April 4,2014

Daily Rice E-Newsletter

by Riceplus Magazine Middle Eastern Black Rice and Lentil Salad on a Bed of Spinach
Black rice is inky, as black as squid ink, and glistens against a bed of spinach. The pigments provide anthocyanins, flavonoids that are high in antioxidants. I was inspired to cook the rice with lentils by a pilaf that I ate recently at the Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives conference at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley. In addition to the familiar green or black lentils, Ive thrown in uncooked split red lentils, which contribute their own soft salmon color and crunch; they are soaked for a few hours to soften them, and thats all they need. Prepare the ingredients for the salad while the rice and lentils are cooking. Total time: About 1 hour, including the simmering time for the rice and lentils 1 cup black rice 1/2 cup black (beluga) or green lentils, washed and picked over 2 3/4 cups water Salt to taste 1/3 cup olive oil 2 to 3 garlic cloves (to taste), minced 1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seeds 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground coriander seeds 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom seeds Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint or parsley, or a combination 1/4 cup chopped dill

1/4 cup chopped chives or green onions 1/4 cup soaked split red lentils* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 bunch spinach, stemmed, washed thoroughly in 2 changes water and dried, or 1 bag baby spinach, rinsed and dried 4 or 5 radishes, sliced, for garnish *To make soaked lentils, cover with water and soak for 2 hours or longer. Drain. Store what you dont use in the refrigerator and add to salads. 1. Rinse rice and green or black lentils and combine in a medium saucepan with 2 3/4 cups water or enough to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, add salt to taste (I use about 1 teaspoon), reduce heat and simmer 30 to 35 minutes, until rice and lentils are tender but not mushy. Place a strainer over a bowl and drain if there is still liquid in the pan (I like to add the broth to soups; you could also add some to the salad). Return lentils and rice to the saucepan and place a dishtowel across top of the pan. Return lid and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. 2. Combine 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and garlic in a small frying pan or saucepan over medium heat. When garlic begins to sizzle, add spices. Stir together for about 30 seconds or until very fragrant, then remove from the heat and add to rice and lentils. Add chopped herbs, soaked red lentils, and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt. 3. Whisk together remaining lemon juice and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss with the spinach. Line a platter or wide bowl with the spinach, top with the rice and lentils, garnish with sliced radishes, and serve. Yield: Serves 6 Advance preparation: The cooked rice and lentils will keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. Nutritional information per serving (6 servings): 330 calories; 14 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 45 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 39 grams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 12 grams protein Martha Rose Shulman is the author of The Very Best of Recipes for Health.

Cambodian rice exports fall in Q1

04.04.2014 As Thailand sells its rice reserves and reforms in Myanmar are rewarded with more access to markets abroad, Cambodia's total exports of milled rice are on the decline, falling more than 10 per cent in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2013, according to industry insiders.The Myanmar Rice Federation said in March that the country, once a major rice exporter to the world before being hit with sanctions, is at a turning point.Once barred from trade and isolated, Myanmar is benefiting from duty-free preferences enjoyed by Cambodia and other emerging markets due to a broad range of political reforms passed since President Thein Sein came to power in 2011.In the previous three to four years, the country has exported about a million tonnes of rice. That figure should double by 2020.Thailand is coming out of a failed ricesubsidy scheme that left the country with more than 10 million tonnes of milled rice. At least one million tonnes have been sold since March, according to industry publication Oryza, citing the US Department of Agriculture. Data from the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export Formality showed that Cambodia exported some 84,330 tonnes of rice between January and March, down from 95,228 tonnes in the same period last year, an 11 per cent drop.Kim Savuth, who runs his own rice exporting company, Khmer Food, while also serving as the president of the Federation of Milled Rice Exporters of Cambodia, said there is nothing to fret over, since most of the decline came last month."We are not in the severe situation, as it just dropped in March," he said. Ken Ratha, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, said the ministry has set up a committee to establish a National Rice Millers Federation to deal with issues like these."We do hope that after the establishment, it will be a big help for their concerns and to boost the export of milled rice," Ratha said."It doesn't mean that we do nothing now. All of the challenges have been taken into account," he added. "We are urging more investment in the rice sector. That will be the big help to boost the industry to compete with others."Savuth, from the Federation of Milled Rice Exporters of Cambodia, said that in order to compete, the country should promote its recent brand victories, referring to a strain of Cambodian rice winning the World's Best Rice Award for the second year in a row.

DFT to auction another 570,000 tons of rice

Date : 4 2557 BANGKOK, 4 April 2014, (NNT) - The Department of Foreign Trade is planning to sell more pledged rice this month, with auctions scheduled for April 9th-10th amounting to 570,000 tons of grain. Mr. Surasak Riengkrue, the department's Director General, explained that the auction on April 9th would seek to sell 170,000 tons of rice from 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 seasons in Suphanburi Province. Of that 100,000 tons would be 5% moisture grain and the remaining 70,000 tons will consist of Jasmine rice, A1-Lert rice bran, and sticky rice grain. He added that the auction procedures would be the same as in rice auctions previously held in Bangkok. The Director General said the other auction of 400,000 tons of pledged rice on April 10th will be held at the department. About 150,000 tons would be 5% moisture grain while the rest will be a

combination of other grains, similar to that presented in the auction the day before. The paddy to be offered in this auction would be from 2011-2014 seasons. He said his department is planning to seal the deals on the same day as the auction, claiming this can be done as the amount involved in these auction rounds is relatively small. Mr. Surasak however expects a low bidder turnout for these rounds of rice auctions and acknowledges that the department may not be able to sell the entire quantity this time, as the rice market is still saturated from the previous auctions.

Rice sector needs long-term development plan, a seminar heard

The Nation April 5, 2014 1:00 am A farmer at Narathiwas who grow premium rice that succeed to sale at price over than Bt15,000 per ton. Thailand should draw up a long-term policy on rice crops and trading management to avoid huge losses from short-term subsidies, while politicians should no longer be allowed to make rice policy a populist tool, a seminar heard yesterday. At the "Thai Rice in Asean Isn't It Reaching a Dead-End?" seminar, organised by Dhurakij Pundit University's faculty of economics, panellists agreed that Thailand needed a longterm strategy on rice rather than letting politicians form their own policies and create only short-term means of aiding farmers.Wanlop Pichpongsa, vice president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said rice should no longer be a political tool to gain popularity during an election campaign."The country should set up a permanent organisation to manage rice policy, with no politicians involved; otherwise, the sector will not be developed. Politicians have always only thought about short-term policies to help farmers and gain popularity," he said.

He pointed out that the price of Thai rice had not increased as much as the government had expected, even though the pledging project was aimed at boosting prices. Farmers have not really benefited from the pledging scheme, having faced a combination of overdue payments and falling market prices, he added.As no government has ever implemented long-term measures for rice development, such a strategy needs to be drawn up to ensure sustainable incomes for farmers, as well as competitiveness for Thai rice in the global market, he said.Moreover, given upcoming seamless trade under the Asean Economic Community, the Thai rice sector faces a big challenge due to unstable prices from the subsidy project, coupled with lower development of

rice quality, he stressed.To ensure sustainable incomes and fair benefits for farmers, Wanlop said the government should still find some measures to help them in the short term, but it must also think more about long-term development. It could create a system of direct payments to subsidise the cost of production, which would not negatively affect the sector or involve market intervention, he suggested.He told the seminar that the price of Thai rice could increase slightly in the next few months because of increased demand in both the world and domestic markets, even though the caretaker government has accelerated the release of rice from its stockpiles.As the price of Thai rice is only US$10-$20 per tonne higher than Vietnamese rice, the Kingdom should be able to compete with Vietnam in the global market, he said.The Philippines and Iraq will soon open bidding to import rice, and Thai rice could win the auctions if the proposed prices are not too high, he added.Manatsanith Jirawat, a rice expert at the Commerce Ministry's Foreign Trade Department, accepted that the current government only had a plan to solve the problem of overdue pledging payments to farmers.Although the government does have a long-term measure to promote rice development, the plan cannot be carried out as it is too busy solving the payment problem and releasing rice from the stockpiles, she said. To ensure sustainable development of the industry, Thailand could cooperate more closely with other rice-exporting nations in Asean, such as Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, she suggested. While it would be quite difficult to collaborate on prices, as each country had its own agenda, Thailand as one of the world's leading rice exporters could cooperate with each of its Asean neighbours to promote rice cultivation and trading with other markets, she said.Meanwhile, the Thai Rice Exporters Association reported that the country had exported some 1.4 million tonnes of rice during the first two months of the year - 39.5 per cent higher than in the same period last year. Export value grew 12.5 per cent year on year, to Bt29.6 billion.Last month's export volume is expected to have reached 700,000 tonnes.As of April 2, the price of 5per-cent Thai white rice was quoted at $394 a tonne, while Vietnamese rice was traded between $385 and $395 a tonne.

PM admits tough rice testimony ahead

Date : 4 2557 BANGKOK, 4 April 2014, (NNT) - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has admitted that her testimony on rice support program fraud would be difficult, given only 3 witnesses out of 11 submitted to testify for her have been allowed by the National Anti Corruption Commission (NACC) . The Premier also said the NACC allowed her insufficient time to prepare for the case; however, she would fight the case fair and square under the judicial system, while insisting on her innocence. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatras legal team, meanwhile, questioned the motive of the NACC, pointing out its determination to put the Prime

Minister

on

trial

based

on

incomplete

evidence.

A member of the PMs defense team, Bancha Poramesanaporn, is preparing to request that the NACC question 4 additional witnesses, including Labor Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, Deputy Commissioner General Worapong Chiwaprecha, Deputy Secretary General of the Prime Minister Tawat Boonfieng, and President of the Federation of Accounting Professions Pichai Chunhawashira. Meanwhile, Ruengkrai Leekitwattana, Pheu Thai Partys legal advisor, echoed the Premiers lawyers opinion on the NACCs incomplete evidence, pointing out that one of the documents on the pledged rice production figures in each season was inaccurate. He also claimed the NACC is biased against Ms. Yingluck, as it has documents that can be used against former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, but did not press charge against him.

DIT proposes to curb direct sales of rice to ease low price problem
Friday, 04 April 2014By NNT The Department of Internal Trade (DIT) will next week propose measures to address the ongoing low rice price to the Rice Policy Committee. Mr. Somchart Sroythong, the DIT Director General, made the announcement after his meeting with rice mill operators and exporters aimed at maintaining the stability of grain prices in the local market and seeking assistance measures for rice farmers. He said the department would focus on selling rice to exporters through auctions rather than direct sales, following the private sectors views that the latter method made them unable to predict the exact amount of rice entering the market, leading rice prices to further plummet.Mr. Somchart revealed there were other approaches proposed during the meeting such as requiring exporters and rice mills to increase the amount of rice reserves and to have the government pay for the compensation, but his department discarded the suggestions as they are likely to breach the constitution which prohibits a caretaker government from spending additional budgets.He strongly believed that a delay in direct rice sales would not affect the governments ability to repay 20 billion baht it has borrowed from the central budget to pay farmers under the rice pledging scheme

Ismail Sabri: Malaysia hopes to end rice imports by 2020

By Muzli Mohd Zin

HANOI: Malaysia is determined to achieve its target to end rice imports and be self-sufficient to meet local demand by 2020, said Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.He said this was despite that the country had recorded an increase of 117,000 metric tonnes in rice imports last year from the total of 983,000 metric tonnes in 2012.The ministry is viewing this trend seriously and it is pertinent for us to step up our efforts in enhancing the local rice production to gradually reduce our dependency on rice imports, he told reporters today, ahead of the signing ceremony of Memorandum of Understanding between Malaysia and Vietnam here. The signing of the memorandum, which seeks collaboration between the two countries in the agriculture sector, was held today and witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.Najib, who arrived Thursday night from Perth, Australia, is on a three-day working visit to Vietnam, at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart. This is his first official visit to the country since he took office as the prime minister in 2009.Malaysia currently produces some 70 per cent of rice for local demand annually, with the remaining sourced out from several countries, including Vietnam and Pakistan.Ismail Sabri said currently, Vietnam was the biggest rice exporter to Malaysia, at 764,878 metric tonnes, valued at RM1.3 billion, in 2012 and 658,120 metric tonnes (RM812 million) last year.We have stopped importing from Thailand since several years ago due to high price imposed by them, he said, adding that Vietnamese rice was the best option not only due to its good price but also quality.Ismail Sabri said to achieve the 2020 target the ministry had come up with plans to improve the local rice production and its quality, among others included the use of hybrid paddy seeds and good agriculture practice by farmers. We are encouraging farmers to be professional and efficient in their endeavour by following our rice production checklist where, for example, they will be guided as to when to plant the paddy seeds and to apply pesticide, and how much the amount should be.We are offering incentives to encourage farmers to produce rice in a big scale manner, while encouraging them also to pool their resources and finances.He said Mardi had also been tasked to continue conducting research to produce quality seeds, like Aerob paddy seeds, which require only sprinklers to grow and can be planted three times a year.We started planting the Aerob paddy seeds last year.Ismail Sabri said the implementation of uniformed RM1,200 per tonne as the price for the purchase of paddy from the farmers in the peninsula would also push them in producing quality paddy.By producing quality paddy he said, farmers could cut their post-harvest losses as their paddy would be purchased and not be left to waste

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices - APMC & Open Market-April 4

Fri Apr 4, 2014 3:01pm IST Nagpur, Apr 4 (Reuters) - Gram and tuar prices in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) reported down on lack of demand from local millers amid poor quality arrival. Fresh fall in Madhya Pradesh pulses, increased overseas supply and release of stock from stockists also pushed down prices, according to sources. * * * *

FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Desi gram raw recovered in open market on good demand from local traders amid increased demand from local traders. TUAR * Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market matching the demand and supply position. * Major rice varieties jacked up in open market on increased buying support from local traders amid thin supply from producing regions like Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. * In Akola, Tuar - 3,900-4,100, Tuar dal - 6,100-6,300, Udid at 6,100-6,500, Udid Mogar (clean) - 7,200-7,700, Moong - 8,500-8,700, Moong Mogar (clean) 9,800-10,500, Gram - 3,200-3,300, Gram Super best bold - 3,800-4,200 for 100 kg. * Wheat 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 2,700-2,800 2,300-2,900 Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction 4,220-4,300 4,300-4,440 Moong Auction n.a. 6,100-6,300 Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500 Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800 Gram Super Best Bold 4,000-4,300 4,000-4,300 Gram Super Best n.a. Gram Medium Best 3,600-3,800 3,600-3,800 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a. Gram Mill Quality 3,650-3,750 3,650-3,750 Desi gram Raw 2,900-3,000 2,850-2,950 Gram Filter new 3,300-3,600 3,300-3,600 Gram Kabuli 8,900-10,900 8,900-10,900 Gram Pink 7,900-8,300 7,900-8,300 Tuar Fataka Best 6,600-6,700 6,600-6,700 Tuar Fataka Medium 6,100-6,300 6,100-6,300 Tuar Dal Best Phod 6,000-6,100 6,000-6,100 Tuar Dal Medium phod 5,900-6,000 5,900-6,000 Tuar Gavarani 4,450-4,600 4,450-4,600 Tuar Karnataka 4,600-4,700 4,600-4,700 Tuar Black 7,700-7,800 7,700-7,800 Masoor dal best 6,100-6,200 6,100-6,200

Masoor dal medium 5,600-5,900 5,600-5,900 Masoor n.a. n.a. Moong Mogar bold 10,500-10,800 10,500-10,800 Moong Mogar Medium best 9,800-10,200 9,800-10,200 Moong dal super best 9,200-9,500 9,200-9,500 Moong dal Chilka 8,500-8,700 8,500-8,700 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a. Moong Chamki best 8,700-9,600 8,700-9,600 Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 7,500-7,800 7,500-7,800 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,800-6,600 5,800-6,600 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,000-5,300 5,000-5,300 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 4,500-5,500 4,500-5,500 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 3,050-3,100 3,050-3,100 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,350-3,450 3,350-3,450 Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,500 3,400-3,500 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,100 4,800-5,100 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800 Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,850-1,900 1,850-1,900 Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,650-1,850 1,650-1,850 Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500 Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 2,050-2,200 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a. MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,600 3,000-3,600 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,900 2,400-2,900 Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,700 1,600-1,700 Wheat Best (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,750 1,700-1,750 Rice BPT new(100 INR/KG) 2,650-2,800 2,600-2,700 Rice BPT old (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,600 3,200-3,500 Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,850 1,700-1,800 Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG) 2,700-2,800 2,600-2,700 Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,500 2,300-2,400 Rice HMT new (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,200 3,800-4,100 Rice HMT old (100 INR/KG) 4,400-4,700 4,400-4,600 Rice HMT Shriram (100 INR/KG) 5,400-5,800 5,300-5,800 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 12,000-13,500 12,000-13,500 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,500-9,000 6,500-9,000 Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 5,700-6,100 5,600-6,000 Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG) 5,100-5,600 5,000-5,500 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,600 1,400-1,600 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 40.0 degree Celsius (104.0 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp. 21.2 degree Celsius (70.1 degree Fahrenheit) Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a. Rainfall : nil

FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Mainly clear sky. Maximum and Minimum temperature likely to be around 41 and 23 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)

Project launched to boost rice production

By GNAs

Tamale, April 3, GNA The Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has launched a US,498,465 quality rice development project to increase rice production and reduce food insecurity in the country.TRIAS Ghana and AMSIG Resources were the collaborating partners of the three-year project being funded by the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and expected to reduce the high imports of rice into the country and improve livelihood of smallholder farmers for sustainable quality rice production.Dr. Abdulai B. Salifu, Director General of the CSIR who launched the project in Tamale, said Ghana was currently importing two-thirds of its national rice requirement with over 600 million dollars annually and that the project had come at the opportune time to enhance food security.He said the CSIR had over the years conducted cutting-edge research and extended the frontiers through applied research, field studies to generate technologies for increased productivity and extend the technologies to end-users. He said it was reassuring that the government was focused on partnering with the private sector to eliminate constraints to tackle challenges in the agricultural sector and that 1,200 hectares had been added to the stock of irrigable lands for rice production.Dr. Salifu said another 8,000 hectares had been added by the private sector to supplement 6,000 hectares in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions and added that 15,200 hectares of total land had been devoted to rice cultivation in the country.He said if the country continued in such progress, it would become a net exporter of rice and that the national rice development strategy, sustainable development of rain-fed lowland rice production, rice sector support project and the inland valley rice development project were but few of the projects that would enhance growth in the sector.Agriculture-led development is fundamental to reducing hunger and poverty, generating economic growth, employment, reducing the burden of food imports and opening the way to a expansion of export, he said.Dr. Stephen K. Nutsugah, Director of SARI, said the project reaffirmed the vision of the organization to making agricultural research responsive to farmer needs and national development to maximize synergy to improve livelihoods of smallholder
farmers.He said among some of the objectives of the project was to strengthen institutional and organizational capacities of Farmer-Based Organizations to improve access to services and marketing of locally produced rice.

Mr. Samuel Sey, the Programme Officer for Farmer Organization Support Centre in Africa (FOSCA), expressed worry that poverty was most severe among food crop farmers in the country and urged government to initiate policies to assist them.He said small-scale farmers who

dominated the local rice industry lacked access to premium varieties that were demanded by the market forces noting that traditional farming practices must give way to modern farming practices for desired results.
GNA

Mechanization , loan program could reduce rice production cost in PH Sec Alcala
BY: DANILO E. DOGUILES Friday 4th of April 2014 KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato, Apr. 4 (PIA) -- Appropriate mechanization and postharvest facilities coupled with a nonrestrictive loan program could help decrease the cost of production among rice farmers in the country.Filipino rice farmers are not yet ready for the ASEAN Integration in 2015 because our production cost for palay is too high compared to those spent by farmers in other countries like Vietnam and Thailand spend, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told members of media from SOCCSKSARGEN in a meeting at his office in Quezon City recently.Citing initial reports from a study that the Department of Agriculture commissioned through Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the secretary said, the massive expenses by Filipino farmers were largely influenced by the highly manual operations from land preparation to harvesting as well as the cost of money being used by the farmers.The cost of money, he elaborated, pertains to the excessive profits that traders add to the cost of farm inputs as well as the disproportionate interests that loan sources charge. Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) reported that while rice growers in the Philippines spend P10 to produce a kilogram of palay, their counterparts in Vietnam and Thailand only shell out P5 and P8, respectively to yield the same volume.With right interventions on farm mechanization and postharvest facilities, we could lessen the production and labor cost, said Secretary Alcala, adding that the concern on exorbitant charges and interests on farm supplies and loans are being addressed partly by the Sikat Saka program.If we could lower the cost of production to P5 per kilo, Filipino farmers can really be competitive, he said.In a separate interview, DA 12 Regional Executive Director Amalia Jayag-Datukan explained further that with proper mechanization, farm activities such as planting and harvesting are shortened; the number of persons who should be hired to do farm works is also lessened.For example, a rice combine harvester could easily harvest two hectares of rice production area in less than one day, which when done by manual labor could last up to four days, Datukan said. It is also not true that using a rice harvester could result in considerable wastage, in fact, manual labor results in more losses.Losses

are further lessened when postharvest facilities such as warehouses, multi-purpose drying pavements, mechanical dryers and the like are made accessible to the rice growers, she said. Sikat Saka is a credit assistance program being implemented by DA and the Land Bank of the Philippines and the other attached agencies of the Department in support to the Food Staples Sufficiency Program. It intends help small palay growers, particularly members of irrigators associations attain better yield with a loan program with attached support such as technical assistance, administrative services, assured market, insurance, and irrigation.Loan beneficiaries are also trained on credit and financial management.Rice farmers are allowed loan of P41,000 per hectare if they raise inbred rice and P50,000 per hectare if they grow hybrid rice.In SOCCSKSARGEN Region, Sikat Saka was piloted in North Cotabato in 2012. Last year, the financial aid was opened to rice growers in Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato provinces. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12)

PH not yet rice sufficient; DA chief sorry

ABS-CBNnews.com Posted at 04/03/2014 8:22 PM | Updated as of 04/03/2014 8:22 PM

NUEVA ECIJA -- Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala has apologized for the Philippines not reaching rice sufficiency in 2013, contrary to what the agency promised.In a press conference held Thursday at the PhilRice Central Experiment Station in Muoz City, Nueva Ecija, Alcala admitted that the agency miscalculated the amount of stocks available during lean months, or during planting season.Because of local supply shortage, the government still has to depend on rice imports.The secretary refused to give any definite time when the country will stop importing rice from other countries and depend solely on local supply.He also asked local farmers to use new technology to reduce production cost and increase their harvest

report from Noriel Padiernos, ABS-CBN News North Central Luzon

Rice farmers to sue MoFA over stalled rice project

Three-hundred-and-fifty rice farmers at Ohiamadwene and its environs in the Shama District of the Western Region have threatened to take legal action against the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) for its inability to carry out a rice project for them.At a press conference held in Shama, the farmers said they had lost interest in the project and are demanding the return of their farmland, compensation for the destruction of their crops on the farms as well as severance payment as a result of their joblessness.

Mr Francis Hotoviovi, spokesman for the farmers who addressed the press conference, said government through the MoFA acquired 75 hectares of farmland from them to cultivate rice which was dubbed the Inland Valley Rice Development Project.He said as a result their crops were destroyed to pave way for the rice project but for five years now nothing had been done, thus rendering them jobless.Mr Hotoviovi said the project should have been completed in 18 months but the farmers have not set eyes on the MoFA officials and the contractor.He said a contractor negotiated with only the landowners disregarding them therefore could not tell the terms of agreement covering the project.

$5-an-acre treatments mounting up for Missouri producer

Apr 4, 2014

If he had been speaking in a different venue, Johnny Hunter probably would have been getting a lot of amens during his presentation at the National Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice Conference in Tunica, Miss.Hunter, who grows cotton, soybeans, corn, rice, wheat and popcorn on 2,500 acres in Essex, Mo., probably summed up the feelings of many producers with his wry comments about the costs of modern U.S. agriculture. He was one of more than 100 producers, Extension specialists, researchers, consultants and industry representatives speaking at the conference.I dont know about you guys, but I spend all this money doing all these necessary things that all these people are telling me to do, he said, singling out Virginia producer David Hula as an exception. (Hula, also a speaker at the Southern Corn & Soybean Conference component of the event, produced a record yield of 454 bushels per acre for a National Corn Yield Contest entry in 2013.).I want my crops and my land to start paying their own way without constant needs for applications of this and that at $5 an acre, he noted. I feel like I have to baby these crops along constantly, especially cotton. Im sick of cotton.Each time he gets a report from a consultant or field specialist, he says, it has a recommendation for him to apply another material at $5 an acre.John, we have to apply such and such, and its only $5 an acre, he said. Then two weeks later, I get another recommendation for boron, and its only $5 an acre. Well, the next thing you know youve spent $50,000 on $5 an acre treatments.
Hunter believes one of the best approaches for eliminating being nickled and dimed to death with such costs is to improve the health of his soil.while we have a highly productive soil, we have a highly degraded soil structure, he said. By improving our soil health and our soil structure, we hope to be able to reduce our inputs and reduce our overall costs in our crop production.Today, most farmers are extremely vulnerable to market swings and weather conditions. Hunter is hopeul that by improving soil health he can take some of those outside factors out of the mix. Then were not so dependent on what the price of fertilizer may be or what the price of the chemicals are or how much crop insurance we can get. We can put a safety net under ourselves by improving our soils.And thats really what were gearing up to try to do.To accomplish that objectives, Hunter plans to use a diverse mix of cover crops and what he calls almost no -till. The reason its almost no-till is that, as I said, we are furrow-irrigated so we have to make a trench for the water to go from the crown to the low end.

Weve come up with a really neat idea, and we have a prototype built that works just the way we want it to. Its two disc blades and a plow and a packer wheel. What it allows us to do is to cut through the cover crop and leave a small trench but leave the rest of the cover crop and every other middle undisturbed.The cover crop residue will lower the soil temperature and reduce plant stress. At the same time, it will allow Hunter to capture the moisture from the infrequent summer rains that occur in the Mid-South. They seem to come at an inch an hour, and they run right through your fields, he said. We want to be able to take some of this help from Mother Nature and put it to work for us.

Rice millers strike takes vehicles off road

The other demands include increasing the custom milling charges from Rs 35 to Rs 75 per quintal and clearing the dues BS Reporter April 3, 2014 Last Updated at 20:06 IST The on-going indefinite strike of rice millers in support of their various demands had put more than 5000 vehicles engaged in transportation off road.Over 1500 rice mill owners in the state have resorted to indefinite strike from April 1 in protest against government's decision to extend duration for mandatory custom milling from 2 months to 6 months.The other demands include increasing the custom milling charges from Rs 35 to Rs 75 per quintal and clearing the dues.The rice millers are also demanding withdrawal of ban on export-import of paddy and rice and checking the alleged arbitrary attitude of the officers of Food Corporation of India (FCI). "The strike had resulted in incurring a loss of Rs 150 crore per day in the state," Chhattisgarh rice millers' association president Yogesh Agrawal said.While 300,000 labourers had been rendered jobless across the state, transportation work had also come to a standstill.Agrawal claimed that more than 5000 trucks engaged in the paddy and rice transportation work had been stationed at the garage."The rice mills in Chhattisgarh, which is known as rice bowl of India even abroad, is in the dying stage," he said, adding that the millers had been mentally tortured by the officials by seizing the rice stock in the pretext of quality.The rice mill association president said they were left with no other option than to go on indefinite strike.The state government had not taken any initiative as of now to end the deadlock.

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