6th November, 2018 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newlsetter

November 06 ,2018
Vol 9 ,Issue 11
1|www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com ,
mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
Sino-Pak hybrid rice research center opened in China
November 5, 2018
Observer Report
Hangzhou
Pakistani and Chinese authorities have recently inaugurated SINO-Pak Hybrid Rice Research
Center (SPHRRC) in Hangzhou – China for having quality research and development on
different kinds of crossbreed rice.Senior professor of the International Center for Chemical and
Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi on Thursday said that Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-
Rahman, former chairman higher education commission and federal minister for science and
technology, and Dr. Peisong Hu, Deputy Director General China National Rice Research
Institute (CNNRI), inaugurated this ‗modern rice research center‘ on the 30th October, 2018. The
official said that ICCBS Director Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary and Ms. Lu Yexin,
Director – Division of Asian, Americans and Multilateral Affairs, Department of International
Cooperation also attended the inauguration ceremony.
Prof. Iqbal Choudhary pointed out that the rice research center had been established at the China
National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou – China in collaboration with ICCBS, University of
Karachi.
It is pertinent to mention here that according to the bilateral agreement between the two countries
a center was planned to be established with two branches, one in Pakistan and one in China. It is
also worth mentioning here that the branch of the SPHRRC in Pakistan has already been opened
at the ICCBS, University of Karachi last year.
The ICCBS official said that the center was the first hybrid rice research center of Pakistan
established in collaboration with Chinese National Rice Research Center (CNNRI) Hangzhou –
China with the objectives that CNRRI will provide suitable numbers of hybrid rice seeds
varieties for testing at different locations in Sindh, and other climatic zones of Pakistan during
the next two years to Pakistan. The center will also facilitate the field trials process of these
verities of hybrid rice in Pakistan and train young Pakistani researchers in the field of agriculture
so that they can effectively utilize the modern agriculture techniques to improve their local rice
verities, he added. https://pakobserver.net/sino-pak-hybrid-rice-research-center-opened-in-china/
Why Niger is leading in rice production
By Vincent A, Yusuf | Published Date Nov 4, 2018 2:25 AM
The Niger State contingent to the just concluded national agricultural show has explained why
the state in the 2017 and 2018 farming seasons ranked first according to the National
Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) of the Ahmadu Bello
University (ABU), Zaria.
Niger State Project Coordinator of Fadama III (Additional Financing), Dr. Aliyu Usman Kultigi,
who led the state‘s delegation to the show, said the state provided all the necessary support to
farmers to aid rice production.
ADVERTISEMENT
Dr. Kultigi said under the Fadama III alone, 11,000 farmers in the state, each with a hectare, had
been given all the needed support leading to the cultivation of 11 thousand hectares.
He said six irrigation structures had also been constructed for the dry season cultivation, adding
that this helped to scale up all-time rice production.
In addition to this, he said 300 tube wells were sunk for the farmers where irrigation systems
were not available.
The programme has also constructed 10 rice aggregation centres to help farmers sell their rice in
a more organised manner in the state.
The coordinator, however, lamented that the recent flood washed away over 5,000 hectares of
rice farms, the impact of which was huge on the farmers.
Again, Kano shows dominance in agric show
A visit to the Kano State arena in the ongoing National Agricultural Show has shown that no
state came near to in terms of appearance.
In its usual tradition, the state came with all its 44 local governments to show what they all
produce.
Every year, the state does not only come with crops, services or livestock, it also comes with a
zoo, where thousands of people, including school children, go to see animals, some of which
they never have the opportunity to see for the first time.
Whatever you wish to see, Kano has something that will interest you; whether you are a dairy
farmer, crop farmer or a mere spectator.
https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/why-niger-is-leading-in-rice-production.html
November Focus on the Farmer Series Starts Today

By Deborah Willenborg
ARLINGTON, VA -- This month's "Focus on the Farmer" Facebook series features Scott
Savage, a fifth generation farmer who works alongside his grandfather, father, and uncle, and
grows both conventional and organic rice at Triangle Farms, their operation in Bay City, Texas.
"If consumers are driven to eat organic, I support that," said Scott. "I want consumers to have
the choice of what to purchase and feed their families."
Follow along with Scott all week, and look, "like," and, most importantly, share the posts to help spread
the U.S. rice story!
USA RICE DAILY

Conserve habitat for the future
Duck Stamp Promotes Wildlife Conservation
By Frank Leach
WASHINGTON, DC -- Last Thursday, USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited co-hosted a Duck
Stamp Reception on Capitol Hill to showcase the strong partnership between rice and ducks, and
to promote ongoing conservation efforts to preserve wetlands and wildlife habitat.
Additional sponsors of the event included Anheuser-Busch, the Agricultural Retailers

Association, and The Fertilizer Institute.
More than 100 attendees representing congressional offices as well as agriculture industry allies
attended. Beverages brewed with rice were served, and everyone had an opportunity to
purchase their 2018/19 Duck Stamps, a required annual purchase for waterfowl hunters 16 and
older.
"This reception was a great opportunity for us to educate congressional staff on the strong
partnership between USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited, and our work together delivering
conservation programs for rice farms that also benefit waterfowl and other wildlife," said Ben
Mosely, USA Rice vice president of government affairs. "It's a fun way to remind people of the
great U.S. rice conservation story thanks to the unique relationship between rice and ducks."
Proceeds from the sale of Federal Duck Stamps go into the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund,
which provides the U.S. Department of the Interior with monies to acquire migratory bird
habitat.
USA Rice daily
Alleging harassment, paddy farmers block highway

Muktsar: Irate over the alleged high-handedness of rice millers, farmers on Sunday blocked the
Muktsar-Kotkapura highway at Sarainaga village here. They alleged that private millers had
been harassing them in the name of high moisture content in paddy. The protesters demanded
immediate action against the erring millers. The traffic on the Muktsar-Kotkapura stretch
remained affected for several hours following the protest. Later, after assurance of action in this
regard, the farmers lifted the blockade. TNS
Sugarcane crushing season to begin on Thursday
Chandigarh: Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said the sugarcane crushing
work in all mills of the state would commence from Thursday. He said the cooperative as well as
the private sugar mills would be issued directions by Sugarfed to make proper arrangements
during the fixed time-frame and start the crushing work so that farmers should not face any
difficulty. Meanwhile, the private mills have still not cleared dues to farmers for cane crushed in
2017-18. Together, these mills owe Rs 227.31 crore to the growers. TNS
The Ghan: Crocs and bushfires all part of the experience

5 Nov, 2018 1:30pm
The Ghan travelling over the MacDonnell Ranges. Photo / Supplied
NZ Herald
Justine Tyerman sees 'crocs' everywhere as she cruises up the Katherine River in
Australia's Northern Territory - and later tries to evacuate The Ghan
I came face-to-face with a 'rockodile' on day one of my train journey from Darwin through the
Red Centre of Australia to Adelaide on the famous transcontinental Ghan Expedition.
Having left Darwin mid-morning, The Ghan pulled into the Northern Territory town of
Katherine early in the afternoon to be met by a fleet of coaches waiting to take us on a variety of
excursions. After much consultation with Aaron, my hospitality attendant, I chose a cruise
through two of the 13 gorges on the Katherine River in the magnificent 292,000-hectare
Nitmiluk National Park. The cruise also involved a hike, a token attempt at justifying the
consumption of alarming quantities of delicious food and beverages served to passengers on the
four-day, three-night Ghan Expedition.
We boarded barges and cruised slowly up the first of the spectacular steep-sided sandstone
gorges, carved by the Katherine River over millions of years. The commentary of our skipper-
guide Sam added wonderful layers of meaning and history to the experience.
"Nitmiluk means 'cicada country' to the indigenous Jawoyn people," she said.
"Listen and you'll hear the buzzing sound. It's especially loud in the evenings."
The white sandy beaches alongside the river looked like idyllic spots for picnics and swims until
Sam drew our attention to the signs: 'Crocodile nesting area – do not enter.'
They're mainly freshwater crocs here not the monster 'salties' I'd seen in Darwin but you still
wouldn't want to get in their way. Thereafter I imagined I saw many crocs submerged in the
river, some right alongside the barge near my dangling hand, but they were "probably
rockodiles" according to Sam. It was the word "probably" that had me worried.
The kayakers we passed on the river must have been incredibly brave or foolhardy – I couldn't
decide which.
Crocs lurk in the Katharine River, in Nitmiluk National Park. Photo / Supplied
Turning my attention upwards while keeping my arms and hands well clear of the water, I was
awed by the staggering height of the sheer cliffs on either side of our barge, reaching 60 to 100m
depending on the depth of the river. The Katherine rises up to 9-10 metres during times of flood
and the extreme sideways lean of the trees are an indication of the strength of the current.
But today the river was so low we had to hike over rocky terrain between the two gorges,
boarding another barge on the other side.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=12154791
Immigrants Are the Best Tenants
I rent storefronts to small businesses. Here‘s what I learned from Dragana, Al
and other entrepreneurs.
By Bert Stratton
Nov. 4, 2018 3:03 p.m. ET
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO
I own and rent out 25 mom-and-pop storefronts in Lakewood, Ohio, an inner-ring suburb
of Cleveland. About 20% of my tenants are immigrants. I sell them the American
dream—a chance to run their own business—and they sell beer, cigarettes, used furniture,
and services like dry cleaning and haircuts. The stores are street-level with apartments
above, like Disneyland‘s Main Street, except no Mickey. The mice are real.
I rarely hard-sell foreigners to rent. They‘re gung-ho from the get-go. American-born
prospects, on the other hand, often need hand-holding. I sit with potential American
10 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m ,
tenants in diner booths and deliver my mini-lecture on happiness and business, mostly
cribbed from Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert.
In his 2006 book, ―Stumbling on Happiness,‖ Mr. Gilbert writes: ―Indeed, in the long
run, people of every age and in every walk of life seem to regret not having done things
much more than they regret things they did, which is why the most popular regrets
include not going to college, not grasping profitable business opportunities, and not
spending enough time with family and friends.‖ I emphasize the ―grasping profitable
business opportunities‖ part.
If a store succeeds, it sticks around—10 years, sometimes 20 years. I‘ve rented to a bar
for 37 years. But there are many one-and-done stores. Gone in a year.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/immigrants-are-the-best-tenants-1541361836
Negros Occidental adopts new rice production tack

By Maricor Zapata November 4, 2018, 7:10 pm
(Photo from Manny Piñol's Facebook Page)
MANILA -- Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Sunday Negros Occidental will be the
first province in the country to introduce a rice production strategy that focuses on planting at
most three rice varieties.
"The program for Negros Occidental to focus on just three varieties will be the first to be
implemented nationwide, where farmers plant just about every known variety," Piñol posted on
Facebook.
"The program, which both Gov. Alfredo Marañon and I agreed upon during my recent visit to
the province will be called 'Balik Binhi,' where the provincial government will develop a 50-
hectare area to produce seeds of three inbred varieties developed by PhilRice -- RC 222, RC 160,
and RC 216," he explained.
The seed production program, he said, will be funded by the provincial government of Negros
Occidental.
Piñol said the board of trustees of state research agency PhilRice had recently approved the
program and committed technical support to the province's initiative.
Piñol said Marañon plans to distribute the seeds produced from the provincial seed farm to the
farmers for free.
The recipient farmers, in turn, will be required to each "return" two bags of seeds to be
distributed again to other farmers, "who will also be asked to pay back two bags of seeds each,"
the agriculture czar explained.
Piñol said provincial agriculturist Japhet Masculino had picked the three PhilRice varieties for
propagation in the province because of their adaptability.
According to the Agriculture Secretary, the multiple-variety farming system "has proven to be a
bane of the Philippine rice industry, where farm management, including the handling of diseases,
has largely been a problem."
He said the multiple-variety farming system poses a problem to post-harvest operations, since
farmers who own small landholdings refuse to dry their palay in mechanical dryers with huge
capacity because they have different varieties.
"Milling is also a problem because different varieties have different grain sizes and formation,"
Piñol added.
"Lessons learned from Vietnam showed that the country focused on at least two major varieties,
which were all high-yielding and early maturing," he said.
Piñol said the Negros Occidental's new rice program could serve as the blueprint for other
provinces in the future.
"Gov. Marañon said this program will be started this coming planting season with the support of
PhilRice," he said.
Piñol's Facebook post carried the hashtags #KungGustoMaramingParaan!,

#ThinkThinkThinkWorkWorkWork!, and #Changeishere! (PNA)
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1052870
Philippine rice import dependency up

According to the PSA, the country‘s Import dependency ratio (IDR) of rice increased
to 6.56 percent last year from 4.99 percent in 2016.
Louise Maureen Simeon (The Philippine Star) - November 6, 2018 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The country‘s rice self-sufficiency level declined to 93.44 percent
from 95.01 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority said.
According to the PSA, the country‘s Import dependency ratio (IDR) of rice increased to 6.56
percent last year from 4.99 percent in 2016.
Rice imports went up by 39 percent to P18 billion in 2017.In terms of volume, shipments soared
46 percent to 888,085 metric tons (MT).
The declining self-sufficiency of rice was due to the reduced share of domestic production to the
country‘s supply, while the share of rice imports increased.
The country‘s rice import dependency will further increase this year after the government
approved the procurement of 1.6 million MT of rice.
Palay (unhusked rice) production is seen to reach 18.6 million MT this year, lower than last
year‘s 19.2 million MT.
The projection is also below earlier targets of 19.4 million MT following the damage brought
about by Typhoon Ompong last month.
Agricultural products that showed high dependency on importation were garlic, peanut and
mongo, with an IDR of 90 percent, 75 percent and 51 percent, respectively.
For the livestock sector, beef continued to post a higher IDR of 36 percent, carabeef 33 percent
and pork 13 percent.Meanwhile, importation was lesser for coffee, onion, potato and all other
fishery products except tuna.
www.philstar.com/business/2018/11/06/1866123/philippine-rice-import-dependency-
up#Su7f7iLV3XvFhPgl.99
Vietnam gains more from rice export in 10 months

Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-05 13:29:19|Editor: Yang Yi
HANOI, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam reaped over 2.6 billion U.S. dollars from exporting over
more than 5.2 million tons of rice in the first 10 months of this year, up 16.1 percent and 3.4
percent respectively against the same period last year, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development on Monday.
Between January and October, China was Vietnam's largest rice importer, but saw year-on-year
decreases of 37.2 percent in volume and 27.7 percent in value, local VnEconomy daily
newspaper quoted the ministry's statistics as reporting on Monday.
Export price went up 13.7 percent on-year, reaching 503 U.S. dollars on average thanks to
improved quality and diversity.
Vietnam, which exported roughly 5.9 million tons of rice worth nearly 2.7 billion U.S. dollars
last year, mainly to China and the Philippines, plans to ship abroad 6.5 million tons of rice this
year, including higher volumes of high-grade rice such as Japonica, fragrant rice and sticky rice,
according to the Vietnam Food Association.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-11/05/c_137583281.htm
Rice exports reach 5.2 million tonnes in ten months

Monday, 2018-11-05 16:26:17
Vietnam exports 5.2 million tonnes of rice worth US$2.6 billion in the first ten months of this year. (Photo:
VNA)
NDO – Vietnam exported 264,000 tonnes of rice with a value of US$136 million in October,
thus bringing the total export volume of rice in the first 10 months this year to US$5.2
million tonnes, worth U$$2.6 billion, up 1.7% in volume and 14.1% in value over the same
period in 2017.
According to the latest data from the Department of Agro-Product Processing and Market
Development (under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), China continues to
rank first among Vietnam‘s rice export markets, accounting for nearly 24% of the market share.
Other markets also saw a sharp increase in importing Vietnamese rice, including Indonesia, Iraq,
the Philippines and Malaysia.
The average rice export value in the last nine months of this year was at US$503 per tonne, up
13.7% over the same period last year. The price of jasmine rice was at US$575 per tonne at its
highest, followed by Japonica rice at US$526 per tonne. The price for Vietnamese 5% broken
rice in the first half of last month was at US$410 per tonne, higher than India's at US$372 per
tonne and equivalent to Thailand's at US$411 per tonne.
The largest export market for Vietnamese jasmine rice is still China, accounting for 25% of the
total exports, followed by Ghana with 21%. China continues to be the main market for
Vietnamese sticky rice, accounting for 80% of the total glutinous rice exports.
According to the Department, domestic rice prices are expected to increase as enterprises buy
more rice to serve export orders signed in October and prepare for the next orders that can be
reached in the year-end biddings.
On October 18, the Philippines closed bids to buy 47,000 tonnes of rice, including 28,000 tonnes
from Vietnam. Also on that day, Egypt opened its first tender in 2018 for the import of 25,000
tonnes of rice. In addition, during the 10th World Rice Conference in Hanoi last month, multiple
export orders were signed, in which the Hanoi Trade Joint Stock Corporation (Hapro) reached
orders with their US and Malaysian customers to export rice worth US$ 2.5 million.
Currently, farmers have finished harvesting their summer-autumn rice crop. Several localities
also started harvesting their autumn-winter crop. The price for autumn-winter rice in the Mekong
Delta rose slightly amidst a limited supply.
According to the local price supply system, in Vinh Long, the price for the autumn-winter rice
variety IR50404 increased by VND200 a kg to reach VND5,300 per kg, while IR50404 dried
rice is priced at VND5,900 per kg and IR50404 husk-free rice is at VND10,000 per kg. In Bac
Lieu, dried OM 5451 rice wholesale price sold by the Provincial Food Company is at VND6,200
- 6,300 per kg. Many other localities also reported stable or a slight increase in rice prices.
http://en.nhandan.org.vn/business/item/6802202-rice-exports-reach-5-2-million-tonnes-in-ten-
months.html
Rice Prices
as on : 05-11-2018 12:16:58 PM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
Arrivals Price
Current % Season Modal Prev. Prev.Yr

change cumulative Modal %change
Rice
Ghaziabad(UP) 70.00 40 4470.00 2725 2725 13.54
Sahiyapur(UP) 19.50 50 2368.50 2250 2235 -
Khurja(UP) 16.50 10 1047.00 2600 2615 -
Jafarganj(UP) 16.00 -46.67 92.00 2330 2340 -
Kannauj(UP) 7.50 7.14 212.40 2300 2350 4.55
Mirzapur(UP) 4.00 14.29 903.00 2240 2225 -
Sehjanwa(UP) 2.50 -16.67 188.50 2160 2160 -
Amroha(UP) 2.10 -4.55 59.02 2600 2600 5.26
Nautnava(UP) 1.00 NC 40.50 2200 2200 7.84
Jagnair(UP) 0.70 16.67 84.40 2550 2560 0.39
Published on November 05, 2018
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rice-
prices/article25423742.ece
NegOcc to pilot rice farming innovation in PH
BACOLOD. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol (left) with Provincial Agriculturist Japhet
Masculino(center) and NFA-Negros Occidental Provincial Manager Frisco Canoy (right) in the Rice
Processing Complex in Barangay Tabunan, Bago City. (Photo by Richard Malihan)
ERWIN P. NICAVERA
November 5, 2018
NEGROS Occidental will be the first province in the Philippines to introduce an innovation in
rice farming by investing on provincial government-funded seed production program focusing
only on up to three rice varieties.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, in his Facebook post Sunday, November 4 said he and
Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. agreed for the implementation of the program called "Balik
Binhi" during his recent visit in the province recently.
Under the program, the Provincial Government will develop a 50-hectare area to produce seeds
of three inbred varieties developed by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) such as
RC 222, RC 160, and RC 216.
―In its recent board of trustees meeting, the PhilRice approved the program and has committed
technical support to the Negros Occidental initiative,‖ Piñol said.
"Seeds produced from the provincial seed farm will be distributed to the farmers for free
according to the governor," Piñol said, adding that recipient-farmers will, in turn, be required to
"return" two bags of seeds.
―The seeds will be used by the Provincial Government for distribution to another batch of
farmer-recipients. The same scheme applies,‖ Piñol added.
The three PhilRice varieties were selected for propagation in the province because of their
adaptability.
Based on PhilRice's advisory, RC 216, also known as Tubigan 17, when transplanted has a
maximum yield of 9.7 tons per hectare with a maturity of 112 days after sowing (DAS).
The variety is moderately resistant to brown planthoppers and green leafhoppers.
RC 160 has a maximum yield of 8.2 tons per hectare if direct-wet-seeded and matures in 107
DAS.
It has an intermediate reaction to blast, bacterial leaf blight and green leafhoppers, and is
resistant to stem borer. This variety is also known for its good eating quality because of its low
amylose content.
The other variety, meanwhile, RC 222 or Tubigan 18, has a maximum yield of 10 tons per
hectare and matures in 114 DAS.
It is moderately resistant to brown planthoppers, green leafhoppers, and stem borers, the advisory
further stated.
Moreover, the Agriculture chief pointed out that multiple-variety farming system, or the use of
more than three varieties, has proven to be a bane of the country's rice industry.
―Farm management, including the handling of diseases, has largely been a problem,‖ Piñol said.
Piñol said that multiple-variety farming system also poses a problem to post-harvest operations
where farmers who own small landholdings refuse to dry their ―palay‖ (unhusked rice) in
mechanical dryers with huge capacity because they have different varieties.
―Milling is also a problem because different varieties have different grain sizes and formation,‖
Piñol said.
"Lessons learned from Vietnam showed that the country focused on at least two major varieties
which were all high-yielding and early maturing," he added.
Negros Occidental's three-in-one rice industry program is positioned to serve as a blueprint for
other provinces in the future.
According to Marañon, the program will start this coming planting season with the support of the
PhilRice.
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1772485
Arkansas congressional aides attend farm, research tour

Congressional aides tour the Hare Family Farm and the Newport Extension Center on Oct. 26.
Special to The Commercial
By Ryan McGeeney Special to The Commercial
Posted Nov 5, 2018 at 12:46 PMUpdated Nov 5, 2018 at 1:47 PM
As the No. 1 industry in Arkansas, agriculture is often a top concern for the state‘s legislators,
both within Arkansas borders and in the nation‘s capitol, according to a news release.
For more than 20 years, experts with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
have been working to help educate government leaders and their respective staff members on the
critical issues facing Arkansas producers.
Most recently, Division of Agriculture administrators and researchers, along with several
industry leaders, hosted nine congressional aides for a tour of both research and academic
facilities, as well as working farms and production facilities, in central and northwest Arkansas.
Lawmakers represented
Aides representing the offices of U.S. Reps. Bruce Westerman, Steve Womack, Rick Crawford
and French Hill, as well as U.S. Sen. John Boozman, participated in the tour.
Chuck Culver, director of external relations for the Division of Agriculture and a former
congressional aide himself, has coordinated the tours for several years. The tours occur at least
every other year, although the Division of Agriculture has hosted the tour annually for several
years now. Each tour focuses on specific aspects of the state‘s agriculture about which the state‘s
congressional delegation expresses interest, as well as critical issues the division staff feel are
important to emphasize.
―We get house and senate agricultural aides,‖ Culver said. ―For this tour, the Arkansas
Congressional delegation wanted to concentrate on row crop and nutrition programs. If they‘re
flying in from D.C., they‘re here for about 72 hours. In that time span, we get into all four
congressional districts, and have a meaningful tour stop in each one.‖
The nine aides flew or drove to Little Rock on Friday, Oct. 25, and drove the next morning to
Newport, where the owners and operators of the Hare Planting Co. Inc. farm, along with experts
from the Division of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture‘s Natural Resources
Conservation Service, spoke about conservation practices, water management and duck habitats.
The group was given in-depth explanations of the challenges facing row crop farmers regarding
water use and quality by Mike Hamilton, irrigation educator, and Mike Daniels, professor of
crop, soil and environmental sciences, both of the Division of Agriculture, and others.
Newport, Mulberry sites
The tour then proceeded to the Newport Extension Center, where Jeremy Ross, extension
soybean agronomist, and Tom Barber, extension weed scientist, both of the Division of
Agriculture, spoke about issues facing soybean growers and other row crop farmers. Topics
included dicamba volatility and soybean injury, the prevalence of Palmer amaranth —commonly
known as pigweed — and the steep quality discounts facing growers in the marketplace.
Barber, like many experts within the Division of Agriculture‘s Cooperative Extension Service,
has a joint appointment with the division‘s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.
Woodruff County Cooperative Extension Service Staff Chair Leigh Ann Bullington spoke on
nutrition issues in her county, and Debra Head, associate department head for Family and
Consumer Sciences spoke about efforts to implement nutrition programs, as well as opioid abuse
prevention programs.
―We don‘t shy away from controversial issues,‖ Culver said. ―We tend to tackle them head-on,
and provide them with good, unbiased information and resources they can contact.
―We look for emerging issues, or critical issues of the moment,‖ he said. ―This tour was no
different.‖
The tour later continued on to Mulberry, where the visiting aides toured facilities at American
Soybean and Edamame Inc., meeting with Ryan Castleberry, director of manufacturing, and
Nathan McKinney, assistant director for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. Saturday,
the congressional aides joined presentations at the Arkansas Research and Extension Center in
Fayetteville on turf grass research, the Rice Processing Research Program, the Arkansas Food
Innovation Center and the Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center.
Sunday, tour members learned about current agricultural legal issues facing Arkansans from
Harrison Pittman, director of the National Agricultural Law Center, before departing.
―It is always good to see the interest from our congressional offices in the exciting and
challenging issues that face Arkansas agriculture and our rural communities, especially from the
federal perspective,‖ said Mark Cochran, vice president for agriculture for the University of
Arkansas System.
Culver said that while the tours serve primarily to familiarize congressional aides with
agricultural issues in the state, it also gives them the chance to get to know one another.
―You‘d be surprised — even though there are only four house members and two senators, the
staffs sometimes just don‘t have the opportunity to get together,‖ he said.
To learn about agriculture in Arkansas, contact a local Cooperative Extension Service agent or
visit www.uaex.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @UAEX_edu.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research
programs to all eligible persons without discrimination.
— Ryan McGeeney of the U of A System Division of Agriculture.

http://www.pbcommercial.com/news/20181105/arkansas-congressional-aides-attend-
farm-research-tour
BE ‘RICEPONSIBLE,’ DA TELLS CONSUMERS

By Glenda Tayona
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
farmer harvests rice in Santa Barbara, Iloilo. IAN PAUL CORDERO/PN
ILOILO City – How can the country attain rice sufficiency?
Rice must not only be produced, it should also be valued, stressed the Department of Agriculture
(DA) Region 6 – Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
Hence, the relationship between farmers as producers and consumers as eaters should be
nurtured, they stressed.
Yesterday DA-6 and PhilRice launched the 2018 National Rice Awareness Month celebration at
SM City Iloilo Northpoint Activity Center.
Rice security is a function of both production and consumption, according to the two government
agencies.
Making safe and nutritious rice affordable, accessible and available at all times does not depend
on farmers alone but also on the consuming public at the receiving end, they stressed.
Rice must not be wasted, according to DA-PhilRice.Consumers were challenged, too, to eat not
only white rice but also brown rice and rice-corn blend.
The 2018 National Rice Awareness Month celebration also aims to inspire farmers to access rice
information, use recommended technologies as well as engage in ―agri-preneurship.‖
Other activities relative to the celebration of National Rice Awareness Month are Brown Rice
Feeding Program in an elementary school in Iloilo City on Nov. 16 and the Run for Rice 3K Fun
Run on Nov. 24 at SM City Southpoint.
The fun run is free-admission and is open to everyone on first come, first served basis. T-shirts,
ballers, ballpens, water tumblers, mugs, round hats, hand fans, snacks and other freebies will be
given away./PN
https://www.panaynews.net/be-riceponsible-da-tells-consumers/
Deal with Philippines eyed for rice commercialisation

November 6, 2018The NationalBusiness
JEFFREY ELAPA
The signing of a memorandum-of-agreement (MoA) between Papua New Guinea and
Philippines on Nov 16 will herald the beginning of rice commercialisation in PNG, both
countries say.
Agriculture and Livestock Minister Benny Allan and Philippines Ambassador Bien V Tejano
asserted this during a visit to the Pacific Adventist University rice model farm outside Port
Moresby yesterday, which will have its first harvest next month.
The signing will be done between agriculture ministers of the two countries while Philippines
President Rodrigo Duterte and Prime Minister Peter O‘Neill will witness at the PAU farm.
Duterte will be in PNG for the Apec leaders‘ summit at that time.
Initial discussions were made by the leaders of the two countries during Apec 2017 in Vietnam,
and a State visit by O‘Neill to the Philippines this year.
After the initial discussion, 19 technical officers from department of agriculture of Philippines
started an initial rice modelling research station at PAU, which will become a seed bank centre
for rice in the region and the country.
Allan said four different types of rice varieties would be trialled at PAU and distributed
throughout Central and PNG.
He said the centre would also be used to train rice farmers.
Allan said there were already investors from the Philippines ready to invest in rice farming in the
country, with the agreement opening up the floodgates.
―This is a good project to set the tone for rice growing in PNG on a bigger economic scale to
meet the local demand and even to export and supply the Philippines population of 150 million
people,‖ he said.
―The MoA of Nov 16 will set that course for rice production, seen as a food security issue for
this country.‖
Tejano said the water, climate and soil was conducive for paddy rice farming in the country.
He said the project would expand throughout Central and the Southern Region.
Tejano said PNG imported 400 tonnes of rice annually at a cost of K500 million while the
Philippines need eight million tonnes of rice to feed 150 million people.
He said most of that rice was imported from Thailand and Vietnam but that could change with
PNG coming into the picture.
Tejano said the project could feed the people of PNG within three years as it only needed
18,000ha, with more land available.
He said rice production would reduce the price of rice, retain foreign currency, bring in more
revenue, address food security and provide job employment opportunities.
https://www.thenational.com.pg/deal-with-philippines-eyed-for-rice-commercialisation/
Rice self-sufficiency down to 93.44%
By Karl R. Ocampo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
November 6, 2018 at 5:04 am
The ability of local farmers to meet consumer demand for rice decreased last year as the
country‘s reliance on rice imports grew.
The share of local rice production to the total rice supply in the market may decline even further
this year after the government decided to lift the limit on rice imports that enter the country.
A report by the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the country‘s rice self-sufficiency
ratio in 2017 declined to 93.44 percent from 95.01 percent in 2016.
During that period, the country‘s dependence on rice imports slightly went up to 6.56 percent
from the 2016 level of 4.99 percent.
That level is expected to rise after President Duterte allowed the entry of more rice imports to
tame soaring prices.
Unabated increases in rice prices were felt by consumers for the first 10 months of 2018, leading
prices to all-time highs.
In the island-provinces of Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, rice prices reached a high
of P70 a kilo.
The price spike was caused by rising global oil prices and the implementation of a new tax law
that pushed production costs up. This was aggravated by the National Food Authority‘s delayed
distribution of cheap, subsidized rice, which caused panic among retailers and consumers.
If all government-approved imports push through this year, the country‘s rice imports may reach
about 2.5 million tons—the highest since 2008.
Mr. Duterte had intended to push for rice self-sufficiency within the first two years of his term,
but later admitted that it would be unlikely for the country to achieve that goal.
Nonetheless, the Department of Agriculture continues to push for programs that will boost the
country‘s rice supply.
The agency is hoping to increase the farm sector‘s average production to 6 metric tons (MT) per
hectare (ha) from the current level of 4.38 MT per ha before the end of Mr. Duterte‘s term,
which, according to the Philippine Rice Research Institute, was enough to make the country self-
sufficient in the staple.
The country‘s production cost for rice is P12 a kilo. This is almost double the production cost in
Vietnam at P6.50 a kilo and Thailand at P9 a kilo, where most of the rice imports come from.
According to a study made by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, the deregulation
of rice imports could reduce the country‘s inflation rate by 0.4 percent and bring rice prices
down by P6 a kilo.
https://m.inquirer.net/business/260049
Govt to provide harvesting machines, expects record high

rice prices
 4 Nov 2018 at 13:30
 WRITER: ONLINE REPORTERS
Machines will be provided for farmers to help them harvest rice crops by year's end. (Bangkok
Post file photo)
The Commerce Ministry will help provide farmers with sufficient harvest machines at a
reasonable cost in November-December to gather all rice crops in time. This year's rice prices are
expected to set a record , said acting government spokesman Buddhipongse Punnakanta on
Sunday.
Mr Buddhipongse said with the availability of harvesting machines, farmers will be able to
harvest crops in time to maintain high quality and command high prices.
"Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha believes this year's rice prices are likely to be higher than last
year's. For example, the hom mali fragrant paddy is expected to fetch between 16,000-17,000
baht per tonne. The price may be as high as 18,000 baht per tonne in some areas," he said.
Mr Buddhipongse said prices of other kinds of rice crops will also be high.
Private operators of harvesting machines will also be allowed to provide a similar service at the
lowest possible rate, he added.
"The prime minister has instructed all agencies concerned to provide knowledge and promote
understanding among farmers about sustainable methods of cultivation in order to make a year-
round income," Mr Buddhipongse said.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/1569894/govt-to-provide-harvesting-
machines-expects-record-high-rice-prices
Legislation in India traced as core cause of smog in Pakistan
 American firm Monsanto pushed Indian government to introduce law delaying burning of rice
fields
 The chnage in wind direction apparently affects Pakistan as well
by Haider Ali | Published on November 5, 2018 (Edited November 5, 2018)
ISLAMABAD – The smog currently enveloping Pakistan‘s major cities including Lahore and its
neighbourhood is apparently due to a legislation in its Eastern neighbour India, in its agriculture
sector.
Though the experts in Pakistan had warned that the reason of somg in the country is due to India,
substantial evidence has now popped up in the form of India‘s ‗Punjab Preservation of Subsoil
Water Act in 2009‘.
According to the legislation, the farmers are bound to delay the clearing of the fields to the end
of October- a season in which the wind pattern drastically changes as it starts blowing into Delhi
from the north and affects Pakistan as well.
Until a few years ago, farmers in Punjab burnt the remnants of the rice crops in preparation for
sowing wheat but the smoke from such fires was confined to Punjab.
At that time, farmers burnt the straw in late September and early October, however, the recent
legislation has compelled the farmers to delayed the burning until late October in which the wind
patterns support infiltration of smoke into Pakistan from its eatern neighbour.
According to this law, farmers can no longer sow rice in April, but have to wait until the middle
of June for the cultivation and following Punjab, Haryana too has passed a similar law.
In order to understand the connection one needs to understand the cultivation cycle of rice which
has a 120-day period between germination and harvest, and the restriction on sowing the grain
means that the fields would be harvested and cleared only in October, by which time the
direction of the wind would have changed – in a visible vindication of effects on Pakistan.
Delhi‘s problem of being covered by smoke started right after this law was implemented for the
first time as before the law was put in place, the problem in Delhi was limited to vehicular and
industrial pollution.
In current era, the entire metropolitan area is being enveloped by smoke due to the delay which
was forced upon the farmers.
The government had also outlined why it was delaying the process, saying to preserve
groundwater, the depletion of which was blamed on rice fields as they use too much water and
lose a significant quantity to evaporation.
However, the argument seems shallow and according to the International Water Management
Institute (IWMI), water in rice fields contributes to recharging the groundwater and very little of
it is lost to evaporation.
The data from Uttar Pradesh in IWMI‘s analysis further deals a blow to the claims made by the
government as it shows that rice fields in the state contributed to increasing the level of the water
table.
The American Link

The delay is apparently not the choice of the government according to a report
by sundayguardianlive, as United States Agency for International Development (USAID)is
primarily responsible for exerting pressure to move away from growing rice in the name of ―crop
diversification‖.
USAID, which operates out of the American embassy, has used the excuse of preventing the
decline of groundwater to push this agenda but behind USAID, another American multinational
corporation is tipped to be the real player ‗Monsanto‘.
Monsanto is the primary beneficiary of USAID‘s purported solution for Punjab‘s problems as
according to their solution, farmers need to stop growing rice and replace it with Monsanto‘s
genetically modified (GMO) maize- in visible conflict of interest and pushing business motives
further.
India‘s indigenous crop cultivation is a headache for Monsanto and other proponents of GMO
food, who insist that the world would face a shortage of food grains if genetically engineered
plants are not grown.
The collusion of India‘s Punjab government with Monsanto is visible as in 2012, the then Punjab
Chief Minister asked the firm to set up a research centre for creating maize seeds and announced
plans to reduce the area under the cultivation of rice by around 45% in order to grow maize.
The American firm typically co-opts not only politicians, but also members of the academia and
lure them into peddling their agenda
Monsanto now offers the replacement of rice by its GMO crops as a solution that will increase
the level of subsoil water, but the multinational corporation is the cause of the problem.
Monsanto‘s GMO products are known to cause several problems. Its maize is known for killing
bees, leading to a shortage of seeds of plants such as onions which depend on bees for
pollination.
Conclusively, the agriculture-related legislation has not only tarnished the environment of Delhi
and Indian cities but due to wind speed, the effect is being noticed in Pakistan as well though
some experts say that the wind direction does not support the idea of ‗Indian hand‘ behind smog
in Pakistan.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/pakistan/legislation-in-india-traced-as-core-cause-of-smog-in-
pakistan/
Chinese president, other world leaders visit Pakistani pavilion at

CIIE
BY TLTP
–Prime Minister Imran Khan shares his govt‘s environment-friendly policy
–Commerce secretary briefs dignitaries of Pakistan‘s important trade
sectorsISLAMABAD: President Xi Jinping on Monday visited Pakistani pavilion titled
―Emerging Pakistan‖ at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) where he was welcomed by
Prime Minister Imran Khan.

According to Radio Pakistan, the Chinese president was accompanied by other world leaders, including
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Vietnamese Prime
Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who remained at the stall for
some time and discussed the trade potential with Pakistani officials.On the occasion, Prime Minister
Imran Khan explained the new government‘s environment-friendly policy and initiatives taken by the
country in this regard.
He spoke of the one billion trees project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and also shared how the
government planned to plant ten billion trees during the next five years.Seconding the premier,
Commerce Secretary Mohammad Younus Dagha said Pakistan has one of the smallest carbon footprints
(sixth largest population with only 0.4 per cent of the world‘s carbon dioxide emissions), still, it is
playing an important role and making efforts to deal with climate change.He also briefed the dignitaries
about the theme of the pavilion, which represented five important trade sectors of Pakistan.Dagha said
that textiles and apparels employ 38 per cent of the industrial workforce with an 8.5 per cent share in
GDP and make up for more than 70 per cent of Pakistan‘s exports.
―The fastest growth has been in the garments sector that provides jobs to female workers,‖ he said and
added that Pakistan has the privilege of not only having world-renowned sportspersons, but also has the
distinction of competing in quality and winning the contracts for the supply of sports goods for top brands
and prestigious events.
―The last two FIFA World Cups, including the one held in Russia this year, were played with Pakistan-
made footballs,‖ Dagha said.He added that with the marvelous archeological sites of the world‘s oldest
civilisation in the south and the meeting point of the three majestic mountain ranges known as ―the roof of
the world‖ in the north, the tourism sector in Pakistan also offers unlimited opportunities for hospitality
sector investors.
―The new government is improving the policy framework to attract more investments in
the manufacturing sector to increase our capacity to export.‖He also told the dignitaries that while
Pakistan is exporting aromatic basmati rice, the most delicious mangoes and juiciest of mandarins to more
than 70 countries; storage, processing and preservation are the areas where joint ventures can bring rapid
gains.President Xi took great interest in the briefing and appreciated PM Khan‘s efforts to improve the
environment. He also extended his country‘s support for the initiative and congratulated the premier on
his successful visit to China.
Organisers say more than 3,000 foreign companies from 130 countries including the United States (US)
and Europe are present at the expo.PM Imran Khan is on maiden visit to China on the invitation of
Chinese leadership. He was the keynote speaker at the CIIE inaugural session earlier in the day.
Addressing the opening ceremony at the National Exhibition and Convention Center Shanghai, PM Khan
said Pakistan was a leading exporter of sports goods, medical instruments and IT products.He said with a
promising 100 million human resource, under the age of 35, the country has a rich potential, and was an
attractive place for foreign investors.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/11/05/chinese-president-other-world-leaders-visit-pakistani-
pavilion-at-ciie/

6th November, 2018 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newlsetter

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November 06 ,2018

Again, Kano shows dominance in agric show

November Focus on the Farmer Series Starts Today

USA RICE DAILY

Additional sponsors of the event included Anheuser-Busch, the Agricultural Retailers

USA Rice daily

Alleging harassment, paddy farmers block highway

Sugarcane crushing season to begin on Thursday

The Ghan: Crocs and bushfires all part of the experience

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

Negros Occidental adopts new rice production tack

Piñol's Facebook post carried the hashtags #KungGustoMaramingParaan!,

Philippine rice import dependency up

Louise Maureen Simeon (The Philippine Star) - November 6, 2018 - 12:00am

Vietnam gains more from rice export in 10 months

Rice exports reach 5.2 million tonnes in ten months

Current % Season Modal Prev. Prev.Yr

Ghaziabad(UP) 70.00 40 4470.00 2725 2725 13.54

Sahiyapur(UP) 19.50 50 2368.50 2250 2235 -

Khurja(UP) 16.50 10 1047.00 2600 2615 -

Kannauj(UP) 7.50 7.14 212.40 2300 2350 4.55

Mirzapur(UP) 4.00 14.29 903.00 2240 2225 -

Sehjanwa(UP) 2.50 -16.67 188.50 2160 2160 -

Amroha(UP) 2.10 -4.55 59.02 2600 2600 5.26

Nautnava(UP) 1.00 NC 40.50 2200 2200 7.84

Jagnair(UP) 0.70 16.67 84.40 2550 2560 0.39

Published on November 05, 2018

NegOcc to pilot rice farming innovation in PH

The variety is moderately resistant to brown planthoppers and green leafhoppers.

Arkansas congressional aides attend farm, research tour

By Ryan McGeeney Special to The Commercial

Posted Nov 5, 2018 at 12:46 PMUpdated Nov 5, 2018 at 1:47 PM

Newport, Mulberry sites

— Ryan McGeeney of the U of A System Division of Agriculture.

BE ‘RICEPONSIBLE,’ DA TELLS CONSUMERS

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

farmer harvests rice in Santa Barbara, Iloilo. IAN PAUL CORDERO/PN

ILOILO City – How can the country attain rice sufficiency?

Deal with Philippines eyed for rice commercialisation

Philippine Daily Inquirer

November 6, 2018 at 5:04 am

Govt to provide harvesting machines, expects record high

Legislation in India traced as core cause of smog in Pakistan

by Haider Ali | Published on November 5, 2018 (Edited November 5, 2018)

Water Act in 2009‘.

The American Link

Chinese president, other world leaders visit Pakistani pavilion at

–Prime Minister Imran Khan shares his govt‘s environment-friendly policy

–Commerce secretary briefs dignitaries of Pakistan‘s important trade

sectorsISLAMABAD: President Xi Jinping on Monday visited Pakistani pavilion titled

Prime Minister Imran Khan.

country in this regard.

and prestigious events.

his successful visit to China.

attractive place for foreign investors.

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