14 th december,2015 daily global regional,local rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter
1 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
December 14,2015 Vol 5 Issue XII
www.ricepluss.com www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com
mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com 92 321 3692874

Today Rice News Headlines...
 Rice basmati slides on muted demand
 Rice Exporters Face Greater Scrutiny from China
 Single-digit falls seen in 2015 palay, corn output
 Philippines May Import 400,000 Tons of Rice in First Half of 2016WS
 Palay production to fall 3.5% in ‘15
 The heavy burden of farm life after pledging scheme
 PH to import more rice in ‘16
 Bulog to Import More Rice Early Next Year
 PHL to import rice in January – NFA
 Thailand expects to export 9 mln tonnes of rice in 2016 - Commerce Ministry
 Agri Buzz : Thailand Rice Exports Down 18% This Year
 Rice industry at a turning point, minister says
 Biosafety Agency approves new GM rice – D-G
 Rice farmers ‗thankful‘ they enrolled in PLC program
 Ghost rice‘ in Vietnam – P3: Descendants of the Vietnamese grain
 As Liberia's Annual Rice Importation Hits US$200 Million: US$30M Failed Project
Hunts ...Did VP Boakai, Lawmakers Exert ―Nationalistic Policy‖?
 Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
 USA Rice Announces Conservation Achievement Award
 Rice Scholarship Winner Promotes Health, Budget Benefits of Rice
 CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
 Commodity Report-Dec. 14
 Senators divided on sales to Cuba
 2015 Rice Outlook Conference draws record attendance in New Orleans
 H1 rice imports may hit 900,000 MT – NFA
 New Rice Could Help Reduce Global Greenhouse Gasses
 SunRice lifts first-half profit
 Rice Market & Technology Convention
NEWS DETAIL…
Rice basmati slides on muted demand
By PTI | 12 Dec, 2015, 04.04PM IST
NEW DELHI: Prices of basmati rice drifted by Rs 100 per quintal at the wholesale market today
following sluggish demand coupled with adequate stocks position. However, other grains moved in a
narrow range in scattered buying or selling and settled around previous levels. Marketmen said easing
demand from retailers against sufficient stocks on higher supplies from producing belts kept pressure on
rice basmati prices. In the national capital, rice basmati common and Pusa 1,121 variety fell by Rs 100

each to Rs 6,000-6,100 and Rs 4,500-5,300 per quintal respectively.
Following are today's quotations (in Rs per quintal):
Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,000-2,600, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,670-1,700, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,700-
1,715, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 230, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 230, Roller flour mill Rs 880-885 (50 kg),
Maida Rs 935-940 (50 kg) and Sooji Rs 1,040-1,045 (50 kg).
By Victor V. Saulon
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/commodities/rice-basmati-slides-on-muted-
demand/articleshow/50150735.cms
Rice Exporters Face Greater Scrutiny from China
Khmer Times/Sok Chan
Sunday, 13 December 2015
China has set a yearend deadline for Cambodia to submit a list of all Cambodian rice exporters so that
Chinese inspectors can evaluate whether they can fully meet food safety laws in a market Cambodian
exporters are hoping to increase exports to, according to an announcement from the Ministry of
Agriculture.It called on domestic rice exporters to cooperate with ministry officials by providing contact
information by December 18. Ministry officials will then inspect and evaluate each rice miller to
determine whether they have the capacity to process, mill and store rice so that it can meet standards
required to ship it to the Chinese market. Hean Vanhan, a deputy general director at the ministry, said
China had asked Cambodia to evaluate rice exporters to determine whether they adhered to hygiene laws
in China because officials in the world‘s second largest economy did not trust all of the 71 rice exporters
registered with the Ministry of Commerce.
―China is strengthening hygiene and food safety standards so they have some conditions for
Cambodia to implement for Cambodian rice exporters,‖ Mr. Vanhan said. ―They asked the
Cambodian government to recheck whether rice exporters are fully complying with their
standards.‖
―It is a rush to work on this, but we are trying our best to send them the list of our rice exporting
companies by the deadline. Our officials will go onsite to evaluate the technical production,
processing and storage facilities in each rice exporter and then send the information to China,‖
Mr. Vanhan said. Agriculture officials say not all of the 71 rice exporters registered in the
Ministry of Commerce are active. Some have reserved licenses with the intention to export in the
future, they said. Only 23 companies exported rice – to China and other countries – this year,
officials said. Of these, just 10 account for most rice exports, they said.
Exporters that lack rice milling, warehouse and storage facilities are not permitted to export rice
to China, officials said. ―China imported about 91,883 tons of rice in the first 11 months this
year, so if Cambodia cannot meet requirements set by China it will have a bit effect of rice

exporters in Cambodia,‖ Mr. Vanhan said.Song Saran, president of Amru Rice (Cambodia),
welcomed the move, saying that it will be good for Cambodia as a rice exporting country.
Cambodia has the ability to supply a large amount of high-quality, hygienic rice to China and
Cambodia can meet food-safety standards set by
China.
―If China is aiming to strengthen food safety, it is not a big concern as we also want to show
them our production process, from producing to processing and storage,‖ Mr. Saran said.
―We are ready to work with the government to ensure that it has all the information related to
rice millers so that it is easy for them to check in case a problem occurs,‖ he added.
Hun Lak, vice president of the Cambodia Rice Federation, told Khmer Times recently that the
federation has worked with experts on rice promotion, logistics, energy issues, export
documentation and to conduct field visits to rice millers in various provinces to assess concerns.
―They are working with the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Agriculture to smooth
out the production process,‖ Mr. Lak said.
Cambodia exported 450,000 tons of rice over the first 11 months of the year, according to a
recent report from the Agriculture Ministry. Though only around half of the government‘s goal
for the year, rice exports did rise 36 percent over the same period last year, despite some 242,416
hectares of rice fields in 16 provinces being severely affected by drought as of November, the
report said.A farmer harvests rice. Exports of the grain are facing food-safety scrutiny in
China.Supplied
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/18623/rice-exporters-face-greater-scrutiny-from-china/

Single-digit falls seen in 2015 palay, corn output
Posted on December 13, 2015 06:09:00 PM
THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture expects palay and corn production this year to decline by single-
digit levels because of the adverse effects of El Niño and the three typhoons that hit the country in the
second half.
For 2015, palay output is expected to decrease by 3.54% to 18.30 million metric tons (MT) from actual
2014 levels. Corn production is also projected to drop by 2.8% to 7.55 million MT.Edilberto M. De Luna,
Agriculture assistant secretary for field operations, said in a briefing on Friday that the department
expects ―substantial losses‖ because of the calamities.He said that were it not for the calamities, palay
production could have reached 19.5-19.8 million MT during the year, or near the target of about 20.06
million MT.
The farm sector accounts for about 12% of the country‘s gross domestic product (GDP). Palay and corn
output are among the sector‘s biggest contributors apart from being important to the food supply.Rolando
T. Dy, professor at the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P), in an e-mailed response said he
expects agricultural output this year to be at ―low negative.‖ Factoring farm production into the
prediction, he said full year GDP would not reach 6%. Mr. Dy, who is also executive director of the
university‘s center for food and agri business, said the World Bank forecast of 5.8% ―looks more like it.
‖―We expect first quarter [2016] agri growth to be at low negative (levels),‖ he said.On a positive note,
the Agriculture department expressed optimism about early prospects next year. It sees palay and corn
production to increase during the first quarter of 2016, the period when the full intensity of the El Niño
phenomenon is forecast to be felt.In a statement yesterday, Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said
that based on farmers‘ planting intentions, palay production might reach 4.38 million MT in the coming
quarter, up 0.31% from P4.37 million MT in the first quarter of 2015.He said the increase for rice could
come from the expansion in the harvest area by 1.15% even as yield per hectare might decrease to 3.77
MT from 3.8 MT in anticipation of the adverse effects of El Niño, which is seen causing extreme dry
spells in many parts of the country‘s farming areas.
Corn production in the first-quarter of 2016 is expected to increase by 0.48% year on year to 2.38 million
MT.Mr. Alcala said almost all regions expect increases in corn production, noting probable higher output
in the Ilocos, Davao and Northern Mindanao regions as well as the region representing South Cotabato,
Cotabato City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City (Soccsksargen).During the briefing,
Mr. De Luna said that funding of about P2.1 billion would be released within the year to counter the
adverse effect of the weather event. The funds will be used for mitigating activities, including water
management, repair of small-scale water impounding facilities, procurement of seeds and cloud-seeding
operations, he said.A separate P900 million that was meant for recovery activities after typhoon Lando in
October could augment the awaited funding, he said.

Mr. De Luna also said the department had advanced P400 million as production support funds. This is
apart from at least P200 million as cost of a buffer stock for seeds after the typhoon.He said the forecast
for the first quarter of 2016 is higher because farmers had anticipated that El Niño would intensify. He
also said the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) had released water to enable planting a month
ahead of the usual Dec. 15 schedule.―That‘s a good development for the NIA-service area especially
Central Luzon,‖ he said, adding that the move enabled farmers to plant earlier.
Planting in November means palay will mature in February, the month when El Niño is expected to be at
its worst. Crops would not need a big volume of water by then.UA&P‘s Mr. Dy said he was not as
bullish. ―Water supply from rains and irrigation in the next few months will be key factors for palay, and
rainfall for corn to attain good yields. It also depends on what areas,‖ he said.―Cagayan Valley (Isabela),
Central Luzon, West Visayas (Iloilo), and Central Mindanao are major rice areas. Cagayan Valley
(Isabela), Pangasinan and parts of Mindanao (Bukidnon, South Cotabato) are main yellow corn areas,‖ he
said.Mr. De Luna also downplayed the possible impact on production of a Supreme Court decision that
called for a ban on the testing of genetically modified eggplant.
The ruling also declared null and void a Agriculture department order in 2002 that approved the use of a
similar technology for corn.He said there are other technologies that can be used instead of
biotechnology. ―We have many remedies. We have biological control agents against corn borer,‖ he
said.On Friday, Roger V. Navarro, president of the Philippine Maize Federation, Inc., said the ruling
could result in losses amounting to P1 trillion. This includes foregone revenue in the corn industry at P90
billion, and livestock and poultry at P700 billion, as well as the economic impact of farm closures,
opportunity losses, logistics and livelihood.
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=single-digit-falls-seen-in-2015-
palay-corn-output&id=120099
Philippines May Import 400,000 Tons of Rice in First
Half of 2016
December 14, 2015, 12:45:00 AM EDT By Dow Jones Business News
Shutterstock photo
By Cris Larano
MANILA--The Philippines may import
400,000 metric tons of rice in the first half
of next year, the administrator of the state
grains agency said Monday.Renan
Dalisay, head of the National Food
Authority, told reporters that the
additional rice import will be on top of the
500,000 tons the country has already
imported from Thailand and Vietnam
during the September bidding.The

Philippines's rice harvest this year is projected to reach up to 18.5 million tons, around 1.5
million short of the target production due to expected damages caused by typhoons and El
Nino. Of the more than 2 million tons of rice the NFA has decided to import this year, around
1.7 million tons have been delivered.Mr. Dalisay said a final assessment will be made in
January on how much rice will be imported for 2016.
El Nino is expected to intensify in the first half of 2016.
Write to Cris Larano at cris.larano@wsj.com
http://www.nasdaq.com/article/philippines-may-import-400000-tons-of-rice-in-first-half-of-2016-20151214-
00006#ixzz3uNwtrAHEWS
Palay production to fall 3.5% in ‟15
posted December 13, 2015 at 11:55 pm by Anna Leah E. Gonzales
Palay or unmilled rice production may fall 3.5 percent this year due to the contraction of harvest
areas and a drop in yield caused by El Niño, the Philippine Statistics Authority said over the weekend.The
PSA said in said palay production in 2015 was forecast to hit 18.30 million metric tons, down from 18.97
million tons last year. The harvest area may decrease 1.58 percent from 4.74 million hectares in 2014 to
4.66 million hectares this year, while yield per hectare may also drop by 1.99 percent to 3.92 million mt
this year from 4 million mt in 2014.
The PSA said production in the fourth quarter of the year might be lower by 1.84 percent to 7.42 million
tons from 7.56 million last year. ―Probable reductions in production are expected in Cordillera
Administrative Region, Central Luzon, Bicol Region and Caraga,‖ the PSA said. The agency said
production in the first quarter of 2016 might increase 0.31 percent from 4.37 million tons to 4.38 million
tons due to the expansion of harvest area. The PSA said corn production this year might fall 2.8 percent to
7.55 million tons from 7.77 million tons in 2014.Harvest area may contract to 2.57 million hectares, down
1.73 percent from last year‘s 2.61 million hectares. Yield may also decline by 1.09 percent to 2.94 metric
tons per hectare from 2.98 metric tons per hectare.
The PSA said corn production in the fourth quarter might decrease to 1.76 million tons from 1.84 million
tons last year due to lower production in Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Calabarzon and Davao Region.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said based on farmers‘ planting intentions, corn production in the
first quarter of the coming year might increase by 0.48 percent.Alcala said from 2.37 million metric tons
in the first quarter of 2015, production of corn might grow to 2.38 million tons in the first three months of
2016.
―Almost all regions expect increases in production with probable higher outputs noted in
SOCCSKSARGEN, Ilocos Region, Davao Region and Northern Mindanao,‖ Alcala said. He added more
farmers in SOCCSKSARGEN had plans to plant earlier due to the pronouncement of a stronger El Niño
in the succeeding quarter.In the Ilocos Region, shifting from palay to corn, utilization of infallow areas
due to availability of seeds, movement of cropping from the fourth quarter and usage of high quality
seeds might contribute to increased production.Shifting from banana and rain-fed palay to corn in the
Davao Region and availability of seed assistance from local government units may boost this quarter‘s
production.

http://thestandard.com.ph/business/194314/palay-production-to-fall-3-5-in-15.html
The heavy burden of farm life after pledging scheme
BY EDITORON 2015-12-14THAILAND
Piyaporn Wongruang
The Nation
Son‘s daugther Walisa Sukcharoen makes maximum use of the 3-rai plot of farmland her father
has given to her, growing high-priced riceberry variety.This is the first part in a series of articles
on the rice-pledging scheme
BANGKOK: — A cool wind blew over Tao Poon village in Ratchaburi‘s Photharam district,
bringing with it light rain that fell on rice fields. Seeing the rain, 66-year-old Son Sukcharoen
rushed to spread a plastic sheet over his harvested rice so it didn‘t get soaked with water. It was
the last time Son would dry the rice in the sun before selling it in the market. If it got drenched
and damaged, Son would have lost the investment he had put in this harvest, and that would have
added to his debt.

―I have borrowed a new sum of money to invest in chemical fertilisers and pesticides for this
harvest and bet that the yield this time would bring me a little better price, as I have tried joining
the Good Agricultural Practices [GAP] programme,‖ Son said.Farmers like Son were among
millions who took part in the grand rice-pledging scheme. A few years ago, the Yingluck
government re-introduced the scheme, which offered farmers unprecedented price guarantees up
to Bt20,000 per tonne of rice.Critics questioned the scheme from the beginning, as it would
involve almost every grain of rice in the country, a practice deemed unreasonable by many.
But farmers like Son revelled in the high prices offered, without realising that along with the
high prices, their investment costs also increased, leaving them with a narrow profit
margin.However, farmers did not feel much pain until the scheme was axed.Last year, the
military government decided to scrap the scheme, following allegations of large scale corruption
and losses to the state estimated at about Bt500 billion baht so far (see box).The government
gave farmers Bt1,000 baht per rai (up to 15 rai). While farmers pocketed a maximum of
Bt15,000, the market price for rice is now hovering between Bt6,000 to Bt7,000 per tonne – less
than half the maximum subsidy offered by the government. That means farmers are shouldering
increased investment costs.
The economic position of many farmers has become more fragile due to external factors,
including deep indebtedness and losing their farmland.Local Action Links, a non-profit research
think tank on the plight of Thai farmers, conducted a study on farmer debt in several areas in the
Central Plains last year.In Chai Nat‘s Sankhaburi district, its case study of 64 farmers under the
Chai Nat Agricultural Promotions group showed just how severe the debt burden had become for
farmers.The farmers generally owned around six rai, meaning almost half of them had to rent
additional farmland to grow rice. The Local Action Links says the cost of renting land is
generally about a quarter of the total yield per rai, about Bt1,500. So this has added to their
costs.All 64 farmers had their land mortgaged with financial institutions. On average, they were
around Bt314,000 in debt.
Son‘s situation is not much different. He has given the eight rai of farmland he inherited from his
parents to his daughter and son, and he now has to rent 20 rai of farmland. It means a quarter of
his yield goes to the landlord.Pongtip Samranjit, the director of Local Action Links, said farmers
had shouldered heavy indebtedness and farmland losses over the past 10 years. The trend has
been for farmers to own less land while those losing land or renting land is on the rise, the
director said.Pontip said that after the rice-pledging scheme ceased, countless farmers had been
exposed to this bitter truth more clearly, and it had become clear to the public now how much of
a burden farmers were under.Pontip said the more worrying trend was farmers deep in debt
turning to loan sharks, which increased the chance of them losing their land, and even their
homes.
―We have interviewed four cases who engaged in loans provided by loan sharks, and all of them
have experienced attempts to kill themselves,‖ he said.Along with increased debt, the rice-
pledging scheme has apparently also impaired many farmers‘ ability to learn and be self-
reliant.Krissnana Kaudlim – a 43-year-old farmer in Ratchaburi‘s Photharam district who formed
a village farm group so farmers had more bargaining power at the market – has experienced

this.Krissana, a leader of the Photharam Agri-Nature Learning Group, said he was an indebted
farmer before it was rehabilitated under the Farmers‘ Rehabilitation and Development Fund. It
was then that he was able to redeem his family‘s land.
But Krissana realised that the mass production of rice was not for him, and he decided to go for
training at Agri-Nature Foundation. After finishing the training, Krissana went back to his
village and tried to form the farm group, applying self-reliant farming as its principle.Shortly
before the rice-pledging scheme was introduced, a group of around 10 farmers in the village
joined the initiative. Through the self-reliant principle, they tried to process their rice and sell it
in the local market. All the farmers collapsed because of the introduction of the scheme, he
said.He said that instead of selling the rice at the market, the farmers sold it to silos.That resulted
in the group having no rice to process, but they had to buy high-priced rice from the silos. The
group collapsed.
But what hurt Krissana more was the realisation was that the group‘s learning process was
disrupted.With high rice prices now a thing of the past, some farmers have come back to him as
he is offering a little higher price – around Bt7,800 per tonne.―Farmers‘ learning and establishing
groups is very important as that is a strength that farmers can have when dealing with others.
And this closely connects to the economy at a fundamental level, which is community-based
economic development. All have gone in the name of the scheme,‖ said Krissana, who now is
trying to rebuild his group.Pontip said the scheme had shown once again that government farm
policies did not get to fundamental or structural problems in the farm sector, which was debt,
loss of land, low levels of education and a lack of self-reliance.
Pongtip said structural problems were political and she could understand why policy-makers
avoided them. But as a farm advocate who had witnessed farmers endure painful experiences,
Pongtip said the government could not leave the problems untouched or they would grow and
become a heavy burden the country could not bear.―The more they grow rice, the less quality of
life they have,‖ he said.
Timeline of controversy
The rice-pledging scheme was one of the Yingluck government‘s principal farm policies aimed
at assisting farmers.But the government, which first reintroduced the scheme for the 2011-12
farm production year, was unprecedented in terms of its scale and the price-guarantee rates.The
scheme involved 25 million tonnes in the first year, almost every gain of rice in the country, and
prices as high as Bt20,000 per tonne.When it was introduced, the government said it aimed to lift
farmers‘ incomes and reduce the gaps in farmers‘ incomes, increase market access for farmers,
and promote economic growth and stability via domestic consumption and self-reliance.The
National Anti-Corruption Commission launched an investigation and alleged that government-
to-government deals with China were bogus and no rice was shipped to China. Relevant
ministers were charged, and former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra was left facing three
legal actions.

She has already been impeached, while she is still facing a criminal charge for alleged
negligence for failing to act when the scheme incurred heavy losses and allegation of corruption
swirled around it. At the time, she was chairwoman of the National Rice Policy
Committee.Yingluck is also facing a civil liability after the military government claimed the
scheme cost the state around Bt500 billion. The Supreme Court‘s Criminal Division for Political
Office Holders has set the first round of evidence and witness deliberation in this case for
January 15.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/The-heavy-burden-of-farm-life-after-pledging-schem-
30274859.html
PH to import more rice in ‟16
By Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
December 15, 2015 at 12:04 am
The Philippines may import almost one million metric tons of rice next year to keep prices stable
as estimates point to lower domestic production of the staple crop, mainly due to dry field
conditions.National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Renan Dalisay told reporters that the
government might consider buying an additional 400,000 tons of rice imports on top of the
500,000 tons already programmed for the first quarter of 2016.―We need to ensure that we have
enough rice inventories at government depositories as El Nino peaks in the first quarter of next
year,‖ he said.
The Philippines is seen to produce slightly less rice this year compared to 2014 due to dry field
conditions, but there may be an improvement next year.Assistant Secretary for Field Operations
Edilberto De Luna of the Department of Agriculture told reporters that the Philippines would
likely produce 18.3 million to 18.5 million metric tons (MT) of palay (rough rice), or about 3.54-
percent below the 2014 output of 18.97 million tons.
The 2015 target was higher but primarily due to El Niño and other adverse weather events,
several rice-planting areas have reported lower production. Among the conditions affecting
production was delayed or little rainfall and inadequate irrigation.De Luna said that when
compared to the last time El Niño hit in 2010, when rice output was at 15.7 million tons, the
Philippines has shown improved production.The outlook seems better for 2016 with the first
quarter (January-March 2016) seen to yield 4.38 million tons or 0.31-percent more than the 4.37
million tons in the first quarter of 2015.
http://m.inquirer.net/business/204135
Bulog to Import More Rice Early Next Year
SUNDAY, 13 DECEMBER, 2015 | 16:58 WIB

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State Logistics Agency (Bulog) president director Djarot Kusumayakti said that the
government planned to import additional rice stocks early next year.―800,000 tons of rice
imports have not yet received, but demands in January-March must be well-managed,‖ Djarot
told Tempo on Sunday, December 13, 2015.
Djarot explained that farmers would likely plant rice on non-irrigation fields in December and
expect harvest in April next year. Therefore, Djarot said rice distributions in January-March must
be managed.According to Djarot, Bulog currently has 1.2 million tons of rice, which would meet
the domestic demands on rice and leave 500,000 tons in Bulog‘s storage. The stock would be
added by 700,000 tons of imported rice to be sent by the end of this year.Djarot admitted that
production data in regions had caused difficulties for Bulog to manage the stocks. Therefore,
Bulog would conduct a supervision based on market prices. Djarot added that he had seen an
increasing trend in rice prices across Indonesia. Therfore, Bulog conducted market interventions
to anticipate the increasing rice prices.
http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2015/12/13/056727370/Bulog-to-Import-More-Rice-Early-Next-Year
PHLto import rice in January – NFA
by Reuters
December 14, 2015 (updated)
MANILA, Dec 14 (Reuters) – The Philippines‘ state grains procurement agency, National Food
Authority (NFA), said it expects to sign new rice import deals in January to ensure adequate

domestic supply of the grain amid worries of drier weather in the first quarter.
―It will be finalised within the year and contracted in January,‖ NFA Administrator Renan
Dalisay told reporters on Monday, when asked about the country‘s rice import plans.Dalisay said
the NFA was yet to decide the final import volume. Last week, Communications Secretary
Coloma said the government was looking to import an additional volume of between 300,000
and 400,000 tonnes for delivery in the second quarter.A worker stands on a pile of rice sacks at
the National Food Authority‘s warehouse in Quezon City. (MB file photo)
www.mb.com.ph/phl-to-import-rice-in-january-nfa/#40UCYK8eV1zqoc8O.99
Thailand expects to export 9 mln tonnes of rice in 2016 -
Commerce Ministry
Mon Dec 14, 2015 5:53am GMT
BANGKOK Dec 14 (Reuters) - Thailand's Ministry of Commerce said on Monday it expects the country
to export 9 million tonnes of rice in 2016, lower than the 10 million tonnes forecast for 2015.The ministry
said dry weather, which hit several rice-growing provinces this year, would impact rice output next
year."It is expected that output will fall due to the impact of drought," the ministry said in a statement.The
ministry valued rice exports in 2016 at $4.79 billion versus $4.86 billion expected in 2015. (Reporting by
Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Viparat Jantraprap; Editing by Ed Davies)
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N14326A20151214

Agri Buzz : Thailand Rice Exports Down 18% This Year
capital market | Mumbai | July 20, 2015 16:20 IST
As per the latest data compiled by USDA, the unofficial preliminary rice exports (excluding
premium white and fragrant rice) for July 6-12, 2015 totaled 87,844 metric tons, up 5,521 metric
tons from the previous week and up 4,306 metric tons from the four-week moving average of
83,539 metric tons. Rice exports (excluding premium white and fragrant rice) from January 1 -
July 12, 2015, totaled 2,056,761 metric tons, down 18 percent from the same period last year
Powered by Commodity Insights
http://www.indiainfoline.com/article/capital-market-commodity-futures-mid-session-commentary/agri-
buzz-thailand-rice-exports-down-18-this-year-115072000275_1.html
Rice industry at a turning point, minister says
THE NATION December 15, 2015 1:00 am
THE RICE industry must negotiate several risk factors that are pressuring farmers to speed up the
development of rice breeds to strengthen the sector in the face of intense competition, especially from
other Asian countries, the government says.Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister General Chatchai
Sarikalya said the industry was at a turning-point moment in terms of growing firmly and
sustainably.Speaking at a rice conference in Bangkok, he said the industry was facing rapid changes and
tougher competition, especially as a result of the economic integration of Asian and non-Asian countries
as well as the diversity of consumer tastes.
He added that value-added innovation and climate changes were also factors that would help push for
solidity and opportunity for the sector.Chatchai said a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity and threat)
analysis of the industry found that it was still strong, as the country had a variety of rice breeds. He said
this created flexibility for the country to improve breeds in line with changed farming areas and to serve
market needs.However, he warned that the country might have difficulty maintaining quality and keeping
costs competitive. "If one or the other happens, there might be a crisis."He noted that competitors
Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos had climates and geographies similar to Thailand.
They also produced rice that exceeded domestic demand, resulting in them exporting to the world, even to
Thailand. From 1997 to 2011, Thailand exported 220,000 tonnes of rice a year on average, showing the
skill of Thai rice farmers, he said. He added that Thai rice had been considered of high quality for a long
time, which had led to the development of other good products. The general cited as an example parboiled
rice, which he said was a sought-after product in numerous countries, including those in the Middle East
and Africa, with Thailand exporting 3 million tonnes of parboiled rice a year worth Bt50 billion. Chatchai
said that an area the rice industry needed to improve was production - ensuring that it operated with
efficient consistency by focusing on a policy to help boost production instead of a pricing policy."The
strategic development of Thai rice will have to take the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
into the account for the entire production chain from the farm to the table," he said.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Rice-industry-at-a-turning-point-minister-says-30274942.html
Cooperation with Vietnam Increases Rice Yield
Havana,Cuba,Dec.12.-TheCuba-Vietnamcooperationprojectforriceproduction,implementedsince2010to
date,hasallowedincreasingyieldstoupto4.58tonsperhectare.LazaroDiaz,generaldirectorofAgribusiness
GroupforGrainsoftheMinistryofAgriculture(MINAG),whilesummarizingonFridayitsfourthstage,saidthat
inthatperiod56,000hectareswereplantedin12provincesandthespecialmunicipalityofIsleofYouth,which
produced257,108tonsofrice.Thefifthstage(2016-2020),willconcentrateontheefficientuseofwater,among
otherissues,hespecified.
LeQuocDoanh,deputyministerofagricultureofVietnam,informedthataspartoftrainingtasks18,000people
weretrainedincoursesandworkshopsinCuba. Weareassessingtheexperiencesandresultsobtainedineachof
theterritoriestoeliminatetheshortcomingsorlimitationsthatpreventtoincreaseyields,saidtheVietnamese
executive,whoistravelingwithagroupofexpertsinthisfieldwhowillstayinCubaforseveraldaystoworkon
strategiesforthefifthstage.IdaelPerez,viceministerofMINAG,toldtheCubanNewsAgencythatinthecoming
yearstheextensionmethod,thesearchfornewvarieties,andtheefficientuseofresourcestoincreaseyieldswillbe

strengthened,becausetherearelimitationswithlandandwater.Expertsinthefieldsaidthattheannualplanofrice
productioninCubawillnotbemetthisyearduetotheimpactofdrought.(acn)
http://www.cadenagramonte.cu/english/show/articles/24268:cooperation-with-vietnam-increases-rice-yield
Biosafety Agency approves new GM rice – D-G
By Halimatu Muhammadu
The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has approved the trial of the first
genetically modified rice in Nigeria at the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI), Badeggi,
Niger.Mr Rufus Ebegba, the Director-General of the agency, made this known in an interview
with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.Ebegba said that the new
genetically modified rice has efficiency in nitrogen and water when compared with the
conventional rice.According to him, the agency has also accredited and certified five institutes to
engage in the practice of modern biotechnology.
He identified institutes and companies currently engaging in biotechnology activities as the
National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Abia and Institute for Agricultural
Research (IAR), Zaria.Others are Federal University of Technology (FUTA), Akure, National
Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Abuja, and the National Cereal Research
Institute (NCRI), Badeggi, Niger.Ebegba said the agency gave approval for confined field trials
of bio-cassava plus with pro-Vitamin A.He said that the agency also approved the development
of genetically modified cassava resistance to attack by Cassava Mosaic Virus Disease (CMVD)
in Umudike, Abia.The director-general urged all other companies and institutions involved in
biotechnology activities to register with the agency, adding that it would begin the prosecution of
unregistered companies by January 2016.
―The National Biosafety Agency Act is the only safety net and valve in the adoption of modern
biotechnology and the use of GMOs for national development.―The agency has the capacity to
give Nigeria the desired holistic biosafety in a transparent manner, so that the nation can benefit
maximally from modern biotechnology without compromising the environment and human
health.‘‘Ebegba, however, called for the inclusion of biosafety courses universities‘ curriculum
up to Master‘s degree, for better awareness and understanding. (NAN
http://naija247news.com/2015/12/biosafety-agency-approves-new-gm-rice-d-g/
Rice farmers „thankful‟ they enrolled in PLC program
Dec 14, 2015Forrest Laws | Delta Farm Press
Joe Outlaw says that toward the end of the 2014 farm bill process he got a ―little more blunt than
normal‖ when it came to talking to farmers about their decision-making.For those who know Dr.
Outlaw, co-director of Texas A&M University‘s Agricultural and Food Policy Center in College
Station, blunt might seem to be more the norm. But those farmers also know he has their best

interest at heart.―I kept telling people that I wasn‘t going to argue with them about what to sign
up for on rice; though I might debate with them on the pros and cons for the other crops,‖ said
Outlaw. ―On rice I wanted them to sign up for PLC (Price Loss Coverage) and go home.‖
On Thanksgiving Day, not long after USDA began making payments under the Price Loss
Coverage and Agricultural Risk Coverage or ARC programs, one farmer sent Outlaw an email:
―You told us during the meetings to sign up for PLC and thank you later. This is my official
thank you. I signed up for the program.‖Outlaw told that story while delivering the Outlook
Report for Texas during the Rice Research and Outlook Reports segment of the 2015 USA Rice
Federation‘s Rice Outlook Conference in New Orleans Thursday, Dec. 10.Outlaw presented
slides showing the 2014 dollars-per-base-acre payment rates for each of the counties in the Texas
Rice Belt east and west of Houston. The PLC payments ranged from $102 per base acre in
Calhoun County to $156 an acre in Waller County west of Houston and similar amounts for the
six rice-producing counties east of Houston.
$61 million in payments
The PLC payments for rice in Texas, which ranged from $117,000 in Jackson County to
$12,542,000 in Wharton County west of Houston and from $867,000 in Galveston County to
$6,163,000 in Liberty County east of Houston reached a total of $61,381,000.―Did this make
people whole? Not even close,‖ said Outlaw, a professor and Extension economist with Texas
A&M. ―But it does put a pretty big bandaid over the losses that otherwise would have occurred.‖
(Under PLC, the payment is the difference between the national marketing year average price
and the effective price multiplied by the payment yield and 85 percent of a grower‘s base acres.)
Similar numbers could also be presented for other rice growing states where PLC program
payments were made this fall on the 2014 crop. Payments for the 2015 crop will not be made
until 2016 under the new law.Dr. Outlaw and James Richardson, the other co-director of the
Agricultural and Food Policy Center, spent more than three years helping develop the farm bill
decision-making tool, which they provided to producers when USDA released the first
regulations implementing the new farm bill.Texas A&M University and the University of Illinois
received funding from USDA to build decision-making tools aimed at helping farmers analyze
their options under the new programs provided in the Agricultural Act of 2014.Texas‘ rice acres
have been on the decline since the severe drought conditions in 2011 led to curtailment of
irrigation water deliveries, which come from reservoirs around Austin to the rice-growing areas
along the Texas Gulf Coast west of Houston.
Significant decline in acres
USDA estimates Texas farmers planted about 133,000 acres of rice in 2014, a significant decline
from the 193,000 acres at the most recent peak of Texas rice plantings that occurred in 2010.
More water could be available in 2016 due to the rains that have occurred across Texas in recent
months.
―The question is whether that 60,000 acres will come right back?‖ says Outlaw. ―With these
prices you wouldn‘t expect everyone to just jump back in, but it has the potential to lead to more
rice acres.‖Except for fuel, production costs are continuing to go up, ―but the rate of increase has
not been as dramatic as it has been in the past,‖ he said. ―The most dramatic increase has been

the price of seed.‖Outlaw told farmers and other industry members attending the Outlook
Conference that he had spent the two or three days prior to the USA Rice event providing
analyses of the cotton industry‘s proposal to have cottonseed declared to be ―another oilseed.‖
The designation would make cottonseed eligible for the programs now available to soybean
producers.
―You might ask why talk about cotton at a rice meeting?‖ said Outlaw. ―But, as Larry talked
about, the more people move from cotton to rice the lower your price will be.‖ (Larry Falconer,
Extension economist with Mississippi State University, gave the outlook report for Mississippi
rice producers.)
―I know some of you do both, and that‘s great. The more we can keep cotton people planting
cotton and corn people planting corn, the sooner we‘re going to get the rice price to move back
up.
To learn more about the USA Rice Outlook Conference, visit http://usarice.com/.
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/rice-farmers-thankful-they-enrolled-plc-program
Ghost rice‟ in Vietnam – P3: Descendants of the Vietnamese
grain
TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 12/15/2015 16:12 GMT + 7
Many rice species producing both fragrant and nutritious grains well known around the world are
descendants of the wild rice varieties in Vietnam.
They have been cross-bred with ‗ghost rice‘ –
a wild rice species in the country – as the
‗father‘ and fragrant rice species as the
‗mother.‘The cross-breeding is acknowledged
as the work of Professor and Doctor Bui Chi
Buu, who is now head of the Southern
Agricultural Sciences Institute; his wife,
Professor and Doctor Nguyen Thi Lang from
the Mekong Delta Rice Institute (MDRI); and
Indian Doctor Darshan Brar.In 1998-99, Dr.
Buu came to work for the International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI) based in the
Philippines and worked with Brar there.Dr.
Brar followed Dr. Buu to Vietnam to study
‗ghost rice.

‘After that, Dr. Lang came to IRRI to work with Dr. Brar to cross-breed Vietnam‘s ‗ghost rice‘ as the
‗father‘ and the famous rice seed IR64 as the ‗mother.‘The next year, Dr. Lang brought home 1,000 races
known as ‗children‘ of the above couple, test-planted them, and selected the most elite variety in the year
2000.She named it AS996, which is strongly resistant to acid sulphate and salt water in water and soil and
produces an average output of 7-8 metric tons of rice per hectare.
The AS996 is the only variety cross-bred by MDRI and named ‗AS‘. All others are named using the
initial letters OM, which stands for O Mon District in Can Tho City, where the agency is based.AS996
was later acknowledged as an international rice species by IRRI and seeded on rice fields in many Asian
nations such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, and Vietnam.It has since been used as the ‗father‘ to cross
breed with other high-yield and fragrant rice species to create strong and nutritious grains.As the ‗son‘ of
‗ghost rice‘ in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, AS996 created ‗grandchildren‘ including OM8108 and
OM6677 after cross-breeding with Japanese rice species, along with MNR4 and MNR5 after cross-
breeding with the U.S. fragrant rice species Jasmine 85.
All of these cross-bred species are strongly resistant to acid sulphate, salt water, and hot weather to give
an output of 7-9 metric tons per hectare.Both OM8108 and OM6677 have been submitted for recognition
as the national rice species of Vietnam.Agricultural engineer, Le Hung Lan from Ho Chi Minh City Seeds
Company, also created two new species by cross-breeding between AS996 and Jasmine 85. They are
Nang Hoa 9 and Nang Tien 2016, whose quality can compete with Khao Dawk Mali of Thailand and
Basmati of India.
The fifth house at the Mekong Delta Rice Institute is often called by Japanese scientists the museum of
‗ghost rice‘ because it has dozens of ‗ghost rice‘ varieties from around the world.The area has 360 pots to
cultivate different species of ‗ghost rice‘ and acts as a gene bank of ‗ghost rice,‘ including strains from
Africa, Australia, the U.S., Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and the Philippines.They were all brought to
Vietnam by Dr. Lang during her overseas trips.Dr. Lang said that she is on the way to creating a super
rice species by cross-breeding a race of ‗ghost rice‘ in Ben Tre Province in the Mekong Delta with
OM7347 – a strain previously created by MDRI.It is considered a super species because it produces high
yield.
http://tuoitrenews.vn/features/32243/ghost-rice-in-vietnam-p3-descendants-of-the-vietnamese-grain
As Liberia'sAnnual Rice Importation Hits US$200 Million:
US$30M Failed Project Hunts ...DidVPBoakai, Lawmakers Exert
“Nationalistic Policy”?
Dec 14, 2015 | Written by mulbah
By T. Michael Johnny 0886571899/0775820581
―Liberians will squarely evaluate all presidential candidates during the 2017 general and
presidential elections; especially those who served in government and those who are still serving
in government because several failed projects including the ADA rice project in Foya Lofa
County and bogus concession agreements that have failed the post-war economy.‖Debates

continue to proffer over the abrupt collapse of US$30 million commercial rice farming in Foya,
Lofa County, under the tutelage of a non-governmental organization known as the Foundation
for African Development Aid (ADA) headed by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Wendell
McIntosh.
The ambitious, but collapsed rice project was an
enviable initiative of slain Libyan leader Colonel
Ghaddafi under his economic expansion for Africa
especially in agriculture food production to ease
the millions spent by governments in Africa,
including Liberia on the importation of rice and
other agriculture produce.However, the CEO of
ADA, McIntosh has repeatedly told the media that
the US$30 million was his private loan agreement
he sourced from the late Libyan leader Ghaddaffi
and not government's intervention as widely
speculated by individuals who had vested interest
in promoting commercial agriculture in Liberia and Africa.
In contrast, in a privileged conversation with an informed official at the Ministry of Agriculture
(MOA) who strictly requested anonymity, the agreement was initiated by the government, but
entrusted with the ADA due to the late Ghaddaffi's policy on investment at the time.―The entire
agreement was initiated by government, but because it was Ghaddaffi's own initiative, the
government could not implement the US$30 million project; that was how ADA screwed the
opportunity to get the contract; how can he say he sourced the money through his own lobby,‖
the MOA official argued.Although, the US$ 30million commercial rice project has collapsed as
verified by the Unity Party (UP) led government of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, however, the
ADA CEO during a recent media interaction pointed accusing fingers at government officials
who allegedly requested fabulous kickbacks and leverages to implement the project.
McIntosh, who declined to disclose the identities of government officials who requested
kickbacks to implement the project openly accused government officials of accelerating the
untimely collapse of the project, which according to discussants, speaks volumes of the
unpatriotic nature of leaders.As the ADA rice project hurts economically deprived Liberians, a
group under the banner of ―Liberians for Positive Change‖ over the weekend debated what its
members perceived as institutions and individuals responsible for the US$30 rice project
collapse.―Some members of the Executive, Legislature especially members of the Lofa County
Legislative Caucus and Vice President Joseph Boakai should share some of the blame for the
collapse of rice project because they failed to adequately monitor its implementation,‖ said
Douglas Freemen, a University of Liberia (UL) student majoring in Agriculture.
He clarified that Vice President Boakai's blame in the collapse of the rice project is not being
misconstrued to mean that he received kickbacks; however, he stated that the UP second in
command could have exerted enormous pressure especially when the project was located at his
home town of Foya, Lofa County.―I think the US$30 million rice project debate is getting
interesting as we head to the 2017 general and presidential election; In my opinion, the Vice

President who hails from Foya, Lofa County should have ensured that the project in his home
town is successful, and that could have given him a serious political leverage especially to
champion food production,‖ said George Kollie, a student at the United Methodist University
majoring in administration said.Kollie, a proponent of the UP- led government said he was
disappointed that Vice President Boakai and other Lofa County officials allowed the project to
collapse without protecting the investment, noting that the success of the project could have
reduced the rising cost of rice importation.
Vice President Boakai, who declared his presidential ambition in the same Foya where the
US$30 million rice project collapsed hopes to become the successor to aging Liberian President
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to retain the UP hegemony.As the debate ensued, discussants also pointed
at the Legislature headed by House Speaker Alex Tyler, who according to reports, is seriously
aligning with a newly established political party known as the Liberian People Democratic Party
(LPDP) where it has been rumoured that he could become the Standard Bearer in 2017.―Look at
the Legislature headed by Speaker Tyler, there are reports that some of their members received
kickbacks before the project could be initiated.
What was the Legislature's role in ensuring that the project works? But we will evaluate each
candidate in 2017,‖ said Sampson Doe.Doe continued: ―Liberians will squarely evaluate all
presidential candidates during the 2017 general and presidential elections; especially those who
served in government and those who are still serving in government because several failed
projects including ADA rice project in Foya Lofa County and bogus concession agreements that
has failed post-war economy.‖Like the collapsed ADA rice project, a 2014 report released by
Sustainable Development Initiative (SDI) with research and publication fund from the Australian
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) revealed details of how post-war iron ore
mining is failing to meet expectations in post-war Liberia.The sustained SDI report, which is
now being evidently manifested by the laying off of hundreds of employees at iron ore giant
ArcelorMittal and other concession multinational companies reflects the ―unpatriotic and bogus‖
agreements signed by government.
In SDI's introductory publication ―Poverty in the midst of plenty‖ the group narrates the
regressive concept of practical self- interest approach by government's negotiators to bargain the
country's natural resources for cheaper prices with expected kickbacks.In its contextual
implication, SDI summed that Liberia gives generous tax concessions in the iron ore sector that
undercuts the Liberia code because the government seems unable to track what extractive
industries should pay in taxes.―The iron ore sector in Liberia sits at a fundamental crossroad.
It will either create viable jobs and revenue that can stimulate economic growth or it will
facilitate the devolution of the state resources into a feckless rentier economy wherein citizens
are reduced to causalities of natural resource exploitation,‖ SDI said in its report.The Liberia
Extractive Industries Transparency International (LEITI), an institution constituted to monitor
extractive resources gloomily revealed that out of 66 concession agreements signed with the
government, only two meet the standard of agreement.According to the former Chairman of the
National Investment Commission (NIC), Richard Tolbert Liberia spends over US$200 annually
on the importation of rice, which is the country's staple food.

http://inprofiledaily.com/?q=article/liberias-annual-rice-importation-hits-us200-million-us30m-failed-project-
hunts-did-vp-boakai
Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report
Rice
High Low
Long Grain Cash Bids - - - - - -
Long Grain New Crop - - - - - -
Futures: High Low Last Change
Jan '16 1115.5 1095.0 1098.5 -7.0
Mar '16 1143.0 1123.0 1125.0 -7.5
May '16 1168.5 1168.5 1154.5 -7.0
Jul '16 1180.5 -6.5
Sep '16 1180.0 1180.0 1180.5 -3.0
Nov '16 1182.0 -3.0
Jan '17 1182.0 -3.0
RiceComment
Rice futures may be attempting to stabilize after the recent downturn which took over $1.50 off the market in a
matterofafewshortdays.Januaryisattemptingtoestablishsupportat$11.Thedomesticcashmarketisquietand
exportdemandisslowaswell,whichistypicallythecasearoundtheholidays.Themonthlysupply/demandreport
showedlittlechange,withonlya1millioncwtdecreaseinimportsintotheU.S.anduseunchanged.Exportswere
peggedat98millioncwt,andendingstockswerecutto38.8millioncwt.Theaverageonfarmpriceforlonggrain
remained$11.50to$12.50.Globalricestocksareforecasttodecreaseforthethirdyearinarowasconsumptionis
expected to outpace production. Production was lowered to 469.3 million metric tons, down approximately 8.9
milliontonsfromtheprecedingyear.
http://www.arfb.com/ag-markets-statistics/report/

USARiceAnnounces ConservationAchievementAward
LeoLeGrande(l)andhonoreeKevinNorton
NEW ORLEANS, LA -- USA Rice presented the sixth annual USA Rice Distinguished Conservation
Achievement Award to Kevin Norton, the Natural Resources ConservationService (NRCS) state conservationist
forLouisiana. LeoLaGrande,chairmanoftheUSARiceFarmers'ConservationCommittee,presentedtheaward
to Norton during the annual Rice Awards luncheon held here last Friday, during the 2015 USA Rice Outlook
Conference.
"Since being named Louisiana's state conservationist in 2007, Kevin has worked as a champion for the rice
industry and encouraged the adoption of innovative practices to further conservation benefits beyond NRCS
standards," LeGrande said. "Just this year he submitted a number of new Conservation Stewardship Program

practices that are designed specifically for use on ricelands."LeGrande added, "Among fellow state
conservationists,Kevinhasbeenrecognizedasastrongleader. Recentlyhespent29monthsdetailedtotheSenate
Agriculture Committee to develop the Conservation Title of the 2014 Farm Bill and personallyhelped design the
Regional Conservation Partnership Program."When accepting the award, Norton said, "As a public servant, there
is no greater or more humbling honor than to be recognized by your customers. And this is really special to me
becausericeisspecialtome."
Contact: DeborahWillenborg(703)236-1444
Rice ScholarshipWinnerPromotes Health, Budget Benefits of Rice
From left: USA Rice CEO Betsy Ward, grand prize winner Haven McElhanon, and Leslie Rodgers with Dow
AgroSciences
NEW ORLEANS, LA -- At last Friday's USA Rice Outlook Conference Awards Luncheon, HavenMcElhanon
ofForrestCity,Arkansas,tookhomethe2015USARiceFederationNationalRiceMonthScholarship,sponsored
byDow AgroSciences. As the grand prize winner, she received a $4,000 scholarship and a trip here to attend the
conference.McElhanon's initiative, "Rice - a Health Happy Hand," touted the health benefits of budget-friendly

rice,whichshepromotedthroughclassroomvisitsandcommunityevents,spreadingriceinformation,andrecipes.
ShealsoenlistedsupportfromalocaljudgewhosignedaproclamationtomakeSeptemberArkansasRiceMonth.
McElhanon is the daughter of Dana Crisp and Steve McElhanon, and is part of a fifth-generation farming family
inArkansas. Whilericeproductionhasalwaysbeenpartofhercommunity,shelearnedmoreaboutitsimportance
whileconductingricepromotionsandservingasMissSt.FrancisCountyRice2015."Inspreadingthenewsabout
riceandits nutritional value,Ibecameinterestedinpursuingadegreeinnutritionuponattendingcollegeinthefall
of 2016," says McElhanon, who is a senior at Palestine/WheatleyHigh School. "Ihope myefforts have made a
difference in mycommunitywhere so manysuffer from povertyand poor health as a result of diet."To applyfor
the scholarship,students were requiredto develop apromotional program intheir local communitythat highlights
U.S.-grown rice as part of National Rice Month in September. The second- and third-place winners are Mary
KatherineSwindollofHernando,Mississippi,andClayParker,ofCarlisle,Arkansas,respectively.
"During the past seven years of Dow AgroSciences sponsoring the National Rice Month Scholarship, we have
beenimpressedwiththestudents'passionandefforttheyputintopromotingriceintheircommunities,"saysLeslie
Rodgers, a crop protection representative with Dow AgroSciences, who presented the award. "These applicants
areournextgenerationofproducers,teachers,andagricultureadvocates."
Contact: DeborahWillenborg(703)236-1444
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for December 14
Month Price Net Change
January 2016 $10.985 - $0.070
March 2016 $11.250 - $0.075
May 2016 $11.545 - $0.070
July 2016 $11.805 - $0.065
September 2016 $11.805 - $0.030
November 2016 $11.820 - $0.030
January 2017 $11.820 - $0.030

Commodity Report-Dec. 14
Published December 14, 2015
In today‘s commodity report we have the California Shell Eggs: Daily Egg Report, the Weekly
Rice Summary and other commodity end of the day market numbers.
California Shell Eggs: Daily Egg Report
Benchmark prices are 40 cents lower for Jumbo, 56 cents lower for
Extra Large, 55 cents lower for Large and 33 cents lower for Medium
and Small. The undertone is steady to occasionally lower. Retail and
food service movement is light to mostly moderate. Offerings are
moderate. Supplies are light to moderate. Market activity is slow to
moderate. Small benchmark price $1.69.Shell egg marketer‘s
benchmark price for negotiated egg sales of USDA Grade AA and Grade AA in cartons, cents
per dozen. This price does not reflect discounts or other contract terms.
RANGE
JUMBO 265
EXTRA LARGE 231
LARGE 226
MEDIUM 189
Weekly Rice Summary
In California, medium grain milled rice prices steady to weak. Second heads and Brewers prices
steady. Rice by-products: Rice Bran prices mostly steady. Ground rice hulls spot trade lightly
tested, mostly all hulls already sold.
USDA National Weekly Rice Summary (.pdf) with all prices for all areas.
Check the December USDA Commodity Report Calendar for today‘s commodity reports
released by USDA.
Now Monday’s Commodity Market ending market numbers for other commodities:
Corn
March Corn ended at $3.79 gaining 3 3/4 cents, May ended at $3.84 1/4 up 4 cents.
Soybeans
January Soybeans ended at 8.74 1/4 up 3 1/2 cents, March ended at 8.76 increasing 2 1/4 cents.
Wheat
March Wheat ended at $4.93 1/2, increasing 3 cents, December Wheat ended at $4.99 1/4
gaining 3 cents.
Rough Rice

January Rough Rice ended at 10.985 down 0.07, March ended at 11.25 dropping 0.075.
Live Cattle
December Live Cattle ended at $119.325 decreasing $2.125 and February ended at $124.225
losing $2.025 and April ended at $125.15 down $2.20.
Feeder Cattle
January Feeder Cattle ended at $148.00 losing $4.125 and March ended at $146.425 decreasing
$3.70 and April ended at $147.30 off $3.775.
Lean Hogs
February Lean Hogs ended at $60.125 decreasing $0.425, April ended at $64.425 down $0.275
Class III Milk
December Class III Milk ended at $14.58 up $0.02 and January ended at $13.73 increasing $0.03
and February ended at $14.01 unchanged.
#2 Cotton
March #2 Cotton ending at 63.38 losing 0.33, May ended at 64.15 down 0.34.
Sugar #11
March sugar #11 ended at 14.51 down 0.07 and May ended at 14.14 decreasing 0.08.
Orange Juice
January Orange Juice ended at 149.65 gaining $0.45, March ending at 149.40 down $0.70.
Crude Oil WTI
January Crude Oil WTI ended at $36.27 increasing $0.65, February ended at $37.52 up $0.27
and March ended at $38.65 gaining $0.08.
Brent Crude
January Crude Oil Brent ended at $37.92 down $0.01, February ended at $38.16 decreasing
$0.16 and March ended at $38.81 losing $0.21.
http://agnetwest.com/2015/12/14/commodity-report-december-14/
Senators divided on sales to Cuba
Boozman for it, Cotton opposed
By Frank Lockwood
WASHINGTON — Nearly a year after the Obama administration announced plans to renew
diplomatic ties with Cuba, some members of the Arkansas congressional delegation are working

to remove trade barriers.But those measures face opposition from lawmakers, including U.S.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who say expanded trade will benefit that nation‘s communist
regime.Currently, Americans can only ship goods to Cuba if they‘ve already been paid for with
cash. No credit can be extended to Cuban purchasers.Arkansas‘ other senator, Republican Sen.
John Boozman, has introduced legislation allowing Americans to ―provide payment or financing
terms for sales of agricultural commodities to Cuba or an individual or entity in Cuba.‖
On the House side, 1st District U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford is sponsoring House Resolution 3687,
the Cuba Agricultural Exports Act, which would allow credit to be extended as long as ―the
agricultural business is not controlled by the Government of Cuba, including the Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Cuba, the Ministry of the Interior of Cuba, or any subdivision of either
governmental entity.‖This week, Boozman, of Rogers, said he‘s still working to get his language
approved and that he still is hopeful it will get passed before the end of the year. Despite time
growing short, ―I think it‘s still in the mix,‖ he said, expressing hope that Congress would pass it
before heading home for Christmas.Ben Noble, the Arkansas Rice Federation executive director,
said many rice growers are hopeful the barriers will be lifted.
The federation describes itself as the state‘s largest rice industry trade association.Industry
officials, heartened by the thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations, invited Cuban officials to the 2015 USA
Rice Outlook Conference in New Orleans this week.An official with the Cuban Embassy‘s
Economic and Trade Office, Minister Counselor Ruben Ramos Arrieta, attended and expressed
interest in importing more rice from the United States.―I think there‘s a lot of optimism‖ among
rice farmers, Noble said. ―I think there‘s a real desire to get past the old Cold War philosophy
with Cuba and re-engage.‖Earlier this month, Boozman told Delta Grassroots Caucus members
and others that dropping the trade barriers is ―good for the United States and it‘s good for the
people of Cuba.‖
The U.S. initiated an economic embargo against Havana shortly after the ouster of dictator
Fulgencio Batista by Fidel Castro. Trade restrictions have been in place ever since.In 2000, U.S.
law was changed to allow the sale of food and medicine. But in 2005, the Treasury Department
said it would no longer allow sales that weren‘t prepaid for in cash.On Dec. 17, 2014, President
Barack Obama took steps to normalize relations between the two countries, including
announcing plans to reopen the U.S. Embassy in Havana. But federal law mandates many of the
sanctions, and it would take congressional action to end them.Cotton says Castro, not common
Cuban citizens, would benefit from a change in trade policy.
―The president made a unilateral decision last December to recognize Cuba in return for nothing
and, since then, Cuba‘s behavior‘s only gotten worse,‖ he said this week.Cuba harbors American
fugitives and imprisons political dissidents, and Fidel Castro and his brother Raul still call the
shots, Cotton said. Raul Castro has replaced his brother as leader of Cuba.―They continue to
control all levers of the economy, so any kind of trade or economic activity that we have with
Cuba ultimately doesn‘t benefit the Cuban people and move them towards a safe, prosperous
democracy that would be an ally of the United States,‖ Cotton said. ―It simply enriches the
Castro regime.‖Other agencies are also working to restore ties. On Friday, the U.S. Postal
Service announced plans to restore direct mail service to Cuba. A pilot program is planned and

no timetable was announced, according to The Associated Press.Boozman said the embargo
―hasn‘t worked‖ and said U.S. trade policy should be consistent.
―We deal with a lot worse actors than Cuba. When you look at the Saudi Arabians‘ human-rights
record, the Chinese, the … Vietnamese,‖ he said. ―There‘s simply no reason to single them out at
this point for something that happened decades ago.‖Crawford told the same group at the Delta
caucus gathering that the trade barriers need to be lowered.―From an Arkansas perspective, this
is very important to us because two of the things that are most common on the menu in Cuba are
rice and chicken, and those are two things that we do very well in Arkansas,‖ the Jonesboro
Republican said.
Roughly half the nation‘s rice in 2014 was grown in Arkansas. It has long been the state‘s
leading export.Arkansas‘ location gives it a competitive advantage over other rice growers. In
Cuba, ―you can get a shipment of rice from Vietnam in 36 days or you can get a shipment of
U.S. rice in 36 hours,‖ he said.Plus, Crawford said, Arkansas rice tastes better.―We just have a
higher quality product,‖ he said. ―And I think the Cubans would be very, very happy to receive
that and to deal with us. But we‘ve got to get past that financing restriction that currently exists.‖
Print Headline: Senators divided on sales to Cuba
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/dec/12/senators-divided-sales-cuba/
2015 Rice Outlook Conference draws record attendance in
New Orleans
Dec 13, 2015
ForrestLaws|DeltaFarmPress
KevinBerken,ricefarmerfromLakeCharles,La.,welcomerice
industry members to the 2015 USA Rice Outlook
Conference.The 2015 USA Rice Outlook Conference attracted
record attendance as producers and other industry members
traveled to New Orleans to learn about new developments in
technology and the market outlook for 2016.The preliminary
attendance figure for this year's conference was 925, which
exceeds the previous record of 857 set in Las Vegas, Nev., a
numberofyearsago.Thefinalattendancefigurewillbereleased
at a later date.Growers also heard decidedly differing views on
the 2016 president race as husband-and-wife-keynote speakers James Carville and Mary Matalin discussed the
2016 presidential election. The political ―odd couple‖ – Matalin is a Republican and Carville a Democrat – gave
theirtakeonthe2016race.
―I‘ve never seen anything like this in American politics,‖ said Carville when asked by Brian King of Ritter Grain
Services, Marked Tree, Ark., about the large field of candidates vying for the presidency. King moderated the
discussion.―This is unprecedented - you could fieldtwobaseball teams,‖ Matalinsaid. ―We haveproduced afield

that is uncharted territory.‖Attendees also heard from Jim Wiesemeyer, senior vice president with Informa
Economics, who included some discussion of the 2016 elections in his Washington Outlook presentation at the
conference.Herearesomephotosfromthis year‘s event.FormoreontheUSARiceFederationandtheUSARice
OutlookConference,visithttp://usarice.com/.
H1 rice imports may hit 900,000 MT – NFA
December 14, 2015 9:50 pm
by JAMES KONSTANTIN GALVEZ, REPORTER
Proposed 2016 volume to stabilize supply, prices
Rice imports may reach nearly 1 million metric tons (MT) in the first half of 2016 as the
government moves to ensure stable supply and prices amid an ongoing El Nino.National Food
Authority (NFA) Administrator Renan Dalisay told reporters that the Food Security Committee
(FSC) could recommend an additional 400,000 MT of rice imports on top of the 500,000 MT
already programmed for the first quarter of 2016.Dalisay said the FSC was expected to approve
the additional import volume before the year ends, with shipments to arrive before the onset of
the lean season that starts in June.―We need to ensure that we have enough rice inventories at
government depositories as El Nino peaks in the first quarter of next year,‖ he said, adding that
the proposal is part of a roadmap aimed at alleviating the impact of a prolonged drought on food
supplies.
Manila, formerly the world‘s biggest rice importer, traditionally buys an average of 1.7 million
MT of the grain annually. For 2015 alone, the country contracted a total of 1.9 million MT of
rice but actual arrivals of the grain have been pegged at 1.135 million MT.For next year‘s
importation, Dalisay said the NFA Council was looking at the possibility of buying the rice
through a government-to-government (G2G) deal or via an open tender.A G2G transaction
requires an existing executive agreement for a country to participate. At present, only three
countries – Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia – have existing rice purchase agreements with the
Philippines.An open tender, on the other hand, will allow foreign private entities outside of the
Philippines‘ current bilateral agreements to bid for Manila‘s rice requirement.―The NFA Council
is also studying the possibility of including the planned import volume under the minimum
access volume (MAV),‖ the NFA chief said.
At present, Manila limits the amount of rice allowed to enter the country through the MAV to
805,000 metric tons.The MAV refers to the minimum volume of farm produce allowed to enter
into the Philippines at reduced 35 percent tariff. Shipments outside the MAV are levied a higher
rate of 50 percent and require NFA approval.Depending on the impact of the dry spell on
domestic palay production, rice imports could double in 2016 to ensure stable prices, Dalisay
said.The NFA is mandated to protect the interests of both rice producers and consumers. As
such, the agency‘s two primary duties are to stabilize the price of rice and to ensure food
security.The price stabilization mandate means the NFA tries to influence prices on two fronts.
On one end, it must support palay farmers and keep prices at a level that is enough to ensure a
reasonable return.

At the same time, it must also ensure that the price of rice is affordable enough for
consumers.Over the past two years, the NFA has relied massively on cheaper imported rice to
replenish its buffer stocks since it cannot compete with private millers and traders in buying
locally grown palay.Buying rice from abroad cuts the agency‘s spending on local purchases, and
it can earn more and limit its losses by selling to consumers at higher prices.NFA Spokesperson
Angel Imperial Jr., meanwhile, said the country still had enough of the grain, with inventories at
government-owned depositories as well as commercial warehouses and households sufficient for
the next 69 days.―
As of November 30, the NFA has 801,000 MT of rice which is good for 26 days, while
commercial and households stock as of October 30 was pegged at 666,000 MT and 777,000 MT,
respectively,‖ Imperial said.The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical
Services Administration has projected that the ongoing El Niño will exceed the 1997 to 1998
occurrence.The full effects of the current weather phenomenon, the agency added, will be felt in
February and March 2016 when the entire country is projected to get only 20 to 30 percent of
normal rainfall.
Despite the threats of a prolonged drought, however, the government still expects palay
production to bounce back in the first quarter of next year, thanks to changes in the cropping
calendar.The palay sector has suffered massively from unrealized plantings as a result of delayed
releases and inadequate irrigation water, late rains and some areas being left fallow. The wet
season should have started mid-April but was delayed to June-July due to the lack of water
supply.With recent storms having filled dams and irrigation facilities now overflowing, the
Agriculture department said harvests would rebound in the first quarter of 2016. Officials also
said they were meeting with farmers who wish to conduct early planting of palay.Palay
production is forecast to reach 20.69 million MT next year.
http://www.manilatimes.net/h1-rice-imports-may-hit-900000-mt-nfa/234422/
New Rice Could Help Reduce Global Greenhouse Gasses
By Courtney Flatt
The new strain of rice (right) compared to common rice (left). The new rice creates much less methane
during its growth and produces more grains.
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Listen
Listening...
1:30
Rice is a staple in many people‘s diets. But you may not know that rice paddies are one of the
biggest sources of global methane emissions — a potent greenhouse gas. Now, researchers have
found a way to nearly eliminate methane emissions from rice paddies.When it comes to

greenhouse gasses, methane is a major contributor to climate change. It is 20 times more
efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide.
Researchers estimate that up to 15 percent of global
human-caused methane emissions comes from growing
rice.That‘s why researchers at Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory and the Swedish University of
Agricultural Sciences decided to see if they could reduce
the amount of methane that comes from growing
rice.PNNL‘s Christer Jansson said researchers were able
to splice a barley gene into a rice gene.
The effect: The team‘s rice paddies emit almost no methane. The hope is that could help reduce
greenhouse gasses worldwide.―I think it could have an effect, certainly," Jansson said. "There‘s
always a balance.‖ There‘s an added bonus to the gene splice: increased rice yields.The team has
tested the rice in greenhouses in Sweden and in rice paddies in China. Up next: testing how the
rice tastes, looks and is harvested compared to what‘s grown now — although Jansson said
researchers so far haven‘t noticed any differences.Jansson said this new rice won‘t be available
commercially for another 20 years or so.
http://nwpr.org/post/new-rice-could-help-reduce-global-greenhouse-gasses
SunRice lifts first-half profit
2015-12-15
A focus awayfrom sales of bulk rice to more profitable branded rice into premium markets has helped boost the
half-yearprofit ofglobal ricetraderSunRice.SunRice's first-halfrevenueandprofit rosedespiteasmallerricecrop
in NSW's Riverina region in 2015 as well as adverse foreign exchange movements and weaker economic
conditions in some markets.SunRice also says it is developingcontingencyplans in theRiverina in expectation of
asignificantlyreducedcropin2016,largelyduetothecurrentavailabilityandpricingofwater.SunRice'snetprofit
attributable to members for the six months to October 31 rose 12.5 per cent to $21.9 million.SunRice did not
declare a dividend."This half-year profit result was underpinned by the continued growth of branded sales and
operationalimprovements,"SunRicechiefexecutiveRobGordonsaidonTuesday.
"We continue to actively execute our stated strategy to focus on premium branded markets and to build capacity
and capabilityacross the organisation."SunRice expects its profit for the full 2016 financial year to be in line with
the 2015 results.SunRice said revenue generated byits rice pool business was lower compared to a year earlier as
volumes were affected by a smaller crop. The rice pool business mills and markets rice from the Riverina.The
international ricebusiness,whichmarketsanddistributes ricefromoutsideoftheRiverinaregion,sufferedafallin
profit because of unfavourable exchange rate movements and weaker economic conditions in some markets,
includingPapuaNewGuinea.
Thericefoodsegment,whichmakesanddistributesproductssuchasricecakes,riceflourandricechips,was also
impacted by negative currency movements and had to import additional product.The Riviana Foods business,

which makes and sells consumer food products to intermediaries, improved its profit as it axed some product
ranges and cut costs.Meanwhile SunRice expects to release details of a capital restructure to shareholders in
February2016,aheadofashareholdervoteonMarch16.SunRicehastwoclassesofshares:A-classvotingshares,
which are held by active rice growers; and B-class non-voting shares, which are held by active and former rice
growers, and employees.SunRice is proposing to list a separate entity called the SunRice Fund on the Australian
SecuritiesExchange-similartodairyproducersMurrayGoulburnCo-operativeandFonterra.
http://www.tradingroom.com.au/apps/view_article.ac?articleId=7084475
Rice Market & Technology Convention
Presenting #RMTC16 Keynote Speaker: Dr. Robert S. Zeigler
Dr. Robert S. Zeigler
Director General and Chief Executive Officer
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
Robert ―Bob‖ Zeigler is an internationally respected plant pathologist with
over 30 years of experience in agricultural research in the developing
world. Zeigler became director general and chief executive officer of the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in 2005.After completing
undergraduate work in 1972, Zeigler joined the Peace Corps and spent 2
years as a science teacher in the Democratic Republic of Congo in
Africa.Zeigler earned degrees at Cornell University (PhD), Oregon State
University (MSc), and the University of Illinois (BSc). Zeigler has completed corporate
management and governance programs from Harvard Business School and Kellogg School of
Management. Dr. Zeigler is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement
of Science, the American Phytopathological Society, the Indian Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, and is a member of the honor societies: Sigma Xi (The Scientific Research Society),
and Gamma Sigma Delta (agriculture).Zeigler has authored and co-authored over 100 refereed
international journal articles, reports, and scientific papers and has delivered numerous invited
lectures worldwide.
My hometown of Houston, Texas welcomes you to the 2016 Rice Market & Technology
Convention!
Now this is going to be a real exciting event that you will not want to
miss – and from the interest shown so early, we believe that the saying
―Everything is Bigger in Texas‖ will be fitting for our 2016 RMTC as
we expect it to be our largest ever! In Texas we have so many resources
of support along the gulf coast area such as rice farms, university
research programs, ports, seed development companies, rice mills, allied
equipment companies and more. And I have not mentioned Houston‘s
famous food, shopping, sports, arts and entertainment. Did someone say ―Barbecue‖?? It‘s on
me folks! See you May 31-June 2, 2016!
http://ricemtconvention.com/

14 th december,2015 daily global regional,local rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

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14 th december,2015 daily global regional,local rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine