16th March, 2015 Daily Global Rice E - Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Daily
Global
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine
Rice E-Newsletter
March 16 , 2015
V o l u m e 5, Issue I
Balmore Trusts 60K for Malawi farmers

John Riches and Sue Bond from the Balmore Coach House with bags of Malawi fair trade rice which they
are selling in aid education for children in the African country. Friday, Feb. 26 2010.(Photo/Chris Clark)
16:00Sunday 15 March 2015
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The Balmore Trust has been awarded 60,000 to help develop a pedal-driven rice threshing
machine for Malawi farmers.
The trust, which imports fairly traded rice
and other produce from a number of African
countries, received the funding from the
Scottish Governments Small Grants Fund. It
is the largest single award to date.Chairman
and founder of the trust, John Riches, said
the project was the brainchild of Paul
Tofield, from Dumfries.He said: Two years
ago he met Howard Msukwa, one of the
farmers whose rice we sell. Paul was deeply
impressed by Howards determination and
the sheer amount of work which his rice farming involved.
When Howard told him that farmers thresh their rice by beating it against a log, Paul told him
about the pedal-driven threshing machines they used to have in Orkney. That summer Paul went
to Orkney and found an old machine. That was the basis for the three machines which have just
reached Malawi.The grant will help to get the machines manufactured in Malawi, which will in
turn provide jobs for locals.Mr Riches added: It will make low-cost machines available to
farmers clubs, freeing them from the huge burden of threshing, and allowing them more time to
develop their farms.
We think it will make a big difference, increasing productivity without damaging the
environment and like to think that this is one of the real advantages of doing fair trade.By
building really close links with farmers you can enlist remarkable support. People buy their
products and then help them find innovative solutions.Humza Yousaf, Minister for Europe and
International Development in the Scottish Government, said: These threshing machines will
make a huge difference to famers and communities in Malawi by improving crop production. Its
exciting to think that machinery built in Scotland is being used thousands of miles away to help
farmers in other nations. We are proud to support the Balmore trust.
http://www.milngavieherald.co.uk/news/local-headlines/balmore-trust-s-60k-for-malawi-farmers-13718533
APEDA NEWS
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Today's Leads
Seller Leads
Buyer Leads
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 14-03-2015
Domestic Prices
Product
Unit Price : Rs/Qtl

Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Barley (Jau)
1
Dhanera (Gujarat)
Other
1500
1500
Deoli (Rajasthan)
Other
1200
1320
Satna (Madhya Pradesh)
Other
1180
1301
Amreli (Gujarat)
Other
1350
1350
Deoli (Rajasthan)
Other
1350
1400
Theni(Tamil Nadu)
Other
1000
1200
Ludhiana (Punjab)
Other
2000
4000
Uklana(Haryana)
Other
3500
5000
Nagpur(Maharashtra)
Other
1300
2800
Surat (Gujarat)
Other
1200
1800
Bonai (Orissa)
Other
1500
2000
Sirhind(Punjab)
Other
1000
2000
Maize
Orange
Brinjal
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Source: agmarknet
for more products
Egg
Rs per 100 No.

Price on 14-03-2015
Product
Market Center
Price
Pune
280
Chittoor
268
Nagapur
250
Source: e2necc.com
International Benchmark Price

Price on: 13-03-2015
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
Garlic
1
Chinese first grade granules, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
1800
Chinese Grade A dehydrated flakes, CFR NW Europe

(USD/t)
2000
Chinese powdered, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
1300
Chinese sliced, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
4600
Chinese whole, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
Indian Cochin, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
3000
CZCE White Sugar Futures (USD/t)
787
Kenya Mumias white sugar, EXW (USD/t)
879
Pakistani refined sugar, EXW Akbari Mandi (USD/t)
477
Ginger
5100
White Sugar
Source:agra-net
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Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ / package

Price on 14-03-2015
Product
Market
Center
Origin
Variety
Low
Package: 50 lb sacks
Onions Dry
1
2
3
Atlanta
Baltimore
Chicago
Mexico
New York
Nevada
Yellow
Yellow
Yellow
13
14
10.50
11
10.50
Package: cartons film wrapped
Cauliflower
1
2
3
High
Atlanta
Mexico
Baltimore
California
Detroit
California
31
31.50
White
26
26
White
33
34
White
Package: 4/5 bushel cartons
Grapefruit
1
Atlanta
Florida
Red
14.50
15
Southern California Water Agencies Look North For

Water Sale
March 14, 2015 10:42 AM
SACRAMENTO (AP) The drought has water agencies in Southern California offering big
prices for water belonging to Northern California rice farmers.Californias giant Metropolitan
Water District and other Southern California agencies are offering to buy up to $71 million in
water from Sacramento Valley farmers, the Sacramento Bee reported Saturday. Thats for
enough water to supply between 100,000 and 200,000 households for a year.The Metropolitan
agency serves 19 million people in Los Angeles and beyond.Four years of some of the steepest
droughts on record have made water increasingly scarce in California, and have led state and
federal water projects to limit water deliveries to arid Southern California again this year.
The Metropolitan and Kern County water agencies and other water districts are now offering
farmers around Northern Californias Feather River more for their water than farmers would earn
if they used the water to grow crops. At $700 an acre foot of water, Sacramento Valley water
holders are being offered about 40 percent more for their water this summer than last
summer.That reflects the desperation and the competition from the people down there, Ted
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Trimble, general manager of the Western Canal Water District in Richvale, Butte County, one of
the participating sellers, told the Sacramento Bee.
Many of the farmers involved are rice farmers. Jim Morris, spokesman for the California Rice
Commission, said the commission wasnt familiar with the tentative sale and couldnt comment
on its impact on this years crop. Were still looking at what the upcoming season will hold,
Morris said.Californias rice farmers already cut planting by one-fourth in 2014 because of the
drought. Trimble says his district wont idle more than one-sixth of its acres this year to take the
water deal, because that would undercut the long-term health of Californias rice industry.
Californias rice fields do more than just grow rice; the Nature Conservancy says the rice fields
provided more than 13,000 acres of critical wetland for migratory wildfowl this winter through a
project with state rice farmers.Sandi Matsumoto of The Nature Conservancy said Saturday that
less water will mean less habitat for the birds for a fourth straight winter. Matsumoto said she
hopes the impact on wildlife will be considered in the water sales.
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/03/14/southern-california-water-agencies-look-north-for-water-sale/
Sierra at Tahoe ski resort closes due to lack of snow

Posted: Mar 16, 2015 5:52 AM PDTUpdated: Mar 16, 2015 5:52 AM PDT
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) - The Sierra at Tahoe ski resort is turning off its lifts and
closing its trails due to a lack of natural snow.General manager John Rice issued a statement
saying the resort has decided, "with a heavy heart," to suspend winter operations starting
Monday.The popular ski area on Highway 50 in Twin Bridges is known for its varied terrain and
snowmaking ability. But, Rice says, the lack of natural precipitation has left too many bare spots
on runs.Rice says Sierra at Tahoe is prepared to resume operations if snow starts falling
again.The Sacramento Bee reports (http://bit.ly/1EUzajh ) the announcement comes on the heels
of the mid-February closure of Donner Summit for the same reason.The Northstar ski resort,
another popular Tahoe destination, remains open.Information from: The Sacramento
Bee, http://www.sacbee.com
http://www.cbs8.com/story/28527943/sierra-at-tahoe-ski-resort-closes-due-to-lack-of-snow
Japan launches initiative to boost rice exports to Singapore

KYODO
MAR 16, 2015
SINGAPORE A rice export association has launched an initiative to sell more rice to
Singapore, taking advantage of the wealthy city-states appetite for Japanese cuisine.The
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program, titled This is Japan Quality, was developed by the Japan Rice and Rice Industry
Export Promotion Association in partnership with the agriculture ministry to expand Japanese
culinary culture by highlighting the merits of Japanese rice.It aims to ultimately increase the
amount of rice and rice products exported globally by first focusing on Singapore, the
associations chairman, Ryo Kimura, said Monday.
In particular it aims to use Singapore as a strategic springboard to spread Japanese culinary
culture in Southeast Asia and fuel interest in Japanese rice products.The agriculture ministry
estimates that Japan exported more than 1,200 tons of rice valued at more than 370 million to
the tiny city-state last year about 10 times the amount exported to China.The association has
designed a new logo for Japanese rice products and a website with information about Japanese
rice. The rice will have QR codes on the packaging that will enable buyers to have easy access to
the website.
Akira Karasawa, director general for crop production at the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Ministry, said at the launch event that the government is trying to promote the export of
agriculture and fishery products globally.Japans global export value of rice is small at only 1.4
billion last year. The government has set a goal of raising the export value of rice and rice
products to 60 billion by 2020, Karasawa said.He added that one of the reasons for launching
the initiative in Singapore is due to the nations high income level.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/03/16/business/economy-business/japan-launches-initiative-toboost-rice-exports-to-singapore/#.VQiRrNLF_Jc
Neda backs moves to lift rice import restrictions

Philippine Daily Inquirer
7:26 AM | Monday, March 16th, 2015

MANILA, PhilippinesKeeping the high import duties slapped on rice while allowing the private
sector to influence the commoditys supply would auger well for rice prices, according to the
countrys chief economist, amid calls to remove the quantitative restriction (QR) on
imports.Also, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan told reporters last Friday
that the government was looking at the possibility of repealing RA No. 8178, or the Agricultural
Tariffication Act of 1996, which put in place the QR on rice importation.Balisacan, who is also
the director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), noted that the
QR puts the burden of rice demand and supply on the government, while market forces are being
limited by the quota system.
The Neda chief had partly blamed high rice prices for the higher poverty incidence registered in
the first half of last year, as the commodity accounts for a fifth of low income families
budgets.Since the government imposes a quota on rice imports, domestic prices are vulnerable to
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shocks resulting from meager supply.The World Trade Organization last year allowed the
Philippines to extend its QR on rice until 2017, in a bid to buy more time for local farmers to
prepare for free trade in light of the governments goal of achieving rice self-sufficiency.The
extended QR slaps 35-percent duty on imported rice under a minimum access volume (MAV) of
805,200 metric tons.
Importation outside of the MAV limit are levied a higher tariff of 50 percent.For Balisacan,
retaining the high duties on rice is already a very transparent, efficient and market-friendly
instrument.The Philippines most favored nation or MFN ratethe additional tariff imposed
when imported outside of Aseanon the commodity remains at about 40 percent.Importation,
meanwhile, should be the task of the private sector to allow market forces to determine prices,
the Neda chief said.Balisacan disclosed that during last Fridays economic development cluster
meeting, various government agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, agreed to draft
their proposals geared towards potentially scrapping the QR system.
But while RA 8178 is still in place, and acknowledging that it may take time to repeal the law,
Balisacan said the government needs to be vigilant in monitoring the supply and demand of
rice, adding that we have to find a way to reduce upward price pressures on food.Also, the
government should focus on initiatives to increase rice farmers incomes rather than just
increasing their production, Balisacan said. We must determine if their inputs are expensive.
We need to raise farmers productivity.To do so, irrigation systems should be improved, and
farmers should also be given access to new agricultural technologies that yield higher harvests,
the Neda chief said.
http://business.inquirer.net/188553/neda-backs-moves-to-lift-rice-importrestrictions#ixzz3Ug67rdiT
Rice import limits need reviewNeda

By Jennifer Ambanta | Mar. 15, 2015 at 11:20pm
The National Economic and Development Authority said over the weekend the government
should review quantitative restrictions on rice imports because they tend to increase food
prices.Neda director general Arsenio Balisacan told reporters the limit in importing one of the
most important commodities was resulting in an upward pressure on prices and eroding the
income of most Filipino families. As we have noted earlier, the gains from increased incomes
were unfortunately negated by faster and higher inflation in food prices, especially of rice,
Balisacan said.He noted that the government should weigh the benefits of the quantitative
restrictions against the inflationary pressure it put on rice.
We have to study that because that should not be the case. We have to cure the root of the
problem, which is the uncertainty in the... international trade for agricultural
commodities, Balisacan said. The administration said with quantitative restrictions, farmers
were more protected from dumping, or excessive inflow of rice at cheap prices, in the local
market which may affect the livelihood of Filipino farmers.The World Trade OrganizationCommittee on Trade in Goods recently approved the Philippines bid to extend the
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implementation of the quantity restriction on rice up to 2017.The WTO approved our request
for extension of QR up to 2017. So we still have [time] to find a way to achieve what we want to
achieve.
Before 2017, we need to push for measures that have been neglected. We also have a law, RA
8178, that placed rice under a QR regime. So until the law is amended, there is still a QR on
rice, Balisacan said.He said the government would create a technical working group to study the
benefits and the risks of the quantitative restrictions as well as the measures needed to be in
place by 2017.We need to make sure that we are putting in measures that will guarantee or
enhance our capability to respond to price shocks, he said.
http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/03/15/rice-import-limits-need-review-neda/
THAILAND PRESS-Officials probed over rice - Bangkok

Post
Mon Mar 16, 2015 1:19am GMT
Almost 30 Thai state officials, politicians and individuals from the private sector will be investigated for
alleged involvement in a rice-pledging scheme of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra
administration, Bangkok Post reported, citing a source in the finance ministry. (bit.ly/1GTqDOb)
NOTE: Reuters has not verified this story and does not vouch for its accuracy. (Compiled by
Bangkok Newsroom; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N0WI0KY20150316
Rice charges
THE NATION March 16, 2015 1:00 am
PUBLIC prosecutors will tomorrow charge former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and 20
others for having allegedly faked government-to-government rice deals so that they could manipulate the
government's stockpiles.The prosecutors have informed the National Anti-Corruption Commission
(NACC) to bring the 21 suspects to the Office of the Attorney General tomorrow for the court
arraignment. Sources said prosecutors have submitted a request to the NACC to inform the 21 suspects to
meet prosecutors.
It is not yet known if any of the suspects would appear at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for
Political Office Holders when prosecutors file the indictment against them.Meanwhile, the court will
decide on Thursday over whether to accept the suit filed by the attorney-general against former PM
Yingluck Shinawatra for her alleged failure to stop corruption in the rice-pledging scheme.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Rice-charges-30256082.html
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Japan launches initiative to boost rice exports to Singapore

KYODO
MAR 16, 2015
SINGAPORE A rice export association has launched an initiative to sell more rice to
Singapore, taking advantage of the wealthy city-states appetite for Japanese cuisine.The
program, titled This is Japan Quality, was developed by the Japan Rice and Rice Industry
Export Promotion Association in partnership with the agriculture ministry to expand Japanese
culinary culture by highlighting the merits of Japanese rice.It aims to ultimately increase the
amount of rice and rice products exported globally by first focusing on Singapore, the
associations chairman, Ryo Kimura, said Monday.
In particular it aims to use Singapore as a strategic springboard to spread Japanese culinary
culture in Southeast Asia and fuel interest in Japanese rice products.The agriculture ministry
estimates that Japan exported more than 1,200 tons of rice valued at more than 370 million to
the tiny city-state last year about 10 times the amount exported to China.The association has
designed a new logo for Japanese rice products and a website with information about Japanese
rice. The rice will have QR codes on the packaging that will enable buyers to have easy access to
the website.
Akira Karasawa, director general for crop production at the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Ministry, said at the launch event that the government is trying to promote the export of
agriculture and fishery products globally.Japans global export value of rice is small at only 1.4
billion last year. The government has set a goal of raising the export value of rice and rice
products to 60 billion by 2020, Karasawa said.He added that one of the reasons for launching
the initiative in Singapore is due to the nations high income level.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/03/16/business/economy-business/japan-launchesinitiative-to-boost-rice-exports-to-singapore/#.VQiT-dLF_Jc
Drastic fall in paddy cultivation in Karimnagar

Karimnagar district, which emerged as the rice bowl of Telangana, now faces a bleak future as
the area under paddy cultivation has declined drastically, causing concern among farmers and
others.Severe drought condition, a depleting groundwater table and poor inflows into the
irrigation projects are cited as reasons for diminishing area under paddy cultivation in the rabi
season. Since 2006, Karimnagar began to find a place on the paddy cultivation map as it
registered good production. The area of paddy cultivation increased from 1.38 lakh hectares to
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2.98 lakh hectares.But this rabi season,
paddy cultivation came down drastically due
to deficit rainfall and poor inflows into the
major irrigation projects of SRSP and the
Lower Manair Dam. In-charge Joint Director
(agriculture) Shatru Naik told The Hindu that
paddy cultivation came down to 90,850
hectares compared to 1.38 lakh hectares.In
the usual course, paddy cultivation would
have been taken up in over 2 lakh hectares
had the district received good rains. The
agriculture official said that poor rainfall
would certainly impact production. He said
40 per cent of the paddy produce was meant
for producing seed, 20-25 per cent for sale
while the remaining is consumed by
farmers.S. Komuraiah, a farmer from
Chenjarla village of Manakondur mandal,
said that he had cultivated paddy only in one
acre of land for domestic use as the water in
the well had depleted.
He had to leave the remaining four acres idle. He said he was facing hurdles in watering the crop
due to depletion of the groundwater table.Annamaneni Sudhakar Rao, director of Karimnagar
district rice millers association, said that the drought had cast its shadow on the rice mills as well
with several of them having closed down in the district.People who had purchased harvesters to
eke out a living are also at the receiving end due to low production of paddy, he added.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/drastic-fall-in-paddy-cultivation-inkarimnagar/article6997770.ece
Existing system of paddy procurement will be continued,

says Chandy
SARATH BABU GEORGE
Seeking to allay the concerns of paddy farmers, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has assured
that the existing system of paddy procurement will not be discontinued.Launching the harvest of
the puncha crop at the Chithira Lake paddy fields in Kainakary on Sunday, Mr. Chandy said that
an allocation of Rs. 300 crore has been made in the State budget for paddy procurement that was
being undertaken at a rate of Rs. 19 per kg.While the Centre provided Rs. 13.60 per kg for
paddy procured, the remaining amount was disbursed by the State government as subsidy. The
burden borne by the State accounted for Rs. 300 crore annually.
Considering its financial limitations, the government could not afford to extend the subsidy any
further. However, the Central government has been requested to hike the price being provided
for paddy, he said.Mr. Chandy added that the promotion of neera production has worked
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wonders for the coconut sector of the State. According to him, every coconut tree has been
bringing huge returns of up to Rs. 3,000 per month for the farmers. Such initiatives are expected
to transform agriculture into viable sources of income for the farming community, he said.
He also called for reviving paddy cultivation in the adjacent Rani Lake fields during the current
year. The Chief Minister also directed the district administration to pursue options in introducing
a collective model of farming in the Chithira fields. The technique, if found successful, could
become a model to emulate for the other parts of the State, he said.Presiding over the function,
Agriculture Minister K.P. Mohanan directed the District Collector to convene a meeting to assess
the ongoing harvest activities. Speaking on the occasion,
District Collector N. Padmakumar said that the Supplyco will undertake the procurement of
paddy harvested from the Chithira fields. The government agency had refused to procure paddy
initially. Around 600-700 metric tonne of paddy was expected from the nearly 100 hectares of
cultivated field.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/existing-system-of-paddy-procurement-will-be-continuedsays-chandy/article6997955.ece
In Memory: Richard Bell

Richard E. "Dick" Bell
The U.S. rice industry is deeply saddened by the passing of Richard E.

"Dick" Bell, 81, in Stuttgart, Arkansas on March 13. Bell was president
and CEO of Riceland Foods for more than 23 years. In 2005, he was
named Arkansas's first Secretary of Agriculture, a post he held until he
retired in 2012. Bell joined Riceland in 1977 as executive vice president
and chief operating officer, and was elevated to the chief executive
position in 1981. He retired from Riceland in 2004.Former Arkansas
Governor Mike Huckabee, in a statement following Bell's death, said,
"His vast knowledge of the entire agricultural landscape, and the respect
he earned from everyone in the agri-world, made him the best choice to
launch our state's Agriculture Department when it was created."
Bell, a native of Illinois, earned graduate and undergraduate degrees from the University of
Illinois-Urbana, and joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agriculture Service in
1959 as an agricultural economist. Bell served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Agriculture and
then as Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for International Affairs and Commodity Programs
from 1973-1977. Bell also served as president of the USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation
and Chairman of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. In recognition of his accomplishments
in the international trade arena, Bell was awarded the USDA's Distinguished Service Award in
1975.
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"Dick Bell greatly expanded the economic importance of the rice industry in Arkansas and the
United States," said USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward. "He combined a deep expertise in
agriculture with a keen understanding of farm and food policy that made him an effective
advocate."
Information on services is not yet available.
Courtesy :USA Rice Federation
Growing appetite for Japanese rice in Singapore

Consumption here has doubled to 1,359 tonnes from 2011
PUBLISHED ON MAR 17, 2015 7:36 AM
FairPrice saw 50 per cent growth in demand last year from 2013 for its housebrand FairPrice
Japonica Rice. Industry players attribute the popularity of Japanese rice to factors such as the
growth in the number of Japanese expatriates and restaurants here as well as the rising affluence
of Singaporeans. -- ST PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI
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BY JESSICA LIM CONSUMER CORRESPONDENT
The short-grained, sticky Japanese rice has become more popular here despite its higher cost,
with consumption more than doubling since 2011.Last year, Singaporeans consumed 1,359
tonnes of rice from Japan, up from 602 tonnes in 2011, figures from state trade promotion arm
International Enterprise Singapore show.Singapore is the second largest importer of Japanese
rice in the world after Hong Kong, going by data from the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and
Fisheries Japan (MAFFJ).People here ate eight times as much Japanese rice as the amount
exported to China and 26 times that to Malaysia.
Industry players point to increasing affluence, the booming number of Japanese restaurants and
the growing number of Japanese expatriates in Singapore as reasons for the increase.Others said
the recent surge in the prices of Thai rice, leading to falling demand here, led to more consumers
switching sources.India, for instance, overtook Thailand as the biggest rice supplier to Singapore
for the first time in 2013.
Thailand, famous for its premium grade of Jasmine rice, has been the top source of the staple
here since at least 1998."When prices of Thai rice went up, some consumers switched to
Japanese rice and did not switch back," said Mr Andrew Tan, 35, chairman of the Singapore
General Rice Importers Association.At Meidi-ya supermarket, a 5kg bag of Royal Umbrella Thai
rice costs $18.95; and a 2kg bag of Niigata Uonuma rice from Japan costs $21.However, he also
pointed out the fast jump in figures should be taken with a pinch of salt given that they started
from a low base.Singapore consumed a total of 325,860 tonnes of rice last year, with Japanese
imports not even making up 1 per cent.Mr Akira Karasawa, MAFFJ's director-general of crop
production, said the greater consumption of Japanese rice here could be because there are more
Japanese expatriates and restaurants here, as well as the affluence of Singaporeans.
The Japanese ministry has launched the This Is Japan Quality logo, which will be tagged onto all
Japanese rice products here. It has a QR code that links to a website with information about the
merits of Japanese rice.Supermarkets are also seeing brisk sales.At Giant, demand for Japanese
rice has grown each year since 2011, with its spokesman reporting "high single-digit percentage
growth" year on year.FairPrice saw 50 per cent growth in demand last year from 2013 for its
housebrand FairPrice Japonica Rice.Consumers like Ms Jane Wong, 36, started buying more
Japanese rice last year to make Japanese meals for her four children to take to school because "it
is healthier", she said.However, replacing the Vietnamese rice they eat for their daily meals with
Japanese rice is not an option for now. "The price is still too high," she said.
limjess@sph.com.sg
http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/growing-appetite-japaneserice-singapore-20150317#sthash.BklF9xjt.dpuf
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USA Rice Talking Trade Again in Havana

Marvin Lehrer meets with Yudith Viera Gallardo North American division, ministry foreign
trade (l),
and Aniurka Ortiz Marquetti
HAVANA, CUBA -- USA Rice's Marvin Lehrer was
here last week for meetings with the Cuban food
buying agency, ALIMPORT, and the Ministry of
Foreign Trade. Lehrer also visited several hard
currency supermarkets, ration card stores, and public
markets to see how rice is currently being sold in
Cuba."I was here to re-establish the long-standing
close relationships with the government entities
charged with rice imports that we've developed over
the years, and to take the pulse of trade in general,"
Lehrer said.
"There have been many personnel changes throughout the Cuban government, especially at
ALIMPORT, and we wanted to exchange ideas with these new people, jump start a close
relationship."Lehrer also wanted to check in with people here to learn what they really think
about the changing dynamic between the United States and Cuba."We certainly achieved our
goals and established a warm dialogue with new people," he said.
"It will form an excellent foundation moving forward.""We thank USA Rice for their visit," said
Aniurka Ortiz Marquetti, General Vice President of ALIMPORT and in charge of U.S.
purchases. "We are well aware of their long history in working to open trade both here in
Havana and in the U.S., and we know we can count on their guidance, support, and under new
conditions, sales in the future. We have had a lot of turnover the past couple of years at
ALIMPORT, and re-establishing contact face-to-face is very important.
""Cuban rice imports are not as large as a few years ago as they report that local production has
increased as a result of technical assistance from Cuba's Asian trading partners, but milled rice
imports are still quite significant," Lehrer explained. "Cubans know about our quality, and
logistic advantage, but our ability to break into the market once again will depend upon
significant changes to the embargo. We need genuine two-way trade and some type of credit
needs to be extended to the Cuban government."Cuba currently receives credit from main rice
supplier Vietnam, as well as credit terms from Spain, Brazil, and some others.
"My sense is that they want U.S. rice, but we cannot be competitive due to restrictive terms
imposed by the embargo," said Lehrer.Lehrer also met with several foreign press contacts and
the U.S. Interests Section in Havana in order to get a better feel for their views on progress
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towards normalization with the U.S., as well as a sense of any changes in Cuba which might
affect future sales of U.S. rice.
Contact: Michael Klein (703) 236-1458
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures

CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for March 16
Month
Price
Net Change
March 2015
$10.525
- $0.055
May 2015
$10.775
- $0.055
July 2015
$10.895
- $0.050
September 2015
$11.065
- $0.040
November 2015
$11.210
- $0.040
January 2016
$11.210
- $0.040
March 2016
$11.210
- $0.040
System of Rice Intensification earns food security prize

By Lucy Fisher
Norman Uphoff, left, shows the respective heights and root

systems of randomly selected rice plants from a regular field
in his hand while a farmer from West Nuwagoan village in
Tripura state in India holds a plant from an SRI field.The
System of Rice Intensification(SRI), an agro-ecological
method of growing rice that enhances crop yields and is
resilient to the adverse effects of climate change, has been
awarded the international Olam Prize for Innovation in Food
Security. SRI is being recognized for its impact on the
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availability, affordability, accessibility and adequacy of food.
Norman Uphoff, professor emeritus of government and former director of the Cornell
International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development (CIIFAD), who has been working
with SRI for over 20 years, accepted the prize during the third Global Science Conference on
Climate Smart Agriculture March 16 in Montpellier, France. The Olam Prize provides $50,000
to support further SRI research.The main factors that explain the impacts of SRI management
are the development of larger, more effective root systems and the promotion of greater
abundance and diversity of beneficial soil organisms, which are factors outside the Green
Revolution paradigm, says Uphoff. He noted that SRI concepts and methodologies are being
extended to crops such as wheat, millet and sugarcane under the broader System of Crop
Intensification.
Uphoff first learned about SRI in Madagascar in 1993 while serving as director of CIIFAD.
Farmers there were getting paddy rice yields of 2 tons per hectare from their very poor soils with
conventional methods. Using SRI methods, farmers averaged 8 tons. In 1997, after three years of
such results, Uphoff began working with researchers in Madagascar and other countries to
develop scientific explanations for this unexpected productivity and to get the methods evaluated
elsewhere and, if successful, adopted.
SRI methods have been shown to increase crop yields by 20 to 50 percent often as much as 100
percent and more with significant reductions in water requirements and seed. SRI began
spreading globally after 2000, in large part due to Uphoffs initiatives and efforts, as the Olam
Prize recognizes. The effectiveness of SRI methods has now been demonstrated in more than 50
countries.
In 2010, a gift from Jim Carreys Better U Foundation supported establishment of the SRI
International Network and Resources Center (SRI-Rice) at Cornell within CIIFAD. The program
now operates within International Programs of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Uphoff serves as a senior adviser for the SRI team, which promotes knowledge and advances
research on SRI and SCI as freely and widely as possible.
The SRI-Rice website gives extensive information on the origins, practices, impacts and research
evaluations of SRI. SRI-Rice provides online access to global SRI knowledge resources,
guidance for researchers, practitioners and farmers, and technical support to a World Bankfunded program to improve and scale up SRI in 13 West African countries.Global agribusiness
Olam International partnered with the Agropolis Fondation to launch the Olam Prize for
Innovation in Food Security in celebration of its 25th anniversary to address global food security
through agricultural innovation and the development of sustainable supply chains.Lucy Fisher is
the communications director for SRI-Rice.
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http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2015/03/system-rice-intensification-earns-food-securityprize
How space and sensory technology can boost rice

production
EU-funded researchers are developing hi-tech methods for monitoring rice crops in order to
increase yields and encourage sustainable farming.
New ways of monitoring rice crops could provide

growers with better information including early
warnings of possible threats and enable more accurate
yield predictions. These are some of the key objectives
of the EU-funded ERMES project, which is set to hold
its first annual meeting from 26 to 27 March 2015.The
event will be held in Valencia, Spain and will give
ERMES partners from Italy, Greece, Spain and
Switzerland the chance to discuss progress made in
developing new hi-tech methods for monitoring crops.
The project aims to compile satellite and sensory data using advance smart applications and
technologies.The data collected will be used to develop two new services to improve crop
production in Europe. Both of these products will be distributed to local and regional users
through two web-based services: a Local Rice Service (LRS) and a Regional Rice Service
(RRS).The LRS will be targeted at farmers and the agricultural service sector. This will provide
added value information for farmers on yield variability, risk alerts and crop damage at the farm
scale. The service will help farmers plan where to spread pesticide, what rice varieties might
grow best and what parts of the field might require fertilisation.
To aid the collection of this kind of information, customised smart applications for mobile
phones and/or tablets are being developed. These apps will enable farmers and field operators to
collect data and automatically upload it to the ERMES database. It will also allow them to send
geotagged messages and pictures with information of particular field conditions.The RRS on the
other hand will be a customised agro-monitoring resource for crop mapping, yield estimating and
risk forecast. This information is meant to be used by regional authority experts to support, for
example, the production of digital bulletins on rice crop risks and yield forecasts. The service
will allow regional operators to receive, visualise and analyse information at the regional scale.
The three Mediterranean countries responsible for 85 % of Europes total rice production have
been selected for trials: Italy (51.9 %), Spain (25.4 %) and Greece (7.0 %). Local farmers will
provide vital field information, and act as sounding boards throughout the project (which runs
from 2014 to 2017). The aims and objectives of the ERMES project were recently presented at
the 18th European Weed Research Society (EWRS) scientific conference, held in Crete from 3 to
4 March 2015.
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ERMES, coordinated by CNR-IREA (Institute on Electromagnetic Sensing of Environment) in
Italy, involves partners from four European countries with strong expertise in different scientific
domains such as remote sensing, crop modelling agronomy and IT. In the long run, the project
hopes to make a lasting contribution towards sustainable and competitive agriculture in Europe,
through reducing production costs, achieving efficiencies and minimising the sectors
environmental impact.For further information please visit:
ERMES
http://www.ermes-fp7space.eu/
http://cordis.europa.eu/news/rcn/122548_en.html?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+March+16%2C+2015&utm_
campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
Root and branch

The prime minister is overhauling the powerful farm co-operatives, with some success
Mar 13th 2015 |
TOKYO | AsiaONE reason to take seriously recent
moves by Japans government to reform the
countrys vast, quasi-statist system of agricultural
co-operatives is a personal story. The politician
pushing hardest for reformalongside Shinzo Abe,
the prime ministeris Yoshihide Suga, the chief
cabinet secretary and Mr Abes consigliere. Mr
Sugas late father was a struggling farmer from
Akita prefecture, among the poorest, who in middle age gave up trying to make a living from
growing rice. He switched to strawberries, starting a growers union outside the dominant cooperative system, Japan Agriculture (JA).
Mr Suga has described how he watched his father free himself from JAs tentacles. He is not
alone in his dislike: JA is popular with few outside its 240,000 employees, and many farmers
criticise it. It was set up in 1947, when land reform under the American occupation meant that
many peasants suddenly became landowners. But even as the farming sector declined, JA
mushroomed into a vast bureaucracy. More than half of the 10m members who use its many
services, ranging from banking and insurance to funerals and wedding halls, are not even
farmers. Yet JA-Zenchu, the lobbying group that sits at the heart of JA, wields disproportionate
clout in setting Japans agricultural policy.
Mr Abe is now mounting a serious challenge to its influence. Last month his government
announced that JA-Zenchu would lose its privileged, semi-public status. It will also forgo its
right to audit and guide Japans 700 local farm co-operatives, which will be prodded towards
greater independence. A local JA co-operative in Echizen, in Fukui prefecture, has already
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broken business ties with its parent organisation. The government sees it as a model for the
rest.The government also says it would like to overhaul JAs monopolistic marketing division,
JA Zen-Nohwhich charges farmers above-market prices for fertiliser and other productsinto
an ordinary public company. The organisation is currently exempt from an anti-monopoly act.
But the government appears to have backed down from removing the exemption.
The current plan merely urges local co-operatives not to force farmers to buy from JA.JAZenchus chairman, Akira Banzai, plays down the impact of the governments assault on it. And
indeed the governments reforms stop short of reining in the groups financial services or fully
freeing regional co-operatives from its grip. Initial and more radical proposals, via a reform
committee, had included abolishing JA-Zenchu outright. In the end, concessions were made to
JAs many friends in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).Even so, Mr Abe deserves
credit.
JA-Zenchu was once thought untouchable because of its ties to the LDP. A precipitous decline in
productive farming (the average age of a Japanese farmer is 66) has underlined the chronic
failure of its policies, which have kept most Japanese farms tiny and inefficient. Behind the
scenes, the governments reformers won over local agricultural co-operatives, as well as Diet
members who might otherwise have sought to block any change. JA-Zenchu found itself rather
isolated.Takeshi Niinami, an expert on agricultural reform who sits on a key economic-policy
council, argues that Mr Abes methods compare favourably to those of Junichiro Koizumi,
Japans prime minister from 2001 to 2006. Mr Koizumi pushed through the bold reform of
privatising the postal system, a vast collector of household savings. Yet postal reform was
largely undone after Mr Koizumi left office.
By seeking broader support, including from the local co-ops, Mr Niinami says, Mr Abe can
expect his changes not to suffer the same fate.Another key test of resolve may come soon with
the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a 12-country free-trade agreement. Negotiations are coming
to a head. In Japan, JA-Zenchu has stubbornly opposed lowering Japans high tariffs on rice,
beef and other foods. It has whipped up other industries in Japan, including the medical business,
to oppose the agreement. Weakening the organisation is one way for Mr Abe to speed up TPP
negotiations. If a deal is struck, deeper agricultural reform must follow if Japanese farmers are to
compete. The most significant would be allowing companies to own farmland, a move currently
blocked by JA as well as by farmers. A diminished JA-Zenchu would help.
http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21646328-prime-minister-overhauling-powerful-farm-co-operatives-some-success-root-andbranch?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+March+16%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
Officials probed over rice

Two investigative panels to be set up
16 Mar 2015 at 07:12
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NEWSPAPER SECTION: BUSINESS | WRITER: WICHIT CHANTANUSORNSIRI
A file photo shows a National Legislative Assembly member in January voting to impeach
former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, charging her with dereliction of duty in running the
rice-pledging scheme. The Supreme Court is set to decide on Thursday on whether to accept the
case for trial.CHANAT KATANYU
Almost 30 state officials, politicians and individuals
from the private sector will be investigated for
alleged involvement in the Yingluck Shinawatra
administration's rice-pledging scheme, says a
Finance Ministry source.Compensation may be
sought against them if they are found guilty of
deliberate or serious reckless acts as stipulated in the
Act on Liability for Wrongful Acts of Officials, and
their acts aimed at illegally taking advantage for their
own and others' benefits as stated in the Criminal
Code's Section 1.If the examining panel finds no grounds of corruption, the state officials need
not take responsibility for financial damages, the source said.The case will mark the first time
that state officers could face damage claims from carrying out government policy, the source
said.This would cause a climate of fear among state officials in executing the policies of future
governments, the source said.
The Yingluck government's rice-pledging scheme, which set the price pledged to farmers at 4050% higher than the market price, caused an estimated 536 billion baht in losses, while the
administration stockpiled 17.5 million tonnes of pledged rice. The Office of the AttorneyGeneral last month indicted Ms Yingluck for alleged dereliction of duty related to the losses
incurred and corruption in the scheme.Two investigation panels will be established. One is
attached to the Finance Ministry, which will carry out the probe related to Ms Yingluck, and the
other panel, overseen by the Commerce Ministry, will investigate the case linked to former
commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom.The two panels will base their probes on the
allegations filed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
The two committees could be set up within 10 days and the investigation would be wrapped up
by Sept 1.The findings will be sent to another committee, which will decide on
compensation.However, another source said that state officials had to act cautiously in
proceeding with the rice-pledging policy as the project had been warned twice by the anti-graft
commission, and frequently by academics.If any of the state officials have evidence that they
were opposed to the project after learning that it had problems, they can submit it for
deliberation. Legal action against the state officials will be taken in three ways criminal
charges if corruption or neglect of duties have been found, sacking as a disciplinary punishment,
and demand for compensation.Get full Bangkok Post printed newspaper experience on your
digital devices with Bangkok Post e-newspaper. Try it out, it's totally free for 7 days.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/497608/officials-probed-over-rice
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Balmore Trusts 60K for Malawi farmers

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Sierra at Tahoe ski resort closes due to lack of snow

Japan launches initiative to boost rice exports to Singapore

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Neda backs moves to lift rice import restrictions

7:26 AM | Monday, March 16th, 2015

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Rice import limits need reviewNeda

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THAILAND PRESS-Officials probed over rice - Bangkok

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Japan launches initiative to boost rice exports to Singapore

Drastic fall in paddy cultivation in Karimnagar

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Existing system of paddy procurement will be continued,

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In Memory: Richard Bell

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Growing appetite for Japanese rice in Singapore

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