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Volume 5, Issue I
Daily Exclusive
ORYZA Rice
Newsletter
Addressing farmers at a regional development planning meet in Java, the Agriculture Minister
noted that the government has declined Thailand's offer to supply 1.5 million tons of rice at
about Rp 4,000 per kilogram (around $306 per ton) despite the import price being much below
the local prices, which currently stand at around Rp 8,000 to Rp 12,000 per kilogram (around
$613-$919 per ton), according to Reuters.
The Minister told the gathering that the government would have gained about Rp 6 trillion
(around $460 million) if it imports rice from Thailand at the current offer. However, the
government decided not to import rice, he adds.He reiterated that the government would not
import rice in 2015 and is keen on achieving self-sufficiency in rice production as well as
improve the living standards of the country's rice farmers. He added that the government is
monitoring the rice stocks regularly and is ensuring that prices would not shoot up due to stock
deficiency.
The government of Bangladesh has decided to lower the open market rice price under the OMS
program to around Tk22 per kilogram (around $282.5 per ton) from around Tk26 per kilogram
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Vietnam 5% broken
360-370
India 5% broken
375-385
350-360
Myanmar 5% broken
410-420
Cambodia 5% broken
435-445
Uruguay 5% broken
575-585
Argentina 5% broken
565-575
370-380
340-350
325-335
340-350
470-480
385-395
385-395
555-565
570-580
Vietnam Jasmine
460-470
NQ
NQ
810-820
320-330
Brokens
Thailand A1 Super
280-290
340-350
NQ
370-380
In Italy, rice weeders are usually employed by rice growers in summer and spring seasons to
clean ancient rice varieties from weeds mainly to preserve the purity of the seeds.Earlier they
were brought from remote places to major rice growing regions such as Vercelli, Mortara and
Novara. However, of late, it is getting difficult to find local rice weeders, says the Ente
Nazionale Risi (ENR), the National Agency for Rice.
Surprisingly, the ENR itself could hardly find rice weeders when it wanted to employ some of
them in its experimental farm. The agency had to launch a job search to find trained, learned rice
weeders. The agency says some Chinese people working in restaurants or factories and know
well about rice are accepting these jobs on a part time basis. The idea is to earn extra wages
during the summer months.
The government of Colombia had negotiated subsidies to the rice milling industry if they paid a
price of $40 per ton to rice growers. However, the government is planning to end the subsidies to
rice milling industry in 2015 due to high rice prices and its budget constraints, according to
USDA Post. But the Post expects the government to introduce subsidies to the rice millers if the
rice prices fall in the later part of 2015.
As per the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (CTPA), Colombia imports about 86,270
tons of rice under the U.S. rice TRQ at zero-percent duty, and maintains an 80% duty on rice
imports over and above U.S. rice TRQ. The Post reports that in 2014, the government has fully
subscribed the annual rice import quota under the U.S. rice TRQ of 86,270 tons and also
imported paddy and milled rice with an 80% tariff. Colombia imported about 13,300 tons of
paddy in 2014, up about 51% from about 8,800 tons in 2013.
The Post estimates Colombia to import around 350,000 tons of rice in 2014-15 (April - March),
up about 8% from around 325,000 tons in 2013-14. It estimates rice imports to decline to around
300,000 tons in 2015-16. The 2015 rice TRQ is set at about 90,152 tons. The first 2015 TRQ
auction was held on February 2, 2015 and 70% of the total quota or about 63,131 tons was
allotted. By March 5, 2015, about 12% of the total quota or 10,161 tons of rice was imported.
Two more auctions are scheduled for June 4, 2015 for 13,104 tons and for October 15, 2015 for
13,917 tons. The Post reports that around 300,000 - 500,000 tons of rice is imported unofficially
into the country from neighboring countries such as Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.
The Post estimates Colombia's 2014-15 milled rice production to decline about 7% to around
1.22 million tons from around 1.31 million tons in 2013-14. However, the Post estimates the
country's production to increase to 1.35 million tons in 2015-16 due to an increase in acreage to
around 450,000 hectares from an estimated 390,000 hectares in 2013-14.The Colombian
government does not maintain rice stocks but offers financial storage incentives for producers
and millers to hold inventories. The Post estimates Colombia's rice stocks in 2014-15 to decline
by 25% to around 90,000 tons from around 120,000 tons in 2013-14. However, it expects stocks
to increase to around 140,000 tons in 2015-16.The Colombian annual rice consumption needs are
expected to be unchanged at last two years' level of around 1.6 million tons, according to the
Post.
Chicago rough rice futures for May delivery are currently seen 3 cents per cwt (about $1 per ton)
lower at $11.090 per cwt (about $244 per ton) ahead of floor trading in Chicago. The other
grains are seen trading lower overnight: soybeans are currently seen about 0.4% lower, wheat is
listed about 0.9% lower and corn is currently noted about 0.5% lower.
U.S. stocks index futures indicated a lower open Tuesday, on the final day of the first quarter
ahead of a number of key data releases. The latest consumer confidence reading will be released
by the Conference Board at 10.00 a.m. ET and is expected to show a modest up-tick in sentiment
in March. While the indicator seems bound to remain below January's post-crisis high, it should
be consistent with a decent spending mood among U.S. consumers. The Chicago PMI for March
will also be released at 09:45 a.m. ET. Richmond Federal Reserve President Jeffrey Lacker said
on Tuesday that there is a strong case for an increase in the fed funds rate relatively soon.
European equities hit session lows Tuesday, as investors reacted to fresh economic data from the
euro zone and booked some profits after a stellar rally in the previous session. Gold is currently
trading slightly higher, crude oil is seen trading about 2.3% lower, and the U.S. dollar is
currently trading about 0.5% higher at 9:00am Chicago time.
Chicago rough rice futures for May delivery settled 24.5 cents per cwt (about $5 per ton) lower
at $10.875 per cwt (about $240 per ton). Rough rice futures closed sharply lower despite an
initial attempt by the bulls to maintain yesterdays gains in pre report trading. However by the
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Pakistan rice sellers increased their quotes for 25% broken rice by about $5 per ton to around
$325 - $335 per ton today. Other Asia rice sellers kept their quotes mostly unchanged today.
5% Broken Rice
Thailand 5% rice is indicated at around $385 - $395 per ton, about a $20 per ton premium on
Vietnam 5% rice shown at around $365 - $375 per ton. India 5% rice is indicated at around $375
- $385 per ton, about a $25 per ton premium on Pakistan 5% rice shown at around $350 - $360
per ton.
25% Broken Rice
Thailand 25% rice is shown at around $370 - $380 per ton, about a $30 per ton premium on
Vietnam 25% rice shown at around $340- $350 per ton. India 25% rice is indicated at around
$340 - $350, about a $15 per ton premium on Pakistan 25% rice shown at around $325 - $335
per ton, up about $5 per ton from yesterday.
Parboiled Rice
Thailand parboiled rice is indicated at around $385 - $395 per ton. India parboiled rice is
indicated at around $370 - $380 per ton, about a $15 per ton discount to Pakistan parboiled rice
shown at around $385 - $395 per ton.
100% Broken Rice
Thailand broken rice, A1 Super, is indicated at around $320 - $330 per ton, about a $10 per ton
premium on Vietnam 100% broken rice shown at around $310 - $320 per ton. India's 100%
broken rice is shown at around $275 - $285 per ton, about a $5 per ton discount to Pakistan
broken sortexed rice shown at around $280 - $290 per ton.
Spanish quotations for both paddy and milled rice supplied by the Ministry of Agriculture for the
week March 16-22 show little change from the previous week, remaining firm. Indica paddy
quotes on the Badajoz Grain Exchange held at 281 euro (about $ 306) per ton, unchanged from
the last two weeks. Indica paddy on the Seville Grain Exchange advanced to 281 euros (about $
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Vietnam's policy to increase rice production has paid off in terms of increased exports and
foreign exchange but has not been very beneficial to rice farmers or environment, according to
experts.Farmers have been used to grow three crops a year to maintain pace of production and
exports but their incomes have not risen proportionately due to increased costs for fertilizers and
land preparation for each crop. Also the quality of rice grown is said to be of low quality
compared to the quality of rice grown by other exporting nations such as Thailand, India and
Pakistan.
On the other hand too much of rice growing has been degrading soil efficiency, say experts.
They noted that several dykes built to block flood water have been preventing soil nutrients from
flowing freely and over time thereby leading to fading of soil fertility.
Experts are suggesting that the government of Vietnam encourage only two rice crops a year and
support farmers to shift to a more diverse range of crops, from coconuts to prawns, and use the
most suitable and fertile land to grow rice. They are also suggesting that the government should
focus on improving quality and branding to sell Vietnamese rice at high prices.Since the effects
of climate change, including floods and salt water intrusion, in the countrys Mekong River Delta
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