, 2016, 8:41 pm
ISLAMABAD: Mr. Gabriel Tiel Capote, Ambassador of Republic of Cuba said
that his country was keen to enhance trade relations with Pakistan as both countries
have good potential to promote mutual cooperation in many areas. He said
Pakistan could export textiles, fabrics, rice, surgical instruments, and leather &
sports goods to Cuba while Cuba could export its biotechnological and
pharmaceutical products to Pakistan. He expressed these views during his first
interaction with business community at Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and
Industry.
He said both countries could achieve mutually beneficial outcomes by

enhancing cooperation in health, education, culture and sports fields as well.
Hamlik
Managing Editor
Abdul Sattar Shah

Rahmat Ullah
Rozeen Shaukat
English Editor
Maryam Editor
Legal Advisor
Advocate Zaheer Minhas
Editorial Associates
Admiral (R) Hamid Khalid

Javed Islam Agha
Ch.Hamid Malhi
Dr.Akhtar Hussain
Dr.Fayyaz Ahmad Siddiqui
Dr.Abdul Rasheed (UAF)
Islam Akhtar Khan
Editorial Advisory Board
Dr.Malik Mohammad
Hashim
Assistant Professor, Gomal

University DIK
Dr.Hasina Gul
Assistant Director, Agriculture KPK
Dr.Hidayat Ullah
Assistant Professor, University

of Swabi
Dr.Abdul Basir
Assistant Professor, University

of Swabi
Zahid Mehmood
PSO,NIFA Peshawar
Falak Naz Shah
Head Food Science &

Technology ART, Peshawar

He said Cuba had opened Mariel Port in 2014
situated in its North Western Region and created an
Economic Development Zone around this port to
attract foreign companies in the fields of electronics,
chemicals, computers, biotechnology and pharmacy.
He said Pakistani investors should explore
investment opportunities in the said Economic Zone
in Cuba.The Ambassador said that Cuba organized
Havana International Fair every year which would
held in November this year and it was a good
opportunity for Pakistani businessmen to participate
in the fair to showcase their products as well as
identify opportunities for further expanding bilateral
trade. He suggested that ICCI should form a
delegation of specific sectors for Cuba to explore
business matchmakings and assured that his Embassy would facilitate in connecting its members
with right counterparts in Cuba.
In his welcome address, Atif Ikram Sheikh, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and
Industry said that bilateral trade between Pakistan and Cuba was just $5.6 million in2015 which
was not encouraging by any standard. He said both countries should facilitate frequent exchange
of trade delegations and focus on promoting connectivity between their private sectors to identify
new avenues of mutual collaboration.He said many Pakistani products including food and others
could find good market in Cuba while Pakistan could also benefit from Cuban experience,
especially in the fields of medical science and healthcare. He said for improving bilateral trade
and economic relations, it was necessary that both countries should improve communications
links including direct flights. Sheikh Pervez Ahmed Senior Vice President and Sheikh Abdul
Waheed, Vice President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry also offered many
suggestions to bring the two countries even closer in trade and economic relations.
http://nation.com.pk/business/24-Feb-2016/cuba-keen-to-enhance-bilateral-trade-with-pakistan
PAKISTANS FOOD, BEVERAGES AND AGRO-SECTOR

EXPORTS TO EMIRATES WITNESS A 27PC JUMP IN TWO
YEARS: TDAP
Thursday, 25 February 2016 15:47
Posted by Parvez Jabri
ISLAMABAD: The Food, Beverages and Agro- sector exports to Emirates has touched
approximately US $ half a billion mark and there was a 27 percent jump in food exports to UAE
in two- year.This was stated by S. M. Munir, Chief Executive of Trade Development Authority
of Pakistan (TDAP) while inaugurating Pakistan Pavilion in Gulfood 2016 Exhibition the other
day, says a message received here from Dubai today.S.M Munir said that Pakistan has boosted
sales of its traditional agricultural products while simultaneously expanding its reach into new
product areas such as processed meat and poultry products, tea, concentrated milk and cream,
certain fruits and vegetables, spices, herbs and confectioneries," he further elaborated.He added
that persistent efforts of TDAP and Pakistani exporters have yielded positive results.
Pakistan Pavilion in Gulfood 2016 Exhibition comprises more than 92 companies in Food
sector.Pakistan Pavilion was the most ambitious display of Pakistan's Best of Food Potential to
GCC, Middle East and Northern African markets.In pursuance of Diversification of Pakistani
exports, TDAP has arranged participation of biggest number of Pakistani companies to showcase
their products in World's biggest Food Expo", said the Chief Executive TDAP, S. M Munir.
Pakistani companies' representation in Gulfood 2016 pavilion has grown from a mere 90 square
metres in 2008 to 1,000 square metres this year, reflecting the emergence of a major exporting
sector that is now challenging textiles as Pakistan's main foreign exchange earner with
worldwide sales topping US $5 billion last year.Pakistani pavilion organized by Trade
Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), Ministry of Commerce, in collaboration with
Consulate General of Pakistan, Dubai comprises of 450 sq. meters facilitating 64 Pakistani

companies while 28 leading Pakistani brands are showcasing their branded products in
customized stalls spreading over 550 sq. meters.
Pakistani branded products in Processed Food, beverages, spice, confectionaries sector are hall
mark of Pakistani Gulfood Pavilion 2016. Pakistani Food sector compliant of international Food
and Hygiene Standards, he further informed.Pakistan has boosted sales of its traditional
agricultural products while simultaneously expanding its reach into new product areas such as
processed meat and poultry products, tea, concentrated milk and cream, certain fruits and
vegetables, spices, herbs and confectioneries," He further elaborated. Persistent efforts of TDAP
and Pakistani exporters have yielded positive results.The CE informed that in collaboration with
USAID- Pakistan Agricultural Marketing Development, "Trade Facilitation Center" has also
been established to facilitate Business-to-business matchmaking meetings between Pakistan
Agro-exporters and Foreign Buyers.
Twelve leading Pakistani Meat and Meat Preparation; and Pakistani Fruits and Vegetable sector
company's representatives would be available for business match making meetings.Speaking on
occasion Pakistani Meat Branding dinner hosted in his honour, the Chief Executive informed that
Pakistan's price and quality competitiveness, Halal and Tayab Meat sector is poised to enhance
its market share in the GCC market. Close proximity and logistic connectivity of Pakistan with
GCC countries position Pakistani meat exporters to attain the US$ 500 target in new three years.
Pakistani Meat Branding Dinner was organized by US- Pakistan Agricultural Marketing
Development in collaboration with Consulate General of Pakistan, Dubai at Consulate General
of Pakistan.
Agricultural Products Online Trading Platform Project was a major initiative that has been
launched in collaboration of Sindh Agricultural Growth Project to eradicate inefficiencies in the
agricultural supply chain.The Online Trading Platform is a joint technical collaboration of
involvement of three specialized partners in this market model: Agility- World leaders in Global
Value Chain, SGS, and Pakistan Mercantile Exchange (PMEX).Through the trading platform,
buyers and sellers registered with PMEX are using PMEX's electronic trading facilities to trade
red chillies quality tested by SGS.The product can be stored in Agility's warehouse in Kunri or at
the seller's own location.
Once trade is locked, the red chillies become available to the buyer. Agility transports the
product at buyer's destination upon buyer's indication. Once the product is dispatched, the
payment is made to the seller the next working-day.Speaking on occasion of meeting with
Pakistan Business Council, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chief Executive told the
participants that Pakistan offers myriad of investment and trade opportunities for UAE based
businessmen.The Chief Executive informed Pakistani expat business community that Pakistan's
food and agricultural sector was vital for global food security and there are ample investment
opportunities for food processing industry.
S.M Munir said that China Pakistan Economic Corridor and Gwadar Port would further increase
trade and transit connectivity with GCC and Middle East.Regarding product mix of Pakistani
food exports to UAE, Chief Executive informed that Rice remains Pakistan's leading food export

to the UAE with TADP figures showing that Pakistani rice sales to the Emirates have jumped 11
fold to US $207.8 million over the last two years.Meat and processed frozen food is another
important growth sector for Pakistani exports crossing US$ 100 million mark in period of last
three years.Exports of Pakistani Fruits and Vegetables has also increased over 100 percent in the
past three years.Sales of dried fruits and vegetables to the UAE rose two-fold and four-fold to
US $ 9.7 million and US $7.8 million, respectively.
The country exported US $5.9 million worth of potatoes to the Emirates last year - an eight-fold
increase on 2012 figures, while sales of Pakistani Fresh and frozen meat have crossed US $ 50
million.
Onions, garlic and leeks, fresh or chilled and ginger have also witnessed 300 percent export
growth over the past three years.Citrus fruit, fresh or dried has peaked its exports of over US$ 22
million- an increase of more than 168 percent in the same period.With sales of herbs more than
doubling over the same period to US $4.7 million, Pakistani exporters also grew sales of
concentrated milk and cream, vegetable oils and ice-cream from a standing start in 2012 to
double or triple figure dollars last year.Ambassador of Pakistan to UAE, Asif Durrani,
Commercial Counsellor Dr. Saeed Qadir, and Commercial Secretary Habib wAhmed were also
present during the Chief Executive's visit to Gulfood 2016.
http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/pakistan/280962-pakistans-food-beverages-and-agro-sectorexports-to-emirates-witness-a-27pc-jump-in-two-years-tdap.html
Top Indian rice exporter aims to boost operations in GCC

DUBAI,
KRBL Limited, among the worlds largest rice millers and Basmati rice exporters, has planned to
boost its operations across the Middle East region, particularly in the GCC.
The company, owners of the flagship brand India Gate basmati rice, aims to achieve its goals by
focusing on strengthening ties with local partners and expanding its distributor network, said the
statement.
KRBL Limited recorded a total export revenue of $203.48 million for the year 2014-15, said its
long-term business strategy is to grow this business by 75 per cent over the next five years, it
added.Rice consumption in the Middle East is continuously increasing, thus enabling expansion
of the rice market, especially the Basmati rice segment, it said.Priyanka Mittal, director of KRBL
Limited, said: The total consumption in the Middle East is about 3 million metric tonnes, and
KRBL is targeting around 25 per cent of this volume owning to its large milling capacity of 1.2
million metric tonnes.
The Gulfood exhibition is an important trade fair for KRBL with Middle East being our biggest
market outside India. Today, 85 per cent of our total export revenue comes from the Middle
East, she said.With a truly global population and changing demographics, this region offers a
huge potential for growth, and we want to capitalise on this opportunity. At KRBL, we have the
capacity and the infrastructure to support this growth. Our marketing strategy towards achieving

this is to offer a product basket that caters to all consumer levels, she added.KRBL adopts a
basket approach to brand introduction; new products are launched after due diligence, feedback
from market distributors and an in-depth understanding of consumer needs. The company
recently forayed into the value segment by introducing the Bab Al Hind brand in UAE, and
launching the Nurjahan brand in Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.
While Indian basmati rice continues to enjoy robust growth in Arab markets, we are committed
to rolling out other brands depending on the size of the opportunity and our ability to cater to
demand, Mittal added.With a distributor network well-positioned to deliver on current growth
targets, the companys long-term business goals focus on new conversions and spurring brand
growth through trail generation.KRBL future plans include tapping into potential markets such
as Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Yemen, to name a few, it added.
TradeArabia News Service
http://www.tradearabia.com/news/IND_301669.html
IIT-M grads working abroad drop to 20%, shows alumni survey

TNN | Feb 25, 2016, 10.01 AM IST

Chennai: IIT-ians from recent
batches
are
increasingly
preferring to work in India when
compared to graduates of earlier
batches, revealed IIT-Madras
alumni survey of 2015.More
than 2,000 alumni members of
IIT-M participated in the survey,
which indicated that number of
IIT-M graduates living abroad
had come down by a significant
percentage over the past few
decades.Percentage of IIT-M
grads living abroad peaked at
40% in the mid-'70s to mid-'90s
batches, and has now dropped to 34% post-2000. The drop is even more severe post-2010, down
to the 20% range, as per the survey.
Prof R Nagarajan, dean of international and alumni relations at IIT-Madras, said the survey
reveals an emerging India-centric nature of the recent batches which is not a surprising trend.
"Even donations to the alma mater are now substantially originating from alumni resident in
India, whereas till a few years ago, alumni in North America were clearly the largest
contributors. This also shows up in the enhanced physical connectivity between the campus and
the alumni," he said.Prof Nagarajan also mentioned that many alumni are spending time in India
mentoring students in entrepreneurship and helping them upgrade their skills.
Echoing prof Nagarajan's sentiments, a Echoing prof Nagarajan's sentiments, a significant
percentage of alums claimed to have made high contributions to India in the survey. "About 40%
of alums claim to have made a very high or high contribution to India while 30% of alums claim
very high or high contribution outside India, the latter section mainly comprising of a large
number of alums from the mid-'70s to mid-'90s batches.The survey also shows that while the
economic background of admitted students has not changed significantly over the decades, a
significantly larger fraction of students now come from semi-urban and rural areas.
The survey conducted by an alumnus of the 1973 batch, Gopala Ganesh, also had some interesting
insights on other factors such as field of work, number of companies founded and the leadership roles
taken over by the alums.
When it comes to the field of work, an

estimated 30% of IITM alums said
they are currently employed in core
engineering. Of those that left core
engineering, one third of them are
entrepreneurs, while the other two
quarters are placed in service
industries, and education/ research
respectively. The study also showed
that post-2005, there has been a surge
in
IITM
grads
opting
for
manufacturing professions, versus IT
& software.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/IIT-M-grads-working-abroad-drop-to20-shows-alumni-survey/articleshow/51133075.cms
Falling Rice Price Taking a Toll on Exporters

Cambodia seller examines milled rice at market in Phnom Penh. KT/Chor Sokunthea
KhmerTimes/Sum Manet
Thursday, 25 February 2016
The falling price of rice in Asia due to the slowing global economy and intensifying regional
competition is taking a toll on Cambodian exporters and farmers even though exports jumped
more than 20 percent last month compared to January last year, executives said.Hun Lak, vice
president of the Cambodia Rice Federation, told Khmer Times yesterday that prices of rice
exports to Asia fell, especially in the China. He blamed the decline on the slump in the Chinese
economy as well as falling prices of exports from neighboring countries. The rice export price
in the Asian market affects exporters and farmers because they buy rice from neighboring
countries at a lower price, Mr. Lak said.
On the other hand, Cambodian rice export to the EU market is not affected because we meet
their requirements. Cambodian white rice is now priced at about $420 per ton, while
Vietnamese rice is about $340, because they are able to produce more than us, and their farmers
can still gain a profit from it, Mr. Lak said, adding: If we decrease the price, it affects our
farmers and exporters because our production cost is high.To meet this problem, we need to
strengthen our productivity, quality, standard and storage and prepare better quality seeds,
improve our techniques for growing rice, and expand the market for exports, he said.
According to the federations figures, the price of fragrant rice is about $770 per ton, compared
to $810 per ton in the first quarter of last year, while Thai fragrant rice is now selling at $750 per
ton compared to $850 per ton in the first quarter last year. Chea Sovithyea, director of KIM SE
Rice Mill, agreed with Mr. Lak, saying the falling price of rice in the Asian market affects rice
exports. He said the price was hit by regional as well as global trends. We have to cooperate to
find new ways to improve rice exports, he said.Brunei imported 1,974 tons of rice from
Cambodia last month for the first time, while Malaysia imported 2,736 tons and Singapore
imported 418 tons, according to a report from the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice
Export Formality.China imported 6,999 tons of rice from Cambodia last month, according to
official figures. Cambodia exported 44,033 tons of rice both white and fragrant last month,
up 22.6 percent from the 35,921 tons in the same month last year, according to the report.
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/21838/falling-rice-price-taking-a-toll-on-exporters/
Government pushes out long term rice strategy

BY EDITORON 2016-02-25THAILAND
10 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
BANGKOK: The government has decided to lay out a 20-year rice strategy for rice with
determination to improve the countrys paddy management in order to resolve all farming
and marketing problems.
The strategy will be implemented from next year. The decision to establish the strategy was
reached during the meeting of the Rice Policy and Management Committee chaired by Prime
Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday.Gen Prayut said the 20-year strategy will cover
upstream, middle-stream and downstream management of rice or from plantations to
management, production and selling process.He said the government also planned to map out
similar strategies for other crops including rubber, cassava and sugar cane.The prime minister
urged Thai people to eat more rice.
According to him, rice consumption in Thailand has fallen from 190 kilogrames per person a
year to 106 kilogrammes per person a year over the past 10 years.Prime Minister Prayut said rice
production will be capped at 25 million tons this year.Capping rice production is necessary to
prevent oversupply of the crop, he said.He added that the government will come up with
measures to give farmer incentive to convert their field for other crops production.Rice
production in Thailand stood at 31.2 tons last year.Permanent secretary for Commerce Ms
Chutima Bunyapraphasara meanwhile said that a budget of some 10.08 billion baht has been
proposed for the strategy implementation.
On the cap on rice, she said that the Agricultural and Cooperative Ministry has put in place four
measures to support rice farmers.Farmers will be supported with good quality seeds. They will
also be given access to financial assistance so they could cultivate rice on a larger field.
Incentives will also be offered to farmers to lure them to cultivate a variety of crops and to rest

their soils after plantations, she said.She also asked for cooperation from famers to stop offseason rice farming due to high risk of crop loss.According to her, off-season paddies have been
grown on 1.96 million rais of lands along the Chao Phraya river basin. Of them, only 8.1% of the
crop or rice grown on 240,000 rais of land has been harvested.
Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/152378
http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/thai-govt-pushes-out-long-term-rice-strategy/133038/
USA Rice Hosts First World Market Price Meeting of 2016

By Kristen Dayton
WASHINGTON, DC -- This morning, the USA

Rice World Market Price Subcommittee (WMP)
met here to discuss planting prospects for the
coming year, rice price reporting to National
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), and trade
issues facing the rice industry. Also at the
meeting were representatives from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency
(FSA), Economic Research Service (ERS), and
Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). Traditionally,
the first WMP meeting starts with a conversation with NASS about prospective plantings for the
coming year. Farmers and mill members representing the six rice states were unanimous in
agreement that planted area in 2016 for their respective states would be higher than 2015
area. The group also discussed Price Loss Coverage (PLC) payments for 2014 with NASS and
FSA representatives, and questioned how sequestration might affect payment for 2015.
FAS updated the group on a range of global trade and phytosanitary topics including the potential for
more fortified rice purchases for food aid, a review of meetings with the administration earlier this week
on TPP and WTO Compliance issues, and ongoing concerns with tenders for U.S. rice in Iraq.
WMP Chairman Keith Glover said, "We had a chance to talk about some pretty big issues with USDA
today. There are a lot of sensitive topics the U.S. rice industry is grappling with, and we appreciate the
chance to get some clarity and fill out our position for the future. It was especially poignant to have the
new graduates of the Rice Development Leadership Class attending to see how we handle obstacles and
opportunities within the World Market Price Subcommittee."
The next World Market Price meeting will take place in Washington, DC on May 18, 2016.
USA Rice Participates in World's Largest Annual Food &

Hospitality Show
By Eszter Somogyi
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- USA Rice has been on the Gulfood show floor all
week to meet with companies conducting business in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. The
annual food show attracts importers, manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and
government officials from around the world, making it a central place for USA Rice to tout the
quality of U.S.-grown rice and network with potential traders on behalf of the industry.
"This event brings together nearly 5,000 exhibitors from more than 160 countries," said Hartwig
Schmidt, USA Rice regional director, international market development. "Gulfood is one of the
most coveted shows for exporters and our presence here is invaluable for the U.S. rice industry."
USA Rice's booth is inside the USA Pavilion, one of the largest national pavilions in the food
section of the show, featuring more than 150 exhibitors. USA Rice showcases various types of
rice including long-grain, medium-grain, parboiled, and wild rice to attract show attendees and
help educate those unfamiliar with U.S. rice. Brochures highlighting U.S. rice facts, recipes, and
nutritional information are displayed in both English and Arabic.
Six USA Rice members representing American Commodity Company, ADM Rice, Farmers'
Rice Cooperative, Riceland Foods, Sun Valley Rice, and Sunwest Foods are attending the show.
Steve Vargas (Sun Valley Rice) said,
"Gulfood is the must attend food show for
those of us doing business in the Middle
East." Derek Alarcon (Farmers' Rice
Cooperative) noted, "It's a great opportunity
to do business with current trade partners,
and develop new customers from the Middle
East as well as countries from all over the world." And Mark Holt (Riceland Foods) agreed
saying, "The Gulfood show is the most important trade show in the region and it's also an
opportunity to spend time with members from other rice growing states and learn the latest news
in the rice industry."
"This trade show is not only a place to collect more than one hundred potential trade leads for our
members, but also a place to meet with FAS representatives from Africa and the Middle East," said
Schmidt. "It is also important to reconnect with our existing trade partners in the region to maintain our
relationships."
Villain' shrub may yield drought-resistant rice

Thu,25 Feb 2016
Summary: Suja George, principal scientist at MSSRF, has

been studying rice and P juliflora at the molecular level for
close to 12 years now. In February, she and her team of
researchers had a breakthrough of sorts when they
identified specific genes in the shrub that react to stressful
conditions. "Analysis of the physiological and molecular
mechanism underlying stress tolerance is just the first phase
of the research," said Suja. Chennai: For long, they were
dubbed as the villain among vegetation, sucking all the
water from ground, spreading rapidly along the coast and
degrading the environment. "We created an environment of aridity in the lab and isolated
ribonucleic acid from the shrub's leaves and roots.
Chennai: For long, they were dubbed as the villain among vegetation, sucking all the water from
ground, spreading rapidly along the coast and degrading the environment. More than a century
after Prosopis juliflora, a shrub, was introduced in Indian soil by the British, scientists are now
trying to use its genes to engineer rice varieties that can withstand water scarcity.After coming
up with rice grains that are resistant to saline conditions by tapping genes of mangroves,
researchers at M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) have now identified genes in P
juliflora that help the weed withstand extreme climatic conditions like salinity and drought. This,
they say, can help develop transgenic rice grains that can cope with aridity.A transgene is a gene
or genetic material that has been transferred naturally or through genetic engineering techniques
from one organism to another.
Suja George, principal scientist at MSSRF, has been studying rice and P juliflora at the
molecular level for close to 12 years now. In February, she and her team of researchers had a
breakthrough of sorts when they identified specific genes in the shrub that react to stressful
conditions. "We created an environment of aridity in the lab and isolated ribonucleic acid from
the shrub's leaves and roots.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Villain-shrub-may-yield-droughtresistant-rice/articleshow/51133136.cms
http://www.nyoooz.com/chennai/369077/villain-shrub-may-yield-droughtresistant-rice
Thailand plans steps worth $285 million to help drought-hit

rice farmers
By Patpicha Tanakasempipat
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's government on Friday announced measures worth around

$285 million to help desperate rice farmers grappling with drought and low prices for their
crop.Thailand, the world's No.2 rice exporter after India, is facing what some experts say is its

worst drought in decades.That has crimped production but has not pushed up prices as the
country has about 12 million tonnes of rice in storage that it is trying to offload, the legacy of a
scheme by the previous administration to support rural areas.Prices have also been hit as the
economy slows in China, the world's top rice importer.Rice farmers have for months been
pressuring the military government to do more to help cushion the fall in prices that has plunged
many into debt.They have also demanded the government do more to manage water reserves
across the country that have dipped below 2015 levels.The measures announced on Friday by the
country's rice management committee are worth around 10 billion baht ($285 million) and
include plans to assist farmers in rice production.The committee said in a statement that 6.76
billion baht of the total would go toward stabilizing rice prices through soft loans for farmers
who store paddy.
The government-owned Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) will
approve loans of up to 300,000 baht ($8,415) to farmers who store rice to curb supply.Domestic
and international demand for Thai paddy this year will stand at around 25 million tonnes, the
committee said.It expects output of 27.17 million tonnes in 2016, compared to an average of
about 30 million tonnes of paddy in recent years.Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on
Wednesday told farmers to grow less rice to help manage limited water resources.(Additional
reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Joseph Radford)
http://news.yahoo.com/thailand-plans-steps-worth-285-million-help-drought-074251485.html
US, China agree on UN North Korea resolution

February 25, 2016 1:10 AM
Washington (AFP) - The United States and China have

agreed on a UN resolution on North Korea's nuclear
"provocations," the White House announced Wednesday,
with diplomats saying it would include fresh sanctions and
could go to a Security Council vote soon.Diplomats at UN
headquarters in New York said Washington and Beijing,
Pyongyang's main backer, had agreed on a draft resolution
that contained "very tough measures."The United States
circulated the draft text to the other three permanent council
members -- Britain, France and Russia -- on Wednesday and was set to formally present it to the
full 15-member council soon, said the diplomats, who asked not to be named.
Negotiations on the draft resolution began six weeks ago after North Korea carried out its fourth
nuclear test on January 6, claiming it had successfully developed a thermonuclear device.During
a meeting at the White House Wednesday, US National Security Advisor Susan Rice and
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed "on the importance of a strong and united
international response to North Korea's provocations, including through a UN Security Council

resolution that goes beyond previous resolutions," said a statement from National Security
Council spokesman Ned Price."They agreed that they will not accept North Korea as a nuclear
weapons state," added the statement.View glery
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi leave following a press
confer
Underscoring the importance that the US

placed on the negotiations, the statement said
that President Barack Obama dropped in on the
meeting.- 'Significantly substantive text' The announcement came despite substantial
and very public disagreement between the US
and China on the best way to handle North
Korea.China wants its reclusive neighbor to
halt its nuclear weapons program and return to
six-party international talks, but it has insisted
that dialogue is the only way to curb
Pyongyang's behavior.The biggest obstacle to talks, it argues, is Washington's stubborn
insistence that it will not sit down with North Korea until the country takes steps towards
denuclearization.
Picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North
Korea
Washington, on the other hand, insists that China, which is one of Pyongyang's biggest trading
partners, should pressure the intransigent country into behaving better.Beijing, however, fears
that too much pressure could trigger the collapse of the pariah regime, creating a political and
humanitarian crisis on its border and removing a buffer against US troops currently stationed in
South Korea."There were a significant number of blockage points" between the United States
and China, a Security Council diplomat said, adding that now "there is agreement.""There is
good progress on the resolution and we are hopeful that there will be an adoption in the coming
days," the diplomat said.One diplomat described the draft resolution as a "significantly
substantive text", while another said it contained "a large number of very tough measures," as
well as names to be added to the sanctions black list.
Viewallery
US Secretary of State John Kerry (L) poses with Chinese President Xi Jinping prior to their meeting
However, it stopped short of the strongest measures proposed by the United States, which had
met with strong resistance from China.- Xi to attend nuclear summit The council has imposed four sets of sanctions on North Korea since it first tested an atomic
device in 2006.After North Korea carried out a rocket launch on February 6, the Security
Council renewed its pledge to impose new sanctions on Pyongyang.There are 20 North Korean
entities and 12 individuals on the UN sanctions blacklist, which provides for an assets freeze and
a global travel ban.But a UN panel of experts said this month that sanctions had failed to prevent
Pyongyang from scaling up its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.After a decade of

sanctions, the panel said, it found "no indications that the country intends to abandon its nuclear
and ballistic missile programs."
"There are serious questions about the
efficacy of the current United Nations
sanctions regime," the experts said in a
confidential report.The White House
statement added that Obama joined the
meeting between Rice and Yi "to
underscore his interest in building a
durable, constructive, and productive USChina relationship."The US leader also
said he looked forward to welcoming
Chinese President Xi Jinping to a March
31-April 1 nuclear security summit in
Washington and "working together
towards its success," the statement said.
Local rice demand pushes price of imported rice down

ESOK O Ghana has attributed the continuous
decline in the price of imported rice to an
increase in demand for local rice by
consumers.The price of imported rice has seen
continues reduction of about 20 percent in the
last three weeks.Currently a five kilogram bag of
imported rice is selling at 21 cedis 90 pesewas
against the 27 cedis 3 pesewas it recorded a
week before.Content Producer at Esoko Ghana
Commodity Index (EGCI), Francis Danso Adjei,
explains to Citi Business News the decline in the
price of imported rice is due to the increase
demand for local rice as well as standardization
of prices after the festive season.People are
now buying more of the local rice, people are
now becoming patriotic. The second one is also
because now the festivities are over, so the price hike that we experienced during the festivities is
dropping. Prices are now beginning to normalize on the market so that is why we are seeing
those changes.Francis Danso Adjei stated.He added, These are changes we should be
concerned about. Things will normalize and all things being equal, then we should have stable
prices as we move on.
File photo: Imported rice
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Local-rice-demand-pushes-price-of-imported-ricedown-418604
Thailand aims to export 9.5mn T of rice in 2016

Bangkok. Thailand has set its rice export target at 9.5 million tonnes for this year, down from about 10
million tonnes in 2015, due to the anticipated impact of drought on production, a senior commerce
ministry official said on Wednesday (24/02).Lower supply this y ear from Thailand, the world's second
biggest rice exporter after India, could drive up prices for the Thai grain, said Duangporn Rodphaya,
director-general of the ministry's foreign trade department.
Twelve Thai provinces have been

seriously affected by drought,
according
to
the
interior
ministry."Our export goal for this
year is 9.5 million tonnes, as we
believe drought will cut crops,"
Duangporn told reporters."The
overall decrease in production
could lead to higher rice
prices."The country's commerce
and agriculture ministries have
also prepared 10 billion baht
($278 million) worth of measures
to stabilize prices, said the ministry's permanent secretary, Chutima Bunyapraphasara.That
would involve buying rice to take it off the market and storing it temporarily, she said, without
elaborating further.The Thai government last week held two auctions to sell 397,639 tonnes of
rice from state stockpiles to private companies for human consumption and industrial use.
The rice management committee has since approved the sale of 362,000 tonnes of the rice on
offer in the auctions, Duangporn said.When it took power in 2014, Thailand's military
government inherited about 18 million tonnes of rice in state stockpiles, amassed as a result of a
generous subsidy scheme under which the previous civilian government bought rice from
farmers at higher-than-market prices.Since then, the junta has auctioned 5 million tonnes of rice
through several tenders, with sales worth about $1.5 billion.Thailand now holds about 12 million
tonnes of rice in its state stockpiles
http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/international/thailand-aims-export-9-5-million-t-rice-2016/
Tribal woman inspires farming community

IANS

| Koratpur | 26 February, 2016
Raimati Ghiuria, a young tribal woman, not only proved to be a leader in conserving local traditional
varieties of rice and millet seeds in her own land but also showed the path of development to the farming
communities of Odisha's Koraput district, an agricultural expert said.Ghiuria, a leading woman farmer in
Nuaguda village of Kundra block, has conserved 40 traditional landraces (lineages developed by farmers)
of rice and 12 of millets and even trained about 340 neighbouring women farmers in conserving of local
genetic resources. She has also trained others in the SRI (system of rice intensification) technique and line
transplanting method of rice cultivation. This has seen farmers increasing their yields more than what they
were getting from traditional cultivation practices.
It all started nine years ago when Raimati became a member of a self-help group (SHG) in her village and
participated in capacity-building training and awareness programmes at the M.S. Swaminathan Research
Foundation (MSSRF) here."This inspired her to lead the group undertaking various micro-enterprises.
This converted the group into a model SHG which won the Most Progressive SHG award given by the
district administration in 2013," Kartik Lenka of the MSSRF said."We develop hybrid varieties of paddy
and other foodgrains. It is also equally important to conserve indigenous species to maintain the natural
biodiversity," Raimati said, adding that training on value addition to the rice and millet crops is also
provided to the members of 27 other SHGs.
"They took this micro-enterprise as an alternative livelihood option and each family is earning an
additional Rs.2,000 to Rs.3,000 per month," Raimati said.Due to her energetic leadership and multiskilled activities, she was conferred the best leadership award by the district administration and Jamsetji
Tata National Virtual Academy Fellowship Award in 2014 for being "a leading grassroot
academician".She recently participated in the 'Prajatiya Khadyotsav (an agro forest food diversity festival)
organised by Tata Steel's Sukinda Chromite Mine in Jajpur district."Even as conserving traditional
species is not lucrative against hybrid products, we need to conserve so that these indigenous products do
not go extinct," Lenka pointed out.
B.B. Panda of the Cuttack unit of the Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) said the indigenous varieties
have to be conserved for further research on producing high-yielding varieties."We can develop highyielding varieties through these indigenous varieties. With the unavailability of the varieties, there would
be no further improvement," Panda said.He said climate change is posing a severe threat to the country's
farming community and there is need to preserve and multiply the traditional seed varieties to improve the
adaptation mechanism of farmers.The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has accorded the
Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) status to the traditional agricultural system
being practised in the Koraput region.This means the tribal people have an indigenous knowledge system
for their various agricultural practices that they use to check the viability of seeds before sowing, maintain
soil fertility and conserve their landraces
Representational image (Photo: Getty Images)
http://www.thestatesman.com/news/odisha/tribal-woman-inspiring-farmingcommunity/126202.html#c9xrqiEv7GJ2JutY.99
Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report

Rice
High Low
Long Grain Cash Bids - - -
---
Long Grain New Crop - - -
---
Futures:
High
Low
Last
Change
Mar '16 1066.0
1038.0
1043.5
-22.5
May '16 1095.0
1066.5
1071.5
-22.5
Jul '16 1117.0
1103.0
1100.5
-21.5
Sep '16 1121.0
1120.0
1118.5
-21.0
Nov '16
1137.0
-22.0
Jan '17
1152.0
-20.0
Mar '17
1152.0
-20.0
Rice Comment
Rice futures were lower across the board. The market continues to absorb disappointing export news. The
loss of the Iraqi tender, which had originally been for 90,000 tons US origin rice only, was the impetus
for the negative undertone this week. Weekly exports of 55,800 metric tons weren't enough to spark much
buying interest today. USDA pegged US acreage at 2.8 million acres, up from last year's 2.6 million.
Depending on the weather, though, that total could be even higher
http://www.arfb.com/ag-markets-statistics/report/
APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1422

International Benchmark Price

Price on: 25-02-2016
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
Chinese first grade granules, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
3500
Chinese Grade A dehydrated flakes, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
4500
Chinese powdered, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
3000
Chinese sliced, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
2150
Chinese whole, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
2300
Indian Cochin, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
2850
Indian 100 mesh 3500 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
3660
Indian 200 mesh 3500 cps basis, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
1060
Indian 200 mesh 5000 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
2180
Garlic
Ginger
Guar Gum Powder
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 25-02-2016
Domestic Prices
Product
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Haveri (Karnataka)
Local
2000
2000
Solapur (Maharashtra)
Other
2100
2800
Amreli (Gujarat)
Other
1500
2800
Jowar(Sorghum)
Maize

1
Haveri (Karnataka)
Local
1310
1340
Kalvan (Maharashtra)
Other
1401
1501
Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh)
Other
1411
1551
Alappuzha (Kerala)
Other
2700
2800
Jalore (Rajasthan)
Other
1650
1900
Jagraon (Punjab)
Other
1300
1500
Aroor (Kerala)
Other
2500
2800
Pune (Maharashtra)
Other
300
800
Bonai (Orissa)
Other
2000
2000
Papaya
Cabbage
Source:agmarknet.nic.in
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 25-02-2016
Product
Market Center
Price
Ahmedabad
340
Hyderabad
325
Nagapur
320
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package

Price on 24-02-2016
Product
Market Center
Origin
Variety
Low
Onions Dry
1
High
Package: 40 lb cartons
Atlanta
Mexico
Yellow
22.25
22.75

2
Baltimore
Chicago
Peru
Yellow
22
23
Nevada
Yellow
34.50
34.50
Cabbage
Package: 50 lb cartons
Atlanta
Georgia
Round Green
Type
12
14
Chicago
Texas
Round Green
Type
13
14.50
Detroit
Canada
Round Green
Type
15
15.50
Grapefruit
Package: 4/5 bushel cartons
Atlanta
Florida
Red
21
21.50
Chicago
Florida
Red
24
24
Miami
Florida
Red
17
20
Source:USDA
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www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com content requires
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