16th May, 2014 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

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TOP Contents - Tailored for YOU
Latest News Headlines
Science meets nature and controversy at Los Baos
Indian rice farmer's miracle yield
IRRI eyes climate-smart rice for dry spell
Time-befitting efforts for increasing rice production underscored
Congress Requests ITC Study on Factors Affecting Global Competitiveness of U.S. Rice Industry
Provisions to Ease the Burden of SPCC Regulation Included in Water Resources Bill
USA Rice Answers Farm Bill FAQs
Notice of Open Tender
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
Report Cites Crops Most Vulnerable to El Nino
Thanks to Rice Farmers
Rice growers turn to side jobs for income while waiting for their money
Output to be boosted as RI moves beyond rice
Thailand Expands Rice Markets Overseas
18 bidders took part in AFETs rice auction yesterday
Food production target 2014-15 fixed at 261 mn tonnes
India will produce record 264.38 mt of foodgrain in 2013-14: Govt
Your cheap shrimp dinner is hurting the environment and upscale rice could be the answer


News Detail
Science meets nature and controversy at Los Baos
2014-05-16 10:27:By BOB TEOH
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) at Los Baos is just a two-hour drive north from Manila but it
took me 35 years to find my way there. I first learned about IRRI when I was a rookie at The Star covering a
rice disease outbreak which started in Sekinchan in Selangor but later spread quickly to the country's rice bowl
up north in Kedah.Reporters back then had no clue to the impending danger except that we were told by the
experts that it was caused by brown planthoppers. But the insect pests have always been in our paddy fields so
why did it get out of control? I couldn't understand the experts I talked to. However, one of them gave me some
IRRI reports which featured the brown planthoppers.
The problem was because the planthoppers had not only developed a resistance to pesticides but they also
mutated onto new bio-types which in turned them into bigger threats. This was compounded by the introduction
of double cropping which shortened the fallow period between planting seasons and this has allowed the insect
population more time to build up. With the help IRRI reports and my sources in Agriculture Department, I was
covering the outbreak on a daily basis with the field all to myself. The other reporters didn't have the IRRI
reports and Google was not invented yet!I was so impressed with the science of pest control that I wished I
could go to IRRI and to talk to the experts. My editor would not entertain this idea especially when our
newspaper back then could not even afford to provide proper chairs for us to sit on!But my wish came true
when I was in Manila for a science reporting course last week which included a field trip to IRRI to meet the
rice scientists.
I asked Mr James Villegas, an IRRI researcher in ecological engineering, for an update on the brown
planthopper. His answer was to avoid using pesticides and follow a simple back-to-nature approach to restore
the field to its original balance. The idea is to plant vegetables along the bunds to attract other insects like
ladybirds and spiders which are natural enemies of the hoppers. Not only do the farmers get less crop damage
by the hoppers, they also get more income from sale of their vegetables. This is surely a case of nature fights
nature and the farmer wins.It doesn't take rocket science to understand nature but when it comes to genetic
modification of rice varieties to make them pest resistant it becomes more complex and time consuming. Even
after successful development in the lab, a genetically modified variety does not go instantly to the market. It
must undergo vigorous tests to make sure the transgenic crop is safe for consumption and the environment.
According to Dr Nancy Castilla, a senior associate scientist, field tests for new varieties can take up seven or
eight years.IRRI was established in 1960 and today the research community has grown to a staff strength of
1,350 including scientists from 34 countries. It operates on an incredibly low annual budget of only US$85
million or RM270 million!Apart from its pest and disease resistant GMO rice, recent advances include the
introduction of climate-smart rice. Drought-tolerant varieties have been released to drought prone areas that
affect 23 million hectares in South and Southeast Asia alone.At the other extreme, countries like the
Philippines, Bangladesh and India, suffer losses of millions of tons of rice per year caused by floods, IRRI has


discovered the gene for flood-tolerance and incorporated his gene into popular rice varieties. Rice plants
normally die within four days when submerged but the new variety can survive up to 15 days of flooding.
Currently under development is what is billed by IRRI as its Golden Rice a new type of rice that contains beta
carotene a source of vitamin A. High iron and zinc varieties are also under development to combat
micronutrient malnutrition that affects two billion people.Tony Lambino, IRRI's head of communication,
acknowledges the controversy surrounding transgenic crop. The fact remains that rice growing is the single
most important economic activity in the world. The challenge is to feed 70 per cent of the world's hungry and
poor where rice is the staple. Uncomfortable as it may be, science meets nature and controversy at Los Baos.
Therein lies our hope for a better world.
IRRI team visits BRRI
City desk
A team of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), headed by its Deputy Director General (Research)
Mathew Morell, visited Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) yesterday in Gazipur, says a press
release.Eero Nissila, head of the IRRI Plant Breeding, Genetics and Bio-technology Division; Paul Fox, IRRI
Representative in Bangladesh; BRRI Director General Jiban Krishna Biswas; among others were present at a
meeting at the institute.
Indian rice farmer's miracle yield
Produces four times larger than average crop with fewer seeds less water and chemical fertilizer
Added At: 2014-05-15 9:02 PM
Last Updated At: 2014-05-15 9:02 PM
HE GUARDIAN

An Indian farmer has set a state and possibly a national record for growing rice using a neglected method of
cultivation that has been dismissed by academic researchers and received little financial backing from
agribusiness.According to Jaisingh Gnanadurai, joint director of agriculture in the southern Indian state of
Tamil Nadu, farmer S Sethumadhavan from Alanganallur has harvested a record yield of nearly 24 tonnes of
paddy rice per hectare using the system of rice intensification method (SRI).This is a state record. The Tamil
Nadu government has advocated a second green revolution by using more organic fertiliser and less inorganic
fertiliser. Our chief ministers aim is to get double the yield and triple the income of farmers using SRI,
Gnanadurai said.The SRI method of growing crops has been developed over 30 years by small farmers in more
than 20 countries.
It centres on improving the management of the soil, water and nutrients, rather than bolstering the seed, which
has been the focus of scientific research for decades.SRI involves significantly reducing number of rice seeds


planted, transplanting them to fields when they are much younger than usual, using different amounts of water
at critical times of their growth cycle, and improving soil conditions with organic manure. It is more labour-
intensive but has generated extraordinary results. Two years ago, Bihari farmer Sumant Kumar set what is
thought to be a world record for rice growing, harvesting 22.4 tonnes of paddy rice per hectare using SRI
methods.Although his crop, in Nalanda district, northern India, was measured and verified by state officials, it
was challenged by rice scientists in the Philippines and China. Experts claimed the measurements were fake and
suggested it was impossible to produce a yield so large.Sethumadhavan, who has been farming for 15 years,
said last week that he used a mix of organic and chemical fertilisers and the common CR1009 rice seed.

Although it is a high-yielding variety, it would not be expected to produce more than about six tonnes per
hectare. The average yield of most rice varieties is about three tonnes.
SRI, developed in Madagascar nearly 30 years ago, has been encouraged by some development groups and state
governments because it has consistently produced higher average yields than conventional rice farming. It needs
fewer seeds, and less water and chemical fertiliser.According to the SRI International Network and Resources
Center at Cornell University in the US, the method has been adopted by at least 9.5 million farmers in
Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the main rice-growing countries. One million farmers in other
countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East are also thought to be using it.

This week SRI International played down the bumper yield in Tamil Nadu, saying not too much notice should
be paid to statistical outliers. (It is) averages that feed hungry people and raise farmers out of poverty, not
records, said Norman Uphoff, professor of international agriculture at Cornell.According to the Bihar
government, where hundreds of thousands of hectares are grown using SRI methods, average yields are at least
40 per cent larger than for conventional rice farming and possibly far more.In Tamil Nadu, farmers are
experiencing similar increases and are paying less. Our chief ministers aim is to get double the yield and triple
the income of farmers using SRI. Traditional farmers use 30 kg of seeds (compared with) three kg by the SRI
method, Gnanadurai said.But SRI has received little support from corporations and university research groups,
most of which have concentrated on trying to improve seeds using biotechnology or traditional plant-breeding
techniques.

The reason, say some critics, could be because there are strong
financial and other vested interests to promoting hybrid seeds
as the solution to food shortages in India and elsewhere. Hybrid
crops are big business because they require not just the
purchase of seeds but also fertilisers and agrochemicals. Many
farmers have been convinced by political leaders that the only
way to improve their production is to purchase seeds, fertiliser
and chemicals.According to the records of the Tamil Nadu farm
ministry who advised him, Sethumadhavan ploughed a green
manure crop, dhaincha, into the soil as an organic manure,
alternated the crop between wet and dry conditions, did not
allow water to stagnate, placed the rice seedlings further apart
than normal and topped up the nutrient supply with inorganic fertiliser. The only machine he used was a hand-


pushed weeder developed for SRI rice crops.The bottom line for small farmers is the extra money that can be
earned from SRI. According to the official Tamil Nadu register, Sethumadhavan would have earned about INRs
98,000 (970) if he grew the rice conventionally on his five acres of land. Instead the farmers additional
income from the SRI crop was INRs 26,500.

IRRI eyes climate-smart rice for dry spell
May 16, 2014 11:53am
With the dry season and possible dry spells from the El Nio weather phenomenon threatening to affect
agricultural output in parts of the country, the Philippines may turn to a new "climate-smart" rice to ensure food
security.The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has developed a stress-tolerant type of rice for Asia
and Africa that can thrive despite flooding, drought and salinity.Researchers at the IRRI in Los Baos in
Laguna are developing these "climate-smart" rice varieties that can survive severe conditions, GMA News'
Katrina Son reported on "Unang Balita."One variety, "sahod-ulan," can survive drought conditions while
another, "sub-one," can thrive despite floods.Meanwhile, the "salinas" variety can survive in salty water.
But such new varieties of rice, while promising, have their limitations.One is that the yield may not be as big as
the ordinary palay. Another is that this rice may taste different.In the meantime, the IRRI is continuing its
research to refine the quality of the new rice varieties.Work on these new varieties of rice has become more
important for farmers who have to cope with the present dry season and the coming El Nio.Last May 1,
Science Secretary Mario Montejo warned El Nio could be felt in the Philippines as early as June.
On the other hand, water levels in several major dams in Luzon have gone down in past weeks, including Angat
Dam, which supplies more than 90 percent of Metro Manila's water needs.Last Monday, water from Angat Dam
for irrigation was cut off after the water level reached the 180-meter critical level for irrigation water.The
critical level for drinking water at Angat Dam is 160 meters. Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News
Tags: irri
Time-befitting efforts for increasing rice production underscored
RANGPUR, May 14 (BSS): Innovation of time-befitting scientific technologies, skills and stress-tolerant rice
varieties along with political will and farmers' endevours can increase rice production to ensure food security
despite climate change impacts.Agriculture experts expressed the views today at a regional workshop jointly
organised by the Integrated Agriculture Productivity Project (IAPP) and Rangpur Regional Station of
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) on IAPP activities here at BRRI station.


Director General of BRRI Dr Jiban Krishna Biswas attended the workshop as the chief guest with Principal
Scientific Officer of BRRI and Head of its Rangpur Regional Station Dr Shahidul Islam in the chair.Director
(Admin & Common Service) of BRRI at Gazipur Dr Shahjahan Kabir, Rangpur Regional Additional Director
of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Mojibul Hoque Miah, Deputy Secretary and Deputy Project
Director of IAPP Hemayet Uddin and Rangpur Regional Project Manager of IAPP Mohammad Ali attended as
the special guests.Eighty officials, experts, scientists and researchers of DAE, BRRI, Seed Certification
Agency, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, Agriculture Information Service, Bangladesh
Agriculture Research Institute and NGOs, farmers and journalists participated.
Dr Shahidul Islam delivered the main keynote paper on IAPP activities being conducted at Rangpur BRRI
Regional Station narrating success achieved in innovating cold and submergence tolerant rice varieties,
disseminating innovated technologies and cropping patterns among the farmers.Senior Scientific Officer (IAPP)
of BRRI Bishnu Pado Roy delivered presentation on 'Validation and Demonstration of Modern Aus, Aman and
Boro Rice', Project Manager (IAPP) of BRRI Dr KM Iftekharuddowla on 'Participatory Variety Selection and
Validation of Submergence Tolerant Rice' while Deputy Project Manager (IAPP) of BRRI presented paper on
'Cold Tolerant Rice and Micro-nutrient Enriched Rice.'
Congress Requests ITC Study on Factors Affecting Global Competitiveness of
U.S. Rice Industry
Globe and magnifying glass Under examination
WASHINGTON, DC -- Yesterday, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI), in coordination
with Representative Charles Boustany (R-LA), a senior member of the committee, wrote to the International Trade
Commission (ITC) requesting a study of the various factors and policies affecting the global competitiveness of the U.S.
rice industry. The study is known as a Section 332 investigation and provides a report to Congress at the conclusion of
the work.

The study will include information on the rice industry in the
U.S. and in major producing and exporting countries, such as
China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Uruguay, and Brazil, and will
contain a comparison of the competitive strengths and
weaknesses of rice production and exports in the U.S. and other
major exporting countries. The scope of the study is broad and
will cover areas like production costs, pricing and marketing
regimes, government policies and programs, and an assessment
on how these policies impact production, exports, consumption,


and prices. The study will also examine the impact on the U.S. rice industry of exports from competitor countries to the
U.S. and traditional U.S. markets like Mexico, Haiti, and West Africa.

USA Rice pursued this action to help provide verifiable data and information about domestic and global factors impacting
the U.S. rice industry, which can be used to reinforce the need for comprehensive, high-standard trade agreements and
aggressive enforcement of existing agreements. The report will focus on the 2009-2013 period and should be submitted to
Congress no later than 11 months from now.
"The USA Rice Federation greatly appreciates Chairman Camp and Representative Boustany for requesting this study
and for their ongoing interest in trade issues impacting the competitiveness of the U.S. rice industry," said USA Rice
Chairman Mark Denman. "We look forward to working with the ITC staff as they undertake this investigation and to
providing industry input as appropriate."
Contact: Bob Cummings, (703) 236-1473
Provisions to Ease the Burden of SPCC Regulation Included in Water
Resources Bill

WASHINGTON, DC -- The recently
released conference report on the Water
Resources Reform and Development Act
(WRRDA) includes language that will
ease the burden on producers to comply
with the Spill Prevention, Control, and
Countermeasure (SPCC) rule. The USA
Rice Federation has been working with
Members of Congress for years to
address this regulatory issue and, thanks
to the leadership of Senator Mark Pryor
(D-AR) and Representative Rick
Crawford (R-AR), this regulatory relief
provision is on track to become law.
The language will raise the threshold
level for triggering the rule to 6,000
gallons. This amount is temporary, at
least until a study is conducted, when the level may be reduced to 2,500 gallons -- still above the current 1,320
gallon threshold. Professional Engineer certification would be required for a farm with an individual tank
capacity greater than 10,000 gallons or aggregate capacity greater than 20,000 gallons. Self-certification would
be allowed for farms with an aggregate capacity less than 20,000 gallons but above either the 6,000 or 2,500


gallon threshold, whichever is determined for use following the study. All of these allowances assume a farm
with no discharge history of oil spills to water.The House and Senate are scheduled to vote on the WRRDA
conference report next week.

Contact: Steve Hensley, (703) 236-1445

Existing Rule Language in WRDA Compliance Triggers
1,320 gallon threshold 2,500/6,000 gallon threshold,
depending upon required
study
Initial Rule Compliance
Threshold
Capacity between 1,320 up to
10,000 gallons and no
container has a capacity larger
than 5,000 gallons. You may
self-certify your own Plan
using the Tier I Qualified
Facility SPCC Plan
Template.

Not Applicable
Self-certification for Template
(short-form SPCC Plan) use
Capacity to store between
1,320 and 10,000 gallons, but
you have a container larger
than 5,000 gallons, You may
also self-certify your
own completePlan.

An aggregate capacity less
than 20,000 gallons but above
either the 6,000 or 2,500
gallon threshold, whichever is
determined for use
Self-certification for SPCC
Plan
More than 10,000 gallons
capacity
Individual tank capacity
greater than 10,000 gallons or
aggregate capacity greater
than 20,000 gallons

USA Rice Answers Farm Bill FAQs
ARLINGTON, VA -- The USA Rice Federation has compiled a comprehensive "frequently asked questions" document
based on the questions raised during the twelve farm bill briefings conducted over the past two months. The FAQ list
covers the major commodity, crop insurance, and conservation provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill and aims to help make
clear how the programs are intended to work. Please note these answers are based on our interpretation of the bill and are
subject to change based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) interpretation and implementation of the bill.
"We are working to provide as many resources as possible to rice producers and other industry members so they are
informed and up to date on the new Farm Bill and the status of implementation," said Reece Langley, USA Rice vice
president of government affairs. "We appreciate all of the good questions and feedback received during the briefings and
Professional Engineer
Certification


are using that information to make USDA aware of potential issues to address during implementation."Please visit the
USA Rice Farm Bill page for more information, resources, and links to useful sites.
Contact: Evan Spencer, (703) 236-1476
Notice of Open Tender

AARQ Association for the Administration of Rice Quotas, Inc.
Independent bids are invited for rights to ship U.S.-origin milled rice to the European Union under a tariff-rate
quota (TRQ) granted by the EU to the United States.Bids must be submitted on May 29, 2014 for the July 2014
TRQ Tranche, in which the following quantity is available:

Volume (metric tons)
EU Duty
Semi-Milled or Milled Rice 9,680 zero
(HTS item 1006.30)

TRQ Certificates will be awarded to the highest bidder(s). Any person or entity incorporated or domiciled in the
United States is eligible to bid. The minimum bid quantity is 18 metric tons. Performance security (the lesser
of $50,000 or the total value of the bid) must be submitted with each bid. Potential bidders may obtain the
required bid forms and bid instructions from:

AARQ Administrator
Economic Consulting Services, LLC
2001 L Street, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, D.C. 20036
Tel: (202) 466-1150 Fax: (202) 785-3330

Note: Potential bidders should consult regulations in the Official Journal of the European Union to determine
the applicable tariff rate on semi-milled/milled rice. AARQ disclaims any responsibility for advising potential
bidders on applicable tariff rates. Potential bidders should also consult EC regulations relating to testing for
unauthorized GMOs.

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for May 16


Month Price Net Change
July 2014 $15.400 + $0.020
September 2014 $14.470 - $0.010
November 2014 $14.605 + $0.010
January 2015 $14.785 + $0.010
March 2015 $14.905 + $0.040
May 2015 $14.905 + $0.040
July 2015 $14.905 + $0.040

Report Cites Crops Most Vulnerable to El Nino
By Alister Doyle, Environmental Correspondent | May 16, 2014
The El Nino weather phenomenon that is likely to strike this year will damage world maize, rice and wheat yields but
boost soybeans, according to a study on Thursday that could help farmers plan what to grow.The Japanese-led report gave
what it called a first global set of maps linking yields of major crops to El Nino, a warming of the surface of the tropical
Pacific Ocean that can trigger downpours or droughts around the globe.The maps are meant to help farmers decide which
crops or varieties to plant and may give governments a famine early warning system, the study in the journal Nature
Communications said.Most forecasts show an El Nino emerging in mid-2014, the U.N.s World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) said last month.
El Nino Spanish for the boy forms every two to seven years and warning signs emerge months in
advance.Thursdays study said mean maize yields fell 2.3 percent in El Nino years compared to normal in 1984-2004, rice
was down 0.4 percent and wheat 1.4 percent.Soybean yields rose 3.5 percent, with rainfall patterns favoring big U.S. and


Brazilian harvests.In years with a La Nina event, the opposite of El Nino and cooling the Pacific surface, yields for all
four dipped, according to the study by scientists in Japan, the United States, Britain, Australia and Denmark.
Lead author Toshichika Iizumi, of Japans National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, said farmers in Australia
were among those who sometimes switched crop plans based on El Nino forecasts. And Indonesia, for instance, advised
rice farmers to change planting dates, based on El Nino phases.I hope the finding of this study extends such efforts to
national governments for controlling food storage, building food trade strategy, and earlier application of food aid in food
insecure regions, he told Reuters.
MAIZE
The report found big variations for each crop. Soybean yields gained overall, for instance, but fell in India and parts of
China in an El Nino year.And maize yields, for example, suffered in the southeastern United States, China, East and West
Africa, Mexico and Indonesia during an El Nino year, but rose in Brazil and Argentina.Robert Stefanski, chief of the
WMO Agricultural Meteorology Program, said the regional impacts were most relevant since he said there was high
uncertainty about global numbers.

It is difficult to develop and use any reliable global impact on global crop production due to El Nino/La Nina, he told
Reuters.Even in vulnerable regions more rain for Indian wheat can be beneficial if it falls during the middle of its crop
cycle but if it falls during harvesting, it can be detrimental, he said.Michaela Kuhl, a commodity analyst at
Commerzbank, said more information about El Ninos links to crops was welcome. She noted the International Cocoa
Organization estimated in 2010 that cocoa yields fall 2.4 percent in El Nino years.But she cautioned its very difficult to
show an influence of El Nino because it doesnt work with the same manner and same strength from one event to
another.
The U.N. panel of climate scientists said in a report last year that downpours linked to El Nino may intensify this century.
It said there are big uncertainties about whether global warming will affect the frequency of El Nino and La
Nina.(Additional reporting by Nigel Hunt in London; Editing by Mark Potter)
Published May 16, 2014
ducks in rice field
If you enjoy watching water fowl flying overhead, partial thasnks should go to the nations rice farmers. Rod Bain reports.



Rice growers turn to side jobs for income while waiting for their
money
Date : 16 2557
BANGKOK, 16 May 2014 (NNT) A survey conducted by
the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives
(BAAC) has revealed that 30.7% of rice growers have
turned to side jobs for income as they wait for payment
owed them under the rice pledging scheme. According to
Lak Watchananwat, the Managing Director of the BAAC,
the survey has indicated that 28.5% of rice growers have
taken out loans to pay for their daily expenses, 21.9% have
to on their savings, 8.8% have been using their farmers'
credit cards and 5.8% have been getting money from other
sources.

For the money required in maintaining their paddies, 65.7% of the respondents indicated they were sourcing
the money from their farmers' credit cards. 59.1% said they were borrowing from various sources. 28.% said
they were using their savings, and 16.1% said they were working side jobs to pay for their paddies. 12.4%
indicated getting money from other sources. Mr. Lak disclosed that the government still owed approximately 82
billion baht to around 720,000 rice growers participating in the rice pledging scheme. He expects all the farmers
to be paid by December or January, at the latest.Your cheap shrimp dinner is hurting the environment and upscale
rice could be the answer
Output to be boosted as RI moves beyond rice
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Business | Fri, May 16 2014, 10:35 AM
The government will accelerate the production of cassava because it is believed the crop can alleviate
challenges such as food and energy shortages.The Agriculture Ministrys post-harvest director Pening Dadih
Permana said on Wednesday that the ministry was currently putting together a strategy for the 2015 to 2019
period, which includes expediting production of several strategic commodities including cassava.The ministry
is focusing on the development of bio-industrial farming, which can produce food and energy, Dadih said,
adding that cassava could be converted into bioethanol.


To accelerate cassava production, the Agriculture Ministry would expand cassavas crop acreage, improve
farmers cultivation techniques and control food imports, he added.Indonesia is still relying on rice as its staple
food, but declining production since the self-sufficient era in the early 1980s has prompted the government to
develop other food sources.Indonesia has the potential [to develop other food sources], Dadih said, adding
that cassava, with its many advantages, might be the answer.
The Indonesian Cassava Community (MSI) chairman Suharyo Husen said that one of the advantages of cassava
was that its cultivation was easy. Besides already being familiar to Indonesians, the cultivation of cassava is
very easy, he added.Achmad Subagio from PT Tiga Pilar Sejahtera Food research department said that cassava
could even be planted on sand. Ive tried to plant cassava on around 3,000 hectares of sand in Jember and
Lumajang and it surprisingly worked, he said.Cassava also had a very high productivity rate compared to
paddy, according to Subagio.

Around 23.5 million tons of cassava were produced from harvest areas of 1.2 million hectares, while 13
million hectares of paddy fields could only produce 65 million tons of rice, he added.Demand for cassava
reached 60 million tons per year, Husen said, but production only reached 23.6 million tons last year, according
to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).
That was a decline from 2012, where production reached 23.8 million as harvest areas also decreased to 1
million hectares last year from 1.1 million hectares the previous year.Dadih said that there were several
obstacles in the development of cassavas production and consumption. The lack of quality seeds and harvest
areas are just some of the hurdles. The price of flour made from cassava is also less competitive compared to
the price of wheat flour, he added. In addition, according to Subagio, there is also a stigma that cassava is food
for the poor. (ask)
Thailand Expands Rice Markets Overseas
BANGKOK, May 16 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Commerce is promoting Thai rice and expanding rice
markets overseas focused on the Japanese market, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.As more Thais and
foreigners visit Japan thanks to Tokyo's visa waiver policy implemented for about six months, Surasak
Riengkrua, director-general of the Department of Foreign Trade told journalists on Friday his department plans
to export more rice to Japan this year.Surasak noted that up to about 262,200 tonnes of Thai rice were exported
to Japan last year, earning the kingdom US$139 million.During the first four months of the year, more than
100,000 tonnes of Thai rice worth about US$50 million were exported to the Japanese market.


Surasak said he is optimistic that Thailand should be able to export over 300,000 tonnes of rice to Japan this
year.A delegation led by officials from the Department of Foreign Trade are currently attending a five-day Thai
food fair in Tokyo to promote several strains of Thai grains in particular the premium fragrant rice or "Hom
Mali" rice to Japanese consumers.The foreign trade officials are also discussing with several Japanese
government agencies to explore ways to strengthen bilateral trade relations between Tokyo and Bangkok.The
Department of Foreign Trade plans to organise roadshows in the Middle East and Africa beginning this month
to increase rice exports to the two regions.
-- BERNAMA
18 bidders took part in AFETs rice auction yesterday
Friday, 16 May 2014By NNT
BANGKOK, 16 May 2014 The
Commerce Ministry revealed that the
auction of 200,000 tons of the
governments pledged rice through the
Agricultural Futures Exchange of
Thailand (AFET) has attracted 18
bidders. Deputy Commerce Minister
Yanyong Phuangrach said that the 11th
AFET rice auction offered more than
130,000 tons of white rice with 5%
moisture content.
The auction prices offered a 2.40 - 3.88 baht discount from the market price tag. The bidding was also able to
sell 4,000 tons of 100% class-2 Jasmine fragrant rice at a price lower than the street value by 4.70 - 4.80 baht
per kilo.The deputy minister said the previous 10 AFET rice auctions had successfully sold 588,000 tons of
stockpiled rice worth 7 billion baht, while assuring that the Commerce Ministry would soon be able to achieve
its goal of selling 1 million tons of pledged rice.Meanwhile, Department of Foreign Trade Director General,
Surasak Riengkrue, indicated that the Commerce Ministry has already returned 20 billion baht it had borrowed
from the governments central budget. He said the Ministry would wait for a new government to form before
deciding whether it would raise another loan.

Food production target 2014-15 fixed at 261 mn tonnes
Rice and wheat marginally higher, coarse cereals lag


Anindita Dey | Mumbai
May 16, 2014 Last Updated at 17:01 IST
The government has fixed a conservative estimate of total foodgrain production for the year 2014-15 owing to
apprehension of below normal monsoon.According to official estimates, food grain production is fixed at 261
million tonnes for 2014-15, marginally higher than 259 million tonnes ( MT) in the year 2013-14. While rabi
andkharif output combined together, rice and wheat production will be marginally higher, total coarse cereal
production is lower than last year.Total rice production is pegged at 106 MT in 2014-15 ( 105 Mt last year )
and wheat at 95 Mt as against 92.50 MT. On the other hand, total coarse cereals production is marginally lower
at 41.50 MT ( 42.50 MT). Incidentally, both total pulses and oilseeds production for 2014-15 have been
estimated to be higher at 19.50 MT and 33 MT as against 19 MT and 31 MT last year respectively.

According to estimates of Indian Meteorological Department, the probability of a normal monsoon is 35 per
cent while that of a below normal monsoon is 33 per cent . Among major cash crops, total sugarcane
production for 2014-15 is estimated at 345 MT as against 340 MT while cotton production is pegged flat at 35
million bales and jute lower at 10.50 million bales compared to 11 million bales last year. One million bales is
170 kg of cotton and 180 kg of jute.Going by the monsoon condition, the government has also prepared a
detailed contingency plan for the states to meet different situations arising out of delayed/deficient rainfall,
prolonged spells of drought, excess rainfall etc.

Officials said that there is a problem of shortage of soyabean seed as the availability is lower by about 7 lakh
quintals as compared to their requirement. In order to augment availability of soyabean seed, various initiatives
have been suggested to create awareness campaign, identification of farm saved seeds, and use of seed planters
and dibblers.As an overall strategy, the planning for Kharif 2014 has to focus on eastern India for cereals, crop
diversification in North-Western Region and coverage of higher area under pulses and oilseeds along with
adequate administrative and financial back up to farmers.

There are proposals of subsidy to be given to replace old varieties of paddy with hybrid rice, use of farm saved
seeds and drum seeder in Uttar Pradesh, to promote direct seeded rice in Jharkhand, hybrid rice cultivation in
Odisha, zero tillage of rice in West Bengal.More area under millets is one of the main agenda for Kharif 2014.
As a plan to cut down loss in production of current Rabi crops due to likely spells of sporadic rains, states have
been suggested o ensure that after harvesting the produce is immediately shifted to a warehouse or a protected


area. This could be done through proper utilization of rural godown facilities available at primary level
cooperative society, promotion of FPOs & PPP model for procurement, pledge loan facilities to farmers by
negotiable warehouse receipt at mandi level and availability of godown under state warehousing corporation be
made to farmers on priority.

India will produce record 264.38 mt of foodgrain in 2013-14: Govt
While the total foodgrain production was pegged at 263.2 mt in Feb, govt, on account of record production,
revised the estimates upward by 1 million
Good monsoon last year has helped achieve record output in many crops, say govt sources. Photo: Mint
New Delhi: The government on Friday
revised upwards foodgrain production
estimates by over 1 million tonne (mt) to a
record 264.38 mt for the 2013-14 crop year
on account of record wheat and rice
output.India is likely to produce 264.38 mt
of foodgrain during 2013-14 compared with
257.13 mt last year, the agriculture ministry
said in a statement, while releasing the third
advance estimates of crop production in the
2013-14 crop year (July-June).In the second
advance estimates, released in February, the
total foodgrain production was pegged at
263.2 mt.Good monsoon last year helped
achieve record output in many crops.

Rice production is expected at record 106.29 mt and wheat production is expected to reach 95.85 mt, again a
record, the statement said.In the previous crop year, rice and wheat production stood at 105.24 mt and 93.51
mt respectively. Record production has also been achieved in the case of tur (3.38 mt), gram (9.93 mt), maize
(24.19 mt), all pulses put together (19.57 mt), cotton (36.50 million bales) and jute (10.82 million
bales).Previous production records for total foodgrain, rice and wheat were achieved in 2011-12 crop year, at
259.32 mt, 105.31 mt and 94.88 mt respectively.


BANGKOK, 16 May 2014 (NNT) A survey conducted by the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives
(BAAC) has revealed that 30.7% of rice growers have turned to side jobs for income as they wait for payment owed
them under the rice pledging scheme.

According to Lak Watchananwat, the Managing
Director of the BAAC, the survey has indicated that
28.5% of rice growers have taken out loans to pay
for their daily expenses, 21.9% have to on their
savings, 8.8% have been using their farmers' credit
cards and 5.8% have been getting money from other
sources.For the money required in maintaining their
paddies, 65.7% of the respondents indicated they
were sourcing the money from their farmers' credit
cards. 59.1% said they were borrowing from various
sources. 28.% said they were using their savings, and
16.1% said they were working side jobs to pay for
their paddies. 12.4% indicated getting money from other sources.Mr. Lak disclosed that the government still
owed approximately 82 billion baht to around 720,000 rice growers participating in the rice pledging scheme.
He expects all the farmers to be paid by December or January, at the latest.
Your cheap shrimp dinner is hurting the environment and upscale rice
could be the answer

Remember when shrimp was a luxury item? These days, it can seem as
ubiquitous as chicken. One of the reasons is an explosion in shrimp farming in
coastal areas around the world, especially in India and Southeast Asia.
Image:A sauteed shrimp with garlic ajillo and guindilla pepper plate is prepared at The
Bazaar restaurant at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.


The shrimp boom has been great for consumers and producers, but it is causing problems for people in out of
the way places that farm shrimp, like Neendakara.Neendakara is a typical south Indian coastal village. Chirping
sparrows and cuckoos flit above placid lakes and coconut trees on the shore of the Arabian Sea.But a closer
look at the rustic setting reveals a harsh reality. Most of the homes here are crumbling.Philomena, her husband
and their two children live in a small brick home they bought16 years ago.
For at least half that time, Philomena says, the plaster has been falling off the walls. She says they keep fixing
them, and the cracks just keep re-appearing.Below the plaster, the exposed red bricks appear to be turning to
dust. To find the cause, all you have to do is rub your fingers on the wall and taste the powder that comes
off.The walls are covered in a thin layer of salt. And its coming from the nearby shrimp ponds.The closest
pond is about 100 yards away. It is five feet deep and brimming with shrimp larvae part of an explosion in
shrimp production in this area over the last 15 years to feed the booming global market.That boom has created
thousands of jobs in the region and made some here very rich. But the salty water from the ponds is slowly
seeping into the ground and leaching into the buildings walls. Its also making the soil too salty to grow most
crops.
Critics argue that the benefit is not worth the cost. That is not sustainable, says V. Sreekumaran, a plant
scientist at nearby Kerala University.But he says he has a solution to the salinity problem: rice.Behind his
office, Sreekumarans team is growing rice plants each about three feet tall, with a little label. Theyre cross-
breeding some of Indias highest yielding rice varieties with a traditional, salt-tolerant type called Pokkali.The
researcher says Pokkali used to be widely cultivated around here, but that most farmers here havent grown rice
in years. Farmers prefer to lease their land to shrimp farmers or developers, since that is a lot more profitable
than cultivating rice.
He believes, though, that breeding new,
higher-yield Pokkali varieties could
help farmers shift back to what they used
to do raise the valuable shrimp, known
here as prawns, for half the year, then
drain the ponds and grow the salt-tolerant


rice for the rest of the year.It is an integrated farming system, Sreekumaran says. One crop of rice followed
by prawn crop.The beauty of the system, he says, is that while prawns need salty water, rice needs to be
submerged in fresh water. This part of Kerala gets a lot of rain. So when farmers alternate shrimp with Pokkali
rice, the ponds hold rainwater while the rice grows. That freshwater seeps into the ground, replenishes the
aquifer and flushes some of the salt out of the soil.Planting Pokkali here could have a broader benefit.
A mile or so from Philomenas house, the Arabian Sea crashes into a seawall. With climate change, sea levels
are slowly creeping up. Scientists expect that will speed up saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers. Pokkali
supporters hope a shift back toward rice-growing can help slow that process by increasing the flow of fresh
water into the ground.But to succeed, fans of the rice have to convince local farmers to start growing it again.
And that means selling villagers on its benefits.

They hope to market Pokkali as a premium organic product to get higher prices for it, and to sell its ability to
help fight the salt problem. The idea seems to be slowly taking root.On a recent Sunday evening in Neendakara,
a small group of Pokkali farmers distribute newly harvested rice to local residents near a church. Every family
that worked in the field gets 10 kilograms, or 22 pounds.One of them, Indira Kannan, says she can already see
the benefits of planting Pokkali after just one year.

Before, we couldnt grow any plants in our backyard because the soil was too salty, she says. Now, some
vegetables are taking root.It will take more than a few activists to push the pendulum back against the highly-
profitable shrimp industry here. Supporters say it will take government support to help pay for the benefits of
the Pokkali system.But farmer Indira Kannan says she, at least, is already sold. We wont agree to doing just
prawn farming anymore, she says. Well be planting rice this year, as well.
Image: Shrimp ponds like these have proliferated in southern India over the last 15 years or so. They've brought
economic benefits but environmental problems.

16th May, 2014 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

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