23rd June, 2014 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

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TOP Contents - Tailored for YOU
Latest News Headlines
Import limits on rice to be extended
Korea faces dilemma over rice market opening
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- June 23
Chinese weather experts expect El Nino to form soon
NFA: No rice shortage in Western Visayas
NFA Bukidnon intensifies palengke watch
Rice import controls to stay until 17
Philippines Says Rice Import Restrictions to Stay Until 2017
Basmati rice exports up by Rs 10,000 crore
The global rice market winks at El Nio and Thai problems
Kharif Sowing Picks Up; Crosses 95 lakh Hectare so far
In Memory: John E. Tull, Jr.
New & Improved MenuRice.com is Launched
Crop Progress: 2014 Crop 99 Percent Emerged
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
Cereal grain is an essential part of UAE diets because of resilience and availability
PH secures WTO approval to extend import limits on rice
US lawmaker, rice growers welcome probe into global rice trade
New study may improve rice productivity
News Detail
Import limits on rice to be extended


THE PHILIPPINES, one of the worlds biggest rice buyers, expects to keep quantitative restriction on
purchases of the grain in place until 2017 after winning international support, a Cabinet official yesterday said.

Talks in Geneva between the Philippines and concerned countries were
successful and a formal approval by the World Trade Organization
(WTO) of the extension of import restrictions could come as early as
July, Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said.We have secured it
already, he told reporters, referring to the countrys bid to maintain
high tariffs on rice, which should have expired -- after an earlier five-
year extension -- in 2012.Mr. Alcala said the petition was approved by
the WTO Committee on Trade in Goods, which would be endorsing it
to the Geneva-based organizations general council.Our negotiators
have succeeded, he said, adding that between now and 2017, we will still have control over rice that will enter the
country.
This will allow for an increase in the minimum access volume (MAV) and the continued imposition of a 40% tariff on
imports within the 350,000 metric ton MAV and 50% outside of the quota, Mr. Alcala said.He did not say by how much
the MAV would be increased.In line with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations economic integration plan,
meanwhile, rice sourced from within the region would be slapped with a 35% levy. The Philippines imports most of its
rice from fellow ASEAN member Vietnam, the worlds number two exporter of the grain after India.Removing the
restrictions has been a hot trade issue in the Philippines, with the government pushing to keep the high tariffs to protect
local farmers despite the countrys commitment to support the removal of global trade barriers.In April, the WTO said the
Philippines had asked for a waiver of its commitment to open its rice market, with Indonesia, India, Vietnam and China
supporting the request.
At that time, Thailand, Canada, Australia and the United States were still consulting with the Philippines, the WTO said in
a notice posted on its website.Critics of President Benigno S. C. Aquino IIIs rice import policy blame the restrictions for
the rampant smuggling of the national staple into the country.The past six months saw the governments grains
procurement agency, the National Food Authority, buying a total of 1.3 million tons of Vietnamese rice tariff free, its
biggest purchase since 2010, to boost dwindling stockpiles and curb increases in local prices.The government failed to
meet its end-2013 rice inventory and self-sufficiency targets and blamed natural calamities last year, including a super
typhoon, for the tight local supply. -- main report by Reuters
Image:A woman sets up sacks of rice in many varieties in front of her stall in a market in Manila. BW file photo
Korea faces dilemma over rice market opening
South Korea is set to make a decision on opening its rice market with the deadline set by the World Trade
Organization approaching.Up to now, a quota system has limited rice imports to some 8 percent of the local market,


but the deal with the WTO ends this year. Now, the government has two possible options: to liberalize its rice market
or to ask the world trade body for another waiver to the rice market opening. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Rural Affairs is expecting to announce its stance later this week, following a public hearing last Friday and most
market watchers predict the ministry will propose the market opening option.The ministry has insisted that
liberalizing the countrys rice market is inevitable, given the already overly high rice import quota that has been
growing steadily since 1993. Since 2004, the country has imported around 7.96 percent of its domestic rice
consumption per year.
The ministry is trying hard to convince local farmers to accept the market opening by promising that they would
impose high-level tariffs on rice imports. It also promised to exclude rice from the negotiation tables for free trade
deals. Farmers are divided over the market liberalization. The Korean Advanced Farmers Federation, a lobby group
of local farmers who grow only rice, said they can accept the opening of the market if the government keeps tariffs
for imported rice as high as possible. They are asking for 300 percent to 500 percent tariffs. The progressive Korean
Peasants League, however, is strongly protesting against the market opening, citing worries about free trade
agreements potential threats to the local agricultural industry.If we open the market, we will lose the ground of our
rice farming and food sovereignty, an official from the Korean Peasants League said.
The farmers insist that the government should request a waiver from the WTO to keep its restrictions on imported
rice, though it still requires approval from the members of trade organization.But the problem, experts point out, is
that the delay in the market opening could result in a significant increase in rice imports quota, given the case of the
Philippines.The Philippines was given last week another five-year extension delaying the market opening in
exchange for more than doubling its mandatory rice imports to over 800,000 tons per year.A continued decline in
South Koreas rice consumption has become a roadblock to extension of the rice quota system. Per capita
consumption expected to shrink 1.75 percent on-year to 67.3 kilograms, according to the ministry.If we opt to go
for another waiver, we have no choice but to significantly reduce our own rice production to avoid an oversupply, a
ministry official said.
By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- June 23
Mon Jun 23, 2014 2:16pm IST
Nagpur, June 23 (Reuters) - Gram prices in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and
Marketing Committee (APMC) zoomed up on renewed seasonal demand from local millers amid weak
supply from producing regions. Delay in monsoon reports, sharp recovery on NCDEX, upward trend
in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and enquiries from South-based millers also pushed up price,
according to sources.

* * * *


FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Gram varieties recovered in open market on good buying support from local traders
amid restricted supply from producing belts.

TUAR
* Tuar varieties firmed up in open market on increased seasonal demand from local
traders amid weak overseas supply.

* Watana dal suffered heavily in open market here on poor buying support from local
traders amid profit-taking selling by stockists at higher level.

* In Akola, Tuar - 3,800-4,100, Tuar dal - 5,700-6,000, Udid at 6,500-6,800,
Udid Mogar (clean) - 7,600-8,100, Moong - 7,200-7,600, Moong Mogar
(clean) 8,600-9,300, Gram - 2,000-2,200, Gram Super best bold - 3,000-3,300
for 100 kg.

* Wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market
in thin trading activity, according to sources.

Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg

FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 2,075-2,510 2,020-2,400
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction n.a. 3,740-4,100
Moong Auction n.a. 4,400-4,700
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Gram Super Best Bold 3,600-3,700 3,500-3,600
Gram Super Best n.a.
Gram Medium Best 3,200-3,400 3,100-3,300
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a.
Gram Mill Quality 2,850-2,950 2,800-2,900
Desi gram Raw 2,300-2,800 2,300-2,700
Gram Filter new 3,000-3,200 2,900-3,100
Gram Kabuli 8,000-9,700 8,000-9,700
Gram Pink 7,300-7,500 7,300-7,500
Tuar Fataka Best 6,200-6,500 6,100-6,400
Tuar Fataka Medium 6,000-6,200 5,900-6,100
Tuar Dal Best Phod 5,600-5,850 5,500-5,700
Tuar Dal Medium phod 5,300-5,600 5,100-5,400


Tuar Gavarani 4,300-4,400 4,200-4,300
Tuar Karnataka 4,100-4,200 4,000-4,100
Tuar Black 7,400-7,700 7,400-7,700
Masoor dal best 6,000-6,200 6,000-6,200
Masoor dal medium 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold 8,800-9,500 8,800-9,500
Moong Mogar Medium best 8,200-8,600 8,200-8,600
Moong dal super best 7,600-8,000 7,600-8,000
Moong dal Chilka 7,700-8,300 7,700-8,300
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 7,800-9,000 7,800-9,000
Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 8,200-8,500 8,200-8,500
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,800-7,600 6,800-7,600
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,700-6,000 5,700-6,000
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,800 3,800-4,800
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,200 3,100-3,400
Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,700-3,800 3,700-3,800
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 5,100-5,700 5,100-5,700
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,200-1,500 1,200-1,500
Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,500-1,600 1,500-1,600
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,200-1,400 1,200-1,400
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,200 1,900-2,200
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,800 1,600-1,800
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 2,500-3,200 2,500-3,200
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,400 2,000-2,400
Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG) 1,100-1,300 1,100-1,300
Wheat Best (100 INR/KG) 1,500-1,800 1,500-1,800
Rice BPT (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,200 2,900-3,200
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,800 1,600-1,800
Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG) 2,700-2,900 2,600-2,800
Rice HMT (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,200 3,800-4,200
Rice HMT Shriram (100 INR/KG) 4,400-5,200 4,400-5,200
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 10,400-13,900 10,400-13,900
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,300-10,000 7,300-10,500
Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,400 4,800-5,400
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,300-1,500 1,300-1,500
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,700 1,600-1,700

WEATHER (NAGPUR)


Maximum temp. 39.4 degree Celsius (102.9 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
28.0 degree Celsius (82.4 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.
Rainfall : nil
FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky. Maximum and Minimum temperature likely to be around 39 and 27 degree
Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.

Chinese weather experts expect El Nino to form soon
Southeast Asia's booming palm oil industry is facing a double blow from a recent drought and a possible El Nino weather
phenomenon later this year.
Reuters
Wednesday, Jun 18, 2014
BEIJING - Chinese meteorological experts are forecasting that an El
Nino weather pattern could start to affect the country as early as next
month, and may hurt domestic rice and corn production.El Nino, a
warming of sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific, can disrupt weather
across the entire ocean region. It has previously triggered flooding in
China's southern rice-growing regions and caused droughts in corn-
producing areas of the north."According to our forecasts, we are basically
sure that El Nino will happen, and the key issue right now is how strong
it will be," said Ding Yihui, a climate change adviser to the China Meteorological Administration, according to
a transcript of a meeting posted on the administration's website (www.cma.gov.cn).
Zheng Fei, a researcher at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences,
estimated at the same meeting that the probability of an El Nino striking was more than 70 per cent for July and
80 per cent for August.The forecasts from China are in line with those in Australia, the United States and
Japan."Historic data showed that El Nino could have a big impact on corn crops in the north," said Zheng
Dawei, a professor at the China Agricultural University. He said droughts triggered by El Nino in 2009 reduced
corn output in the north. Dry weather has already begun in parts of northern China and could worsen in autumn,
he said.The country's rice harvest could also be affected, said Zheng.


An El Nino triggered the worst flooding along China's Yangtze River in half a century in 1998, killing
thousands as swollen rivers burst their banks and destroying crops.Ding said an El Nino could reduce global
grain output by between 2 and 2.4 per cent, but the damage could be more devastating if the weather pattern
persisted for two or three years.He said droughts triggered by El Nino events in 1972 had inflicted severe water
shortages on several Chinese cities.Ding forecast the El Nino's strength could peak around the end of 2014,
when temperatures were likely to rise above average. Some experts were estimating temperatures around 2-4
degrees Celsius higher than normal, he added.
NFA: No rice shortage in Western Visayas
By Lydia C. Pendon
Monday, June 23, 2014
THE National Food Authority (NFA) has assured there will be sufficient rice supply and there is no rice
shortage in Western Visayas as five out of six provinces in the region are rice producers.NFA regional officer
Hedy Jardeleza said there is no case of rice hoarding in the region even if there is no price control on rice for the
grain traders.The NFA said there is a total industry inventory of 4 million bags of rice covering 1.2 million in
the private sector business and 2.8 million in the households.The current rice inventory does not include the
NFA buffer stock which is more than 700,000 bags good for 14 days.

Four vessels carrying 423,400 bags of imported rice from Vietnam will also arrive soon as part of assuring
available stocks in July and August.Jardeleza said the regions harvest season starts from third week of August
to December this year, thereby ensuring the region of sufficient rice supply.NFA is selling rice at P27 per kilo
of 25 percent broken grain and another P32 per kilo of 15 percent broken grain which is comparable to the
prices of commercial rice in the market.Jardeleza said there are 670 registered NFA rice outlets in the region
and Iloilo has been given with 50 bags per week.
NFA Bukidnon intensifies palengke watch

BY: RUBY LEONORA R. BALISTOY
Monday 23rd of June 2014
MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon, June 23 (PIA)National Food Authority (NFA) Bukidnon said it is continuing tight
monitoring of rice in the provinces major markets to ensure that prices are reasonable and affordable during the lean
season.In an inquiry before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Agriculture and Food, NFA Provincial Manager
Juliet A. Obeso said commercial rice prices may increase during months of July, August, and September because this is
planting season, and traditionally, rice traders take advantage of this lean harvest time of the year to rake in more profit.


Hence, Palengke Watch teams have been mobilized to keep track of the supply and prices in the market and safeguard
government rice against unscrupulous traders, she said.NFA rice in various accredited sales outlets province-wide is sold
at P32.00 per kilo. In targeted barangays, however, P27.00 per kilo of NFA rice is also available. This intends to give
options to those who want it at cheap price, as specified in NFA Targeted Rice Distribution Program (TRDP), Obeso
said.The agency regularly coordinates with barangay and municipal government in doing rounds of visiting public
markets to ensure that subsidized government rice gets to the intended beneficiaries.Monitoring teams should reflect in
their reports the lowest, modal, and highest prices of commercial rice. Accredited retailers must sell it at the prescribed
price set by authorities and never resort to short-weighing or mislabelling, she said.

The Palengke Watch teams also check whether every licensed grains retailer and wholesaler complies with NFA rules
and regulations.NFA advised every licensed grains trader to implement the prescribed facilities and equipment such as
duly calibrated weighing scales, storage space, and white-painted rice boxes. There should also be a display of prescribed
signboards on the exterior wall of grains establishment bearing the name of the licensee, the NFA control number and the
words Licensed Grain Retailer or Licensed Grain Wholesaler.
Grain retailers are reminded to abide by these requirements. Violators of NFA Rules and Regulations shall be meted the
corresponding penalty. (RLRB, PIA 10 Bukidnon)

Rice import controls to stay until 17
By Ronnel W. Domingo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
12:07 am | Tuesday, June 24th, 2014
Meet Damac this June 25th

The Philippines has practically secured an extension of rice import barriers until 2017 as all countries with interest in
accessing the local market have assented, Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said Monday.Our trade (negotiating)
panel was successful in Geneva, Alcala said, referring to the home city of the World Trade Organization or WTO.The
WTOs Council for Trade in Goods will endorse this (extension of quantitative restrictions on Philippine importation of
milled rice) for approval when the WTO general council convenes in July, he added.
The WTOs highest-level decision-making body is scheduled to meet on July 24-25.The agriculture chief said that this
next step was merely formality and that the Philippines could now, with authority, continue observing the controlled
entry of imported rice into the domestic market.But this is just a temporary relief for our rice farmers, Alcala said.
They must take advantage of the (remaining three and a half years) to make themselves competitive.Alcala said Filipino


farmers spend about P11 to produce a kilo of palay. Cost of production is pegged at an equivalent of P8.40 a kilo in
Thailand and P5.60 in Vietnam.

Philippines Says Rice Import Restrictions to Stay Until 2017
By Reuters on 12:28 pm Jun 23, 2014
Category Business, Commodities
Tags: Philippines, rice, Trade

Farmers plant rice at a field near Banda Aceh, in this December 11, 2012 file picture. The Philippines is one of
the worlds biggest importers of rice, and the government plans to keep tariffs in place to protect local farmers.
(Reuters Photo/Damir Sagolj)
Manila. The Philippines, one of the worlds biggest rice buyers,
expects to keep quantitative restrictions on its purchases of the
grain in place until 2017 after winning international support to
maintain import curbs, its agriculture secretary said on
Monday.This means the Southeast Asian nation will continue to
impose a 40 percent duty on rice shipments for a yearly
minimum access volume of 350,000 metric tons. It imports
most of its rice from Vietnam, the worlds number two exporter
of the grain after India.Removing the restrictions on rice imports
has been a hot trade issue in the Philippines, with the
government pushing to keep the high tariffs to protect local
farmers despite the countrys commitment to support the removal of global trade barriers.Recent negotiations in
Geneva between the Philippines and concerned countries were successful and a formal approval by the World
Trade Organization of the extension of import restrictions could come as early as July, said Agriculture
Secretary Proceso Alcala.We have secured it already, he told reporters, referring to the countrys bid to
extend the import restrictions that were supposed to have expired in 2012.In April, the WTO said the
Philippines had asked for a waiver of its commitment to open its rice market, with Indonesia, India, Vietnam
and China supporting the request.At that time, Thailand, Canada, Australia and the United States were still
consulting with the Philippines on its request, the WTO said in a notice posted on its website.
Critics of President Benigno Aquinos rice import policy blame the restrictions for the rampant smuggling of
the national staple into the country.The past six months saw the state grains procurement agency, National Food
Authority, buying a total of 1.3 million tons of Vietnamese rice tariff free, its biggest purchase since 2010, to
boost dwindling stockpiles and curb increases in local prices.The government failed to meet its end-2013 rice


inventory and self-sufficiency targets and blamed natural calamities last year, including a super typhoon, for the
tight local supply.
Basmati rice exports up by Rs 10,000 crore
Discussion in 'Central & South Asia' started by sherin616, Sunday at 9:08 PM.
Ikhhlaq Singh Aujla, TNN | Jun 22, 2014, 01.46AM IST

CHANDIGARH: Demand for biryani in the Middle East has spurred basmati
rice exports from India which registered a huge jump of Rs 9,890.58 crore in
2013-14 as compared to the previous season. Riding on strong overseas
demand especially from Iran and Saudi Arabia, the value of basmati rice
exports jumped by 50.96%. According to the figures available with the
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Agency, India
exported about 37.57 lakh tonnes basmati rice from April 2013 to March 2014
valued at Rs 29,299.96 crore. In the previous season about 34.59 lakh tonnes of
basmati rice was exported for Rs 19,409.38 crore to the country's rice
exporters.
Iran is the biggest importer by accounting for 37.46% of the total value of the
trade like the preceding year. India exported about 14.41 lakh tonnes of
basmati rice to Iran worth Rs 10,975.71 crore. Saudi Arabia was second by
buying about 8.26 lakh tonnes at Rs 6,717.06 crore which is 22.93% of the
total trade value.
The surge in basmati rice demand overseas set the cash registers of exporters ringing and it also bode well for the
Indian farmers particularly from Punjab and Haryana who contribute nearly 70% to country's basmati output. Rates
of paddy of evolved basmati varieties like Pusa 1121 and PB 1509 were in the range of Rs 3,500 to Rs 4,500 per
quintal in major mandis of Punjab and Haryana. In 2013-14, Punjab had about 5.59 lakh hectares (ha) of area under
basmati with an output of 14.87 lakh tonnes while in Haryana the area under the crop was 7.21 lakh ha producing
18.90 lakh tonnes. Hoping the export demand to remain bullish, farmers in both states are planning to increase the
basmati acreage but agriculture department officials and experts have advised caution.
Punjab farm department has set the target of area under basmati in the state this kharif season at 6.40 lakh ha up by
nearly 80,000 ha from last year. Punjab commissioner of agriculture Balwinder Singh Sidhu said farmers need to be
cautious as basmati prices are dependent on export demand. "There is no imminent threat to basmati demand in the
international market, still farmers may not get as high rates as they got last year," he said. Farm economist P S
Rangi, marketing consultant with the Punjab State Farmers Commission, said, "It is advised that farmers should not


increase their cropping area under basmati dramatically as it could lead to higher output, which may not match pace
with the demand."THE TIMES OF INDIA
CHANDIGARH: Demand for biryani in the Middle East has spurred basmati rice exports from India which
registered a huge jump of Rs 9,890.58 crore in 2013-14 as compared to the previous season. Riding on strong
overseas demand especially from Iran and Saudi Arabia, the value of basmati rice exports jumped by 50.96%.
According to the figures available with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Agency,
India exported about 37.57 lakh tonnes basmati rice from April 2013 to March 2014 valued at Rs 29,299.96 crore. In
the previous season about 34.59 lakh tonnes of basmati rice was exported for Rs 19,409.38 crore to the country's rice
exporters.


CHANDIGARH: Demand for biryani in the Middle East has spurred basmati rice exports from India which
registered a huge jump of Rs 9,890.58 crore in 2013-14 as compared to the previous season.
Riding on strong overseas demand especially from Iran and Saudi Arabia, the value of basmati rice exports jumped
by 50.96%.According to the figures available with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export
Development Agency, India exported about 37.57 lakh tonnes basmati rice from April 2013 to March 2014 valued at
Rs 29,299.96 crore. In the previous season about 34.59 lakh tonnes of basmati rice was exported for Rs 19,409.38
crore to the country's rice exporters.


Written by Samarendu Mohanty
MON,23 JUNE 2014
The global rice market has been quite uneventful in the past several months. The news of possible monsoon
failure in India and Southeast Asia because of El Nio, the uncertainties involving the Thai rice-pledging
scheme, and the fate of existing rice stocks have failed to perturb the market.The only exceptional event in the
market has been the steady downward slide of Thai rice prices because of uncertainties in the pledging scheme.
Between February 2013 and May 2014, the Thai price for 25% broken rice declined by more than 40% from
US$584 to $346 per ton. During the same period, the large spread of $150200 per ton between Thai and
competitor prices (India, Vietnam, and Pakistan) more or less disappeared, and, in some cases, the Thai price
fell below some competitor prices.


This has enabled Thailand to export more in the international market. During the first four months of 2014, Thai
rice exports increased to 2.93 million tons compared with 1.98 million tons during the same time a year ago.The
failure of the Thai government to raise funds for the pledging scheme to continue because of political turmoil
and the caretaker status of the government led to the steep decline in Thai rice prices in the past several months.
In addition, the government has been auctioning rice from existing stocks to raise funds to pay off farmers who
pledged rice late last year, putting further downward pressure on Thai prices.
Although the current military junta in Thailand is concerned about the low rice prices for farmers, it is not clear
what measures it will implement to raise these prices. The government has also not spelled out its plan on how
its existing stocks will be released to the market. We hope that the current government will not repeat the
mistake made by its predecessor and will find a nondistorting way to support farm income if it desires to do so
and let the market work. If this happens, Thai rice exports will rise and, undoubtedly, the country will become
the top exporter again.Apart from political uncertainties in Thailand, the rice market also faces weather
uncertainties in the coming months because of El Nio.
Many rice-growing countries in South and Southeast Asia are cautiously optimistic on rainfall distribution in
the next few months that will determine the fate of the biggest crop of the year.In the case of India, the largest
exporter in the world, where the wet-season crop accounts for more than 85% of the total crop, the southwest
monsoon arrived in Kerala on 6 June, after missing its date with the country by 5 days. Some uncertainties exist
on how quickly it will spread to the rest of the country. Earlier this season, forecasters had predicted the
monsoon rainfall in India this year to be 95% of the long-term average, with an error of 5%. Apart from India,
two Southeast Asian rice importers, Indonesia and the Philippines, are also bracing for weather disruptions from
El Nio.
Where is the market going?
This all depends on the fury of El Nio. If the drought is severe in large parts of South and Southeast Asia, it
will put pressure on rice prices despite adequate global rice stocks right now. We are undoubtedly in a much
better position with a global stocks-to-use ratio of 23.5% now compared with 18.5% in 2007. The stocks have
increased by 36 million tons from 75 million tons in 2007 to 111 million tons in 2014 (Production, Supply, and
Distribution Online, USDA).But the bad news is that almost all the increases in these rice stocks are primarily
with India, China, and Thailandand a majority of them are in government warehouses rather than with private
traders. In case of a crisis or production shortfalls, this may create panic among rice-importing countries as they
will be unsure whether these government-held stocks will be available for sale and at what price.
In the case of India, the new government was just sworn in a few weeks ago and it is not clear how it will react
to any significant production shortfall caused by weather disruptions. As of 16 June 2014, the monsoon season
was already 10 days behind in a majority of the rice-growing belts in the country. The new government is
already jittery about the poor prospects of monsoon crops, particularly rice. Although the current government
rice stock of 28 million tons (as of 1 June 2014) is at a quite adequate level, it has declined by 4 million tons
from 32 million tons at the same time last year. The new government will be under pressure if planting is
substantially delayed because of the late onset of monsoon and it may take measures to restrict exports, at least
for nonbasmati rice, to safeguard its domestic food supply and keep enough in its warehouses to meet the need
of the National Food Security Act.


In the case of Thailand, it is becoming more evident that its rice-pledging scheme will not come back. Without
it, it is a no-brainer that Thai farmers will plant less rice in the wet season. But, that should not be a problem for
the global market because Thailand has plenty of stocks to make up for the shortfall.Indonesia and the
Philippines, two major rice importers in Southeast Asia, are also expected to be affected by El Nio. As of April
2014, the Philippines had a rice stock of 2.18 million tons, sufficient for 64 days of domestic consumption.
Similarly, Indonesia has 6.8 million tons of rice stock to meet its domestic consumption for 62 days. So, any
significant weather disruptions will push these countries to import more, thus raising global rice prices. China,
the largest importer of rice in the world, is also expected to be affected by El Nio in the form of heavy rains
and flooding in the major rice-growing parts of the country.
If the rice crop is affected and the domestic rice price goes up, Chinese traders will have more reasons to
import more rice than what market pundits have predicted.Overall, the market is well positioned to handle a
moderate drought and other incidences of extreme weather. Thai rice stocks will come in handy to keep the
market stable to some extent, but significant weather disruptions in key rice-growing countries will eventually
move prices higher. We hope that countries will not repeat the mistakes they made in 2007 by imposing an

Kharif Sowing Picks Up; Crosses 95 lakh Hectare so far
Capital Market
June 20, 2014 Last Updated at 18:22 IST

Preliminary reports of sowing of kharif crops have been received from States. Kharif sowing area has crossed
95 lakh hectare.It is reported that as on 20.6.2014, rice has been sown/transplanted in 7.59 lakh ha, pulses in
2.60 lakh ha, coarse cereals in 12.29 lakh ha, and oilseeds in 1.23 lakh ha.The planting of sugarcane and cotton
is in progress. Sugarcane has been planted in 43.92 lakh ha and cotton in 20.00 lakh ha as on today.
Powered byCapital Market - Live News
In Memory: John E. Tull, Jr.
John E. Tull, Jr.
John E. Tull, Jr.
LONOKE, AR - The Arkansas and U.S. rice industries are sad to report the passing of John E.
Tull, Jr., 89, of Lonoke, Arkansas, on June 20, 2014. Mr. Tull enjoyed a storied and
influential career in agriculture and rice, being inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of
Fame in 1994. Mr. Tull began farming after serving in the U.S. Navy through World War II
and Korea, and he served as the president of both the Arkansas Rice Council and of the
national USA Rice Council. A licensed floor broker with the New Orleans and Mid-America


Commodity Exchanges, Mr. Tull traded rice contracts, was a member of the Chicago Board of Trade's Rice
Working Group and was appointed by President Clinton to serve as a commissioner of the Commodity Futures
Trading Commission from 1993 until 1998.The Tull family has asked that in lieu of flowers, memorials be
made to the Jake Tull Memorial Endowed Scholarship, University of the Ozarks, 415 N. College Avenue,
Clarksville, AR 72830. Arrangements were made by Boyd Funeral Home, Lonoke, and there is an online guest
book, www.boydfuneralhome.net.On behalf of the Arkansas Rice Council and the USA Rice Federation, we
extend heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of John E.Tull, Jr.
Contact: Chuck Wilson (870) 673-7541
New & Improved MenuRice.com is Launched
MenuRice.com Screengrab
Ingredients for success
ARLINGTON, VA - The internet is a key
resource for food service professionals, which
led the USA Rice Federation to create
MenuRice.com in 2006. The site quickly
became an essential go-to rice resource for
culinary professionals. To ensure
MenuRice.com remains a viable resource for the
future, USA Rice has made design and
functionality updates to enhance the site's value.
Based on site analytics and foodservice digital
insights, the look and feel of MenuRice.com has
been modernized, relevant information is
highlighted in an easier-to-see format, and
functionality has been improved in response to
new digital technology. "The bold color palate
and new dashboard layout of MenuRice.com are
in keeping pace with current web designs and
trends," said Katie Maher, USA Rice's manager
of domestic promotion. "The new homepage
prominently features the most popular content
areas, including the Culinary Center, Resources
and Training Tools, All About U.S. Rice, Meet


U.S. Rice Farmers, and K-12, making it easy for culinary professionals to find what they are looking for
quickly.""Since 2011, there has been a surge in mobile device use by foodservice professionals with nearly 74% using
smart phones and 57% using tablets to access information," said John Hasbrook, Chairman of USA Rice's Foodservice
Subcommittee. "We've updated MenuRice.com so it is now responsive and adaptive to desktops, laptops, tablets and
smart phones which give us new and important engagement opportunities with the foodservice audience."
The first publicity push for the new website will coincide with the School Nutrition Association (SNA) conference in July
where USA Rice will have a booth and will promote MenuRice.com as a resource that can help school foodservice
operators with menuing rice meals that appeal to students and meet USDA nutrition requirements.
Contact: Katie Maher (703) 236-1453
Crop Progress: 2014 Crop 99 Percent Emerged
WASHINGTON, DC -- Three percent of the nation's 2014 rice acreage is headed, and 68 percent is in good to excellent
conidtion according to today's U.S. Department of Agriculture's Crop Progress Report.
Rice Headed, Selected States
Week Ending
State
June 22,
2013
June 15,
2014
June 22,
2014
2009-2013
average
Percent
Arkansas - NA 1 2
California - NA - -
Louisiana 10 3 12 22
Mississippi - NA - 2
Missouri - NA - -
Texas 18 1 5 17


Six States 3 NA 3 5

"-" represents "zero"
"NA" represents "Not Available"
ME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
CME Group (Preliminary): Closing Rough Rice Futures for June 23

Month Price Net Change
July 2014 $14.625 - $0.010
September 2014 $13.760 + $0.005
November 2014 $13.960 + $0.005
January 2015 $14.115 + $0.010
March 2015 $14.270 + $0.005
May 2015 $14.270 + $0.005
July 2015 $14.270 + $0.005

Cereal grain is an essential part of UAE diets because of resilience and
availability
By Faisal Masudi, Staff Reporter
Published: 21:00 June 22, 2014


Image Credit: Gulf News Archives
Rice is the worlds most prevalent
staple food when it comes to cereal
grains.Dubai: Rice is part of traditional
UAE food and features on the daily
menu of the countrys biggest expat
communities from South Asia.Before
foreigners started arriving in droves to
UAE shores, and years before
international cuisine was readily
available in the country, rice with
fish or meat was a staple Emirati
meal.Boats laden with rice bags,
commonly the long-grain basmati
variety from India and Pakistan, used
to be a regular sight at creeks in Dubai,
Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.The resilience
and availability of rice, together with
its cost and long-term storability, has made it popular in the Gulf and Indian subcontinent.Expats today continue to enjoy
their traditional rice-based treats in the UAE, be it homemade meals or restaurant specials.Shabina, an Indian housewife in
Sharjah, said she cooks plain basmati rice six times a week. Her husband and two young children go through about 10
cooked rice cups in that time. Rice is essential to our meals; it leaves you feeling satisfied and full. We have it with
curries of meat and lentils mostly, she added.The mother-of-two spends around Dh80 a month on rice.Dubai is home to
people from many countries and a lot of them eat rice twice a day for lunch and dinner. Im not surprised people eat a lot
of rice here.Shabina said rice was loaded with carbohydrates, which to her meant you can gain weight if you eat rice but
dont exercise.Regardless, her family has biryani a spiced rice with meat dish from the Indian subcontinent at least
once a week.
PH secures WTO approval to extend import limits on rice
By: Orti Despuez, InterAksyon.com
June 23, 2014 1:30 PM
InterAksyon.com means BUSINESS
MANILA - The Philippines has finally managed to secure the approval of the World Trade Organization
(WTO) on five-year extension on the quantitative restriction (QR) on rice after spending two years in the
negotiation table.Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala in a briefing on Monday said that the Aquino


administration expects that the Committee on Trade in Goods would endorse the Philippines' request to extend
the QR on rice util 2017.This preferential treatment on rice would shield nthe country from the onslaught of
cheaper imported rice to protect local farmers. Only South Korea and the Philippines currently make use of the
QR.This is just for formality. By July this year, we will now implement a new round of QR, Alcala said.
The Philippines has been lobbying for the extension of the QR, telling its neighbors in
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other major trade partners that local
farmers still need to prepare for international trade while gearing up for rice self-
sufficiency. Other rice-producing countries affected by the import restrictions can
request for concessions or market access. As such, the Manila has offered other rice-
producing countries certain trade concessions, such as greater access Philippine market
of other products.This time around, there are no major requests from interested
countries for market access. However, there will be a slight increase in the minimum
access volume (MAV) and tariff rate for rice among Asean member countries will be brought down to just 35
percent, while non-Asean countries will remain at 40 percent, Alcala said.
He, however, did not specify the new MAV--which is amount of the farm produce allowed to enter the market
at reduced tariffs--as the Philippine panel at the WTO has yet to disclose the figures. Previous agreement with
the WTO stated that the Philippines committed to have a MAV of about 350,000 metric tons (MT) for rice at a
tariff rate of 40 percent.Shipments outside MAV pay higher rates of 50 percent and would need to secure
approval from the National Food Authority (NFA).Manila has a country-specific quota for Thailand (98,000
MT), China (25,000 MT), India (25,000 MT), and Australia (15,000 MT). The remaining 187,000 MT were
classified as the omnibus MAV, which can be accessed from any country.

Increasing local production
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is now implementing interventions and programs to boost palay
production and to make Filipino farmers internationally competitive. Moreover, this would also help decrease
smuggling and importation.Among these programs is the Palayabangan: 10-5 Challenge where 10-5 standard
is enforced, specifically farmers should produce 10 tons of rice per hectare while spending only P5 worth of
input for every kilogram of rice produced. The Palayabangan is a concrete example of how DA prepares local
farmers for ASEAN integration in 2015, Agriculture Secretary Alcala said.According to Philippine Rice
Research Institute, local rice paddy production is more expensive than that of Thailand and Vietnam.
Alcala said that if the local farmers can achieve the 10-5 target, then they will still earn even if rice is priced at
P10 a kilo. "It is important to control the cost of input because the cost of rice production in the Philippines
came out to be P11 per kilo while other Southeast Asian countries spend P8 or lower, he added.
Written by Samarendu Mohanty
MON,23 JUNE 2014


The global rice market has been quite uneventful in the past several months. The news of possible monsoon
failure in India and Southeast Asia because of El Nio, the uncertainties involving the Thai rice-pledging
scheme, and the fate of existing rice stocks have failed to perturb the market.The only exceptional event in the
market has been the steady downward slide of Thai rice prices because of uncertainties in the pledging scheme.
Between February 2013 and May 2014, the Thai price for 25% broken rice declined by more than 40% from
US$584 to $346 per ton. During the same period, the large spread of $150200 per ton between Thai and
competitor prices (India, Vietnam, and Pakistan) more or less disappeared, and, in some cases, the Thai price
fell below some competitor prices.

This has enabled Thailand to export more in the international market. During the first four months of 2014, Thai
rice exports increased to 2.93 million tons compared with 1.98 million tons during the same time a year ago.The
failure of the Thai government to raise funds for the pledging scheme to continue because of political turmoil
and the caretaker status of the government led to the steep decline in Thai rice prices in the past several months.
In addition, the government has been auctioning rice from existing stocks to raise funds to pay off farmers who
pledged rice late last year, putting further downward pressure on Thai prices.Although the current military junta
in Thailand is concerned about the low rice prices for farmers, it is not clear what measures it will implement to
raise these prices.
The government has also not spelled out its plan on how its existing stocks will be released to the market. We
hope that the current government will not repeat the mistake made by its predecessor and will find a
nondistorting way to support farm income if it desires to do so and let the market work. If this happens, Thai
rice exports will rise and, undoubtedly, the country will become the top exporter again.Apart from political
uncertainties in Thailand, the rice market also faces weather uncertainties in the coming months because of El
Nio. Many rice-growing countries in South and Southeast Asia are cautiously optimistic on rainfall
distribution in the next few months that will determine the fate of the biggest crop of the year.
In the case of India, the largest exporter in the world, where the wet-season crop accounts for more than 85% of
the total crop, the southwest monsoon arrived in Kerala on 6 June, after missing its date with the country by 5
days. Some uncertainties exist on how quickly it will spread to the rest of the country. Earlier this season,
forecasters had predicted the monsoon rainfall in India this year to be 95% of the long-term average, with an
error of 5%. Apart from India, two Southeast Asian rice importers, Indonesia and the Philippines, are also
bracing for weather disruptions from El Nio.
Where is the market going?
This all depends on the fury of El Nio. If the drought is severe in large parts of South and Southeast Asia, it
will put pressure on rice prices despite adequate global rice stocks right now. We are undoubtedly in a much
better position with a global stocks-to-use ratio of 23.5% now compared with 18.5% in 2007. The stocks have
increased by 36 million tons from 75 million tons in 2007 to 111 million tons in 2014 (Production, Supply, and
Distribution Online, USDA).But the bad news is that almost all the increases in these rice stocks are primarily
with India, China, and Thailandand a majority of them are in government warehouses rather than with private
traders. In case of a crisis or production shortfalls, this may create panic among rice-importing countries as they
will be unsure whether these government-held stocks will be available for sale and at what price.In the case of


India, the new government was just sworn in a few weeks ago and it is not clear how it will react to any
significant production shortfall caused by weather disruptions.
As of 16 June 2014, the monsoon season was already 10 days behind in a majority of the rice-growing belts in
the country. The new government is already jittery about the poor prospects of monsoon crops, particularly rice.
Although the current government rice stock of 28 million tons (as of 1 June 2014) is at a quite adequate level, it
has declined by 4 million tons from 32 million tons at the same time last year. The new government will be
under pressure if planting is substantially delayed because of the late onset of monsoon and it may take
measures to restrict exports, at least for nonbasmati rice, to safeguard its domestic food supply and keep enough
in its warehouses to meet the need of the National Food Security Act.In the case of Thailand, it is becoming
more evident that its rice-pledging scheme will not come back. Without it, it is a no-brainer that Thai farmers
will plant less rice in the wet season. But, that should not be a problem for the global market because Thailand
has plenty of stocks to make up for the shortfall.
Indonesia and the Philippines, two major rice importers in Southeast Asia, are also expected to be affected by El
Nio. As of April 2014, the Philippines had a rice stock of 2.18 million tons, sufficient for 64 days of domestic
consumption. Similarly, Indonesia has 6.8 million tons of rice stock to meet its domestic consumption for 62
days. So, any significant weather disruptions will push these countries to import more, thus raising global rice
prices. China, the largest importer of rice in the world, is also expected to be affected by El Nio in the form of
heavy rains and flooding in the major rice-growing parts of the country. If the rice crop is affected and the
domestic rice price goes up, Chinese traders will have more reasons to import more rice than what market
pundits have predicted.
Overall, the market is well positioned to handle a moderate drought and other incidences of extreme weather.
Thai rice stocks will come in handy to keep the market stable to some extent, but significant weather disruptions
in key rice-growing countries will eventually move prices higher. We hope that countries will not repeat the
mistakes they made in 2007 by imposing an export ban and stockpiling in anticipation of shortage. Otherwise,
we might be heading for another crisis.
US lawmaker, rice growers welcome probe into global rice trade
20.06.2014
A top US lawmaker has welcomed the decision by a federal trade body to conduct an investigation into global
rice trade that will report on competition factors in major rice producing and exporting countries including
India.Rice producers in the US are subject to volatile price fluctuations that can have devastating effects on
business as a direct result of distortions put in place by foreign governments, Congressman Charles Boustany
said."This report will serve to show that the harmful impacts of these policies that limit our producers' ability to
compete. I applaud the USITC's decision to move ahead with this investigation and look forward to the results,"
Boustany said.

"Subsidies to foreign producers by their governments are behind substantial competition in traditional US
markets and we're looking forward to the ITC investigation to provide information that the rice industry can use


to educate the Administration and Congress," Mark Denman, Chairman of the USA Rice Federation,
said.USITC has announced launch of an investigation into global rice trade that will report on competition
factors in major rice producing and exporting countries.These include Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Thailand,
Uruguay, Vietnam and the US. The USITC will examine costs of production, industry structure, input prices
and availability, pricing and marketing regimes besides government policies that affect rice production and
export in the selected countries.

New study may improve rice productivity

In this picture, professor Yu Tanaka of Kyoto University plants rice varieties in a paddy at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign. Credit: Haley Ahlers

University of Illinois researchers established the university's
first rice paddy to test rice performance in Illinois and at
Kyoto University in Japan. The two plots, which were
planted on the same date, should reveal clues about what
factors help the plants more efficiently convert the sun's
energy into food, known as photosynthetic performance.This
experiment is part of the Realizing Increased Photosynthetic
Efficiency (RIPE) project, a five-year effort funded by a $25
million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to
substantially improve the productivity of worldwide staple
food crops.

."Rice is the number one source of calories for humans, worldwide, and increasingly we are not producing
enough," said RIPE Director Stephen Long, Endowed Professor of Plant Biology and Crop Sciences, who leads
RIPE at the Institute for Genomic Biology, located at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. "This
paddy is one of the first steps of a multinational attempt to achieve new innovations in improving rice
production. Rice improvement is a major interest of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is funding a
major effort to improve crop photosynthesis at the university."The experimental paddy, located on the South
Farms at Illinois, is being used to provide a northerly limit in trials of some new rice genetic materials that are
also being tested in warmer climates, including the plot at Kyoto University.While rice is not a crop we
associate with Central Illinois, it is grown not so far away in Southeast Missouri. It is also grown extensively in
places such as Northern Italy and Northern Japan, where summer climates are similar to that of Illinois, Long
said.

The Illinois rice plot contains several varieties of rice, including wild varieties and mutant lines, which have
different photosynthetic characteristics that may increase yields under various conditions."When we consider


actual production, or the crops' physiological responses and performance, it is really important that we grow the
rice in the fields," said Yu Tanaka, a visiting professor from Kyoto University who is leading the study at
Illinois. "Without this feasibility experiment, we wouldn't have a chance to grow the rice in a natural
environment in Illinois, which would limit the RIPE project."Tanaka and his graduate student Yu Iwahashi
conducted preliminary research in growth chambers that revealed that some of these mutants have a lower
transpiration rate (a process that is akin to people sweating), which improves the crops' drought
tolerance."When rice is grown in a paddy field, there is definitely no shortage of water," Tanaka said. "But in
many parts of the world, rice is grown on upland fields.

For those regions, drought tolerance would be critical. We are expecting to see these lines better conserve water
throughout this summer."Tanaka is visiting Illinois to take part in progressive photosynthetic research with
Long, where he has access to state-of-the-art laboratories, space to research transgenic ecology, and equipment
that can more accurately detect photosynthetic performance."I was impressed by Steve Long's progress to
achieve increased crop production through photosynthesis," Tanaka said. "If we can combine the strong points
of my work with transpiration physiology and Steve's work with biochemical pathwayswe can achieve better
progress through this photosynthetic study."

In this picture, professor Yu Tanaka of Kyoto University plants rice varieties in a paddy at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign. Credit: Haley Ahlers

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