22nd july (wednesday),2015 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com

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July 22 2015 Vol 5 ,Issue VII



Growers and exporters: REAP demands establishment of

„rice board‟ By Peer Muhammad

Published: July 22, 2015

Forum necessary to settle issues and fix prices in the market. PHOTO: CREATIVE COMMON

ISLAMABAD: Government authorities should fix and maintain rice prices in the country

by establishing a „rice board‟, said the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP). REAP members said the absence of an effective rice board was creating problems for exporters

and growers, and like other cash crops, around 6 million tons of rice is lying with growers and

cannot be exported due to high prices in the international market.

http://tribune.com.pk/author/1409/peer-muhammad/



―There are numerous problems faced by exporters to fix the rice price in the market as per their

quality, out of which the absence of a relevant forum is a major one,‖ said REAP Chairman

Rafique Sulaiman, adding that a board is necessary for growers and exporters to sit together

and settle issues.

He said REAP had forwarded a proposal to the government for constituting the board but there

has not been any headway so far.Sulaiman said growers do not disclose the exact cost of

production, particularly pertaining to the cost of production in the heads of land rent and

contracts given to the third party.He said the growers also do not disclose the quantity of the

stock and tend to manipulate in a situation when it’s time for any subsidy or incentive. ―They

whine for low prices and high cost when the price of basmati rice is Rs65 and there is the same

hue and cry when the price is Rs150.

―Most decisions taken by the government cannot be implemented due to the lack of

coordination among stakeholders,‖ said a senior government officer in the Ministry of National

Food Security and Research. ―One such example is the ECC decision of 2014 when it decided

to give Rs5,000 as compensation per acre to small rice growers on the directives of the Prime

Minister, but it could not be implemented due to non-distinction between growers of basmati

and other rice varieties.The ECC had also decided that the total amount of compensation may

be shared equally between the federal and provincial governments. The compensation was to

be made only to the smaller growers of 25 acres only.

Farmers who had already received compensation against crop damage in recent floods in

Punjab were not eligible for this additional compensation.The officer held the provincial

governments of Sindh and Punjab responsible for taking least interest in differentiating the

small and big growers and it resulted in failure of implementation of the package.Besides,

Sulaiman also urged that government must take up the issue with China to import at least one

million tons of our rice as it has started importing rice from Thailand.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22nd

, 2015.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/924030/growers-and-exporters-reap-demands-establishment-

of-rice-board/

Trade Policy Will Be Falling Short Without SME Export

House

http://tribune.com.pk/story/924030/growers-and-exporters-reap-demands-establishment-of-rice-board/

http://tribune.com.pk/story/924030/growers-and-exporters-reap-demands-establishment-of-rice-board/



The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) invited the attention of federal commerce

minister engineer Khurram Dastagir that the ambitious exports target of $40 billion in the Strategic Trade

Policy Framework (STPF) 2015-18, which is likely to be announced in next month (August), would not

be possible without the contribution of the SME sector as its inclusion is of prime importance. President

UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said we have appealed to the commerce minister to strengthen the SME

sector by well designed strategy.

The SME sector needs full support of the government and to invigorate it, it is very important that

marketing support is provided by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to engineering,

sports and surgical goods, textiles, rice and other commodities. Exports have fallen considerably and

strategy is required to include the SMEs. He lamented that our demands of SME export house have not

been taken seriously. The SME export house is the need of the hour and a modern export house having all

the facilities of providing information, education, search engines and product galleries is required to

achieve the targets and without the SME sector the government will never be able to achieve the targets.

Thaver added that we can say with all emphasis at our command that the SME sector has the potentiality

to double its exports if it gets the support of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority

(SMEDA) and TDAP. It is unfortunate that both the authorities are unable to comprehend the advantages

and merits of the proposed export house.Although both have done preliminary working on the setting up

of the export house. TDAP even formed a steering committee and SMEDA prepared the feasibility. It is

very important that before the draft of Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF) 2015-18 is submitted

which is in the final stages of its completion includes the setting up of the SME export house for the

sector.and then presented to sub-committee of the Cabinet for further deliberations.

After incorporating the recommendations of the sub-committee the draft will be submitted before the

Cabinet for final approval. It is pertinent to note that the government failed to achieve the targets set in

the previous Strategic Trade Policy Framework 2012-15. The government failed to achieve the exports

target of $95 billion in three years, as it remained under $70 billion mainly due to the poor law and order

and energy situation in the country. In the budget estimates for 2014-15, the federal government had

earmarked Rs 2 billion towards STPF.

Not a penny was spent under this head, according to the budgetary documents and as reported by the

media. UNISAME urged the prompt establishment of the Exim Bank and the revamping of the SME

Bank and the SME Leasing, other institutions of prime importance are the SME insurance, the venture

capital fund and the SME technical institute. The government will fail again if the SME sector is not

included as this is the majority sector and the big investors and industrialist are on the back foot due to

energy crisis and political uncertainty whereas the SME sector is here to stay and never thinks of

migrating and shifting capital to foreign countries. The government had missed the exports target of $27

billion and revised target of $24.2 billion during last financial year 2014-15. Pakistan’s exports had gone

down by 4.88 percent to $ 23.885 billion in previous fiscal year from $25.11 billion of the preceding year.



However, imports had enhanced by two percent to $45.98 billion in FY2015 from $45.07 billion of the

FY2014. Therefore, the trade deficit was registered at $22.095 billion during the period under review as

reported by a leading newspaper.

APEDA RICE News

International Benchmark Price

Price on: 20-07-2015

Product Benchmark Indicators Name Price

Rice

1 CZCE Early Rice Futures (USD/t) 411

2 Pakistani 100%, FOB Karachi (USD/t) 318

3 Pakistani 15% Broken (USD/t) 365

Peanuts

1 South Africa, HPS 70/80 peanuts CFR main European ports (USD/t) 1200

2 South African, HPS 40/50 peanuts CFR main European ports (USD/t) 1592

3 US 38/42 Runners, CFR NW Europe (USD/t) 1300

Honey

1 Argentine 34mm, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 3740



Source:agra-net For more info

Market Watch

Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 21-07-2015



Domestic Prices Unit Price : Rs per Qty

Product Market Center Variety Min Price Max Price

Rice

1 Cachar (Assam) Other 2000 2500

2 Bonai (Orissa) Other 2200 2400

3 Manjeri (Kerala) Other 2800 3800

Wheat

1 Amirgadh (Gujarat) Other 1400 1650

2 Bonai (Orissa) Other 1450 1600

3 Dhing (Assam) Other 1600 1800

Mousambi

1 Sirhind (Punjab) Other 2500 3500

2 Haldwani (Uttrakhand) Other 1900 2300

3 Taura (Haryana) Other 2900 2900

Cauliflower

1 Bharuch (Gujarat) Other 1500 2000

2 Jajpur (Orissa) Other 2500 3500

3 Sirhind (Punjab) Other 1200 1800

Source:agra-net For more info

Egg Rs per 100 No

Price on 21-07-2015

Product Market Center Price

1 Pune 320

2 Ahmedabad 330



3 Nagapur 303

Source: e2necc.com

Other International Prices Unit Price : US$ per package

Price on 21-07-2015

Product Market Center Origin Variety Low High

Onions Dry Package: 50 lb sacks

1 Atlanta California Yellow 22 23.50

2 Chicago Mexico Yellow 19 22

3 Detroit Washington Yellow 23 24

Cucumbers Package: cartons film wrapped

1 Atlanta Canada Long Seedless 9 10

2 Chicago New York Long Seedless 10 10.75

3 Detroit Canada Long Seedless 8 8.50

Apples Package: cartons tray pack

1 Atlanta Virginia Red Delicious 16 16

2 Baltimore Washington Red Delicious 22 24

3 Detroit Washington Red Delicious 26 26.50

Source:USDA

http://e2necc.com/



"Rice Self-Sufficiency and Beyond" -

Agricultural Field Day begins today Published inDevelopment - Provincial

An agricultural field day with

the theme "Rice Self-Sufficiency

and Beyond" will be held

from July 22 to 24 at Batalegoda

Rice Research and Development

Institute as a way to educate

farmers about harvesting

techniques in paddy

cultivation. This event will include new

technologies including recently

recommended paddy varieties, anti-

weed campaigns and techniques,

demonstrations on weed

management, traditional paddy

varieties, the qualitative characters

of traditional and upgraded paddy

varieties, manure application,

demonstrations on combined

herbicide control methods, the effects of using various types of herbicides for weed management, a stall

that includes various rice planting techniques, Seed paddy clinic, wet/dry irrigation, production of various

food items using rice etc. and will be very useful especially to farming community.

http://www.news.lk/news/business/item/8789-rice-self-sufficiency-and-beyond-agricultural-field-day-

begins-today

http://www.news.lk/news/business

http://www.news.lk/media/k2/items/cache/a5d05b924388ba6402f6c0e1ad862683_XL.jpg



Students Interning in Asia Share Experiences July 22, 2015

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.— Illinois Wesleyan University biology major Jenni Chlebek ’16 planted

more than 11,000 rice seeds in a lab in the Philippines to test new varieties. In Hong Kong,

nursing major Sana Shafiuddin ’17 has observed differences in the way Chinese and American

caregivers understand dementia. And International Studies major Andrea Fortner ’16 is helping

plan activities for students attending Technos College International Week in Tokyo. These

students and 12 others are interning in Asia this summer, thanks to a $100,000 grant from the

Freeman Foundation. Two more students will be placed in Hong Kong during their study abroad

experiences this fall. The Freeman Foundation grant provides funding for airfare, housing, living

allowances and all internship placement costs.

The Freeman Foundation, a private foundation with offices in New York and Honolulu, works to

strengthen the bonds of friendship between the United States and countries of east Asia. ―All the

internships we have arranged not only fulfill the Freeman Foundation’s goal of having American

students work and interact with Asians in actual work settings, but also give the students the

opportunity to work with people from all over the globe,‖ said Illinois Wesleyan Professor of

Sociology Teddy Amoloza, who led efforts to secure the grant.

As Chlebek prepared to leave the United States for her experience in the Philippines, she wrote

about her gratitude for the opportunity. ―I have begun to concentrate in Botany in my

undergraduate studies at Illinois Wesleyan University,‖ she wrote in her blog. ―Oryza sativa is

the scientific name for Asian rice. For the next two months, I will be studying this crop and join

[the International Rice Research Institute’s] mission to help farmers feed the growing population

of the world.―With this scholarship [the Freeman grant] I can make sure I am one step closer to

fulfilling my dream of pursuing a career in plant biology research while continuing to also make

a difference in the lives of others,‖ she wrote. ―I’m going to arrive with open arms, challenge my

comfort zone, and let down all barriers.‖ Each student is sharing observations and travel

adventures through a blog, social media posts or presentations on campus.

https://www.iwu.edu/news/2015/students-share-asia-internship-experiences.html

Quest for climate-proof farms Climate change is a major threat to food production, so researchers are working with

farmers to make agriculture more resilient. Quirin Schiermeier

21 July 2015

https://www.iwu.edu/ccenter/students/internships_general.html

http://www.nature.com/news/quest-for-climate-proof-farms-1.18015#auth-1



ChinaFotoPres/Getty

Crops that endure droughts and floods help farmers adapt to global warming.

When Frank Untersmayr was growing up near Amstetten, Austria, he saw his father wait until

the soil warmed up at the end of April to plant maize. ―But the climate here has got a lot warmer

since, so we can now often begin to sow before mid-April,‖ says Untersmayr, now 44 and a

farmer himself. ―That's good because it means that maize, which in our climate doesn't fully

ripen, has two weeks longer to grow.‖But more changes are coming, which is why Untersmayr

and half a dozen other farmers from the region gathered at the local chamber of agriculture on a

rainy day in May. They met to talk to scientists about how increasing temperatures and shifts in

precipitation might affect agriculture in their area — and how farmers might need to adapt.

Martin Schönhart, an agro-economist at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in

Vienna, presented preliminary forecasts for average agricultural yields in 2040. Some crops and

fruit benefited from the amount of warming expected. But the yields of other crops — including

maize — decreased by up to 20% because changes in precipitation and extreme weather events

wiped out the benefits brought by warmer temperatures.Hearing such negative projections, some

farmers shook their heads in disbelief. ―I would rather trust my own experience than any such

forecast,‖ said Untersmayr.

His reaction reveals the communication gap that has long separated scientists from farmers in

planning for climate change. ―There is a deep divide between the science and its supposed end-



users,‖ says Nora Mitterböck, who oversees climate-change adaptation policies at the Federal

Austrian Ministry for Agriculture and the Environment in Vienna. ―There is no lack of climate-

impact research, but very little of it arrives on the farm. It's a sad situation that must absolutely

change.‖Around the world, scientists, farmers, agricultural companies and governments are

struggling to make agricultural systems more 'climate smart', which will be necessary if they are

to feed the ever-swelling global population. Some are working in the short term to make today's

farms more resilient. Others are looking further ahead to provide the information required for

making major changes, such as investing in large irrigation systems.

Schönhart's work is part of a €14-million (US$15-million) programme called Modelling

European Agriculture with Climate Change for Food Security (MACSUR), which aims to help

European nations to prepare and adapt to climate change. Another international programme, the

Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP), is bringing together

hundreds of researchers to inform policy-makers in developing countries, as well as agricultural

extension agencies, which aid farmers.Meetings such as the one in Amstetten are a key part of

this work. For climate-adaptation programmes to succeed, researchers need to learn from farmers

and agricultural officials what kind of information will help them the most, says Anne-Maree

Dowd, a social scientist with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation in

Kenmore, Australia.

―Scientists tend to think primarily in terms of publications as the main reward for their work,‖

she says. ―When it comes to climate-change adaptation, they need to thoroughly switch their

mindsets and first think about the overall practical goal of what they are doing.‖ Adapt to survive

Farmers worldwide produce more than 1 billion tonnes of maize annually, along with some 750

million tonnes of rice, more than 700 million tonnes of wheat and nearly 2 billion tonnes of sugar

cane. Despite all this, more than 800 million people go hungry each year. Even without climate

change, agriculture will face enormous pressure as the global population swells from 7 billion to

perhaps 9 billion by 2050.

Changing rainfall and temperature patterns will cause added stress for farmers, particularly in

poorer countries, if heatwaves, droughts and extreme storms become more common, as is

expected in many areas1. Agricultural forecasts are notoriously difficult because they face

multiple tiers of uncertainty: in how climate will change regionally, in assumptions about what

crops might be planted, in the availability of fertilizers and in economic projections. But last

year, a comprehensive study2 that used multiple climate and agriculture models forecast that

problems from climate change would generally outweigh the benefits for wheat and maize

production in low-latitude regions, where developing countries are concentrated. Another

study3 analysed 1,700 simulations and projected that without adaptation efforts, yields of maize,

wheat and rice will decline in both temperate and tropical regions if temperatures rise by 2 °C.

One of the first steps towards building the agricultural systems of the future is helping farmers to

deal with today's weather extremes.

Crop developers, for example, are breeding varieties that can tolerate floods, droughts or

increased salinity caused by rising sea levels. Millions of farmers in low-lying parts of India,

http://www.nature.com/news/quest-for-climate-proof-farms-1.18015#b1





Nepal and Bangladesh are now growing a rice variety developed by the International Rice

Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, Philippines, that can survive floodwaters better than

traditional types of rice. Flood-tolerant varieties have raised yields of temporarily submerged

fields by up to 45% and have helped to avert food shortages after major floods in southeast Asia,

according to the IRRI.

Digital communication tools also provide opportunities to protect yields and safeguard farmers'

incomes. An app developed by the IRRI allows regional agricultural offices to send farmers

recommendations on when to apply fertilizers and when to harvest, based on weather and local

soil conditions. In the first 6 months of 2015, the app sent 170,000 recommendations. Average

yields for those who used the tool have increased by about half a metric tonne per hectare —

almost 10%, says Matthew Morrell, head of research at the IRRI. Customized real-time advice is

expected to become even more important as farmers try to keep up with new weather patterns.

Successful adaptation will also require bigger steps over the next few decades. In some regions,

farmers might need to switch from irrigating crops to using semi-arid techniques, or might even

have to abandon some land. Governments might choose to invest in expensive irrigation systems;

in May, for example, Australia decided to fund projects totalling AUS$65 million (US$48

million) to irrigate the drought-struck Murray–Darling river basin, which produces one-third of

the nation's food.

“Farmers seek to be profitable in the very near-term. From their perspective, 2040 is light

years away.”

Most developed nations have already started planning for the long term by developing

comprehensive adaptation strategies. Austria's scheme lists more than 130 measures to make the

country's economy climate-fit. In the agricultural sector, the proposed measures range from

diversifying crops to letting fields go fallow and reducing tillage of soil to fight erosion. But it

has been a struggle to get farmers to implement some of these recommendations, says

Mitterböck. ―Farmers seek to be profitable in the very near-term. From their perspective, 2040 is

light years away.‖ Successful adaptation in agriculture, she says, requires all relevant

stakeholders to be involved in the scientific process so that farmers can get the information and

incentives that they need.

Most climate impact and adaptation studies so far have failed to take into account the complexity

of modern farming, says Holger Meinke, director of the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture in

Hobart, Australia. ―Adaptation research must be a cross-cutting affair because hard-nosed

decisions are never solely based on climate-change considerations.‖In Amstetten, farmers could

not agree more. ―We practise adaption all the time, but we mainly adapt to food prices and

subsidy programmes and to modern machinery,‖ says Untersmayr. ―And of course we must

constantly adapt to the weather, no matter if the climate is changing or not.‖Governments and

researchers are starting to listen. In Australia, scientists involved in a national climate-adaptation

initiative are regularly consulting farmers about their problems with, for example, weed

management, and how science might be able to solve them.



Developing nations have fewer resources to plan for the future, but AgMIP scientists are

reaching out to farmers and stakeholders in 20 countries in Africa and South Asia. Launched in

2010, the €15-million programme is combining information drawn from climate projection and

crop and economic models with empirical data collected in the field by 7 regional teams. To

account for disagreements between models, AgMIP researchers aim to develop an optimistic and

a pessimistic agricultural scenario for future conditions in each region. Over the next five years,

they will advise local planners on how climate change may affect farmers in their region, and

which social groups and farm types are most vulnerable. That will greatly help adaptation

planning in poorer countries, says Dumisani Mbikwa Nyoni, an agricultural extension officer in

Zimbabwe's Matabeleland North Province who took part in a meeting in June in Victoria Falls,

Zimbabwe, with an AgMIP regional research team.

―Climate change is causing drought in our country,‖ he says. ―So we need to identify crop

varieties that can stand dryness and inadequate soil moisture, and we need to know what other

options exist that will sustain our farmers. I hope science will help us do all that.‖ The

information from AgMIP can also help officials in Zimbabwe decide where to put a planned

15,000 hectares of irrigation systems over the next 3–5 years, he says.AgMIP is determined to

provide the kind of information that will make a difference, says Cynthia Rosenzweig, a climate-

impact researcher at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City and a

principal investigator of the project.―It is utterly important that planners in each region and each

locality will have all the knowledge in place that they need,‖ she says. ―There are no dumb

farmers, but farmers focus on present realities. We must leave no stone unturned to help them

plan for a hotter future.‖

http://www.nature.com/news/quest-for-climate-proof-farms-1.18015

Scientists create low-methane rice

By Mariette le Roux

Paris (AFP) - Scientists said Wednesday they had created a rice variety with starchier grains that

emits less methane, a step towards the twin goals of feeding more people and curbing global

warming.The cultivation of rice, a staple starch for billions of people, is also mankind's major emitter

of methane, a potent climate-altering gas.Methane lives for a shorter time in the atmosphere than

carbon dioxide (CO2), the most abundant greenhouse gas, but traps far more heat radiated from

Earth's surface.Every year, rice paddies pump out 25 to 100 million tonnes of methane -- the second-

most important greenhouse gas at about 16 percent.This means a high risk for the planet as rice

cultivation expands to feed a growing population, said the paper, published in the journal

Nature."There is an urgent need to establish sustainable technologies for increasing rice production

while reducing methane fluxes from rice paddies," wrote the team led by Chuanxin Sun of the

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. View gallery

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/indian-labourers-plant-rice-paddy-cuttings-field-outskirts-photo-173216423.html



Indian labourers plant rice paddy cuttings in a field

on the outskirts of Amritsar on June 16, 2015 …

Already in 2002, scientists reported that the

more grain carried by rice plants, the less

methane they emitted.The leaves and stems of

rice plants take up CO2, which is transformed

through photosynthesis into sugars that are used

to produce starch in the shoots, roots and

grains.Carbon released from dead plants, or

directly into the soil via the roots, is transformed

by microorganisms into methane, which can

escape into the atmosphere.

Larger, starchier rice grains mean there is less carbon transferred to the soil to be turned into

methane.But attempts to reduce emissions from paddies have focused on changes in farming

practices, which can be onerous and expensive.

An Afghan farmer separates rice from grain chaff at his farm on the outskirts of Jalalabad on Januar …

- 'Groundbreaking' work -

Tackling the problem differently, a team from China, the United States and Sweden added a

barley gene to a conventional rice cultivar to create a variety dubbed SUSIBA2."Three-year field

trials in China demonstrated that the cultivation of SUSIBA2 rice was associated with a

significant reduction in methane emissions," said the study."SUSIBA2 rice offers a sustainable

means of providing increased starch content for food production while reducing greenhouse gas

http://news.yahoo.com/scientists-create-low-methane-rice-173216320.html

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/indian-labourers-plant-rice-paddy-cuttings-field-outskirts-photo-173216423.html



emissions from rice cultivation."In a comment

also carried by Nature, Paul Bodelier of the

Netherlands Institute of Ecology described the

research as "groundbreaking", but cautioned it

also raised several "biological and ethics

concerns"."In addition to the general questions

surrounding the use of genetically modified

crops for human consumption, and how access

to seed for such crops is controlled, we do not

yet have a clear picture of how this modification

affects rice plants' survival and general

function," said Bodelier.Long-term

measurements of methane emissions would be needed to calculate the crop's potential overall

impact on greenhouse gas reduction efforts, he wrote.Also, the reduction of carbon in soil may

have unknown consequences for other types of microorganisms that could aid or harm the

plants.All said, the work should spur scientists worldwide "to conduct experiments to verify

whether this variety will enable more sustainable cultivation of the crop that feeds half the

human population," said Bodelier.

http://news.yahoo.com/scientists-create-low-methane-rice-173216320.html

Scientists warn of risk of arsenic in rice

Thursday, July 23, 2015 - 09:03 AM

Scientists at Queens University in Belfast are warning of the risks of arsenic in rice, in particular

for babies and young children.

They have found that using plenty of water

during cooking can significantly cut the

level of arsenic.Coffee percolators have

been found to be particularly good for

cooking rice.Inorganic arsenic is found in

all types of rice, where its grown under

flooded conditions which causes soil

minerals, including arsenic, to be absorbed

by the plant.A range of health problems

including bladder and lung cancer can be

caused by arsenic consumption.Professor

Andy Mehang of Queens University said that babies in particular can be at risk."There's more

concern over young children," he said.He added: "Their exposure to arsenic from rice is three

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/afghan-farmer-separates-rice-grain-chaff-farm-outskirts-photo-173216280.html



times higher than adults, so I'd be especially careful to avoid as much as possible a reliance on

rice products for young children - and there are many of them out there."

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/scientists-warn-of-risk-of-arsenic-in-rice-

687798.html

GMO rice could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, study says

Rice grows in flooded paddies, emitting methane in the process. A new variety of genetically

engineered rice can sharply reduce these greenhouse gas emissions, a study says. Above, a rice

paddy in Nepal. (NARENDRA SHRESTHA / EPA)

By SASHA HARRIS-LOVETT

Over half the people on the planet eat rice as a staple food. Growing rice emits methane, a potent

greenhouse gas — to the tune of 25 million to 100 million metric tons of methane every year, a

notable contribution to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.

Can scientists engineer drought-tolerant plants?

As the world’s population grows and needs more food, the problem is

likely to get worse, but genetic engineering could help, a new study

reports. By transferring a barley gene into a rice plant, scientists have

created a new variety of rice that produces less methane while still

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-drought-tolerant-plant-20150203-story.html

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-gmo-apple-potato-fda-approval-20150320-story.html



making highly starchy, productive seeds. The

development of the new rice strain

is described this week in the journal Nature.

Finding a way to boost rice production while

reducing methane emissions has been a goal for

many years, said Chuanxin Sun, a plant

biologist at the Swedish University of

Agricultural Sciences and the lead author of the

study. By engineering barley genes into the rice

plant, ―we demonstrated it’s possible to get

these two traits with this technology,‖ he said.When rice paddies are flooded, methane-producing

bacteria thrive on the carbohydrates secreted by rice roots in the oxygen-free soils. The rice plant

itself acts as a conduit, transmitting methane from the soil into the atmosphere.

Methane traps heat in the atmosphere with devastating efficiency: Over 20 years, it is 84 times

stronger than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, according to the most recent assessment from

the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

By transferring a gene from barley into rice, scientists were able to produce a new variety of rice

that emitted less methane and grew starchier seeds than conventional rice. (Feng Wang)

http://nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/nature14673

http://www.nature.com/

http://www.slu.se/chuanxin-sun

https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/wg1/WG1AR5_Chapter08_FINAL.pdf

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-drought-tolerant-plant-20150203-story.html



Sun and his team transferred barley genes that cause high-starch production in rice grains and

stems. Based on previous research that proposed that rice plants with smaller root systems could

produce less methane, the researchers hoped that the genetic transfer would cause their rice

plants to allocate less energy toward growing roots and more toward making robust grains.

Then they planted a handful of their genetically engineered rice plants alongside conventionally

grown Nipponbare rice in the laboratory and in two field settings in China.

Near the end of the growing season, in summer

and fall, the researchers measured how much

methane each plant emitted by covering it with a

sealed plastic cylinder and using a syringe to

extract the accumulated gasses in the trapped air.

They also measured how much starch the plants

allocated to their seeds, stems and roots, and

how many methane-producing bacteria lived

around the plant roots.As they suspected, the

genetically engineered rice grew smaller root

systems and starchier grains than conventional rice. Far fewer methane-producing bacteria

hugged the roots of the new rice. And the new rice variety emitted less than 10% of the methane

of conventional rice, they reported.

The genetically modified rice variety provides ―a tremendous opportunity for more-sustainable

rice cultivation,‖ Paul Bodelier, a microbial ecologist at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology,

wrote in an essay that accompanied that research article.

Creating a 'genetic firewall' for GMOs

Previous techniques for reducing methane emissions from rice paddies involve alternating

flooding with dry periods, said Bruce Linquist, a plant scientist at UC Davis who specializes in

rice cultivation and was not involved in the study. Although these techniques can cut methane

emissions in half, they also can reduce the plants’ productivity. Additionally, in a lot of places

where rice is grown, you can’t control when rice paddies are wet or dry because irrigation is

based on seasonal rains and floods, he said.

The research is too preliminary to make solid conclusions about methane emissions from the

genetically engineered rice, Linquist added. More research about how much methane whole rice

paddies (and not just individual plants) emit over the entire growing season is necessary, he said.

In addition, the new rice plants’ smaller root systems could make it difficult for the crop to

uptake nutrients.―It needs to be tested more in the field,‖ he said.Even if the new rice variety

does prove to reduce methane emissions on a larger scale, there are still barriers to it being

grown and sold. Genetically engineered rice isn't commercially cultivated anywhere in the world,

in part because of ethical and biological concerns about the spread of engineered rice pollen,

experts said."There's not a market for it," Linquist said

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-gmo-rice-methane-emissions-20150722-story.html



Can rice give you cancer? 'Not if you cook it in a coffee

percolator'

Rice contains high levels of arsenic because it is grown in flood plains, but steaming it

in a coffee percolator removes most of the poison

People who eat a lot of rice are exposed to dangerous levels of arsenic, according to the research Photo: © Yuji Kotani

Rice should be cooked in a coffee percolator because it contains dangerous levels of

carcinogenic arsenic, scientists have said.People who eat a lot of rice are exposed to dangerous

levels of arsenic which can cause lung and bladder cancer, researchers at Queen’s University in

Belfast claim.But now they have come up with a simple solution. Allowing rice to steam in a

normal coffee percolator removes 85 per cent of the arsenic, they found.Rice is the only major

crop grown under the flooded conditions of paddy fields. It is this flooding that releases

inorganic arsenic, normally locked up in soil minerals, which is then absorbed by the plant.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11489675/Simple-rice-cooking-hack-could-reduce-calories-by-60-per-cent.html



Too much arsenic is associated with a range of health problems.Andy Meharg, Professor of Plant

and Soil Sciences at Queen's Institute for Global Food Security said: ―This is a very significant

breakthrough as this offers an immediate solution to decreasing inorganic arsenic in the diet.―In

our research we rethought the method of rice cooking to optimise the removal of inorganic

arsenic and we discovered that by using percolating technology, where cooking water is

continually passed through rice in a constant flow, we could maximise removal of arsenic.

Cooking rice in a percolator can decrease the risk of exposure to inorganic arsenic

―Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic can cause a range of health problems including

developmental problems, heart disease, diabetes and nervous system damage. However, most

worrying are lung and bladder cancers.‖Rice has, typically, ten times more inorganic arsenic than

other foods and according to the European Food Standards Authority, people who eat a lot of

rice, as is the case in many parts of the developing world, are exposed to worrying

concentrations.Children and infants are of particular concern as they eat, relatively, three times

more rice than adults – baby rice being a popular food for weaning– and their organs are still

developing.Queen’s is at the patent stage for the development of a bespoke rice cooker based on

a percolation system which means consumers could soon have this technology in their own

kitchen.What is the official advice on how to avoid the health risks associated with arsenic in

rice?

The FSA says it is the responsibility of manufacturers to ensure that the food they produce is as

low as possible in arsenic

Children under four and a half years of age should not be given rice milk as a substitute for

breast milk, formula or regular milk http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11755755/Can-rice-give-you-cancer-Not-if-you-

cook-it-in-a-coffee-percolator.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/agriculture/food/3304831/Dangerous-levels-of-arsenic-in-10pc-of-rice.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/finance/top-tips/food/10372336/how-to-cook-rice.html

https://www.food.gov.uk/science/arsenic-in-rice

https://www.food.gov.uk/science/arsenic-in-rice



CCEA eases curbs on export of edible oil Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 22

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has eased restrictions on export of edible oil.

The CCEA in a meeting approved the proposal of the Commerce Ministry to allow unrestricted

exports of rice bran oil in bulk.In addition, it also removed the quantitative limit of 10,000 tonne per

annum on export of organic edible oils subject to contracts being registered and certified as organic

by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).Justifying

the move, a government statement said that export of edible oils has been banned since 2008 and

certain exemptions have been given from time to time.

It has now been decided to allow bulk exports of rice bran oil which is premium edible oil and has

limited direct consumption base in India. This will be done without any restrictions of minimum

export price (MEP) or consumer packs.According to the government, this step would help the

country to fully exploit the potential of rice bran oil and would help small rice millers through better

realization of rice bran without increasing the cost of rice.At present, export of organic edible oils is

allowed subject to quantitative restriction of 10,000 tonne per year. The government has decided to

remove this restriction to send a clear message to investors and the growers community to invest in

organic exports thereby capturing higher end of the value chain through better realisations.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/business/ccea-eases-curbs-on-export-of-edible-oil/109999.html

Northeast Louisiana Rice Growers Hold Annual Field Day

USA Rice's Ben Mosely

RAYVILLE, LA -- The Northeast Louisiana Rice Growers' Association hosted its annual rice and

soybean field day yesterday at the Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter's off-station research plots

on the Woodsland Plantation. The field day was coordinated by LSU AgCenter agricultural agents in the

region.

Farmers and allied rice industry personnel heard reports from researchers on production

recommendations including varietal development, insect and disease control, and fertilizer management.



Growers also received an update on production issues observed by AgCenter researchers during the

current growing season and the outlook for issues they may face in upcoming seasons.

"Field days like this are one of the best ways for the LSU rice research team to showcase their hard

work," said Dr. Steve Linscombe, long-

time rice breeder and director of the LSU

AgCenter Rice Research Station. "We're

always excited to share with growers some

of the new varieties on the horizon and

how we think they may impact the rice

industry."Following the research

demonstrations, attendees assembled at the

Rayville Civic Center for soybean-related

pest and disease updates. The day's

program concluded with a policy update

from USA Rice's Vice President of

Government Affairs Ben Mosely, with an

emphasis on 2014 Farm Bill provisions

that USA Rice aggressively advocated for

such as Supplemental Coverage Option,

Price Loss Coverage, and Margin

Protection. "As these new farm bill

programs are rolled out, farmers want to

know the direct effect on their operations,"

said Mosely. "We're working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and their Farm Service

Agency and Risk Management Agency to ensure that these programs work to the best benefit of rice

farmers."

Mosely also gave an update on U.S. rice export market conditions, including the Trans Pacific

Partnership negotiations with Japan, irregular market access in Iraq, and the potential reopening of the

Cuban market.

Contact: Randy Jemison (337) 738-7009

CCC Announces Prevailing World Market Prices

WASHINGTON, DC --The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporationtoday announced

the following prevailing world market prices of milled and rough rice, adjusted for U.S. milling yields

and location, and the resulting marketing loan gain (MLG) and loan deficiency payment (LDP) rates

applicable to the 2014 crop, which will become effective today at 7:00 a.m., Eastern Time (ET). Prices

are unchanged from the previous announcement.

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bEAcsXdcep0GEPaSKYLTmDGss3tVbpZqCErhhbUTv5AEG_n7jqVg4MIvL_ymyZShQg0xcnA42yYFZFjSFGSG7BIRwSNTbulf-hKjbkSb5UVnkdhkiwflwXE9bbFf1zoGwx74ZbsmnQWAOASSSgwpC4v7HonEjGECqkDLTLBoFWAzU6CqgBcMioTfJkoZGrT0iAC2XZNLnu2NAVG8wWYQ6rAh7dnZ2NRuFB3rDjBH3XgNfczuWvYxJx1woO1542jnuini0snHl5TNMjJlUalu5gNxj28KvzGltS48VDd18fHSZuOoZL_ibOlB_ujrWMD3RJLtWyah1P6kBgS8FVL1BhgTjNlAWn8AAnabLUHtnJ6mbp68tcP7ASODPftj8sYMHzXStOrJhjtXlZgenwq8YbJuuDJQkqzfAATiFtnfljE=&c=NarGY9myOVeziM8_0RRw1C96jamf6b4ziZsRXRcbdN97Lvh745ptGQ==&ch=8w8-LowEBiQTaB3d2yIzs2f_0w6M6S7ogoS2iOiB96RM6ct5M9V_nQ==



World Price MLG/LDP

Rate

Milled Value

($/cwt) Rough

($/cwt) Rough ($/cwt)

Long Grain 15.22 9.86 0.00

Medium/Short Grain 14.83 9.99 0.00

Brokens 9.18 ---- ----

This week's prevailing world market prices and MLG/LDP rates are based on the following U.S. milling

yields and the corresponding loan rates:

U.S. Milling Yields

Whole/Broken

(lbs/cwt)

Loan Rate

($/cwt)

Long Grain 57.21/12.55 6.64

Medium/Short Grain 61.89/8.83 6.51

The next program announcement is scheduled for July 29, 2015.

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures

CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for July 22

Month Price Net Change

September 2015 $11.120 + $0.115

November 2015 $11.385 + $0.110

January 2016 $11.650 + $0.105

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bEAcsXdcep0GEPaSKYLTmDGss3tVbpZqCErhhbUTv5AEG_n7jqVg4Kp7yzuWrW6m_m0_peIVJg2tqX_525qDdvujo1BiGAYOBtP-RW4kJNkwjy3sGmyMoSz1FiMGqLHQn-Yxr9wN_p8qly_kaHMdHpV5ob9aS6_s_nrY2zRq1aJjWdLp40x--kvOHFS19KNssVn7Sn6Dx8ZSGldZ7siKCPlUsOOKFIa5SxTbrNDGWIIPjKKuCMYVwA0Fm_0frR8M7hxU-Xf0eyDsnNl9OwAzcokfp0p5UNz7h4OoZW9kIB2_wybwE85KFs9D3ZHCm3Hf5wDmPNObjsUbnQOmVzqt9novqavltOSVobfCTI50IcVDcFbsDnfyVIjxLA3vGzR_OG0c8NaLsoOvF9padIMVProtjQUtoksLJIwBQX286I66ioUTslTr7DTCsPDfEonmJQH4RE2R6MRvWrcR2HmWILf9plBmXxwP&c=NarGY9myOVeziM8_0RRw1C96jamf6b4ziZsRXRcbdN97Lvh745ptGQ==&ch=8w8-LowEBiQTaB3d2yIzs2f_0w6M6S7ogoS2iOiB96RM6ct5M9V_nQ==



March 2016 $11.850 + $0.150

May 2016 $12.040 + $0.155

July 2016 $12.040 + $0.155

September 2016 $12.050 + $0.155

Rice farming reduction to make room for livestock feed

materials, experts

Rice farming area has exceeded plan resulting in supply redundancy and low price while breeding

industry has depended on import materials causing high-cost feed products to plague breeders. Therefore,

experts have said that rice area should be reduced to make room for livestock feed material production,

especially corn.An animal feed shop in the northern province of Hai Duong (Photo: SGGP)

Millions of breeders have purchased

import feed products at high prices

for the last several years because

Vietnam's breeding industry has

depended on import materials.

Breeding is among the weakest

industries nearly without export

products.Latest data from the

General Department of Vietnam

Customs shows that Vietnam spent

US$3 billion on import feed last

year. Maize import hit a record high

output of 3.72 million tons and

turnover of US$744 million in the

first six months this year.The

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural

Development reported that Vietnam

yielded US$2.95 billion from rice exports but spent up to US$3 billion on livestock feed and material

imports every year. It touched US$4 billion if calculating maize, soybean and wheat.



Experts said that Vietnam had the advantage in rice farming but disadvantage in feed material

production.American feed provider Bunge Group predicted that Vietnam’s import demand on maize has

increased to 3.5-4 million tons a year. Besides, the country has imported nearly 950,000 tons of soybeans

worth US$438 million. It is expected to continue increasing in the upcoming time due to hot and muggy

weather.According to chairman of the Vietnam Animal Feed Association Le Ba Lich, Vietnam needs 12.5

million tons of livestock feed annually but imports up to 9-10 million tons of materials for production.

He has proposed the Government to reconsider of the plan on livestock feed material production,

rebalance farming areas between rice and corn--the main feed material.Deputy Head of the Department of

Livestock Production Nguyen Xuan Duong said that feed accounted for 70 percent of breeding product

prices while the breeding industry has been conditional on import materials. Therefore any fluctuation in

the Vietnamese dong to US dollar exchange rate has greatly affected local breeding industry and food

market.In addition, the agricultural industry has been forced to tighten management over feed quality as

the high import demand has unleashed low quality materials to enter domestic market, he added.Minister

Cao Duc Phat said it unacceptable that Vietnam’s feed prices are 15-20 percent higher than that in

Thailand and other nations in the world.

Feed material farming development would reduce the dependence and help farmers lower cost prices to

improve competitiveness and profit, he said.In the breeding development strategy by 2020, the ministry

targets to develop breeding into a main production industry, accounting for 42 percent of agricultural

value structure, he added.Experts said that in order to obtain the target, the ministry should set up policies,

aiming to build and develop feed material source right now.

http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Business/2015/7/114624/

Small water flow brings joy to rice farmers in Thailand

BY EDITOR ON 2015-07-22 THAILAND

BANGKOK: — AS SOON as water began flowing into their paddy fields again yesterday, farmers in

Lop Buri’s Ban Mi district felt like they were on cloud nine. ―I am over the moon. I feel like heaven,‖

said Surat Rueangroong, 69.He said it had broken his heart to walk around the paddy fields for the past

month and see his rice plants wither from lack of water, day after day.The Royal Irrigation Department

had allowed farmers in Surat’s town to pump water into their fields.

―We are permitted to do so for just one day. But it’s still better than nothing and we understand that we

have to share water with farmers in other zones too,‖ the farmer said.Ayutthaya Governor Apichart

Dodilokwej said the government was trying to support about 100,000 rai of fields where rice had first

started to sprout. ―We are prioritising the needs for water in each zone,‖ he said.

With supply tight, the government had resolved to cut water for farms in a bid to ensure people would

still have water for their daily activities until the annual rains start. However, authorities are also trying to

ensure that they can ease farmers’ woes where possible. And some farmers have already managed to turn

the drought crisis into an opportunity.In Uttaradit’s Laplae district, locals in Ban Pong Kachee are now

doing well with their new livelihood – making mushroom spawn for sale. ―Months ago, we were told to

http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Business/2015/7/114624/



postpone growing rice until adequate rain arrived. So, we started looking for supplementary jobs. We

need to earn money,‖ farmer Namneung Jeamklin said yesterday.

Locals in Ban Pong Kachee looked around their neighbourhood and saw that it had plenty of sawdust

because there were many wood-processing factories nearby.In Sukhothai province, many farmers decided

to grow cassava in place of rice in the face of the water shortage.―Cassava requires little water. We have

to go for it,‖ said Jamroon Sukpan, the kamnan of Tambon Nong Chik.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Small-water-flow-brings-joy-to-rice-farmers-

30264942.html

Commerce Min inspects substandard rice stock before

auction

Date : 22 กรกฎาคม 2558

BANGKOK, 22 July 2015 (NNT) – The Ministry of Commerce is reexamining the government’s

stockpile of low-quality rice before releasing it to the industrial sector. Ms Jintana Chaiyawonnagal,

Chairperson of the Public Warehouse Organization (PWO), led concerned officials and press members to

conduct another inspection of rice stock at a warehouse in Khlong Sam Wa district of Bangkok. The



objective of the inspection was to collect samples of rice grains in order for them to be rechecked on

quality and grade prior to the bidding process. It was found that the warehouse was containing 8,911 tons

of off-season white rice from the 2012 crop year. Of the total, 1,430 tons have so far been confirmed to be

in deteriorated condition. Ms Jintana said such an inspection is being carried out constantly on a random

basis. She expected all findings to be concluded within this week, after which they will be reported to the

Commerce Ministry.

Meanwhile, Commerce Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikalya disclosed that bidding conditions will be

announced next week for 400,000-500,000 tons of good-quality rice. Another 1.29 million tons of

substandard rice will also be offered to the industrial sector and there will be a follow-up inspection to

ensure that the low-quality grains are not resold to the general market for consumption.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/CenterWeb/NewsEN/NewsDetail?NT01_NewsID=WNECO5807220010008#sth

ash.DSsJOeNv.dpuf

Thai rice sales extending decline on competition

Asean Economic Community

by Bloomberg News - July 22, 2015

RICE exports from Thailand will probably drop further from a record amid cheaper supplies

from Asian rivals and as the worst drought in almost 30 years parches crops in the world’s

biggest supplier.Thailand is poised to ship 9.5 million metric tons this year, lower than the 10

million tons forecast in February, the Thai Rice Exporters Association said in a statement on

Tuesday. The country sold a record 10.97 million tons in 2014.Cheaper shipments from

Vietnam, the third-biggest exporter, spurred a unit of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

to cut its forecast for Thai exports last month. The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said on

June 30 that Thailand may export 10 million tons this year, 9 percent less than estimated earlier.

Dry weather amid a strengthening El Niño may cut the main harvest to the lowest in nine years,

data from Thailand’s Office of Agricultural Economics show.

―Competition is high,‖ Chareon Laothamatas, president of the association, said at a news briefing

in Bangkok. ―Our prices are about $50 a ton above that of Vietnam.‖The price of Thai 5-percent

broken white rice was quoted at $404 a ton on July 15, higher than $385 in India, the second-

biggest shipper, and $350 in Vietnam, the association said on its web site. Futures in Chicago

traded at $10.90 per 100 pounds on Tuesday after slumping to $9.25 on May 13, the lowest level

since 2006.

State stockpiles ―We’re concerned that Vietnam could take more of our share in the white-rice market,‖ said

Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the association. It can offer supplies at cheaper

rates because of lower production costs and as its crops have been less impacted by drought, he

said on Tuesday.El Niño, which can bake parts of Asia and disrupt harvests worldwide, has

further strengthened and may persist into 2016, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said on its

web site on Tuesday. Thailand’s main harvest, which accounts for about 70 percent of annual

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/category/business/asean-economic-community/

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/author/bloomberg/



production, may slump 14 percent to 23.3 million tons, according to Office of Agricultural

Economics data.

A decline in production could help the military government accelerate sales of state reserves

accumulated after the administration of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra introduced a

purchase program in 2011 to support farmers. Stockpiles in Thailand are poised to fall to 6.2

million tons this season, the lowest since 2010-2011, according to the USDA.―Drought may

reduce output of white rice by 15 percent to 20 percent,‖ Chareon said. That should provide the

government an opportunity to sell more of the stockpiled rice, he said.The inventory at the end of

June totaled 15.11 million tons of which 9.15 million tons was food grade, Commerce Minister

Chatchai Sarikulya said last week.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/thai-rice-sales-extending-decline-on-competition/

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-July 22

Nagpur, July 22 Gram and tuar prices firmed up in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and

Marketing Committee (APMC) here on increased demand from local millers amid tight supply

from

producing regions. Poor monsoon session, downward trend in Madhya Pradesh pulses and

enquiries

from South-based plants also jacked up prices, according to sources.

* * * *

FOODGRAINS & PULSES

GRAM

* Deshi gram raw and gram filter reported higher on good demand from local traders

amid thin arrival from producing regions.

TUAR

* Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market here on subdued demand from local traders

amid ample stock in ready position.

* Watana dal recovered strongly in open market here on increased buying support

from local traders amid weak arrival from producing regions.

* In Akola, Tuar - 7,100-7,200, Tuar dal - 10,100-10,300, Udid at 9,500-9,900,

Udid Mogar (clean) - 11,000-11,400, Moong - 7,000-8,000, Moong Mogar

(clean) 9,800-10,100, Gram - 4,100-4,200, Gram Super best bold - 5,700-5,900

for 100 kg.

* Wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market

in thin trading activity, according to sources.



Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg

FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close

Gram Auction 3,800-4,540 3,770-4,520

Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600

Tuar Auction 6,700-7,460 6,600-7,460

Moong Auction n.a. 6,000-6,400

Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500

Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800

Gram Super Best Bold 6,000-6,200 6,000-6,200

Gram Super Best n.a.

Gram Medium Best 5,700-5,800 5,700-5,800

Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a.

Gram Mill Quality 5,350-5,550 5,350-5,550

Desi gram Raw 4,550-4,650 4,500-4,600

Gram Filter new 5,950-6,150 5,900-6,100

Gram Kabuli 5,600-7,100 5,600-7,100

Gram Pink 6,500-6,700 6,500-6,700

Tuar Fataka Best 10,600-10,850 10,600-10,850

Tuar Fataka Medium 10,200-10,500 10,200-10,500

Tuar Dal Best Phod 9,700-9,900 9,700-9,900

Tuar Dal Medium phod 9,200-9,500 9,200-9,500

Tuar Gavarani New 7,650-7,750 7,650-7,750

Tuar Karnataka 8,100-8,300 8,100-8,300

Tuar Black 11,000-11,300 11,000-11,300

Masoor dal best 8,000-8,300 8,000-8,300

Masoor dal medium 7,700-7,900 7,700-7,900

Masoor n.a. n.a.

Moong Mogar bold 9,500-10,500 9,500-10,500

Moong Mogar Medium best 8,800-9,200 8,800-9,200

Moong dal Chilka 8,800-9,200 8,800-9,800

Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.

Moong Chamki best 9,600-9,900 9,600-9,900

Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 11,200-11,800 11,200-11,800

Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 10,600-11,000 10,600-11,000

Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 9,200-9,600 9,200-9,600

Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 4,500-5,000 4,400-4,800

Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 3,250-3,350 3,250-3,350

Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,400 3,100-3,350

Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,200 3,100-3,200

Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,800 3,200-3,800

Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,500 1,400-1,500

Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,550-1,700 1,550-1,700

Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,300-1,500 1,300-1,500

Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,400 2,200-2,400



Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100

Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.

MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,700 3,200-3,700

MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,550-2,850 2,550-2,850

Rice BPT New(100 INR/KG) 2,750-2,900 2,750-2,900

Rice BPT (100 INR/KG) 3,050-3,300 3,050-3,300

Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,750 1,600-1,750

Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,450 2,200-2,450

Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,700 2,500-2,700

Rice HMT new(100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,600 3,100-3,600

Rice HMT (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,200 3,800-4,200

Rice HMT Shriram New(100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,500 4,200-4,500

Rice HMT Shriram old (100 INR/KG) 4,500-5,100 4,500-5,100

Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,000-10,000 8,000-10,000

Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500

Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,800 4,500-4,800

Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 5,100-5,500 5,100-5,500

Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,350 2,100-2,350

Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500

WEATHER (NAGPUR)

Maximum temp. 31.0 degree Celsius (87.8 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.

25.4 degree Celsius (77.7 degree Fahrenheit)

Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.

Rainfall : nil

FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky. Rains or thunder-showers likely. Maximum and minimum

temperature

would be around and 32 and 24 degree Celsius respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available

(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.) http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/07/22/nagpur-foodgrain-idINL3N10232K20150722

Venezuelan farmers ordered to hand over produce to state

As Venezuela's food shortages worsen, the president of the country's Food Industry

Chamber has said that authorities ordered producers of milk, pasta, oil, rice, sugar and

flour to supply their products to the state stores

People queue up outside a supermarket in Caracas earlier this year Photo: AFP

By Harriet Alexander

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/harriet-alexander/



6:32PM BST 21 Jul 2015 Venezuela's embattled government has taken the drastic step of forcing food

producers to sell their produce to the state, in a bid to counter the ever-worsening

shortages.Farmers and manufacturers who produce milk, pasta, oil, rice, sugar and

flour have been told to supply between 30 per cent and 100 per cent of their products

to the state stores. Shortages, rationing and queues outside supermarkets have become a way

of life for Venezuelans, as their isolated country battles against rigid currency controls and a

shortage of US dollars – making it difficult for Venezuelans to find imported goods.

Pablo Baraybar, president of the Venezuelan Food Industry Chamber, said that the order was

illogical, and damaging to Venezuelan consumers."Taking products from the supermarkets and

shops to hand them over to the state network doesn't help in any way," he said. "And problems

like speculating will only get worse, because the foods will be concentrated precisely in the areas

where the resellers go.He pointed to statistics showing that two thirds of hoarders – or

"bachaqueros", giant ants, as they are nicknamed in Venezuela – buy their goods from the three

state-owned chains, to resell at a profit.

"Consumers will be forced to spend more time in queues, given that the goods will be available

in fewer stores."The state owns 7,245 stores, compared to more than 113,000 in private hands.

Mr Baraybar said that many of the private shops were in densely-populated areas, meaning that

people will now be forced to make longer journeys to the state stores.The Chamber has asked the

government for a meeting to discuss the plan, which they say they were not informed of."This

does absolutely nothing to help with the shortages," he said, adding that the solution was for the

government to increase national production.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/venezuela

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/venezuela/11717559/Venezuela-faces-national-beer-drought.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/venezuela/11385055/Seven-charts-showing-why-Venezuelas-economy-is-a-basket-case.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/harriet-alexander/



In March, Venezuelans were so worried about food shortages and dimininshing stocks of basic

goods, fingerprint scanners were installed in supermarkets in an attempt to crack down on

hoarding.Venezuela’s official rate of inflation hit 64 per cent last year – the highest in the world.

The government hides the scale of shortages, but angry consumers regularly post photos of

empty shelves on social media.

Studying a new language doesn’t have to mean stepping back into the classroom. Babbel offers

13 language courses that can be studied online and on the go.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/venezuela/11754156/Venezuelan-farmers-ordered-to-hand-over-produce-to-state.html

Water reserves improve slightly after rain 22 Jul 2015 at 12:43

WRITER: POST REPORTERS

Buddhist monks and novices lead local farmers in a ceremonial planting of rice in Phu Phiang

district of Nan province on Wednesday, in the wake of heavy rain. (Photo by Rarinthorn

Petcharoen)

Recent rain has slightly increased water reserves in the North, the Northeast and the Central

Plain and rice farmers in some provinces have taken a chance and begun planting their long

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/education/learn-new-language/?WT.mc_id=605646&source=Polar?WT.mc_id=tmgspk_plr_605646_605646&utm_source=tmgspk&utm_medium=plr&utm_content=605646&utm_campaign=tmgspk_plr_605646_605646&plr=1

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/education/learn-new-language/?WT.mc_id=605646&source=Polar?WT.mc_id=tmgspk_plr_605646_605646&utm_source=tmgspk&utm_medium=plr&utm_content=605646&utm_campaign=tmgspk_plr_605646_605646&plr=1

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/venezuela/11754156/Venezuelan-farmers-ordered-to-hand-over-produce-to-state.html?WT.ac=11679013

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/venezuela/11754156/Venezuelan-farmers-ordered-to-hand-over-produce-to-state.html?WT.ac=11679013

http://search.bangkokpost.com/search/result_advanced?category=news&columnistName=Post%20reporters



delayed main crop. Heavy rain was reported in Nakhon Ratchasima, Nan, Phetchabun, Phichit,

Phitsanulok, Sakon Nakhon, Sukhothai, Tak and Uttaradit provinces over the past few days.On

Wednesday morning, the Pa Sak River overflowed into nearby communities in Lom Kao district

of Phetchabun. In Mae Sot district of Tak, heavy rain caused landslides that toppled big trees

along Highway 12 (Tak-Mae Sot).Ekasit Sakdeethanaporn, director of the Chao Phraya dam in

Chai Nat province, said the level of the Chao Phraya River just above the dam in Sapphaya

district continued to rise above its critical level of 14 metres above mean sea level for the second

day on Wednesday. It rose by 15 centimetres in 24 hours to 14.21m above sea level after being

below 14m for five weeks.He attributed the increase to rainfall upstream from the dam in

Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan and Uthai Thani provinces, and farmers' cooperation with the

government's request to stop pumping water to their fields for the time being to save water for

general use.Mr Ekasit said the Chao Phraya dam increased its discharge rate to 95 cubic metres

per second to supply freshwater to the Sam Lae water intake station of the Metropolitan

Waterworks Authority in Pathum Thani province, to maintain the standard of tap water in

Bangkok and nearby provinces.

The Chao Phraya dam increases its discharge rate in Chai Nat province on Wednesday. (Photo

by Chudate Seehawong)

Rain also raised water levels at Nam Un and Nam Phung dams and in Nong Han lake in Sakon

Nakhon province. Their water reserves amounted to 373.55 million cu/m, or 39% of their total

capacity. They had been at 63% at the same time last year.Sakon Nakhon governor Boonsong

Techawanit said the water would be kept for general consumption first, not agriculture.However,

the rains prompted farmers to start planting rice in Nan and Nakhon Ratchasima provinces. In



Nan, monks and novices ceremonially planted rice in a paddy field to boost the morale of local

farmers who had long waited for rain.In Nakhon Ratchasima, farmers said although they doubted

the rain would continue, they had to take a gamble and plant their crops because they might not

have another chance this year. They had already postponed planting for three weeks and local

canals remained dry.The Meteorological Department has forecast rainfall would decrease from

Thursday to Saturday, but return in the North and Northeast on Sunday and Monday. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/631108/water-reserves-improve-slightly-after-rain

U.S. Rice Recognized at Food for Peace Celebration

USA Rice's Sarah Moran (l) and USAID Acting Assistant Administrator Thomas Staal

WASHINGTON, DC -- USA Rice was one of the selected exhibitors at a Capitol

Hill celebration yesterday on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Food

for Peace program. Food for Peace has provided life-saving food assistance through

the use of in-kind food donations including rice, to more than three billion people in

vulnerable communities around the world. The event was hosted by the Chairmen

of the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Appropriations

Subcommittee on Agriculture. House Committee on Agriculture Chair Mike

Conaway (R-TX) thanked USA Rice, other attendees, and the American people for

their willingness and desire to feed the world's hungry.

"This was an important opportunity for USA Rice to showcase longstanding participation in, and

commitment to, the U.S. global feeding programs and to provide information to Congress, USAID, and

Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs) on the introduction of a new fortified rice product to address

hidden hunger," said Jim Guinn, USA Rice's vice president of international promotion.While the U.S. has

made progress in addressing overall hunger, hidden hunger -- in the form of severe micronutrient

deficiencies -- remains a major impediment to proper development in many vulnerable communities.

Statistics from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) note that more than two

billion people still suffer from hidden hunger. Fortified rice is the first new product introduced to U.S.

global feeding programs as a result of research and testing conducted under the auspices of both USAID

and USDA. Extensive studies have shown that fortified rice is widely accepted by communities

worldwide and is effective in addressing some of the most severe deficiencies such as vitamin A and

anemia.

Fortified rice contains levels of iron, thiamin, zinc, vitamin A, folic acid, and other B vitamins,

formulated in a way that allows for maximum nutrient uptake. "The look and taste of fortified rice is just

like regular milled rice," says Dr. Yi Wu, Chief Innovation Director of the Wright Group, a company that

produces fortified rice. "Recent trials in Cambodia and the historical (in some cases mandatory) use of

fortified rice in the Philippines and Costa Rica, have shown both wide scale acceptance of the product and

efficiency in nutrient bioavailability to address hidden hunger. Rice is one of the most consumed foods in

the world and through fortification, the nutritional needs of vulnerable populations will be met in an

appetizing, culturally-appropriate way."



Fortified rice is now part of USAID's Master List of commodities and it is expected that several PVOs

will begin to specify this product in feeding rations in both USDA's McGovern Dole school feeding

programs and USAID's Food for Peace programs as a cost effective and culturally appropriate way to

address the persistent challenge of hidden hunger.

Contact: Sarah Moran (703) 236-1457

22nd july (wednesday),2015 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

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