1st December, 2015 Daily Global Regional, Local Rice E - Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Daily Global,Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter
December 01,2015
Vol 5 Issue XII
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Rice News Headlines...
Pakistan's exports to UAE set to grow 10 per cent

India exported 55.26 lakh tonnes of rice in April-September
GRAIN MARKETS OF HARYANA GET OVER 55.51L MT OF PADDY THIS YEAR
Basmati rice export down by 31pc
India seeks preferential trade deal with Iran
Harvesting losses: Behind the trouble on Punjab's rice farms
Rice fuels 123% rally in Indian mills tapping new-age consumers
Boost for Basmati rice exports as Iran to issue fresh contracts
Saudi Arabia consumes more Indian rice these days than Iran
NRRI Awarded for Green Revolution
Vietnams rice industry in urgent need of restructuring
Farming model increases profits, lowers emissions
Australia will produce less grain than expected, but still more than last year: ABARES
report
Northeast farmers told to refrain from off-season rice
Central and State govts must remember: Allowing others to eat is also corruption
12/01/2015 Farm Bureau Market Report
U.S. Rice Increases Presence on British Retail Shelves
U.S. Rice "Cal-Bowl" Demonstration Kick Starts Retail Campaign in Japan
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
Greg Abbott lands in Cuba for a whirlwind visit to promote Texas trade
2 local firms win bid to buy 37,000 tonnes of rotten rice
APEDA Rice Commodity News
How climate change affects malnutrition
California Calrose Receives World's Best Rice AwardHinode rice celebrates results of
7th Annual World Rice Conference blind taste test
El Nino Shrinking Rice Crop Worldwide to Spur Vietnamese Sales
Efforts to 'turbocharge' rice and reduce world hunger enter important new phase
New Variety Of Rice Fights Global Warming And Global Hunger
From Cauliflower Rice to Cinnamon Water, Healthy Food Startups Dominate
Rice exports down on Basmati slump
Opposition targets Haryana goverment on 'paddy scam', demands probe
Sri Lankas Nawaloka Holdings enters the FMCG sector
The Philippines Fights Climate Change With Rice and Religion
News Detail...
Pakistan's exports to UAE set to grow 10 per cent


Haseeb Haider
Filed on November 30, 2015 | Last updated on November 30, 2015 at 07.18 am
Habib Ahmed briefs Mohammed Helal Al Muhairi on products exhibited by the visiting delegation from
Pakistan's Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Asif Ali Khan Durrani
is also seen.The UAE imports perishable vegetables, fruits, meat, poultry, rice, engineering and electrical
products, textiles and ICT products from Pakistan.Abu Dhabi: Pakistan is targeting a 10 per cent growth
in exports to the UAE, which reached $3 billion in financial year 2014-15, according to a top
diplomat."We are targeting 10 per cent growth in our exports to the UAE during 2015-16," Asif Ali Khan
Durrani, Pakistan's Ambassador to the UAE, told Khaleej Times on the sidelines of an event at the Abu
Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) to host a trade delegation from the Sialkot Chamber
of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).The ambassador said year-on-year bilateral trade volume has grown 11
per cent to $9 billion in the last two years, but enormous potential exists to improve these numbers.
"In order to capitalise on growth potential, Pakistan embassy is more active to invite more trade
delegations, aiming for greater participation in exhibitions and trade shows in the UAE," Durrani said.
He said the ADCCI visit was part of this initiative and more such delegations are lined up for the future.
"These will boost interaction between business communities and promote greater visibility of Pakistani
products," Durrani said.The UAE imports perishable vegetables, fruits, meat, poultry, rice, engineering
and electrical products, textiles and ICT products from Pakistan. Though no major item has been added to
the traditional exports list, there has been a rise in the volume of exports recently.

The visit by the SCCI is an unprecedented visit by any Pakistani trade body, Durrani said.
Members met ADCCI director-general Mohammed Helal Al Muhairi. They also organised an exhibition
of sports and surgical goods, industrial wares and auto parts.
With the improvement in electricity supply in Pakistan, industrial output has increased considerably this
year, the ambassador said. Industries are also spending on building their electricity generation
capabilities. This has enhanced production for both export and domestic consumption, he added.
Habib Ahmed, commercial counsellor at the Pakistan Embassy, said the Sialkot exhibitors were targeting
a market worth $56 billion annually. Elaborating, he said the vehicles and auto parts is a $20 billion trade;
surgical goods is worth $3 billion; sports goods market is over $1 billion; rice and grains $2 billion;
uniforms, badges, protective gear and workwear at $3 billion.
The response to the exhibition was positive, with requests for dealership coming from local businessmen,
Ahmed added.
haseeb@khaleejtimes.com
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/economy/pakistans-exports-to-uae-set-to-grow-10-per-cent
India exported 55.26 lakh tonnes of rice in April-September

By PTI | 30 Nov, 2015, 03.48PM IST
India has exported 55.26 lakh tonnes of rice,

valued at over $3.17 billion, in the first six months
of the current financial year.ET SPECIAL: NEW
DELHI: India has exported 55.26 lakh tonnes of
rice, valued at over $3.17 billion, in the first six
months of the current financial year. During the
April-September period, the country has exported
20.84 LT of basmati rice valued at over $1.91
billion and 34.42 LT of other varieties valued at
over $1.25 billion. In a written reply to the Lok
Sabha, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman also informed that India exported 1.19
crore tonne rice valued at $7.8 billion in the last
financial year. According to the data shared by the minister, the maximum quantity of 5.98 lakh tonnes
was exported to Saudi Arabia, followed by 5.08 tonnes to Senegal and 4.15 lakh tonnes to UAE. In a
separate reply, the minister informed that import of 'plastic rice' has not been permitted. Import of rice is
allowed through Food Corporation of India ( FCI) and its import is also subject to clearance by FSSAI
Economic Times India
GRAIN MARKETS OF HARYANA GET OVER 55.51L

MT OF PADDY THIS YEAR
Monday, 30 November 2015 | PNS | Chandigarh | in Chandigarh
More than 55.51 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of paddy have arrived in the mandis (grain markets)
of Haryana as compared to more than 44.90 lakh MT during the corresponding period last year.A
spokesman of the Food and Supplies Dept on Sunday said that of the total arrival, more than
42.43 lakh MT paddy has been purchased by Govt procurement agencies and the rest has been
purchased by millers and dealers.
Giving further details, the spokesman said that more than 19.37 lakh MT of paddy have
purchased by the Food and Supplies Department, over 14.96 lakh MT have been purchased by
Hafed, more than 4.35 lakh MT have been purchased by the Haryana Agro-Industries
Corporation and over 3.73 lakh MT have been purchased by the Haryana Warehousing
Corporation.He added that while Karnal has received the maximum amount of paddy at 12.07
lakh MT, more than 10.08 lakh MT paddy has arrived in Kurukshetra, more than 7.23 lakh MT
in Kaithal.
The spokesman said that farmers have been advised to clean and dry their harvest properly
before bringing them to the market so that they do not have to face any problems in storage due
to high moisture content.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/grain-markets-of-haryana-get-over-5551l-mt-of-paddy-thisyear.html
Basmati rice export down by 31pc

November 30, 2015
Our Staff Reporter
Lahore - The rice export from Pakistan have increased by 10.78 percent during first four months
of the current financial year against same period of last year while export of basmati rice
decreased by 31.22 percent to 131,160 metric tons from 174,191 metric tons during this
period.According to statistics, during July-October 2015 period 898,603 metric tons of rice
worth $339.92 million was exported as compared to 657,420 metric tons valuing $306.89 million
during the same period last year. During October 2015 rice export grew by 24 percent as
compared to the same month of last year. During the month about 347,685 metric tons of rice
worth $121.66 million was exported as compared to 22,948 metric tons valuing $9.493 million
of the corresponding month last year.
However, a point of serious concern was raised by exporters on decline in export of Basmati rice,

as the export of this superior quality rice decreased by 31.22 percent to 131,160 metric tons from
174,191 metric tons during the period under review.
The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan
central chairman Ch Muhammad Shafique
has feared that Pakistan may not take
advantage of opening of rice export to Iran
because of energy crisis and lack of the
Research and Development which has
turned
Pakistan
regionally
uncompetitive.Ch Shafique said that
Pakistan rice export has been stagnant for
the past many years, both in quantitative
and value terms and is hovering around 4
million tonnes in quantity and $2 billion in
worth because of devastating energy crisis
and inconsistent and discouraging export
policies of the government. India has
entered the global rice market with a huge
surplus and a 20-percent devaluation of its
rupee, giving it almost unbeatable
comparative advantage against Pakistani
exporters. The State Bank of Pakistan also
honoured sanctions against Iran, resulting in drastic drop in basmati exports to it. But the
exporters still maintained their share and were able to achieve the mark.
He called for devising a comprehensive mechanism and appropriate currency transfer
arrangements by the State Bank of Pakistan to take full benefit of reopening of rice trade with
Iran. Iran is the one of the largest rice importer of the world, which imports around 11 percent
of the world rice worth $2.5 billion. He said that the demand for rice in Iran has doubled during
2012-13 and in the last five years, import of rice grew more than 35 percent. Hence, there exists
a huge opportunity for the exporters of Pakistani rice. Pakistan, once, was the largest exporter of
rice to Iran, before imposition of sanctions on Iran, which it has lost to India and now almost 90
percent of rice is coming to Iran from India though import from Pakistan is more economical,
he said.
http://nation.com.pk/business/30-Nov-2015/basmati-rice-export-down-by-31pc
India seeks preferential trade deal with Iran

Tue Dec 1, 2015 12:1PM
India is the second importer of Iranian crude oil after China.
India says it is interested in signing a preferential trade agreement with Iran when
sanctions are lifted against Tehran, a press report says. "We have a good relationship with
Iran. It is a good market for us in the long term," the Economic Times newspaper quoted a
senior commerce department official as saying.The official said the agreement, Indias first
trade pact with a West Asian country, is at a conceptual stage, explaining that both the parties
have shown interest in it but no negotiations have begun yet. "Iran is working towards WTO
accession. In the build-up to that, they have shown interest. There are no negotiations at present.
From India's perspective, the sooner the better that we sign an agreement," the official said.
The Financial Times said a preferential trade agreement with Iran would offer India a foothold to
tap other markets in the region.It put India's exports to Iran in 2015 at $4.17 billion and its
imports from the oil-rich country at $8.95 billion.India is the second importer of Iranian crude oil
after China. Its exports to Iran include automobile components, chemicals as well as agricultural
commodities such as Basmati rice and sugar.
Harvesting losses: Behind the trouble on Punjab's rice farms

Ghulam Dastageer
A rice paddy on the outskirts of Lahore | Tariq Mahmood, White Star

Mian Ghulam Ali Bhatti once had a steady source of income. Working at a government-run Savings
Centre with a guaranteed monthly salary, he was a source of envy in his village of Piranay Kee where
most people either worked as farmers, with uncertain earnings, or had odd menial jobs to make ends meet.
Every morning, as he left the village in a crisp shalwar kameez with his hair slicked back elegantly to go
for work in the nearby town of Pindi Bhattian, young men working in paddy fields and older folks
preparing fodder for their livestock looked at him jealously.
This was slightly less than a decade ago. Then, something changed in the village: agriculture suddenly
became very profitable around the late 2000s as prices of cash crops rice, wheat and sugar cane began
moving up. Bhattis relatives, who would earlier toil in the fields to earn a pittance, started getting thick
wads of cash by selling their produce at rates unimaginable earlier. Most of them could now hire farm
hands or employ machines to do the most tedious jobs in the fields.Many in the village started making,
and spending, more money than Bhatti could. They bought brand new motorcycles and television sets,
and rebuilt their mud houses with brick, mortar and reinforced concrete.
Young men donning crisp clothes and slicking their hair back in the latest fashions became ubiquitous in
the village. No one envied him anymore.By 2008, Bhatti had had enough of not being able to benefit from
the farmland revolution taking place around him. He resigned from his job at the Savings Centre 29 years
before he would reach the age of superannuation and, for the first time in his life, started farming on his
17 acres of land. The times were good. For the first four years, Bhattis annual earnings were way above
what he could make in a year from his job. Then a sudden slump hit the agriculture sector. Prices of

agriculture commodities declined sharply and he started finding it difficult to
retrieve his production costs, crop after crop.The price of high-quality
basmati rice, for instance, is half as much as it was in 2012, according to the
statistics provided by growers and traders. That year, 40 kilogrammes of the
best quality basmati rice sold for around 2,500 rupees; the price fell to 2,000
rupees for the same quantity in 2013. Next year, the price registered another
steep decline, going down to 1,400 rupees per 40 kilogrammes. For the
current crop, farmers fear they may be getting as little as 1,000 rupees for the
same quantity.Absent landowners who routinely lease out their lands are in a
quandary as lease rates have dropped to 40,000 rupees from a peak of 65,000
rupees only a couple of years ago.In the rice-growing central Punjab districts
along both sides of the Chenab River stretching from Sialkot in the east to
Sargodha and Chiniot in the west famers like Bhatti are despondent.
Nervously tending their current rice crop, they are worried if they can even
recoup their production costs. Many expect to incur huge losses as they have
been doing over the last couple of years.Haji Liaquat Ali Maqsood, a resident
of Chiniot district who has acquired 105 acres of land on lease in nearby
Pindi Bhattian for rice cultivation, gloomily predicts that he is set to suffer as
much as 3.5 million rupees in loss. He has paid 60,000 rupees per acre in
annual land lease under a two-year contract and spent about 30,000 rupees per
acre on inputs such as seed, irrigation water, fertilisers and other assorted
chemicals.
The price of his crop is expected to be only half as much as the expenses on it, he tells
the Herald.Negative trends in rice prices have also dragged down the demand and rates for land leases.
Absent landowners who routinely lease out their lands are in a quandary as lease rates have dropped to
40,000 rupees from a peak of 65,000 rupees only a couple of years ago. Many of them are finding it
difficult to lease out the land at all.Others are desperate. Having suffered big losses over the last three
years, six and a half feet tall Bhatti appears oddly distressed. I am so worried that I can do anything short
of committing suicide, he says on a hot summer day. Pale green rice fields around him seem to be
wilting under the smouldering August sun.
Rice husking in Punjab | Arif Ali, White StarMuhammad Ali Kalru, a middle-aged landowner in
Chiniot, knows a thing or two about growing and selling rice. He cultivates a rice paddy on his own farm
and also runs a business known as arrhat or commission shop that purchases rice from scores of other
farmers for husking, processing and packaging it before it is sent to domestic and foreign markets. He
tells the Herald that a number of commission shop proprietors in Chiniot are sitting on huge stocks of
unsold rice from their purchases in the last two years. This, he predicts, is going to have a major negative
effect on the quantity of the rice these traders can purchase this year.

Their problems mainly stem from Pakistans failure to export its surplus rice. For a number of years, rice
exports have consistently declined. Their share in total exports went down from 11.3 per cent in 20092010 to 8.7 per cent in the first nine months of 2013-2014, reads the latest issue of the Economic Survey
of Pakistan. For the same nine month period in 2014-2015, the share of rice exports in the countrys total
exports stood at 8.8 per cent still 2.5 per cent below its peak five years ago.
Other figures recorded by the survey are even more drastic. Basmati rice exports have witnessed a
decline of 22.5 percent in quantity term in the first nine months of 2014-2015 fiscal year as compared to
the same period in 2013-2014.Yet, these export losses have not yet translated in the decrease in land
under rice cultivation which, in fact, has increased. Since 2010-2011, according to theEconomic Survey of
Pakistan, the area under rice cultivation has increased from 2,365,000 hectares to 2,891,000 hectares in
2014-2015. This has been accompanied by an upward trend in per acre yield of rice which has increased
from 2,039 kilogramme per hectare to 2,423 kilogrammes per hectare in the same period of time. In the
combined outcome of these two factors, farmers have produced three per cent more rice in 2014-2015
alone than they did in the previous fiscal year.Declining exports and rising yields have had the expected
effect: a glut of rice in the market and consequently a collapse in its prices.
Shaikh Muhammad Afzal is a 50-something trader in Sahiwal. He is the vice-president of the local
chamber of commerce and industry as well as the head of a Punjab-wide association of commission shop
owners who deal in agricultural commodities. In his opinion, there is only one reason why Pakistans rice
exports have fallen in recent years a virtual halt in the commoditys export to Iranian markets where,
according to Afzal, India has outclassed us.Media reports on international trade suggest that Iranian
imports account for around 11 per cent of the global commerce in rice. Only a few years ago, Pakistan
supplied the single largest part of these imports.
With the imposition of international economic sanctions on Iran due to its nuclear technology programme,
however, Pakistans trade relations with its south-western neighbour suffered badly mainly because the
two countries do not have barter trade agreements and bilateral mechanisms for money transfers.
Pakistans exports to Iran, therefore, fell to 43 million US dollars in 2014 from 182 million US dollars in
2010, according to a news report published in daily The News on September 2, 2015. In rice trade, India
quickly stepped in to fill the gap.Indias trade with Iran during these years also experienced a negative
trend. In 2010, according to Indias commerce ministry, Iranian oil accounted for 17 per cent of all Indian
oil imports. In 2014, this decreased to only six per cent.
But Indian rice traders were able to increase their exports to Iranian buyers because the two countries
have barter trade agreements and bilateral currency transfer institutions in place. These allowed them to
minimise the impact of the sanctions on bilateral commerce at least in export categories such as food
and medicine which did not invite as stringent restrictions as, for example, oil trade did.Another reason
why India has been able to capture the lucrative Iranian rice market is the price advantage that Indian
exporters are offering. India is selling high quality basmati rice variety at 800 dollars per tonne in the
international market. This price, Afzal claims, is lower than even the production cost of the same rice
variety in Pakistan.Since 2010-2011, according to the Economic Survey of Pakistan, the area under rice
cultivation has increased from 2,365,000 hectares to 2,891,000 hectares in 2014-2015.Growers and
10 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m

traders in Pakistan both argue that Indian traders have been able to offer such low prices because of the
generous subsidies, as well as technical and administrative support, that rice cultivation gets in India.
The government in Pakistan, on the other hand, does not care much about agriculture, they
complain.Afzal, for instance, points out that the entire rice harvesting in India is done manually which
ensures that the grain does not split during husking. On the contrary, he says, mechanical harvesting is
common in Pakistan even though it leads to 15 per cent split grain which in turn decreases the exportable
surplus.In seed development and per acre yield, too, Pakistan lags far behind India. Growers claim that
Indias most successful basmati rice variety yields 2,000-2,400 kilogrammes per acre whereas Pakistans
most successful basmati variety has a per acre yield of 1,200-1,600 kilogrammes per acre.
And in the last few decades, Pakistani research institutions have not developed even a single new variety
whereas India has been introducing new varieties on a regular basis. In fact, many rice farmers in Pakistan
admit sowing plagiarised Indian varieties to increase their crop yields.Lack of strict quality control for
exports is another reason why Pakistans rice exports do not get as positive a response in international
markets as Indian ones do. Many Pakistani rice exports resort to blending and mixing high-quality
varieties with low-quality ones. Some of them claim that they do so only in order to compete with
exporters enjoying subsidies from their governments. Others see it as a dishonest practice to make quick
bucks at the cost of the countrys long-term commercial interests.The practice is rampant among rice
processors and traders in the market town of Jalalpur Bhattian, about 23 kilometres to the north-west of
Pindi Bhattian.
The low-quality varieties are processed and polished in such a way that no one can differentiate them
from the high-quality varieties, says Bhatti the saving centre employee turned farmer. Such blended
rice, however, does not cook and taste as good as the pure high-quality varieties do. When exported, the
blended rice badly affects the reputation and credibility of Pakistani exporters, he adds. Their competitors
with better business ethics, thus, get an obvious edge over them.

In September this year, Punjabs agriculture minister Farrukh Javed undertook an official visit to Iran to
look into the possibility of a revival of rice exports to that country. An official handout issued after the
conclusion of the visit claimed that Iran had agreed to resume rice exports from Pakistan. The rice
growers and traders could not have expected anything better only if it were real.
Without a bilateral currency transfer mechanism being available between Iran and Pakistan, the revival of
rice exports will remain a pipe dream as long as international economic sanctions against Iran remain in
place, an official of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan is reported by a newspaper to have said.
Ensuring that the two countries have an effective, efficient and reliable formal banking channel of
currency transfer is vital for these exports, he is said to have argued.
In an interview with the Herald, minister Javed does not talk about putting in place the required money
transfer mechanism. He, instead, focuses his energies on explaining that the malaise in Pakistans
agriculture sector is way beyond the power and mandate of Punjabs provincial government to resolve.He
mostly blames international developments for problems in the local agriculture sector. Great changes
have taken place internationally. New hybrid seeds have come in; genetically modified crops and seeds
have arrived. Because of these changes, crop yields have increased, he says. And these increased yields
have depressed the commodity prices in global markets, he suggests. India, Javed says, has been able to
withstand the impact of these changes because, in consonance with global trends, it introduced a new
variety of long-grain non-basmati rice which has blown away the market.
There were some other unhelpful developments, too, such as China having started producing more rice
than it consumes, which means that there is more rice available in the international market for export than
there ever was, the minister explains. And then the Iran factor came into play. That was our biggest
market for rice export until India captured it, he says. It is difficult for the government to plan for these
externalities.Javed says it is only in the long run that Pakistan can expect to address some of these
external factors by, for instance, developing better rice varieties with bigger yields. For the short-term
measures, he points to the reduced fertilizer prices and other subsidies being offered by the federal
government in its recently announced multibillion rupee package for farmers. We will continue to help
the countrys farmers, the minister vows.Bhatti is waiting expectantly for these official promises for help
to materialise. If they dont, he may well be trying to get back to his old job at the Savings Centre.
________________________________________
Photo by Arif Ali | White Star
Additional reporting by Sher Ali Khan
http://herald.dawn.com/news/1153296
Rice fuels 123% rally in Indian mills tapping new-age

consumers
The changing profile of consumers in India is fuelling a stock rally in local producers of branded
rice as rising incomes stoke demand
Pratik Parija
Rice being a staple for a majority of the 1.2 billion Indians, Rabobank estimates sales of the packaged
grain is growing 15% annually and will jump 81% to about 2.9 million tonnes worth $3.5 billion by 2017.
Photo: Ramesh Pathania/Mint
New Delhi: For Mumbai homemaker Sonali Ray, buying basmati rice until a year ago was a leap
of faith. It often meant a silent prayer for grain free of weevils and stones as she watched her old
grocer scoop up the produce from open burlap sacks onto his ancient scales.Not anymore. These
days she walks into a swanky supermarket in the same neighbourhood and picks up a neat,
branded 5-kilogram pack. And, she doesnt mind paying 20% more. I am assured of the quality
and I know what I am paying for even if its a bit expensive, says Ray, 36. Adulteration is a
big issue.

The changing profile of consumers like Ray in India is fueling a stock rally in local producers of
branded rice as rising incomes and the shift to modern convenience stores from grimy mom-andpop shops stoke demand. Rice being a staple for a majority of the 1.2 billion Indians, Rabobank
estimates sales of the packaged grain is growing 15% annually and will jump 81% to about 2.9
million tonnes worth $3.5 billion by 2017.
Branded rice is turning into gold for the industry with its growing consumer acceptability, said
Shiva Mudgil, an analyst with the Mumbai unit of Rabobank International. The premium will
help the companies boost revenue growth and profitability.Shares of KRBL Ltd, the seller of
India Gate basmati rice and the nations biggest in the segment, have surged 123% this year
to Rs.233.65 after tripling in 2014, while those of LT Foods Ltd, which sells the Daawat brand,
have jumped 156%, poised for a fourth straight year of gains.
Sales of branded packs account for only 2% of the total in India, which is the worlds largest
consumer and producer of rice after China. As consumption rises, even the old mom-and-pop
stores are starting to stock the popular, packed brands, widening the reach, said Saravana
Gughan, an executive vice president for India at Dutch processed food maker Samhoud Food
BV.The more packets consumers see on the shelves, the more they tend to buy, said Gughan,
who earlier was an executive with Reliance Retail Ltd. and the local unit of McDonalds Corp.
Plunging prices
Domestic consumption in India is also rising after prices plunged from their 2013 record after
Iran slashed imports. Rates for some basmati rice varieties in India have tumbled 56% to about
$700 a tonne from as high as $1,600 a tonne in 2013, according to Anil Kumar Mittal, chairman
of KRBL, who has been trading the commodity for three decades at the family-owned company
founded in 1889.Though the dip in exports and prices caused growth in KRBLs group sales to
decline to 8.6% in the 12 months through March 2015, from 40% the previous year, the food
processor has managed to maintain its Ebitda margins at about 15%, according to data compiled
by Bloomberg.
Any revenue loss due to lower prices is likely to be compensated by an increase in volumes,
said V.V.L.N. Sastry, chief executive officer (CEO) at Mumbai-based Firstcall India Equity
Advisors Pvt. Since, the industry has a positive outlook, the rice companies are going to attract

investors in a big way.The potential for growth has already driven overseas investors to pick up
minority stakes in some of these companies.Abu Dhabi-based Al Dahra International Investment
Llc has picked up 20% of Kohinoor Foods Ltd, while the International Finance Corp., the private
equity arm of the World Bank, invested in Amritsar, Punjab-based Dunar Foods Ltd. Rabobank
Internationals private equity fund has bought a stake in LT Foods.
Roller coaster
India is the worlds largest exporter of basmati rice and ships about half of its output to countries
including Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Iraq. In the non-basmati trade India
competes with Thailand and Vietnam for exports to countries including Bangladesh, Senegal,
South Africa and Liberia.
Overseas sales totaled 11.4 million tonnes in the year through March, according to the All India
Rice Exporters Association. Indias exports accounted for 25% of the global rice trade in 2014
and helped the country earn $4.8 billion, a fifth of its total food and agriculture shipments,
according to Rabobank.Shipments out of India may drop to between 5 million tonnes to 6 million
tonnes in the next five years from more than 10 million tonnes in recently, according to estimates
by Rabobank.
KRBL is seeking to increase sales volume locally to counter the drop in prices and exports by
taking its produce to small towns and rural areas, Mittal said.Its like a roller-coaster ride, he
said in an interview. We are trying to increase our share and going to new destinations. When
sales increase, the cost of expenses comes down and that will reflect in our Ebitda. Bloomberg
Live Mint
Boost for Basmati rice exports as Iran to issue resh contracts

In a major boost to India's Basmati rice exports, Iran will issue fresh contracts for rice imports
after a seven-month curb.
By: Sandip Das | December 1, 2015 2:37 AM
In a major boost to Indias Basmati rice exports, Iran will issue fresh contracts for rice imports
after a seven-month curb.As part of the decree issued by the agriculture ministry, Irans customs
officials will be allowed to register new imports orders from December 3, 2015 till June 21,

2016.Iran is expected to import 6 lakh tonne of rice, a major chunk of it from India, for meeting
domestic demand till March, 2016. Trade sources told FE around 3 million tonne of rice is
consumed domestically in Iran annually and more than half of which is met through domestic
production.
Iran had put restrictions
on
the
rice
imports
because of surplus grain

availability in the country
a year back. Of total
exports of 3.7 million
tonne of Basmati from the
country in 2013-14, 1.4
MT was shipped to Iran.
Sources
said
Basmati
imports of 1.4 million

tonne from India was
excess, thus the carry
forward stock with Iran
was high in the last fiscal. Thus the shipment to Iran fell to around 9 lakh tonne in the last
fiscal.
The lifting of restriction on rice import comes at a time the prices of Basmati paddy has crashed
to around R28,000 per quintal at present from R40,000 per quintal prevailed two years back.
According to a commerce ministry official, average realisation from Basmati rice exports has
fallen from $1,295 per tonne in FY14 to around $ 950 a tonne in the current fiscal.With Iran
lifting restriction on rice import, the exports prospects look bright in the next few months of the
current fiscal, a leading exporter said.Rice shipments to Iran got a boost when India launched a
rupee settlement mechanism from April 2012 with Iran to avoid sanctions from the US and EU.
As part of the initiative, state-owned UCO Bank has tied up with Iranian lenders Parsian,
Pasargad, Saman and EN Banks for settlements of dues.
Iran and India also agreed to have referral labs in India for testing rice consignments rejected by
Tehran because of presence of pesticide residue. Henceforth, in case of disputes on pesticide

residue levels, the report of these labs would be final, an official said.Sources said the Iranian
authorities have been asking Indias exporters since January 2014 to furnish documents on good
agricultural practices, ISO 22000, which deal with food safety management and packaging
protocols, besides non-genetically modified crop certification.Besides Iran, India exports
Basmati to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, EU and others. India exported R27,598 crore worth
of Basmati in the last fiscal.
Financial Express /Yahoo India News
Saudi Arabia consumes more Indian rice these days than

Iran
By S V Krishnamachari
Updated: November 30, 2015 17:48 IST
Labourers work at a rice mill on the outskirts of Agartala, capital of TripuraReuters file
Saudi Arabia continues to be the largest importer of rice from India, importing more than Iran during the

first six months of 2015-16, a trend that was first set last fiscal.Saudi Arabia imported 598,001 tonnes of
rice valued at $527.16 million during the April-September period, as against Iran which imported 361,474
tonnes of rice valued at $319.71 million. Till 2013-14, Iran was the largest importer of rice from India,
buying 15.32 lakh tonnes valued at $1.98 billion, but slipped to second position, importing 10.04 lakh
tonnes valued at $1.16 billion next year. Saudi Arabia bought 11.48 lakh tonnes valued at $1.29 billion.In
terms of overall rice exports, India exported 55.26 lakh tonnes valued at $ 3.17 billion, during the first six
months of the current financial year, with basmati accounting for $1.91 billion.Besides Saudi Arabia and
Iran, other rice importers include the UAE, Iraq and Kuwait.The details were given by Nirmala
Sitharaman, minister of state for commerce and industry, in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
http://www.ibtimes.co.in/saudi-arabia-consumes-more-indian-rice-these-days-iran-657363
NRRI Awarded for Green Revolution

By Express News Service
Published: 01st December 2015 07:05 AM
Last Updated: 01st December 2015 07:05 AM
CUTTACK: National Rice Research Institute (formerly Central Rice Research Institute) has been
awarded by National Academy for Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) for its contribution to Green Revolution
in making the country self-sufficient in food grain production.The award was presented to Director, NRRI
Dr AK Nayak by Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Radha Mohan Singh in presence
of NAAS president Dr S Ayyapan during the golden jubilee celebration of Green Revolution 2015 at New
Delhi on November 27.Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) along with five State Agricultural
Universities of GBPUAT Pantnagar, PAU Ludhiana, TNAU Coimbatore, CCSHAU Hisar and CSAUAT
Kanpur were also awarded on the occasion along with eminent agriculture scientists and experts like Prof
MS Swaminathan, Dr MV Rao and Dr MJP Rao.
NRRI, established in 1946 in the backdrop of Great Bengal Famine with Founder Director Dr K Ramiah
at helm, has steered groundbreaking research in development of high-yield rice varieties that have
contributed immensely to achievement of self-sufficiency in production.The varieties developed and
released by the institute are used by research institutes in the country and abroad as parent to develop high
yielding varieties suitable to their regions. The crop management technologies developed at NRRI along
with the varieties have successfully turned the country from begging bowl to self-sufficiency.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/NRRI-Awarded-for-Green-Revolution/2015/12/01/article3155513.ece
Vietnams rice industry in urgent need of restructuring

Rice industry plays a significant role in ensuring food security and providing jobs to 9.3 million
households in rural areas. It is a decisive factor in poverty alleviation contributing to economic
development and political stabilization. However, recent difficulties and challenges have put the industry
under urgent need of restructuring.Rice harvest in the Mekong Delta (Photo: SGGP)

Achievements in productivity and
output improvement have taken
Vietnam from a rice import nation to
the worlds leading rice export
country. At present, it contributes
over 20 percent to the worlds rice
export volume. However, the
industry has recently showed a
number of limitations comprising
low
effectiveness
and
competitiveness in the aftermath of
excessive farming area expansion.
Rice quality is not high and
processing is limited now while
farmers income is still low and
inappropriate with that of traders
and businesses.Rice production has
still
negatively
impacted
environment for using many
resources and abusing fertilizers
and
pesticides
in
intensive
farming.One of major reasons for
the above limitations is slow
changing institution and relevant
policies which have failed to meet
objective requirements in the rice
industrys development.
Besides, business environment has yet to create a fair playground to sides involved in rice production and
trading. Growers have produced over small scales and been in disadvantageous condition. The role of
cooperatives is limited while businesses have just attended the final phase of the rice value chain without
much attachment to farmers and paid little attention to their interest.Therefore, institutional reform is
necessary to develop rice value chain, encourage and attract attendance of private investors to create a
breakthrough for the rice industry in the upcoming time.
Creating fair playground
The Governments Decree 109 on rice trading and export requires businesses to have at least one
warehouse stockpiling 5,000 tons of rice, one milling establishment with a capacity of 10 tons per hour in
rice farming provinces and cites or those with seaports for export.The decree has eliminated small
businesses for failing to meet requirements on warehouse and milling facilities without regard to those
with high export value and quality. It has also brought large companies more power.The decree imposes 0
percent value added tax on export rice but 5 percent on locally produced and consumed rice.According to

statistics by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, 5 percent tax imposed volume accounts
for only 15 percent of total rice produced locally, the rest has been purchased by traders and not
taxable.This has discouraged businesses to cooperate with farmers in rice production to create highquality products.
The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) has been established to gather and link rice growers, processors,
traders and exporters together. It has a great power and influence on businesses.Ninety eight percent of
the countrys rice export turnover has been shipped by the associations members. The Government has
directly assigned VFA to implement policies to ensure food security.VFA has been empowered to
manage export activities, allocate 80 percent of rice export volume among its members, announce floor
prices to create a basis for businesses to negotiate and sign contracts, update data from related agencies
and join in rice stockpiling program.The association has skipped some important roles such as building
development strategy for the rice industry, advertising brand names, developing local supply sources and
value chains.
Policy, institution reform
A large scale paddy field in Hau Giang province (Photo: SGGP)
Because of just focusing on export, VFA has directed its members to purchase rice via traders rather than
invest in long term plans to create specialized rice production zones.Surveys in localities show that the
effectiveness of the rice stockpiling program is not high as it has mainly benefited traders, who have
purchased at low price and resell at high prices, not farmers.There are some chains linking input materials
up to production and consumption such as large scale paddy fields. However, this model has accounted
for only 5 percent of total rice farming area.Cooperative economic organizations have failed to lure the
positive attendance of farmers, mainly supplied irrigation services and played a small role in connecting
farmers and businesses.
To improve rice business environment, it is necessary to boost value chains, assist businesses to innovate
equipment and technologies, build brand names and transfer from over-the-counter trading into building
investment partnership agreements with importers.
Implementation of Government contracts should be put out to tenders to create fair competitiveness
among businesses.VAT rates should be same at 0 percent or 5 percent for both export and locally
consumed rice. Otherwise, it should be kept unchanged at 5 percent on local rice, export items will pay a
fee, whose revenue will be used for building and upgrading warehouse system and broadening large scale
paddy fields.Authorized agencies should have policies ensuring fairness to all sides attending the rice
value chain.Development of new style cooperatives should be encouraged to connect rice production with
trading. The cooperatives will stand for farmers to sign contracts with businesses, organize agricultural
material supply and stockpiling services, find consumption sources to reduce costs and increase profit for
each farm household.By Dr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Dr. Nguyen Trung Kien (the Institute of Policy and
Strategy for Agriculture and RuralDevelopment) Translated by Hai Mien
http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Business/Economy/2015/12/116586/
Farming model increases profits, lowers emissions

VietNamNet Bridge Nguyen Thi Ngoc Huong, a farmer in Tan Hiep District of southern Kien Giang
Province, has increased her profit from rice farming by 10 per cent since she applied a new locally
developed farming model.Farmers from the central Phu Yen Province are enjoying a bumper harvest this
year. Photo: VNA/VNS
Some 500 farming households from An Giang and Kien Giang provinces have applied a new model to
increase productivity, quality, and economic effectiveness. The model means they must used certified rice
varieties, and they must use less seedlings, pesticides, fertilisers and water.If strictly applied, the model
would help them reduce post-harvest loss and greenhouse emissions, said Nguyen Van Sanh, Director of
the Mekong Delta Development Research Institute.Ngoc said the farming model required her to reduce 50
per cent of rice seeds compared to old method and use 30 per cent less fertiliser."I was quite worried at
first, but after 40 days, the rice began to grow well. Our harvests have increased by 10 per cent each," she
said.
Hoang Trung Kien, director of Kien Giang Province's Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Centre, said
the farming model had brought about significant changes for local farmers."Trained farmers have begun
to actively cut down on fertilisers, pesticides and water from 30 to 40 per cent compared to how much
they used in the past," Kien said.Phan Huy Thong, director of the National Agriculture Extension Centre,
said with its more than 1.8 million hectares of rice farms, the delta contributed more than half of the
country's rice output and 92 per cent of rice exports. But farmers' incomes were low due to high costs and
unstable prices. Additionally, the old rice farming model produced a lot of greenhouse emissions."The
overuse of chemical fertilisers and burning straw after harvest from traditional farming methods caused
greenhouse gas emissions," he said.

National trademark
Sanh from the Director of the Mekong Delta Development Research Institute said he hoped the
agriculture sector would bring the farming model to a new height to develop a "green rice" national
trademark."In order to compete with rice from other countries like Thailand, India and Myanmar, Viet
Nam needs to build its own national trademark," Sanh said.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/148188/farming-model-increases-profits--lowersemissions.html
Australia will produce less grain than expected, but still

more than last year: ABARES report
ABC Rural
By Clint Jasper
Updated Tue at 7:51am
PHOTO: Even with poor weather conditions through spring, ABARES is tipping grain production to be
2 per cent higher than last season. (audience submitted)

Hot and dry weather over spring has seen the national commodity forecaster ABARES
drop its estimate for Australia's total grain production by 5.6 per cent since its September
forecast.
Despite adverse grain growing conditions in key regions of Western Australia, Victoria and
South Australia, including fires in WA and SA, Australia's total grain harvest is tipped to be two
per cent higher than last season, coming in at 39.1 million tonnes.Wheat production is forecast to
rise by one per cent since last year, to 24 million tonnes, while barley production is expected to
be two per cent higher at 8.2 million tonnes.In September, ABARES forecast Australia's total
grain production to be 25.3 million tonnes, and barley production at 8.6 million tonnes.Media
player: "Space" to play, "M" to mute, "left" and "right" to seek. :
AUDIO: ABARES senior economist Peter Collins and AWB's Charlie Brown discuss the latest estimate
of Australian crop production. (ABC Rural)
"Since September, we have issued a revision in October shortly after hot and dry weather hit the
cropping regions, and shortly after the Bureau of Meteorology issued a revised seasonal
outlook," ABARES senior economist Peter Collins said."The forecast we're issuing now is
similar to the revision, but it is down 5.6 per cent on what we were saying in September."A
major reduction in the area planted to canola has ABARES expecting production to drop by 14
per cent to three million tonnes.Mr Collier said there were wide disparities in the quality of grain
being received."In some areas there have been high screenings reported, while that's not the case
for other regions."It is too early to tell what the final outcome will be, but so far there's been big
variations in the quality of the crops coming off."
There's definitely been quality issues caused by the dry September and hot October and we're
seeing a definite lift in grain coming in with high screenings.
Charlie Brown, AWB
AWB's Charlie Brown said quality was lower this season."There's definitely been quality issues
caused by the dry September and hot October and we're seeing a definite lift in grain coming in
with high screenings."Mr Brown does not expect markets to react strongly to the latest figures,
saying the most recent estimates brings ABARES wheat harvest into line with other international
forecasts from organisations like the International Grains Council (23.7 million tonnes) and the
United States Department of Agriculture (26 million tonnes)."Most people have been taken into
consideration how the change in the weather outlook has hit yields."
Mr Brown pointed out that this year's production was below Australia's five year average, of
approximately 26 million tonnes, but above the 10 and 20 year averages of approximately 22
million tonnes."On the longer term we are producing more than we have in the past, and even
across the shorter term it is worth remembering there's been some really big years in the last five
year period," Mr Brown said.
Better outlook for key summer crops

Production of sorghum is set to rise this season by five per cent, to 3.9 million tonnes, with the
area planted to the grain growing by 12 per cent.The area under cotton production is estimated to
increase by 52 per cent, and production to rise by 11 per cent to 560,000 tonnes.A lack of
irrigation water this season has ABARES tipping rice production, centred mainly around NSW's
Riverina region, to drop by 58 per cent, to 305,000 tonnes.
Topics: wheat, grain, agricultural-prices, adelaide-5000, sydney-2000, melbourne-3000, perth-6000,brisbane4000, hobart-7000
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-01/abares-crop-report-dec15/6989402
Northeast farmers told to refrain from off-season rice

THE NATION December 2, 2015 1:00 am
FARMERS in Khon Kaen and three neighbouring provinces in the Northeast have been told to refrain
from growing rice in the off-season, and instead opt for plants that consume less water until April 30 due
to plunging water levels at the Ubonrat Dam.The three other provinces affected are Nong Bua Lamphu,
Kalasin and Maha Sarakham.Songwut Kitkachornwut, director of Nongwai water-distribution and
maintenance project, said Khon Kaen provincial water-management executives had resolved that farmers
should refrain from planting off-season rice in the Nongwai irrigation zone from December 1 to April 30.
The level of water in Ubonrat Dam stands at 781 million cubic metres or 32 per cent of total capacity, of
which only 200 million cubic metres can be used.

Farmers in the provinces of Khon Kaen, Nong Bua Lampu, Kalasin and Maha Sarakham would be
affected as the dam can only release 500,000 cubic metres of water daily, just enough for consumption
and for maintaining the ecological system. The Lam Mat River, which flows from Buri Ram's Lam Plai
Mat district to meet Moon River in Nakhon Ratchasim's Phimai district, has dried up in many areas. Tap
water in nine villages that rely on this river has dried up and villagers now have to purchase water from
water trucks. Sawat Hiewthaisong, 65, chief of the Ban Nong Bung village in Tambon Bot, Nakhon
Ratchasima's Phimai district said 3,000 households in Tambon Bot have barely enough water for
consumption.
Five dams in Nakhon Ratchasima are, on average, only 45 per cent full. Lamtakong Dam in Sikhiu
district has 129 million cubic metres or 41 per cent of its total 314 million cubic metres. Lam Phraperng
Dam in Pak Thong Chai district has 87 million cubic metres or 80 per cent of its total 110 million cubic
metres. Khon Buri district's Lam Chae Dam has 101 million cubic metres or 36 per cent of 275 million
cubic metres, while its Moon Bon Dam has 50 million cubic metres or 35 per cent of 141 million cubic
metres. Lam Plai Mat Dam in Soeng Sang district has 56 million cubic metres or 57 per cent of its total
98 million cubic metres.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Northeast-farmers-told-to-refrain-from-off-season-30274137.html
Central and State govts must remember: Allowing others to

eat is also corruption
Sankara Narayanan
01 December, 2015
"Indians living in alien countries were earlier ashamed to identify their Indian origin to the foreigners
because of the corruption tail attached with India," thunders Prime Minister Modi on every other day in
the arranged NRI jamborees in alien lands. And all NRIs, according to our PM, are now facing the
foreigners boldly with their head held high proclaiming proudly their origin, thanks to the 18 months rule
of his Sarkar.The PMO may be free from corruption charges. But a few of his cabinet colleagues, some
CMs of BJP-ruled states and other minsters in state govts are carrying the stain of corruption, defying the
Modi-dictates nonchalantly. Perhaps the foreigners do not treat the saffron coloured corruption as a stain.
Even the corruption carries its colour complex.
All are not lucky enough to deal with PMO. Ordinary minions have to solve their routine problems
through the offices of Union and State governments, thanedars, tehsildars, patwaris, municipalities and
panchayats. It is better for the PM Modi to check up with the billion plus people living here in Indiahow
they see the state mandarins while paying bribes to them. Head and chest up!

In Focus
In the last few days, I have come across a few scams either through the media or by my own sources duly
keeping my head and chest up like a rat. I am elaborating these scams which have not been noticed or
ignored so far by the NDA-II and all the state governments caring little for the PM's anti-graft thunders.
Rice Milling Scam
According to the net magazine 'The Wire' in its Nov 25, 2015 report (under the heading 'CAG blows the
lid on Rs 10,000 crore rice milling scam'), the current rice milling policy was formulated by the NDA-I
government in 2003. Both Central and State procurement agencies supply paddy to rice mills after buying
the same from farmers.When a government agency gives 100 kg of paddy to a rice miller, the latter
returns 68 kg of parboiled rice (or 67 kg of raw rice) and is paid Rs 87 for his effort. However, he gets to
retain the 32-33 kg of by-products, selling them in the open market for whatever price they fetch.
According to the Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, rice millers on average derive 22 kg of rice
husk, 8 kg of rice bran and 2 kg of broken rice from 100 kg of paddy. And over the years, the market for
these by-products has become even more lucrative than for rice.
Paddy by-products find applications in a wide range of industries: power generation, solvent plants,
pharmaceuticals, brick kilns and breweries. While rice bran yields oil, cattle and poultry feed, rice husk is
used to generate power and its further by product - rice husk ash - has numerous industrial uses including
the production of pharmaceutical-grade silica.Going by the average price these by-products fetch in the
market, the rice miller on average rakes in an extra Rs. 169 per 100 kg of paddy - over and above the Rs
87 he earns from the government. Since millions of tons of rice are processed every year, many top-notch
millers are developing stand-alone by-products units for a sustainable stream of revenue catering to both
the domestic and export markets. In plain terms, the state has to collect Rs 82 (169-87) from the millers
for every quintal of paddy hulled without paying a penny for the hulling.
Although the market for these by-products is huge, lucrative and well documented, government agencies
treat them as 'worthless' and refuse to claim any right over their further processing and sale. No wonder,
then, that an evaluation of their market worth is never done. Instead, the contracts and agreements
between the government agencies and rice millers give the latter unconditional 'property rights' over these
by-products.So far, the efforts of the Tariff Commission to put in place a new pricing regime seem to
have come to a naught as state governments and rice millers have not provided the data the commission
sought two years ago - so stiff is the resistance from the powerful lobby of rice mill owners who enjoy
political patronage.The rice milling scam would have never been brought to light but for an Orissa-based
whistle-blower Gauri Shankar Jain who relentlessly pursued the case for almost five years. Thanks mostly
to his efforts, the Tariff Commission - the nodal agency under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
mandated with setting prices on the basis of referrals from ministries and departments concerned - began
working on a new price mechanism in 2012. Earlier this year, the Prime Minister's Office also forwarded
Jain's complaint to the CAG, which decided to take up the issue for scrutiny.

In its audit report, the CAG criticises the government for its faulty policy of giving millers sole rights
over the by-products of paddy. How can rice by-products, which are supposed to be the property of the
state, be handed over to mill owners without any compensation, asks the CAG. Of particular cause for
concern is the fact that successive governments led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh
andNarendra Modi persisted with a milling policy that deprives the nation of enormous revenue despite
knowing the reality.The estimates of revenue loss to the government arrived at by the CAG in its audit
report stand at more than Rs. 10,000 crore every year. If we calculate the cumulative losses since 2003 when the current milling policy was formalised - the figures stand at more than a staggering Rs. one lakh
crore.
The only reason for this executive helplessness according to Jain is that "a close-knit 'family' of
government [authorities], politicians and rice millers prefers the status quo. Millers are clearly afraid of
losing their monopoly rights over the by-products and a very profitable business if a new policy is put in
place." Sources at the CAG are candid enough to admit that the 'political will' needed to re-structure the
existing tariff mechanism is completely lacking.
Power Purchase Scam
Private agencies are now operating many a power plants (coal, gas, hydel etc) and generating thousands
of MW of electricity. The Union government is the authority that grants permission for the construction
and operation of these power plants. One very important condition stipulated by the government while
sanctioning the power plant is that the private power producer has to supply 13% of the installed capacity
of that plant's electricity to the public grid at cost to cost basis or no loss no gain basis.Not a single private
power producer is following this condition. They only supply 13% of the generated power. Let us
consider this case. One power plant is generating 300 MW against its installed capacity of 500 MW. In
such a situation, the private agency is supplying only 39 MW (13% of 300 MW) of power to the state
grid. Actually the agency has to supply 65 MW (13% of 500 MW) as per the sanctioned condition. The
state grid is losing 26 MW of power due to it at the agreed price. No agency has been penalised for this
default.
The scam extends further. This 13% quantum of power is to be supplied to the state grid round the clock.
But the electricity authorities and power producers entered into an illegal understanding to swindle the
public further. During the peak demand hours, the state grid automatically develops some technical
problem and will not receive the power from the agency.
The agency will sell the power during the peak hour to other private consumers at higher rates. The state
grid loses revenue by purchasing power from elsewhere paying extra rates to meet its customers'
demands. The agency will supply extra power during non-peak load hours to maintain its 13% quota. The
state grid will receive the power even if there is no demand. In this issue also, not a single power
generator is penalised. Nor any officer punished. Perhaps the energy minister Piyush Goel is waiting for a
CAG audit to take on the scamsters.Public Money Parked in Private Companies.

Union govt has shares worth of Rs 60,000 crores in ITC, L&T and Axis Bank. This govt is cutting even
health and mid-day meals allocations for want of money. It desperately tries to sell the state shares in PSU
companies including the profit making ones to private companies. But the govt's shares in the above three
private companies are not sold out by the current government to raise the precariously needed revenue.
Any guess, why?
In the above two scams (Rice & Power), the central and state governments are collaborators over several
years. In the rice miller scam, Vajpayee government can be blamed both for the faulty policy formulation
and allowing the loot up to 2004. There is nothing to tell about the government that ruled the country
from 2004 to 2014. That dispensation made all the earlier scams pigmies. Manmohan Singh can easily get
an international award as the Scam Samrat of the world. Hence he was shown the door by the
people.From May 2014, we have a PM who repeatedly declared that corruption would be history in his
rule. Neither the commerce minister Nirmala Sitaraman nor the energy minister Piyush Goel could stop
the day light robberies (Rice Milling and Power Purchase) for the past 18 months. Yet the PM and his
Bhakts keep chanting 'No Corruption' in Modi Sarkar. Allowing others to eat is also corruption.
Price Adjustment Scam in Odisha
Works contracts for major projects extending more than two years are normally incorporated with a price
adjustment clause. This clause is inserted to safeguard the interest of both the executing agency and the
state. In case of price rise of various materials like steel, cement, diesel, stone products and bricks and
cost escalation of labour, a formula is adopted to calculate the extra money to be paid to the agency. In
case of fall in prices also, this formula will be adopted to calculate the amount to be deducted from the
agency. It is a win -win clause for both the parties of the agreement.
The price adjustment bill will be regularly raised by the contractor and the officer in charge of the project
will scrutinise and release the payment to the agency. During the recent several months, there has been a
steady fall in the prices of steel and cement. And the fall is quite significant. The contractors are not
raising the price adjustment bill because it is a negative one. The state authorities are duty bound to direct
the contractors to furnish the bill. If the contractors fail to submit the bills, the officers can very well
prepare the bill and recover the money from the contractors.This has not been done for reasons best
known to the Odisha administration. Media and opposition, as in the case of the scams relating to Rice
Milling and Power Purchase, keep a stony silence. Is it necessary to explain why? Perhaps the authorities
concerned are also waiting for the Accountant General's audit to unearth the scam. By that time, the scam
will eat crores of public money.
http://www.merinews.com/article/central-and-state-govts-must-remember-allowing-others-to-eat-is-also-corruption/15911549.shtml
12/01/2015 Farm Bureau Market Report

Rice
High Low

Long Grain Cash Bids - - - - - Long Grain New Crop - - - - - -
Futures:
ROUGH RICE
High Low
Last Change
Jan '16 1195.0 1165.5 1171.5 -19.0

Mar '16 1215.5 1194.0 1197.5 -19.5
May '16 1237.5 1230.0 1227.0 -19.5
Jul '16 1255.5 1255.5 1252.0 -20.5
Sep '16 1253.5 1253.5 1239.0 -17.0
Nov '16
1240.5 -15.5
Jan '17
1240.5 -15.5
Rice Comment
Rice prices closed lower today. The market held support near October lows of 11.68, however the market need some
bullish news to help pull prices out of thier recent declines. Prices continue to be pressured by slow demand and large
supplies in the U.S.
U.S. Rice Increases Presence on British Retail Shelves

#because it's delicious
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- After an absence of almost 10 years, U.S. parboiled long grain rice is
back on UK retail shelves at the country's second largest retailer.

Aunt Caroline Long Grain Rice is now available at ASDA supermarkets (owned by Walmart) in 5kg bags
following presentations from leading UK rice importer S&B Herba Foods. The product is currently in 60
of the largest ASDA stores, with options to roll out to all 525 locations during 2016.
"We are delighted to be selling U.S. parboiled long grain rice after such a long absence," said Peter
Walker of S&B Herba Foods. "It has taken a lot of time and effort to persuade retailers to see the
opportunities that high quality, consistent U.S. long grain rice offers," he added.S&B Herba worked with
ASDA to develop a specific size pack that would appeal to those consumers who eat large quantities of
rice as part of their daily diet and, so far, demand has been strong.
"We began the promotion during October," said Walker, "so it is early days, but the signs have been
good that we are on trend for what was needed in the marketplace. With so many choices, it can be
overwhelming for consumers, but U.S. long grain has always delivered on consistency and quality. This
will hopefully open up further opportunities with other retailers."

Aunt Caroline is the second identified U.S. long grain rice brand available in the UK retail segment. The
first identified milled long grain rice brand appeared on retail shelves in March this year.USA Rice Vice
President for International Promotion Jim Guinn said, "In spite of tough competition, U.S. long grain rice
sales have more than doubled compared to last year, reaching over 18,000 MT in the period JanuarySeptember 2015. The all-important run up to Christmas should see U.S. long grain sales increase even
more as we continue to promote the U.S reputation for quality, consistency, food safety, and
sustainability."
Contact: Eszter Somogyi 011-49-40-4503-8667
U.S. Rice "Cal-Bowl" Demonstration Kick Starts Retail

Campaign in Japan
Dare we say "Yummy!"
TOKYO, JAPAN -- A popular Japanese food writer and recipe consultant known as "Yummy-san"
recently conducted a cooking demonstration here using U.S. medium grain rice in the preparation of three
dishes: chicken, nuts, and berry salad; coconut shrimp spicy tomato soup; and almond milk rice pudding.
This consumer tasting event coincided with the start of a new USA Rice promotion at two hundred Kaldi

import stores that will feature ingredients used in the three recipes, including U.S. medium grain
rice.Attendees at the event, none of whom had tried U.S. rice before, got a chance to taste test the three
dishes and, in a survey they filled out afterwards, 32 percent gave a "thumbs up" to U.S. medium grain
rice saying it was completely different from Japanese rice.
Chris Crutchfield, with American Commodity Company, was on hand at the tasting and said, "Yummysan has been a big proponent of U.S.-grown rice for 15 years - ever since she participated in a Japanese
delegation that toured the California rice industry in 2001. She has a huge following here through her
cooking blog, cookbooks, and cooking shows. Her participation brings a lot of popularity to this
promotion highlighting U.S. rice."
Contact: Bill Farmer (832) 302-6710
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures

CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for December 1
Month
Price
Net Change
January 2016
$11.715
- $0.190
March 2016
$11.975
- $0.195
May 2016
$12.270
- $0.195
July 2016
$12.520
- $0.205
September 2016
$12.390
- $0.170
November 2016
$12.405
- $0.155
January 2017
$12.405
- $0.155
Greg Abbott lands in Cuba for a whirlwind visit to promote

Texas trade
Posted: 6:48 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30, 2015
American-Statesman Staff

HAVANA
Gov. Greg Abbott landed in Havana on Monday afternoon leading a business development
mission of two-dozen Texans looking to reintroduce Texas agricultural products to a growing
Cuban market.
Abbotts entourage of 26, including himself and
first lady Cecilia Abbott, was made up of members
of the governors staff and economic development
team and representatives of economic interests with
a stake in increased trade with and travel to Cuba,
including officials from the ports of Houston,
Beaumont and Corpus Christi and Houstons
airports.Abbott is the second governor to travel to
the communist island nation since President Barack
Obamas new policy of rapprochement by executive
action led to the reopening of the American embassy in Havana over the summer.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, a major rice and poultry state, led a similar delegation to
Cuba in September. The trip by the Texas delegation will be a whirlwind 51 hours from
wheels-down in Havana on Monday to wheels-up Wednesday evening for the return home.
Top exporters to Cuba
It will include a tour of the Cubas state-of-the-art

Port of Mariel, and meetings with a variety of
Cuban trade and tourism officials. It will
culminate with a meeting with Jos Luis Toledo
Santander, president of the Constitutional
Commission of the National Assembly of the
Peoples Power.Abbotts trip is freighted with
symbolic significance. He is the conservative
Republican governor of Texas, the second largest state in the union and the worlds 12th largest
economy.
As a politician, Abbott is not one to leave his right flank exposed, and his decision to make a
high-profile trip to Cuba his second international trip the first, in September, was to Mexico
was as sure a sign as any that there is little political risk, outside certain Cuban-American
circles, still mostly concentrated in Florida, in the move toward closer economic relations with

Cuba, even if it is an opening being championed by Obama.This is symbolically important,
said James Williams, president of Engage Cuba, a recently formed nonprofit advocacy group
lobbying Congress to end travel and trade restrictions with Cuba. Theres nothing that says
mainstream Republican Party, anti-Obama, anti-everything about his agenda than the governor
of Texas. It means something.
Opening trade with Cuba could be a watershed moment for Texas agricultural interests and its
seaports, Williams said. According to some estimates, it could generate $57 million in new
exports and result in 1,500 new jobs in the state.
It was only in May that the Obama administration removed Cuba from its list of state sponsors of
terrorism. But everyday Cubans, many of whom rely on remittances from family in the United
States, have long held Americans in fond regard.And Cynthia Thomas, president of
TriDimension Strategies, who made the arrangements for the trip, said there is a special affection
for Texans.Thomas, founding president of the Texas-Cuba Trade Alliance, who has made 38
trips to Cuba, said Cubans like the fact that when other Americans visit they say they are from
the United States, but when Texans visit, they say they are from Texas. They like the states
independent spirit, she said.
Thomas said Abbotts visit will turn heads in Havana because he will be navigating the beautiful
but decrepit city in a wheelchair.Its really an incredible statement to have someone who is in a
wheelchair to be so determined that this is a good idea to be willing to take on the challenge,
Thomas said. Ive never seen a wheelchair in Cuba in my life in all my times there.
Rewarded for misbehaving?
Improving relations with Cuba is broadly popular with the American public.According to the
latest Pew Research Center survey, conducted in July among 2002 adults, 73 percent of
Americans say that they approve of the U.S. re-establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba, up
10 points since January, and 72 percent back lifting the trade embargo which would require
congressional action and ushering in a new era of U.S. investment and trade with Cuba. While
Democrats are more supportive of the change, 56 percent of Republicans, up 16 points since
January, also favored renewed diplomatic relations.But there are still those who adamantly
oppose the shift in approach and dont believe it will end well.
Sebastian Arcos, associate director of the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International
University, said that Obamas new Cuba policy has raised hopes and expectations for new
business opportunities in and with Cuba. But, he said, those hopes and expectations are not wellfounded.Arcos said Cuba is still controlled by the same people who seized power in 1960,
confiscating $1 billion in U.S. property and instituting a repressive regime that has not relaxed its
hold on the economy and the everyday minutiae of Cubans lives.Increased investment in Cuba

will only serve to enrich and entrench them in power, Arcos said.While Williams said the failure
of the embargo to change the behavior of the Cuban government is proof the policy has failed
and the embargo should be lifted, Arcos said lifting the embargo would demonstrate that Cuban
intransigence had won out.Theyre essentially being rewarded for misbehaving, Arcos said.
Slumping exports
The U.S. government placed a partial trade embargo on Cuba in 1960 and a full embargo in
1962. However, legislation in 2000 allowed for the export of agricultural, food and medical
products to Cuba on a cash-in-advance basis.Those exports peaked at $711 million in 2008 and
have since fallen to $299 million in 2014, according to Parr Rosson, a professor of agricultural
economics at Texas A&M University and leading expert on trade with Cuba.Of the $299 million
in exports in 2014, only $6.3 million went through Houston ports, putting Texas seventh on the
list of Southern states through which virtually all of trade to Cuba flows.
Topping the list, $81.8 million went through Louisiana ports, followed by Florida at $77.2
million.Rosson said the decline in U.S. trade with Cuba was a consequence of price competition,
the strength of the dollar and the inability of U.S. companies to offer credit to a country pressed
for hard currency.Brazil, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Spain, France, Ukraine and Vietnam have
all gained at the expense of the United States, he said.Rosson said there might also be political
and diplomatic reasons for the dramatic drop-off in Cuban exports from the United States.He
said it appeared that the Cubans were frustrated that their buying rice and other staples from the
U.S. market partly calculated to nudge farm-belt lawmakers to use their influence to change
U.S. policy toward Cuba had seemed to bear so little fruit, even after Obama was elected in
2008, until this new diplomatic opening.
Whether the resumption of diplomatic relations, and trips like that being undertaken by Abbotts
delegation, will change that remains to be seen.Ernest Bezdek, director of trade development for
the Port of Beaumont, making his fourth trip to Cuba, is depending on that.Bezdek said that back
in the 1950s, Cuba was Beaumonts No. 1 trading partner. He carried with him on this Cuba visit
small sacks of Sunset Rice, from the Beaumont Rice Mills, to deliver to Cuban officials to
remind them of the high-quality Texas rice that Cubans used to prefer before cheaper broken
rice from Vietnam and elsewhere came to dominate the Cuban market.The trip is sponsored and
paid for by TexasOne, which was created by the Texas Economic Development Corporation to
market and promote Texas. A contingent of Department of Public Safety officers, providing for
the governors security, traveled at state expense.
Whos on the Texas trip to Cuba:
Gov. Greg Abbott

First lady Cecilia Abbott
Daniel Hodge, chief of staff, governors office
Robert Allen, deputy chief of staff, governors office
John Reed Clay, senior adviser to the governor
Bryan Daniel, executive director, Economic Development and Tourism Division, governors office
Drew DeBerry, policy director, governors office
Matt Hirsch, communications director, governors office
Lauren Bean Clay, senior adviser to the governor for the office of first lady
Chelsea Holden, senior adviser to the first lady
Matt Sniadecki, senior advance representative, governors office
Cody Kloster, communications aide, photographer, governors office
Garrett Nerren, executive aide to the governor
Tracye McDaniel, president and CEO, Texas Economic Development Corporation
Michael Chrobak, executive vice president, Lead Generation, Texas Economic Development Corporation
Jack Webb, senior international business adviser, AWSCI LLC
Samuel Webb, CEO and General Counsel, AWSCI LLC
Saba Abashawl, chief external affairs officer, Houston Airport System, city of Houston
Mario C. Diaz, director of aviation, Houston Airport System
Ernest Bezdek, director, trade development, port of Beaumont
Judy Hawley, port director, port of Corpus Christi Authority
Charles Zahn, vice chairman, port of Corpus Christi Authority
Roger Guenther, executive director, port of Houston Authority
Janiece M. Langoria, chairman, port of Houston Authority
Cynthia Thomas, president, TriDimension Strategies LLC
Dee Vaughan, chief operating officer, Vaughan Farms Inc.
Expert coverage

American-Statesman chief political writer Jonathan Tilove is the only Texas-based reporter covering Gov.
Greg Abbotts historic trip to Cuba.
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/greg-abbott-lands-in-cuba-for-awhirlwind-visitto/npY3T/?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+December+1%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+D
ecember+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
2 local firms win bid to buy 37,000 tonnes of rotten rice

1 Dec 2015 at 16:05
WRITER: REUTERS
Two private Thai firms won a bid on Tuesday to buy 37,413 tonnes of rotten rice, the Commerce
Ministry said after the first auction of spoilt grain by the government.The government said last
month it would begin selling rotten rice from state warehouses for industrial use, looking to
offload stockpiles of the staple grain built up under a previous support scheme for farmers.
The rotten rice would be used to produce ethanol, among other things.The rice, worth about 198
million baht, is the first lot taken from about 6 million tonnes of rotten rice in state warehouses
that the ministry has said it plans to sell in quantities of between 1,000 and 6,000 tonnes."We'll

have to see how smoothly this auction goes and then we will see whether we will hold the next
one and when," Chutima Bunyapraphasara, the Commerce Ministry's permanent secretary, told
reporters.The ministry did not say when the sale would be approved.The government is looking
to dispose of huge rice mountains following the end of the support scheme introduced by the
government of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
Ms Yingluck was banned from politics for five years in January after the National Legislative
Assembly found her guilty of mismanaging the scheme. The government claims the scheme
incurred losses of US$16 billion.Thailand, the world's second-largest rice exporter after it lost its
crown to India last year, has about 13 million tonnes of rice in storage.About 6 million tonnes in
government warehouses is below standard or rotten and classed unfit for human or animal
consumption, the Commerce Ministry said last month.Since taking power in 2014, Thailand's
military government has auctioned off 5 million tonnes of rice through several tenders, with sales
worth about $1.5 billion.
Rotten rice found at a government warehouse in Phitsnulok province in March 2014. (Post
Today file photo)
Bangkok Post
APEDA Rice Commodity News

International Benchmark Price
Price on: 01-12-2015
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
Turkish No. 2 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t)
4875
Turkish No. 4 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t)
4375
Turkish size 8, CIF UK (USD/t)
3625
Californian Thompson seedless raisins, CIF UK (USD/t)
2525
South African Thompson seedless raisins, CIF UK (USD/t)
2451
Apricots
Raisins
White Sugar

1
CZCE White Sugar Futures (USD/t)
866
Kenya Mumias white sugar, EXW (USD/t)
691
Pakistani refined sugar, EXW Akbari Mandi (USD/t)
518
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 30-11-2015
Domestic Prices
Product
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Kottur (Karnataka)
Local
1295
1526
Dahod (Gujarat)
Yellow
1525
1580
Palthan (Maharashtra)
Yellow
1325
1600
Dehgam (Gujarat)
Other
1165
1330
Jajpur (Orissa)
Other
1410
1500
Bareta (Punjab)
Other
1700
2450
Batala (Punjab)
Other
1600
2200
Kolhapur (Maharashtra)
Other
600
1400
Kangra (Himachal Pradesh)
Other
2500
3000
Palayam (Kerala)
Other
3000
3300
Nagpur (Maharashtra)
Other
600
900
Shillong (Meghalaya)
Other
1600
1800
Maize
Paddy(Dhan)
Guava
Cauliflower

Source:agmarknet.nic.in
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 01-12-2015
Product
Market Center
Price
Ahmedabad
404
Mysore
383
Namakkal
365
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package

Price on 01-12-2015
Product
Market Center
Origin
Variety
Low
Onions Dry
High
Package: 50 lb cartons
Atlanta
Colorado
Russet
17
17.75
Chicago
Idaho
Russet
13
16
Dallas
Idaho
Russet
12.50
12.50
Cucumbers
Package: cartons film wrapped
Atlanta
Mexico
Long Seedless
14
14
Dallas
California
Long Seedless
17
18.50
Philadelphia
Canada
Long Seedless
10
Grapefruit
Package: 4/5 bushel cartons
Atlanta
Florida
Red
18
18
Chicago
Florida
Red
22
24.50
New York
Florida
Red
15
15
Source:USDA
How climate change affects malnutrition

By Frank Rijsberman 30 November 2015
A
farmer works in the fields. More innovative solutions for nutrition and climate-smart agriculture are
essential to ending hunger and malnutrition. Photo by: Abt Associates
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture
by 2030 that is the second Sustainable Development Goal, adopted in September by the
United Nations.Today, 800 million people are going hungry, close to 2 billion people are
malnourished and another 2 billion are overweight or obese. Unhealthy diets, causing chronic
diseases from diabetes, heart disease to cancer have become the most important factor in global
health overtaking smoking or infectious diseases. And all these challenges are severely
exacerbated by the changing climate.
Health care expenditures caused by poor nutrition are 16 times higher than preventing
malnutrition, according to the 2015 Global Nutrition Report. Ending malnutrition is therefore an
excellent investment. But food systems are very vulnerable to the increased variability in the
weather as a result of climate change: more droughts, more floods, more storms.CGIARs
research program on climate change, agriculture and food security estimates that 3 percent of
land in Africa, currently supporting 35 million people, will no longer be able to grow maize,
their staple crop. Potato yield across the globe could decrease as much as 32 percent by 2069 if

agriculture does not adapt. And 80 percent of the land where coffee is grown in Nicaragua would
no longer be suitable for coffee production.
Bangladesh is the nation most vulnerable to climate change. More than 70 percent of the calories
consumed by rural Bangladeshis come from rice. When rice yields are reduced by flooding, the
Bangladesh government imports rice and boosts the countrys production the following year,
resulting in rapid price increases. As rice prices climb, consumers spend less on more nutritious
food, and the number of underweight children rises. More than 40 percent of Bangladeshi
children under 5 already lack vital minerals and vitamins, and climate change pushes more
children into malnutrition.Ending malnutrition and achieving agreed targets to reduce stunting
and wasting in children under 5 will require a holistic, multisectoral approach. It requires a
focus on the 1,000-day window to improve the health and diets of expecting mothers and young
children under 2. It includes better health care, awareness of the importance of breast-feeding,
and improved access to affordable nutritious food.
Agriculture should play its role to provide healthy diets from sustainable food systems. That will
require innovation in many parts of the food system including agri-food systems becoming
more climate-smart.Climate-smart agri-food systems will be needed both to increase resilience
to the changes in climate that are unavoidable and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Agricultural research for development drives the innovation to enable agri-food systems to do
this, including the development of rice varieties that can withstand floods and droughts, such as
the International Rice Research Institutes scuba rice and drought-tolerant rice. Scuba rice has
already been adopted by more than 5 million farmers in India, Bangladesh, Philippines,
Indonesia, Myanmar, Laos and Nepal and drought tolerant rice can be grown on the 23 million
hectares of Asian land that is increasingly drought prone.In those same rice fields, when flooded,
WorldFish has helped communities breed small fish that can improve the dietary quality of
malnourished children. Affordable rice and small fish may help improve the diet of malnourished
children in Bangladesh.
In Rwanda, where beans are a key staple food, scientists at the International Center for Tropical
Agriculture and HarvestPlus have successfully introduced improved bean lines that are both
higher in essential micronutrients and can tolerate temperature increases of 3 degrees Celsius and
possibly higher.More of such win-win solutions for nutrition and climate-smart agriculture need
to be identified.Navigating the complexity of healthy diets from climate smart agri-food systems
is far from obvious, as it requires thinking across traditional sectors of health, agriculture and the
environment. It is possible, however, as shown in a recent Global Panel on Nutrition policy
brief on climate-smart food systems that can enhance nutrition.
To succeed to end hunger and malnutrition while addressing climate change will require
bold leadership. It will require powerful alliances across the sectors of nutrition, health,
agriculture and climate. Agricultural research for development needs to play its part, which
requires an ability to increase the pace of innovation. It will require a widespread public
awareness of the challenges and the solutions we can all adopt as consumers. It will also require
governments to come together in Paris this week to agree on a climate treaty that includes
agriculture, food and nutrition as part of the negotiations.

Only if all these pieces come together can we hope to have healthy diets from climate-smart food
systems for all.
Planet
Worth is
a
global
conversation
in
partnership
with Abt
Associates, Chemonics,HELVETAS, Tetra Tech, the U.N. Development Program and Zurich,
exploring leading solutions in the fight against climate change, while highlighting the
champions of climate adaptation amid emerging global challenges. Visit the campaign site and
join the conversation using #PlanetWorth.
About the author
Frank Rijsberman
Frank Rijsberman is CEO of the CGIAR Consortium, a global partnership of 15 international

agricultural research Centers with the shared vision of a food secure future. With over thirty
years' experience as a researcher and consultant in natural resources management, Frank is
leading the implementation of this vision through a coherent portfolio of research programs
focusing on increasing food security, improving nutrition and health, reducing rural poverty, and
protecting the environment.
www.worldwatch.org/node/6271
California Calrose Receives World's Best Rice AwardHinode

rice celebrates results of 7th Annual World Rice Conference
blind taste test
Hinode Calrose Rice
WOODLAND, Calif., Dec. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/

Hinode rice has built its brand
with California Calrose since
1934. Now, this premium variety
of aponica rice is gaining
recognition from international
growers and chefs worldwide.
California Calrose just received
the coveted award for World's
Best Rice variety at this year's
World Rice Conference in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia. The contest
included 24 entries from countries

that produce rice for domestic sale and international trade. The panel of judges was made up of
renowned rice chefs from a diverse network of international restaurateurs.
Representing the California rice growing region was Chef Matthew Teruo Sato of Ten22 who
won this years' "Lord of Rice" sushi competition.Each variety of rice submitted to the World
Rice Conference for consideration is confidentially marked and blindly tested for color,
fragrance, taste and texture. After sampling each variety in its dry, uncooked form, samples were
steamed and tasted as traditional table rice. This year, California Calrose was selected as the
highest ranked variety in the world. Cambodian Fragrant rice received this award the previous
three years, making this recognition a great honor for the California rice industry.Jeremy
Zwinger, CEO of The Rice Trade and host for the World Rice Conference, shares his perspective
on how California competed against Eastern varieties of rice, "This win is a result of over 100
years of research by the California Rice Experiment Station, coupled with technologically
advanced farming practices that safeguard the premium quality of Calrose rice.
" Mr. Zwinger continues, "Within the diverse global rice market, it is rewarding to
witness California's success as Calrose rice gains international visibility. This year the title of
World's Best Rice is reserved solely for California Calrose."Hinode Calrose rice is traditionally
prepared as white rice but now 100% whole grain brown rice is growing in popularity. A recent
study released by the Whole Grains Council found 31% of respondents almost always choose
whole grains. This is up from only 4% five years ago. ("Survey: Two-thirds of Americans Make
Half Their Grains Whole." Whole Grains Council, 31 Aug. 2015. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.) Matt
Alonso, President and CEO overseeing marketing and manufacturing of Hinode Calrose rice
shares, "Volume sales for Hinode Calrose brown rice are up 25% and overall Hinode Calrose
sales have increased 34% in the US this past crop year."
About Hinode Rice
Established in 1934, the Hinode brand is now owned by SunFoods, LLC; a joint venture formed
in 2008 between local California rice farmers and Australian-based Ricegrowers Limited
(trading as SunRice). With international partners in rice growing regions around the world,
Hinode offers a full range of domestic and imported rice product to retailers across the US.
http://www.hinoderice.com
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/california-calrose-receives-worlds-best-rice-award300185524.html
El Nino Shrinking Rice Crop Worldwide to Spur Vietnamese

Sales

Diep Pham diepngocpham
Rice exports from Vietnam may increase 14 percent in the first quarter as the strongest El Nino
in almost two decades shrivels crops in some countries, spurring importers to build
reserves.Shipments will jump to 1.3 million metric tons in the three months ending March from
1.14 million tons a year earlier, said Tran Tuan Anh, Vietnams deputy minister of industry and
trade. The worlds third-biggest exporter is already seeing a spurt in demand, he said in an e-mail
on Nov. 25. October rice shipments surged 43 percent to 859,000 tons from a year earlier, the
highest level since July 2012, government data show.Indonesia and the Philippines are among
nations importing rice after dry weather induced by the strongest El Nino since the record event
in 1997-98 hurts crops.
Prospects for the event to further strengthen may prompt buyers to secure supplies before prices
run up as the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization predicts a decline in global rice
output in the 2015-16 season with consumption surpassing production.Rice supply and
stockpiles will decline, and demand for imports will rise because of unfavorable weather
conditions, Anh said. The El Nino event occurring this year and prolonging into 2016 will
affect production in many countries, especially Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.Roughrice futures on the Chicago Board of Trade have rallied 29 percent from the lowest level in more
than eight years in May on concern that the El Nino will shrink global harvest. The contract for
delivery in January closed at $12.13 per 100 pounds on Wednesday.
Output Decline
Production in Thailand may decline to the lowest in 19 years as dry weather may prompt the
worlds top exporter to further restrict plantings to preserve water supply. The Philippines is
monitoring rice production closely to see whether theres need to import more on El Nino after
purchasing 750,000 tons from Vietnam and Thailand for delivery from November to March
2016. Indonesia this month agreed to import 1.5 million tons from Vietnam and Thailand and is
in talks with Cambodia and Myanmar for additional supplies, according to state-run food
company Bulog.
Vietnams paddy rice output may increase 0.3 percent to 45.1 million tons this year,
VietnamPlus reported in September, citing the Agriculture Ministry. Exports may climb to 7
million tons in 2016 from 6.2 million tons this year, according to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.Boosting rice exports will still be a challenge for Vietnam as Thailand is looking to
draw down the stockpiles it accumulated under a state purchase plan, Anh said. Major importers,
especially in Southeast Asia, are also diversifying supply sources and boosting domestic
production, he said.Thailand has about 13.7 million tons of rice in state stockpiles after the
military government sold 5 million tons, Chutima Bunyapraphasara, permanent secretary for
commerce, said Nov. 16.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-27/el-nino-shrinking-rice-crop-worldwide-to-spurvietnamese-sales
Efforts to 'turbocharge' rice and reduce world hunger enter

important new phase
UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
A long-term project aimed at improving photosynthesis in rice is entering its third stage, marking
another step on the road to significantly increased crop yields that will help meet the food needs
of billions of people across the developing world.Led by scientists at Oxford University, this
phase of the project will build on the work carried out in the first two stages, with the ultimate
aim being to 'supercharge' photosynthesis in rice by introducing more efficient traits found in
other crops.Rice uses the C3 photosynthetic pathway, which in hot dry environments is much
less efficient than the C4 pathway used in plants such as maize and sorghum. If rice could be
'switched' to use C4 photosynthesis, it would theoretically increase productivity by 50%.
As well as an increase in photosynthetic efficiency, the introduction of C4 traits into rice is
predicted to improve nitrogen use efficiency, double water use efficiency, and increase tolerance
to high temperatures.
And with almost a billion people around the world living in hunger, boosting rice productivity is
crucial to achieving long-term food security -- particularly in areas such as South Asia and subSaharan Africa, where 80% of the food supply is provided by smallholder farmers.
Professor Jane Langdale, Professor of Plant Development in the Department of Plant Sciences at
Oxford University, and Principal Investigator on Phase III of the C4 Rice Project, said: 'Over 3
billion people depend on rice for survival, and, owing to predicted population increases and a
general trend towards urbanization, land that currently provides enough rice to feed 27 people
will need to support 43 by 2050.
'In this context, rice yields need to increase by 50% over the next 35 years. Given that traditional
breeding programmes currently achieve around a 1% increase in yield per annum, the world is
facing an unprecedented level of food shortages.'
Professor Langdale added: 'The intrinsic yield of rice, a C3-type grass, is limited by the inherent
inefficiency of C3 photosynthesis. Notably, evolution surmounted this inefficiency through the
establishment of the C4 photosynthetic pathway, and importantly it did so on multiple
independent occasions. This suggests that the switch from C3 to C4 is relatively straightforward.
As such, the C4 programme is one of the most plausible approaches to enhancing crop yield and
increasing resilience in the face of reduced land area, decreased use of fertilizers, and less
predictable supplies of water'.

Phases I and II of the programme were focused on identifying new components of the C4
pathway -- both biochemical and morphological -- as well as validating the functionality of
known C4 enzymes in rice. Phase III will refine the genetic toolkit that has been assembled and
will focus both on understanding the regulatory mechanisms that establish the pathway in C4
plants and on engineering the pathway in rice.
Robert Zeigler of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) described the project as 'one of
the great undertakings in plant sciences of the early 21st century'. He said: 'Unless we can
translate our work into meaningful products adopted by rice farmers worldwide, this will remain
simply an academic pursuit. The unique partnerships that characterise this programme should
make sure this happens.'
###
The C4 Rice Project was initiated in 2008 with funding from The Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation, following discussions led by IRRI. Phase III of the project is a collaboration
between 12 institutions in eight countries - Oxford University, IRRI, Cambridge University,
Australian National University, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Washington State
University, University of Minnesota, University of Toronto, Heinrich Heine University, Max
Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Academia Sinica, and the Chinese Academy of
Sciences-Max Planck Partner Institute for Computational Biology. This phase has been funded
by a grant of over 4.5 million from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of
Oxford.
Find out more at http://C4Rice.com.
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by
contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-11/uoo-et112715.php
New Variety Of Rice Fights Global Warming And Global

Hunger
James Conca
A slight change in a single gene of rice can avoid the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions
each year as all the wind turbines in the world, the same as 15 nuclear power plants.Work led by
Dr. Christer Jansson at the Department of Energys Pacific Northwest National Laboratory found

that transferring one gene from barley to rice lowered the methane (CH4 or natural gas)
emissions
from
rice
paddies
to
almost
zero.As
th
e COP21 climate change talks get underway today in Paris, its nice to see real progress on a
critical front that doesnt get enough attention food and climate.
Agriculture is a primary source of greenhouse gas emissions, especially
as humans practice it nowadays, and emissions are on the rise. Over the
last ten years, agriculture, forestry and other land uses have emitted
over 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent/year:
- 5 billion tons of CO2 eq/yr from crop and livestock production
- 4 billion tons CO2 eq/yr because of net forest conversion to other
lands (deforestation)
- 1 billion tons CO2 eq/yr from degraded peatlands
- 0.2 billion tons CO2 eq/yr from biomass fires

In contrast, only about two billion tons CO2 eq/yr are removed from the atmosphere by carbon
sequestration in forests and wildlands.
With their warm, waterlogged soils, rice paddies contribute up to 17 percent of global methane
emissions. SUSIBA2 rice is the first high-starch, low-methane rice that could offer a significant
and sustainable solution to both global poverty and global warming. Image courtesy of Tamago
Moffle, Flickr
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/11/30/new-variety-of-rice-fights-global-warmingand-global-hunger/
From Cauliflower Rice to Cinnamon Water, Healthy Food

Startups Dominate
Food Matters Live, the annual healthy food conference, took place in London this year and highlighted
healthy startups
Nov 30, 2015 | 4:33 pm
By Joanna Fantozz
Cinnamora/CauliRice
Could cinnamon water be the new coconut water?

Rice
made
from
cauliflower,
cinnamon
water, and a protein-packed
alternative to Greek yogurt
are just a few of the healthy
food and drink items from
startups featured at the Food
Matters
Live
conference that focuses on
healthful,
sustainable
solutions to hunger and
food issues worldwide. This
years Food Matters Live
conference took place from
November 17 to the 19. Cinnamora claims to be the future of flavored water and Food Navigator calls
it a contender for coconut waters crown. Cinnamora has no artificial colors or flavorings and is just

made from cinnamon and sucralose. There are few advertised health benefits to cinnamon but
consumption has been associated with lowering blood sugar for diabetics and cinnamon has been used
in Ayurvedic natural medicinal remedies.
CauliRice, another one of the more popular health food

products at the convention, is a healthier alternative to
white rice. With 75 percent fewer calories, CauliRice is
made from cauliflower but has a longer shelf life than its
vegetable base, thanks to technical advancement in
preservation. Finally, we have the product Quark, a
spoonable fresh cheese, that tastes deceptively similar to
Greek yogurt, but packs more protein and less sugar. The
product will start distributing to retailers worldwide in
2016.
http://www.thedailymeal.com/news/healthy-eating/cauliflower-rice-cinnamon-water-healthy-foodstartups-dominate/113015
Rice exports down on Basmati slump

November 30, 2015
BR Research
For the four months ended FY16, PBS numbers show a 24 percent surge in the quantity of rice
exported year-over-year, but a 6 percent decline in dollars earned. The plot thickens when one
looks at the types of rice - in both dollar and quantity terms. Basmati exports have plummeted
over last year while non-Basmati exports have gained tremendously. Recall that Basmati is of
superior quality and more expensive, so its margins are higher. What went wrong?
This column has discussed the issues of Pakistan's rice industry at length (Read "Rice: another
dying commodity," published on October 20, 2015). To recap, the main issues highlighted by
industry sources were low international prices, a high cost of doing business, and a lack of
research in Basmati. However, there have to be some factors other than these for this free-fall of
Basmati exports over last year; for the four months ended FY16, the volume of Basmati exports
was lower by 34 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, non-Basmati rice exports shot up around 40
percent. What explains this shift from a premium-priced Basmati to inferior type exports?
Wajid Paracha from REAP told BR Research that the answer to this can be found in lower
buying from Iran, which happens to be Pakistan?s largest market for Basmati rice. Pakistan was
already having trouble in the Iranian market for Basmati thanks to India, as also confirmed by
Guard Rice CEO Shehzad Malik, who added that India has been producing evolved Basmati
varieties that give twice the yields.Iran happened to be an important market for India as well.

Since last year, however, Iran stopped importing, perhaps owing to its own stockpiles, or perhaps
in anticipation of the removal on sanctions and access to a broader market. Moreover, Wajid
Paracha said the inspection standards of Iran had been raised as well.
So, Pakistan lost its biggest Basmati market, as did India. As a result, India began slashing its
prices and aggressively marketing its Basmati in other markets where Pakistan was present as
well. This explains the enormous drop in Basmati exports as of late.As for the rising nonBasmati exports, Shehzad Malik said that there have been significant developments in other seed
varieties. He said that the private sector has done a lot of work (particularly in Sindh),
introducing hybrid rice technology that gives twice the yield and reduces the cost of production.
It may thus be the case that growers are now opting for non-Basmati varieties.While there's no
arguing that the commodity crunch is playing a huge role in our exporters' troubles, one can't
ignore the fact that the dollars earned could easily be higher if Basmati is given due emphasis.
http://www.brecorder.com/br-research/44:miscellaneous/6054:rice-exports-down-on-basmati-slump/
Opposition targets Haryana goverment on 'paddy scam',

demands probe
By PTI | 1 Dec, 2015, 02.21AM IST
The House had taken up the discussion on a 'calling attention' motion moved separately by the Congress
and INLD which was later clubbed.CHANDIGARH: Opposition INLD and Congress today trained their
guns on the Manohar Lal Khattar-led Haryana government over alleged irregularities in paddy purchases
and demanded a probe by a sitting judge of the high court into the issue. The two parties also staged
separate walkouts on the issue, on the first day of the Haryana Assembly winter session.
The House had taken up the discussion on a
'calling attention' motion moved separately by the
Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD)
which was later clubbed by the Speaker. Earlier,
before the Question Hour, the main opposition
INLD had sought adjournment motion on the
paddy scam, but the Speaker assured that a
discussion would be held during later part of the
day's proceedings. Former Chief Minister
Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress legislature
party leader in the State Kiran Choudhry and other
party legislators alleged that the Khattar
government had compromised farmers' interests
for benefiting rice millers.

"Farmers have been paid around Rs 1,250 as against the MSP of Rs 1,450. The rice millers had made
huge profits as the prices had nearly doubled after the paddy procurement," Choudhary alleged. The
Congress pressed its demand for an inquiry by the SIT or a sitting judge of the high court to bring out the
truth. Leader of Opposition, Abhay Chautala alleged that farmers had faced huge loss due to
"irregularities" in paddy procurement. The Chief Minister and his senior Cabinet colleagues assured the
opposition that no irregularities had taken place in the paddy procurement. However, as the opposition
failed to get a satisfactory reply from the government, the Congress members, led by Hooda, staged a
noisy walkout. They were followed by INLD MLAs, who first assembled near the Well of the House,
before walking out. Meanwhile, Haryana Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Abhimanyu said
that the process of special girdawari (survey) to assess the extent of damage to the cotton crop due to the
whitefly attack is underway, and reports from districts are expected soon.
He was replying to a separate calling-attention notice on the damage to the crops due to pest attack.
Abhimanyu said that based on the report received from the Agriculture Department, the government had
directed the Deputy Commissioners to conduct special girdawari to assess the damage to the crops due to
pest attack. "The process of special girdawari is underway and reports are expected soon. Compensation
would be paid to the affected farmers based on the special girdawari reports or the extent of damage as
per relief norms fixed by the state which are higher than the relief norms fixed by the Central
Government," he assured the House. Meanwhile Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar,
announced that physical verification of stock of paddy purchased in the mandis during the current Kharif
procurement season would be conducted by the Additional Chief Secretary or Principal Secretary in each
district in coming two weeks.
The Chief Minister informed the House that as the irregularities worth crores of rupees were found in
warehouses of wheat at Ambala, Pehowa, Ismailabad and Palwal, physical verification of paddy stock
with rice millers would be conducted. He said that not even a single farmer had complained against
arthiyas (Commission Agent)about irregularities in paddy procurement. Paddy is purchased every year
and its procurement is done by rice millers on behalf of government agencies. Necessary quota for the
same is determined. Farmer brings their crop to mandis with more than permitted moisture level of 17 per
cent, Khattar said. He said that he had himself visited Karnal mandi where moisture in crop was examined
in his presence in two places, that was found to be 24 and 23.5 per cent moisture. "Farmer and arthiyas
mutually agreed for payment below MSP due to over and above the moisture content in crop," the Chief
Minister added.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/opposition-targets-haryana-goverment-on-paddy-scam-demands-probe/articleshow/49989753.cms
Sri Lankas Nawaloka Holdings enters the FMCG sector

Author LBO
Posted on November 30, 2015 |
Nov 30,2015 (LBO) Nawaloka Holdings, a diversified conglomerate in Sri Lanka, entered the
FMCG sector through its recent acquisition of East West Marketing (EWM), the company said
in a statement.Nawaloka has always been associated with quality. We have proven this over and
over again in the past 70 years. And with the recent acquisition of EWM we continue in this

great tradition of supplying quality products to the market at affordable prices. Jayantha
Dharmadasa, chairman of Nawaloka Holdings said.EWM is a leading distribution company
which has been able to leverage its long standing relationships with local and foreign partners to
introduce and distribute some of the worlds leading FMCG brands across the island.The
company owns leading brands Turkey, Bega, Aparna, Sunrise and Super chef.
The EWM product portfolio also includes edible oils such as Vegetable oil, Sunflower oil, Corn
oil, and other FMCG products such as Basmati Rice, Canned fish, Cheese, Soya meat, Dimbula
Tea and a range of sauces.The company also plans to re-launch Milgro Milk Powder to the
market.The statement said that the bakery division covers all small, medium and large bakers
island wide and is the exclusive representative in Sri Lanka for Saf Yeast France, one of the
worlds largest manufacturers of yeast.
However, the backbone of the company is its strong dealer network, state-of-the-art warehouse,
and brand new vehicle fleet which have ensured efficient distribution of their products island
wide. the statement said.Nawaloka Holdings has interests in healthcare, construction,
manufacturing, trading, lubricants, education, real estate, finance and aviation. It has more than
20 companies including three listed companies.The financial strength, resources and the wealth
of experience of Nawaloka Holdings will be an advantage for EWM in its mission to become the
most prominent FMCG brand in Sri Lanka.
Lanka Business Online
The Philippines Fights Climate Change With Rice and

Religion
The deeply Catholic nation's 100 million people, battered by typhoons and rising seas, are
responding to Pope Francis' call for action with moves to slash agricultural greenhouse gas
emissionsand a resounding demand for help.
(Photo: Tony Oquias)
The Philippines Fights Climate Change With Rice and Religion
The deeply Catholic nation's 100 million people, battered by typhoons and rising seas, are responding to Pope
Francis' call for action with moves to slash agricultural greenhouse gas emissionsand a resounding demand
for help.
NOV 30, 2015
David Page has written for The New York Times, Men's Journal, Skiing, Outside, and many
other publications. He is a co-founder of Mammoth Medical Missions, Inc.LEYTE ISLAND,
PhilippinesUldarico Castaeda Jr. keeps five tattered life jackets hanging at the ready on his
front porch. When Typhoon Haiyan hit central Philippines two years ago, it blasted the glass
from the windows of his house and blew the roof off. Then came the storm surge, seawater rising quickly to
the ceiling. He and his family survived by donning the life jackets and climbing onto a concrete beam over
the porch. Many others were not so lucky. The typhoon, known locally as Yolanda, killed more than 6,300
people, left more than 1 million homeless, and razed 33 million coconut trees, destroying the livelihood of

more than a million coconut farmers. Some 100,000 fishing boats were lost, and rice crops were ravaged
across several major islands as the typhoon flattened villages and cities.
What is happening now is the destruction of the climate, Castaeda tells me one afternoon in
October just up the path from the beach in Bislig, a small fishing village where he serves as an
elected neighborhood official charged with peace and security as well as disaster risk and reduction.
The resilient, perpetually smiling villagers, many of whom live on less than a dollar a day, have
rebuilt their lives as best they can, mostly in the form of a dense shantytown inside the 130-foot
coastal no-build zone mandated by the national government in Manila in the wake of Haiyan but
not yet enforced. Residents cobbled their homes together from bamboo, rattan, salvaged roofing
metal, and sheets of white tarpaulin emblazoned with the fading logos of international humanitarian
relief groups. Some have dirt floors perhaps two or three feet above the high-tide mark; others are
on stilts or attached to the tops of broken tree trunks.
(Map: TakePart)
On the eve of the second anniversary of
Haiyan, with typhoon season once again
bearing down on the country, Castaeda
is afraid. The storms get stronger and
stronger, he says. As long as theres
enough warningas there was last year
before Typhoon Hagupit hitpeople
will get out. Theyve learned their
lesson. But their homes, their animals,
their small stocks of food, their
livelihoodsall of it will easily be swept
away again, and the downward spiral of
poverty and destruction will only get

worse. The government, he says, is still not serious. The aid organizations have for the most part
come and gone. When are we going to do this? he wonders. We still have time to protect the
environment. If only we could all cooperate.As world leaders meet this week in Paris to hammer
out a binding agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the stakes have never been higher.
Of the 171 countries on the United Nations most recentWorld Risk Index, the 100 million people
of the Philippines are ranked the third-most-vulnerable population on the planet to extreme natural
disaster. The only places at greater risk are Tonga (No. 2) and Vanuatu (No. 1), tiny archipelagos in
the South Pacific with populations of 105,000 and 250,000, respectively. As global warming
accelerates, the Philippines is likely to face not only more catastrophic typhoons but also heat
waves, coastal floodingsea levels are rising in the Philippines at a rate three times the global
averageloss of fisheries and forests, drought, and widespread food shortages.
With the archipelagos extreme vulnerability compounded by a population explosion and endemic
poverty, Pope Francis encyclical on the social costs of climate change, Laudato Si, has struck a
deep chord among the countrys 90 million Catholics already feeling the impacts of climate change.
Inspired in part by the popes words, the government has joined religious leaders in calling for swift
action on climate change in Paris, promising to cut 70 percent of the Philippines greenhouse gas
emissions by 2030 in exchange for financial assistance as the country tries to adapt and steel itself
for an uncertain future.
Filipino nuns pray during holy mass by Pope Francis at Rizal park on Jan. 18, 2015 in Manila.
(Photo: Dondi Tawatao)
Making good on such a bargain will require sacrifice, hard work, and cooperation on the part of all
Filipinos. One wild card is the pope, who visited the Philippines in January, preaching to 6 million
people at a mass in Manila. It is difficult overestimate the cultural and political power of
Catholicism in a country occupied for three centuries by the Spanish, when church and state were

one. The Philippines remains one of the only countries in the world where divorce and abortion
remain illegal and where another champion of the poorCardinal Jaime Sin, the archbishop of
Manilarallied people power to depose a dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, in 1986 and influenced the
democratically elected governments that followed.
One of Sins successors, Luis Antonio Tagle, has embraced Pope Francis call to action on climate
change. We see in our country refugees who are not driven away not only by conflict, battles, or
lack of employment, but by climate catastrophes, Tagle told the National Catholic Reporter in
September. For me, success would also [be] getting the grass roots, the local communities to
achieve a level of conversion of heart, a change of lifestyle, and for them to monitor at the
grassroots level what is implemented in terms of the Paris conferences direction. Without the
involvement of the grass roots, I dont think there will be real success.
With a frightening future drawing ever closer, the will to act may finally have become reality.
The Francis Effect
Three days after Haiyan struck on Nov. 8, 2013, Filipino negotiator Naderev Yeb Sao broke into
tears during an opening speech at the U.N. climate negotiations in Warsaw. Many of his relatives
were still missing. His brother had survived, he said, but was struggling to find food and deal with
dead bodies. I speak for the countless people who will no longer be able to speak for themselves
after perishing from the storm, Sao told the delegates, announcing that he would go on a hunger
strike until rich nations made financial commitments to help developing countries like his cope with
the effects of climate change. Now was the time, he pleaded, to stop the empty talk and half
measures. Now was the time to take meaningful action to prevent a future where super typhoons
become a way of life.
Two years later, the message is the same. Climate change is something we have to confront, Pel
Tecson, the mayor of Tanauan, Leytea municipality of 50,000 people that includes the village of
Bisligtells me over lunch in his mercifully air-conditioned office on the first floor of the
rehabilitated town hall. He is just back from giving a presentation to the U.N. General Assembly in
New York. Pope Francis spoke to the same body a few days earlier, calling for concrete steps and
immediate measures for preserving and improving the natural environment. The mayors topic was
Tanauan as a case study for successful community-led development and resiliency. The town of
Tanauan was submerged, he told them. The water was 15 to 20 feet high in some places and ran
more than a mile inland. We cannot just leave, he says to me. This is our home. So we have to
develop a plan to mitigate the impact of these disasters, to protect the people and be ready.
Tanauan Mayor Pelagio Tecson, Jr., points to a name of one of his volunteers who died during a
rescue mission after Typhoon Haiyan struck the city. (Photo: Tony Oquias)
Tanauan was the first Haiyan-devastated municipality to come up with such a plan to prepare and
adapt to future climate changespawned super typhoons, less than two months after the disaster.
Funding has been sporadic, and implementation on nearly every front has been excruciatingly slow;
however, there have been successes. Streetlights have been restored and converted to energyefficient LED. Schools have been rebuilt with second stories that can serve as evacuation centers.

Fishing boats and pedicabs have been replaced. Rice farmers were given free high-yield seeds and
fertilizers and in 2014 brought in record harvests. The number of completed resettlement housing
units is about to reach 400, providing stormproof shelter, more than a mile inland, for nearly half of
the estimated 880 families living in what the mayor calls danger areas along the shoreline. The
average resettlement rate elsewhere is less than 10 percent, the mayor tells me. So were ahead of
the
game.
After lunch, I visit some of these new units with one of the mayors aides. They are painted in bright
colors: yellow, orange, purple, and red. Each eligible family will receive one room with a small loft,
a kitchen sink, and a toilet. Theres a playground, a meeting area, and a communal vegetable
garden. The few dozen families already living there seem happy enough. Whether people who have
already rebuilt near the beach, like Castaedas neighbors in Bislig, would be willing to move
inland permanently, especially those with livelihoods that depended on fishing, is uncertainat
least until the next Category 5 storm comes along and sweeps everything away again.I ask the
mayor to what extent the popes campaign for climate action has helped the process. Of course, he
says, the church is integral, not merely in helping to restore the victims faith, but also in charting a
way forward. Its great that theres advocacy from all sectors, he tells me, because we need
everybody.
Later I climb onto the back of a crowded, diesel-belching jeepney to visit Father Al Cris Badana of the Relief
and Rehabilitation Unit of the Archdiocese of Palo, just north of Tanauan. If Mao Zedong has his Red
Book, we have our own red book: the Laudato Si, he tells me. This is our guide in our
interventions.Since Haiyan, Badana and his brothers have helped to rebuild more than 500 homes. Instead of
just delivering new equipment or packaged solutions imported from elsewhere, they first hold a series of
meetings with the community, to let residents determine and articulate their own needs. First we have to

listen to what they really want, Badana explains. What they want is not always the most obvious thing.
Many rice farmers, he says, would prefer a water buffalo to a mechanical harvester. The latter requires
gasoline, ongoing maintenance, and technical training, while the former can sustain itself simply by eating
grass. The animal also provides milk and reproduces. For about $700, Badana says, the church can provide a
water buffalo that serves five families, with a written agreement that the offspring is given to the next in line.
Finished homes inTanauan, where 100 families from the coastal town of San Roque will be relocated.
(Photo: Tony Oquias)
Pope Francis visited Leyte in January. As a Category 2 tropical storm moved in, the pope stood on
the airstrip at Tacloban, 12 miles north of Tanauan, and delivered a homily in the rain before a
crowd of 150,000. The next day Francis appeared in Manila, the most densely populated megacity
on the planet, one that in 2009 felt the full brunt of Typhoon Ketsana, which killed 700 people.
Before a rain-soaked gathering of 6 million people, the pontiff spoke of the inseparability of the
natural environment and the dignity of human beings. When we destroy our forests, ravage our
soil, and pollute our seas, he said, we betray that noble calling.Six months later, Tagle, the
archbishop of Manila, responding to the popes call to action in the Laudato Si, launched what he

hoped would be a massive global petition campaign. The goal is to collect 10 million signatures
from Catholics all over the world1 million from the Philippinesaddressed to delegates at the
Paris climate negotiations and calling on world leaders to drastically cut carbon emissions to keep
the global temperature rise below the dangerous 1.5-degree-Celsius threshold and to aid the worlds
poorest in coping with climate change impacts.
On Saturday, church officials presented 800,000 signatures to U.N. officials in Paris. Mayette
Rodriguez, executive director of Aksyon Klima, a coalition of 40 organizations working on climate
change in the Philippines, appreciates the church's call to action. She credits it for raising general
awareness among Filipinos. In her neighborhood in Manila, for instance, she says has seen an
increase in environmentally friendly activities such as recycling. "It's important for the grassroots to
realize that the power actually lies in their hands," Rodriguez says. "They have been disempowered
for so long that they have to be reminded that if they are consolidated they can effect change in
society."
Pope Francis waves to well wishers in the rain after a mass in Tacloban on Jan. 17, 2015.
Rice Power
In 1995, the year of the first major global climate change negotiations in Berlin, Tony La Via was
a young human rights lawyer working on a Ph.D. at Yale in the then-esoteric field of climate
change. As one of the only Filipinos who had any knowledge of the subject at that time, he was
asked to advise his countrys delegation to the conference. By years end he was appointed

undersecretary of the environment. He negotiated the Kyoto Protocol for the Philippines in 1997
and has participated in every major conference since as a senior negotiator. He is now dean of the
Ateneo School of Government in Manila.
In the beginning we were just preaching to developed countries: Cut emissions, cut emissions, he
tells me one dark and rainy evening at his office on campus. On the windowsill is a stack of wellworn paperbacks that include a selection of writings by Mao, the autobiography of Trotsky,
Platos Dialogues, and Cervantes Don Quixote. Of course they never listened. Now, he says, the
negotiations have evolved to the point where every country is being asked to cut emissions,
regardless of how much youre contributing to climate change or how much youve contributed
historically. At the same time, developed countries are being asked to put real money up to help
poorer countries that are severely impacted by climate change.
President Benigno Aquino III himself, La Via says, refused to go to Paris with a weak offer. What
had been a tentative promise to reduce Philippine greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent suddenly
became a bold pledge to slash the countrys carbon spew 70 percent by 2030even though the total
Philippine contribution to global emissions is less than 1 percent. We made a very big
commitment, says La Via, and we made it contingent on support by developed countries.
If it happens, Filipinos will have to make some big changes. In theory, the biggest cuts in emissions
will come from new efficiencies in energy, transportation, industry, and waste management.
Photographer Tony Oquias shows how life moves forward in an area continually devastated by
typhoons.
Much of the focus will be on agriculture. Farming is responsible for more than one-third of the
countrys greenhouse gas emissions and is the second-biggest emitter after power plants. Also, as
the Philippines attempts to adapt to changing climate conditions, food security is a primary concern.
According to the U.N. Development Programme, 11 million people are directly involved in rice
production in the Philippines, nearly a quarter of the overall workforce. Rice is the countrys most
important food crop, and yet production has not been able to keep up with population growth. Every
year the Philippines imports rice from Vietnam and Thailand. Those imports are likely to grow as
typhoons regularly wipe out rice crops and rising temperatures lowers agricultural productivity.
Evangeline Vangie Sibayan is an agricultural engineer and head research specialist at
the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Muoz, an agricultural center several hours
north of Manila. This is basically the rice granary of the Philippines, she tells me as we drive
across the province of Nueva Ecija, which has the highest yields in the nation and essentially feeds
metropolitan Manila.
Her colleague, Bernardo Tadeo, an agricultural engineer and a senior consultant for PhilRice on
energy and environmental issues, is behind the wheel. Were on our way to visit a 12-megawatt
power plant hes helped set up in San Jose City fueled entirely by rice husks. Built with private
financing, the plant is a spin-off of research done at PhilRice. Its a prime example, Sibayan says, of
how adaptation and mitigation are co-benefits in the fight against climate change. In other words,
by looking at ways to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture, theyve also hit on a way to
produce cleaner electricity. All of it hinges on participation by government, private enterprise,

scientists, and the rice farmers and millers themselves. Its really a collective effort, she says.
Otherwise theres no impact.
Bernardo D. Tadeo, chief executive of Full Advantage Phils. International, stands in front of the
one-of-a-kind power plant he helped develop. The 12-megawatt power plant produces electricity
using rice husk, long considered as farm waste. (Photo: Tony Oquias)
Tadeo negotiates his way past farm trucks, pedestrians, motorcycles with sidecars, and intermittent
stretches of golden-yellow rice grains spread out to dry right on the roadway. Whenever possible,
people try to swerve around it into the other lane. Its harvest time, and in the fields, groups of men
and women in T-shirts and conical straw hats use knives to cut and gather handfuls of grain. Water
buffalos drag mechanical harvesters, and here and there a modern diesel-driven combine works its
way across a muddy field. Sibayan points out whole sections of fields where the crop is flattened,
courtesy of a Category 2 storm named Kabayan that blew through a few days earlier. Some of the
rice might be salvaged, she says. Much of it will be ruined.
On the gated campus of PhilRice in air-conditioned labs surrounded by manicured lawns, teams of
scientists are hard at work developing more resilient, more productive varieties of rice that can
better cope with the changing climate. Theyre also plotting ways to make radical improvements in
cultivation methodsto save water, improve yields, reduce methane gas emissions, and curtail the
use of fossil fuels. One of their climate change projects is the development of carbon-neutral
gasifiers that burn rice husks to produce electricity or to power small engines for hand tractors and

water pumps. Rice husks are what are leftover after the grains are separated to be dried and
packaged. Rice millers once had to pay to have husks hauled away for disposal; now they make
money selling them as renewable fuel.
We pull into the parking lot just as the sun is dipping behind the corrugated steel building. The plant
hums softly as we don hard hats and climb several flights of stairs, past gauges and boilers and the
main generator to the hoppers at the top. Below us, an enormous loader is shoveling mountains of
rice husks onto a conveyor. Burning 12 to 14 metric tons per hour of husk, the plant generates
enough electricity to power tens of thousands of homes. The technology is relatively simple, Tadeo
says, but to make it viable, it took almost eight years to push through a 4-centavo chargea fraction
of a pennyfor renewables on peoples utility bills. Now, says Tadeo, everybody in the
Philippines is contributing to renewable energy development.
A water pump for farms powered by burning rice husk. Farmers can save money with the use of the
pump as they don't have to buy fuel to run their pumps. (Photo: Tony Oquias)
One of Sibayans projects is an ambitious but low-tech initiative developed in collaboration with the
U.N. and a major investment bank based in Japan. By alternately flooding and drying rice
fields rather than flooding them continuously right up until harvest time, as is traditional, it is
estimated that methane gas emissions can be reduced by more than 50 percent. Thats because
organic matter decomposes in the water as it sits in the fields, releasing large amounts of methane
gas, which contributes to global warming.
Other benefits include a potential increase in the hardiness of the plants, a rise of about 5 percent in
yield, and significant water savings that can be banked against the potential for drought or used to
increase the amount of land in production. All this, Sibayan explains, is from modification of water
management at the farmers level.The trick is getting the farmers to change their ways. There are
no incentives in place for using less wateryet. The farmers are charged an irrigation fee based not
on how much water they use but on the amount of irrigable land theyve planted. Often, if they

dont get as much water as they want, they dont bother to pay the fees. So for now, the
experimental initiative is voluntary and limited to one small group of farmers.
We drive down along a network of irrigation channels to meet the farmers of the Lateral B irrigation
association. Outside the village meeting hall in Santo Domingo, the basketball court is spread with
newly harvested rice grains drying in the sun. We sit in the shade on woven-cane benches and chat
about the successes and pitfalls of the alternate wetting and drying program. It has worked well
enough, the farmers tell me. It wasnt even that much extra work. The problem was, the plots they
farmed were down at the end of the ditch and hadnt been getting enough water throughout the
season, or they were getting it at the wrong times.
If you dont need it, it comes, complains one old-timer, 57-year-old Edgar Mariano Sr. Some of
the farmers with fields farther up the ditch, who were not on the new program, had been taking all
the water they could get for themselves. So those downstream werent always able to stay on track
with the watering program, and at times they risked drying out entirely. There are a lot of farmers
who are hard-headed, he explains. If youre not courageous enough, you wont get water when
you need it. You need to bring out all the weapons youve got to get it.Sibayan asked the group
what could be done to make the program work better. The answer was unanimous: Everybody
needed to participateeverybody or nobody. For that to happen, Sibayan knew, the laws would
have to change. There would have to be real incentives, such as a break on irrigation fees based on
water savings, or reduced rates on crop insurance. Beyond the abstract threat of climate change,
there would have to be money.
Seeding Resilience
One Saturday afternoon in the full press of the days heat, I meet Madonna Songalia beside an
army-troop transport along the Yolanda Highway, just across the bridge from Bislig. Songalia
works for a local nonprofit group called Burublig Para Ha Tanauan (Coming Together to Help
Tanauan). A gaggle of schoolkids has gathered, along with several neighborhood leaders and some
soldiers from the Charlie Company of the Philippine Army. A Japanese nonprofit has provided
funds for a batch of mangrove seedlings to replant along the estuary in the hope that it would begin
to restore a lost ecosystem and perhaps, one day, provide some protection against storm surges.
We carry the seedlings in plastic sacks down a dirt path strewn with unspooled videotape.
We leave our flip-flops at the edge of the water and walk out into the warm mud. A group of fishers
watch us from the shore, greatly amused. Digging holes underwater with our hands, we set the
plants into the mud, three feet or so apart, and cover them as best we can. They seem terribly
delicate, but Songalia points out another batch that was planted earlier in the season. Theyre at least
twice the size of the new plants.Its a good way for the children to learn to help protect the
environment, she says, and to bring awareness to the local people. If you help together, you can
do something. Then she adds, Its our time to give back.
The PhilRice Climate Change Mitigation team in Nueva Ecija. Evangeline B. Sibayan, supervising
science research specialist (3rd from left), has helped develop rice seeds that are climate change
resilient. (Photo: Tony Oquias)
We squish our way back to our shoes and solid ground. We stop by a hut along the path for some
sweet pandesal bread and rest in the shade while Songalia talks to the kids.Its all part of what La
Via sees as a new and important development in the global conversation: justice for the people
most vulnerable to climate change. Im talking about communities and peoples that are not
necessarily represented by their states, he says, because theyre excluded also within their own
countries. How do we make sure that they dont bear the cost of the impacts of climate change? If
theyre going to be our solution to climate change, we want those people to have a say.
If a global agreement can be struck in Paris that includes real and sustainable financial assistance for
developing countries, vulnerable populations like those in the Philippines may have a decent shot at
adapting to a changing climate, building toward a more secure and self-sufficient future. A strong
mitigation agreement has very real consequences, says La Via. A weak one means were in real,
real trouble. I dont even know how to prepare for that.Meanwhile the farmers in Santo Domingo
are barely making ends meet. Even before increased storm surges, coastal flooding, and coral
bleaching, Bisligs fisher folks, as theyre called locally, were no longer catching enough fish to
cover the cost of bait and fuel and to sustain their families. Now the trees are gone too. Theres no
shade and no protection, and typhoon season is upon them once again. Leyte will happen again and
again, says La Via. Its still the same vulnerable place. If it happens tomorrow, the whole place
will just be destroyed all over again, and it will get worse.Sure enough, as if to punctuate his point,
two days after I land back in the United States, a storm called Lando, the 15th typhoon of the
season, plows across Luzon, right over the top of Manila, PhilRice, San Joe City, and Lateral
B, destroying 326,000 metric tons of riceenough to feed the 12 million people in Metro Manila
for about three months.
http://www.takepart.com/feature/2015/11/30/philippines-fight-climate-change-religion-and-rice

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Daily Global,Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter

Vol 5 Issue XII

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Pakistan's exports to UAE set to grow 10 per cent

Pakistan's exports to UAE set to grow 10 per cent

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India exported 55.26 lakh tonnes of rice in April-September

India has exported 55.26 lakh tonnes of rice,

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Economic Times India

GRAIN MARKETS OF HARYANA GET OVER 55.51L

Basmati rice export down by 31pc

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India seeks preferential trade deal with Iran

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India is the second importer of Iranian crude oil after China.

Harvesting losses: Behind the trouble on Punjab's rice farms

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A rice paddy on the outskirts of Lahore | Tariq Mahmood, White Star

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Boost for Basmati rice exports as Iran to issue resh contracts

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because of surplus grain

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