29th july (wednesday),2015 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com

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July 29 , 2015 Vol 5 ,Issue VII



N30BN DUTY: CBN MOVES AGAINST DEFAULTING RICE

IMPORTERS

Category: Business

Published on Wednesday, 29 July 2015 04:01

Written by Hamisu Muhammad

Bags of imported rice off-loaded at the port … Customs seals warehouses

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria,

(CBN) Mr Godwin Emefiele has warned that the

federal government will no longer take it lightly

with those rice importers that failed to pay about

N30 billion in duties.This is just as the Nigeria

Customs Service commenced the sealing of the

warehouses of the rice duty defaulters.Speaking

yesterday at the Rice Stakeholders meeting in

Abuja, the governor said it‘s an insult to Nigeria

by those importers to over import their allocations and refuse to pay the duty for the extra

amount. He urged the indicted importers as a matter of urgency, to pay the duty before the big

stick is wielded against them.―There was truly an incidence of over import of rice and that the

duty not paid, we know the defaulters but I think what is important now is that we are going to

enforce, we will go to the highest levels to ensure that we enforce it and that they must pay.

I therefore use this opportunity to appeal to these companies to please go and pay, because what

they have done they have created problem of rice that is produced locally.. ―Speaking at the

meeting the Rice Millers, Importers and Distributors‘ Association of Nigeria (RMIDAN), led by

their president Abubakar Mohammed attributed the lack of patronage on the local rice to the

subsidised rice in the market by the importers.The association accused the importers of crashing

the price of the imported rice because they have not paid the duty on it thereby making the local

rice uncompetitive.The Association said at the moment they cannot even pay the loans they

received from banks because there is no market for their rice.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Customs Service yesterday confirmed to Daily Trust that they have

commenced sealing of the warehouses of the N30billion rice duty defaulters in the country.In a

massage to Daily Trust, the Customs spokesperson Mr Wale Adeniyi said they have sealed off

one of the sections. And promised to give more details later.Both the Senate and the House of

Representatives have indicted the rice imports duty defaulters and urged the Central Bank and

other agencies to recover the said amount as soon as possible

http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/daily/index.php/business/61079-n30bn-duty-cbn-moves-against-defaulting-rice-importers

http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/daily/index.php/business/61079-n30bn-duty-cbn-moves-against-defaulting-rice-importers

http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/daily/index.php/business



http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/daily/index.php/business/61079-n30bn-duty-cbn-moves-against-defaulting-

rice-importers

Customs Seals Rice Importers' Premises, Warehouses over

N23bn Duty Evasion 29 Jul 2015

NCS Headquarters,

John IworiIn a bid to prove that its earlier ultimatum that defaulters of import duty should pay,

the Nigeria Customs Service

(NCS) has sealed up the

warehouses and premises of four

major rice importers for their

alleged refusal to pay

outstanding duty totalling N23

billion.The affected defaulting

importers are Stallion/Popular

Foods/Masco Agro, the Olam

Farms, the Ebony Agro and the

Conti Agro (Milan).

The indictment of the four importers followed their alleged refusal to pay outstanding duty

liability based on the 2014 rice quota for importers that exceeded the allocated quota as at June

23, 2015.Public Relations Officer (PRO), NCS Headquarters, Alhaji Adewale Adeniyi disclosed

this yesterday at NCS, Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, IKeja, Lagos while giving a

rundown of the inimical activities allegedly perpetrated by the affected importers.Giving an

insight into the activities of the affected importers, Adeniyi, a Deputy Comptroller (DC)

disclosed that Olam was in default to the tune of N4, 998,125,665.86 as a result of having

exceeded its authorised allotted rice import quota by 149, 469.51 metric tonnes.

On the other hand, the Stallion group was owing N17, 187, 245, 022.96 for importing in excess

529, 517. 33 metric tons beyond allotted quota; the Ebony Agro allegedly owed N328, 201,440

after exceeding allotted quota by 10,070 metric tons while the Conti Agro Milan owed

N1,089,907,273.62, for exceeding import quota by 61,178.19 metric tons of rice.―Today, we are

commencing the sealing up of their warehouses and business premises to prevent operation of

those facilities‖, he declared.

The PRO said in addition to other sealing of the warehouses and premises of the affected

importers to serve as a deterrence to others, he revealed that NCS would no longer allow them

discharge their imports in any of the nation‘s seaports.Meanwhile, the price of rice and other

food items on the list of items that have been barred by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from

accessing foreign exchange would likely face a high increase in prices in the open market.The

CBN in a recent policy had stopped the use of foreign exchange for the importation of 41 goods.



Among the 41 goods are rice and other food items such as margarine, palm kernel, palm oil

products, vegetable oils, meat and processed meat products, vegetables and processed vegetable

products, poultry (chicken, eggs and turkey), tomatoes/tomato paste.Stakeholders predicated the

increase in prices of the products on the huge gap between the local production and the demand

of the items, which had been regularly filled by imports.Observers noted that since most of the

items are staple consumables, Nigerians would always buy them and the added cost of importing

them would be transferred to the end users.

A Lagos-based importer, Chief Nwachukwu Johnson said the high rate of dollar in the parallel

market would lead to high price for any item barred from the interbank forex window.―Tin

tomatoes, margarine and vegetable oil are usually cheap consumables because of their original

cost prices‖, he said.

Tags: Business, Customs Seals Rice Importers, Featuered, Nigeria

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/customs-seals-rice-importers-premises-warehouses-over-n23bn-duty-

evasion/215920/

Chinese loan for rice sector on hold

Wed, 29 July 2015

Sok Chan

A project to build 10 warehouses to store rice paddy using Chinese funding has hit a roadblock,

as the Cambodian government has been unable to meet criteria set by the Chinese for the project,

according to an official associated with the project.Project leader and senior adviser to the

Supreme National Economic Council (SNEC) Mey Kalyan told the Post yesterday that while a

draft memorandum of understanding had been submitted to the Chinese government late last

year, Cambodia has not responded to Chinese requirements on the loan.―There are some

technical problems from our Chinese counterparts. Both parties are looking at their own benefit,

and now we are negotiating.‖Kalyan, however, could not comment on whether it was likely that

Cambodia will secure the loan.Announced in November, the loan was meant to support

warehouses which are part of a government plan to store 1.2 million tonnes of paddy, in a bid to

ensure uninterrupted supply to millers and exporters.

Hun Lak, vice president of Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), said that members lacked the

capital to purchase rice for storage during the harvest season, adding that the Cambodian

government has said it will try to help the CRF with this.―So far there is no help from the

government, but they are working on this issue,‖ he said.A lack of proper warehousing facilities

has been a major constraint and will continue to hurt the rice sector if left unaddressed, said Srey

Chanthy, an independent economic analyst.

He said, however, intervention in the form of capital injection by the government could help rice

millers and exporters, as has been done in the past.―It [the government] has gotten the Rural

Development Bank to give loans to rice processors and exporters for this purpose and at good

http://www.thisdaylive.com/go/search/?search=Business

http://www.thisdaylive.com/go/search/?search=Customs+Seals+Rice+Importers

http://www.thisdaylive.com/go/search/?search=Featuered

http://www.thisdaylive.com/go/search/?search=Nigeria

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/author/sok-chan/20051



interest rates,‖ he said.Rice exports totalled 283,825 tonnes for the first six months in 2015, an

increase of almost 60 per cent compared to the same period last year, as reported by the

Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export Formality. http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/chinese-loan-rice-sector-hold

Lower global rice output seen on PH production concerns

Philippine Daily Inquirer

06:20 AM July 28th, 2015

The expected volume of globally harvested rice for the crop year 2015-2016 that started this

month was adjusted downwards due to production concerns in the Philippines.According to the

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), worldwide production is now forecast at 499 million

tons, down by 2 million tons from last month‘s figure.Still, the reduced forecast is 4 million tons

or 0.8 percent higher than the estimated 495 million tons harvested in the previous 12

months.―Rice production [is] curbed, mainly on less positive prospects for India and the

Philippines, and despite much improved expectations for Indonesia,‖ the latest monthly Market

Monitor report of the Agricultural Market Information System (Amis) stated.

The Amis, an interagency body administered by the FAO, said rice-planting conditions remain

mixed across the globe.For example, conditions are generally favorable in India and China while

there is some concern in Vietnam due to dry weather.Similarly, ―in the Philippines, planting of

the wet season crop continues and there is some concern over dry conditions,‖ the Amis

reported.The Amis observed that conditions in Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines are drier

than average, consistent with expectations for the El Niño years.

http://business.inquirer.net/196048/lower-global-rice-output-seen-on-ph-production-

concerns#ixzz3hHQo1Z00

APEDA India News

International Benchmark Price

Price on: 27-07-2015

Product Benchmark Indicators Name Price

Garlic

1 Chinese first grade granules, CFR NW Europe (USD/t) 2100

2 Chinese Grade A dehydrated flakes, CFR NW Europe (USD/t) 2000

http://business.inquirer.net/source/philippine-daily-inquirer



3 Chinese powdered, CFR NW Europe (USD/t) 1800

Ginger

1 Chinese sliced, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 4600

2 Chinese whole, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 5100

3 Indian Cochin, CIF NW Europe (USD/t) 3000

Guar Gum Powder

1 Indian 100 mesh 3500 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t) 4470

2 Indian 200 mesh 3500 cps basis, FOB Kandla (USD/t) 1890

3 Indian 200 mesh 5000 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t) 2990

Source:agra-net For more info

Market Watch

Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 28-07-2015

Domestic Prices Unit Price : Rs per Qty

Product Market Center Variety Min Price Max Price

Jowar(Sorgham)

1 Amreli (Gujarat) Other 1020 2660

2 Akluj (Maharashtra) Other 1601 1601

3 Theni (Tamil Nadu) Other 1380 1460

Maize

1 Dhing (Assam) Other 1310 1400

2 Derol (Gujarat) Other 1450 1600

3 Bellary (Karnataka) Local 1442 1442

Pine Apple

1 Harippad (Kerala) Other 2500 3000



2 Sirhind (Punjab) Other 1200 2000

3 Kangra (Himachal Pradesh) Other 1500 1600

Cabbage

1 Chala (Kerala) Other 2600 2660

2 Bolangir (Orissa) Other 2800 3000

3 Satara (Maharashtra) Other 800 1300

Source:agra-net For more info

Egg Rs per 100 No

Price on 28-07-2015

Product Market Center Price

1 Pune 352

2 Nagapur 340

3 Namakkal 330

Source: e2necc.com

Other International Prices Unit Price : US$ per package

Price on 28-07-2015

Product Market Center Origin Variety Low High

Potatoes Package: 50 lb cartons

1 Atlanta Colorado Russet 22.75 22.75

2 Chicago Idaho Russet 21 24

3 Detroit Idaho Russet 20.50 20.50

Cucumbers Package: cartons film wrapped

1 Atlanta Canada Long Seedless 9 10

http://e2necc.com/



2 Chicago Mexico Long Seedless 13 13

3 Dallas California Long Seedless 12 13

Grapes Package: 18 lb containers bagged

1 Atlanta Mexico Red Globe 25 26

2 Baltimore California Red Globe 26 26

3 Miami Mexico Red Globe 22 24

Source:USDA

SCIENTISTS CREATE GENETICALLY MODIFIED RICE

THAT’S ECO-FRIENDLIER THAN REGULAR RICE JULY 29, 2015 BY DAVID MOCERI

Genetically modified rice

A team of scientists has managed to create a new type of genetically modified rice in order to

help the environment. The researchers collected a specific gene from barley and transferred it

into rice.More than half of the world‘s population relies on rice as their major food, but to grow

http://www.capitalwired.com/author/david/

http://www.capitalwired.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/genetically-modified-rice.jpg



rice also means to release up to 100 million tons of methane into the atmosphere annually, which

affect our planet due to the green-house gas emissions that are created.Due to the fact that the

human population is always increasing, the need for more producing more food can have

damaging effects on our planet, increasing the methane emissions. Scientists wanted to see if

they can figure out a solution for this issue so they tried to see what it would happen if they

added a barley gene to the rice plant.

According to them, they managed to create a new type genetically modified rice that is very

starchy and productive but emits less methane gas.Chuanxin Sun, biologist at the Swedish

University of Agricultural Sciences and one of the lead researchers who conducted the study,

explained that traditional methods of cultivating rice accelerates the methane gas emissions

which leads to increasing temperatures. Sun said that this genetically modified rice can slow

down the warming temperatures because there are less methane emissions when growing it.The

researchers explained that the bacteria that produce methane thrive on the sugars that the rice

roots secrete in the soil that has no oxygen when the rice fields are flooded. The rice plant then

passes on the methane gas from the soil it grows is into the atmosphere.

The methane gas then traps the heat which contributes to the global greenhouse emissions,

which are more than 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, as per the researchers working

at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.The scientists detailed their study‘s findings

in the journal Nature. The team of scientists managed to extract a gene from barley and transfer it

into the rice plant. They hoped that this would produce rice crops with a bigger grain and a

thinner root. The researchers compared the genetically modified rice and traditional Nipponbar

rice by growing them in two laboratory fields. They observed how much methane gas both crops

emitted and found that the genetically modified rice produced far less than regular one.

http://www.capitalwired.com/scientists-create-genetically-modified-rice-thats-eco-friendlier-

than-regular-rice/29632/

Easiest way to reduce arsenic from your rice

M. Jahangir Alam and Khurshida Begum

Millions of people (including infants) of our country may be affected by arsenic from rice and

they do not know much about the sources. Rice tends to uptake arsenic more readily than many

other plants from soil and water. Prolong exposure to arsenic in food and water can cause cancer

in the skin, lungs, bladder and kidney.Removing arsenic from rice is hard and therefore scientists

are trying to develop methods solve the problem. A recent article published in a well-recognised

http://www.thedailystar.net/author/m-jahangir-alam-and-khurshida-begum



journal (PLOS ONE) demonstrated that we can remove a significant amount of arsenic by

modifying our rice cooking procedure.Boil your rice with water (water to rice ratio: 12:1) and

discard the water after cooking. Significant amount of arsenic will be released from rice to water

(depends on type of rice, with average removal of 57±5 percent of arsenic). Use of more water is

better.

Many year ago, we wrote a letter (Arsenic contamination, The Daily Star, December 14, 2002)

with a different type of solution. People may use that procedure as well (copied here for quick

review): ―Water that is not absorbed during rice cooking is discarded by inverting the cooking

pan. Thus the actual amount of arsenic in cooked rice could not be either used, by chelating the

arsenic in water by binding on rice grains, or decreased if water-soluble arsenic is released from

rice into the water to be discarded. Since an adult Bangladeshi man consume an average 1500

gram of cooked rice per day, which contain at least one litre of drinking water, water intake

through cooked rice would add substantially to the amount of arsenic ingested. (. . . )

Recently, a research group reported that the amount of arsenic in cooked rice was 10 to 35

percent higher than predicted, suggesting either that arsenic in the water is chelated by rice

grains, or that the arsenic becomes concentrated during the cooking process because of

evaporation. Furthermore, it would be raise concerns about the amount of arsenic retained in

curry, which is cooked with a large amount of water and simmered for a long time.

It may be better to use less water for cooking food. Also, people must use surface water (pond,

lake, river water) for cooking and drinking purposes, as heating kills all dangerous germs. Rain

water is a very good source of safe water. Surface water is comparatively free from arsenic

contamination. Related NGOs and teachers should teach general people to overcome the severe

arsenic problem in Bangladesh‖

http://www.thedailystar.net/op-ed/easiest-way-reduce-arsenic-your-rice-118573



City Scientist Meera Bags Prestigious Award July 29, 2015 Hyderabad 0 Comments

The Hyderabad based Senior Scientist Dr. Shaik N.Meera has

bagged the prestigious ‗Lal Bahadur Shastri Outstanding

Young Scientist Award 2014‘ of Indian Council of

Agricultural Research, Government of India. The award was

presented during the 87th Foundation Day Celebrations and

Award Ceremony of ICAR held at Patna. Prime Minister

Narendra Modi participated in the ICAR Foundation Day which was followed by the award

ceremony.The award was given by Dr. Sanjeev Balyan, Union Minister of State for Agriculture,

and Mohanbhai Kundaria, Union Minister of State for Agriculture.

Dr. Meera is presently working at Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad. The award is

given every year in order to recognize the talented young scientists who have shown

extraordinary originality and dedication in their research programmes. With this award he gets an

award amount of Rs. 1.00 lakh in cash and a citation and a challenge project for three years with

budgetary provision of Rs. 30.00 lakh and Rs 5.00lakh for foreign training.Dr. Meera has made

outstanding contributions in Indian rice sector with innovative extension methods and practical

ICT approaches benefiting rice farmers and extension agencies. The Rice Knowledge

Management Portal developed by him is acclaimed as one of the finest ICT applications in

agriculture by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The Rice Portal has made significant impacts across the country by improving the farmers‘

access to rice knowledge. He has contributed to the introduction of several new rice varieties/

hybrids/ technologies by coordinating more than 7000 Frontline Demonstrations in last 6 years,

benefiting 18318 rice farmers directly. He introduced impact acceleration concepts such as ‗India

Rice Check‘, ‗Sustainable Livelihoods‘, ‗e-learning‘ for extension systems‘.

From extension research to extension service, he struck an effective balance to blend

Information and Communication Technologies with traditional extension methods that resulted

in improving the livelihoods of thousands of Indian rice farmers. Dr. Meera is currently working

on Mobile applications for Indian Rice farmers in several local languages. If this project is

successful, Indian farmers can get reliable and time critical information directly from the

research stations that may revolutionise rice farming in the country. (NSS)

http://www.siasat.com/news/city-scientist-meera-bags-prestigious-award-802422/

Controversy Shrouds Customs Action on Rice Investors By Editor on July 29, 2015

http://www.siasat.com/category/news/hyderabad/

http://www.siasat.com/news/city-scientist-meera-bags-prestigious-award-802422/#disqus_thread



Nigeria‘s major rice investors received a

jolt on Tuesday when the Nigeria Customs

Service (NCS) sealed their warehouses on

allegations that they owe duties and levies.

NCS alleges the duties were due as the

companies imported rice in excess of quotas

approved. However, controversy has raged

in the industry owing to reports of flawed

and delayed quota allocations for 2014,

leading to cancellation of 2015 quotas as

well.The Public Relations Officer of NCS,

Mr Wale Adeniyi, told a news conference

in Lagos that the service would also not

allow discharge of the companies‘ imports

in any of the nation‘s ports.The companies also involve multinationals Olam and Stallion that are

the country‘s largest investors and operators of fully integrated rice value chain and Ebony Agro,

Popular Farms, Masco Agro and Conti Agro.

The circular on rice import quotas were intended to encourage existing operations and drive new

investments by bonafide rice millers, but has now seems to have taken a adverse turn for these

large multinationals.While Olam has invested N 177 billion in the Nigeria‘s agriculture sector,

while Stallion runs the country‘s largest capacity in rice production of 430,000 MTPA, with

commitments to increase to 1.50 million MTPA together acting as catalysts for the huge increase

in the country‘s local agricultural operations.

Ebony Agro operates rice mills where the Ebony Gold and Ebony Super brands of parboiled rice

are milled and packaged from locally sourced paddy.Media stories revolving around the rice

policy announcements and its implementation have dominated headlines in the country over the

past few months. For instance, the quotas for the year 2014 were issued only in December 2014

by the Ministry of Agriculture, deemed very late as well as grossly inadequate to meet the

country‘s requirements for the year. While the importers were appealing for a fair allocation

based on investments as originally intended, they were surprised to receive retrospective

demands for duties by the NCS.Furthermore, quotas for 2015 were issued, canceled and later on

reissued again. However it is not clear if these quotas are being implemented in the scenario of

Central restrictions on availability of foreign exchange for rice.

The implementation of the policy received a lot of criticism predominantly around the fact that

the process followed was not in accordance with the Presidential directives, for example on the

failure to establish a inter Ministerial Committee for computation of the national demand gap, as

well as the timely allocation of import quotas to deserving investors.Major investors in the

country‘s rice value chain with large established production capacities had represented in all

forums that the quotas issued to them were insignificant compared to their financial investments.

It was also alleged that several companies with no operating capacities were given import quotas,

based only on future commitments. These companies thereafter allegedly sold their quotas in the

open market.In 2014, the Ministry of Agriculture had announced that the country‘s local

production capabilities have expanded considerably aided by investments by Multinational

http://newngrguardiannewscom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Biz-Rice-Market-KK.jpg



corporations like Olam and Stallion. Investments by these firms and the corresponding high

output have made the product more readily available.

―Nigerians eat our high quality local rice but do not know. We have totally changed the quality,‖

Akinwunmi Adesina, the ex Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said during his visit

to Kwara State. He said ―You may wish to know that Stallion ‗Shinkafa rice‘ and ‗Stallion super‘

are all locally-milled rice from Nigeria, not imported.The USDA has estimated that the supply

gap in Nigeria would be 2.5 million tonnes in 2015. In the absence of adequate quotas, this

demand would regrettably be met through smuggling across the borders. The current action by

the NCS with retrospective demands would hopefully be resolved in a fair manner so that the

momentum on investments into the country‘s rice value chain is sustained, thereby making

Nigeria fully self sufficient. http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/2015/07/controversy-shrouds-customs-action-on-rice-investors/

Exports come under priority sector now’ SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

In the wake of Make in India programme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, exports

are now categorised under priority sector as per the RBI guidelines and the export business is not

as complicated as was thought of, said Y.K. Rai, Senior Executive Director, Central Bank of

India (International Division).Addressing a joint meeting organised by the Nizamabad Chamber

of Commerce and Industry and the bank, Mr. Rai listed various products available with the bank

for promoting exports. He said his bank has over 4,700 branches across the globe and one of the

oldest nationalised banks.

―Nizamabad is the place where there is more rice cultivation, our major finance would be to food

and agro-based industries, particularly to rice millers. Some rice millers are exporting rice to the

Gulf countries. This forex meet is organised with the objective of making them aware of various

issues related to foreign exchange transactions, procedures involved in exports and the role of

banks in this,‖ he added.Bank‘s Senior Regional Manager, Hyderabad region, E. Ratan Kumar

also spoke

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/exports-come-under-priority-sector-

now/article7480110.ece

Nigeria spends $2.41bn on rice importation in three years – CBN

July 29, 2015 | Filed under: Agricultural Business,Economy | Author: Editor

… announces planned funding support for rice production

Nigeria spent $2.41 billion on rice importation between January 2012 and May 2015, according

to Godwin Emefiele, governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on Tuesday.Emefiele said the

country was spending so much on imports, and that this informed the apex bank‘s recent decision

to ban forex access for importation of 41 items, as he signalled no plan to reverse the policy that

had received criticisms.Emefiele spoke in Abuja during a stakeholders‘ meeting with officials of

http://businessdayonline.com/category/business-economy/agricultural-business/

http://businessdayonline.com/category/business-economy/

http://businessdayonline.com/author/testuser/



Paddy Rice Producing states and Rice Value chain investors.―The reason the inclusion of rice in

the exclusion list is not far-fetched.

Figures available with the CBN show that from the period January 2012 to May 2015, the

country had spent over $2.41 billion on importation of this commodity.―Unfortunately, this trend

has resulted in huge unsold stock of paddy rice cultivated by our farmers and low operating

capacities of many integrated rice mills in Nigeria,‖ he said.The CBN is now to support the local

production of rice, and would in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and

Businesses groan as Calabar Port remains shallow amid N20bn dredging project Importers,

investors and others whose businesses are situated in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, are

counting their losses over low ebb of business activities, owing to the failure of the Nigerian

Ports Authority (NPA) to deepen the depth of the Calabar Port channel to enable bigger vessels

sail in.

According to them, the low draft of the port channel is taking its toll on not only private

businesses but also on state government projects like Tinapa designed to create wealth and

employment for youths.The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), they say, has also not been able to

collect reasonable revenue from imports as the port is not receiving enough

containers.BusinessDay finding reveals that the Calabar Port, which lies about 55 nautical miles

from the fairway buoy up to Calabar River and occupies close to 38 hectares of land, was built to

enable international trade from the Eastern and Northern states of Nigeria.Currently, the port

depth, which NPA supposed to dredge to 9.8 meters as con- tained in the concession agreement

signed by NPA, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and concessionaires, presently stands at 5.4

meters on low water and 6.4 meters on high water.

And this makes it extremely difficult for large vessels to call at the port, such that container

vessels call the port once in three months while other independent operators use smaller vessels

to carry bulk cargo into the port.The crippling effects of this on the economy of Cross River

State are enormous such that cargoes meant for Calabar port are routed from Lagos ports to their

various destinations in the Eastern states, which is not good for the economy of the region, said

Mike Ogodo, chairman, Shipping Association of Nigeria, Cross River State branch.Ogodo, who

doubled as a cocoa exporter, further said the low draft of the port was also having a devastating

effect on the Calabar Export Processing Zone, which has been overtaken by several tank farms

that are not supposed to operate in the zone.―Calabar Port is closer to the big commercial cities

of the South-East states (towns) of Aba, Onitsha, Nnewi, the South-South states, but has not been

able to serve their maritime and logistic needs. If the port is dredged, it will naturally be

transformed into a hub of the West and Central African oil and gas logistics because of its

nearness to Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon,‖ the seasoned shipper explained.

Recall that NPA in October 2014, flagged off the capital and maintenance dredging of Calabar

water channel in a contract worth over N20 billion, with the establishment of Calabar Channel

Management (CCM) as joint venture company between the authority and Messrs Niger Global

Engineering and Technical Company Limited.Subsequently, in November 2014, NPA issued a

marine notice to affirm that CCM had deployed dredgers, survey vessels, buoyage tender, wreck

removal crane and other ancillary marine crafts to the water channel for the commencement of

the project, which industry close watchers said had not realised its aim.Tony Anakebe, a



maritime analyst, said the Federal Government through NPA needed to develop the sector by

investing in other port outside Lagos.This, he said, will help in reducing the cost of doing

business in the port by not only decongesting the ports in Lagos but also removing the pains and

cost of taking delivery of cargo from Lagos and transporting it to the Eastern and Northern

states.

―It is expected that the dredging of the water channel will increase the volume of vessel traffic as

well as cargo throughout in the port, it will decongest Lagos ports and reduce cost of doing

business for Calabar-based businessmen, who spend ad- ditional transport cost to take delivery of

their consignment from Lagos,‖ he said.Rural Development come up with a comprehensive

financing model to support rice millers and other investors in the sector.The CBN would make

funds more accessible to the farmers through some of its funding programme such as the

Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme and the N220 billion Micro Small and Medium

Enterprises Development fund, Emefiele said.

The funds would be made available to the rice farmers through the microfinance banks at 9

percent interest rate, Emefiele said, warning banks ahead against contravening the rules.He

appealed to state governments to provide lands for the farmers on a large scale, as we will work

with them to clear some of these impediments, saying ―we are at a stage where we must feed our

selves and all hands are on deck to ensure this works.‖The governor also said the CBN, as the

bank to federal government would go after rice importers who defaulted in the payment of

customs duty after bringing in excess quotas of the product into the country at concessionary

rates.By exceeding their import quota, these rice importers have flooded the local market with

rice that are sold below what is produced locally thus making consumers to ignore the locally

produced ones.―We are going to enforce it and we will go to the highest level to enforce this to

ensure that they pay

http://businessdayonline.com/2015/07/nigeria-spends-2-41bn-on-rice-importation-in-three-years-

cbn/#.Vbn4BvlVikp

New GMO Rice Can Lower Greenhouse Gas Emission For

Food Production

Researchers from China, Sweden and the United States have discovered a new way to produce

high-starch rice with virtually no methane emissions by introducing a single gene of barley to a

common strain of rice.

(Photo : Jason Paris | Flickr)

By Ted Ranosa, Tech Times | July 29, 6:34 AMThe production of rice on a grand scale has

helped provide food for half of the world's human population, but the process has also led to

increased levels of the greenhouse gas, methane, in the air.This is what inspired scientists from

three different countries to develop a method that could lessen the methane emission of rice

paddies yet still retain its nourishing properties for food production.In a study featured in the

http://www.techtimes.com/reporters/ted-ranosa

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature14673.html



journal Nature, researchers from China's Hunan Agricultural University (HUNAU) and the

Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (FAAS), the Swedish University of Agricultural

Sciences (SLU) and the Department of Energy (DOE) spent over a decade researching how to

cultivate rice without emitting methane.

Studies have found that the warm, waterlogged soil needed for rice paddies produces as much as

17 percent of the total emission of methane in the world, which is equivalent to about 100

million tons every year.While this figure may represent a smaller percentage to the overall

greenhouse gases in the air compared to carbon dioxide, experts believe methane is 20 times

more potent at trapping heat than other gases.

The researchers discovered that by adding another gene to that of rice, they can produce grains

without emitting methane. The resulting new strain of rice, called SUSIBA2, is the first low-

methane but high-starch rice that could provide a sustainable solution to lessening greenhouse

gas emissions.The SUSIBA2 rice strain is produced by adding a single gene extracted from

barley to common rice. This results in a type of plant that can nourish its leaves, stems and grains

better while preventing microbes that produce methane from feeding off of it.Plant sciences

director Christer Jansson of the DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory explained that

while the is a widely-recognized need to produce starch-rich rice content with low methane

emissions, the key to the process has long eluded scientists.

http://www.nanowerk.com/news2/biotech/newsid=40888.php



Jansson said that as the population of the world continues to grow, the demand for more rice will

continue to rise as well. The continued warming of the Earth will also lead to the warming of rice

paddies, which will subsequently produce more emissions of methane. He pointed out that this is

a concern that must be addressed.To test the new rice strain, the researchers introduced the

SUSIBA2 rice into a regular rice variety to find out how it will perform compared to a non-

modified version of the rice strain.Throughout the course of three years, field studies conducted

by the researchers in China have shown that the SUSIBA2 rice was able to consistently produce

more crops with virtually no emission of methane.Jansson and his fellow researchers will now

continue their study regarding the SUSIBA2 rice strain, particularly the mechanisms needed for

the allocation of carbon in plant cultivation.

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/72670/20150729/new-gmo-rice-can-lower-greenhouse-gas-emission-

for-food-production.htm

Global rice prices to rise by year-end as El Nino hits Asian

supply By Reuters | 29 Jul, 2015, 04.56PM IST

| Below-average rainfall linked to El Nino has

already disrupted rice transplantation in India,

led to a drought in seven out of 67 Thai

provinces.MUMBAI: Global rice prices are

likely to surge by 10 per cent to 20 per cent in

the next few months as an El Nino weather

pattern grips top producers in Asia, baking the

region's croplands and whittling down stocks

of the grain to multi-year lows. While higher

prices of a key staple would be bad news for

impoverished countries in Asia and Africa,

lower output will help No.2 exporter Thailand

offload its bulging stockpiles that have weighed on the rice market and pushed benchmark prices

down to 7-1/2-year lows of $367.50 per tonne in June.

Below-average rainfall linked to El Nino has already disrupted rice transplantation in India, led

to a drought in seven out of 67 Thai provinces during what should be the wet season and cut

Vietnam's output expectations. Exports from the three countries, which account for 68 per cent

of the world rice trade, are seen at 27.2 million tonnes this year, down 6.2 per cent from a year

ago, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

/topic/Thailand



"The market has not yet factored in prospects of lower production in key producing countries,"

B.V. Krishna Rao, managing director of leading Indian rice shipper Pattabhi Agro Foods Pvt Ltd,

told Reuters. "Prices could jump 10 per cent by the year end," Rao said, reversing similar losses

seen in the past five months. In fact prices could rise even more, given that weather bureaus from

across the world are predicting a strong El Nino, which typically leads to crop-damaging

scorching weather across Asia and east Africa but heavy rains and floods in South America. "If

August rains remain patchy, like July, then rice prices could rise up to 20 per cent in a few

months," said a New Delhi-based dealer with a global grains trading company. Lower overall

inventories at key exporters after stellar exports in 2014 will further fuel the price gain, traders

said.

DEPLETED STOCKS

The FAO estimates the stock-to-use ratio, the level of inventories relative to domestic

consumption and exports, at the world's top five rice exporting countries will drop to 19 per cent

in 2015/16, the lowest since 2007/08. Rice stocks in the five - India, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan

and the United States - were drawn down in 2014 when world trade in rice rose to a record 42.8

million tonnes. Industry sources say the impact of Thailand's inventory, built up under the

previous government's rice-buying programme, is also waning as only 60 per cent of it, or about

9 million tonnes, is fit for human consumption after prolonged storage.

Demand, however, is expected to pick up as buyers rush in to stock up on the grain on fears El

Nino will eat into supply. The Philippines, one of the world's biggest rice importers, indicated

last week that it could ship in more rice to boost buffer stocks and keep local prices stable.

Traders are expecting top importer China, as well as Nigeria, to react similarly in the coming

months. China's 2014/15 imports could rise 8 per cent to 4 million tonnes, while overseas

purchases by Nigeria could jump to 3.7 million tonnes, up 9 per cent from last year, according to

International Grains Council estimates. "Importers haven't built inventory since prices were

continuously falling. Once prices start rising, they will increase purchases" to avoid having to

buy at even higher rates later, said a Bangkok-based rice exporter.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/48267623.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campa

ign=cppst

Nigeria Closes Rice Importer Warehouses Over Unpaid Custom

Fees by Yinka Ibukun

/topic/Pattabhi-Agro-Foods-Pvt-Ltd

/topic/Delhi-based-dealer

/topic/Vietnam

/topic/United-States

/topic/International-Grains-Council

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/48267623.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/48267623.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

http://www.bloomberg.com/authors/ARaPMKchTFs/yinka-ibukun



July 29, 2015 — 4:45 AM PDT

Nigeria‘s customs office is shutting down the warehouses and offices of four rice importers, including

Singapore-based Olam International Ltd., over unpaid fees.Customs are demanding 23.6 billion naira

($119 million) in fees owed for more than 750,000 metric tons of rice imported in excess of an allocated

quota, Nigerian customs spokesman Wale Adeniyi said by phone on Wednesday from Lagos, the

commercial capital. Olam owes 5 billion naira in duties and levies, while Dubai-based Stallion Group

owes 17 billion naira, Adeniyi said.―We have sealed off a total of 21 warehouses and business premises in

Lagos,‖ Adeniyi said. Further closures will probably happen outside of the southwestern state, he said.

―Olam can confirm that we have initiated legal recourse,‖ the company said in an e-mailed statement,

declining to comment further. Stallion didn‘t immediately respond to an e-mailed request for

comment.Africa‘s largest economy and most populous nation is dependent on imports to satisfy staple

rice demand. Nigeria produces less than half of the 6 million tons a year it consumes, according to the

U.S. Agriculture Department.That gap has meant the government grants a concession rate of 30 percent of

customs fees for rice brought into the country within a set quota and 70 percent for imports outside of the

limit, Adeniyi said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-29/nigeria-closes-rice-importer-warehouses-over-

unpaid-custom-fees-icophspl

USA Rice Daily NEWS

Inching Toward Trade with Cuba

Everyone's waiting

WASHINGTON, DC -- Yesterday, Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN) introduced a bill in the House of

Representatives to end the embargo on Cuba. Called the "Cuba Trade Act of 2015," the bill mirrors a

Senate bill introduced in June by Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS). Emmer and Moran's bills completely lift

the restrictions to trade and travel with Cuba and have bipartisan support, including legislators from key

rice-producing states.



Last week, Moran's bill was introduced as an amendment to the Senate's Financial Services

Appropriations Bill, along with two other amendments that would ease banking restrictions with Cuba

and eliminate an obstacle to shipping goods to the Island. The Senate Appropriations Committee

approved the Financial Services Appropriations Bill along with all three pro-Cuba amendments.

Emmer's bill will face opposition from House Speaker John Boehner, who has said he will not encourage

the House to address the embargo due to government and human rights issues in Cuba.

The new House bill comes after last week's historic opening of a Cuban embassy in Washington.

Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to raise the American flag at the new U.S. Embassy in Havana

next month.

The U.S. Agriculture for Cuba Coalition (USACC), of which USA Rice is a founding member, has come

out in support of the three amendments to the Senate Financial Services Appropriations bills, as well as

Emmer's Cuba Trade Act of 2015.

"USA Rice has been at the forefront of the push to open up trade with Cuba, and we're encouraged by

this flurry of legislative activity," said USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward. "Cuba was our number

one export market before the embargo, and I believe with our superior product and clear logistical

advantages, it will be again one day."



Contact: Kristen Dayton (703) 236-1464

CCC Announces Prevailing World Market Prices

WASHINGTON, DC --The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit

Corporationtoday announced the following prevailing world market prices of milled and rough

rice, adjusted for U.S. milling yields and location, and the resulting marketing loan gain (MLG)

and loan deficiency payment (LDP) rates applicable to the 2014 crop, which will become

effective today at 7:00 a.m., Eastern Time (ET). Prices are unchanged from the previous

announcement.

World Price MLG/LDP

Rate

Milled

Value

($/cwt)

Rough

($/cwt) Rough

($/cwt)

Long Grain 15.22 9.86 0.00

Medium/Short

Grain 14.83 9.99 0.00

Brokens 9.18 ---- ----

This week's prevailing world market prices and MLG/LDP rates are based on the following U.S.

milling yields and the corresponding loan rates:

U.S. Milling Yields

Whole/Broken

(lbs/cwt)

Loan Rate

($/cwt)

Long Grain 57.21/12.55 6.64

Medium/Short Grain 61.89/8.83 6.51

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001wSwF7kZhyuhBLu5xyWqExesYK5i2jQSo5vgwFyVMftn4BgI5kgTe58Gwclxv75XxqHNioO43f_lZXY-PqupFxfRCVanr32JWuxCXvxC5viJhes6onl_QKrd2sZlnXDlzhbbtZRdLtDEjekO7kf6-vqrmWtPxS5vSCHEkOy3g9Kyo3VbKTnCQmspDbHRyduSkXd_4dvzlDtrxbsl2iP15aEnycftOjxEO-L8UeHnb8XSngsyesKtRtsmBIWgkcA9bUMYkf_O82xhC-ZnBsi1-16dS4MiucEcjD95LN9UdaKZWKG8gXoGi4cWBclybw4vOTay3UP17LO8U57fyDjBaX820i1DMzxf4p7dJChW7rxpuzyygWD_KARwoO55wv7_B_4cOqvTlSajM4cg55dLYqvZpSnyUYVzXE7uQ8DvA4mc=&c=HspWvQjVwjftugWnLihmrHOmP8ox8yuxeKme580DvU4-ks9SKw_r6A==&ch=eqUNMib2RcUzbPEoaYrDq0skg0kT9mhntYCkBq_Ydr-nrmSxAfEWnw==



The next program announcement is scheduled for August 5, 2015.

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures

CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for July 29

Month Price Net Change

September 2015 $11.200 + $0.220

November 2015 $11.465 + $0.220

January 2016 $11.735 + $0.220

March 2016 $11.935 + $0.220

May 2016 $12.120 + $0.220

July 2016 $12.120 + $0.220

September 2016 $11.950 + $0.040

Old and tired, some Japan farmers see trade pact jolt as only answer By Krista Hughes and Kaori Kaneko, Reuters

July 29, 2015

Cheap C.H.I.P. Reduces The Barrier To Global ConnectivityFinancial Times for Zurich

TSURUOKA, Japan (Reuters) - Far from dreading the prospect of a Pacific trade deal that would

open up Japanese markets to higher grain and meat imports, rice and pig farmer Kazushi Saito

embraces it.The 58-year-old, whose lush paddy fields in the Shonai plain overlook the Sea of

Japan, is in the minority among farmers generally opposed to a pact being negotiated in Hawaii

this week that could make selling their products harder.

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001wSwF7kZhyuhBLu5xyWqExesYK5i2jQSo5vgwFyVMftn4BgI5kgTe56Cb1C9tbmIJemqa6Z7OcGr9514mLtlX67GOcmpllJDhvbRhRFYO2tzOGAhvQuuoCq8ysdp2eBeDBVTOMzO4HsaeCpT0L-mcIzz1B7pA0-HpYilrJ7SUvlgxd4UJZ17j1e_3nF7qCdEOqRjfPCbR_uZbakEjFTkKUWvUjcdNp1DEINbSIgCEsb4h09lpnUas4rxQG83ILtQgmxOwASLxrZtcZ_irC24FS8gVf6ID5AvGX-s7X0060P_9U7MKjhgw2M-bMlfpLx5Y51tPZ8ut9lWuWhQorNk0WIeNozpFtdHMyQDEwiPX2hxHYHEnNlH-D6gCtGL4c-4gYIehfeB_y5ydRgA2MCr6xmOz5nFtZ_3WApji6SuS68QrvMLN5fDWzMgTOYD8GF8gDDkwGq16qaJ6ZncNr_a18PfflToF0t-I&c=HspWvQjVwjftugWnLihmrHOmP8ox8yuxeKme580DvU4-ks9SKw_r6A==&ch=eqUNMib2RcUzbPEoaYrDq0skg0kT9mhntYCkBq_Ydr-nrmSxAfEWnw==

http://biggerpicture.ft.com/cyber-risk/articles/cheap-c-h-i-p-reduces-the-barrier-to-global-connectivity/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral



But faced with a declining population in Yamagata prefecture where he lives, falling per capita

rice consumption and the fact that the average age of Japanese farmers is 67 and rising, Saito

believes something has to give to rescue the struggling sector."I support the TPP (Trans-Pacific

Partnership) because the government will probably change its policies in order to prevent

agriculture from being destroyed," he said, referring to a 12-nation pact that would cover 40

percent of the world's economy. Japan's reluctance to open up to more imports, including of rice, has been a major stumbling

block to the TPP, and Tokyo held bilateral talks with Washington to resolve that and other

obstacles, including access to the U.S. auto parts market.Saito believes Japan's farming sector,

dominated by smallholders and unable to attract a new generation to take over, needs a wake up

call after decades of excessive protection."Unless Japan's government pushes deregulation more

and more, farmers will vanish fast."Shigeyoshi Ota, who works on a farm nearby, takes a

different view."I'm really worried about what will happen when the TPP deal is done," he told

Reuters."The importance of agriculture to Japan's overall economy is small, as is the farming

population. It will be difficult to sway public opinion, so I kind of feel like giving

up."Agriculture accounted for just 1.2 percent of Japanese GDP in 2013, government data

showed, while the number of farmers was 1.7 million in 2014 down from 2.2 million ten years

earlier.

PLOWING NEW FURROWS?



With domestic demand stagnant and imports set to rise under the TPP, one potential area for

growth is exports, though Saito conceded that saturated Asian markets and Japan's relatively

high production costs for rice meant the going would be tough."We have no choice but to

export," said the farmer.Prime Minister Shinzo Abe aims to boost farm product exports to 1

trillion yen ($8.1 billion) by 2020 as part of his growth strategy, compared with 612 billion last

year.Several former farm ministry officials, some of them involved in earlier trade talks that

allowed limited rice imports into Japan, are now calling for more radical change.

"Protection alone won't work," said Jiro Shiwaku, former vice-minister for international affairs at

the agriculture ministry who was involved in rice negotiations at the Uruguay Round of talks in

the late 1980s and early 1990s.He and others argue that Japanese farmers have been slow to

adapt to market forces and must prepare for the day when tariffs are eliminated altogether."Japan

has poured in money, but agriculture did not become strong," said Yuki Takagi, a former vice-

minister at the agriculture ministry."Management means taking risks," he added. "Japan's

agriculture, especially rice farmers, have not built their careers in that way, which is fatal.

Farming villages are dying out. That is clear.

"Under the Uruguay Round, the government spent around 6 trillion yen between 1995 and 2002

to cushion farmers from the impact of the trade deal on their livelihoods.Even that brought

negligible benefits to some."Was there any help to support our income?" asked Ota. "I can't

recall. I don't have that sense."Nevertheless, lawmakers from Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic

Party, backed by farm groups, are demanding the government introduces measures to ease the

burden on agriculture should the TPP be agreed, according to local media.With Japan's debt

already mountainous, consumption dampened by an increase in the sales tax and spending under

pressure, measures to support farmers could prove a hard sell."It will be difficult to gain public

support unless the government is selective about its spending," Shiwaku said. "Everyone is

having a hard time after the sales tax hikes.

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/latestnews/2015/07/29/Old-and-tired-some-Japan-farmers-see-trade-pact-jolt-only-

answer?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+July+29%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+

2013&utm_medium=email



TPP ministerial talks under way in Hawaii / Japan, U.S. still

working on rice, cars

The Yomiuri Shimbun

TPP minister Akira Amari, right, and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman shake hands in

Maui, Hawaii, on Tuesday.

8:40 pm, July 29, 2015

The Yomiuri ShimbunMAUI, Hawaii — The ministerial meeting of the 12 nations

participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations started Tuesday evening

(Wednesday afternoon, JST) on the island of Maui in Hawaii.The negotiations have reached the

final phase and a broad agreement is said to be near. During the four-day conference, participants

will focus on the making of common rules and finalizing the round-robin bilateral talks to

abolish tariffs on a broad basis.Prior to Tuesday‘s ministerial talks, Japanese TPP minister Akira

Amari met one-on-one with U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman. Amari, speaking to

reporters just before the bilateral meeting, said: ―Negotiations are going into detail at the



working level. We‘d like to proceed with a firm stance to achieve what‘s best for the interests of

Japan.‖

The issues pending between the two countries involve increasing the volume of rice imported

from the United States and the timing to end the tariffs imposed on Japanese automobiles and

auto parts.With regard to the import volume of tariff-free rice as staple food, Japan is proposing

that for the U.S. market, it would be augmented by roughly 70,000 to 80,000 tons. The United

States is requesting that the Japanese government guarantee the import volume to secure the

augmentation. To this, Japan has not complied.

As for the duty levied on Japanese automobiles, currently at 2.5 percent, the two countries have

reached a prior agreement to set the longest possible moratorium allowed under the TPP

framework before abolition. The duration is likely to be settled at around 20 years.Furthermore,

Japan is demanding that the United States further widen the range of auto parts to which the

immediate elimination of tariffs could be applied. In this respect, the two sides have not been

able to reach a compromise on whether high-priced major parts, such as engines and gearboxes,

should be included.Amari had said that it was difficult to settle all the issues at once, indicating

that reaching an agreement would be possible only in the final phase of the bilateral talks.

Drugs and investmentsIn plenary negotiations, the 12 participants are close to striking a deal on

the length of data protection granted to pharmaceutical companies that hold patents on biologic

drugs. The issue had been a stumbling block until recently in the free trade deal talks.During

talks, the United States, which is home to a number of major pharmaceutical companies, had

requested 12 years, while Japan and several other countries appealed for eight years. Emerging

economies, such as Malaysia and New Zealand, which have an interest in exploiting generic

drugs, pushed for 5 years or less.However, in recent talks, the United States acceded to the idea

of ―less than 10 years,‖ while Malaysia and New Zealand agreed in general to set the length to

―seven to eight years,‖ under the condition that a moratorium be set before implementation.New

Zealand Prime Minister John Key, making a conciliatory gesture, said in an interview with local

radio on Tuesday that the length of data protection was most likely to be extended from the

number of years they have been contesting for.

The negotiators are currently in talks in an attempt to reach a settlement at ―seven to eight

years.‖On another front, plenary talks on the comprehensive rules for trade and investment have

been making considerable progress. In a meeting of chief negotiators that lasted until Monday,

sources said that agreements are coming closer for government procurement and environmental

protection, among others.Sources also said a certain degree of progress was made in four fields

including those of intellectual property and investments, which the ministers aim to settle during

their talks.With regard to investments, another area that has been a stumbling block, a new

system will likely be introduced under which companies can demand compensation from the

governments of countries in which they have invested if they were to suffer from irrational

regulation revisions or other actions. Speech http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002320263



NFA allows farmers to sell 100,000 MT of imported rice

BusinessAgri-Commoditiesby Mary Grace Padin - July 29, 2015 0 110

The National Food Authority (NFA) said on Wednesday it is allowing farmers to distribute as much as 2

million 50-kilogram bags, or 100,000 metric tons (MT), of imported rice for 2015.

The food agency said it has started implementing the Institutionalized Farmers as Distributors (Ifad)

Program, which enables farmers organizations (FOs) and farmers associations (FAs) to participate in the

distribution of NFA rice stocks. The program kicked off on July 16 and will run until October 31.NFA

Deputy Administrator Vic J. Jarina told the BusinessMirror that the Ifad program aims to ―empower

farmers‖ by directly involving FOs and FAs in the distribution of NFA rice. The program aims to

augment their income.

According to the implementing guidelines on the 2015 Ifad program released by the agency, the NFA,

upon the approval of the NFA Council, will allocate 100,000 MT of rice for the program. The volume

will come from the 2014 imported rice stocks.

The NFA is inviting interested and qualified FOs and FAs to submit a letter of intent (LOI) to signify

their intention to participate in the Ifad Program. The LOI should be submitted to the NFA provincial

manager in their respective areas.Under the guidelines, 30 percent of the total rice volume allocation will

be distributed equally to all qualified FOs and FAs nationwide with and without palay deliveries, the NFA

said.

The majority, or 60 percent, of the total volume will be allocated only to FOs and FAs with palay

deliveries nationwide.―The volume of allocation shall be pro-rated based on their palay deliveries and

total nationwide volume of deliveries of all availing FOs or FAs for years 2013 and 2014, including

January to June 2015,‖ the NFA guidelines read.The remaining 10 percent will be allocated to all officers

of the Philippine Farmers Advisory Board and Provincial Farmers Action Council.

Each FO and FA will be given denominated Ifad certificates, which indicate the volume allocated for

them and the province where they can withdraw rice.The NFA priced the 25-percent brokens at P25 per

kilogram, or P1,250 per bag, while the price for the 15-percent brokens is pegged at P30 per kg or P1,500

per bag.NFA Spokesman Angel G. Imperial Jr. said in a telephone interview that the allocation for this

year‘s Ifad Program came from the buffer stock of the NFA, which is good for 25 days.

Imperial said rice stocks will remain sufficient, as the volume the government earlier imported from

Vietnam and Thailand have already started arriving in the country‘s ports.The Ifad started as a regular

program in 2002 and was implemented until 2010.The NFA said it was ―revitalized‖ in 2013 upon the

request of FOs and FAs all over the country.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/nfa-allows-farmers-to-sell-100000-mt-of-imported-rice/



Vietnam's Rice exports may fall 6.5% this year: VFA

Jul 29, 2015 06:28 PM

Rice exports from Vietnam is expected to reach 5.91 million tons this year, down 6.5% from

2014, with loading volumes expected to fall towards the year-end, the Vietnam Food Association

(VFA) said, Reuters reported.The association's full-year forecast is below a government

projection of 7 million tons and below the revised shipment forecast of 6.3 million tons released

early this month by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.The country‘s rice exports were

stood at 6.32 million tons in 2014.

http://www.commodityonline.com/fundamentals/vietnams-rice-exports-may-fall-65-this-year-vfa/3991/

Thailand to sell 760,000 tonnes rice to Africa from stockpiles

-exporters Wed Jul 29, 2015 10:13am GMT

BANGKOK, July 29 (Reuters) - Thailand's government has struck preliminary deals to export a

total of 760,000 tonnes from its huge stockpiles to several countries in Africa, the Thai Rice

Exporters Association said on Wednesday.Rice will be supplied to Mozambique, Nigeria and

South Africa, Chukiat Opaswong, honorary president of the association, told Reuters by phone

from Johannesburg.Thailand, the world's second-largest rice exporter, has about 14.5 million

tonnes of rice in stockpiles built up under a generous rice subsidy scheme run by a government

that was overthrown by the military in May 2014.

The current military government aims to sell off the rice over two years, although industry

observers say selling so much in such a short period will be difficult.Most of the rice going to

Africa is parboiled and shipments will start in September, Chukiat said.The rice would be sold at

around $430 a tonne, he said, netting the government more than $325 million.($1 = 34.9300

baht) (Reporting by Pairat Temphairojana; Editing by Simon Webb and Alan Raybould)

http://af.reuters.com/article/nigeriaNews/idAFL3N1093PB20150729

Rain deficit narrows to 4% as monsoon peaks over West,

East VINSON KURIAN

http://af.reuters.com/article/nigeriaNews/idAFL3N1093PB20150729



THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JULY 28:

The rain-deficit for the country as a whole as on date has narrowed down to four per cent with

the monsoon suddenly peaking both to the west and east of the country.The low-pressure area

over south-west Rajasthan and adjoining Gujarat has beat forecasts to intensify three rounds to

become a deep depression in the area.

Rare spectacle

There is also a counterpart depression in the making to the east of the country as well, making a

rare spectacle of more than one strong monsoon system based over land dictating weather.India

Met Department has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall and squally weather along coast over

Gujarat, Rajasthan, Konkan, and Goa for the next few days.Similar conditions will be replicated

in the eastern parts especially over Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha where the other depression

is expected to intensify as a deep depression.The sudden spurt in monsoon in the north Arabian

Sea and the Bay of Bengal is being attributed to the return of the Madden-Julian Oscillation

(MJO) wave high in the atmosphere back over the Indian Ocean.

MJO wave returns

The wave travels periodically from Africa into the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, before getting

activated for the next cyclical journey over Africa.It is fresh from setting up the busiest typhoon

season since 1981 in the Pacific. Forecast models could not agree on whether it would carry

some punch on return.They have now been provided with an answer, an update from the

Australian Met Bureau on Tuesday said. It went on however to add that the MJO signal has



started weakening from Tuesday.Meanwhile, a Central Water Commission update said that live

storage in the country‘s reservoirs is 115 per cent of the last year‘s storage and 108 per cent of

the normal. (This article was published on July 28, 2015)

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/rain-deficit-narrows-to-4-as-

monsoon-peaks-over-west-east/article7474371.ece

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-July 29

CommoditiesJul 29, 2015 08:59 GMT

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-July 29Nagpur, July 29 (Reuters) - Gram prices reported strong in Nagpur

Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) here on good buying support from local millers

amid weak supply from producing belts. Fresh rise in Madhya Pradesh pulses and enquiries from South-

based millers also boosted prices, according to sources.

*

http://in.investing.com/news/commodities-news



*

*

*

FOODGRAINS & PULSES

GRAM

* Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was poor.

TUAR

* Tuar gavarani recovered in open market on good demand from local traders amid tight

supply from producing regions.

* Watana green zoomed up in open market here on increased seasonal demand from local

traders amid thin supply from producing belts.

* In Akola, Tuar - 7,100-7,200, Tuar dal - 10,100-10,300, Udid at 9,500-9,900,

Udid Mogar (clean) - 11,000-11,400, Moong - 7,000-8,000, Moong Mogar

(clean) 9,700-10,000, Gram - 4,100-4,200, Gram Super best bold - 5,700-5,900

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

3,850-4,650

3,780-4,590

Gram Pink Auction

n.a.

2,100-2,600

Tuar Auction

n.a.

6,700-7,400

Moong Auction

n.a.

6,000-6,400

Udid Auction

n.a.

4,300-4,500

Masoor Auction

n.a.

2,600-2,800

Gram Super Best Bold

5,900-6,100

5,900-6,100

Gram Super Best

n.a.

Gram Medium Best



5,600-5,800

5,600-5,800

Gram Dal Medium

n.a.

n.a.

Gram Mill Quality

5,350-5,550

5,350-5,550

Desi gram Raw

4,450-4,550

4,450-4,550

Gram Filter new

5,900-6,100

5,900-6,100

Gram Kabuli

5,600-7,100

5,600-7,100

Gram Pink

6,500-6,700

6,500-6,700

Tuar Fataka Best

10,600-10,800

10,600-10,800

Tuar Fataka Medium

10,200-10,500

10,200-10,500

Tuar Dal Best Phod

9,800-9,950

9,700-9,900

Tuar Dal Medium phod

9,200-9,500

9,200-9,400

Tuar Gavarani New

7,750-7,850

7,700-7,800

Tuar Karnataka

8,100-8,300

8,100-8,300

Tuar Black

10,900-11,200

10,900-11,200

Masoor dal best

7,800-8,300

7,800-8,300

Masoor dal medium



7,500-7,900

7,500-7,900

Masoor

n.a.

n.a.

Moong Mogar bold

9,600-10,400

9,600-10,400

Moong Mogar Medium best

8,500-9,000

8,500-9,000

Moong dal Chilka

8,600-9,000

8,600-9,000

Moong Mill quality

n.a.

n.a.

Moong Chamki best

9,600-9,900

9,600-9,900

Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG)

11,200-11,800

11,200-11,800

Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)

10,600-11,000

10,600-11,000

Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)

9,200-9,600

9,200-9,600

Batri dal (100 INR/KG)

4,500-5,000

4,500-5,000

Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)

3,250-3,400

3,250-3,400

Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)

3,100-3,350

3,100-3,350

Watana White (100 INR/KG)

3,100-3,200

3,100-3,200

Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)

3,300-3,900

3,200-3,800

Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)



1,400-1,500

1,400-1,500

Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG)

1,500-1,650

1,500-1,650

Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)

1,300-1,500

1,300-1,500

Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)

2,200-2,400

2,200-2,400

Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)

1,900-2,100

1,900-2,100

Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)

n.a.

n.a.

MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG)

3,200-3,700

3,200-3,700

MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)

2,550-2,850

2,550-2,850

Rice BPT New(100 INR/KG)

2,750-2,950

2,750-2,950

Rice BPT (100 INR/KG)

3,050-3,300

3,050-3,300

Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG)

1,600-1,750

1,600-1,750

Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG)

2,200-2,450

2,200-2,450

Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG)

2,500-2,700

2,500-2,700

Rice HMT new(100 INR/KG)

3,100-3,600

3,100-3,600

Rice HMT (100 INR/KG)

3,800-4,200

3,800-4,200

Rice HMT Shriram New(100 INR/KG)



4,200-4,600

4,200-4,600

Rice HMT Shriram old (100 INR/KG)

4,700-5,100

4,700-5,100

Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)

8,000-10,000

8,000-10,000

Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)

7,000-7,500

7,000-7,500

Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG)

4,500-4,800

4,500-4,800

Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG)

5,100-5,500

5,100-5,500

Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)

2,100-2,350

2,100-2,350

Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)

2,400-2,500

2,400-2,500 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 31.6 degree Celsius (88.9 degree

Fahrenheit), minimum temp. 22.3 degree Celsius (71.1 degree Fahrenheit) Humidity: Highest -

n.a., lowest - n.a. Rainfall : 1.2 mm FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky. Rains or thunder-

showers likely. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 33 and 23 degree

Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant

delivery prices, but included in market prices.) http://in.investing.com/news/commodities-news/nagpur-foodgrain-prices-open-july-29-25363

ICAR ‘Young Scientist’ award

HYDERABAD, JULY 29:

Shaik N Meera, a senior scientist with Indian Institute of Rice Research, has bagged the Lal

Bahadur Shastri Outstanding Young Scientist Award 2014 instituted by Indian Council of

Agricultural Research. He received ₹one lakh in cash and a citation and ―a challenge project for

three years with a budgetary provision of ₹30 lakh and ₹5 lakh for training abroad,‖ a press

release said.He led a team in developing the Rice Knowledge Management Portal.

(This article was published on July 29, 2015)

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/icar-young-scientist-award/article7478114.ece



http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/shaik-n-meera-gets-icar-young-scientist-

award/article7477797.ece

Buriram encourages farmers to adopt one stop industrial farming

to lower production costs

Date : 29 กรกฎาคม 2558

BURIRAM, 29 July (NNT) - Buriram province is encouraging farmers to adopt a one stop industrial

farming method to lower production costs. The method is also known as the 'Major Agricultural Field

Project'. The Governor of Buriram Seri Srihatrai, chaired the opening of a technology broadcasting day

intended to demonstrate the benefits of farming on an industrial scale, on a vast area of land. This style of

agriculture lowers production costs, increases the amount of produce and boosts rice quality. It can further

develop the area into a teaching and learning center through the use of proven local practice, with the

addition of academic knowledge relevant to the farmers' respective areas of agriculture.

The event included input from the provincial agricultural and cooperatives units, the Nakhon Ratchasima

and Surin Rice Research Centers, previous members of the program and a younger generation of farmers

who also took part in the day of learning. Activities included methods of producing organic fertilizers,

Trichoderma fungi biological products to protect from or get rid of pests, household expense management

and educating the younger generation of farmers to pass on farming techniques for the farmer's

sustainable future. Nowadays, more farmers are interested in rice seeding, currently amounting to 294

farmers, and 3,103 rai of land using approximately 8-10 kilograms of rice per rai.

However there are atill 156 farmers who are sowing rice on an area of 1,897 rai using an average 15

kilograms of rice per rai. This means the rice seeders are using 65,515 kilograms less rice than otherwise,

amounting to a saving of 1.4 million baht. The province aims to reach a target of 5,000 rai dedicated to

rice seeding by 400 farmers. Meanwhile some farmers are hesitant and prefer to wait and see harvest

results of the farmers nearby, before deciding whether to join the next year's rice seeding efforts.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/CenterWeb/NewsEN/NewsDetail?NT01_NewsID=WNEVN5807290010006

Rice worth $302M imported illegally to Iran over 4

months

29 JULY 2015, 12:46 (GMT+05:00)

http://en.trend.az/iran/business/2420530.html

http://thainews.prd.go.th/CenterWeb/NewsEN/NewsDetail?NT01_NewsID=WNEVN5807290010006