7th July (Tuesday), 2015 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

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July 7 ,2015
www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com | www.ricepluss.com
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Protest: REAP urges govt attention towards NARC issue

By Our Correspondent
Published: July 7, 2015
NARC is the prime research centre of the country with state-of-the-art conventional and genome research facilities. PHOTO: APP
KARACHI: The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) on Monday urged the
federal government to immediately take notice of the proposed closure of National
Agriculture Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad and turn it into a housing scheme.
It has come to our notice that the government authorities have decided to close NARC and use
all of its land for a proposed housing scheme. This has to be stopped at all cost, a REAP
release said.NARC is the prime research centre of the country with state-of-the-art
conventional and genome research facilities. It also houses hundreds of international research
institutes within the campus.
The centre has strong coordination with provincial research institutes and provides a backbone
support to national agriculture.Closing down the centre will be detrimental for national
agriculture, it will put back the country many decades and affect not only our productivity but
also exports, added the release.If we do not protest on this wrongdoing now, tomorrow our
government will start turning our universities and other institutes into housing colonies as most
of these are also located in prime lands in different cities, it stressed.We humbly appeal
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to keep in view national interest and importance of food
security.
NARC was established in 1984 and is the largest research centre of the Pakistan Agricultural
Research Council (PARC). NARC has a total land of approximately 1,400 acres and it is
located near Rawal Lake, six kilometres south-east of Islamabad. Physical facilities in term of
experimental fields, laboratories, green houses, gene bank, library/documentation, auditorium,
machinery and lab equipment repair workshops, stores, hostels, cafeteria, audio visual studios,
are also available at NARC.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 7th, 2015.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/916010/protest-reap-urges-govt-attention-towards-narc-issue/
Rice Farmers Frustrated As Drought Grips Thailand

Published July 06, 2015
A severe drought in Thailand is limiting the growing season of the countrys important rice crop. Farmers
are blaming the government for not doing more to protect a key export. Steve Sandford reports from
Chiang Mai, Thailand.
http://www.voanews.com/media/video/rice-farmers-frustrated-as-drought-grips-thialand/2850828.html
Land mafia and irrigation official sell precious land and

parks of canal sides by fake documentation
LARKANA: July 6, 2015. (Nazir Siyal) Hundreds acre of irrigation land, parks property and bungalows
have been allegedly sold out by the concerned officials in collusion land mafia throughout the province.
In Larkana and other parts of region the of irrigation officials particularly Rice Canal Division allegedly
sold out hundreds of acres land on both sides of the canal and all its parks and other property. This
correspondent reliably learnt that the both sides of Rice canal bank including Ghar Wah and Abro minor
have been occupied with fake documents and illegal lease.
The gardener of Ghar Wah of Rice Canal division for a decade protesting against such illegal occupations
and illegal allotments by the concerned officials in the irrigation department Sindh but the authorities are
turned deaf ears. He appealed civil society and higher authorities to save public parks both sides of Rice
Canal, Ghar Wah and Aabro minor, the Land mafia very active to engulf these public properties in
Larkana right besides the Commissioner office and other important government offices.
Talking to media men, poor gardener Imdad Jagirani informed that land mafia in collusion with irrigation
officials have sold out precious land with bungalows, plots of irrigation and parks on heavy bribe by fake
documents adding that despite of threats and pressure he has been struggling to save five historical
gardens at Lahori regulator, where the District Government announced Green parks on both sides of
canal, were established since the British rule.
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He further told that due to apathy of concerned irrigation XEN and other officials, these beautiful gardens
have been ruined and large parts of gardens and the banks have been occupied by the Land grabbers with
the collusions of Irrigation official among Canal Assistant in the irrigation.He said further told that he was
also attacked by the land grabbers and severely injured, but instead of helping poor employee, the
concerned XEN, SDO and Canal Assistant supported land mafia they are involve in making fake
allotment and issued for occupation he told.On the occasion, when this scribe investigated in the name of
Ali Nawaz son Shadan Chandio No GC/G-148/3976 date 08- 12/ 1987 in previous date by Executive
Engineer Rice Canal Division also made fake and illegal documents.
Besides hundreds fake allotments of lease were issued to land grabbers by the concerned officials to
occupy further rest of parks and properties on both sides of banks of canals. According to the reports,
Chief engineer Sukkur barrage Right Bank Larkana Region few months back took notice of matter of
illegal allotments and occupation on irrigation properties and issued a letter No. WB,
11/RBR/WSC/2013/4, W1, 888 to Superintendent Engineer Western Sindh Circle Larkana to probe into
the matter but yet no move told the sources.
When this scribe asked for the issue Chief Engineer right bank Sukkur at Larkana Nazir Mahar told that
he has directed S.E Northern Circle Amjad Pervaiz Dawach and concerned Executive Engineers
particularly Rice Canal Division Larkana to probe into the occupation and lease of irrigation properties,
he said the stern action will be taken against the involved people and concerned.Assistant Executive
Engineer Ghaar sub division Larkana Hazoor Bux had confirmed that he received a letter from Chief
Engineer to investigate the matter adding that there was no record of such allotments in his office and all
the documents were fake and fabricated.
He said that it was responsibility of district administration Larkana to remove such illegal occupations on
government properties; however departmental action will be taken, if any person is found behind the
matter he said. On the occasion, the representatives of civil society and citizens of Larkana have appealed
Chief Justice of Pakistan, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and other agencies to investigate the
matter and save historical parks on both sides of canal and irrigation properties all over the districts.
http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/headlinenewsd.php?hnewsid=5451
Calif. field crop acreages shrinking amid drought

Published:July 6, 2015 1:29PM
TIM HEARDEN/CAPITAL PRESS
A field near Willows, Calif., is prepared for rice planting this spring. Rice acreage in California is down
considerably this summer because of a lack of available water.
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The drought's continued impacts are causing field crop acreage in California to dip lower than
expected this year. according to an acreage update from the National Agricultural Statistics
Service.
Capital Press
SACRAMENTO A continued lack of water availability is causing field crop acreages in

California to dip even lower than expected, government and industry representatives say.Rice
acreage in California is now expected to top out at 385,000, a steep drop from the 431,000 acres
of rice harvested last year, according to a USDA field crop report.The actual acreage may end up
being lower, cautions Charley Mathews, a Marysville, Calif., grower and member of the USA
Rice Federations executive committee.The industry number weve been using is between
350,000 and 375,000, Mathews said. I think they (the USDA) started off kind of high.
Early this spring, farmers told the National Agricultural Statistics Service they intended to seed
rice on 408,000 acres, or 6 percent below the acreage seeded in 2014. However, NASS now
expects medium- and short-grain rice acreage in California to decrease by 11 percent and 9
percent, respectively, from 2014, its updated field crop report states.Nationwide, areas planted to
rice in 2015 are estimated at 2.77 million acres, down 6 percent from last year, because of lower
price expectations this year, according to NASS.Water uncertainties amid a fourth straight year
of drought have continued to fluster growers, particularly along the Sacramento River in
Northern California. With regulators wanting to keep enough water in the river for migrating
fish, many growers had to wait for deliveries before they could start planting in late April.
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Recently, the federal governments need to keep cold water in Shasta Lake for fish has further
complicated the timing and quantity of remaining deliveries to settlement contractors along the
river.Theres kind of a worry that itll decrease their diversions, Mathews said.Rice is one of
several field crops in California showing sharp acreage declines this year, according to the
report. Among others:
Corn acreage in the Golden State is estimated at 430,000 acres, down from 520,000 acres a
year ago. Corn planted nationwide totals 88.9 million acres, down 2 percent from last year.
Californias 51,000 acres of cotton are down from the 56,000 acres harvested in the state last
year.
Growers have planted 35,000 acres of sunflower in California this year, down from 44,000
acres last year.
The declines come as growers with limited water have sacrificed some annual plantings to
concentrate on perennial crops, such as nut orchards, they have said.For the area survey, NASS
officials visited randomly selected tracts of land and interviewed growers in early June,
according to a news release.
http://www.capitalpress.com/California/20150706/calif-field-crop-acreages-shrinking-amid-drought
Rice prices poised to climb as drought deepens

A boy catches fish in a dried-up pond near the banks of the Ganges River in Allahabad, India, on
June 4. The government says the country is headed for its first drought in six years
BANGKOK - It is baking hot in the mid-afternoon just outside Laos' capital, Vientiane. Won, a local
rice farmer, looks up at the cloudless sky. It should be humid and raining, but so far in June, this area
close to the Mekong River, which separates Laos from Thailand, has only seen desultory showers
every few days. Won has already planted rice on her 6 hectares of paddies, but just down the road
other fields lay fallow, waiting for regular downpours that the rice crops need.
"We have some irrigation water but the water levels are much lower than last year, when the rain
started earlier," she told the Nikkei Asian Review. "If rain doesn't come in July, I will let the rice
die." Won said that the irrigation water will only last for a few weeks.It is the same story in Fang,
hundreds of kilometers away in Thailand's far north, near the border with Myanmar. Farmer
Panbunta Kantapan said the situation is already desperate. "If the rain does not come soon there will
be no point planting at all," he said, adding that he was considering planting a less water-intensive
crop, such as corn.
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El Nino is back
Heat waves and drought have gripped nations across South and Southeast Asia as El Nino has taken
hold for the first time since 2009. It has brought heavier rainfall to the Americas and a hotter and
drier summer to Asia.
That is bleak news for rice production and exports as the three nations suffering the effects of the
drought -- India, Vietnam and Thailand -- are also the world's leading exporters. The grain is the
world's third-biggest crop after sugar cane and corn, according to the United Nations.
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/rice-prices-poised-climb-drought-deepens#sthash.tkO7be7v.
Commodities Buzz: Thai Rice Output To Drop To A

Decade Low
capital market | Mumbai | July 07, 2015 11:23 IST
Thailand, the world's biggest rice exporter, is feared to witness its weakest harvestin more than a
decade following a second year of below-average rains. The US Department ofAgriculture
bureau in Bangkok slashed its estimate for Thai rice production in 2015-16 bynearly 2 million
(m) tonnes to 18 m tonnes, on a milled basis, according to media reports.The downgrade put
Thailand on course for its smallest harvest since 2004-05, and showing asecond successive year
of production for the first time since the early 1990s. Rainfall upto the end of June was, at an
average of 366mm nationwide, recorded a slide of 27% belowthe average for the 30 years to
2010, after coming in 23% below the mean in the first halfof 2014.
Powered by Commodity Insights
http://www.indiainfoline.com/article/capital-market-commodity-futures-mid-sessioncommentary/commodities-buzz-thai-rice-output-to-drop-to-a-decade-low-115070700331_1.html
Scientists Have Developed a Gene for Better Rice Varieties
AFP, Modified: July 07, 2015 17:16 IST

Scientists said they had pinpointed variants of a gene to improve the quality and yield of rice, a staple
starch for billions of people. Working in two separate groups, researchers from China discovered that
mutations in a specific gene resulted in longer, more slender grains with less chalkiness, and better
harvests. Breeders can now combine versions of the gene with others known to affect quality to breed
better and more productive strains, they said."Rice is the key source of dietary calories for over half the
world's population and a substantial improvement of yield potential will be required to feed a growing
human population," Fu Xiangdong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a co-author of one of the studies
said.
Fu said rice breeders have found it challenging to simultaneously improve grain yield and quality. There
is a genetic tradeoff in plant breeding, meaning that it is hard to make gains in both areas at the same
time.Fu and a team crossed two rice varieties -- one a widely-grown but mediocre hybrid variety and the
other a better but less prolific type, to locate the genetic variant responsible for the difference in
quality. They then used this to develop experimental high-yield, better rice strains. A separate team used
similar methods to pinpoint variants of the same gene, called LOC_Os07g41200. The two papers were
published Monday in the journal Nature Genetics."Both studies demonstrated that other gene variants
known to improve yield or other traits affecting quality could be combined with the high quality
LOC_Os07g41200 variant to produce new elite varieties of rice," said a Nature press release. The
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research is the latest in a host of better-rice gene discoveries. They include variants which help the plants
cope better with drought or inhospitable soil, offering a potential boon to farmers at a time of worsening
climate change.
Monsoon boost for kharif crops

TNN | Jul 7, 2015, 03.06AM IST
CHANDIGARH: With the arrival of monsoon in Haryana, officials of the agriculture department expect
better yield of paddy and cotton crops. A spokesperson of the agriculture department said that the rains
would led to increase in the area of paddy sowing.He said that the department had set a target of 11.50
lakh hectares for paddy cultivation out of which transplanting had been done over about six lakh hectares.
He said that rains would also increase moisture in less irrigated areas like Bhiwani, Mahendergarh,
Rewari, Gurgaon and Mewat. Farmers would be able to undertake sowing of maize and other crops in
rain-fed areas.
Irrigation cost for paddy-growing farmers would also decrease in districts of Ambala, Kurukshetra,
Karnal, Panipat and Yamunanagar. With the early arrival of monsoon, the state's farmers would not be
burdened with expenditure of irrigation through pumping sets.Total 71mm of rainfall was recorded in
Ambala on Sunday night and 52mm at Yamunanagar and 11mm at Panchkula. The department
spokesperson said that the sowing of cotton had been completed and rains would be beneficial for it.
Monsoon's arrival would also increase the area under millet.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Monsoon-boost-for-kharifcrops/articleshow/47966380.cms
SA Rice Organizes American Independence-themed Cook-Off

in Mexico
Here the white is U.S. rice
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO -- Last Friday, July 3rd, USA Rice conducted a special "4th of July" themed
rice cook-off with several church groups here. The USA Rice chefs taught more than 100 women and
their families how to cook classic American recipes using American rice as the main ingredient.
The recipes included Jambalaya, a signature dish from Louisiana, Texas Chili with Rice, and a New York
Rice Cheesecake, that participants decorated to look like the American flag with blueberries, strawberries,
and cooked coconut rice. Attendees were delighted to learn new rice recipes and particularly valued the
participation of professional USA Rice chefs.The chefs explained the nutritional benefits of rice, proper
cooking techniques, and conducted an interactive question and answer session. They stressed the
importance of selecting rice of U.S. origin to ensure the ultimate quality and food safety, and introduced
the American rice logo to the attendees and organizers of the church groups.
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All attendees received educational brochures, USA Rice cookbooks, and promotional materials, and were
encouraged to engage with USA Rice via the many social media opportunities available.Events similar to
this one have demonstrable impact with attendees reporting monthly rice use doubling as a result of
exposure to new recipes, information, and cooking techniques.
Contact: Sarah Moran (703) 236-1457
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for July 7

Month
Price
Net Change
July 2015
$10.645
+ $0.080
September 2015
$10.895
+ $0.080
November 2015
$11.170
+ $0.080
January 2016
$11.440
+ $0.085
March 2016
$11.640
+ $0.085
May 2016
$11.640
+ $0.085
July 2016
$11.640
+ $0.085
Mechanization Brings Quick Change To Borneo Region

Known For 'Slow Rice'
JULY 06, 2015 2:14 PM ET
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11
JULY 06, 2015 2:14 PM ET
KAREN COATES
Bario and its rice paddies in the Kelabit Highlands of Malaysia.

Jerry Redfern for NPR
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Change typically doesn't come fast or often in the Kelabit

Highlands in the interior of Malaysian Borneo. "Go slowly" is
both a motto and a way of life here. For centuries,even
millennia, locals have gathered and grown their own foods in
the dense tropical jungle. Rice is a staple for the Kelabit
people who inhabit this land, and this region is renowned for a
slow-growing variety that shares a name with the area's biggest town:Bario.This Bario rice,
grown in cool weather at high elevations, has always been planted and harvested by hand
until now.
In the last few years, a Malaysian agricultural company called Ceria has introduced mechanized
farming to the Kelabit Highlands through a joint venture with the local community and the state
government, signed in 2011. Bario rice a medium-sized grain noted for its sweetness
historically yields just one harvest a year, but Ceria has said the modernization of production
here will dramatically increase yields.
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Unraveling The Mystery Of A Rice Revolution

Ironically this change is partially driven by elders who hope modernization might help save their
rice-based heritage. The majority of Bario youngsters leave for higher education and jobs in
cities across Malaysiaor beyond. Many of their parents prefer to stay behind. But the rigors of
rice farming become too difficult in older age. Aging Kelabits say Ceria offers them the chance
to remain in their homeland, eat home-grown rice, and avoid the strenuous labor. But scientists
also see deeper implications for Kelabit culture, which is changing more quickly than ever
before.
Sina Rang Lemulun, a widow in her 70s who runs a homestay in Bario, says her children are
scattered from the Borneo coast to Australia. "They will never, ever come and jump in the mud,
and start to plant rice," Lemulun says. She doesn't want to leave home but farming is too
taxing for her to handle alone. So she signed a deal with Ceria. Company workers will prepare,
plant and harvest her fields, and will take 70 percent of the yield. She'll maintain her longhouse
home and eat her traditional meals minus the back-bending work. "With Ceria, I have very
high hopes," my quality of life will endure, she says.
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Workers with Ceria wait for a pipe-welding machine to finish connecting two sections of plastic
irrigation pipe in Bario, Malaysia. The company has brought mechanized farming to the Kelabit
Highlands.
Jerry Redfern for NPR
13
In recent years, many families have abandoned their rice fields, according to Lian Tarawe, a
local guesthouse owner and tour guide. "The elderly farmer is getting older and cannot till the
land," Tarawe says, pointing to neglected paddies filled with weeds. "The land is going back into
jungle." Part of Ceria's strategy for boosting production is to plant these unused fields, and
Tarawe and other proponents of the change say they're glad the paddies will be productive again.
The Ceria project includes several miles of irrigation pipes connected to seven dams; new
facilities for drying, milling and storing rice; and a network of farm roads capable of handling
tractors, bulldozers and excavators. All this in an area that had few motorized vehicles until
just a few years ago. Before that, turboprop plane and days-long treks through thick jungle were
the only means of transport to and from Bario. "The Kelabit Highlands have experienced perhaps
the most rapid period of change over the last 10 years," says archaeologist Lindsay Lloyd-Smith
with the Cultured Rainforest Project (CRF), a research project on the interactions between people
and the rainforest in the Kelabit Highlands.
i
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A woman replants paddy rice by

hand in Bario, in the Kelabit
Highlands of Malaysia. A
logging road has brought many
changes to the Kelabit people of
the interior highlands of
Sarawak in Malaysia, including
more mechanized ways of
growing rice.Jerry Redfern for
NPR
But not everyone welcomes this
transformation. "We used to do
and live on traditional
farming,"
but
now
the
government
wants
massproduced rice, says local elder
Jenette Ulun, whose family has
run a seed-saving project to
promote traditional cultivation.
Hand-planted Bario rice is "the
best,"
Ulun
says.Italybased Slow
Food
International thought so, too. In
2002, it established a Bario rice
project
under
its Presidia
program, aimed at saving
economically viable traditional
foods from the threat of
extinction. But the project ended in 2011, around the same time Ceria began its work in the
Highlands.
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Yet some scientists think the very notion of "traditional" Bario rice is a bit misleading. The
"traditional" wet rice fields of pre-Ceria Bario "were themselves a very recent development,"
Lloyd-Smith writes in an email. The Kelabit first constructed permanent paddies in the 1950s
and 60s. Before that, rice was grown in smaller plots "that were made each year, and continually
changed and remade ... What looks and feels 'traditional' is often very young."
Lloyd-Smith thinks mechanized farming "is simply the latest part of an ever-changing story of
people's relationship with the land." In his mind, "the underlying concern is not who does the
work, but rather who has control ... This situation is now completely changing." For the first
time, an outside company will at least in part own and control local rice and the various stages of
production.
The company's involvement in farming could alter villagers' connection to
their land. And that connection is a longstanding component of Kelabit
culture, according to CRF anthropologist Monica Janowski, who has studied
the tribe for decades. "Mechanized farming will create a greater physical,
psychological and spiritual distance between the Kelabit and the land they
work," she writes in an email. "I regard this as unfortunate, as the bonds with
the land and the environment are, I think, very important."
Commoditizing rice also changes the culture. "Rice had a profound social and spiritual
significance for the Kelabit, and was the basis for their sense of community," says Janowski. "It
is regarded as essential to human life, and eating it together as essential to human community."
In the past, Kelabit villagers could gain status by owning rice and feeding others. Today, status is
"less about food" and "focused on simple cash," says Lloyd-Smith. "Status is still achieved
through economic means," but what people value in Kelabit society is changing, he says. "In a
way, this sums up what the mechanization is all about: money."
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/07/06/420504909/mechanization-brings-quick-change-toborneo-region-known-for-slowrice?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+July+7%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13
%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
APEDA India (News)

Price on: 06-07-2015
14
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
Garlic
15
Chinese first grade granules, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
2100
Chinese Grade A dehydrated flakes, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
2000
Chinese powdered, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
1800
Chinese sliced, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
4600
Chinese whole, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
5100
Indian Cochin, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
3000
Indian 100 mesh 3500 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
4560
Indian 200 mesh 3500 cps basis, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
1980
Indian 200 mesh 5000 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
3080
Ginger
Guar Gum Powder
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 06-07-2015
Domestic Prices
Product
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Dahod (Gujarat)
Other
1200
1250
Kota (Rajasthan)
Other
1001
1251
Satna (Madhya Pradesh)
Other
1080
1175
Bayad (Gujarat)
Other
1225
1250
Kota (Rajasthan)
Other
1080
1200
Koraput (Orissa)
Other
1310
1330
Barley (Jau)
Maize
15
Mango
16
Bonai (Orissa)
Other
2000
3000
Sirhind (Punjab)
Other
1000
2500
Harippad (Kerala)
Other
2500
3000
Sirhind (Punjab)
Other
1200
2000
Koraput (Orissa)
Other
2500
2700
Satara (Maharashtra)
Other
2000
2800
Cauliflower
Source:agra-net
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 06-07-2015
Product
Market Center
Price
Pune
350
Chittoor
353
Hyderabad
320
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package

Price on 06-07-2015
Product
Market Center
Origin
Variety
Low
Onions Dry
High
Package: 40 lb cartons
Atlanta
Georgia
Yellow
24
26
Chicago
California
Yellow
32.50
32.50
Dallas
Mexico
Yellow
25
25
Cucumbers
Package: cartons film wrapped
16
1
Atlanta
Canada
Long Seedless
17
Chicago
Canada
Long Seedless
10
Miami
Mexico
Long Seedless
12
13.50
Grapefruit
Package: 7/10 bushel cartons
Atlanta
California
Red
26
27
Dallas
California
Red
24
24
Philadelphia
California
Red
22
22
Source:USDA
VN seeks stronger Guangdong ties

Workers load rice bags at a processing facility belonging to the HCM City
Food Company in Binh Chanh District. Guangdong Province is a large
market for Viet Nam's rice and agricultural products. VNA/VNS Photo
Dinh Hue
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HA NOI
(VNS)
Deputy Industry and Trade
Minister Tran Tuan Anh
highlighted the importance
of Guangdong Province as
a large market for Viet
Nam's rice and agricultural
products as well as
exports.He
said
the
province consumed 11.5
per cent of Viet Nam's total
rice and grain exports to
China.He was speaking at
a conference on Viet NamChina rice and farm
produce
trade
in
Guangzhou City in China's Guangdong Province last week. Anh said there should be closer co-operation
between his ministry and Guangdong's government as well as food associations and businesses of both
sides, in order to boost trade between Viet Nam and Guangdong, especially in rice and agricultural
products.
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Meanwhile, Guangdong Vice-Governor Zhao Yufang said there was room for co-operation between Viet
Nam, a country with great advantages in agricultural production, and the more than 100-million-strong
Guangdong Province, especially in rice trade.She said the provincial government would continue to
collaborate with Viet Nam's ministries of industry and trade, and agriculture and rural development in
creating new playgrounds for business communities of both sides and enhancing bilateral trade ties.
During the conference, leaders of the Viet Nam Food Association briefed more than 100 leading Chinese
agricultural firms about Viet Nam's rice production and export as well as competitiveness.
On his part, the head of the Guangdong Food Association spoke about the province's need for agricultural
products, especially rice, and expressed willingness to set up an affiliation mechanism between the two
associations and act as a bridge for business circles of both sides.Earlier, Deputy Minister Anh had a
working session with Guangdong Vice-Governor Zhao Yufang on measures to foster economic and trade
partnership between Viet Nam and Guangdong.Anh and the Vietnamese delegation also visited a number
of major rice and agricultural product distribution facilities, storages and processing factories in
Guangdong.According to statistics from the Viet Nam General Department of Customs, last year, trade
between Viet Nam and China reached US$58.7 billion, up 17.05 per cent over the previous year. As of
May this year, the figure was $26 billion, a rise of 14.7 per cent over that of 2014.At the same time,
Guangzhou Customs' statistics show that in the first four months of this year, trade between Viet Nam and
Guangdong hit $4.44 billion, an increase of 10.6 per cent year on year. VNS
http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/272685/vn-seeks-stronger-guangdong-ties.html
Joint European and Indian team launches new app

for crop protection
by Amanda Rupp | Monday, Jul 6, 2015 @ 3:53pm
The Federation of European Rice Millers (FERM) partnered with the All India Rise Exporters
Association (AIREA) to launch a novel web-based app called Appryza, which is designed to support the
trade of rice between Europe and India. Unfortunately, crop-protection products are not standard around
the world, and export market regulatory requirements can be difficult to meet. Given the complexity of
todays rules, we believe we must work increasingly closely with partners around the world to guarantee
safe, high-quality rice, FERM Secretary General Chris Downes said.
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A global coordinated approach of this issue by both the rice sector and the manufacturers of plant
protection products is now essential to the future trade of rice. Appryza is an important first step in
meeting todays challenges. Appryza seeks to solve this dilemma by offering crop protection strategies
for safe, sustainable rice production in India. The app is dedicated to four major export markets: the U.S.,
EU, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Making use of modern technology, Appryza brings complex regulatory
information in a simple, user-friendly way to all of us in the rice chain, from Indian farmers to EU
importers, Hank Verschoor, head of the federations technical work, said. Within seconds, we can
identify solutions for the global market.
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http://cropprotectionnews.com/stories/510625560-joint-european-and-indian-team-launches-new-app-for-cropprotection#sthash.H6NwzJrt.dpuf
DOJ, NBI urged to probe importers of synthetic rice

By Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star) | Updated July 7, 2015 - 12:00am
Video grab from ANC shows the styrofoam-like appearance of the synthetic rice, which is reportedly
made from potatoes, sweet potatoes and resin.
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MANILA, Philippines - Efforts to stop the proliferation of suspected synthetic rice should
involve other government agencies, a lawmaker said yesterday.Quezon City Rep. Winston
Castelo said the Department of Justice (DOJ) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) should
investigate and file charges against the importers of fake rice and the people responsible for their
proliferation.Castelo said the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and National Food Authority (NFA)
should prevent the entry of fake rice in the country while the Department of Health should
launch an information campaign to educate the public on how to determine rice laced with
plasticizers.He urged the DOJ and NBI to look into the modus operandi of the fake rice
importers and identify their cohorts in the BOC and private sector.
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It is endangering public health since fake rice has been described as dangerous to the digestive
tract, Castelo said.He said the BOC and NFA should identify the cohorts of the fake rice
syndicates within their agencies and file criminal charges against them.These are criminals
masquerading as public servants. They should not stay a minute longer in government, Castelo
said.
Bulacan rice mill
Meanwnhile, the NFA in Region 4-A denied that suspected synthetic rice sold in Tanuan City in
Batangas over the weekend came from a rice mill in Bulacan.Serafin Manalili, NFA-Bu- lacan
chief, told The STAR that NFA Region 4-A director Thomas Escares informed him and Central
Luzon NFA director Amadeo de Guzman not to believe a post on Facebook hat fake rice from
Bulacan has found its way to rice stalls in Tanauan City.Rice traders in Intercity Industrial Estate
in Balagtas, Bulacan considered a major rice trading center of the country are concerned
about the report.Manalili said there are about 140 rice mills operating in the trading
center.Members of the rice mill association in Intercity Industrial City assured the NFA that they
would not resort to any malpratice.
Tanauan City Mayor Thony Halili expressed alarm over a Facebook post of one of his
constituents that adulterated rice caused his child to get sick.The owner of JM Lucky Ricemill,
which was identified as the alleged source of fake rice, yesterday sought the help of the NFA to
inspect and classify its rice stocks to dispel the report.Dave Ramos, legal counsel for JM Lucky
Ricemill, said his client wants concerned government agencies to coordinate with the city
government of Tanauan to investigate the source of the alleged fake rice.There is still no
concrete proof that points to the rice mill as the source of the alleged fake rice and we want a
proper investigation about the allegation since it is very impossible for rice millers in Intercity to
process fake rice, since equipment in the trading center are mainly for milling palay grains into
rice, Ramos said.A team headed by Emiliano Santos, quality control officer of NFABulacan,told The STAR that an ocular inspection of the samples of the rice stocks in the rice mill
shows nothing irregular, but samples were sent to a laboratory for analysis.The other rice mills in
Intercity Industrial Estate were also inspected.
Cosmetics, toys
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A group promoting human and ecological health said the chemical contaminant found in samples
of fake rice from Davao City is also prohibited in cosmetics and toys.The EcoWaste Coalition
said the discovery of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) in fake rice by the NFA-Food Development Center
is a cause for alarm.We are very concerned and worried by the discovery of toxic DBP in
synthetic rice that has reportedly penetrated the local market, particularly in the south, stated
Sonia Mendoza, a retired chemist and president of EcoWaste Coalition.The government
should get to the bottom of this trade in hazardous rice laced with a chemical that is banned in
the production of cosmetics and toys, Mendoza said.The use of DBP, a chemical additive to
adhesives and plastics, in concentration above 0.1 percent is prohibited in childrens toys under
the Department of Healths Administrative Order 2009-0005- A as amended in December
2011. With Ramon Efren Lazaro, Rhodina Villanueva
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/07/07/1474150/doj-nbi-urged-probe-importers-synthetic-rice
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How to avoid buying synthetic rice

July 07, 2015 By Venus G. Villanueva
Facebook Google + Tweet Email
KALIBO, Aklan, July 6 (PIA6) -- The National Food Authority (NFA) recently came out with five (tips)
to consumers on how to avoid buying fake or synthetic rice in public markets. This is in the wake of
reports that a rice sample from Davao had been found to be positive of plastic chemicals.In a recent radio
program here attended by NFA-Aklan, Provincial Manager Martina Lodero enumerated the 5 tips for the
benefit of Aklanons when buying rice at public markets:
First, the consumer must ensure that he/she is buying rice from an accredited or licensed NFA outlet.
Lodero said an outlet is accredited if it has a sign with the full name of the retailer and his accreditation
number. Second, the consumer must always remember that rice imported by the NFA and its licensed
importers, be it regular or well-milled is white and long-grained.Third, the consumer must look closely
if the rice he is buying is not so white, round, shiny and the sizes are all the same. If the grains look the
same in sizes, these might be produced by machines, according to Lodero.
Fourth, the public must ensure that the rice being bought does not smell of plastic, and
Fifth, the public must not buy rice that is lighter than the usual weight. Rice grains should not also be very
hard and difficult to break. When cooked, Lodero said the public should see to it that the rice does not
smell of plastic and one must look closely if there is a layer of plastic forming at the upper portion of the
rice.
Lodero assured Aklanons that the NFA is now strictly going around the province inspecting public
markets and other outlets to ensure that no fake rice enters the province. She also reminded Aklanons that
should they find their purchased rice doubtful, they should bring a sample to NFA preferable weighing a
kilo so that ample investigation could be conducted.
She also called on the people involved in trading rice like rice retailers, millers, truckers, warehousemen
and ambulant millers to apply or renew their licenses at the NFA.
Lodero said this is one way of identifying sources of rice in the province and at the same time ensure that
rice sold or stored from these outlets and organizations are authentic. (JCM/VGV PIA6 Aklan)
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/961436171701/how-to-avoid-buying-syntheticrice#sthash.zDMeFkep.dpuf
Scientists pinpoint gene for better rice

21
July 6, 2015 12:07 PM
22
Paris (AFP) - Scientists said Monday they had

pinpointed variants of a gene to improve the quality
and yield of rice, a staple starch for billions of
people.Working in two separate groups, researchers
from China discovered that mutations in a specific
gene resulted in longer, more slender grains with
less chalkiness, and better harvests.Breeders can
now combine versions of the gene with others
known to affect quality to breed better and more
productive strains, they said."Rice is the key source of dietary calories for over half the world's
population and a substantial improvement of yield potential will be required to feed a growing human
population," Fu Xiangdong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a co-author of one of the studies,
told AFP by email.Fu said rice breeders have found it challenging to simultaneously improve grain
yield and quality.There is a genetic tradeoff in plant breeding, meaning that it is hard to make gains
in both areas at the same time.
Workers plant rice in a paddy field at a farm in the New Territories in Hong Kong on August 6, 2014
Fu and a team crossed two rice varieties -- one a widely-grown but mediocre hybrid variety and the
quality.They then used this to develop experimental high-yield, better rice strains.A separate team
used similar methods to pinpoint variants of the same gene, called LOC_Os07g41200.The two papers
were published Monday in the journal Nature Genetics."Both studies demonstrated that other gene
variants known to improve yield or other traits affecting quality could be combined with the high
quality LOC_Os07g41200 variant to produce new elite varieties of rice," said a Nature press
release.The research is the latest in a host of better-rice gene discoveries.They include variants which
help the plants cope better with drought or inhospitable soil, offering a potential boon to farmers at a
time of worsening climate change
http://news.yahoo.com/scientists-pinpoint-gene-better-rice-160725110.html
Chinese scientists discover a gene for better rice

July 7, 2015 2:05am
22
PARIS, France - Scientists said Monday they had pinpointed variants of a gene to improve the quality and
yield of rice, a staple starch for billions of people.Working in two separate groups, researchers from
China discovered that mutations in a specific gene resulted in longer, more slender grains with less
chalkiness, and better harvests.Breeders can now combine versions of the gene with others known to
23
affect quality to breed better and more productive strains, they said."Rice is the key source of dietary
calories for over half the world's population and a substantial improvement of yield potential will be
required to feed a growing human population," Fu Xiangdong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a coauthor of one of the studies, told AFP by email.
Fu said rice breeders have found it challenging to simultaneously improve grain yield and quality.There is
a genetic tradeoff in plant breeding, meaning that it is hard to make gains in both areas at the same
time.Fu and a team crossed two rice varieties -- one a widely-grown but mediocre hybrid variety and the
quality.They then used this to develop experimental high-yield, better rice strains.
A separate team used similar methods to pinpoint variants of the same gene, called
LOC_Os07g41200.The two papers were published Monday in the journal Nature Genetics."Both studies
demonstrated that other gene variants known to improve yield or other traits affecting quality could be
combined with the high quality LOC_Os07g41200 variant to produce new elite varieties of rice," said a
Nature press release.The research is the latest in a host of better-rice gene discoveries.They include
variants which help the plants cope better with drought or inhospitable soil, offering a potential boon to
farmers at a time of worsening climate change. Agence France-Presse
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/517206/scitech/technology/chinese-scientists-discover-a-genefor-better-rice
Scientists think a GMO version of one crop might be the

key to feeding 3.5 billion people
LYDIA RAMSEY0JUL 7, 2015, 02.44 AM
Nguyen Huy Kham/Reuters
A farmer carries rice outside Hanoi, Vietnam on June 2. New mutations in a gene could lead to longer and
better quality rice production.In addition to being the key ingredient in any stir-fry, rice is a staple in the
diets of more than 3.5 billion people.Because so many people depend on rice, maintaining a steady supply
of the crop is a necessary task. But it's a challenging one too.Everything from flooding and drought to
poor crop quality can make it difficult to ensure farmers meet the global demand.
Finally, researchers think they may have a solution: GMO rice that's been modified to have longer,
hardier grains that cook faster and taste better.This isn't the first time scientists have tried to create the
perfect rice by tweaking its genes. In 2000, a team of Swiss and German scientists created golden rice, a
healthier, Vitamin-A-rich version of plain old rice that was designed to help people in the world's poorest
countries.
23
24
But in two new studies, both of
which were published Monday,
June 6 in the journal Nature
Genomics, researchers identified
a single gene that they can tweak
to improve rice's quality without
sacrificing the amount that
farmers get from each crop. Up
until now, attempting to grow
higher quality rice using genetic
hybrids and mutations was only
possible so long as farmers
sacrificed the amount of rice
they ended up with. Both studies
looked at a gene that goes by the complex label LOC_ Os07g41200. The first team of researchers found
that by replacing that gene with a variant which they called GW7, the rice became longer. Thesecond
team of researchers then found that when they added yet another gene variant from another type of rice
(called GL7) the harvested crop wasn't just better quality - there was more of it as well.Here's how the
genetically modified grain looks (right) next to its original (left):
24
Yuexing Wang
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Fu said the next step for his research is to take it out into the fields to see how the gene mutation
holds up when exposed to the elements. The hope is to find a way to make the gene mutation
even more prevalent so the positive traits can pass along to future generations.
The Trouble With Using Synthetic Rhino Horn to Stop Poaching

By Diogo Verssimo, Georgia State University | July 7, 2015
Last Updated: July 6, 2015 5:45 pm
Will synthetic rhino horns decrease demand or aid law enforcement? (Valentina Storti/CC BYNC 2.0)
25
In 2014, one rhino was killed every eight hours. That was in South Africa alone, where most of
the worlds rhinos live. At this rate, rhino deaths may overtake births by 2016-2018, making the
concept of the rhinos extinction very real.Spurred by this grim prospect, governments,
businesses and governmental organizations have discussed a wide range of solutions to stop
rhino poaching, the key driver of rhino mortality.One proposal that recently generated a lot of
interest is the manufacturing of synthetic rhino horn. The concept first reached the media
26
limelight in 2012 when the company Rhinoceros Horn LLC launched a crowdfunding campaign
to get the idea off the ground.
While that campaign failed, the idea has recently been rekindled by Pembient, a US-based
company thatdescribes itself as the De Beers of synthetic wildlife products.This
bioengineering start-up plans to flood the market with synthetic 3D-printed rhino horns. The
company hopes this will help save rhinos by making synthetic horns cheaper to purchase than the
real thing.Pembient is looking to develop synthetic rhino horns that not only are genetically
similar but feel and smell like the real thing, so much so that consumers wouldnt be able to tell
the difference. To achieve this, the company has recently embarked on a crowdfunding effort to
sequence the genome of the black rhino. Pembient hopes the first synthetic horns will hit the
market about a year from now.
The question, though, remains: will it work? An examination of both consumer motivations and
business models behind these types of ventures exposes some pitfalls.
Bear Bile and Cubic Zirconia
The best available consumer research tells us that demand for rhino horn stems largely from the
social status this perceived luxury product gives to its users, tied to the (erroneous) beliefs of its
medical properties. How would synthetic rhino horn fit into this picture?
In terms of its luxury status, it is the rarity and high price of rhino horn that give it its allure. As
such, it is unlikely that current consumers will turn to cheaper and commonly available options
no matter how indistinguishable they may be to a lay audience, much the same way that the
availability and lower price of cubic zirconia has not led to a crash of the diamond trade.
Diamonds carry a social value that while arbitrary keeps consumers willing to pay large
premiums. Thus it seems unlikely that a cheaper synthetic alternative may replace the original
product in the minds of the wealthy consumers driving the demand for rhino horn.
Demand for rhino horn is driven by the mistaken belief that it has medicinal properties.
(animalrescueblog/CC BY-NC 2.0)
26
As far as traditional medicine goes, the push for alternative products has been tried before. Take
bear bile, for example. Used in Asia for centuries as a part of traditional medicine, the trade in
bear bile flourished in the 1970s with the advent of bear farming, in which bile is
obtained from live bears.
The number of bears required to fill these farms became a threat to Asian bear populations. As a
result governments, NGOs and businesses have worked for decades to promote a wide range of
plant, animal and synthetic substitutes. Yet, there is little sign of the practice disappearing, with a
minimum of 12,000 bears still being kept in legal and illegal bear farms in Southeast Asia.
27
Several reasons have been put forward for this, from the preference of consumers for wild
products to the reluctance of practitioners to prescribe alternatives.
Biopiracy
Taking all this into account, it seems unlikely that this synthetic rhino horn will have an impact
on the demand for the real deal. However, the circulation of a synthetic product that so closely
resembles the real product could easily become the worst nightmare of enforcement agencies
worldwide, as authorities will have a hard time distinguishing between synthetic and illegally
obtained rhino horn.
Another related issue is that by making synthetic rhino horn widely available, Pembient faces
some perverse incentives to perpetuate the idea that it has indeed some medical properties. After
all, the companys bottom line depends on there being demand for rhino horn. This can
undermine the work of conservation NGOs, traditional medicine practitioners and even
governments, who have spent decades trying to break the link between rhino horn and traditional
medicine.
27
28
If a Western company commercializes a product from sequencing the DNA of the black rhino,
does the country of origin, which pays for conservation, benefit as well? (whatsthepointsa/CC
BY-NC 2.0)
Beyond any potential impact this initiative may or may not have, the entire business case for this
enterprise is underlined by a broader moral issue. Is it ethical for a US-based company to profit
from a product based on genetic material coming from several developing countries, without a
clear form of compensation?
28
History is riddled with cases of fortunes being made by companies in the West that have
developed commercial ventures based on plants or animals from some of the worlds poorest
corners without any compensation, in what has become known as biopiracy. The rosy
periwinkle, for example, a plant native only to Madagascar, was found to contain a chemical
compound that is effective in treating several forms of cancer. Millions of dollars were made
from the two drugs subsequently developed, yet no compensation was ever given to Madagascar.
The list of similar cases goes on and includes the Neem tree, turmeric, basmati rice, Ayahuasca,
Rooibos Tea, Quinine and Quinoa.
29
Cost of Conservation
Rhino conservation is costly, with countries having to invest heavily in management and antipoaching efforts. Yet rhinos are distributed across a number of developing countries with
pressing needs around food security, health and education. It would be hypocritical for the
international community to ban the trade in rhino horn, thus denying rhino range countries a
source of revenue, while allowing private companies from elsewhere to profit from the trade in a
product based on the rhinos genetic material.
It is clear that conservation is much in need of entrepreneurship and people willing to think
outside of the box just the kind of thinking that the people behind efforts to make synthetic
rhino horn have demonstrated. Yet, the context around the trade in rhino horn is very complex
and simple solutions that sound too good to be true often are.
Diogo Verssimo is David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellow atGeorgia State University.
Shoring Up Revenue Collection From Rice Import

Policy
Juliet Alohan
Jul 7, 2015 4:15 am
The decision by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop importers of rice and other products
from accessing foreign exchange (FOREX) from the CBN, banks and bureaux de change for
such importation is one that would go a long way in helping to revive local rice production in the
country.
Concerns have been raised about large-scale investments made in the farming and milling
industries by private businesses being in jeopardy due to the importation of rice.The CBN
governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, while making the decision known, stated that the measure
would also prevent further depletion of the countrys foreign reserve.He said that the country
was spending huge amount to import things that could be produced locally, like rice, adding that
the apex bank would not continue to support the importation of such items with the hard earned
FOREX.
29
Some other products in this category include margarine, palm kernel, palm oil products, meat
and processed meat products, vegetables, tinned fish, galvanised steel sheet, roofing sheet and
furniture.Emefiele stated that importers who may want to continue importing these goods would
have to sort their foreign exchange from their own private sources. The CBN will continue to be
vigilant around this policy, keep reviewing the list of items as it becomes comfortable that these
items can be produced locally if we apply ourselves sufficiently. This policy change is in line
with the belief that Nigeria cannot attain its true potential by simply importing everything into
the country. We have to decide what we really want for our country and I believe that the time is
30
now for that deep and honest conversation.He said that in spite of the relative positive gross
domestic product (GDP) growth over the past seven years, there was no corresponding reduction
in unemployment and poverty.
He said the Apex banks analysis of the situation had compelled it to stop FOREX access to
some of these goods to encourage local production and consumption for economic development.
He also disclosed that the federal government was spending about N1.3 trillion on the average
annually to import rice, fish, sugar and wheat, items that could be locally produced and which
could form a strong employment base for Nigerians.The issue with the importation of rice is one
that has been in the front burner of discourse for a long time. The federal governments policy on
rice importation, which was intended to help boost local production of rice, led to the past
government of former President Goodluck Jonathan giving concession to some importers to
import rice at a reduced duty rate of 30 per cent as against the 70 per cent import duty on rice.
It was later discovered that such benefiting importers totally abused the concession and imported
rice far in excess of their quota.The former minister of finance and coordinating minister of the
economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had, before the end of the administration she served, stated that
government was working to recover all such revenue, if investigations launched into the matter
proves anyone guilty. Speaking at the customs headquarters in Abuja, after a board meeting, the
minister assured that government would recover all such revenue once investigations into the
matter was complete.We discussed that issue at the customs board meeting and what we asked
for as a board is to get updated report on who are those importers? By how much have they
exceeded? And what do they owe government? Once these information is put together, we will
consult with the minister of agriculture and rural development, and then take a look at it and if
they owe us money we will ask for it back, the former minister had said.
Similarly, the House of Representatives which launched an enquiry into the matter also called on
the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) to recover all outstanding money in import duties owed the federal government by rice
importers in the country. The lawmakers also urged the customs service to, henceforth,
implement only the Pure Rice Traders Policy in respect to the duties and levies in rice
importation. The House resolution at plenary, which was before the end of the 7th National
Assembly, followed the consideration of the report of an Ad-hoc Committee on the Evasion of
Payment of Import Duty on Imported Rice earlier set up by the House.
30
The lawmakers also added that the warehouses of the erring import companies must be closed
until they settle all their outstanding import duties due to the federal government. The ad-hoc
committee headed by the former deputy house leader, Leo Ogor, also recommended the
immediate cancellation of the entire rice import quota system and suspension of the 2015 quota
allocation. Calling on the NCS to recover every outstanding monies and seal up all their
warehouses and other businesses until the very last kobo is recovered and restored to the
government coffers in line with the Customs Act, the House also asked the EFCC to assist in
prompt recovery of all outstanding monies owed the federal government by the companies.
Meanwhile, investigations by the customs service has found that the importers imported in
excess of their quota and evaded duty payment of about N21.314 billion. For this, the service has
31
said it will prosecute the seven importers involved in the matter if they failed to pay their
respective amounts within a specified period. The federal government, through the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development, had approved the waiver for the importers.As part of efforts
to help boost local rice production, the customs service intensified the war against rice
smuggling, a development that led to the ban of rice import through all land borders. The
development followed concerns raised by rice growers and other stakeholders about the activities
of rice smugglers who they alleged come mainly through the land borders.
The rice growers had expressed worry that incessant rice smuggling through the land borders
have thrown the rice industry into turmoil with severe consequences for government revenues,
the economy and future plans for rice self-sufficiency.But the service has continued to pledge its
support to all local manufacturers and businesses, assuring them of all necessary support capable
of boosting their business and discouraging importation of items that can be locally produced.
The agency has continued acquire patrol vehicles, including boats that can go to the high sea and
combat smugglers, with a view to checking the menace of smuggling. While calling for more
collaboration from Nigerians and stakeholders in the fight against smuggling, the service has
continued to make remarkable seizures, arrests and prosecution of smugglers.
http://leadership.ng/blogposts/445210/shoring-up-revenue-collection-from-rice-import-policy
Punjab to promote organic basmati rice

By PTI | 7 Jul, 2015, 05.48PM IST
31
The state is committed to encouraging farmers for organic farming. And for this the government is
establishing an 'Organic Farming Board'.CHANDIGARH: Punjab government today said it will now start
promoting cultivation of organic basmati rice in the state. "After the tremendous success of organic
wheat, Punjab Agro is all set for organic basmati in the state," K S Pannu, Managing Director, Punjab
32
Agro Industrial Corporation said here. After a favourable response from farmers, now basmati would be
cultivated in Organic farms of various districts, he said. The state government is committed to
encouraging farmers for organic farming. And for this purpose, the government is going to establish an
'Organic Farming Board'. He further said about 1,000 farmers are associated with Punjab Agro for organic
farming. Shops will be allotted in cities and towns to sell organic produce along with milk and milk
products, he informed.
Nitrogen-use efficiency: Transport solution in rice variations

Over-application of nitrogen fertilizer leads to environmental problems in modern agricultural systems.
The mining of favourable gene variants for nitrogen-use efficiency is a fundamental way to tackle these
dangers.
http://www.nature.com/articles/nplants201596
Africa: Scientists Meet in Paris for Climate Change Talks

By Michel Nkurunziza
The largest international scientific conference on climate change will kick off today in Paris, France,
and it is expected to shape the roadmap for the much-awaited global climate talks also scheduled for
Paris in December.More than 2,500 scientists from across the world are congregating in the French
capital to discuss solutions for both mitigation and adaptation issues on climate change. They will
present updated scientific data as well as reinforcing dialogue between science and civil society
stakeholders.The summit, hosted at the UNESCO headquarters, will prepare the pathway for
negotiations that will build a new binding legal global agreement to enter into effect in 2020, said
Jean-Pierre Poncet, Second Counsellor for France's Permanent Delegation to UNESCO.
"It is important that the scientists prepare ground for negotiators and diplomats to take decisions that
lead to legal binding agenda," he said.Poncet was addressing African journalists and bloggers from
Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Madagascar at the UNESCO offices.Building on the results of the
International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5th Assessment Report (AR5), the conference will
address key issues concerning climate change and use the opportunity to discuss solutions.
Mitigation mechanisms, the reduction of green house gases and adaptation solutions are the cardinal
concepts that will form the criteria for discussions.
32
The report stresses new and bolder solutions for climate change. Critical issues such as the
contentious climate financing are expected to also feature prominently at the conference.Rwandan
scientists and researchers will also make presentations on agricultural vulnerability and climate
change."Understanding the Vulnerability to Climate Change Effects in East Africa" is a scientific
research paper that will be presented by Gaspard Rwanyiziri, a researcher from the University of
33
Rwanda.He is an expert in geography and environmental management. "The Case Study of Rice
Farmers in Bugesera District, Rwanda" will form the core of Rwanyiziri's presentation.
Rwanda has been faced with unusual irregularities in climate patterns, including extreme
temperatures, variability in rainfall frequencies and intensity over the last 30 years.In fact, the
analysis to be presented at the summit indicates that rainfall patterns in the country show that it
(rainfall) has been declining since 1992, resulting into serious floods in 1997-1998 and a prolonged
drought in 1999-2000.According to the results, the rise in temperature and changes in the amount of
rainfall and its distribution have altered the availability of water resources, consequently affecting
rice production.Other topics to be covered by the conference include ocean acidification, water
scarcity and rise in sea-level, pollution, forests and desertification.The world is in battle to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions agreeing that future global warming should be limited to below 2.0 C.The
COP21 aims at achieving a legally binding and universal agreement on climate from all the nations
of the world.
NFA, BOC seize 1,561 kilos of rice smuggled from China

by Mary Grace Padin - July 7, 2015
By Mary Grace Padin
THE National Food Authority (NFA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Tuesday seized
1,561 kilograms of rice, suspected to be smuggled from China, being sold in three business
establishments in Manila.NFA Administrator Renan Dalisay said he and BOC Deputy
Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno found three grocery stores selling rice smuggled from China
after conducting a surprise inspection of Manila stores.Two supermarkets selling mostly
imported goods, Hua Chong Mart and Mandarin Supermarket in Ongpin, Binondo, and
Forwarders Food Mart and Grocery in Arranque Market in Santa Cruz, Manila, were found to be
selling smuggled rice from China. The NFA has not issued any permits for the importation of
rice from China in the last two minimum access volume (MAV) importation in 2014.The
inspection teams confiscated a total of nine 25-kilo bags, 105 10-kilo bags, 50 5-kilo bags and
18 2-kilo packs from the three establishments.
33
Aside from selling smuggled rice, the two supermarkets lacked a necessary permit from the
NFA, while the store in Arranque Market was found to be operating with an expired license.The
NFA summoned the owners of the three stores for violations under Presidential Decree 4 and
NFA Revised Rules on Grains Business, and have until July 10 to report to the NFA to give their
statements.The BOC seized the smuggled rice from these establishments and will conduct
separate proceedings under the anti-smuggling law. The confiscated rice will be temporarily
stored in the NFAs Visayas Warehouse in Quezon City.Dalisay said the NFA will help in
determining if the seized rice may be part of the 8,000-bag batch auctioned in October 2014 by
the BOC. The NFA has the capability to check the age of the rice through chemical analysis.The
NFA started its daily inspection of public markets nationwide on Monday following reports that
fake rice is being sold in Davao City.
34
Meanwhile, Rep. Winston Castelo, of the Second District of Quezon City, urged the NFA and
the BOC to ensure that rice imported from Vietnam and Thailand is free from contaminants, such
as industrial plastics.Castelo also asked the Department of Health to launch an information
campaign to enable people to identify rice laced with contaminants.The Department of Justice
and the National Bureau of Investigation should look into the modus operandi of fake rice
importers and identify their cohorts in the BOC and private sector, Castelo said in a
statement.He said unscrupulous traders who brought in rice containing dibutyl phthalate, a
chemical compound commonly used as a binder, must face criminal charges as their act
constitutes economic sabotage.
Moreover, it is endangering public health since fake rice has been described as dangerous to the
digestive tract of every person, Castelo said.The lawmaker also asked the BOC and the NFA to
investigate and identify the cohorts of fake-rice syndicates within the agencies and file criminal
charges against them.These are criminals masquerading as public servants. They should not stay
a minute longer in the government, he said.Earlier the NFA launched an investigation into the
presence of fake rice in Davao City after a consumer complained to local media that a canteen
served cooked rice that had the texture of Styrofoam. The food agency tested samples of the fake
rice provided by concerned Davao City residents.
Previous media reports published in other Asian countries had earlier quoted experts as saying
that fake rice is difficult to detect when it is mixed with normal rice.The Philippines usually
imports rice from Vietnam and Thailand to beef up the buffer stock of the NFA and plug the
shortfall in production. This year Manila had already contracted to buy a total of 750,000 metric
tons (MT) of rice from Vietnam and Thailand under a government-to-government deal.The
government also allows the private sector to bring in rice from various countries, including
China, under the so-called MAV scheme of the World Trade Organization. Last year China has
been given a country-specific quota of 25,000 MT; India 25,000 MT; and Australia 15,000 MT.
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/nfa-boc-seize-1561-kilos-of-rice-smuggled-from-china/
34

7th July (Tuesday), 2015 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

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1

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