News Headlines

Africa To Become Top Rice Producer

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- October 14
Customs seizes P24.7M worth of smuggled rice, garlic in Misamis
Oriental
Vietnam's Rice Export Prices Record 3.8 Per Cent Rise In Nine
Months
Vietnam Anticipates a Difficult 2015 for Rice Exports
S. Korea's rice production to shrink 1.1 pct this year
NFA awards rice supply contract to Thailand, Vietnam
Rice Crop Seen Shrinking by FAO on Weather, End of Thai
Subsidy
Many rice growers seen registering for aid on Monday Thailand
National News Bureau
Next weeks govt rice auction may be last before main harvest
Rice exports double
Haryana Basmati rice farmers unhappy as price falls, blame both
BJP and Congress
Governments bid to import rice from Myanmar flounders
Rice exports: UNISAME wants closure of QRC
Iran's hike in basmati rice import duty hurts Punjab farmers
Africa To Become Top Rice Producer
Namibia: Water Shortage Cripples Rice Project
EU Traders to USA Rice: Despite Healthy

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter
14
th
October, 2014
News Detail.

Africa To Become Top Rice
Producer
October 14, 2014 Editor AgriBusiness,
Business

VENTURES AFRICA Between 2014 and
2031, Africa will
expand its rice
production area by
almost 50 percent,
according to new
analysis on the
global outlook on
rice production and
demand released
last week, by IHS, a global source of critical
information and insight. Africas rapid
expansion of areas for rice production will
be the fastest globally, in percentage
terms.Cote dIvoire intends on spending $4
billion on agriculture development in order
to improve crop yields and, in four years,
become a rice exporter, said Karanta
Kalley, chief economist for Africa at IHS.
However, economic development,
particularly in West Africa, is rather
questionable. Right now, the question on
everyones mind is what the impact of Ebola
will be on the economic growth of sub-
Saharan Africa, Kalley said.IHS expects
gross domestic product (GDP) growth to be
lowered significantly for 2014 in Guinea,
Sierra Leone and Liberia as a result of the
ongoing Ebola outbreak.The IHS confirmed
GDP growth rate forecasts have been cut
between one-half and nine-tenths of
previous forecasts, with Sierra Leones
economy projected to have the highest rate
of growth at 3.1 percent followed by Guinea
at 2 percent. IHS foresees only a marginal
real economic growth rate of 0.8 percent for
Liberias economy.
The spread of Ebola is still a concern for
Nigeria, the regions most populated area
and economic giant. Public awareness and
facilities in Lagos are better than in the
Sierra Leone-Guinea-Liberia triangle, so
there is a good chance that Nigeria can
control its outbreak, Kalley said.Although
agriculture has dropped from 35 percent of
the Nigerian economy to 22 percent due to
the recent data criteria change, prospects for
Nigerias real economic growth for the rest
of 2014 are bright.In the next year, world
rice demand is predicted to rise to 478
million metric tons, a 4.4 million metric ton
increase from the previous year. By 2016,
that figure is expected to rise by 4.5 million
metric tons, to 483 million metric
tons.Asian demand, from China in
particular, is driving a majority of the
growth in rice consumption during
2014/15, said IHS senior economist
Brandon Kliethermes.
However, Africas rice import demand is
pumping the worlds long-term import
growth.World rice yields in the next year
are expected to gradually improve year over
year to 2.96 metric tons per hectare, but
world production is projected to increase by
a little over one million metric tons.This
implies that India will lose top spot as a
result of issues relating to a later monsoon.
Thailand has regained its spot as top
exporter, reaching 10 million metric tons,
followed by India at 8.4 million metric tons,
and then Vietnam at 6.6 million metric tons.
With the military government in Thailand
aggressively trying to find a solution to their
large rice inventory, Thai rice exports are
expected to increase.Thailand and India
will subsequently battle for the position
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices
Open- October 14
Tue Oct 14, 2014 3:39pm IST
Nagpur, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Gram prices in
Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing
Committee
(APMC) reported strong on increased
festival season demand from local millers
amid tight supply
from producing regions because of
unseasonal rains in parts of Vidarbha.
Healthy rise on NCDEX,
firm trend in Madhya Pradesh gram prices
and enquiries from South-based millers also
jacked up
prices, according to sources.

* * * *

FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Gram varieties reported down in open
market on poor demand from local traders
amid
release of stock from stockists.

TUAR
* Tuar varieties showed weak tendency in
absence of buyers amid increased arrival
from
producing regions.

* Masoor dal too declined in open market
here on poor buying support from local
traders amid healthy arrival from
producing belts.

* In Akola, Tuar - 4,500-4,600, Tuar dal -
6,900-7,100, Udid at 7,000-7,200,
Udid Mogar (clean) - 7,800-8,100,
Moong - 6,900-7,300, Moong Mogar
(clean) 8,300-9,000, Gram - 2,400-2,500,
Gram Super best bold - 3,400-3,800
for 100 kg.

* Wheat, rice and other commodities
remained steady in open market
in thin trading activity, according to
sources.

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

FOODGRAINS Available
prices Previous close
Gram Auction 2,400-2,925
2,335-2,820
Gram Pink Auction n.a.
2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction n.a.
3,900-4,300
Moong Auction n.a.
5,200-5,500
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-
4,500
Masoor Auction n.a.
2,600-2,800
Gram Super Best Bold 3,700-
4,100 3,750-4,150
Gram Super Best n.a.
Gram Medium Best 3,450-3,600
3,500-3,650
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a.
Gram Mill Quality 3,300-3,350
3,400-3,450
Desi gram Raw 2,700-2,800
2,800-2,900
Gram Filter new 3,100-3,500
3,200-3,600
Gram Kabuli 8,500-9,800
8,500-9,800
Gram Pink 7,200-7,400
7,200-7,400
Tuar Fataka Best 7,250-7,450
7,250-7,500
Tuar Fataka Medium 7,000-7,100
7,100-7,200
Tuar Dal Best Phod 6,500-6,700
6,600-6,800
Tuar Dal Medium phod 6,200-
6,400 6,300-6,500
Tuar Gavarani 4,700-4,750
4,750-4,800
Tuar Karnataka 5,200-5,300
5,350-5,450
Tuar Black 8,100-8,400
8,300-8,500
Masoor dal best 6,600-6,700
6,800-6,900
Masoor dal medium 6,400-6,500
6,600-6,700
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold 9,000-9,800
9,000-9,800
Moong Mogar Medium best 8,200-
8,600 8,200-8,600
Moong dal super best 7,800-8,200
7,800-8,200
Moong dal Chilka 7,500-7,700
7,500-7,700
Moong Mill quality n.a.
n.a.
Moong Chamki best 7,000-8,500
7,000-8,500
Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG)
8,000-8,200 8,000-8,200
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)
6,900-7,500 6,900-7,500
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)
6,200-6,700 6,200-6,700
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,800
4,000-4,800
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 2,800-
3,100 2,800-3,100
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,250-
3,450 3,250-3,450
Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,250-
3,350 3,250-3,350
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)
4,400-5,200 4,400-5,200
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,200-
1,500 1,200-1,500
Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG)
1,650-1,700 1,650-1,700
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,300-
1,500 1,300-1,500
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)
2,100-2,450 2,100-2,450
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)
1,850-2,000 1,850-2,000
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a.
n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 2,800-
3,200 2,800-3,200
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)
1,950-2,350 1,950-2,350
Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG) 1,200-
1,300 1,200-1,300
Wheat Best (100 INR/KG) 1,500-
1,800 1,500-1,800
Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG) 3,000-
3,500 3,000-3,500
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,700-
1,900 1,700-1,900
Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG)
2,300-2,600 2,300-2,600
Rice HMT new (100 INR/KG)
4,000-4,400 4,000-4,400
Rice HMT Shriram (100 INR/KG)
4,800-5,800 4,800-5,800
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)
10,200-13,300 10,200-13,300
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)
7,200-9,800 7,200-9,800
Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 5,000-
5,600 5,000-5,600
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)
1,300-1,500 1,400-1,600
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-
1,800 1,700-1,800

WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 29.9 degree Celsius (85.8
degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
24.0 degree Celsius (75.2 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - 82 per cent, lowest - 72
per cent.
Rainfall : 0.8 mm
FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky. Maximum
and minimum temperature would be around
and 36 and 21 degree Celsius respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available

(For oils, transport costs are excluded from
plant delivery prices, but included in market
prices.)

ATTN : Soyabean mandi, wholesale
foodgrain market and oil market in Vidarbha
will be closed
tomorrow, Wednesday, on the occasion of
Maharashtra Assembly elections.

Customs seizes P24.7M worth
of smuggled rice, garlic in
Misamis Oriental
October 14, 2014 5:48 pm
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has
apprehended some 145,000 kilograms (145
metric tons) of glutinous (malagkit) rice
and 200,000 kilograms (200 metric tons) of
garlic worth over Php24 million at the
Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT) in
Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental the past two
months.In a statement, the bureau said the
shipments with a total estimated market
value of P24.7 million arrived in the country
in different dates this year.
The garlic shipment arrived last August 24
from Shandong, China packed in 13,332
bags inside four 40-foot container vans
consigned to the Kenshien General
Merchandise based in Nazareth, Cagayan de
Oro City.Based on the import documents
filed by firm, it only paid P237,076 in duties
and taxes, a discrepancy of over almost 46
percent.
Duties and taxes in their past importations of
garlic of similar weight reached
P520,000.Under the Tariff and Customs
Code of the Philippines, a discrepancy in
value between what was declared by the
importer and what was found during
examination by BOC examiners and
assessors that exceeds 30% constitutes
prima facie evidence of fraud, with the
shipment subjected to seizure
proceedings.On the other hand, the rice
shipment arrived at the MCT last September
4 from Vietnam and was consigned to Gold
Friends Enterprises based in Kauswagan,
also in Cagayan de Oro City.These were
packed in 2,900 50-kilogram sacks stored in
five 40-foot container vans. It was
misdeclared as household ware and did
not have the required import permit from the
National Food Authority (NFA).
Presidential Decree 4 and Republic Act
7178 or the Agricultural Tariffication Act
mandates that only the NFA can import rice
and private entities with permit from the
agency.Let these seizures be a reminder to
all importers that we expect no less than full
compliance with the law. That means
accuracy and truthfulness in all import
declarations and fulfillment of requirements
such as import permits from regulatory
agencies, said Ruby Claudia Alameda,
Acting District Collector of the BOC-Port of
Cagayan de Oro.Aside from seizure and
forfeiture proceedings on the rice and garlic
shipments, the BOC will also conduct
further investigation to determine culpability
for smuggling of the owners and customs
brokers of the consignees. PNA
Vietnam's Rice Export
Prices Record 3.8 Per Cent
Rise In Nine Months
HANOI, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- The price of
Vietnamese export rice reached US$465
(RM1.5 billion) per tonne during the first
nine months of 2014, representing a year-
on-year increase of 3.8 percent, Vietnam
News Agency (VNA) reported.According to
the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), the
country shipped over five million tonnes of
rice abroad in the period, raking in US$2.3
billion (RM7.5 billion).
VFA predicted that 2015 will be a tough
year for Vietnam's rice exporters since they
will face fierce competition from not only
Asian rice exporters but also African
exporters.Until the end of this year, the price
for rice will most likely stay at the current
level or decrease slightly due to falling
demand on the export markets.Enterprises
under the VFA are striving to sell all the rice
brought from farmers, while balancing the
rice volume for exports in the remaining
months of 2014 and early 2015.
Local rice producers hope to export 1.4
million tonnes of rice during the last quarter
of 2014, bringing this year's total rice export
volume to 6.3 million tonnes.This year, the
cultivation area in the southern region - the
country's key rice producer - encompassed
4.7 million hectares, with an estimated yield
of 27.8 million tonnes, up by 916,000 tonnes
compared to last year, according to statistics
from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development
Vietnam Anticipates a Difficult
2015 for Rice Exports
Escrito por Sue Ashdown
Hanoi, Oct 14 (Prensa
Latina) Vietnam should
finish this year with a
notable increase of six
percent for its rice exports,
but industry officials envision that 2015 will
be less favorable due to fierce competition
from other rice producing countries in
Asia.The United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) highlighted
a predictable production record of nearly 28
tons of rice, which it attributed largely to
increasing demands of the markets in the
region, including Indonesia, Malaysia,
China and the Philippines.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development reported that in the first nine
months of 2014 around five million tons
were sold abroad with a total value of more
than $2 billion USD.
Its main customers are China with 33
percent of the acquisitions, followed by the
Philippines with 22 percent, and Malaysia,
Ghana and Singapore with between six and
three percent.Meanwhile the U.S.
Department of Agriculture predicted that
Vietnam will end the year with an export
total of nearly seven million tons.However,
the vice president of the Vietnam Food
Association, Pham Van Bay, said at a
conference regarding foreign rice sales, that
Vietnam's rice, particularly jasmine rice,
faces tough competition from Thailand,
whose jasmine rice is priced the same but
has better quality.In the neighboring
kingdom, the Administrative Committee
reported that rice policy is expected to
produce 27 tons between November and
December to meet high demand in the
global market.Like Bay, the director of the
National Center for Agricultural Promotion,
Phan Huy Thong, argues that it is necessary
to examine the scale of production for the
winter-spring crop in the southern
breadbasket regions and develop plans for
2015 stocks.
sc/sa/sus/tgj/hr
Modificado el ( martes, 14 de octubre de 2014
S. Korea's rice production to
shrink 1.1 pct this year
2014/1
SEJONG, Oct. 14 (Yonhap) -- South
Korea's rice output is expected to drop
slightly in 2014 from last year because of
reduced cultivation area but will still be
more than enough to meet the country's
demand, the agriculture ministry said
Tuesday.The country's rice output is forecast
to reach some 4.18 million tons, down 1.1
percent from 4.23 million tons in 2013,
according to the Ministry of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs."Overall output is
expected to slip 1.1 percent from that of last
year as the total area under crops is forecast
to drop 2.1 percent on-year to about 816,000
hectares, though the average yield from each
unit area of 10 hectares is predicted to rise 1
percent to 513 kilograms," the ministry said,
citing related data from Statistics Korea.
Despite a drop in total output, the
government plans to purchase and stockpile
up to 400,000 tons of rice from this year to
keep local prices up.The ministry said this
year's harvest will be more than enough to
meet the country's overall demand for the
new rice crop, which is expected to come to
about 4 million tons, marking a 4.5 percent
on-year drop.The estimated drop in demand
is based on an outlook that the country's per
capita rice consumption will further fall to
64.4 kilograms a year in 2015 from 65.8 kg
this year.
The amount is less than half the 134.5 kg in
1972 when such data began to be
compiled.In addition to the rice it produces,
South Korea has to import nearly 410,000
tons of rice each year under a mandatory
quota known as minimum market access due
to an agreement with the World Trade
Organization.
bdk@yna.co.kr
NFA awards rice supply
contract to Thailand, Vietnam
The National Food Authority Council will
import 500,000 metric tons of rice for buffer
stock, the first tranche of which is expected
to arrive in October
Rappler.com
Published 9:33 PM, Oct 14, 2014
Updated 9:34 PM, Oct 14, 2014

WINNING BIDDERS. The supply contract
for the importation of 500,000 metric tons
(MT) of rice for buffer stock has been
awarded by the National Food Authority to
Thailand and Vietnam. File photo by Noel
Celis / Agence France-Presse
MANILA, Philippines The National Food
Authority (NFA) has awarded to Thailand
and Vietnam a contract to supply the
Philippines with 500,000 metric tons (MT)
of rice for buffer stock.The first tranche is
expected to arrive in the 3rd week of
October, food security chief Francis
Pangilinan said late Monday, October
13.The notice to proceed was issued by the
NFA Council a day after its special meeting
last September 30.The terms of references
stipulates the delivery of well-milled white
rice with 25% broken in 3 tranches from
October to December. The supply must be
fresh-milled and harvested between January
and August 2014.The first 40% of the
volume must be delivered by October; the
next 40% by November 15; the remaining
20% by December.
Thailand submitted the best offer for
500,000 MT of rice under a government-to-
government procurement mode.Thailand,
represented by its Department of Foreign
Trade, offered a selling price of $475 per
MT for a total supply of 300,000 MT against
a required minimum supply offer of 200,000
MT.Vietnam, on the other hand, offered
$479 per MT for a total supply of 400,000
MT.Vietnam agreed to match Thailands
price offer to be able to supply the balance
of 200,000 MT, Pangilinan said.Under the
terms of reference, if the entire 500,000 MT
is not completed, the next lowest bidder can
be asked to match the lowest bid. Vietnam
agreed to match it for the remaining 200,000
MT, he said.On September 15, NFA
received supply offers from Thailand,
Vietnam, and Cambodia, all of which have
rice procurement agreements with the
Philippines.
Cambodia was disqualified from
participating in the offer because it cannot
conform to the delivery period stipulated in
the terms of reference, as it would only be
able to deliver in April 2015.In August, the
NFA special bids and awards committee
rejected all bids for the importation of the
500,000 MT buffer stocks as all offers were
way below the government budget of
P456.60 ($10.19)* per MT.
Palay farm gate prices down
As the imported rice buffer stock is on its
way, farm gate prices of palay fell at a faster
rate in the first week of October, resulting in
continued decline in wholesale and retail
prices of rice, the Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA) announced Tuesday,
October 14.
PSA reported that, from October 1 to 7, the
average farm gate price of palay was at
P20.40 ($0.46) per kilogram, down by
1.75% week-on-week. This, however, was
higher by 17.94% from the quotation in the
same period in 2013.Both wholesale and
retail prices of regular-milled registered
contractions during the reference period.The
average wholesale price of regular-milled
rice was placed at P37.81 ($0.84) per kg,
down by 0.16% week-on-week. Year-on-
year this was higher by 12.57%.The average
retail price of regular-milled rice fell by
0.13% to P40.33 ($0.90) per kg during the
reference week from P40.39 ($0.90) per kg
in the previous week. Year-on-year, this was
up by 12.72%. Rappler.com
*U$1 = P44.89
Rice Crop Seen Shrinking by
FAO on Weather, End of Thai
Subsidy
By Supunnabul Suwannakij Oct 14, 2014 1:14
PM GMT+0500
Global rice production will shrink after
weak rains in India and the end of a subsidy
program in Thailand hurt supplies from the
biggest exporters, according to the Food &
Agriculture Organization. Worldwide output
of milled grain will probably drop 0.4
percent to 496.4 million metric tons in the
2014-2015 season from a year earlier, the
United Nations agency said in a quarterly
report. Ending stockpiles will drop 2 percent
to 177.7 million tons in 2014-2015, the first
contraction in a decade, while global trade
expands 1.1 percent to a record 40 million
tons in calendar year 2015, the Rome-based
FAO said.
Thailand ended a farmers support program
in February that had boosted supply to a
record, prompting some growers to turn
away from the crop, while the late arrival of
the monsoon in India this year hurt harvest
prospects. Global rice prices will still face
downward pressure as northern-hemisphere
crops are harvested, and exporters have
abundant inventories after years of
uninterrupted output gains, the FAO said in
the report.
Prospects for global paddy production
have worsened substantially, mostly because
of erratic weather conditions, including late
arrival of rains or lingering droughts, which
were often followed by heavy downpours
and floods, the FAO said. Concerns that
lower production in India, Pakistan and
Thailand, will be supportive of international
quotations are attenuated by prospects of
still above-average harvests in these
countries, as well as abundant inventories.
Thai Benchmark
The price of Thai 5 percent broken rice, a
benchmark in Asia, was $428 a ton on Oct.
8 compared with $450 a ton at the end of
2013, according to data compiled by
Bloomberg. The grade fell to $384 a ton on
May 28, the lowest since at least 2008.
Weak rains in India during the first half of
the monsoon will cut output to 104 million
tons from 106.5 million tons, while Thai
output drops 1.6 percent to 24.8 million
tons, it said.
The Southeast Asian nation will regain its
position as the largest shipper, sending 10.6
million tons to overseas buyers, while Indian
exports drop 20 percent to 8 million tons, it
said. In Thailand, the forecast decline in
paddy output is associated with the
February 2014 abolition of the rice-pledging
scheme, which had guaranteed high prices to
farmers since 2011, the FAO said. In India,
production may drop 2.4 percent after the
irregular monsoon, it said.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Supunnabul Suwannakij in Bangkok at
ssuwannakij@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this
story: James Poole at
jpoole4@bloomberg.net
Many rice growers seen
registering for aid on Monday
Thailand National News
Bureau
Date : 14 2557
SISAKET, 14 October 2014 (NNT)
Farmers are flocking to their local
agriculture offices to register for the
government's assistance money for rice
growers. Meanwhile Prime Minister Prayut
Chan-o-cha has reasserted that the assistance
measure is temporary, urging farmers to
revamp their production process and cut
costs. Numerous paddy farmers in Sisaket
province registered for the assistance
scheme at the agriculture office in Mueang
Sisaket district on Monday. The farmers are
required to register by October 20 to receive
1,000 baht per rai of assistance money.
The Ministry of Agriculture is grouping the
applicants for the aid money into three
groups those whose paddies have already
been registered and whose paddy sizes have
not changed, those who were already
registered but now have a greater paddy
area, and those who have never registered.
Around 180,000 paddy farmers in Sisaket
are expected to come to register for the aid
money. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha
said on Monday the rice in the government's
stockpile was still under inspection by the
working committees. He asserted any
irregularities would be investigated and
wrongdoers taken to court.

Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda revealed
on Monday his ministry was collaborating with
the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives
and the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural
Cooperatives in cross-checking the data of
paddy farmers in order to prevent fraud.
Next weeks govt rice auction
may be last before main
harvest
Published: 14/10/2014 at 9:20 AM
Category: Government
Tag: agriculture
The Commerce Ministry plans to hold
another round of bidding for 200,000 tonnes
of rice next week, which could be the last
before the main harvest season starts rolling
early next month.
The Nation
After a meeting of the rice stock-releasing
committee, a ministry source said yesterday
that the auction for general traders should be
opened on October 22. The ministry will ask
for approval from the chairman of the Rice
Policy and Management Committee and
publish the terms of reference tomorrow.The
source said this could be the last general
bidding for this year. After that the ministry
might suspend further rounds to prevent
pressure on rice prices in the market during
the harvest.However, the ministry will
proceed with rice releasing via other
methods such as government-to-government
and government-to-private
Full story from The
Nation at http://goo.gl/f8Q0Xo

Rice exports double
Published on Tuesday, 14 October 2014
20:58
Rice exports surpassed 630,000 tonnes in
the first half of the fiscal year, more than
double the amount exported in the same
period last year, according to figures
from the Ministry of Commerce.In dollar
terms the 630,071 tonnes were worth $238
million, compared to the $133 million value
of the 300,000 tonnes exported between
April 1 and the end of September last year,
the figures show. Almost 120,000 tonnes
were exported by sea, with a value of $42
million, while 510,966 tonnes worth $196
million were exported over land.

A new National Export Strategy is being
drafted and it is expected to be completed by
the end of the year. Previously, officials
identified rice as the key export item.In June
the Myanmar Trade Centre was opened in
Yangon, the commercial hub of the country,
with the goal of increasing trade. Currently,
Myanmar exports are primarily resource-
based, such as natural gas, or agricultural
and fisheries products. shift to higher value-
added exports is part of the governments
overall economic reform process.
Haryana Basmati rice farmers
unhappy as price falls, blame
both BJP and Congress
Shikha Pushpan, Rashi Mathur, IBNLive.com |
Oct 14, 2014 at 11:45am IST
Narnaund: Prime Minister Narendra Modi may
be a hit amongst the city dwellers but for the
farmers in Haryana's Narnaund, he is a man
whose 'pro-trader' policies are eating up their
only source of income. Ugalan village in
Narnaund is predominantly a farming
community. As the election fever reaches its
peak, excited villagers discuss the political scene
in the constituency currently held by the INLD.
They scoff at the mention of Modi who has been
intensively campaigning for the BJP in the poll-
bound state. "We will not vote for the BJP or
Modi. He has caused us so much loss.
He favours the traders and dealers. The price for
our produce has dropped dramatically," said
Karan Singh, a farmer. "The PM and Hooda
government are playing blame game over the
drop of Basmati rice. We are the one who
suffer," said another infuriated farmer. "He
(Modi) had spent so much money in his
campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections, where
we will he get back all that from. Obviously
from our pockets,"he added. Haryana is the
biggest exporter of Basmati rice in the country.
The drop in purchase price of the premium
quality rice has embroiled the state's CM and the
PM in a war of words.
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh
Hooda had recently written to the PM to take
note of the dwindling purchase price of Basmati
rice and take immediate action. But the PM
instead hit back at the Haryana government at
his election rallies for 'falsely blaming' the
Centre of imposing ban on Basmati rice export.
He accused state government of imposing 4 per
cent mandi tax on Basmati rice.
Governments bid to import
rice from Myanmar flounders
14.10.2014
The government's attempt to import about
one lakh tonne of rice from Myanmar for the
Targeted Pubic Distribution System (TPDS)
in Manipur and Mizoram may not succeed,
with the Food Corporation of India (FCI)
getting bids far higher than the expected
price.Sources told FE that MMTC and STC,
which floated the global tenders on behalf of
FCI for importing rice, got average bids of
around $600 per tonne against the expected
$400 per tonne.
The corporation got $ 588 and $ 680 per
tonne respectively for Manipur and
Mizoram for rice import from Myanmar. We
received bids (for rice import) much higher
than our anticipation of $ 400 per tonne, an
official said.Last month, the government had
approved import of one lakh tonne of rice in
the next five months from Myanmar to the
north-eastern states in view of disruption of
grain supplies due to commencement of
long-pending railway gauge conversion
work on the 220-km Lumding (Assam)-
Badarpur-Agartala (Tripura) line.
A food ministry official said the government
has to now plan out an alternate model for
meeting the demand for rice for TPDS in the
north-eastern states during the gauge
conversion work.The cost of transporting
rice from surplus states like Punjab or
Andhra Pradesh to Tripura and Mizoram
works out to about R3,200 per quintal,
taking into account FCIs economic cost at
R2,755 per quintal. "As against this,
importing rice from Myanmar would be
more economical at around R2,400 per
quintal ($400 per tonne), including the cost
of transportation from the border," an
official had earlier said.
Food ministry officials said although the
railways has proposed to complete the gauge
conversion work by March 2015, it might be
delayed. Since more than 70% of
transportation of foodgrain from Assam to
the rest of the north-eastern states is done
through the railways, the government is
importing rice to increase grain stock so that
TPDS distribution is not disrupted, an
official had said.
Rice exports: UNISAME
wants closure of QRC
UNISAME President Zulfikar Thaver said the
SME rice exporters are looking forward to
exporting basmati
By PPI
Published: October 14, 2014
KARACHI: The Union of Small and
Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has urged
the Ministry of Commerce to expedite the
closure of the Quality Review Committee
(QRC) before the arrival of the new crop of
basmati next month. This will also include
other superior varieties of rice to enable the
SME rice exporters to function without any
problems and compete with its neighbours.
UNISAME President Zulfikar Thaver said
the SME rice exporters are looking forward
to exporting basmati and other expensive
varieties of 1121 rice in white and parboiled
rice in their own brands to their valued
customers all over the world. There is an
urgent need for aggressive marketing of
branded rice and it is very important that the
SME rice exporters avail social media
facilities and other marketing tools
prescribed by the Small and Medium
Enterprises Development Authority.
Published in The Express Tribune, October
14
th
, 2014.
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@TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed
and join in the conversation.
Iran's hike in basmati rice
import duty hurts Punjab
farmers
The author has posted comments on this
articleAmaninder Sharma, TNN | Oct 14,
2014, 05.13AM IST
PATIALA: Increase in import duty by Iran
on basmati rice from India to 45% from 10%
has hurt Punjab farmers and exporters alike
as it has led to a drop in the demand for the
aromatic food grain lowering its rates in the
domestic market. Buoyed by last season's
prices, Punjab farmers had increased the
area under basmati considerably who are
now getting lower rates for their produce as
compared to the previous year.Area under
basmati is 8.16 lakh hectares (20.40 lakh
acres) this year, up from 5.50 lakh hectares
in 2013.
Sources said output of basmati paddy is
likely to touch 40 lakh tonnes this year. New
basmati variety, Pusa 1509, is selling in the
range of Rs 2,300-2,700 per quintal. Rice
millers, traders and exporters say even the
rates of Pusa 1121, arrivals of which will
start in the first week of November, are not
going to cross Rs 3,000 per quintal. Pusa
1121 had touched Rs 4,400 per quintal last
season.
"Given the sentiment in the international
market and much higher estimated output of
basmati in Punjab, we are not expecting
prices of Pusa 1509 to go up in the coming
weeks. Same will be the case with the all-
time favourite strain PUSA 1121, which is
unlikely to cross the Rs 3,000 per quintal
mark this year", said Rajeev Dehra, a
Rajpura-based basmati trader.
Africa To Become Top Rice
Producer
October 14, 2014 Editor AgriBusiness,
Business
VENTURES AFRICA Between 2014 and
2031, Africa will expand its rice production
area by almost 50 percent, according to new
analysis on the global outlook on rice
production and demand released last week,
by IHS, a global source of critical
information and insight. Africas rapid
expansion of areas for rice production will
be the fastest globally, in percentage
terms.Cote dIvoire intends on spending $4
billion on agriculture development in order
to improve crop yields and, in four years,
become a rice exporter, said Karanta
Kalley, chief economist for Africa at IHS.
However, economic development,
particularly in West Africa, is rather
questionable. Right now, the question on
everyones mind is what the impact of Ebola
will be on the economic growth of sub-
Saharan Africa, Kalley said.IHS expects
gross domestic product (GDP) growth to be
lowered significantly for 2014 in Guinea,
Sierra Leone and Liberia as a result of the
ongoing Ebola outbreak.The IHS confirmed
GDP growth rate forecasts have been cut
between one-half and nine-tenths of
previous forecasts, with Sierra Leones
economy projected to have the highest rate
of growth at 3.1 percent followed by Guinea
at 2 percent.
IHS foresees only a marginal real economic
growth rate of 0.8 percent for Liberias
economy.The spread of Ebola is still a
concern for Nigeria, the regions most
populated area and economic giant. Public
awareness and facilities in Lagos are better
than in the Sierra Leone-Guinea-Liberia
triangle, so there is a good chance that
Nigeria can control its outbreak, Kalley
said.Although agriculture has dropped from
35 percent of the Nigerian economy to 22
percent due to the recent data criteria
change, prospects for Nigerias real
economic growth for the rest of 2014 are
bright.In the next year, world rice demand
is predicted to rise to 478 million metric
tons, a 4.4 million metric ton increase from
the previous year. By 2016, that figure is
expected to rise by 4.5 million metric tons,
to 483 million metric tons.
Asian demand, from China in particular, is
driving a majority of the growth in rice
consumption during 2014/15, said IHS
senior economist Brandon Kliethermes.
However, Africas rice import demand is
pumping the worlds long-term import
growth.World rice yields in the next year
are expected to gradually improve year over
year to 2.96 metric tons per hectare, but
world production is projected to increase by
a little over one million metric tons.This
implies that India will lose top spot as a
result of issues relating to a later monsoon.
Thailand has regained its spot as top
exporter, reaching 10 million metric tons,
followed by India at 8.4 million metric tons,
and then Vietnam at 6.6 million metric tons.
With the military government in Thailand
aggressively trying to find a solution to their
large rice inventory, Thai rice exports are
expected to increase.Thailand and India
will subsequently battle for the position of
top exporter, with both exporting more than
12 million metric tons per year.
VIETNAM PRESS-Demand for
Vietnamese rice to drop in Q4 - Vietnam
Economic Times
By Reuters
Published: 01:11 GMT, 14 October 2014 |
Updated: 01:11 GMT, 14 October 2014
rice in the fourth quarter of 2014, including
government purchases and company-based
deals, is expected to be thin as Thailand has
been selling at low prices, according to
domestic exporters, the Vietnam Economic
Times newspaper reports.The rice shipment
volume last month already dropped about 13
percent from August to 545,000 tonnes,
which was also below the industry's monthly
target of 650,000 tonnes, the report quoted
Vietnam Food Association.----
NOTE: Reuters has not verified this story
and does not vouch for its accuracy. (Hanoi
Newsroom; Editing by Anand Basu)
Namibia: Water Shortage
Cripples Rice Project
Kalimbeza Rice seedlings at the
Kalimbeza project are at great risk of wilting
in the heat following a shortage of water at
the government-owned farm.The Kalimbeza
rice project is located on the banks of the
Zambezi River about 30 kilometres east of
Katima Mulilo in Kabbe Constituency.
Kalimbeza has been without water for more
than two weeks due to a broken pump
station. Rice requires constant watering and
water-logged soil. Already about nine
hectares of a variety of rice seedlings have
been planted at the project but their growth
has been stunted by the acute shortage of
water.
The project expects to plant 90 hectares of
rice this year. Small-scale farmers who have
been allocated a combined 15 hectares face
the same predicament with many of them
losing hope of ever harvesting rice needed
for their livelihood.According to the
manager of the project, which falls under the
Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry,
Patrick Kompeli, the transplantation of rice
has been subsequently suspended and
workers were relying on drawing water from
tanks to water the rice manually.
"We have been without water for more than
two weeks now. We are trying our level best
by taking water from the tank to water the
rice," added Kompeli. It became clear at the
site that a contractor has been enlisted to
repair the pump station but the efforts have
been stalled by some technicalities. New
parts were bought but the pump station's
computer system suffered glitches that
required instructions from a manual, which
could not be traced. The Minister of
Agriculture, Water and Forestry, John
Mutorwa, who visited the project,
intervened. "It is not acceptable that a
project like this should not have water for
such a long time. Any green scheme is not a
green scheme if there's no water.
We must fix whatever needs to be fixed and
contact the company that installed it for
clarification. By four o'clock today, I need a
report on my table so that if it fails again
today, we know what to do next," Mutorwa
instructed workers, the contractor and
Kompeli at the site. Mutorwa was equally
disappointed with the slow progress in
adding infrastructure, which includes
storage for fertilisers and chemicals, a
parking area and roads. "I am very
disappointed that none of what we discussed
during our visit with the President has
materialised. Six months have passed now
without any progress.
During the briefing the agreement was that
the shades and other infrastructure would be
up by the end of the year, but I don't see that
here," stated a clearly infuriated Mutorwa.
"Even the combined harvester which was
brought here in May is still standing here.
And for this to happen it is just a matter of
attaching components," said Mutorwa.
However the consulting engineer, Farhad
Nadimi of Bona Consultants, who are
overseeing the installation of additional
infrastructure at the project, said they faced
logistic and technical challenges that
resulted in the delay. "We finalised the
designs but were instructed to make
adjustments to reduce the costs to N$12
million but the project is ready to go for
tender now. If approved on time it would
have been finalised in October already.
We don't know how long the tender process
will take for everything to start," said
Nadimi.Mutorwa was however happy that
small-scale farmers were allocated land.
Five small-scale farmers were each allocated
three hectares to cultivate. "We only have
five farmers from the original 10. We have
to intensify training of these five and next
time have additional farmers," said
Mutorwa. But another concern of Mutorwa
was vandalism of the fence at the project,
with Mutorwa urging the community to
guard against such destructive activities. "I
urge the community to ensure that
vandalism of the fence stops.
If this continues we will have no choice but
to call the police so that those responsible
are arrested," emphasised Mutorwa.
President Hifikepunye Pohamba visited
Kalimbeza early this year and was pleased
with the infrastructural development at the
project at that time. His hope was to
inaugurate the additional infrastructure
before he leaves office in March. The
project covers an area exceeding 200
hectares. It was declared a national project
by Pohamba in 2009. Hundreds of villagers
at Kalimbeza and nearby villages work as
seasonal workers at the project.
EU Traders to USA Rice:
Despite Healthy Crop, Market
Re-Entry Faces Significant
Hurdles
HAMBURG, GERMANY -- A USA Rice
Federation delegation began their week-long
visit of Europe here yesterday, stopping at
retail outlets and meeting with the trade to
discuss the 2014 crop and opportunities for
U.S. rice in Europe.USA Rice members Carl
Brothers, Chris Bonnesen, Keith Glover, and
Marvin Baden joined staff members Bob
Cummings, Hartwig Schmidt, and Eszter
Somogyi in meetings with four major
German rice mills and distributors. The
U.S. delegation shared rice supply
expectations for 2015 and highlighted the
industrys successful efforts to rid the crop
of any GMOs.
Although the U.S. government now states
U.S. rice is free of GM, and supply is
expected to make U.S. rice more price
competitive in the coming year, the
Germans explained recent changes to their
market that make the re-entry of U.S. rice
daunting. Cited in particular is the ability of
countries such as Cambodia to export rice to
EU countries duty-free under the
"Everything But Arms" program.
"The U.S. has a superior product and the
industry has successfully addressed
environmental and social concerns of this
market, but it's clear we have more work to
do before our German customers return to
us," said Keith Glover, president and CEO
of Producers Rice Mill and chairman of
USA Rice's World Market Price
committee.The delegation is now heading to
the United Kingdom for meetings there and
to participate in the UK Rice Symposium
later this week.
Contact: Bob Cummings (703) 236-1473

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