Today Rice News Headlines:

Cotton, rice & sugarcane: damages to cash crops to

severely hit exports, claims PMKM
I ran, I raq troubles cast long shadow on basmati rice
exportsCustoms earns P393-Million from seized rice
auction
Rice Fortification Conference Update
National Rice Month Promotional Item of the Week!
Water a concern as rice harvest begins
Gov't sets rice import tariffs at 513%
Rice farms under watch
BAAC prepares measures to support rice prices and
enhance competitiveness of Thai farmers
Commerce ministry: Thai rice exports to Africa
unaffected by Ebola
THAI LAND PRESS-BAAC needs 7 years to clear rice
debts - The Nation
TABLE-I ndia Grain Prices-Delhi- Sep 17
Climate smart farmers get tech savvy to save I ndia's
bread basket
Basmati crop likely to fetch lower prices on higher
supply
Arkansas rice farmers make history
Thailand rice scheme losses $9.9 bln and rising - state
bank
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter
17
th
September, 2014
News Detail.
Cotton, rice & sugarcane:
damages to cash crops to
severely hit exports, claims
PMKM
September 17, 2014
RECORDER REPORT
Pakistan Muttahida Kissan Mahaz (PMKM)
claimed cotton crop over 1,600,000 acres of
land, rice over 1,400,000 acres and
sugarcane crop over approximately
4,500,000 acres of land has been damaged
because of the ongoing flood creating
apprehensions about severely impacting the
exports of Pakistan. PMKM Chief Ayub
Khan Mayo in a statement issued here on
Tuesday claimed that cotton was sown over
an area of 5,813,000 acres of land in the
province, out of which 23 percent had been
destroyed; river over 4,743,000 acres
damaged crop over 27 percent and
sugarcane by 23 percent out of the total area
of 1,720,000 acres of land under its
cultivation.
He said maize crop figures were not
available as it was in the progress of sowing.
However, he said that damage to those cash
crops would also hit exports of Pakistan
rather Pakistan might had to import sugar
and cotton to meet the domestic
requirements putting additional pressure on
the finance of the country. PMKM
Chairman also expressed the fear that as
flood water was heading towards Sindh it
might double the damage caused to different
crops till date. He also criticised the
National Disaster Management Authority
(NDMA) and commissioner for issuing just
political statements. He drew the attention of
the government towards the loss caused by
the flood and urged to declare flood-affected
districts as calamity-hit and waive off
Abiana and small agricultural loans of the
growers. He also demanded of the
government for an immediate compensation
to losses suffered by the growers because of
flood.

Iran, Iraq troubles cast long
shadow on basmati rice exports
Sutanuka Ghosal, ET Bureau Sep 17,
2014, 11.33AM IST

Tags:Kharif|Iraq|Iran|basmati rice|All India
Rice Exporters Association
(Traders expects Indias basmati output)
KOLKATA:
India's
basmati
shipments to
two of its top
importers
have halved
in the first
few months of this fiscal year, a worrying
development for growers and traders at a
time when output of the aromatic grain is
expected to be more than 20% higher
this kharif season. Exports of basmati rice to
Iraq, which is fighting Islamist insurgency,
have nearly halved in the first four months
of the fiscal year that started in April. In
neighbouring Iran, the top importer of the
grain, stringent regulations, including higher
import tax, have hurt purchase from India.
Exports in the first five months of the
current fiscal (year) are slow and this will
definitely impact overall exports," MP
Jindal, president of the All India Rice
Exporters Association (AIREA), told ET.

"If in the second-half exports do not pick
up, it will be difficult for us to achieve last
year's export figure of 38.7 lakh tonne."
Trade figures show that Iraq has imported
65,960 tonnes of basmati rice from April to
July, compared with 1.24 lakh tonne a year
earlier.Figures for August aren't out yet, but
exporters see no change in the trend. Exports
to Iran have also halved to 3.3 lakh tonnes in
the same period. Tehran had increased
import duty on rice to 40% from 22% and
buyers aren't keen to import basmati rice
from India by paying such a high tax. The
average price realisation of basmati in Iran
is around $1,400 per tonne. The premium
quality, however, fetches $1,700 a
tonne."We are hoping that Iran will reduce
the import duty from end-September or
early-October," said Jindal. AIREA is taking
a team to Iran to discuss about how exports
to the country can be increased.

The West Asian nation had imported 14 lakh
tonne basmati rice last fiscal year.In addition
to the higher import duty, Iran has also
introduced a new set of stan dards for
imports. It has revised the accepted level of
arsenic in basmati rice to 80 parts per billion
from 120 ppb. This change may have led to
a temporary slump in basmati exports to
Iran.Traders expects India's basmati output
to be about 80 lakh tonnes this kharif, or
summer, season, compared with 66 lakh
tonnes in 2013.The acreage under basmati
has increased to 2.1 million hectares from
1.6 million hectares in 2013."If exports
slump, then there will be ample supply of
basmati rice in the domestic market. This
may bring down prices in the domestic
market as well. It does not spell good for
basmati rice producers this year," said Bal
Krishna Mittal, managing director of
Gurdaspur Overseas Ltd that deals in
basmati rice. At present, a kilogram of
basmati rice is priced Rs 90-100 in the local
retail market. Traders say that prices might
drop by 10% if supplies are on the higher
side.

Customs earns P393-Million
from seized rice auction
By Press Release
Published: September 15, 2014
BOC to continue to uphold no permit, no
entry policy for rice in court cases
The Bureau of Customs (BOC)-Manila
International Container Port (MICP)
Collection District generated revenues of
P393.13-Million from the sale of about
163,775 sacks of rice through a public
auction last Thursday (September 11). This
is the highest earnings generated via public
auction by MICP.The sale of the seized
ricetotaling 315 container vans stored
inside the MICP yardwill also help reduce
congestion inside the countrys largest
port.Sixteen (16) bidders participated in the
auction, namely: Jomarro Rice Mill, LOM
Marketing, Leeward Enterprises, Nenita
Biag, Purefeeds Corp., Sta. Rosa Farm, Soda
Enterprise, Veramar Rice Mill, Victor Del
Rosario, Villarubio Pharmacare, Universal
Pacific Corp. and Marolau Gen. Mdse. A
total of 4,678,750 (about 4,679 Metric Tons)
of glutinous (malagkit) rice and 3,510,000
(about 3,510 Metric Tons) of white rice
was sold in eight lots to three bidders. Four
(4) lots were won by Sta. Rosa Farm; three
(3) by Victor Del Rosario and one (1) by
LOM Marketing.
Glutinous rice was sold at an average price
of P56.93 per kilogram, while white rice
was sold as an average of P36.10 per
kilogram.We are pleased with the outcome
of the auction which we conducted with
utmost care and consideration for
transparency, accountability and compliance
with policies and procedures. On top of that,
the revenues we generated is 31% over the
minimum floor price of P299.69-Million we
had initially set, said Elmir Dela Cruz,
BOC-MICP District Collector.The rice
auctioned by BOC was seized and from
Bold Bidder Marketing and the San Carlos
Multi Purpose Cooperative from October to
November 2013 for lack of required import
permits from the National Food Authority
(NFA). The seized rice was subsequently
forfeited in favor of the government. As the
rice that was auctioned is still subject of on-
going cases, proceeds from the auction will
be held in trust by the Bureau of Customs.
Under the law, all importations of rice
require import permits from the NFA. These
are regulated through quotas by the NFA to
ensure fair competition and the viability of
the local rice industry. This policy has been
upheld by the World Trade Organization
(WTO) Committee on Trade and Goods,
which recently allowed the Philippines to
extend its special treatment for rice through
the imposition of quantitative restrictions
until 2017.The auction was almost stymied
by the appearance of lawyers representing
Bold Bidder Marketing and Jade Bros. Farm
and Livestock. They accompanied the
representatives from the Court of Tax
Appeals (CTA) who served a 20-day
Temporary Restraining Order against the
sale of some 70 container vans with about
36,400 50-kg sacks of white rice imported
by Jade Bros.In a two-page resolution
signed by Associate Justices Lovell Bautista
and Esperanza Fabon-Victorino last
September 11, 2014, the CTAs Third
Division barred BOC from auctioning the
rice shipment of Jade Bros.
to prevent irreparable injury on the
petitioner while the case is still being
heard.The very basis invoked by these rice
traders is now moot and academic. We have
always maintained that all imported rice
without valid NFA permits is illegal and
now that the WTO has allowed the
Philippines to keep imposing quotas on rice
imports, this policy should be very clear by
now to all rice importers, said Customs
Commissioner John P. Sevilla.The winning
bidders all paid 50% of the bid price at the
close of the auction and are required to pay
the remaining balance today (Friday,
September 12).

Rice Fortification Conference
Update
The Wright Group showcases their coated rice
products
BANGKOK, THAILAND -- The USA Rice
Federation has joined more than 100
representatives from global food aid and
nutrition agencies, along with delegates from
nine Asian nations, at a meeting here this week
to discuss worldwide strategies for scaling up
rice fortification. The conference, sponsored by
the World Food Programme (WFP), PATH, and
UNICEF, marks the start of a global initiative to
encourage mandatory fortification
requirements.The U.S. government is at the
vanguard of this movement and is the only
nation to test and approve the use of fortified
rice for current nutritional programs. The U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that
it has already received requests for the use of
fortified rice from various private voluntary
organizations and non-governmental
organizations as well as WFP.
"This is encouraging news for U.S. rice farmers,
millers, and processors as fortification of rice
makes it a very attractive product for nutritional
assistance," said Rebecca Bratter, USA Rice's
representative at the meetings. USA Rice has a
long-standing strategy of encouraging an
increase in the use of U.S. origin rice in food aid
programs.
There remains however, some concern regarding
the approved method for rice fortification. U.S.
government commodity specifications for rice
can currently be met by two technologies, a rinse
resistant coated kernel, and a newly introduced
technology for an extruded rice kernel, made
with rice flour and a vitamin premix.
Both products will be blended back into milled
rice at varying ratios and serve the purpose of
addressing global micronutrient deficiencies in
vulnerable populations."The issue of the
differing technologies is still very much under
discussion and there remains a suite of issues
requiring clarification," said Jim Guinn, USA
Rice's vice president of international promotion.
"We are working to ensure both technologies are
given equal consideration and to assist in
mitigating the creation of any requirements that
could potentially exclude the use of coated rice
in global feeding programs."
Guinn added that USA Rice is working with
USDA to organize a participatory stakeholder
meeting in the U.S. in the fall to continue the
discussion and ensure technology parity.

Contact: Michael Klein (703) 236-1458

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Water a concern as rice
harvest begins
3Share on emailShare on print

Issue Date: September 17, 2014
By Ching Lee
Sutter County farmer Greg Van Dyke stands
in a field of short-grain rice being harvested
last week in Pleasant Grove. California
growers say while their growing season was
generally good, concerns remain about
whether there will be water available for
post-harvest rice-straw decomposition.
Photo/Ching Lee
As rice harvest ramps up in the state,
farmers agree their crop benefited from this
year's good growing season, but impacts of
the drought linger, with concerns that there
won't be water available to decompose rice
straw left in fields, a critical wildlife habitat
during the winter for millions of birds.Sutter
County grower Greg Van Dyke started
harvest nearly two weeks ago on a short-
grain variety that is one of the earliest to
mature and expects to begin harvesting
medium-grain Calrose, the predominant
variety in the state, in another week.
He said while the growing season "went
fine," limited water allocation from the
South Sutter Water District presented some
challenges, including the need to reduce 25
percent of his acreage and having to upgrade
two pumps on his wells, which has increased
his production costs. Some 140,000 acres of
rice went unplanted this year due to water
shortfalls, according to the California Rice
Commission. That's a 25 percent decrease
from last year's crop. Van Dyke said
because he planted fewer acres this year, he
also hired 15 percent less seasonal labor and
didn't buy as much fertilizer, herbicide, fuel
and other inputs. "It just trickles down
throughout the entire economy," he added.
To reduce demand on water and thereby
lower his cost, Van Dyke said he did more
dry-seeding this year.
While the cultural practice is not widely
used in the state, he said it cut his water use
by 15 percent to 20 percent an acre without
sacrificing yield. Because dry-seeded fields
are not under water early on, there's less
aquatic weed growth, reducing herbicide
cost. Glenn County grower Larry Maben
said his planting was delayed because the
Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District didn't
deliver water to growers until May, but the
rice caught up "fairly well" and he expects
to start harvest the first week of October. He
said his wells got him through the season
and he was able to plant all his normal
acreage.But he said his irrigation district has
informed growers there won't be any water
for rice-straw decomposition, and without
the ability to burn the straw, farmers will
need to find other ways to remove it."The
only thing we can do is try to incorporate it
and just hope there's enough moisture in the
soil to break it down," he said, noting he will
probably need to pump some water to wet
his fields after harvest if there is not enough
rainfall to properly decompose the straw.
"But if we don't get some rain this winter,
it's going to be a moot point, because we're
not going to be raising any rice next year."
Luis Espino, a rice farm advisor for the
University of California Cooperative
Extension, said decent winter rains will help
with decomposition, if fields become well
soaked and the straw is worked into the soil.
But if the straw doesn't completely
decompose by spring, growers will have to
do more field work before they can plant.
Too much organic matter in the field will
produce gasses that can hurt the rice, he
added. Yuba County grower Paul Baggett
said if there is not enough winter water for
rice-straw decomposition, some growers
may end up baling it, which he did on 300
acres last year and then sold it to a company
that used it for erosion control.
But he said he doesn't know how viable the
option is if there's no demand for the straw,
as baling can be costly.Espino said some
straw may be baled for cattle feed, but to do
that, it has to be baled immediately
following harvest when the straw is still
moist. Baling has its drawbacks, as farmers
won't be putting back nutrients such as
nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous from
the straw into the soil, and that means they
may need to use more fertilizer in the spring,
he said.Another concern with having a lack
of water for winter flooding is the loss of
winter habitat for waterfowl and other birds
that use rice fields for food and as a resting
place, said Paul Buttner, environmental
affairs manager for the California Rice
Commission.Normally, about 80 percent of
the state's rice straw is decomposed in the
field, or some 425,000 acres, and of that,
250,000 to 300,000 acres are winter flooded.
But this year, winter-flooded fields could be
as low as 50,000 acres, Buttner said.
"These acres are critically important,
because there's only a couple of thousand
acres of wetlands in the Central Valley and
those numbers will be down, so there's a
huge concern over the amount of food
available for these wintering birds, as well
as concerns over disease if they're too
concentrated in the small habitat that is
available to them," he said.Not all growers
will have access to groundwater for the
purpose of rice-straw decomposition
because there is a limited number of wells in
the Sacramento Valley region, Buttner
added. The cost to pump water also is
generally significantly more expensive than
using surface water unless the farm can
generate extra revenue, such as by having a
duck-hunting operation, he noted.
Butte County grower Rocky Donati, who
buys water from the Richvale Irrigation
District, said he fallowed 25 percent of his
acreage in order to sell water to farmers in
other parts of the state who are in more-dire
need of it.But Ralph Cassady, another Butte
County grower who also had the option to
participate in the water transfer, said he
decided to plant all his ground, in part
because of the promising market
outlook.Baggett said he is optimistic about
the market because he thinks the reduced
plantings this year will drive a higher price
for rice, although higher yields could offset
some of the unplanted acreage.Southern
rice-growing states also have planted more
medium-grain rice this year in reaction to
the shorter California crop. While that rice
cannot compete with the Golden State on
quality, Baggett said, "it still does fill some
markets that we will be unable to fill."
(Ching Lee is an assistant editor of Ag Alert.
She may be contacted at clee@cfbf.com.)
Permission for use is granted, however,
credit must be made to the California Farm
Bureau Federation when reprinting this
item.
Gov't sets rice import tariffs at
513%
Published : 2014-09-17 20:23
Updated : 2014-09-17 21:25
South Korea plans to set its tariffs on rice
imports at 513 percent, a ruling party official
said Wednesday, as the country is scheduled
to liberalize its rice market through
tariffication starting next year."Through
imposing a high tariff, the locally produced
rice can gain enough price competitiveness,"
the Saenuri Party official told Yonhap News
Agency, confirming the high tariff to be
set.South Korea's Ministry of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of
Trade, Industry and Energy will finalize the
tariff rate in a meeting with ruling party
lawmakers on Thursday.
A farmer looks at his rice field while appealing for high tarrifs on imported rice. (Yonhap)

South Korea's rice market is set to open
effective Jan. 1. Industry watchers have said
that a tariff rate hovering above 300 percent
will have only a limited impact on the local
agriculture industry, considering that South
Korean rice produce is already two to three
times pricier than those from China and the
United States.Along with the high tariff rate,
the government is also set to roll out a handful
of measures to protect the local agriculture
industry, including banning retailers from
mixing domestic and imported rice
produce.The Seoul government is required to
notify the World Trade Organization (WTO)
of the tariff rate before the end of the
month.South Korea has been allowed to delay
its rice market liberalization under a 1993
agreement with the WTO in exchange for
expanding the mandatory rice import quota,
which reached 408,000 tons this year. The
quota will be maintained even after the rice
market opening. (Yonhap)
Rice farms under
watch


TACLOBAN CI TY -- The Department of
Agriculture (DA) regional office in Eastern
Visayas is closely monitoring rice farms in
preparation for the projected El Nio
phenomenon.
A farmer sprays pesticide on a rice field in
the Typhoon Yolanda-stricken town of
Santa Fe in Leyte province in this Feb. 17
photo. AFP

Elvira C. Torres, DA regional technical
director for research and regulation, said rice
farmers have been encouraged to diversify,
use climate-resilient seeds, and adopt an
effective water management approach.Our
priority is the more than 81,000 hectares of
rain-fed rice areas [that are] highly
vulnerable to negative impact of a dry
season. We are also working on building the
capabilities of local government units to
implement mitigation measures, Ms. Torres
said.Some 81,096 hectares of rain-fed farms,
or nearly half of the regions 169,502
hectares of rice fields, are vulnerable to
drought during an El Nio phenomenon. Of
the high risk areas, 75% are on Samar
Island, Ms.
Torres said.Irrigated farms total 74,143
hectares while there are 14,263 hectares of
upland rice farms.As part of the crop
diversification strategy, government and
privately-owned demonstration farms have
been opened in Pastrana, Babatngon, Dulag,
and Abuyog in Leyte as well as in San
Jorge, Samar for the planting of soybeans
and adlai.Adlai, a staple in Africa, is a grain
that requires less water.For rain-fed areas,
we have been encouraging farmers to plant
rice once a year and cultivate other drought-
resistant crops after that, she added.The DA
has also stepped up the promotion of green
super rice variety in 22 pilot areas in Eastern
Visayas.Considering that our local weather
is sometimes unpredictable, we are
introducing the green super rice, the
environment-friendly rice variety resistant to
drought, flood, salty water, and pest
infestation, Ms. Torres explained.

Another project being implemented to help
mitigate the impact of the dry spell is called
Yamang Lupa, which combines the best
practices in soil, water, nutrient and crop
management to enhance productivity of
selected crops by at least 20% in 10,000
hectares of rain-fed areas within three
years.The project will be patterned after the
successful Bhoochetana project of
Karnataka State, India. -- Sarwell Q.
Meniano

BAAC prepares measures to
support rice prices and
enhance competitiveness of
Thai farmers

BANGKOK, 16 September 2014 (NNT) The
Bank for Agricultural and Agricultural Co-
operatives (BAAC) is preparing measures to
support rice prices and enhance the
competitiveness of Thai farmers. Luck
Wajananvach, general manager of the BAAC,
has revealed that the Bank is undertaking four
measures concerning rice insurance which now
has around 60,000 members. The special low
interest rate of 3% for a maximum 50,000 baht
loan per farmer is offered. Meanwhile farmer
credit to improve the value of rice is expected to
start this October. About 500 co-operatives have
now joined the project.
The interest rate for this project is 1%. A budget
of 17 billion baht will be allocated to assist
farmers who have their own barns in the upper
part of the North and the Northeast so as to
postpone their sales. The rice is used as
guarantee together with other guarantees. A
postponement is anticipated on the sale of at
least 1.5 million tonnes of rice. In addition, the
government will take responsibility for all
interest due. At present, rice with moisture over
25% is sold at about 7,000-7,500 baht, and that
over 30% at about 6,000-6,200 baht. The BAAC
will report rice prices every Friday, to the deputy
prime minister in charge of economic affairs, to
keep monitoring prices.
Commerce ministry: Thai rice
exports to Africa unaffected by
Ebola
17.09.2014
The Ministry of Commerce has confirmed
Thai rice exports to Africa have not been
affected by the Ebola outbreak in the
continent.Permanent Secretary for
Commerce Chutima Boonyaprapatsorn on
Monday spoke about Thai rice exporters
speculations that rice exports from Thailand
to Africa were in trouble since cargo ships
were concerned over the Ebola outbreak. Ms
Chutima said the Thai National Shippers
Council confirmed most of the cargo ships
to Africa were operating as normal and only
a few of them were delaying their voyages
to some destinations with an Ebola issue.Ms
Chutima added that the ministry was closely
monitoring the situation to make sure that it
would not impact the overall exports of Thai
rice.

THAILAND PRESS-BAAC
needs 7 years to clear rice debts
- The Nation
Wed Sep 17, 2014 12:34am GMT

The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural
Cooperatives (BAAC) believes it will take
about seven years to clear the 755 billion
baht ($23.5 billion) in debts related to the
previous governments' rice-pledging
projects.
NOTE: Reuters has not verified this story
and does not vouch for its accuracy. (1 US
dollar = 32.1700 Thai baht) (Bangkok
Newsroom; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
TABLE-India Grain Prices-
Delhi- Sep 17

Wed Sep 17, 2014 3:37pm IST
TABLE-India Grain Prices - Delhi - Sep 17
Rates by Asian News International, New
Delhi
Tel: 011 2619 1464
Indicative
Previous

Grains opening
close

(in rupees per 100 kg unless
stated)

---------------------------------------------------
-------

Wheat Desi 2,200-3,000
2,200-3,000.

Wheat Dara 1,800-2,400
2,000-2,550

Roller Mill (per bag) 1,800-2,100
1,800-2,100.

Maida (per bag) 1,500-1,800
1,500-1,800.

Sooji (per bag) 1,800-2,000
1,800-2,000.

Rice Basmati(Common) 8,700-9,300
8,700-9,300.

Rice Permal 2,000-2,300
2,100-2,400.

Rice Sela 2,300-2,600
2,300-2,600.

I.R.-8 2,100-2,500 2,100-
2,500.

Gram 3,400-3,600
3,550-3,750.

Peas Green 2,400-2,700
2,400-2,700.

Peas White 2,600-3,000
2,600-3,000.

Bajra 1,400-1,850
1,450-2,000.

Jowar white 1,500-1,700
1,500-1,700.

Maize 1,300-1,500
1,300-1,500.

Barley 1,350-1,750
1,350-1,750.

Climate smart farmers get tech
savvy to save India's bread
basket
BY NITA BHALLA
Wed Sep 17, 2014 9:14pm EDT

A farmer walks through a paddy field at Tannaurah village in
the northern Indian state of Punjab August 1, 2014.
CREDIT: REUTERS/AJAY VERMA
KARNAL India (Thomson Reuters
Foundation) - Erratic weather, rising
temperatures, declining water resources and
labor shortages are threatening India's bread
basket state of Haryana, forcing farmers to
abandon age-old practices and adopt
technology to ensure food supplies for
millions.Using machines which sow rice
directly, devices to inform when to irrigate
and phone messages warning of infestations,
thousands of farmers are learning to adapt to
climate change, boost soil fertility and reduce
their carbon emissions.
"At first, many farmers were unsure. It's a big
risk to change the way you have farmed for
decades and try new things. Agriculture in
these parts is not just a livelihood, it's a way of
life," said Harpreet Singh, 36, a farmer in the
village of Birnaraya, 130 km (80 miles) north
of Delhi.But over the last four years, through
these technologies, we have learned to save
water and fertilisers, cut our costs for hired
labor, improved the resilience of our crops and
also reduced pollution by not burning crop
residues."Singh is from one of 12,000 farming
households across 27 villages in Haryana's
Karnal district working with scientists from
the Consultative Group on International
Agricultural Research (CGIAR) to pilot
climate smart techniques aimed at sustaining
one of the country's most fertile belts.
SAVING INDIA'S BREADBASKET
Since India's so-called "Green Revolution" - a
massive government program rolled out in the
1960s and 1970s which increased the use of
fertilisers and irrigation to boost farm output -
Haryana's rice production has soared to almost
4 million tonnes in 2013/14 compared to
334,000 tonnes in 1966/67.But while the
Green Revolution may be credited with ending
famine across the country, it has come at a
cost and, coupled with more unpredictable
weather attributed to global warming, India's
food security is once again at risk.
Almost half a century on, farmers face
environmental problems such as depleted
groundwater because of intensive pumping for
irrigation, soil degradation and soil
salinity."Resources are depleting.
Groundwater levels are falling, there is
emerging climate variability, the soil health is
worsening, and profitability is going down,"
said M.L. Jat, an agronomist with the
International Maize and Wheat Improvement
Centre (CIMMYT).The Indo-Gangetic Plains
- which include the rice and wheat states of
Haryana and Punjab - are particularly
vulnerable to climate change, say experts from
the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC).Scientists predict average
temperatures here to increase by as much as
five degrees Celsius by 2080, seriously
affecting wheat crops.
An April study by the Indian Agricultural
Research Institute projects climate change
may reduce India's wheat yield by between 6
to 23 percent by 2050.Rice will also be hit due
to unpredictable rainfall. Indian officials say
the water table has fallen between one and 13
meters in different parts of Karnal over the last
two decades.The region, which is heavily
dependent on migrant labor from poorer
states, is also facing shortages due to a
government scheme to employ more people in
construction near their homes.
"HAPPY SEEDERS"
In response to these challenges, agricultural
groups are introducing Karnal's farmers to a
host of climate smart technologies.These
include techniques such as direct seeding
which involves sowing seeds by machines
rather than transplanting manually, which
reduces labor and water.Other new technology
includes Lazer Levellers - tractor-towed, laser-
controlled devices - that produce a flat surface
for cultivation, requiring 25 to 30 percent less
water.Farmers are being introduced to tools
such as "Happy Seeders" which can be
attached to the back of tractors. These remove
crop residues, blending them into the soil,
preventing the practice of burning crop
residues that has led to increased emissions
and depleted soil fertility."We didn't know
anything about these advanced technology
machines before," said Manoj Kumar Munjal,
40, who farms a 20-acre plot of land in
Taorori village."We have learned about these
machines and set up a cooperative where we
all put in the money together and bought
machines and share them. Now everyone is
using it."Farmers are also receive voice
messages giving weather forecasts, informing
of new seed varieties and infestations.
EXPENSIVE TECHNOLOGIES
But these technologies do not come cheap. A
Lazer Leveller, for example, costs more than
$6,000.In villages such as Munjal's, farmers
have clubbed together to buy new machinery,
while in others, one farmer invests in the
hardware and rents it out to others.
CGIAR said a similar project is underway in
the eastern state of Bihar using lower cost
techniques on smaller plots.On his sprawling
90-acre farm, Harpreet Singh crouched down
amongst his rice paddy stalks and checked his
tensiometer, a device planted in the ground to
measure moisture content.Singh said over the
last four years, his income has increased by 15
percent due to savings made on electricity for
irrigation, diesel for residue burning, labor and
fertilisers. But it is the saving on water which
satisfies him the most."Day by day, the ground
water levels are going down and down. If we
continue like this, its only a matter of time
before we don't have water to drink, let alone
to farm," he said.(Editing by Ros Russell;
Please credit Thomson Reuters Foundation,
the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that
covers humanitarian news, womens rights,
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www.trust.org)
Basmati crop likely to fetch
lower prices on higher supply
By PTI | 17 Sep, 2014, 05.29PM IST
With the Punjab government emphasising on
crop diversification programme, area under
basmati crop surged by 55 per cent to 8.62 lakh
hectares this year.CHANDIGARH: Basmati
crop is likely to fetch 25-30 per cent lower
prices as against previous season's rates on
account of higher output expected this season,
exporters and rice traders said today.
"There is going to be price correction in basmati
crop this year as the crop supply will increase
with more acreage brought under premium
variety of rice especially in Punjab," Kohinoor
Foods, Joint MD, Gurnam Arora told PTI today.
Arora said the rate of basmati paddy such as
PUSA 1121 and 1509 varieties could hover
around Rs 25 per kg (Rs 2,500 per quintal) this
year as against Rs 35-40 per kg ruled last year.
"Last year, the prices of basmati crop remained
quite high. But this year, the prices will not be
that much higher," he said. "Basmati prices will
remain depressive this year because of higher
output," said industry analyst I S Gumber said.
With the Punjab government emphasising on
crop diversification programme, area under
basmati crop surged by 55 per cent to 8.62 lakh
hectares this year. With around 30 per cent of
total paddy area being under basmati , its output
is expected to reach 34 lakh tonne as against
22.65 lakh tonne recorded last season, an official
of the Punjab Agriculture Department said. In
neighbouring Haryana, 40 per cent of total area
under paddy which is 11.38 lakh hectares is
under basmati crop.
Notably, Punjab and Haryana contribute 60-70
per cent of country's basmati production.
Industry analysts said oversupply of basmati
could dash the expectations of basmati growers
in Punjab who are anticipating more than last
year's prices for their crop. Meanwhile, the
Federation of Arthiya Associations of Punjab
has sought from the Punjab government to
exempt traders from charging rural development
fund and market fee of 2 per cent each on
basmati crop in order to boost crop purchase.
"We are demanding that RDF and market fee
should not be charged from traders. This
incentive which is currently being given to rice
shelling industry will encourage traders to buy
more basmati crop," Federation of Arthiya
Associations of Punjab, President, Vijay Kalra
said.
Arkansas rice farmers
make history
By Alexis Rogers, Reporter - email
CARLISLE (KATV) - Arkansas is the
number one rice producing state in the
United States.
According to
Arkansas Rice
Federation, for
the first time
in history,
Arkansas rice
farms will
produce more than 50 percent of the nation's
rice crop."The eastern third of Arkansas is
heavily into agriculture and rice farming is
our main crop so very important," said Rice
Farmer Brandon Parker.Parker manages and
owns Parker farms. His family has been
harvesting since 1930. Parker said most
people do not realize how crucial the rice
industry is.
"When you get in a grocery store you
probably don't even realize where a product
is grown, " Parker said. "It helps support our
economy and a lot of Arkansas jobs are right
here." More than 25,000 people work in
Arkansas' rice industry, contributing $6
billion to the state's economy each year."We
harvest, store it, and deliver it to the mills
who mill the rice then it ends up on peoples
table around Arkansas." Parker said. "If it
has a made in USA sticker in the back and
its about as local as you can get if you want
to eat something local its right in your super
market.Parker said he will stop rice
harvesting around October.
Thailand rice scheme losses
$9.9 bln and rising - state bank
Written by Reuters Wednesday, 17 September
2014 15:35
BANGKOK (Sept 17): Thailand has so far lost
320 billion baht ($9.9 billion) from a 16-month
rice support scheme and the final cost will rise
substantially, the state bank that helped manage
the scheme said on Wednesday, citing Finance
Ministry estimates.The estimated loss was as at
end-May, Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural
Cooperatives (BAAC) President Luck
Wajananawat told Reuters. The figure would
rise as the rice had been bought by the former
government at well above market prices, but was
now being sold for much less as it was
deteriorating in quality, he said."The total losses
will be estimated later since we need to compare
the price the government paid when it bought
rice from farmers and the prices the government
sells the rice at," he said.Luck estimated the
government still owed BAAC about 750 billion
baht in debt related to the scheme."The
government plans to set aside money from the
central budget and the money it gets from selling
rice stocks to repay the bank, but it could take
around seven years for the government to pay it
all back," he said.The 750 billion baht was the
money the government had borrowed from the
bank to buy rice from farmers at 15,000 baht per
tonne, about 60 percent above market rates, from
October 2011 to February 2014.The rice support
scheme helped bring former prime minister
Yingluck Shinawatra to power in a landslide
election in 2011 due to support from farmers
mostly in the remote areas of the country's
northeast.However, the scheme backfired when
the government failed to sell rice to pay arrears
to angry farmers, leading to months of protests
that ended in a military coup in May.The
government has given no official estimate of
losses from the scheme, but critics have put the
figure at between 300 billion and 500 billion
baht.General Prayuth Chan-ocha, the coup
leader and current Prime Minister has ruled out
any similar schemes to assist farmers due to the
burden on the country's finances.The
government has offered indirect intervention to
support farmers, including cheap fertiliser and
soft loans to cut production costs.However, rice
prices are still falling due to weak demand and
rising supply, with major rice producing
countries preparing to harvest bumper crops.The
Thai government was estimated to have built up
as much as 18 million tonnes in rice stocks
through the support scheme, about double
annual production, although some of the rice has
since been sold and some has spoiled.

(1 US dollar = 32.2100 Thai baht)